CHAPTER 450: CHAPTER 352: DEATH KNIGHT, FREAK CREW MEMBERS_2

The other members also made headway: Little Hans, the [Shipwright], following the chief engineer Violet’s general direction and laying down the keel, took charge of the construction of the first Heavy Cruiser in Dock Number One.

With their transcendent abilities, they aimed to launch the first Heavy Cruiser by the end of this year or the beginning of the next.

The "Honest Man" Eight Fingers and "Phantom Blade" Gus were both at a critical point, only lacking a sufficiently significant ritual target to be promoted at any time.

Even the [Beast Tamer], Octopus Man Little Eight, who aspired to become an Eight-Sword Style Sword Saint, had learned "Flow State" from Byron, and his swordsmanship had greatly improved.

It took Byron and his team three months to fully digest their gains from Silvergold Island, and the team of his direct lineage members had become truly formidable.

This was even after leaving enough defensive power at home.

With his sister, the pseudo-Fourth Order Mithril Dragon, along with the "Unbreakable Fortress" Sam Leopold, "Preempting the Enemy" Beret Tanya, and the "Fairy" Rigel stationed in the colony, the core team’s Third Order members quietly reached double digits.

Plus, there were the "Conquistador" Cortes and two great leaders of the Taya City-State, who brought the native "Protective Army of the Church."

The Church side also had Sister Teresa, and the Fourth Wild Hunt Servant, the Doppler Greatswordsman and Quasi-Sword Saint, Herman Schwartz.

Although the time wasn’t yet ripe to close the net on the Bloodthirsty Cult and The Skinners’ Church, where he had planted his moles, as they continued to assimilate knowledge, as long as Byron’s equity stake surpassed 50%, he could still synchronously usurp ownership of both organizations even if he wasn’t physically present, not delaying his fishing trip in the New Continent.

"Lift your front paws."

"Lift your left hind paw."

"Lift your right hind paw."

THUMP!

In a corner of the open-air deck, a blue giant wolf, all four paws flailing, fell rather awkwardly onto the deck.

Opposite it, the pile of bones that should have been good material for canines to gnaw on held no appeal for Blue Hair, who dared not vent its anger on this deathly-still skeleton.

It could only whine pitifully and turn its head to look at Byron, seeking rescue, but Skeleton Knight Andrew forcibly manhandled it back as one would a large dog.

Its sharp claws plowed deep gouges into the polished teak deck, which then automatically restored itself to pristine condition under the extraordinary effects of the Sacred Relics.

"Don’t run away. I just want to study if the [Penitential Flames] of a [Death Knight] can use you as a mount; it’s not fatal," Andrew said.

Byron’s uncle, who used to be nothing but a decrepit skeleton clinging to life only through an Aztec Cursed Gold Coin, had undergone a significant transformation.

Now shrouded in thick, bone-white armor, with orange-red soul flames flickering in his hollow eye sockets, if he lowered his visor, others wouldn’t even realize he was a skeleton.

The piece of Forbidden Knowledge, the "Book of the Dead," which Edward had obtained from the Edge of the World, was unusable by others, but Andrew successfully used it to embark on the path of a [Death Knight].

Relying on his rich experience of being a skeleton on Silvergold Island for over a hundred years, he completed the Third Order bloodline ascension ritual in one go.

Finally free from the limitation of the cursed gold coin, his strength could grow again, and he could once more experience the various pleasures of the mortal world.

The core Black Sorcery in his possession, [Penitential Flames], could enchant various weapons, and even Transport or mounts, temporarily and significantly enhancing their original performance.

Being a [Knight], how could he not have a good mount?

Andrew had finally found a creature on board that could be called a "mount" and naturally wanted to investigate the possibility of transforming into a "Wolf Rider Knight."

"Come on, follow me inside. Your resistance to becoming a mount shows your rebellious spirit; your surrender is clearly feigned. Today, I must thoroughly train you," Andrew declared.

"AWOOO—, NO—!"

Blue Hair howled repeatedly in protest but ultimately could not escape Andrew’s clutches.

A [Beast Tamer] awakens the [Domination Holy Seal] at Third Order and the [Heart of the Beast King] at Fourth Order; this, combined with a Werewolf’s bloodline, was a perfect match.

The initial modification was only equivalent to the first bloodline ascension ritual, reaching the level Byron had when he first mastered the [Holy Grail of Blood].

To advance further, one must learn the "Blood Source Pilgrimage" from the Forbidden Book; otherwise, degenerating into a Bizarre creature dominated by Beastliness was the only outcome.

Barbarossa Halding could only submit and obediently "learn" with Byron’s team. Having trained beasts all his life, being trained by someone else for once was no great offense to his dignity.

Byron very generously used [Dominate Lesser Servants], ordering the giant wolf to cooperate fully with his uncle.

After all, this fellow clearly responded to a firm hand, not a gentle one.

He believed that after being disciplined by his uncle, an expert in torture, Blue Hair Halding would undergo a complete transformation, inside and out, and wholeheartedly submit and pledge allegiance to him.

He also chose to turn a blind eye to the whips, chili water, hemp ropes, shackles, tiger bench, candles, and other such trinkets Andrew was pulling out from his Storage Curio as they walked.

His only slight concern was that the side effects of the "Book of the Dead" might have awakened some peculiar fetish in his uncle, who seemed to derive satisfaction from certain strange activities.

He silently shed two crocodile tears for Blue Hair.

Unable to bear watching them any longer, he turned his head to look at the radiant young woman a short distance away, who was holding a Whale Oil Lantern and had platinum blonde hair.

This was the ship’s new [Navigator], Delia.

Today, she had exchanged her perpetually unchanging grey robe for a simple and elegant dress that revealed only a glimpse of her slender calves.

But because she also happened to be wearing a pair of black stockings, Miss [Chameleon] instantly changed "colors" on the spot.

Jacqueline’s cross-dressing fetish, with layers upon layers of debuffs, had evolved to the point where she herself enjoyed wearing black stockings and also liked to see women she fancied wearing them.

A pink mist seemed to cloud her eyes; ever since boarding the ship, she had been assiduously fawning over Delia.

"Delia, smell my perfume. The top notes are bergamot and rosewood, the middle notes are jasmine and May rose, and the base notes are iris and balsam. Does it smell good? Its name is Shalimar by Guerlain. Our Irisflower Kingdom has always produced the best perfumes, and I’ve brought many varieties with me. Would you like to come to my room tonight and sample them together? There’s bound to be one that suits you. I also have many black stockings in my wardrobe—not silk, but spider silk! You would look absolutely stunning in them."

How could Delia, such an innocent young woman, withstand such a relentless charm offensive from this ’serial charmer’?

Unconsciously, she let down her guard and muddle-headedly agreed.

"Oh, okay, sure. I was always homeschooled by private tutors, and there weren’t many girls my age at the Lighthouse Union. It’s rare to meet someone my own age; I’m delighted to make your acquaintance, Miss Jacqueline."

Byron listened to their conversation and thought to himself:

You only praise the perfume, but you never mention that during the Dark Millennium Era, the nobles of the Irisflower Kingdom were notoriously averse to bathing. The perfume workshops received hefty funding, which is how they eventually came to dominate the perfume industry.

And regarding the current situation, he couldn’t help feeling a bit troubled; he hadn’t anticipated this issue when inviting Delia.

Jacqueline previously offended two prominent noble families in The Holy Silver Empire, both boasting Cardinal Archbishops, by two-timing. They had declared that each family would take half of her. And Delia’s father, as the vice-president of the Lighthouse Union, is a Fifth Order, whether through inherited Rank or his own strength. You’re practically trying to create a three-way power struggle with your affairs; that’s a surefire way to meet a swift end! Day by day, I don’t know who she’s learning this from; our family elders certainly don’t have such... expansive traditions of affection.

Byron glanced over his crew, including the newcomer Delia; not a single one of them was completely normal.

Shaking his head, he wasted no more time.

He commanded a [Barnacle Crab] he had brought along to perform a Deep Sea Leap, and in a single jump, it landed him on the edge of an island near the northern end of the "Celestial Orbital Belt," ahead of everyone else.

This island, however, was not deserted; it already prominently displayed the sign: "Westwind Express - Celestial Orbital Belt - Station Number One."

Besides the company’s various managers and clerks, a portly gentleman, having received advance notice, was also personally waiting there.

He wore a finely tailored black formal suit, a pair of gold-rimmed glasses perched on his nose, and gold Seal Rings on each of his ten fingers, used for his Third Order ability, [Investment Pact].

It was none other than Stiel Blake, the Third Order [Banker] from Remit, who, during the massacre of the natives, had infamously "measured people against cartwheels"—a cruelty that had shocked even Teresa (Chapter 219).

He was also a venture capitalist for Westwind Express!