As part of the southern open sea, the Abyss of Anos is not vast. If it were not for the violent storms and turbulent ocean currents, an ordinary three-masted sailboat would only need less than half a month to cross it. However, due to the bad weather , even if a magical ship like the Time wants to reach its center, it needs to go through many difficulties and dangers.
In the dark storm, the rain covered everything like a gray curtain, but a huge ark shining with warm white light broke through the huge waves and moved forward along a straight beam of light, with densely packed magical runes spinning on its top. , a gem like a small sun flows with majestic positive energy and shoots a dazzling beam of light pointing directly to the center of the sea.
This ark has one hundred and sixty-two weathered crew members, with average strength above the Silver level. They have fought countless storms in the open sea and returned victorious, and they firmly believe that this time the Church of the Seven Gods is on an expedition to Anos. Yuan's actions are no exception.
The captain of the Time is named Derry. He is a strong old man with red hair. It can be seen from his appearance that he has a certain degree of barbarian blood, but in fact he is a soldier-like and meticulous man. However, it is also true that It is because of this rigorous attitude and the powerful body derived from the barbarians that this old man who is over sixty years old still has the ability to sail a boat, break the waves, and travel overseas.
Delhi has the strength of a high-level silver. When he was young, he was close to the realm of gold, but he stopped at the peak of silver because he could not break through that barrier. Now that time has passed, although his body is still strong, his grasp of fighting spirit has also faded. It is becoming more and more sophisticated, but the vitality of Delhi is gradually declining, and it can no longer touch the golden realm.
At this time, there was a heavy rain, and huge waves were beating against the side of the ark. The red-haired old man holding a pipe in his hand closed his mouth tightly and stood on the side of the ship. The enchanted agate pipe did not go out in the water, but instead floated out. There were wisps of white smoke, and beside him, a tall man in a black coat was standing by the side of the ship. The man looked at the churning tide, as if he was thinking about something.
The tall man—that is, Joshua. He and Derry watched the tide together, and then chatted in the heavy rain.
The reason why the two chatted so familiarly was because of an accident - due to the shrinkage of body size, when Hei was in human form, he would occasionally spray out dragon breath to destroy the internal energy of the ark because he could not control the huge fire element energy in his body. Facilities, and two days ago, Hei Yi accidentally sprayed out dragon breath again. This time the power of the dragon breath was a bit too much. It easily penetrated the two-story corridor and almost killed the red-haired old man who was taking a cigarette break. Burn to ashes.
Deli didn't care about this accident, and during the conversation with him, Joshua unexpectedly discovered that the old man's hometown was his novice village in his previous life, which was located in Port Alpha in the Anzu Province on the coast of the Far South Kingdom.
Although the red-haired old man wondered why Joshua, an imperial noble, was so familiar with a port city in the far south, he did not care about such a trivial matter. The two of them first sighed together about the simple folk customs and warm hospitality of Ansu Province. The residents also commented on some local specialties and scenery. Although Captain Delhi, who had been at sea for nearly forty years and had not returned home for a long time, did not immediately introduce the soldier as a confidant, he also had a lot of feelings for the seemingly indifferent imperial count. Good impression.
While the two were talking, a dull long roar came from the sea. The turbulent tide rose from the deep sea, and the waves rolled in all directions, accompanied by the increasingly clear dragon roar, one blue and one black. Two giant dragons broke through the sea one after another and appeared on the left and right sides of the Ark, moving side by side with the Time Ship.
Because of the protection of the two sea dragons, the speed of the Ark suddenly became faster. Seeing this, Derry shook the pipe in his hand and said goodbye with a smile: "Then, let's talk next time, Earl Radcliffe, you are different from the rumors. He is a noble noble worthy of respect."
"Rumors?" Joshua frowned slightly. He didn't know that his reputation had been killed a long time ago. He felt a little strange, but he had no time to pay attention to such a trivial matter. Instead, he nodded and said goodbye: "Then Captain Delhi, let's talk next time."
When he said this, he patted the other party's shoulder.
On one side, the black dragon slowly approached the side of the ship, and when the distance between the two was only a few dozen meters, a huge round seal, about five meters high, appeared out of nowhere. Come out and jump on the back of the black dragon.
This giant seal, which was almost round into a ball, lay quietly on the dragon's carapace. You could see black totem lines all over its fat body. When the black dragon got closer to the ark, it simply slapped its tail. , jumped straight up, then turned into a human form in mid-air, and landed steadily on the deck of the Time Ship.
This is a slender elf boy with a delicate appearance. His long black hair is tied into a high ponytail and spread behind his back. It seems that due to strenuous exercise, the boy's wheat-colored skin is slightly red, and his face looks a little tired. .
It has to be said that except for the vague totem magic pattern on his body, there is no connection between him and the round seal at all.
"What, Joshua, don't you go and swim in the sea with your dragon?"
After regaining his breath, Hill walked slowly to the warrior's side. He waved to the blue dragon on the other side, and the Sea Stegosaurus, which had a single horn on its head and was surrounded by dazzling electric light, also He nodded slightly and dived into the sea again.
"No." Joshua squinted his eyes, looked at the elf boy who had just transformed from a seal into a human, and said calmly: "I can't turn into a sea creature... But then again, the seal you transformed into is so round. , how on earth do you swim in the sea?"
"...This is the secret skill of the Druid."
After a moment of silence, Hill abruptly ended the topic. He turned his head and looked in the direction the red-haired captain left, and then asked with some confusion: "Did you just inject life into him?"
Although he was confused about the grammar, his tone was affirmative. As the elves most sensitive to vitality, and also the druids most sensitive to vitality, Hill was absolutely sure that Joshua's pat on the shoulder just now meant that Delhi A lot of vitality has been injected into it. Although the red-haired captain does not seem to notice this, as this vitality gradually improves, it will not be long before his gray hair will turn black again, and because of his body The strength that has fallen due to decline will also rise again, and maybe we can touch the golden barrier again and break through.
"Just a try."
Joshua did not take this little thing to heart. He looked down at the black dragon that had dived into the sea again, and said in a calm tone: "No matter what, the vitality is not harmful."
Ever since the day he first boarded the Ark, when he got a lot of information about order and chaos from the Azure Orb, Joshua gradually understood many ways to control this thing inherited by the sages, and mobilizing the vitality contained in it was only one of them. -Before this, the warrior could only passively accept the treatment of his body by the Azure Orb, but now, he can independently control that life force to prioritize treatment of more critical parts.
In the azure orb, the vitality obtained by burning so much chaos is as majestic as the sea. Giving this pure vitality to others is also a method that Joshua has recently figured out how to use. Captain Delhi happened to have a good chat with him. , the soldier tried to help this friend he had just met.
"Let's not talk about this aspect, why are you not with Ms. Anna, but instead crawling on my dragon?"
The black dragon had completely sunk into the sea and began another dive. Joshua just stared at the dark tide in the heavy rain and asked Hill casually: "Aren't you worried that Anna will be jealous?"
"The seawater next to Black is a little warmer. You know, the seawater in the Abyss of Anos is as cold as ice water." The elf boy replied equally casually: "I didn't dive into the sea with Anna before. The current around her was too strong. Now, I have to stay far away to prevent myself from turning into a charred seal."
Obviously, the soldier was not a talkative person, because no one took the initiative to stir up the topic, and the atmosphere on the side of the ship became cold. Amidst the noise of the heavy rain, Hill couldn't help but sigh, and said with some emotion: "You Sure enough, he is not a dragon knight."
Those who can become dragon knights must first have strong martial arts skills and be able to subdue their mounts, but secondly, they must have extremely high charm and excellent communication skills, so that the dragons can cooperate willingly.
"It's true that I'm not a dragon knight, it's just that my mount happens to be a dragon." Joshua, whose charm was as low as over 200, nodded and patiently replied: "Actually, it's not convenient to ride a dragon. It's been a long time since I rode a black horse to fight. ”
"Even as a warrior, you are not very normal." Looking at Joshua's body carefully, Hill's brows raised slightly: "Generally speaking, normal warriors will practice many special skills and expertise. Otherwise, their strength will not be able to keep up with other professions at the same level, but you... "
After carefully looking at it again, the elf boy came to the conclusion: "I only practiced one kind of breathing method, and nothing else."
If the warrior's achievements had not been spread outside the empire, and he had neatly killed an abyssal dragon before, Hill might have doubted Joshua's strength because of this. You know, a man who has not practiced special skills and expertise. A warrior who only relies on skills and secret techniques to fight is undoubtedly incomplete, and his combat effectiveness is far weaker than that of other members of the same profession.
"There are many reasons." Looking at the sea, Joshua understood Hill's doubts. He put his hands around his chest and slowly replied: "The most important one is that it is not time."
The warrior knew why the elf boy said that. In fact, Loranda asked the same question a few days ago. He thought it was because Joshua's father died too early and the family inheritance in this area was lost. Saint The knight even offered to give the warrior some secrets published by the church.
Of course, Joshua declined this offer.
The so-called special skills and expertise are [permanent gain states] that cannot be summed up in the same way as the breathing method. Because of the limits of the body, the gain states that humans can endure are limited, so every warrior who pursues powerful Identify early on the expertise you need in the future and then work toward filling them.
Joshua naturally has his own goals. As a former legendary warrior, his vision is so high that he doesn't even bother to learn ordinary expertise and skills. What the warrior wants is something similar to the [Omniscient Eye] [Original Human Body] [Perfect Reaction] This is an extraordinary feat that is at least at the Ultimate level.
Because he has the ultimate power, his body can bear far more permanent buffs than ordinary people, but Joshua is not prepared to change his plan because of this, to learn ordinary expertise, plus he has advanced to the ultimate level. It didn't take long for him to arrive at the Abyss of Anos, so the warrior still had no expertise except the steel armor breathing method.
—However, it’s time to prepare. Joshua nodded silently. He now has the strength of the Ultimate Level, and because of the huge amount of fighting energy brought by the Killing Chaos, the warrior's combat effectiveness is higher than his level, and he has already met the requirements of many extraordinary specialties. condition.
"The past few days have been really peaceful. There have been no attacks from corrosive sea monsters. The storm is only of this magnitude and cannot threaten the Time Ship."
On the side, Hill said to himself: "If we can approach the central whirlpool safely like this, then our mission this time will be much easier."
Peaceful
"Peace?"
Hearing this word, Joshua couldn't help but laugh. He shook his head, and then showed a smile to the elf boy: "Mr. Hill, do you really think so?"
In Hill's opinion, the soldier's smile was not a smile at all, but rather had a cold feeling. He rubbed his shoulders uncomfortably, and asked doubtfully: "Isn't it peaceful? Ever since I met the sea After the Abyss Demon Dragon, the Time Ship has not encountered a corrosive sea beast for several days in a row. Although the storm is fierce, it is normal in the Abyss of Anos."
But Joshua shook his head: "Although it's hard to believe, my friend."
At this time, a burst of thunder suddenly sounded in the sky covered by dark clouds. Then, thunderbolts as dense and complex as spider webs crisscrossed the sky. The continuous roar shook the atmosphere and the ocean. The rain curtain, which was originally as thick as a gray curtain, suddenly became denser. , as if the Black Sea is pouring upside down.
Washed away by the sudden heavy rain, the elf boy almost choked from the rainwater pouring into his mouth and nose, but a thin black-red aura appeared around the warrior's body, blocking out all rain and waves.
As if he had expected this scene, Joshua raised his head, looked at the thundering sky, and said calmly: "As long as I am around, there will never be peace."
The originally turbulent waves became even more terrifying when blown by the suddenly violent wind. Waves of huge waves over ten meters were seen sweeping towards the Ark with unstoppable force, and the entire sea surface seemed to be boiling. .
"Damn it, I haven't seen this kind of slut for at least twenty years."
Captain Delhi, who returned to the cabin, looked at the storm outside in shock through the crystal barrier. He cursed subconsciously, and then took a puff of cigarette: "The last time we encountered it, it was the submarine volcano over Cape Yuanwang. It broke out, what the hell is the reason for this time?”
Although the first mate on the side looked a little pale, he still managed to keep his spirits up and said: "This is the Abyss of Anos, the hell in the sea. Captain, are you not afraid anymore?"
"Fart!" He glared at the first mate, who was also in his forties or fifties, and the red-haired old man said solemnly: "If it were the old broken ship, I might be really scared, but now we are driving the Temple Ark. —I’m not afraid even if I take a dip in the River Styx, let alone this kind of drizzle?!”
This was said, but everyone present did not dare to neglect. Within a few seconds, most of the crew members returned to their posts. They were responsible for controlling most of the magical arrays inside the Ark to fight against Rising waves outside.
On the deck of the Time Ship, Joshua and Hill still had not returned to the cabin. The elf boy looked around as if he was looking for something, while the warrior looked at the churning sea water with an indifferent expression.
Soon after, two huge figures broke through the huge waves. Two giant dragons, one blue and one black, jumped up at the same time, transformed back into human form, and then landed on the deck. Fina and Hei both had a look of confusion on their faces. They noticed the sea. The ocean currents in the depths changed strangely, and then immediately surfaced. Unexpectedly, huge waves appeared in the shallow sea, and the storm suddenly became stronger for some reason.
And just when they left the sea and came to the boat, pieces of ink-like black tide rose from the depths of the sea. Although the sea area of Anos Abyss is called the Black Sea, this is only because of the perennial storms. , the clouds were overcast, and the sea water itself was still colorless, but now, because of a large amount of unknown black dust pouring out of the deep sea, the entire sea area has completely turned black.
Unlike Hei, who was still a little confused, the blue-haired dragon girl frowned. She knew that this black wave was the strange ocean current that she and Hei had noticed. Instinctively, Fina felt that this was the sign that there had been no corrosive sea beasts for several days. The reason was that she smelled a conspiracy.
"coming."
Suddenly, Joshua whispered to himself.
Along with his whispers, the huge ark that was originally riding the wind and waves gradually came to a halt. There were waves of exclamations in the cabin, and the surface of the black water touching the ark flowed with blurry colored light.
"The magic power is passing!" Hill and Fina noticed this keenly, and their expressions became ugly. Although the Time Ship belongs to the Church of the Seven Gods, it still uses the magic energy engine of the mages as power. Now, mixed The black seawater filled with unknown substances sucked away all the magic power in the entire sea area, and all the elements in all things fell into silence. Only the holy light runes around the ark were left to flicker, resisting the waves.
Above the sky, black smoke and mist gradually spread in the clouds. It swallowed up the restless lightning and thunder, making the rainstorm also dark. Except for the fire brought by the molten star on the top of the Time Ark, the entire sea area was no longer visible. There was no flicker of light.
The sea seemed to have turned into a dark prison.
(End of chapter)