Bruce didn't know when he had pulled out a stack of papers filled with intelligence:
"Among these three pirates, Miss Siren is the darling of the Grandmother, while the cloaked elder is a cadre of the Sea God Pirate Group, and Doctor Crow is a newly promoted cadre of the Black Whale Group. And all three of them have already arrived at the islands near the coastal area."
The three pirates had reached the nearby islands... An subconsciously took out his magic wand, looking around warily:
"What are they here for?"
Bruce frowned, spreading his hands:
"Gentlemen, do you know of the prayer rituals to the Thirteen Gods?"
The divine prayer rituals... An Hui recalled the knowledge in his mind:
"I am aware that in our Shell Country, all prayer and sacrifice rituals are taboo, and those who touch the taboo will be executed."
The prayer and sacrifice rituals to the Thirteen Gods... Chen Qi tried to remember.
The original thirteen hunters, at the rise of the new day, became the thirteen gods who walk the world.
In many banned books, it's stated that if one meets the corresponding conditions and completes the ritual, one can receive the blessings of the Thirteen Gods.
For instance, by arranging the Lamp Phase ritual with seven candles, one can summon the Lamp Hunter, the Lantern Death God, to reap those who have violated the taboo of life and gain prophecies of redemption, and so on.
Or by offering the blood of life, one can summon the Cup Hunter, the Blood Ancestor, to stay eternally young and transcend the normal limitations of the flesh.
Or by offering a ring and love, one can call forth the Flower Hunter, the Earth Mother Goddess, to bestow the blessing of love upon couples, as well as a felicitous place for their affection.
Or if one performs the Dice Phase ritual, then one can summon the Dice Hunter, master of chaos and luck, who bears a twenty-sided die and, for a short time, obtain fortune beyond the norm.
However, although the Thirteen Gods are recognized as orthodox deities by the authorities, these prayer rituals are still considered taboo.
Chen Qi recalled discussions on gaming forums, the players' lamentations.
Seeking the Gods' blessings was a unique playstyle in the early stages of the game.
But based on the players' painful experiences, this play style could only be used for entertainment.
First, there was a high failure rate; due to the control over knowledge, the chance of successfully conducting a ritual was less than one percent.
And even if one were lucky enough to succeed, death was the only outcome.
For instance, a player once completed the ritual for the twenty-sided die of the Dice Hunter and could draw ten consecutive Gold Coins in any card pull, even find Gold Coins while walking.
Then, he encountered a once-in-a-millennium meteorite and was smashed to smithereens.
Or take the wealthy old man who started the game at eighty years old and successfully completed the Cup ritual to extend his life and return to youth, defying fate.
After popping champagne and preparing to be affectionate with his girlfriend in the game's manor, he saw her transform into the Lantern Death God, and even his account was wiped out.
Additionally, conducting rituals in Shell Country, Black Blood Empire, and White Tower Federation would result in being hunted by the purification department.
Therefore, 'rituals of the Thirteen Gods,' except in the religious country with fewer players in the six major sections and the Frostwinter Kingdom located in the freezing cold, are strictly prohibited in other areas.
Every blessing comes with a price, and that price usually is life itself.
In the Witch Sea region, summoning the Thirteen Gods is very rare.
Chen Qi asked:
"Are you suggesting they want to summon the Thirteen Gods?"
Bruce checked the books in his hand:
"No, I was just giving an example. The rituals for summoning the Thirteen Gods usually only affect the individual, but the people from the Sea God Pirate Group are more likely to summon ancient monsters from the deep sea."
"What!"
An's pupils suddenly constricted.
So, it was about summoning deep sea monsters... Chen Qi suddenly felt more at ease in his heart.
In a place teeming with extraordinary talents like the Witch Sea, compared to the Thirteen Gods, everyone prefers to conduct rituals to summon deep sea monsters.
High success rates, spectacular visuals, and in line with the customs of the Witch Sea!
The only drawback is that the summoned monsters enjoy tormenting humans.
Upon hearing 'deep sea monsters,' An couldn't help but clench her fists:
"Are you certain?"
Bruce nodded:
"In the Crack Sea, the rituals performed by the Sea God Pirate Group have been done more than once or twice. Of course, cases of rituals near the coastal area are rare."
An frowned, as to her, the threat of deep sea monsters was far greater than that of summoning the Thirteen Hunters.
The rituals of the Thirteen Hunters, whether they fail or succeed, have limited negative impact.
Whereas the rituals to summon deep sea monsters might bring forth beings of lower stature but are highly destructive.
For instance, the Blood Eye Wall that Chen Qi first encountered was a deep sea monster summoned through a ritual.
Undoubtedly, if deep sea monsters appear, they will pose a threat to the entire Moonstone Islands, akin to the Ghost Ship, the overlord of the near seas!
Bruce flipped through the intelligence in his hands:
"According to the intelligence, the Ghost Ship had once attacked a cruise ship where the three pirates were staying. Hence, I personally suspect that the birth of the Ghost Ship is related to the three pirates."
No... As someone who had experienced it firsthand, Chen Qi could provide a definitive answer.
The birth of the Ghost Ship had nothing to do with the cruise ship.
Bruce added another sentence;
"If we don't deal with this in time, I'm afraid all of us might die in the waves stirred up by this monster.
Therefore, both of you, if you have any information on these three pirates or the ghost pirate ship, please be sure to tell me."
An made a note of this and then looked skeptical:
"Shipbuilder, why do you care about these things? And how can I be sure what you're saying is true?"
Logically, a shipbuilder from the inland should not care about the troubles of Maro Town.
"Because of hatred. I despise the Sea God Pirate Group, I despise those bloodthirsty monsters in the night."
Brick glanced at his mechanical watch and said indifferently:
"As for the truth of the matter, as expected, the Shell Country Meteorological Bureau should also receive the intelligence soon and start investigating. They ought to have more information than me."
Finally, he took a sip of his drink and said to the two of them:
"Alright, if you have any information on the ghost ship or these three pirates, please be sure to tell me, and I can offer you a discount on your boat."
"Hmm."
An nodded, her face flushing again.
Wait, why did he say 'your boat'?
Your boat...
Your boat...
No, that's not my boat, but Chen Qi's boat... An suddenly realized!
The shipbuilder in front of her, Brick, had mistaken her and Chen Qi for a couple.
An immediately became flustered, preparing to explain:
"That, we, I..."
Young people nowadays really like to show off their love, buying a big boat at such a young age... Brick lit a cigarette and waved goodbye to Chen Qi:
"Customer! If there's anything, find me in the waters east of the dock, my mobile dock is parked there! I'll give you the design tomorrow."
Building a quality houseboat in twenty days was another big project.
After eating his fill, Brick left the open-air bonfire banquet.
Chen Qi said goodbye to Brick and looked towards An on his left.
An was still stuck.
Why does it feel like An has been stuttering mysteriously lately... Chen Qi asked curiously:
"Teacher An, what about me?"
Eh? With a flushed face, An said softly:
"I wanted to say, it's not our boat, but yours... your boat."
Because of this? Chen Qi tilted his head, puzzled.
That's the confidence of a boat owner!
Right now, Teacher An doesn't even have her own small boat; if she wants to go to the Crack Sea, she has to wait honestly for a passenger ship!
Chen Qi's mouth curved into a slight smile:
"Teacher An, if you need a boat, you can come aboard mine at any time."
"Hmm..."
An slowly nodded, then smacked her cheeks hard.
She then stuffed three bounty orders into her work journal.
Three pirates trying to summon deep-sea creatures nearby, this was extremely serious.
Deep-sea creatures, the kind that summon the Wall of Bloodied Eyes... Chen Qi stroked his chin, lost in thought.
He was very interested in this too.
Unfortunately, he didn't know the whereabouts of Crow and the others at this point.
At that moment, An lifted her head slightly, looking towards Chen Qi in deep thought.
Chen Qi must be scared right now, scared that his new boat will become a meal for the sea monsters...
She patted her chest:
"Don't worry, Qi, I'll do my utmost to prevent the descent of the deep-sea creatures. Before I fall, those deep-sea monsters won't step foot on our Moonstone Islands."
An stood still, gazing out at the distant sea.
Her eyes were filled with unwavering determination, resolved to drive out all the deep-sea creatures without fail!
"Don't worry, Qi, the Shell Country officials place high importance on the safety of the nearby seas. The Shell Country officials won't let the ghost ship or the overlord of the nearby seas, or any other creatures that encroach on the nearby seas, off the hook.
If the Shell Country Meteorological Bureau can prove the value of the Witch Sea, the inland will dispatch the active Hunter Group to advance into the Witch Sea."
The Hunter Group is an official hunter group specifically dealing with uncharted rifts on behalf of the Shell Country authorities.
"..."
Listening to this made Chen Qi's heart flutter anxiously.
In a sense, he was now the leader of the deep-sea creatures within the nearby seas.