On high alert, Byron was just about to dart back in retreat.
The figure opposite him, though as short as a child, moved with extreme agility and had already closed in on him like lightning.
Though Fingermonkey was quite surprised by how quickly his target reacted, launching a surprise attack was his specialty.
As Byron instinctively reached for his sword, Fingermonkey suddenly flicked his wrist, slyly throwing out a bag... of lime powder.
Anything to complete the mission; an assassin's methods were always unscrupulous.
WHOOSH!
Seizing the moment, he used the Elbow Sword Technique's Stabbing Step to instantly close the distance.
A gleaming dagger sprang up in his palm, slashing fiercely towards Byron's chest!
However, this time was not like when Byron had used chili powder to ambush the Navy captain with the help of a strong level-seven wind at his back.
Byron had enough time to react; he managed to close his eyes in time.
At this critical juncture, "Spiritual Radiance" burst forth suddenly, forming a third eye broader than the field of vision of the naked eye.
Following the direction of his sixth sense, he executed a whirlwind-like spinning slash using the Rooftop Sword Style. It was a desperate, mutually damaging exchange—attack meeting attack!
All swordsmanship philosophies adhere to four basic principles: judgment, distance, timing, and positioning. Among the timing principles of hand, torso, legs, and footwork, the hand is the fastest, while footwork is the slowest. "Stealing a position" refers to being able to quickly attack by merely moving the wrist.
This was the combat philosophy behind the Storm Sword Technique. All stances and Sword Moves revolved around how to shorten 'timing' and steal 'positioning.' By relying on absolute attack speed, the fatal blow was delivered before the adversary even had time to react!
And Fingermonkey's Elbow Sword Technique was clearly also a master of stealing time, using only the front elbow to strike, pushing the 'timing' of the hand to its absolute limit.
Moreover, blessed with extraordinary Talent, after his Spirit Awakening, he had never encountered another of his kind who could swing a sword faster.
But the lethality of a dagger, compared to a Bastard Sword, ultimately could not hold a candle to it.
Byron dared to risk injury to let Fingermonkey get in a cut, but Fingermonkey certainly wouldn't dare to withstand a sword strike from Byron head-on.
Like a coiled spring, he suddenly ducked and dashed past Byron. Meanwhile, the dagger in his fingertips danced, turning into a gleaming silver serpent that viciously grazed Byron's chest.
RIP—!
A flash of blood appeared.
Once the lime powder had dispersed, Fingermonkey had already scampered to the other end of the alley like a nimble monkey.
He casually wiped away the streak of blood left on his cheek by the Bastard Sword.
With a piece of white cloth, he carefully dried the red liquid on his dagger and tucked it into his pocket.
Turning back, he gestured a throat-slitting motion at Byron, flashed a triumphant smile, then vanished into another dimly lit alley with a flicker.
"Mr. Byron, how are you? Is the injury severe?"
Eight Fingers, who had been petrified on the spot, finally snapped out of it. Seeing a large puddle of red liquid on the ground, he hurriedly rushed over to check on Byron's injuries.
But then he saw Byron nonchalantly open his blood-soaked shirt, pulling out a shriveled wineskin. The long, narrow cut on it was startling. Yet both his skin and the other materials he bought today remained completely unscathed.
"'It's not blood, this is... alcohol?!'"
The frantic Eight Fingers finally realized that the large puddle of blood-red liquid on the ground, although looking like blood, clearly smelled of strong spirits. It was not Byron's blood, but rather the Bacardi Rum that had been contained in the wineskin. It was also the so-called Battle Blood—mixed with the Blood of Metamorphosis and Salman's blood—intended to cultivate lesser Ghouls.
At that moment, Byron's focus wasn't on the wineskin. Even after cleaning the lime powder from his face, he was still somewhat shaken by the attempted assassination.
It was too fast. I had barely set foot in Iron Anchor Bay when an assassination attempt was already underway. There must be a Prophet or a Transcendent with a similar ability close by, one who could lock onto my whereabouts from a nearby distance. If it weren't for the Sailing Logbook warning me in time, the consequences would have been unimaginable. The assassin this time was just a mortal, but if the next one to come is a Transcendent, I might truly end up bloodied on the spot.
If the wanted poster had given him a sense of urgency, making him determined to start planning the blood duel ceremony, the encounter with the assassin made him unwilling to wait another day. He was prepared to take action against Salman that very night! It was merely a matter of figuring out how to stealthily take another bottle of Battle Blood. Now, with First Mate Miles and his dozens of men drinking it daily, a few missing bottles would hardly be noticed. Even hastily plotting against a Second Order Transcendent might involve some risks that were not originally necessary, but he had to take the chance.
Wait!
However, when he checked the records in the Sailing Logbook again, he stumbled upon a new discovery.
"'Mission: Find the target through directional Black Sorcery, take his hair or blood. For ***** to use some extraordinary method to assassinate the target.'"
Limited by his own Spirituality level, he couldn't read the information about Magic Mirror West, the Second Order Transcendent. But it was enough to infer the cause and effect of the events. Just as the nature and investigative efforts for disappearance cases and homicides were entirely different, if someone were killed in broad daylight, the law enforcement team would arrive immediately. But a brawl that didn't result in death, or even a 'disappearance case' with no Corpse found, wouldn't attract a second glance from anyone. As for whether some Pirate might one day unknowingly die in a deserted alley or on some prostitute's bed, no one cared in the slightest. It could achieve the goal without bringing fire upon oneself. This indicated that they were certainly not Death Soldiers loyal to the York Family, who would use any means necessary to complete a task, even at the cost of their own lives. They were more like true experts at killing, adept at exploiting the rules!
But there was a crucial detail.
The blood taken by that assassin belonged to... Salman.
Then, Byron's gaze involuntarily fixed on the second new entry at the end of the Sailing Logbook: 'Heartfelt Trouble.' Its special effect read: Lancaster, second to none...
He stood there dazed for a while, before slowly uttering two words: "Excellent!"
"'Captain Sir,' he then said, almost as if Salman were there, 'hear me out, thank you. As your "trusted companion," I really feel... very safe.'"
「...」
The large dry dock business at Iron Anchor Bay was extremely professional. As long as you had the money, you could get not just the site, materials, and Shipwrights, but also top-notch military supplies exclusive to the Kingdom's Navy.
By the time Byron and Eight Fingers returned with their spoils, the battered Man-Eating Shark had already been towed into the dock and was being pumped out using manual water pumps.
Old Hans and the non-combatants in the small group had all been pressed into service in the dock by Captain Salman. Some acted as supervisors, others as free labor.
After Byron settled accounts for the Gold Pounds and deposit slips with the first mate, he immediately gathered them all together.
"'What? Redraw the repair plan? Retrofit for the fastest ship in the entire North Sea?!'"
The words Byron spoke immediately excited everyone. Especially the skilled professional Shipwright Old Hans, and Little Hans, who had received his true teachings, were thrilled beyond measure at the mere thought of the raised sail's success. They eagerly watched him unfold a brand new set of design plans on the table.
—Bridgetown-type hybrid-sail vessel (suitable for small ships under 200 tons, three-masted version).
In fact, this decision was made on the spur of the moment by Byron. After acquiring the new entry 'Heartfelt Trouble' and unexpectedly validating its effects, he also changed his original plan. He decided to bring out the retrofitting plans ahead of schedule and give them to Salman at no cost, to further solidify his role in others' eyes as the "trusted companion."
"'You guys study the design plans first, absorb them as quickly as possible. I'm going to the inn to find the Captain. As long as he nods, we can start construction right away.'"
After passing the design plans and key modification points to Old Hans, Byron stood up. Amidst the gazes of the crew, who looked at him as if he were a Saint, he went to find 'Bloody Eye' Salman.
Who would have thought that something so valuable, capable of forming a powerful Pirate Group, would be given to the Captain for free? Could he be an Angel reincarnated? The Radiance about him practically condensed into a shimmering halo above his head.
What had the cruel and violent Salman done to deserve such genuine treatment? Even the most loyal confidant couldn't possibly do what Mr. Byron was doing.
Although these seafaring sailors could never become such a person, it didn't stop them from admiring someone like him. Especially as a companion, having him watch your back was incredibly reassuring!