Chapter 45: The Feast of Crows

After some negotiations, Captain Sam "agreed" to pay 2,800 gold coins for his release.

Ian found it hard to believe that an extraordinary person would be worth so little. To confirm, Woowa tied him up with chains and dunked him into the sea for a "friendly chat." Sam revealed just how much he had been pocketing from his crew every year, which sparked a series of angry glares from the sailors below.

In the end, Ian accepted this price, much lower than expected. Either Sam was genuinely poor, or he was an excellent actor—either way, Ian couldn't be bothered to push him further.

As for the Swordfish ship, Ian didn't even bother discussing it. One, he doubted Sam could afford it, and two, even if he could, Ian had no intention of selling it to him or the Royal Niger Company.

Instead, Ian appointed the Swordfish's most vocal first mate as the temporary captain, placing him in charge of the ship. Sam was locked up on board under the watch of the new captain. The rest of the crew was confined to the quarters and barred from stepping onto the deck.

After issuing the final warnings, Ian signaled for Woowa to retract the animated ropes and returned to Leviathan with Miltar.

Leviathan reeled in one of its anchor chains, while the other remained hooked to the Swordfish's bow, slowly pulling it toward Storm Point.

By now, the sky had darkened completely. Ian prepared a simple meal in the kitchen, and the three of them had a quick bite.

After all the fuss, everyone, including Woowa, was exhausted, especially Woowa. Having pushed its limits with several high-speed maneuvers, it needed some rest. After all, it was still just a "child."

For the next few days, Ian and his crew would take turns on watch. Leviathan would maintain a "cruise" speed of around five or six knots for the next one or two days to ensure everyone got proper rest.

Ian arranged for Leya to be on watch until midnight, with Miltar taking over after that.

Ian returned to his quarters, settling into a deep meditation as he sank into the spiritual world.

Late into the night, Ian awoke from his meditation. He looked up and saw a new "star" appear, decorating the void of fate's fabric.

With a focused thought, the "star" flickered and materialized before him.

It was a witchcraft card. The four corners of the card were etched with purple, bizarre patterns, and in the semi-transparent center swirled a flock of crows. Their feathers were dark with a reddish tint, and their eyes, beaks, and talons glowed crimson, a sharp contrast against the dark background.

Card: Feast of Crows

Feast of Crows: Permanent witchcraft. The host permanently transfers a portion of their spiritual energy, life force, and mana to create an evil crow.

The evil crow inherits the host's transferred energy, life force, and mana, and it can grow alongside the host. If the crow dies, the host permanently loses that portion of their spiritual energy.

The evil crow, like a magical pet, has an independent personality and thoughts. They share one name.

Abilities of the Evil Crow: [Mind Link], [Shared Senses], [Soul Vision], [Leftovers], [Nourishment].

Mind Link: Each evil crow maintains a direct mental link with the host, with no delay in communication. Of course, some irrelevant information may also be passed. When there are too many crows, it's best to turn off the link to avoid emotional overwhelm. The range of the link depends on the host's strength.

Shared Senses: The host can always sense the location of each evil crow and share their sensory experiences. The range is short, again depending on the host's strength.

Soul Vision: The evil crow can activate a unique soul vision, allowing them to see the soul and spiritual traits of beings in the area.

Leftovers: The evil crow feeds on life force, souls, and spiritual energy. Its beak and talons can easily rip away fragments of soul and spiritual energy while simultaneously consuming life force. The process is cruel, as the consumed beings suffer intense pain while their essence is devoured.

Nourishment: After consuming life force, souls, and spiritual energy, the crow undergoes a transformation, generating refined energy that nourishes the host.

Ian looked thoughtfully at the card. It appeared to be a magical pet with abilities for reconnaissance, combat, and growth. However, it was essentially a strange form of witchcraft.

Still, the cost of creating the crow made Ian hesitate. Wouldn't this weaken himself? Trading a portion of his power for an unknown crow's combat potential—it seemed risky.

Let's give it a try. My spiritual growth has been slow recently, probably nearing the limit of Sequence 9, Ian thought to himself.

He touched the card, and one of the crows suddenly came to life, shattering the card and flying out into the air. It circled Ian once before shooting off like a streak of light, soaring into the void above, becoming a crow-shaped black-red "star," slowly rotating around the "sun."

This was the manifestation of the witchcraft.

Ian began channeling his spiritual energy, life force, and mana into the crow-shaped "star." Contrary to his expectations, he did not feel a weakening sensation. After infusing about 10% of his spiritual energy, a crow broke free from the "star."

"Squawk..." A hoarse voice echoed in Ian's mind.

The crow, with its crimson eyes, flew straight toward Ian, who smiled softly.

Exiting the spiritual world, Ian opened his eyes and saw the crow—black feathers and red eyes—emerge from the "void," landing gently on his shoulder.

"Squawk..." it tilted its head and rubbed its beak against Ian's cheek.

Its voice was harsh, eerie, and unsettling, as though it came from another world. A cold shiver ran down Ian's spine, though oddly, he also felt a strange affection for the creature.

Ian raised his left arm, and the crow jumped from his shoulder to his arm, glaring at him with its crimson eyes.

"Squawk..." The crow was about 35 cm in length, with a wingspan over 50 cm.

To anyone else, it might seem ominous, but to Ian, it felt oddly charming.

He stroked its smooth feathers, "From now on, you're named... Beatrice."

From the moment Beatrice appeared, Ian understood the peculiar nature of this witchcraft. His power hadn't diminished. Beatrice and Ian were now one.

For example, Ian's spiritual energy limit for Sequence 9 was 100, and he had been close to this limit at 99. But after Beatrice's arrival, Ian's spiritual energy dropped to 89, while Beatrice's was at 10.

His overall power remained unchanged, and as they both grew, his limit was now extended.

However, Ian now had to be careful not to let Beatrice die in large numbers, as it would severely hinder his progression.

The night wind howled as the sails flapped, the starry sky glimmered, and the Milky Way shone brightly.

As Ian stepped out of his room, Leya, who was keeping watch on the stern, noticed him. She looked curiously at the crow on his shoulder.

Ian walked up to the deck, smiling lightly. "Her name is Beatrice. She's very well-behaved."