Chapter 236
“Are you saying Barkus’s mother is really a vampire?”
Zeke was visibly startled by the completely unexpected revelation.
‘Never mind Barkus being a vampire half-blood—how did a vampire even get into one of the Four Great Houses?’
Most vampires either lived in the Northern Continent or wandered across the Central Continent.
Although they didn’t literally turn to ash under sunlight like in legends, their race did tend to be nocturnal by nature and sustained themselves by feeding on the blood and life force of other creatures.
In the Central Continent, non-human races were rare to begin with. And the Draker Clan, in particular, was known for its obsession with blood purity—any mixing with beastkin or other non-human races was strictly forbidden.
That Arthur Draker had relations with a vampire maid and even fathered an illegitimate child with her was nearly beyond belief.
Zeke asked Cali,
“So Barkus asked for your help to protect his mother, because she’s a vampire?”
“That’s one reason,” Cali replied. “But more than that, if the truth about her identity were revealed, Barkus’s own safety would be at serious risk.”
Zeke nodded.
“If he had gone through the Black Chamber to request protection, the fact that his mother is a vampire would’ve come to light immediately—and so would his mixed blood.”
“Exactly. That would put Barkus on the agenda of the Grand Assembly. It’s almost certain he’d be expelled from the Draker clan.”
And if he were expelled peacefully, that would be fortunate. But some of the hardliners in the Council of Elders might demand Barkus’s execution for ‘tainting’ Draker blood.
Now Zeke understood why Cali believed Barkus’s intelligence report.
‘So she’s got a leash on Barkus too.’
Zeke could tell the situation was becoming more complex.
He had originally assumed it was just a trap laid by Abel’s faction, but the involvement of this unexpected player had complicated the entire board.
He looked at Cali and asked,
“Do you believe Barkus has betrayed us?”
Cali shook her head.
“I find that hard to believe. His mother is in my territory. Why would he risk betraying me and putting her in danger?”
But betrayal tends to happen precisely when it seems least likely.
Although the situation made betrayal seem irrational, Zeke couldn’t bring himself to fully trust in Barkus.
‘It’s possible Barkus didn’t know the intel was fake, but that feels too optimistic. He might have abandoned his mother—or maybe Abel’s side has already secured her safety within Cali’s territory.’
There were plenty of possibilities.
In the cartel, sacrificing one’s own blood for power was nothing new. There was no guarantee Barkus wouldn’t betray Cali, even for his mother’s sake.
‘I’ll have to investigate this once I return to the Central Continent.’
After organizing his thoughts, Zeke turned to Cali.
“For now, I think leaving this place should be our top priority.”
Cali agreed and nodded.
“We’ve got a ship we came in on. I’ll inform the others. Sister, please leave this island with the knights of the Silver Order.”
“You’re not coming with us?”
“I intend to rescue the merfolk who are being held by the Empire.”
Cali frowned at that.
“Zeke, there’s no need to take unnecessary risks for the merfolk.”
Zeke shook his head.
“I’m not trying to play the hero. But if I can rescue those merfolk hostages, Peter Pan will owe me a massive favor. I see it as a worthwhile investment.”
“You think pirates are worth that much?”
“He’s not just a pirate. Peter Pan is a descendant of the ancient Deep Sea Clan—he has significant legitimacy among the merfolk. He’s well worth keeping on our side.”
Cali seemed to accept that, nodding thoughtfully.
“You make a good point. Very well. I’ll depart first.”
“Thank you for understanding, sister.”
With that, their conversation concluded, and the two walked outside.
When Cali emerged from the hut, fully recovered, the knights of the Silver Order burst into tears of relief and joy.
Following the plan he had made with Cali, Zeke instructed their companions to board Reinhardt’s ship and leave the island immediately.
“I’ll go with the young merfolk and bring the hostages. Make sure you escort Sister Cali safely to Iason. Lord Farel, I entrust them to your care.”
Farel bowed his head.
“Understood, my lord. You need not worry.”
Zeke then gave the group directions to the cave where Reinhardt’s ship was hidden, and they swiftly made their way out.
Once Cali’s party had departed, Zeke called Peter Pan over and handed her the shell given to him by Poseidon.
“What’s this?”
“It’s called the Tome of the Deep Sea.”
“T-The Tome of the Deep Sea? What is that?”
“It was a gift from the Sea God. He asked me to give it to you, his descendant.”
“Wait—Sea God? Where on earth did you go?”
“It’s a long story. Anyway, I was told this contains the ancient power your people once lost.”
Peter Pan looked in awe at the shell, examining it from every angle.
“So… uh… how do you use it? Do I eat it?”
“...Surely you’re not serious. Try channeling your energy into it.”
“How do I do that?”
“Like when you summon a spirit. Focus your energy into it.”
Following Zeke’s instruction, Peter Pan held the shell and slowly began to concentrate her energy.
But the shell didn’t react at all.
---
“It’s not working?”
“Then try dripping some blood on it.”
At that, Peter Pan recoiled in horror.
“B-Blood? I’m scared of bleeding!”
“…Sometimes I really doubt whether you’re actually a pirate.”
Zeke sighed and took out Annexie’s dagger. Grabbing Peter Pan’s hand, he pricked her finger himself.
“Ow! That stings!”
A drop of blood fell from Peter Pan’s finger onto the seashell.
In that moment, the shell began reacting to her blood.
Wooooooong!
The shell emitted a blue light that enveloped Peter Pan before seeping into her body.
“Oh?”
As the blue light fully settled within her, her eyes began to radiate the same color.
Then, unfamiliar glyphs appeared from the seashell, glowing brightly.
The glyphs swirled around Peter Pan’s body, engraving themselves onto her skin, shining even more intensely.
This power… it feels like a form of shamanism. Could spirit magic be related to shamanic practices?
Zeke thought back to how northern shamans once used ancient rites to command spirits. Since spirits are inherently spiritual beings, the connection made sense.
Moments later, the blue glow within Peter Pan's body fully integrated.
Suddenly, her eyes flew open. But now, her irises had changed — a mysterious blend of green, blue, and yellow.
Right then, a message appeared before Zeke’s eyes:
[Achievement Quest Mission Complete]
[Reward: "Medal of the Deep Sea Tribe" acquired]
Zeke immediately checked the medal’s details:
— Medal Information —
Description: A medal containing the power of the Deep Sea Tribe
Unique Ability: Telepathy
Special Trait: Allows the user to transmit thoughts to others.
Telepathy? That’s an interesting power.
Without hesitation, Zeke consumed the Deep Sea Tribe’s medal.
[You have consumed the Medal of the Deep Sea Tribe]
[Active Skill "Telepathy" acquired]
[Active Skill "Telepathy" merges with Skill "Blood-Eye"]
[Skill mastery of Blood-Eye has increased]
[Blood-Eye’s area of effect buff has expanded]
Upon checking his skill window, he saw:
Blood-Eye[Grade S (Expert+)]
So telepathy is a type of shamanic art too. I’ll need to test this ability later.
Just as Zeke was pondering his newly acquired power, Peter Pan—now fully assimilated with the Book of the Deep Sea—walked over to him.
Zeke asked, “Did you absorb all of the Book of the Deep Sea?”
Peter Pan nodded.
“This… this is the ancient shamanic magic of the Deep Sea Tribe. With this, the merfolk won’t have to suffer discrimination anymore!”
Zeke nodded as he looked at her.
“That’s good news.”
Peter Pan hesitated a moment, then lowered her head.
“Th-thank you…”
Zeke replied dryly, “I was just doing what I was asked. There’s no need to thank me.”
At that, Peter Pan quickly lifted her head and shouted, face twitching slightly.
“I-I’m just being polite! Not like I’m super thankful or anything—just a little!”
Then, turning her head away, she added,
“My real name is… Nerissa! So remember that!”
With that, Peter Pan—no, Nerissa—darted off somewhere else.
Zeke tilted his head as he watched her go.
What’s gotten into her all of a sudden?
It was a typically unaffected reaction from Zeke, who hadn’t even flinched in the presence of Angelina, widely considered the most beautiful woman on the continent.
Leaving Nerissa be, Zeke called over Billy.
“Billy, where did you stash the Triangle?”
“I hid that ship behind the island over there.”
“Gather the young merfolk. We’ll board the Triangle and head out to rescue the villagers.”
Billy beamed at the order and nodded eagerly.
“Got it! I’ll go get ‘em right away!”
***
Meanwhile, aboard the Neverland, the symbolic vessel of Peter Pan’s merfolk pirate crew, the merfolk captured by the Empire were still being held prisoner.
Imperial soldiers and sorcerers of Narak stood guard, ensuring the brainwashed merfolk remained confined aboard the ship.
A sudden wall of sea fog surged across the once-calm waters.
A soldier patrolling the deck waved his hand in irritation as the mist thickened so much that he couldn’t even see a foot ahead of him.
“The weather was fine for days, and now this? What the hell?”
As he grumbled, he spotted something moving in the fog.
“Huh? What’s that?”
From the darkness shrouded in mist, something was charging rapidly toward the ship.
It was none other than a giant whale.
“W-Whoa!?”
The whale darted forward and whipped its fin at the Neverland.
Splashhh!
The Neverland was rocked violently by the waves, nearly capsizing.
Soldiers on the deck lost their footing and tumbled over, causing an uproar.
At that moment, figures emerged onto the deck.
The merfolk youth brigade sprang into action, hooking the fallen soldiers and tossing them into the sea.
“Gyaaah!”
In a flash, the youth brigade secured the deck and signaled to the others.
Zeke and Peter Pan followed and came aboard.
Zeke was quietly impressed by how swiftly the youth brigade overtook a ship guarded by Imperial soldiers.
No wonder they made a name for themselves as the great pirates of the Southern Seas.
Thanks to their nature as merfolk, the youth brigade excelled in naval warfare.
Furthermore, the sea fog had been summoned by Peter Pan using newly acquired deep-sea tribal shamanic magic, effectively blocking the view of nearby Imperial ships.
Thanks to the fog, Zeke’s group had managed to board the Neverland undetected.
Zeke realized his decision to enlist the merfolk's help had been the right one.
He made his way slowly below deck, where the hostages were being held.
The soldiers stationed there had already been taken care of by the youth brigade.
Descending to the bottom of the ship, he found the brainwashed merfolk seated and chained, their eyes glazed over.
Zeke drew the Roland sword and activated a area of effect buff.
Wooooong!
A warm light from the recovery spell spread over the brainwashed merfolk.
After a few moments, their eyes regained focus.
“W-Where are we…?”
Some of the villagers were quickly returning to their senses.
Then Peter Pan stepped forward and approached them.
“Hey, aren’t you Lisa?”
“Shh, everyone quiet. Is your mind clear now?”
At Peter Pan’s words, the villagers nodded.
Thanks to Zeke’s recovery spell, they seemed to have regained full consciousness.
“These are the villagers, right?”
“Yeah. After the raid, we gathered them all here and kept them locked up.”
“Good. Let’s wrap things up and take the ship with us.”
While the youth brigade worked to free the villagers, Zeke headed back up to the deck.
Then, something leapt out from the darkness.
Whoosh!
A sorcerer in a black robe flung a suspicious reagent toward Zeke.
Tssssss!
Zeke stepped back, dodging the splash, but the sorcerer sneered as he spoke.
“Dodging it won’t help. The moment you inhale the fumes, your mind becomes mine to—”
The sorcerer trailed off mid-sentence as his eyes landed on the Blood-Eye symbol glowing on Zeke’s forehead.
Under the influence of the Blood-Eye, the sorcerer’s spirit was completely subdued. He couldn’t disobey Zeke’s will.
Zeke slowly approached the man.
“I’ve been waiting for you to show up. I’ve got a lot of questions about the Empire’s brainwashing methods, so let’s have a nice, calm conversation.”
---
Several hours later, the sun began to rise and the sea fog gradually lifted. Chaos erupted in the Imperial camp.
The Neverland, which had been right there, had vanished without a trace.
The Empire's warships scrambled to locate the missing vessel and the merfolk aboard, but by then, Zeke and the others had already disappeared — leaving behind not even a ripple.
---