CHAPTER 208: CHAPTER 186: PIRATE ATTACK_1

At night, the sea was profoundly dark and lightless, a darkness that devoured any light, with only the faint stars and moon above guiding the way.

Aboard a cargo ship en route to Hamlet, aside from the sailors on the night watch, most people were asleep. Even Lance had fallen into slumber. However, for some reason, he was suddenly awakened by the sensation of being watched.

He instantly got out of his bunk and activated his Spiritual Vision, his tense expression showing he didn’t dare to relax one bit.

Dammit, last time it was a collector. This time, it better not be choosing this moment to mess with me.

Being on a ship was nothing like being on land. If a fight were to break out, the trouble would be major.

However, after he remained on guard for a while, no further anomalies appeared. The space before his eyes was stable, showing no signs of spiritual fluctuations.

Could it be something in the sea?

Lance knew all too well that the seas of this world were a chaotic mess, and it wouldn’t surprise him if they encountered some strange creature.

He immediately left his cabin and made a round of inspections. Everything was still calm, and the sailors on duty hadn’t noticed anything unusual.

That was strange.

Standing on the deck, he focused his senses but detected no problems.

As he hesitated, the familiar sensation of performing a Sacrifice came to him. The Void unexpectedly returned a substantial amount of Spiritual Essence to him—an amount he hadn’t obtained even from slaying hundreds of people on his journey, enough to threaten to fill his body to the brim.

What the hell had been sacrificed?

There was no time to ponder. Lance didn’t hesitate. Shedding his previous penny-pinching attitude, he immediately willed: [Bless]! [Strengthening]! Then, he allowed the Spiritual Essence to nourish his body.

He didn’t need to worry about the volatility of Spiritual Essence as other Transcendents did; as long as he had it, he’d pile it on.

Power... A potent force filled his body.

But Lance did not use it unrestrainedly. Instead, his powerful will suppressed the craving for power and interrupted the [Strengthening] process.

True, he didn’t need to worry about spiritual agitation, but the human body had its limits. Too much [Strengthening] at once could make him lose control over his body.

Furthermore, reckless use would, to some extent, waste the refreshing mechanism it provided. It was better to let his body adjust gradually.

The body is like a bottle; each [Strengthening] expands its capacity. Once he sensed it was about enough, he naturally stopped. Only when filled with Spiritual Essence could he have ample reserves.

He then transferred the remaining bit of Spiritual Essence to the Wolf Spirit at his side, watching it grow as if nurturing a pet.

The Wolf Spirit’s ethereal body grew more solid and intricate, to the point where he could almost see individual hairs. Its movements also became much more agile, no longer as stiff as before.

But the gifts from the Void had not yet ended. A patchworked leather scroll and a pure, white Crystal appeared out of nowhere.

These two items landed in his hands. Unlike Extraordinary Equipment, he automatically knew what they were.

The leather scroll was the [Abyssal Contract]. It allowed Lance to form a contract with an entity and control it.

Moreover, this item wasn’t written by humans but created by an Abyssal demon. In a world as rife with betrayal as the Abyss, only contractual bonds could enable them to control other Aberrant Demons and fallen humans.

To members of the Church, this scroll was filled with profane rituals, but for Lance, it contained much intriguing knowledge.

It described rituals for communicating with an Aberrant Demon, signing a contract to control it, and even rituals for exorcising, Sealing, and killing Aberrant Demons.

The contract’s binding power was particularly noteworthy; through mysterious forces, it could restrict even an Abyssal demon into fulfilling its terms, let alone ordinary humans.

As for the Crystal, it was an [Indomitable Spirit]—a soul that not even an Abyssal demon could subdue, only imprison.

Lance stored the items in the Exhibition Room. Although he had inexplicably stumbled upon a great windfall, he had no intention of relaxing yet.

Judging by the items, it seemed an Aberrant Demon had been Sacrificed. But when had I ever done such a thing?

He just couldn’t figure it out. However, at that moment, the strange sensation of being watched returned. Lance instinctively looked back. How could he not understand now?

It felt very similar to when Tamara had probed his talent.

Someone was using Supernatural Power to investigate him and had suffered a backlash!

How could I have forgotten about that?

Lance’s expression turned odd. This world has no surveillance cameras, but it has plenty of strange Supernatural Powers. Finding a thief should be easy, shouldn’t it?

No wonder the Totnes officials hadn’t seemed too concerned.

But this backlash... it has probably stirred up a hornet’s nest. Luckily, I ran fast enough.

Lance came back to his senses, recognizing his rashness. Thankfully, he had connections in high places; otherwise, if he had been discovered, he would have faced trouble even if not caught.

However, Lance then realized that the rewards from this backlash—both Spiritual Essence and items—were greater than what he had earned from his prior rampage and half a day of hard work.

If this happened a few more times, could I perhaps...?

The thought was appealing, but Lance dared not take such great risks for relatively small gains anymore.

Greed itself isn’t terrifying; what’s terrifying is being controlled by greed.

Glancing at his panel, after expending so much Spiritual Essence on [Bless] and [Strengthening], it was evident that his [Brave] rank had changed.

[Brave] → [Elite].

Rank three already, huh? Lance mused, observing the change on his panel.

Reaching Elite rank in just over a month... I don’t know if that’s fast or slow, but ultimately, it’s the result of my own efforts.