Speaking of ghost ships, ordinary people may think of this scene: a rotten three-masted sailboat covered with barnacles and water plants, a damp and sticky cabin, and a group of crazy and terrifying rotten crew members.
But that's not the case with the Mariano. She is as majestic as Morris's pirate gold coin, with a dark brown hull, four white alchemical sails engraved with golden runes, a five-eyed monster sculpture carved on the streamlined bow, and a stern with dim yellow lights. , just like an ordinary pirate ship that just made a big splash from the Golden Route - maybe she is a little bigger than an ordinary pirate ship.
In short, there is no trace of the temperament that a ghost ship should have.
Austin looked at the ghost ship in front of him with complicated eyes. He had tried various methods to see her again in the past two years, but all failed without exception. He didn't expect that he could succeed just by shouting today.
Maybe it’s not the result of just shouting. Austin turned his head and looked at Sophia.
"You signed a contract with Marianu, and only you can summon her."
Austin was a little confused when he heard this. He didn't remember signing the contract.
When the transport ship was in a shipwreck two years ago, Mariano came up from the bottom of the sea and just "picked up" the drowning Austin. He only remembered that the pirate ship that appeared inexplicably threw him on the nearby beach, and then disappeared without a trace. There was no trace. It was only after he later consulted a large amount of information that he found out the name of the ship was "The Faithless Mariano".
However, since he was rescued by her, Austin was forced to become a dependent of the evil god. He remembered it clearly. In fact, he received the first oracle after seeing the statue on the bow of the Mariano. When it comes to contracts, I don’t know if that kind of faint connection counts.
"Get aboard, they'll be back soon." Sophia's voice was still so indifferent and ethereal, as if this world-famous ghost ship was just an ordinary cruise ship to her.
them? Is it the August Lion? It seems like they should be fine. Austin took a deep breath and took the initiative to board the ghost ship that countless people had been searching for to no avail.
Boarding the deck, Austin saw a figure standing at the bow of the ship, and something deep in his heart told him that this was the soul of the ship, Mariano the Faithless.
Mariano was wearing a loose robe, with her hands on her lower abdomen, and she quietly looked at Austin and Sophia who were boarding the deck.
After looking carefully, Austin discovered that the robe Mariano was wearing was exactly the same as the one worn by Sophia.
Thinking about her title of traitor and what had just happened, Austin made a bold guess-Mariannuo and Sophia were both saints. Looking at the five-eyed monster statue on the bow of the ship, the god they served should be Austin. The evil god who was forced to believe.
But according to the person who wrote in his mind, Sophia is the goddess of Poseidon. If this is true, then the five-eyed monster is also the goddess of Poseidon?
Two Poseidons? Austin felt that his brain was not enough.
The current situation is not suitable for thinking about these things. Looking at the two saints, Austin feels that he has been kidnapped by the cult. The next itinerary may depend on the faces of these two, even if he signs a contract with Mariano.
"Let's go find my body." Sophia looked into Austin's eyes.
"Body?" Austin was stunned, "What about you now?"
"My current situation is the same as Mariano's."
Yes, no wonder she said he couldn't kill her. How could a bullet kill the soul? Even bullets made of magical crystals won't work.
"Where are we going to find..."
Before he could finish speaking, the Mariano started to move on its own. Austin twitched his lips helplessly, okay, I am the lowest status.
"I talked too much, I need to rest." Sophia said this and walked to the captain's cabin with ease.
Austin gritted his teeth and said nothing in the end. When he was out, he had to be cowardly.
As the ship moved, Mariano's spirit disappeared from the deck, and Austin could feel her merging with the entire ship.
They come, the security. Austin walked toward the captain's cabin to see if there was anything left on the ship.
As a result, the door to the captain's cabin was locked directly.
"Damn it, is there any justice! Didn't it mean that I signed a contract with her? Why can't I even open the door!"
No one responded to Austin's roar. Strictly speaking, he was the only standard living person on the ship.
In desperation, he could only go below the deck to find the first mate's room, and then stared at the clean room without any items except furniture.
After visiting the sailor's cabin and storage room again, Austin understood the key.
Mariano itself is similar to a living body. Everything that originally belonged to Mariano is part of her "body" and will regenerate after being injured just like the human body.
The naval battle in the Maelstrom was very brutal, and there was even a boarding battle on the Mariano. Her damage after that battle must have been very serious, including things that did not belong to her, such as the crew's personal belongings and weapons left by the enemy. It was lost or metabolized during the long healing process, and the ship itself was regenerated. So now the Mariano is clean, with no foreign items at all, let alone the things left behind from the past.
After thinking about it, Austin dragged his tired body back to the first mate's room, lying on the bed thinking about everything that happened today.
The first is Maurice, who once followed Benjamin and mentioned the Maelstrom before disappearing. The pirate gold coins he left behind contained visions about Bahar Island and the Maelstrom, as well as a notebook suspected to be Benjamin's voyage diary. .
Then there are the sacrifices on the island. It is suspected that the bishop of Dofrela Poseidon Church wants to sacrifice saints and slaves to complete a sacrifice directed to the "Poseidon", but it is not known whether this "Poseidon" is the current Poseidon or a five-eyed monster. .
Then there is the mysterious guy writing in his head. It is basically certain that he has been targeting the pirates to try to make this sacrifice fail. He has at least two abilities, one is similar to the disappearance of the sense of existence, and the other is similar to mental control. But why did he control me to kill the Saint and then gave up?
Finally, there are the Saint and Marianu. They are saints who serve the evil god. The mysterious existence on the island calls them "Poseidon". What is their purpose? It was obviously impossible for Sophia to be controlled by those pirates, so why did she come here and then leave without doing anything? Or is it that she has actually achieved her goal?
Austin looked at the ceiling and felt that his first task was really difficult. Do the Navy and the Church know what's going on here? Is exposing yourself to these things an accident or a conspiracy?
"Too weak, still too weak." Austin stretched out his right hand, spreading his fingers and then slowly clenching them. He now desires power like never before, whether it comes from the seven righteous gods or the evil gods. He doesn't want to be as aggrieved as he is today, being treated like a pawn without even the power to decide his own destiny.
Most of my abilities are very strange, and they are useless even if they bring a lot of negative traits. It is so funny to rely on this to improve my strength. If you can't rely on ability, then you can only take another path.
"Artifact..." Austin murmured, taking out a sea-blue crystal from his windbreaker pocket.
A large part of the existing alchemical technology and magical technology comes from the research of artifacts. Divine crystals are actually imitations of crystal artifacts. Currently, they are the fastest growing and most widely used magical technology.
Austin got rid of distracting thoughts, held the aquamarine crystal, and concentrated on describing its appearance in his mind. When the last line was successfully connected, a piece of text appeared in Austin's mind.
[Water Shield, activate the water shield to resist a fatal damage. The cooling time is 24 hours. During the wearing period, the holder can only drink salt water. 】
Obtaining an artifact will also pay a price, which is different from acquiring abilities and inheriting negative traits. Since the artifact does not have an owner, its price is generally targeted at whoever holds it. Compared with the negative traits that need to be discovered by yourself, Austin feels that it is much better to write it down in black and white.
Take a black flintlock gun from your belt. This is the reward after completing the 27th Oracle. It is also an artifact. This flintlock gun was made of unknown material. It felt like steel, but not that heavy. The black gun body was engraved with unknown patterns, revealing a twisted sense of beauty. After looking through it carefully, I found that this gun seemed unable to be loaded with gunpowder and bullets, and its structure was completely different from that of a normal flintlock gun.
I easily constructed the appearance of a flintlock gun in my mind. Due to the pattern, it took a lot of time to construct this time.
[The Black Anemone Grip can fire a cursed bullet, which will turn the enemy into a sea anemone after hitting it. The cooling time is 3 days, and the holder has a 30% chance of turning into a sea anemone for two hours every day. 】
Austin twitched the corner of his mouth and put the flintlock gun on the table seriously.
Its effect is very strong, but its negative effects are also very strong, and Austin doesn't want to become an anemone.
Artifacts are very rare, and most of those blessed by gods will not receive the gift of artifacts. Therefore, it is also difficult to obtain new artifacts. The two artifacts that I currently own do not significantly increase my strength.
"Do you still have to rely on ability to go around?" Austin pressed his forehead against the wall and murmured with his eyes closed.
"You want to become stronger?" A voice suddenly sounded.
Austin was instantly alert and had already picked up the Black Anemone Grip in his right hand.
"I'm Mariano."
Austin didn't speak. After what happened today, he understood that there were too many weird things in this world and it was impossible to guard against them.
A figure emerged from the wall and stood in front of Austin, repeating: "I am Mariano, do you want to become stronger?"
