Chapter 400: Preaching Manual
The beggar sometimes remained deranged, but most of the time, he could communicate normally.
Seeing the broken corpse Wu Heng had taken out,
He gritted his teeth and identified the opponent's profession.
A Sorcerer with a demon bloodline.
"Inborn or acquired later?" Wu Heng asked.
After leaving Blackstone Town and encountering more professions,
Wu Heng had gained a deeper understanding of Sorcerers.
A Sorcerer's magic power came from their bloodline, which could originate from ancestral divine summoning, fusion with powerful creatures by forebears, or bloodline alterations through grand rituals.
Becoming a Sorcerer wasn't limited to bloodline awakening.
Of course, this didn't mean Sorcerers gained immense power immediately upon awakening.
They needed self-discipline and practice to refine their magical skills or uncover greater potential within themselves.
This was both an advantage and a drawback. Becoming a Sorcerer meant their development was confined to a framework.
Unlike Mages, who could study a variety of spells or create new branches of magic.
The beggar thought for a moment and shook his head. "I'm not sure. When I was with the pirates, I only knew he was a Sorcerer. Some captured prisoners were used in sacrificial rituals."
Wu Heng nodded and said to a member of Squad Eleven, "Find a barrel and drain this corpse of blood."
Uh…
The room fell silent.
Kavina glanced at the Dwarf and Human Rogues, who immediately went off to fetch a barrel.
Truly the style of a Necromancer.
The corpse was taken away.
Wu Heng continued to question the beggar, "Do you know of other bases or locations established by the Demon Pirates?"
"I knew some before, but five years have passed. The pirates have already been expelled from Gold-Silver Island. I'm not sure if they still exist," the beggar replied.
Five years—much had changed.
Especially among pirate groups, where fleets disappeared daily, and new ones were constantly formed.
"Write down the locations you know. I'll arrange it later, and the merits will be credited to you," Wu Heng said.
"Okay." The beggar stood and began recalling information to write down.
He started jotting it down.
Sheila Grey asked again, "When are we heading back?"
"Once the local guild takes over here, we'll leave," Wu Heng replied.
The beggar's presence could confirm that the villagers were pirates.
This distinction was crucial for Wu Heng.
Killing villagers and killing disguised pirate villagers were two entirely different matters.
He would have a legitimate explanation upon returning.
"This village is problematic. Can they handle it?" Sheila Grey pressed.
Wu Heng thought for a moment. "It's hard for us to investigate thoroughly. Let's report it to the steward and let the headquarters handle it."
"Alright."
...…
Approaching noon,
The local guild and guards arrived at the village.
The Deputy Steward who accompanied them yesterday must have informed them about the battle last night.
The local steward and the guard captain were very courteous.
They understood the situation and expressed shock and anger over the pirate ambush but did not mention the pirate village.
Wu Heng and his team did not ask why the pirates had set up an ambush.
The surface-level handover concluded, and they prepared to return to the Lopez City port and board a ship back to Gold-Silver Island.
Exiting the village compound together,
A large group of villagers had gathered in the central area. Their faces were grim, and many carried clubs.
The city guards loudly negotiated with the villagers, sweat dripping from their foreheads and necks.
Tap, tap, tap~!
Wu Heng and his team emerged, glancing toward the commotion.
Whoosh~!
Instantly, the noisy scene fell silent.
The villagers lowered their heads, ceasing their movements.
Last night, they might have debated with the guards, but the sight of that figure from afar…
Still sent shivers down their spines.
The skeletons following behind him were once their companions.
They dared not provoke him further, lest he slaughter them all.
"Deputy Steward, we'll handle it," the captain assured.
Wu Heng nodded and led his team away.
...…
Before dusk,
The carriage reached the port.
They boarded the Gold-Silver Island guild's ship, which slowly departed, setting course for the island.
Once out of Lopez City's range, everyone finally relaxed.
After inspecting the ship, Sheila Grey said, "Two squads will enhance patrols. Stay alert for any subsequent dangers."
"Understood, Deputy Steward," the squad leaders replied.
After arranging the patrols,
The group returned to their assigned rooms to rest.
In the cabin,
Wu Heng released two spirits.
Glenda glanced around. "We're heading back?"
The cabin was the same as on the way there, indicating their return to Gold-Silver Island.
"Yes, we're returning. The rest will be reported to headquarters for processing," Wu Heng replied.
"That's good," Glenda nodded.
Xiaoxiao hovered nearby, hesitated, and finally called out, "Uncle!"
"What is it?" Wu Heng looked at her.
Xiaoxiao floated to another spot and said, "Next time, I don't want to fight birds. It's so low."
Last night, while dealing with five pursuing pirates,
Skull-Crusher and Keramu each fought one pirate, Glenda tangled with the bomber, and Xiaoxiao disrupted the Ranger's beast.
Perhaps feeling her role was insignificant, she was slightly resistant.
Wu Heng smiled. "That was a tamed beast. Different roles, same goal."
"I don't care. I just don't want to deal with a bird next time," Xiaoxiao insisted.
Wu Heng thought for a moment. "I'll check the archives when we return to see how you can level up. Once your level increases, you'll be ready for battle."
"Alright!"
After a brief chat, Xiaoxiao went to watch cartoons across the room.
Glenda flew out to monitor the surrounding sea for safety.
Being at sea, they had to remain wary of pirate threats.
Wu Heng took out the spoils from the previous night's battle.
A total of nine spatial rings, the largest with 20 cubic meters and the smallest with only 2 cubic meters.
These were taken from the pirate captain and several pirate elites.
Each ring contained supplies like fresh water, food, and daily necessities.
Long stays at sea made such items essential.
Additionally, there were large amounts of gold and silver coins, magical scrolls, various potions, and magical tools.
The collection was diverse, particularly one spatial ring.
Likely belonging to the bomber gnome, its 20-cubic-meter space was half-filled with alchemical grenades of various effects.
If detonated simultaneously, it could probably sink the ship.
After inspecting everything, Wu Heng stored them back in the rings.
He was left with a thick book in his hands.
[Preaching Manual (Relic)]
[Effect: Increases charisma, makes speech more persuasive, and facilitates achieving goals (requires face-to-face interaction; the lower the target's perception, the stronger the effect).]
[Side Effect: Each use requires sincere repentance within 24 hours; failure to do so results in a "Mute" curse for three days.]
(Description: Seek the forgiveness of the Almighty!)
Hmm?
It seemed like an excellent relic.
Boosting charisma and speech persuasiveness made achieving goals easier.
Such effects had applications in many scenarios.
And the side effect didn't seem severe.
Sincerely repenting within 24 hours or enduring three days of muteness.
Wu Heng had encountered muteness before.
Last time, Kalema suffered muteness as a side effect of using the Sincere Figurine, which simply rendered him unable to speak.
This curse was slightly more severe, causing three days of silence.
But 24 hours allowed time for repentance.
Overall, it was a highly valuable relic.
Wu Heng put it away and reviewed a few other items.
Most were common, with nothing particularly noteworthy.
Late at night, Wu Heng walked around the deck once.
Then returned to the cabin to rest.
...…
By afternoon the next day,
The ship reached Gold-Silver Island.
They hired carriages and headed straight to the guild.
Wu Heng led a group to the morgue, while Sheila Grey went to the study to summon Steward Imiro.
Before long, footsteps and Sheila Grey's voice echoed from the stairs.
Imiro and others descended.
Glancing at the group, Imiro asked directly, "Where's the body?"
A squad member lifted the white cloth covering an iron table, revealing the pirate's mutilated and blood-drained corpse.
"Begin," Imiro commanded.
Wu Heng cast [Speak with Dead], and the corpse sat upright on the iron table, turning to face them.
Behind them, two investigators accompanying Imiro opened their notebooks, ready to record.
"What promise did the Blank Envelope make to convince you to target Deputy Steward Wu Heng of Gold-Silver Island?"