After three days of nonstop sailing, the boat finally cut through the mist, revealing an island.
Behave Island. The infamous haven of pirates.
Dozens of ships were anchored along the crooked shoreline, and torches burned across the coast even in daylight.
Jack pointed with a trembling hand.
"We're here. Pirates Island… Behave."
Adam's eyes showed no anger, but the mana leaking from him told a different story.
Before drifting closer. Adam stopped the boat, stored the engine and rifle inside his inventory, and then ordered Jack to row the oars.
Jack eagerly complied, rowing with enthusiasm, seemingly in a hurry to reach the island.
Adam smirked. He naturally knew Jack's little scheming thoughts but didn't bother to pour cold water on him yet.
Only when they were about to dock did Adam speak.
"Oh, by the way, that delicious potion you drank… I added a little poison to it."
The words were spoken lightly, but to Jack they sounded like thunder. He froze.
"…What?!"
"Hmm. Well, poison is something that—"
"I know what poison is!" Jack snapped, refusing to let Adam toy with him.
But confusion gnawed at him. If he was poisoned, why hadn't anything happened? Was Adam bluffing?
"The reason you didn't feel anything," Adam continued calmly, "was because I put the antidote in the food I gave you."
"It's been about twelve hours since your last meal. The symptoms should be showing by now."
Before Jack could protest, horror struck. His body weakened, his temperature rose, his throat dried, and uncontrollable tears streamed down his face.
"Please… help me." Jack clutched his throat, looking desperate to breath.
"Of course." Adam produced a small pill and tossed it to him. "You're my guide, after all."
Jack swallowed it desperately.
Adam's smile was cold.
"Just be a good boy and don't try anything funny, and you'll get more of those. Alright?"
Jack trembled, nodding in fear.
Demon.
Even pirates wouldn't use such vicious methods to control others.
After a while, the boat finally scraped against the dock.
Jack's arms ached from rowing, but he didn't dare complain.
A few pirates lounging nearby glanced their way, eyes narrowing at the sight of strangers. But none moved to stop them.
On Behave Island, there was no such thing as security. Every man was his own law, and every ship was free to come and go.
Adam stepped off first and glanced around with a frown.
'What a filthy place.'
A mountain of garbage was scattered across the coast, and a few drunk pirates lay passed out on the ground.
"Where to now?" Adam asked impatiently, gesturing toward Jack.
"We better go to Saint Tavern," Jack replied quickly. "It's the best place to gather information… and you might even meet the target you want."
Adam narrowed his eyes.
"Hope you're right. For your own good."
Jack naturally had no desire to play any more tricks. Not only did he need the antidote daily, but the other pirates would never forgive him once they realized he had brought an enemy and betrayed the code.
Whether he liked it or not, he was now tied to Adam.
The Saint Tavern wasn't far from the dock.
Its crooked sign swung in the wind, half‑broken, the letters barely legible. The smell of rum, sweat, and smoke spilled out before they even stepped inside.
Adam pushed the door open but was surprised to find the tavern not as full as he expected.
Only one big round table sat in the middle; seven pirates gathered around it with dice games and mugs slamming against wood. Twelve more men stood nearby, watching.
The moment Adam entered, the noise dipped. Several pirates instinctively turned their heads.
"You filthy bastards, didn't you see the closed sign?" Barked a scar‑faced pirate, slapping the table. Mana pressure radiated from him like a wave.
Magus. Adam judged instantly, feeling the weight of the aura.
The other six at the table didn't radiate pressure, but their calm faces told him they were likely on the same level.
Any Adept would freeze facing such situation, but Adam ignored them all. His entire focus locked solely on the twins sitting side by side, smiling faintly.
Mana burst from him, cracking the wooden floor beneath his feet.
'Calm down!' Adam warned himself. 'A direct fight would be suicide.'
But it was easier said than done. Images of his mother kept popping up on his head, causing the pressure he emitted to be more intense.
"Oh, what a surprise!"
The seven Sitting Magus looked at him in surprise and amusement. They couldn't believe that a mere Adept would be so brazen to resist a Magus.
'CALM Down, DAMNIT!!' He clenched his fist until it bleed while doing his absolute best not to go berserk.
Slowly, his mana receded, along with his killing intent.
At first, he thought Jack had set him up. But one glance at Jack's frozen, sweat‑drenched face dismissed the idea. They were just unlucky to stumble upon an unusual meeting.
"Excuse me. I'm new here, so I didn't know the rules," Adam said evenly.
"Oh, a new face, eh?" A black‑haired woman licked her lips, her eyes predatory. "Hmm, indeed. I surely haven't seen you around before."
Adam frowned but didn't comment.
"Since you're an Adept, you can attend the meeting," said a slim old man with gray hair, his gaze sharp as he sized Adam up. "You can withdraw your pressure now, Frank."
"Fine! But the other one can't stay." Frank's scarred face twisted in disdain.
"Oi, ordinary humans don't belong here. Get out!"
The mana pressure caused Jack to stagger back, his knees nearly buckling.
"He's with me. But fine… Wait outside, Jack." Adam waved a hand casually.
Jack's eyes darted between Adam and the pirates, sweat dripping down his temples.
"Yes… sir." Jack bowed his head and stumbled toward the door, clutching his chest as if the air itself were choking him.
The tavern door creaked shut behind him.
Adam walked to the far corner of the room and leaned against the wall, arms crossed. He wanted to see what this meeting was all about before making his move.
The seven sitting Magus ignored him, while the ten standing Adepts watched him with wary eyes.
"As I was saying...." John Faraday slammed his cup on the table. "It's time to stop the Magus Academies' dungeon monopolization!"