Chapter 700: Chapter 692: The Cooperation Proposed by the God of Death Chapter 700: Chapter 692: The Cooperation Proposed by the God of Death “Though it’s more than I anticipated, if the largest port, Blackstone Harbor, is in this condition, I suppose the others aren’t faring much better?” Muria, sensing something amiss, tapped the armrest of the black iron knight’s throne beneath her, producing a crisp metallic clash. “Are there no pirate groups with legends among them? The highest are only at Soul Intent Level? Where are the legends?”

“My Lord, all Liches who have breached into legends will receive an invitation from Lord Barbossa to join his direct pirate group. Thus, for us peripheral pirate groups, the highest are merely at the Soul Intent Level, there are no legends.”

“What’s the deal with these peripheral pirate groups? Explain it to me in detail.”

“The ones operating Iron Battleships belong to Lord Barbossa’s direct pirate group. As for us pirates who sail the conventional Ghost Ships, we are peripheral pirate groups. We are required to regularly pay certain resources to Lord Barbossa and can plunder and loot under the name of Lord Barbossa. However, we need to hand in anything between fifty and seventy percent of all spoils.” The Black Knight Pirate Group leader explained the mechanics of the Ghost Sea to Muria.

Muria attentively listened to the explanation provided by the leader of the Knight Pirate Group. After asking multiple questions, she came to understand the general situation, feeling somewhat speechless. Barbossa was indeed true to his pirate origins.

Among the pirates of the ten major ports of the Ghost Sea, none were directly under him. The Ghost Ships used by the peripheral pirate groups were all leftovers collected or utilized, then discarded by Barbossa. These pirates used his ships to plunder outside, then periodically paid him a fee for nominal protection.

If one were to put it in simpler terms, all pirate groups were sheep that he was rearing. He would periodically shear their wool, and powerful Undead pirates who became too robust and underwent a transformation, he would extend an olive branch and recruit into his own ranks.

“With such a loose management, isn’t Barbossa afraid of someone causing trouble in his Ghost Sea? I refuse to believe I’m the first one who dared venture into the Ghost Sea with nefarious motives.” Muria fell into deep thought. After pondering for a moment, she figured it out.

In Barbossa’s view, his true foundation was his Ghost Sea, the iron fleet under his control, and his personal strength at the peak of the legend. The ten major ports and the peripheral pirate groups were mere extensions; he didn’t care how much he lost.

Someone causing trouble, fine! Can you ruin the Ghost Sea? Can you destroy the Ghost Iron Battleships that are immune to a vast majority of physical attacks? Can you withstand the wrath of a Great Lich?

In his own territory, supported by the Iron Battleships, was there anything that a legendary peak Great Lich couldn’t suppress? Even if a True God descended an avatar, they would still meet the same fate.

“Where is Barbossa’s Iron Fleet? At what port is it docked?”

“Lord Barbossa’s Iron Fleet is all under the sea.”

Muria fell silent, that was a problem. Although there is ‘dead’ in the name Sea of the Dead, it wasn’t a literal Dead Sea. There were many big shots hidden in it.

… After understanding everything, Muria, with the gathered intelligence, returned to the tavern that served as the venue onboard the Steel Ghost Ship. She then assigned tasks to those bored legendary Liches, directly finding those pirate groups according to the list, forcibly suppressing them with the power of legendary Liches, and then submitting to them.

For these recruitment activities in name, Muria no longer cared. However, to cover it up, the recruitment was still ongoing but was stricter than before. It had reached a level where almost no Undead could pass through because there were almost no Undead that Muria appreciated.

…
Seven days later, Muria, who had just become the hidden big BOSS of Blackstone Harbor, could hardly wait to extend her hand to other ports. It was still the same routine, surveying the situation first, then letting the legendary Liches take action, suppress and forcibly submit.

Of course, such a large operation was completed in secret. Muria didn’t want to startle the old Lich Barbossa yet, but this large-scale operation was detected by some external forces also hiding in the Ghost Sea.

“Barbossa’s real main force is under the Ghost Sea, but I can’t investigate down there!” Muria was somewhat worried. For Barbossa, the ten major ports were just a channel to provide resources. Even if someone got involved and sneaked in, he didn’t mind as long as he could maintain his supply of resources. If things got out of hand, he would suppress them forcefully, simple and crude, but it was very effective when he had absolute power.

“What are you worrying about, Son of Titan and Dragon?” Suddenly, a screechy voice, like a fingernail scraping on glass, rang in Muria’s ear. A domain filled with the breath of death enveloped the cabin she was in. The air became oppressive in an instant, and the slightly translucent cabin rapidly solidified into decayed, old wood. A smell of decay entered Muria’s nose, making her extremely uncomfortable.

“Quit acting mysterious. If you want to talk, come out and talk to me properly.” Muria, who feels like a mere mortal sitting on a teetering boat, didn’t show any fear when she heard this voice. In the Main World, she didn’t believe there were any reasonably intelligent deities that dared to harm her.

“Young one, you seem to lack sufficient reverence for a God.” Unnoticed, a lean, tall figure clad in a black robe slowly emerged from the shadow beneath Muria’s feet. Below the black robe was a dried-up skeleton covered in a grey-black Death Qi, and Muria could see it.

“Aren’t you afraid of Barbossa discovering you for setting up a domain here, Lord Nether?” Looking at the dried-up figure, Muria’s eyes narrowed. It had finally come to her.

“Among ordinary mortals, Barbossa can indeed be considered a genius, but in my eyes, he is merely a lucky ant who has reached his current level by leveraging time.”

“Oh, is that so?” Muria wasn’t sure, they had stealthily encroached on others’ territory, clearly intending to plot against him, yet they still acted as if they looked down on others. Deity, they really were hypocritical.

“May I know why the esteemed Nether has sought me out? I don’t recall having any dispute with you,” Muria said nonchalantly. It seemed as though he had forgotten what he had done.

“It seems you don’t have a very good memory? Do you need me to remind you? Forty-seven days ago, you killed my servant. I would like to ask what offence he had caused you? If he had offended you, and you killed him for it, I would accept that. But, as far as I know, my servant had no previous interactions with you.”

“That was just a mistake,” Muria let out a dry laugh. He did not yet have the skill to lie in front of a deity and not be discovered. These gods’ direct combat abilities might not be that great, but through the accumulation of passing time, their various supporting abilities had become extremely strong.

“Oh, so it was a mistake! Then how do you intend to make up for this blunder? A legendary lich is very precious to me. You wouldn’t just let it slide, would you?”

“Your Excellency Nether coming to find me, you must have some thoughts. Just say them directly,” Muria was very straightforward.

“Smart lad, rest assured, I am here not to make you compensate me with anything, but to cooperate with you. In this cooperation, you too will have many benefits.”

“Oh?” Muria remained unfazed. Among the many death gods, Nether was categorized as an evil god. He might be a neutral god, however, he often had a connection with schemes and tricks.

“I noticed your interest in liches and your hobby of collecting ghost ships.”

“That’s right.” These were all outward display, Muria disdained to hide these things. Nether had come looking for him, this death god surely knew about the situation already.

“So, are you interested in the Steel Ghost Ships controlled by Barbossa?”

“Of course I am.”

“Then I can provide you an opportunity to seize Barbossa’s Ghost Ship, even the Semi Plane. Do you want it?”

“Tell me, in this process, what benefits can you get?” Muria asked straightforwardly. Everything under the heavens bustling about, all for profit’s sake.

Muria believes these words made perfect sense. Regardless of the level of beings, even the unconscious world would react to things beneficial or disadvantageous to itself. If Death God Nether wanted to help him, it surely had some benefits for him. Muria must find out the reason first.

“What benefits can I get?” This Death God Nether, wrapped in a black robe like a dry corpse, chuckled eerily. It was like a knife scraping glass which made Muria very uncomfortable.

“As long as Barbossa suffers a loss, that would be beneficial for me. Titan and Son of the Dragon, you should understand that at Barbossa’s level, whether he chooses to become an Epic or a Deity, once he succeeds, he would pose a threat to me. Now there are too many entities mastering the death power.”

“Understood, so how do you plan on having me do it? Even if you find a way to draw Barbossa away, I can’t do anything. I am helpless against the suppression of just a Semi Plane.”

Muria put forward his requests. Since he wanted his help in weakening Barbossa, this Death God must have a way.

“Do you know? Barbossa has mastered a secret method that can integrate semi-planes, so his Sea of Ghosts is so vast. However, precisely because of this, among all legendary liches, his control over the Semi Plane is the lowest.”

“What are you trying to say?” Muria’s heart rate sped up.

“For his situation, I have tailor-made a secret method. As long as one possesses a legend that is opposed to the power of death, one can forcefully divide his Semi Plane.”

“Oh. I want to ask, do you know the secret method he uses to integrate other’s Semi Planes?” asked Muria.

“Of course I do. That secret method was a gift from me.”

Source: Webnovel.com, updated by Aunomay Read