Chapter 35

"Ah, you mean the secret chamber?"

Hearing this unexpected yet reasonable good news, Luo Zhengdao was both stunned and somewhat at a loss. He had thought that this desolate place would have nothing left, but it turned out there was a lucky prize to be claimed. Unlike his silence, the pirates surrounding him cheered in unison. Among them, the one who had invested the most effort and felt the most disappointed was Vena Dubov, whose spirits were so low that she could hardly control herself. Her brows lifted with joy, and she forcefully pulled Luo Zhengdao to explore the secret chamber.

Perhaps the age of the buried treasure was too distant, or the methods used by the previous intruders to search for the treasure were too brutal. The hidden chamber's mechanisms were almost completely destroyed, and the sailors easily broke through the supposedly impregnable secret chamber door with just a few crowbars.

The location of this hidden chamber was quite secretive, and its security measures were virtually airtight. Otherwise, the earlier treasure hunters would not have overlooked it. However, time is a ruthless killer! Time turns grapes purple, turns black fungus black, and softens bananas... In short, time has a way of changing things, and you can understand the rest!

The treasure cave, no longer protected by the sealing stone, was eroded by the negative energy from the Sea of Death over the years. The degree of erosion varied depending on the type of rock. Over time, the thick stone slab used to seal the hidden chamber showed a significant difference in weathering and decay compared to the surrounding rock walls. Even a layman could tell that a hidden chamber existed. For Luo Zhengdao, this could be considered a stroke of luck, like the saying, "A blessing in disguise."

"Sir, we found thirty chests of magic patterned cloth."

Upon hearing this news, Luo Zhengdao, whose interest had just been piqued, was completely deflated. He shook his head and said, "What's so special about magic patterned cloth? Aren't our ship's sails made of magic patterned cloth?"

Hearing this, the boatswain, Zola Hegel, who had personally inspected the excavation site, looked unconvinced. His eyes sparkled with barely contained excitement, and he spread his arms wide, shouting, "Captain, this isn't ordinary magic patterned cloth. It's genuine magic patterned cloth, woven with magical power. It's nothing like the cheap substitutes we use on our ship! If we use it to make sails, the Yangwei's speed can be doubled, no, maybe even more!"

Luo Zhengdao was taken aback by this and countered, "Ah! Is it really that exaggerated?"

"Of course! The difference between these two types of magic patterned cloth is as great as the difference between mithril and brass."

As the boatswain stated, in the New World, the reason why wind-powered warships like the Yangwei can dominate the seven seas is due to the mana wind providing power to the sails. Ordinary cloth cannot be used for sails because of the violent nature of the mana wind. Although the mana particles are extremely small, their cumulative destructive power is terrifying. If ordinary fiber material is used for sails, they would be torn to shreds within minutes if they encounter active mana particles. Only special cloth like magic patterned cloth, which is woven from long fibers, is both durable and has good mana affinity, and is infused with magical power during the weaving process, can handle the task of driving a ship.

The common magic patterned cloth available in the New World market is mass-produced by magic-powered looms according to preset programs. "Genuine magic patterned cloth," on the other hand, is a product synthesized by high-level enchanters and alchemists. Although they belong to the same category, the difference in quality and price is as significant as the difference between a Bugatti Veyron and an Alto in the Old World.

Weighing the gains and losses of this treasure hunt, Luo Zhengdao smiled in satisfaction. He clapped his hands and said, "Great! What are you all waiting for? Let's get to work and replace the sails with this genuine magic patterned cloth. Let's see how it feels!"

Luo Zhengdao had his flaws, but he was not the type to hoard wealth and die with it. Especially when his life was at stake, what could he possibly cling to? Since "genuine magic patterned cloth" could immediately enhance the ship's combat power, it should be installed as soon as possible. If he lost his life in the next battle due to being slower than the enemy, he would regret it so much that he might wish to die again!

With the genuine magic patterned cloth sails installed in a whirlwind, the Yangwei, now a completely transformed ship, circled the unnamed reef where the treasure was hidden twice. After experiencing the exhilarating feeling of sailing at top speed, the Yangwei slowed down and rejoined the Chaoyong, which was anchored nearby, preparing to leave.

In the Old World, there is a saying: "A barrel's capacity is determined not by its longest plank but by its shortest." Similarly, a fleet must consider the slowest ship when taking action. Otherwise, the faster ships would race ahead, leaving the slower ones struggling to catch up, which would make a mockery of any tactical coordination. Even children playing pretend would be more reliable than such an unreliable army.

Despite the initial setbacks in entering the Sea of Death, after the encounter with the ghost ship, the pirates did not face any other troubles. Perhaps this was the principle of "after the storm comes the calm."

Just as they were about to leave the Sea of Death, the boatswain, Zola Hegel, found Luo Zhengdao in the chart room, where he was studying the navigation data. He approached and said, "Captain, I must remind you that we haven't had any income for two months, and the sailors are very unhappy."

Zola Hegel was not trying to scare Luo Zhengdao. The fact was that these pirates were not his employees; they had a cooperative and mutually beneficial relationship. Without the opportunity to plunder merchant ships, there was no income. Compared to taking risks, pirates were more afraid of living in poverty. Luo Zhengdao had to consider the positions and interests of his crew. After a moment of thought, he looked up and asked, "So, what do you suggest?"

Actually, Zola Hegel was not interested in why Luo Zhengdao had angered the goblin fleet and been pursued relentlessly. Pirates often had serious cases on their heads, and their usual outcomes were either retiring with a fortune or being hanged by the military, or disappearing in a mana storm. Dying in poverty and destitution in a street corner of a port city was also a possibility. Integrity and obedience were meaningless to pirates.

In the history of the New World, a few notorious pirate leaders were even listed on the wanted lists of all known intelligent races. In comparison, Luo Zhengdao, who had only offended the goblins, was a minor troublemaker.

The boatswain slowly walked to the chart table and pointed to a spot on the map. Luo Zhengdao glanced at it and exclaimed, "Here!"

"Yes, the annual trade fair. Some shady deals are always completed here, so..."

By this point, Luo Zhengdao had understood Zola Hegel's meaning. He nodded and said, "So, this place is particularly lucrative, right?"

"Exactly, Captain."

You can't have your cake and eat it too. When Luo Zhengdao began to weigh the risks and benefits, he said cautiously, "Alright, I agree to go for a big score, but the rules can't change. At sea, the captain is the boss, and no one can challenge the captain's authority. Do you understand?"

Zola Hegel, rarely showing a smile, said, "Of course. I guarantee that won't happen. Please don't forget your responsibility, Captain. We set sail to make a fortune. Pirates are not afraid of sacrifice or death, but we cannot endure poverty."

...

The towering city walls, built from long strips of white granite, stretched out like a giant dragon lying on the ground, extending to the horizon, much like the Great Wall of the Old World.

The nine massive city gates, each towering and imposing, faced different directions, and the stone-paved roads extending in all directions connected this ancient city to the entire mainland. This once-glorious capital of human kingdoms had now become the lair of the Second Goblin Empire. The unfortunate humans, now slaves to the goblins, were forced to eat pig-like food and perform grueling labor under the threat of whips and swords, suffering deeply and groaning in pain.

Perhaps, if the human nobles who had the chance to see this scene could regret their past actions, it was their internal strife and the neglect of the goblins' growing power that led to this dire outcome. However, great foolishness is often the work of clever people, and this was no exception.

Good news for the enemy is bad news for oneself. Luo Zhengdao's repeated escapes from the goblin fleet's pursuit were a cause for celebration for him, but a source of humiliation and frustration for the goblins, who were determined to hunt down the human exiled nobles.

"Mordo Blackwater, that incompetent fool, I knew he would fail. Let me take on the task of hunting down Baron Fulu!"

The military department of the Second Goblin Empire had taken over the grand hall of the former Bright Dynasty's nobles, which was even more luxurious than before, all thanks to the contributions of the dead human nobles. The bear goblin commander, who looked like a bear, seemed to care little for the expensive decorations around him. He pounded his chest and declared his determination and fighting spirit to the deputy minister of the military command.

Sitting behind the desk, the elderly goblin deputy minister looked at the bear goblin commander without emotion. He straightened up and said in a booming voice, "Jetti White Mountain, do you understand that this is your only chance? I don't want to see the military's reputation trampled in the council again. Do you understand?"

The bear goblin commander, now invigorated, struck his steel chest plate with his right fist and shouted, "Yes, Deputy Minister. For the empire, long live the emperor!"