Chapter 169: Meeting Again

Chapter 169: Meeting Again

Upon seeing Will Auceptin’s reminder, Klein’s first reaction was relief.

“Good thing I didn’t court death by continuing the exploration…” he exhaled without the slightest attempt to hide it.

Although he had indeed seen a mural related to the Tail Devourer, Ouroboros, and had encountered Anderson, who had clearly undergone something unknown and transformed into a terrifying monster, he had at least not fallen into any real danger.

I wonder, when I enter the dream next time, whether I’ll appear randomly within a certain area, or whether I’ll start from where this one ended… If it’s the latter, the smartest thing to do is not to disturb Anderson again, so I don’t provoke him. I should just return the way I came and leave the black monastery… Klein withdrew his gaze and continued reading the remaining warning:

“Other than the dream, everything else is relatively less troublesome. As long as you do not attempt to approach ruins and relics, do not look directly at the thing that flies across the sky at noon, do not challenge storms that show signs of forming, and continue along safe routes already verified by others, there will not be too much of a problem.

“As for mermaids, if you continue sailing forward, you will eventually encounter them. At their level, they can only live in relatively safe areas, and there are not many such places.

“Lastly, I wish you all the best. Your sincere friend, who is at a critical stage of development and may often fall asleep in the near future—Will Auceptin.”

That final long sentence was somewhat awkward, but Klein instantly understood what the Snake of Fate meant:

Before I’m born, unless it is especially important or critical, don’t disturb me!

I’ll try… Klein answered inwardly, not sounding very certain even to himself.

If he managed to advance successfully this time, it might not be long before he needed to consult Will about where to find the Sequence 4 potion formula of the Seer pathway.

Feeling more confident about the search for mermaids, Klein immediately left the dream, put on his hat, and headed for the pirate dining room.

Because of the delay caused by the dream, many of the dishes had already gone cold. Yet the pirates still ate with great cheer, because this time no one had died.

Since no one had died, and since they had witnessed more strange events that could serve as material for bragging, they were naturally in excellent spirits.

“Would you like a glass of milk?” Frank Lee sat down opposite Klein with a plate in hand and asked warmly.

Remembering their conversation in the dream, Klein shook his head with an outwardly calm but inwardly firm expression.

He was deeply worried that the milk aboard this ship might be one of Frank’s experimental products.

Frank, not minding at all, took a loud gulp of milk and said, “I remember telling you about those little things in the dream?”

“Yes.” Klein cut off a piece of draconic bone fish covered in sauce and put it into his mouth.

This fish was famous for having few bones. Much of the time, it had only one main spine. In Backlund, depending on the variety, it belonged to either the middle- or high-end category of ingredients. East of Olavi Island, however, near the edge of the safe routes, it could often be caught.

Frank chuckled.

“What I said then wasn’t entirely accurate. Their true purpose is to allow living beings to produce milk smoothly even outside the lactation period. Whether female or male, they can produce milk after taking it, then return to normal after stopping. That way, those poor cows no longer need to suffer such torment. That way, men and women can be made more equal when raising children, and it will also make it easier for women to go out and work…”

Wait, what exactly are you talking about… Klein almost failed to maintain the persona of Gehrman Sparrow.

In that instant, he felt that the true synonym for madness was not Gehrman Sparrow, but Frank Lee.

“He’s actually someone who supports equality between men and women. His methods are just terrifying… That makes sense, though. Like the Church of the Evernight Goddess, the Church of the Earth Mother believes that women should have the same social status as men. However, they place greater importance on reproduction and childbirth, treating them as the most sacred of all matters…

“Among the seven great Churches, the Church of Storms and the Church of the God of Combat lean most strongly toward men. The Church of the Eternal Blazing Sun comes next. The Church of the God of Knowledge and Wisdom has a completely different style from the others—it practices intelligence discrimination. The Church of Steam is neutral, and because industrial development requires more labor, it has always cooperated with the Church of the Evernight Goddess in encouraging women to work outside the home…” Differences between the seven great Churches flashed through Klein’s mind in rapid succession.

He looked up at Frank Lee, as if what the other man had just said were only some minor, insignificant matter.

This made Frank quite pleased, and he could not help drinking another mouthful of milk.

Once the pirates had finished lunch in shifts, Admiral of Stars Cattleya once again opened the window of the captain’s cabin and amplified her voice with magic.

“There is an island one and a half nautical miles ahead. We will stop there and wait for the storm to pass.

“In this sea, after every alternation between noon and night, a terrifying storm may appear. I am not certain when it will come, but I believe it is safer to wait until it has passed before we continue sailing.”

Her explanation was more detailed than before, because this was not a sudden situation and there was enough time to prepare.

For people at sea, storms were among the things they feared most. Naturally, no one objected. Under Cattleya’s instructions, and under the command of Navigator Ottolov and Boatswain Nina, the crew nervously prepared to make their stop.

This also allowed Klein to verify one of the points in Will Auceptin’s warning:

Do not challenge storms that show signs of forming!

Before long, an island covered in towering trees appeared ahead and slightly to the side of the Future.

The sailing ship, over a hundred meters long, adjusted its course and moved toward it, anchoring on the leeward side.

After more than half an hour, the sky suddenly dimmed. Lead-colored clouds appeared one after another.

They overlapped, seemingly enveloping the surrounding sea completely.

Amid enormous rumbling and blinding flashes of lightning, a hurricane rolled in from afar.

It connected to the clouds above and the sea below. More exaggerated than any giant in legend, it resembled a coiling serpent about to destroy the world.

The terrifying tornado brought waves as large as mountains. Branch-like lightning did not stop because of the downpour, repeatedly striking the sea, splitting into tiny electrical snakes that spread in every direction.

Rain battered the deck of the Future, making the pirates who had long since entered the cabins or taken shelter feel as though the end of the world had arrived.

The storm did not last long. Roughly fifteen minutes later, the waves calmed, the hurricane dissipated, and the noon sunlight once more ruled the sky.

“You may go ashore for a while, but you cannot head deep inland. You must remain within cannon range,” Cattleya said, giving the pirates a brief opportunity to relax.

Remembering the reminder from the Mercury Snake, Will Auceptin, Klein had no desire whatsoever to explore the island. After leaving the Future, he merely paced back and forth across the beach, enjoying the feeling of having solid ground beneath his feet.

Beach, sunlight, trees… It really does feel like a vacation… Klein thought in amusement. Suddenly, from the corner of his eye, he caught sight of a black dot moving at high speed.

It was racing toward them from the edge of a cliff!

The black dot grew larger and larger, eventually revealing itself as a human figure.

Admiral of Stars Cattleya, who had been stepping through the sand not far from Klein, also noticed the anomaly. She half-turned and removed the heavy glasses on the bridge of her nose.

The figure drew closer and closer. He wore a white shirt, black waistcoat, and black trousers. He was a young man of average build, with blond hair parted three-to-seven and emerald-green eyes.

Anderson!

Unlucky Anderson!

Klein recognized him at once.

The newcomer was actually the terrifying Anderson from the dream world!

The Anderson who had said that his companions had gone forward to explore and never returned, yet had also claimed to be one of the exploration team!

At that moment, Anderson raised his right hand.

Without hesitation, Klein, as Gehrman Sparrow, pulled out a charm and uttered an Ancient Hermes word:

“Storm!”

The charm made of white tin instantly turned painfully sharp in his hand, as though covered with tiny blades.

As spirituality poured into it, the sound of wind surged through the air.

Expressionless, Klein threw the charm at Anderson.

Whoosh! Whoosh! Whoosh!

Sharp blades of condensed cyan wind shot toward the target in waves, like a firing squad delivering a volley.

Anderson, who had been smiling as he raised his right hand, seemingly about to say something, instantly heard a deep, mysterious incantation and a scalp-tingling rush of wind.

His gaze sharpened. He threw himself sideways and rolled again and again in a state of utter disarray, as if the ground before him were a red-hot iron plate.

Whoosh! Whoosh! Whoosh!

The wind blades embedded themselves in the sand, cutting out clear cracks, but they still fell just short of hitting him.

“Stop! Stop!” Anderson shouted while agilely rolling and dodging. “I have no hostility! I bear no malice!”

“Anderson Hood…” Admiral of Stars suddenly said a name, raising a hand to stop Gehrman Sparrow, who had already taken out a handful of charms.

She knows this Anderson? Klein did not recklessly activate another incantation. In a deep voice, he said, “He has already mutated.

“I encountered him in the dream.”

“No! No!” Anderson stood up, caught somewhere between laughing and crying, and raised both hands in surrender. “I remember you. You asked me many questions. At the time, I only wanted to make a joke. Really, just a joke—to lighten the atmosphere. Don’t you think the experience of suddenly making the environment frightening is wonderful? Of course, I mean making it frightening for the other person, not for myself.

“If I had gone exploring too, how could I still be alive and well?”

That is exactly what I’m worried about… Klein did not believe his explanation.

Anderson shrugged.

“The moment I said it, I was about to explain, about to tell you I was joking and then ask for help, hoping that you could come here and take me away. But the dream ended at that very moment… Damn it, that was truly unlucky!”

It does fit the trait of misfortune… Klein muttered inwardly.

He had originally planned to take out a coin in front of Anderson and test him through divination, but then he heard Admiral of Stars Cattleya say, “Let him tell us exactly what happened.

“He is famous in the Misty Sea. He has the title of the Strongest Hunter.”