"Don’t overreact," Lucius said flatly.
Did Matthias really think he’d let him die while he was still around? That was a bit too much... besides falling from this height into the water wouldn’t kill an Awakener like him.
He stretched his hand forward, a blue glow surrounding his palm.
The glow flared brighter then a streak of light shot from it and toward the water.
Before their shocked eyes, reality warped, and a massive pirate ship materialized above the endless water.
The ship creaked and shimmered like something conjured from a dream, its black sails snapping open under a phantom wind.
[@ManaWatcher: DID HE JUST SUMMON A WHOLE SHIP OUT OF NOWHERE?! 😭🔥]
[@OceanRider: THAT’S A PIRATE SHIP!?!?!]
[@SpaceMageFan: HE CONJURED A VEHICLE. A VEHICLE. 😭]
[@LuciusWorshipper: HE’S ACTUALLY HIM 💀💀💀]
[@CineClipper: CINEMATIC MASTERCLASS AS ALWAYS 💥]
The force of their fall slowed instantly, space itself bending around them as they drifted softly onto the deck.
Their boots thudded on the wood and the salty breeze made it’s way into their noses... It really felt like they were right at the ocean.
Then, before anyone could even question what had happened, a faint glow enveloped their bodies.
Their usual gear flickered, then dissolved in glimmers of blue light... replaced by pirate attire.
"Woah..." Grimm muttered.
His staff had vanished, replaced by a curved cutlass that gleamed under the sun. "Boss, did you do this?"
"It’s not Boss," Lucius corrected, straightening his hat. "It’s Captain Hohenberg."
He twirled a wooden cane in his right hand and tilted his black pirate hat with his usual grace.
"And we are on the Seven Seas."
The crew looked him over in stunned silence.
The coat, the boots, the sheer arrogance of his stance... Lucius looked like he’d walked straight out of a legendary painting.
[@LuciusFanGirl: WHY DOES HE LOOK SO GOOD IN THAT OUTFIT 😭🔥]
[@PirateSimp: CAPTAIN HOHENBERG SOUNDS SEXY ASF]
[@MatthiasIsDone: EVEN THE CANE LOOKS EXPENSIVE 💀]
[@RoleplayEnjoyer: HE’S IN CHARACTER TOO 😭👏]
[@SpaceCaptainLover: SOMEONE SCREENSHOT THIS NOW 💦]
’Roleplay?’ Luna thought, blinking as she looked down at herself.
She wore pirate clothes as well, but her’s was different... a dark corset under a ruffled shirt, a belt at her hip, and high boots.
Yet she could feel her protective suit beneath it. ’He made it invisible? Space magic really is insane...’
While everyone was still in awe, Lucius tapped his cane against the deck, his patience fading.
They didn’t have time to gawk... this was still a real dungeon, after all.
A D-rank, yes, but the ocean was never merciful. Even D-rank monsters could still rip their ship apart.
"Let’s get moving," Lucius ordered, turning toward the steering wheel. "Luna, man the helm."
Luna snapped into focus and hurried to the wheel, adjusting her hat like a proper pirate.
She noticed two glowing pedals under the steering... one for acceleration, the other for slowing and reversing.
It was designed like a car.
Now she really wanted to check out the engines on this thing and how they worked.
"Erika, Matthias, Raven... check the cannons," Lucius barked, pointing with his cane.
They saluted instantly and rushed to either side of the ship. Dozens of mana cannons lined the rails, they were made of a special kind of metal and according to the guy that Vanessa had bought it from, they could shoot with a lot of force.
"Brown hair..." Lucius began.
"It’s Trisha, Captain," the brown-haired Awakener said, standing straighter.
"Exactly, Trisha. To the lookout," Lucius said, pointing upward to the crow’s nest, where a monocular awaited. "You’ll be my eyes. Snipe anything that gets too close."
"Yes, Captain!" Trisha said, saluting again before climbing the rope ladder.
"What about us, Captain?" Grimm asked eagerly.
Lucius smirked, stroking his clean chin like an experienced sea dog. "You’re our assault team. You’ll dive into the water and engage any monsters that surface."
"YES!!!" Grimm shouted, punching the air. His brothers weren’t as enthusiatic.
[@CrewFan420: CAPTAIN LUCIUS TAKING CHARGE OMGGG 🔥]
[@RaidWatcher: THE ENERGY IS CRAZY RN 😭👏]
[@ShipCrewLover: THIS IS PEAK CONTENT. PIRATES AND MAGIC 💀]
[@FanaticMage: I LOVE HOW HE COMMANDS THEM 😩]
[@Lucius4Life: CAPTAIN HOHENBERG ABOUT TO COOK 🔥🔥🔥]
Lucius turned back toward Luna. "Set course forward."
"Aye, Captain!" she said, pressing the acceleration pedal.
The ship rumbled and within seconds, it began to move, the waves parting as if afraid to touch it.
The black sails caught a phantom wind, billowing outward, and the ship surged across the glistening blue water.
For a while, there was peace.
One could hear crash of waves, the glow of sunlight on the ocean’s surface, and the occasional cry of seagull-like monsters overhead.
It was beautiful, but Lucius knew better than to be deceived.
A minute later, a sharp voice broke through the calm.
"Captain! There’s something up ahead!" Trisha shouted from the lookout, one hand gripping her monocular.
Lucius was lounging on a makeshift throne near the wheel... Cyrus and Felix were fanning him with folded maps while Grimm stood nearby, holding a coconut with a straw in it and letting Lucius drink from it.
He raised an eyebrow. "Oh? What is it?"
"It’s heading toward us fast," Trisha said urgently. "And it’s not alone. There’s a group of smaller creatures trailing it!"
She focused the monocular tighter, then froze. "It’s... it’s a massive purple octopus, sir. Covered in spikes... tentacles everywhere! I’m sorry, I don’t know its name, but it’s leading the pack!"
Lucius sat up properly, setting his coconut aside. The words tentacles and spikes were never good together.
He cleared his throat dramatically, voice booming across the deck. "Man the cannons! Erika, Matthias, Raven... aim and fire!"
The crew moved immediately.
Erika took the left flank, Raven the right, Matthias adjusted the rear angle.
Luna gripped the wheel tightly as the waves grew choppier, the distant silhouette of the monster rising higher with each second.
"Ready!" Erika shouted.
"Target locked!" Matthias followed.
Lucius stood tall in front of the wheel, wind whipping through his hair and hat. "Fire!"
The cannons roared.
BOOM.
BOOM.
BOOM.
A dozen mana-infused cannonballs shot through the air, leaving trails of glowing blue light.
They screamed toward the ocean ahead, slamming into the water where the creatures lurked.