The Rise of the Black Plain - Chapter 2681: Decisions to be made

“The chance of there being nothing left on our island is the same as the chance of one of us becoming a Celestial with only normal cultivation. Even if someone discovered the place, they would be unlikely to find our treasures buried in totally random areas of the island,” said Wenni confidently.

They were pirates who had lived in the Violent Sea for a long time after being exiled from Uzira. With everything they had experienced, they couldn’t help but believe that they would still find their resources and treasures.

“Let’s say we agree on that. How would we get to this island?” Minos asked.

He honestly wasn’t in a hurry to get to Uzira. His major interest was in surviving the long journey ahead and making sure that everyone in his crew made it to the end of the journey in one piece. As much as Leger had warned him about the dangers of the islands, these two corpses had agreements with him and a vested interest in ensuring the well-being of the group. Their goals were absolutely for the best of the group.

If there was a possibility that the group could use the path ahead to strengthen itself and better prepare for the future, it was worth considering.

Walkas replied to Minos, “I can draw a map for you after a chat with your ship’s chief navigator. I just need to know where exactly we are.”

“Is that really going to work?” Abby questioned. “I don’t doubt that you’ve known a bit of everything about the Violent Sea. But that was tens of thousands of years ago. In the meantime, many new players may have emerged and turned ‘safe’ places into dangerous hellholes, or the other way around.

Also, we’re following a route recommended by someone who recently crossed the sea. And even if we don’t know him that well, he has an alliance agreement with us that guarantees that the information we have is reliable.”

Wenni looked at her and smiled. “You’re right to be concerned. But just as something may have changed in relation to the route we will take to our island, they may have changed to the route your other ally recommended. The Violent Sea is a place like no other in all of Zocarro. It has taken us 2,000 years to understand enough about this sea to say that we know how to come and go through it. However, the idea of safe routes doesn’t exist. Certain places will be safe as long as nearby phenomena don’t happen and vice versa.”

“That’s true.” Walkas said before explaining, “Take, for example, the area of the Lost Archipelagos. Passing through them is relatively safe, as long as you don’t enter these land areas during storms. But on stable days, the native seals leave the seabed and approach the Lost Archipelagos, making it extremely dangerous to navigate the area. On the other hand, it is safe to dock on one island at this time because the natives are in hibernation or less active during these days.

Phenomena like this happen all over the sea. Only an experienced crew, who know how to recognize the signs and use them to their advantage, could survive traveling this sea in the long term.”

“That’s true.” Walkas said before explaining, “Take, for example, the area of the Lost Archipelagos. Passing through them is relatively safe, as long as you don’t enter these land areas during storms. But on stable days, the native seals leave the seabed and approach the Lost Archipelagos, making it extremely dangerous to navigate the area. On the other hand, it is safe to dock on one island at this time because the natives are in hibernation or less active during these days.

Phenomena like this happen all over the sea. Only an experienced crew, who know how to recognize the signs and use them to their advantage, could survive traveling this sea in the long term.”

“But you were killed nonetheless…” Tiolos said in an accusing tone.

Wenni looked at him with narrowed eyes and said, feeling wronged. “They ambushed us. It’s different. We didn’t lose to this sea, but to the strongest Supremes of these waters!”

“Is there any chance of us being involved in your old problems?” Abby asked.

Wenni didn’t know what to say as Walkas took a deep breath, shaking his head in uncertainty. “I can’t say that. The Sea Serpent would hardly have died in a few tens of thousands of years. And if he found us, he would certainly kill us again. We’re no longer at our old levels and even back then, we didn’t stand a chance.”

“What level is this Sea Serpent?” Minos asked the man.

“When I died, he had a cultivation of level 123. But he may have advanced since then…”

Minos narrowed his eyes and continued, “Why was he after you, anyway?”

“Nautilus’ Compass.” He said as he stared hard at the ground, remembering the things that had happened back then. “We gave everything we had to conquer it and in the end, it was useless and brought us to our end.”

Seeing the man sigh, Minos had a strange feeling and couldn’t help summoning the metal box and its key. “That item in my hand wouldn’t have that compass with it, right?”

“That?” Wenni took two steps forward to grab Minos’ wrists. “You kept it?” She turned to look at her companion.

Walkas closed his eyes and felt an invisible weight again appear on his shoulders. “I thought we’d lost it…”

Looking at his woman, he explained. “I simply left it alone in my office. I was too terrified because of your death and didn’t bother to do anything with it. After I was seriously injured, I distracted the Sea Serpent into a fake item.”

He laughed maliciously at that point. “Even though the Nautilus’ Compass proved useless to us, I would never give it to that wretch!

Fortunately, it seems that when our other companions died, the item remained on the ship for as long as it did.”

“So this really is that artifact?” Minos clenched one of his fists, sensing that he might end up attracting the Sea Serpent.

Sensing Minos’ concern, Walkas reassured his new ally. “It may be a cursed item, but its signs are practically invisible when it’s not used. Even if you have it in your hands, it won’t alert the Sea Serpent and others looking for it.”

“It’s a shame, but unfortunately, it’s not useful. If it were, it would be the ultimate ally and friend in the treacherous Violent Sea.

According to the legends surrounding it, it possessed the extraordinary ability to anticipate the future and guide its users away from danger, leading them to the haven of pirates and sailors.” Wenni’s eyes gleamed with nostalgia as she reminisced about the arduous journey she undertook to procure it.

Walkas nodded. “It has a special lineage requirement. Only someone compatible can activate it fully. I could only use a fraction of it, and that only led to tragedies.

To our misfortune, it wasn’t something we could have sensed before using it. And once you use it, you either follow its recommendations, or its former owners will sense it and come after you.” He finished, while Tiolos and Abby looked at Minos and the item in his right hand.

At that moment, Minos placed the key he had with him into the slot of that metal box, opening the device and revealing the infamous Nautilus’ Compass.