Chapter 560 - 221: I’ll Eat You

"The Director means we might be required to participate." Teresa glanced at Wei’en’s face. Seeing nothing out of the ordinary, she continued, "I heard there will also be a few competitions."

"There are competitions, too?"

"That’s right. The confirmed activities for the exchange so far are the modification and improvement of Magic Runes, divided into Wizard and Great Mage tiers. Then there’s dueling. The victorious Wizards can win some great rewards. I heard the first-place prize is a Forbidden Item provided by the Shadow School."

"..."

’Isn’t this just a competition between the Schools?’

’Still, offering a Forbidden Item as a prize... That’s a generous move.’

’The Shadow School... For them to have found a specter at this time... is there some deeper meaning to it?’

Wei’en made a mental note of the matter, planning to ask the Spiritual Mystery School later if they knew anything. He then nodded and said, "If you want to participate, you can give it a try, but do your best not to let it affect the project’s research."

"We don’t want to. The institute’s work is our priority!"

"It’s just a little relaxation."

Seeing there was nothing else, Wei’en gave a final reminder, "The next meeting is at eight. Everyone, try to complete one more experiment by then."

"Yes!"

Wei’en turned off the communicator and let out a long sigh. ’Four hours. That’s enough time for another experiment.’

Besides, Christa’s discovery had given him a new idea.

Increasing the time between activating the Soul Fusion Rune and the Earth Spirit Array did improve the fusion of the zombie and the mechanical arm, but the drawback was just as clear: the Earth Spirit Array took too long to activate.

’What if I could shorten the effect of the Soul Fusion Rune...’

"There is one way."

The fusion speed depended on two factors: the mechanical arm and the Origin Core. However, the mechanical arm’s activation speed was practically constant. Therefore, the only thing he could change was the integration speed of the Origin Core...

The method Wei’en devised was to use a Magic Potion. It could increase the potency of the Origin without increasing the overall strength of the Origin Core.

Coincidentally, a Magic Potion formula he had just learned had this exact effect, even if it only boosted the Origin’s potency for a short time...

"That’s enough!"

No sooner said than done. Wei’en began preparing the materials according to the Magic Potion formula, hoping this experiment would finally succeed...

’Damn it. 130 experiments already. If I get stuck here any longer, no amount of gold pounds will be enough to cover the cost...’

...

...

"Where’s Helvin? Get someone to the stern, now! There’s something huge back there! If it stays on the ship, we’ll never pick up speed!"

"Damn it! All hands, look out! A giant wave is coming from the port bow!"

"..."

Ronan gripped the helm, anxiously shouting orders to the pirates on deck as they responded to one crisis after another.

Although he had just used Wei’en’s name to stop Clelia from trying to cut straight through the ocean Storm, the *Leonard* was already on the storm’s edge, and they had failed to break free of its grasp.

To make matters worse, the center of the Storm was moving, and its path now partially overlapped with their own.

It made the triangle-eyed Second Officer want to storm into the hold, drag the "queen" First Officer out, and beat her senseless.

"Attention! Everyone get into the cabins! Use the Rune Array to get through the wave! Just another ten kilometers and we’ll be out of the Storm’s reach!"

"Second Officer, Radke’s been swept overboard!"

"Quiet! Forget about the poor bastards for now! Get in the cabins, fast..."

Ronan’s forehead was drenched in sweat as he watched the hundred-meter-tall wave draw ever closer. A man who never believed in any True God, he now prayed in his heart to Lady Storm, the Lord of Dawn, the Earth... ’Damn it, whichever one of you bastards is listening, just don’t let this wave capsize us.’

BOOM!

The colossal wave struck the hull of the Five-Masted Sailing Ship with savage force, instantly shattering the defensive shield formed by the Rune Array—a shield strong enough to repel an attack from a Director Level Extraordinary.

At the same time, the *Leonard*’s figurehead—a carving of the Lord of Dawn—acted like a sharp sword, piercing straight into the massive wave.

’This is bad!’

Ronan knew this was bad. Without the Array’s protection, the ship...

Though worried, all he could do now was pray that the Dawn Church hadn’t cut corners when they built her.

He gritted his teeth, wrestling with the helm. "Get us through this!" he roared.

As the wave swept over them, three of the ship’s four remaining masts snapped in an instant. Only the central mainmast held fast.

The next second, the entire *Leonard* punched through the wave and slammed down onto the turbulent sea. The violent impact sent pirates tumbling inside the cabins.

"D-Damn it..."

"We have to make it through..."

In the wheelhouse, Ronan clung to the helm with both hands. Even as the impact threw his body sideways, his two mechanical arms held their death grip.

"Hah... huff... We’re through..."

But this was no time for celebration. Surviving the wave didn’t mean they were out of the Storm.

Once the ship had stabilized somewhat, Ronan wrestled the helm under control and roared at the cabins behind him, "Helvin! Get some men and clear the deck! See if the Array can be reactivated!"

"Second Officer, the Boatswain’s injured!"

"Th-then you go! There’s no time to waste—"

As the dazed pirates scrambled to their tasks after being battered by the Storm, Ronan stared grimly ahead, calculating how much longer until they could break free. Suddenly, his triangular eyes flew wide open.

’Wh-What is that?!’