Chapter 105

As the sky darkened, Ethan and Philip remained on deck, keeping watch on the ghost ship.

Since the afternoon, as the sun began to set, Ethan had noticed that the Advance was slowly closing the distance. Judging by their speeds, the two ships would inevitably meet by nightfall.

"They have some intelligence."

These weren't mindless undead. They had tactical awareness, choosing the right time and conditions for their approach. That made them far more dangerous.

Philip, having had time to collect himself, had been observing Ethan all this while.

What puzzled him was the young captain's calmness.

The Advance, his former ship, had likely become a ghost vessel, yet Ethan wasn't reacting with fear or urgency.

"Is it ignorance?" Philip wondered. But he dismissed the thought almost immediately.

He glanced down at the Goddess of Dawn beneath his feet.

Would a naïve young man own such an advanced ship?

Then there was where Ethan had come from, he had sailed in from the Barren Sea, an infamous, untamed stretch of ocean. That explained why no one had heard of him before.

"So… is it absolute confidence in his own strength?"

Philip had encountered men like that before.

People who believed, without a shred of doubt, in their own power.

Their captain had been the same way, his charisma had drawn countless sailors to join the Advance, turning it into a renowned vessel.

And yet, even with that confidence, even with that crew, they had still perished.

"Maybe… I should warn this young man."

Philip had already accepted that the ghost ship wasn't going to let them go.

But that didn't mean he intended to die without a fight.

If he was going to die, then the undead were going to pay dearly for it.

"Captain Ethan."

"I know what you're about to say, First Mate Philip."

Ethan cut him off before he could continue.

They hadn't known each other long, but Philip had proven to be a good man, experienced, respectful, and pragmatic.

Ethan had taken a liking to him.

"Trust me," Ethan said, a small smile tugging at the corner of his lips. "I have my own ways of dealing with ghosts."

Undead and spectral entities existed between reality and illusion.

For ordinary people, they were a nightmare, most conventional weapons were useless against them.

And their attacks? Mostly energy-based or spiritual in nature.

Unfortunately for them, those happened to be the two attack types Ethan was best at handling.

If this were a truly powerful undead entity, then he might have needed to be cautious.

But based on Philip's firsthand account and Ethan's own observations, the Advance wasn't that level of threat.

It was still within his capabilities to deal with.

"I hope so," Philip murmured.

Hope was a fragile thing but if there was even a sliver of a chance, he would hold onto it.

Sean and Stephen overheard the exchange.

Though they said nothing, they moved with newfound purpose, quietly assisting Ethan however they could. If he really had a way to fight the undead, they would support him however possible.

With their stomachs filled, their thirst quenched, and having rested for most of the day, the three were now in the best condition they could hope for.

All that remained… was to wait.

---

"The fog is rolling in."

The moment the sun vanished beneath the horizon, an unnatural mist began rising from the sea.

The thick fog choked their vision, but at the same time, it made it impossible to ignore the ghost ship approaching.

"Psychological warfare?"

A ghost ship using tactics?

Had it developed strategies over time from hunting victims? Or was it acting on instinct?

If it was the latter, then this vessel was far more dangerous than it appeared.

"Get ready."

As Ethan spoke, he raised a hand to his chest.

To anyone else, it looked like a simple motion, but in truth, it was a trigger.

Most of his equipment was worn as a pendant, tucked beneath his clothing for both secrecy and convenience.

By keeping it in direct contact with his skin, he could more easily attune to its space energy, allowing him to study it whenever he wished.

But more importantly, it was instantly accessible.

A single thought was all it took.

With a faint shimmer of magic, his casual clothing vanished, replaced by battle gear.

A large, hooded cloak draped over his shoulders.

A custom combat suit, woven from rare, near-invisible materials.

A utility belt loaded with carefully crafted tools.

A staff, gripped lightly in his left hand.

The transformation was seamless.

One moment, Ethan had looked like an ordinary adventurer.

The next, his presence had completely changed.

The subtle energy radiating from his equipment made it clear—this wasn't just ordinary gear.

Philip, a seasoned sailor, immediately noticed. His eyes widened.

"All of this… is magic stone equipment?"

Technically, it was magic equipment but since it emitted energy fluctuations, Philip instinctively categorized it under the magic stone technology he was familiar with.

Philip took another look at the Goddess of Dawn, then back at Ethan, now fully prepared for battle.

Finally, he understood.

"This is why he's so calm."

Philip had underestimated him.

Ethan wasn't just some young, lucky adventurer.

He was strong.

"Are adventurers from the Barren Sea already this terrifying?"

Philip wasn't the only one to recognize Ethan's strength.

Sean and Stephen, seeing the transformation, felt something shift within them.

For the first time since their ordeal had begun, the despair in their eyes was replaced by something else.

Hope.

Ethan's magic equipment didn't normally emit such obvious energy fluctuations. He had activated them on purpose not to intimidate his enemies, but to give Philip and the others confidence.

If they were already convinced they were doomed, then no amount of skill or strategy could save them. Fear and despair killed faster than any ghost.

Ethan wanted them to understand:

"It's not as bad as you think. Just sit back and watch, don't do anything reckless."

If they tried to play the hero now, they would only get in his way.

Philip, with his years of experience, seemed to catch on quickly. He shot Ethan a knowing look, silently conveying: I understand. I won't do anything foolish.

Not only that, he would also keep Sean and Stephen in check to make sure they didn't panic or act impulsively.

With that reassurance, Ethan turned his focus back to the ghost ship.

By now, the Advance had come to a full stop beside the Goddess of Dawn.

Even stranger, the strong sea breeze from earlier had vanished without a trace.

With no wind, the Goddess of Dawn drifted to a halt, its sails falling slack. The sea, which had been choppy moments ago, became eerily still, like a perfect mirror.

Ethan walked to the console, lowered the anchor, and furled the sails, securing the ship before making his way to the deck's edge.

He looked at the Advance, then chuckled.

"I'm starting to think these undead aren't very smart."

If their goal was to catch their prey off guard, this approach wasn't exactly subtle.

Or perhaps… they simply didn't care whether their target was wary or not.

Maybe, in their minds, Ethan was already doomed, and caution was irrelevant.

"I hope you keep thinking that way."

Without hesitation, Ethan grabbed a boarding plank, connected the two ships, and confidently strode onto the Advance's deck.

Philip and his men didn't stay behind on the Goddess of Dawn.

For one, they didn't want to invite suspicion. Ethan had just rescued them, it wouldn't look good if they remained on his ship while he disembarked. The last thing they wanted was for Ethan to question their intentions.

More importantly, sticking with Ethan was safer than staying alone on the Goddess of Dawn.

If they were left behind, who knew if they would suddenly relive the nightmare of being hunted by ghosts?

As soon as they stepped aboard the Advance, Sean and Stephen tightened their grips on the weapons Ethan had provided them.

The Goddess of Dawn had a well-stocked armory, before setting sail, Ethan had equipped it with a variety of common weapons for training and combat practice.

Though he rarely used traditional weapons himself, the selection came in handy now.

As for Ethan's own arsenal—

His left hand held a magic wand, while a hilt rested at his waist, capable of generating a transparent energy blade.

He had shamelessly named this weapon the Battle Cross.

Alongside that, he carried a Beretta handgun, as well as flashbangs, incendiary grenades, and shock bombs.

One of his magazines was loaded with special bullets, designed specifically for dealing with supernatural threats.

Even without magic, he was more than prepared for these lurking undead.

If they were relying on illusions to remain hidden, Ethan had a countermeasure for that too.

With a flick of his left hand, a pair of glasses materialized. He slipped them onto his face and tapped the side of the frame.

Data flooded his vision.

"Begin scanning for all nearby energy sources."

Ethan had Tony Stark to thank for this particular piece of tech.

Stark was a mad genius when it came to black-market-level technology, and when Ethan had casually pitched an idea, it hadn't taken long for Tony to turn it into a real, functioning prototype.

This pair of glasses was just one of the many gadgets inside the equipment case Tony had given him.

Of course, Ethan hadn't just relied on Stark's tech, he had personally engraved magic circles into the glasses, enhancing them with magical detection abilities.

Right now, he was using just one of its many functions—enemy detection.

A display appeared in his lenses.

"Multiple energy signatures detected, strong negative energy readings. Several distinct sources identified."

Not only did the glasses confirm their presence, but they also pinpointed their locations, including one hiding nearby.

It was lurking just ahead, waiting to ambush him.

Ethan smirked.

"Let's turn the tables, then."

The magic wand in his left hand began to glow brilliant blue.

Without hesitation, he raised it and fired a magic projectile at the hidden enemy.

CRACK!

A sharp, shattering sound rang through the air—like glass breaking.

The next moment, a horrifying wail echoed across the deck.

The creature had been forcibly exposed, its grotesque form twisting violently as it screamed.

What had once been completely invisible was now fully revealed—a warped, ghastly figure with a contorted face, its expression frozen in pure hatred.

Its shadowy body pulsed with malevolent energy as it lunged straight at Ethan, howling for his soul.

***

For every 100 PS = 1 extra chapter. Support me on patreon to read 30+ advanced chapters: patreon.com/Blownleaves.