Chapter 1 Su Lun

Su Lun didn't try to rush to contact "Butcher" Banner.

Now that this guy had come ashore and joined the North Sea King's fleet, there would be plenty of opportunities to contact him later. He needed a suitable opportunity so as not to arouse suspicion.

The deaths of two people at the next table didn't cause much commotion, but it gave the tavern patrons some idea of the ruthlessness of the Fourth Fleet's newly promoted squad leader.

Su Lun quietly drank his wine at the bar, occasionally chatting with the bartender.

He drank a lot of wine and heard a lot of news.

The most talked about topic among the patrons was naturally the prison break at sea.

How the Fourth Fleet had soundly thrashed the Royal Lu Ying Navy's escort fleet, rescued the Ninth Fleet Commander, "Gluttonous Admiral" I克斯希尔·佩翁 (Ikeshir Peion), and released some famous "big shots."

In pirate circles, pirates thrashing the Lu Ying Navy was naturally the most exciting topic.

Su Lun got a general idea of what was happening and returned to the hotel.

...

The next day, all sorts of news about the North Sea King's fleet spread like wildfire in Blizzard City.

Su Lun went directly to an information merchant and bought a scroll with the most detailed information.

Then, sure enough, he heard the news that the Ninth Fleet was reorganizing.

For a time, the pirates in the entire Blizzard City became lively.

Under normal circumstances, large pirate groups rarely replenish their personnel on a large scale unless they experience major losses.

After all, the loot from robberies is limited, and if there are too many people, there isn't enough to go around.

Joining the North Sea Fleet is the ultimate dream of many freelance pirates.

If they could really get on board, it would be like getting a "secure job" in the pirate world. They would have fame, a fixed salary, access to the best resources, and room for advancement.

But joining a large pirate group also has its advantages and disadvantages.

The advantage is that with this identity, basically no one in the pirate world will provoke you.

With the protection of Oleg, the "North Sea King," a top-level expert, they wouldn't have to worry about enemies or wanted orders. Ordinary bounty hunters wouldn't dare to provoke this kind of top-level pirate group. And even if there are no robbery operations, there is a fixed salary. They wouldn't be completely dependent on luck.

But the downside is that being a big target attracts attention.

The Royal Lu Ying Navy is very enthusiastic about pursuing large pirate groups, because it's a way to earn military merit. The higher the bounty on a pirate, the higher the merit.

So, the movements of large pirate groups must be very careful.

Once their whereabouts are exposed, they are likely to be surrounded.

Like when Duke Raphael wiped out the Ninth Fleet, if a top-level naval fleet gets accurate information and comes to encircle them, the chances of being severely damaged once the battle starts are extremely high.

Then there are the bounty hunters.

Ordinary bounty hunters certainly wouldn't dare to provoke them, but if someone dares to come, they wouldn't be ordinary people.

Like when the "Ten Great Bounty Hunters" come, they kill a large swath of people.

Low-level cannon fodder pirates are easily reaped in large numbers.

The risk of being cannon fodder is great.

However, most of the pirates with a bit of fame are wanted criminals and extremely vicious people, so they don't care about this risk.

...

After breakfast, Su Lun read the information and left the city unhurriedly.

When he arrived at the Blizzard City docks, it was already a sea of people.

Oleg's Ninth Fleet now only had a few figureheads left, and they had to get new pirate ships and recruit crew members. Those guys had set up a recruitment site at the docks, a bit like a job fair, with a lot of noise and activity.

The opportunity was rare, and some small pirate groups joined with both their ships and people, quickly gathering twenty or thirty ships.

The black skull flag of the North Sea Fleet fluttered grandly over the docks.

After all, it was the ceiling of the pirate world. Although the Ninth Fleet was short of people, they didn't recruit just anyone. To join, you had to have a special skill.

For example, sailors who know how to handle sails, anchors, navigators, gunners... or your name is on a wanted list.

Su Lun, dressed as a pirate, followed the long line, preparing to try to register and join.

Looking lazy, his eyes constantly scanned his surroundings.

The most conspicuous in the distance was a big fat man who looked like a mountain of meat.

Even though the docks were windy and snowy, this guy was exposing his layers of white fleshy belly. With squinting eyes, his hair was braided into long braids that wrapped around his neck several times. He sat there with a large iron pot of meat soup simmering next to him, and even during the recruitment process, his mouth never stopped. His greasy hands fearlessly stirred the boiling soup, directly scooping out large pieces of meat from the pot and stuffing them into his mouth.

Don't underestimate this fat pig's unremarkable appearance. He is the Ninth Fleet Commander, the "Gluttonous Admiral" I克斯希尔·佩翁 (Ikeshir Peion) himself. A seventh-tier professional, a top pirate with a bounty of 2.177 billion.

Su Lun only glanced at him before averting his eyes.

If he were stared at by such a powerful person, he probably wouldn't even have a chance to run.

However, what made Su Lun slightly surprised was that a middle-aged man in a black suit was standing next to the mountain of meat.

The middle-aged man wore a bowler hat, had high cheekbones, a full beard, and his eyes revealed a sense of fortitude.

He carried an ordinary cane, his pants were straight, and his leather shoes were shiny. His clothing was meticulously arranged from top to bottom.

The style of the suit was like that of the upper class of Lu Ying society, like a meticulous old gentleman. But on closer inspection, the clothes were washed white and the shirt was slightly yellowed, indicating that he must be very poor.

But even so, the man, merely by standing there, allowed people to immediately discern the aura that set him apart from the crowd, completely out of place with the surrounding slovenly pirates.

"Could it be that one...?"

The moment Su Lun saw this guy, the information he had obtained earlier immediately came to mind.

When the North Sea King's fleet raided the prison, they released many serious criminals.

Among them was a big shot sentenced to life imprisonment.

Su Lun noticed the middle-aged man in the suit, and the pirates queuing up next to him naturally saw him too.

Everyone was very curious about the middle-aged man's identity, and someone asked aloud.

"Hey, look, who is that guy with the hat?"

"He looks like a noble lord, not like a pirate like us. Why is he next to Lord Peion? It looks like that lord is giving him a lot of face."

"That's Zuo Lasi·D·安德烈斯 (Zuo Lasi. D. Andeliesi), a real big shot from the Lu Ying Imperial Capital!"

"Is he famous? I've never heard of him."

"You don't know, maybe few people have heard of this guy's name. But everyone should have heard of his students. Especially one named 'Thomas Hobbes'..."

"Could it be the former Prime Minister of Lu Ying, the leader of the Misty Moon Revolution?"

"That's him. That's why I said this is a top-level big shot that we'll never see in our lifetime."

"..."

Listening to the whispers of the people around him, Su Lun also showed a shocked expression as if he were watching the excitement.

But in fact, he already knew the origin of this Zuo Lasi.

Although this guy was just a professor at the Royal Lu Ying Academy, he was one of Lu Ying's most famous political scientists, economists, and revolutionary theorists.

If it weren't for the Empress's restoration, his disciples would have almost overthrown Lu Ying's autocratic monarchy and turned it into a "constitutional monarchy."

Su Lun had previously made a special effort to learn about the history of the "Misty Moon Coup," which was a real turning point that promoted social progress.

But unfortunately, it didn't turn all the way around.

After the Empress's restoration, Zuo Lasi's disciples were mostly sent to the gallows and prisons. Because he himself did not directly participate in the coup, and many big shots pleaded for him, he was not killed. But he was also sentenced to hundreds of years of imprisonment and exiled to a remote island.

He didn't expect that he would now fall into the hands of pirates.

Looking at the way that guy glared at the pirates, Su Lun guessed what the North Sea King was thinking.

Lu Ying's criminals are the best source of personnel replenishment for pirates.

He probably wants to keep this kind of political talent.

Although Su Lun felt that this matter seemed a bit coincidental, he wasn't very interested in the North Sea King's plan. He followed the line and walked over.

.......

The recruitment site consisted of a few crude wooden tables, with several pirates glaring at them and someone recording something on parchment.

The "Gluttonous Admiral" I克斯希尔·佩翁 (Ikeshir Peion) was not far away, and there were also several fifth-tier squadron leaders whose imposing presence swept the entire area, making it difficult for ordinary people not to reveal any flaws.

Su Lun could perfectly control his emotions and walked over with a slightly apprehensive expression, just like everyone else.

"Name, origin, special skills."

"乔尼 (Qiaoni), from 西风城 (Xifeng City) in 方安洛戈斯郡 (Fang An Luogesi County) in the south. I'm a very good gunman. Oh... I've also learned artillery shooting before. Because I offended a noble young master, I was wanted..."

"Do you know how to fire the T5 series anti-ship guns?"

"That's what I learned before."

"Well... from today on, you are a member of our Ninth Fleet!"

"..."

The pirate recruitment process was the same as joining the Black Gang in Old Lingdun, without any fancy procedures.

Wanted criminals and skilled workers who meet the conditions are directly recruited.

What's more, Su Lun was already prepared.

He had previously studied the personnel structure of the pirate group in detail.

Gunners are a dime a dozen, but good artillerymen are scarce. They don't have to show up on the deck often, there is less work, and they are still a necessary role on the ship. This is the most ideal disguise.

As expected, Su Lun, under the scrutiny of the pirate wearing a red turban, slightly operated the artillery and showed off his marksmanship, and he successfully boarded the ship.

His peripheral vision also caught the movement of the pen on the parchment by the registrar, which was some of the origins of "乔尼 (Qiaoni)" that he had mentioned earlier.

He would probably find an intelligence contact to confirm it again.

.......

Su Lun and the lucky pirates who were recruited boarded a medium-sized sailing ship called the "White-Headed Eagle."

Three days later, the fleet set sail and left Blizzard City, heading to the northern pirate city.

No one came to cause trouble when the fleet set sail, and Su Lun knew that the identity he had disguised had probably passed the verification.

The Ninth Fleet recruited thousands of pirates in just a few days, sailing grandly on the sea.

Su Lun also became a "pirate trainee."

The life of a pirate is monotonous, doing nothing all day long.

As long as it's not robbing, you can do whatever you want.

Playing cards, bragging, and then sleeping.

As an artilleryman, he didn't have to participate in the work on the deck, so he was idle all day long. Su Lun didn't show anything special, and every day he gathered with a bunch of pirates in the cabin to play cards, sometimes winning, sometimes losing, and he also became familiar with a few pirates.

He naturally noticed that there were a few "informants" on each ship who had been observing and testing the origins of these newcomers.

Su Lun's fabricated background was almost seamless, and no one found any flaws.

The previous pirate carnival had almost brought most of the commercial activities in the North Sea to a standstill, and they had not encountered any merchant ships to rob.

The fleet went straight to the pirate city.

The sea voyage was uneventful.

The only thing that could be considered an accident was that they encountered a deep-sea monster late on the third night.

It was a 【深海紫光海鳗】(Deep Sea Purple Light Sea Eel) that was over a hundred meters long. This behemoth could easily sink a sea ship.

In the eyes of fishermen and pirates who lived at sea all year round, this was one of the "natural disasters" that could not be resisted.

If a small pirate group encountered it, they would probably be wiped out.

But there was a seventh-tier fleet commander, "Gluttonous Admiral" I克斯希尔·佩翁 (Ikeshir Peion), in this Ninth Fleet.

Su Lun watched as that guy swallowed the one-hundred-meter-long sea eel alive!

The second stage awakening of 【B-010-大胃王】(Big Eater), which can devour targets to gain a large increase in attributes. The seventh-tier Gold Alchemical Colossus, 【鲸吞之口】(Whale Swallowing Mouth), has terrifying inhuman strength.

The North Sea King's subordinates are full of strong people.

When Su Lun saw the strength of this top pirate, he hid even deeper.

...

The pirate city has a name, 哈斯特林 (Hastelin).

In pirate circles, it is also called "Golden Sleepless City."

It is the largest gathering point for pirates in the North Sea, and it is also a paradise for pirates, a real den of dissipation.

It is said that in the pirate city, as long as you have money, you can enjoy the treatment of an emperor.

It is the largest black market in the North Sea, with the most complete and reasonably priced alchemical materials. All kinds of pleasure places, gambling dens, arenas, large-scale psychedelic potion trading markets, arms smuggling routes, black market murder-for-hire... everything that is legal and illegal in Lu Ying, as long as it can satisfy people's desires, it has it all here!

Further north of the pirate city are the four countries of North洲 (North Continent): 山隐 (Hidden Mountain), 寒霜 (Frost), 罗曼 (Luo Man), 晨幕 (Morning Mist).

Su Lun had previously used the communicator to ask Mr. Jing and learned about the situation in this sea area.

These four countries of North洲 (North Continent) actually existed a thousand years ago.

But at that time, it was not called this name, it was called "神遗之地 (Land Abandoned by the Gods)."

This plane is an alchemical plane. Although there are no longer any god-level existences, divine belief has never been cut off from ancient times to the present.

During the Atria Empire era, alchemists were the mainstream for thousands of years. Therefore, those believers were exiled and rejected to remote overseas areas.

The area of ​​the four countries of 北洲 (North Continent) today is the place of exile for various believers over countless years.

And the gods in this world, from the mythical period to the present, the gods whose names can be called are like the stars in the sky, countless.

Therefore, the saying of "ten thousand and eight thousand gods" comes from this.

But not all believers are like the 达鲁族 (Daru Tribe), who can still receive a response from the gods. Those believers who were exiled overseas almost lost the gods they believed in. But due to various reasons, they also left behind many strange divine power inheritances, evil legends, dark forces, evil soldiers, Outer God secret methods, classics...

The four countries of 北洲 (North Continent) are like a bottomless pool, dangerous, mysterious, and full of unknowns.

Even Sir Isaac, after traveling there, commented, "This is a very religiously complex place."

.......

On this day, a loud shout suddenly came from the deck.

"Brothers, we are arriving at 哈斯特林 (Hastelin)!"

"Fix the artillery in the cabin! Hold on tight, we are entering the vortex area!"

"..."

Hearing this, Su Lun and several gunners, who were playing cards in the cabin, checked the chains of the artillery, and then followed them to the deck to watch the fun.

At this sight, they saw a dense reef area and a large area of ​​vortices not far away.

This is one of the most famous coordinates in the North Sea, as marked on the sea chart - "Devil's Sea."

This is also the natural barrier of the pirate city.

After the reef area is the pirate city.

Due to the complex ocean currents and special wind directions in this vortex sea area, only experienced navigators can control sailing wooden ships to enter along the vortices.

Although wooden ships are light and fast, they have great disadvantages in large-scale wars, and they have almost no advantages in positional warfare and siege and defense battles. Therefore, the Royal Lu Ying Navy and the aristocratic lords who can afford it have replaced them with steam ironclad ships.

But precisely, ironclad ships cannot enter and exit this reef sea area.

The Royal Lu Ying Navy cannot penetrate deeply for suppression, which is also the most important reason for the rapid prosperity of pirate ships in recent decades.

The wind and rain slapped his face, and Su Lun looked at the reef sea area in front of him on the deck, his eyes gradually deepening.

It's like riding a roller coaster, and the center of gravity began to spin around.

The newcomers were very excited, and some pirates who had been to the pirate city were sharing their experiences.

"Let me tell you, 哈斯特林 (Hastelin) has the top-level pleasure places, with all kinds of girls! After we disembark, we can have some fun..."

"Hehe, those of you who haven't been there may not know, the geishas of 哈斯特林 (Hastelin) are the best in the world, and you can't see them anywhere else. The legendary 'Number One Beauty in the World' is in the 山隐之国 (Hidden Mountain Country)..."

"I've heard of that too. But this legend has been around for more than ten years, and she's still the 'Number One Beauty', she must be old and haggard by now, right?"

"Hey, I also find it strange. But someone went to see her this year and said that she is really beautiful beyond compare, a peerless beauty. Her figure, her face, and her dance are so captivating that you will never forget them for the rest of your life. It is said that it is because of those strange ghosts and gods. Although it is evil, it is really damn beautiful. If I could get her just once, I would be willing to lose thirty years of my life..."

"..."

Landing for supplies is the most anticipated thing for the crew.

With only half a day's voyage left, these people were already looking forward to the wine and meat arrangements after disembarking.

Listening to the stories in the mouths of others, Su Lun's eyes were distant, and he murmured in his heart: "Finally arriving. 山隐之国 (Hidden Mountain Country), the Rune Old Man's place..."