Chapter 107

The powerful energy blast tore through everything in front of Ethan, shattering the distorted illusion into nothingness. The undead responsible for the deception didn't even have time to react before it was reduced to dust, erased from existence.

The remaining force of the blast ripped through the ghost ship, creating a massive hole and even dispersing much of the eerie fog lingering over the sea. From his position inside the cabin, Ethan caught a fleeting glimpse of the stars twinkling in the night sky.

"The energy loss was minimal, and its concentration and power matched my expectations."

Retracting the wand he had extended, Ethan turned to see the undead horde rushing toward him.

They completely ignored Philip and the others, not even sparing them a glance. Every one of them targeted Ethan, as if instinctively recognizing that he was the real threat. Only by eliminating him would the rest of the crew be left defenseless, easy prey for their assault.

Unfortunately for them, Ethan didn't consider these undead to be any more dangerous than the zombies he had faced in other worlds. Those creatures, at least, required some effort to deal with. These, however, weren't even worth the trouble. His Flame Cloak alone was more than enough to incinerate them all.

Flames flared, wings of fire unfurling with a roar, and agonized screams filled the air. The once-terrifying horde of undead was reduced to scattered remnants within moments.

Philip, watching in stunned silence, felt his blood run cold at first. But what happened next nearly made him forget to breathe.

"So powerful..."

Ethan's strength far surpassed his imagination. At that moment, Philip realized they weren't even on the same level, perhaps not even in the same world. There were other legendary adventurers in these seas, warriors of unmatched strength whose names resounded across the waves. Ethan was undoubtedly one of them.

"It's only a matter of time before his name spreads across the seas like theirs."

Philip was certain of it. Stephen and Sean shared the same thought.

They were unbelievably lucky. If they hadn't crossed paths with Ethan, they would have met the same fate as their fallen comrades, slaughtered by these undead.

Ethan had given them a chance to survive. And as they watched him obliterate the creatures one after another, their despair turned into exhilaration.

"Nicely done!"

Philip couldn't help but shout in admiration as the last of the undead was consumed by flames. He was about to thank Ethan when he noticed the young man's expression darken. His years of experience immediately told him something was wrong.

"Is there a problem?"

Ethan gestured for him to look ahead, toward the massive hole created by his earlier attack. Though they remained inside the cabin, they had a clear view of the scene outside.

The fog had thickened.

Where once they could see beyond the ship, now all that lay before them was an impenetrable wall of white.

Strangely, none of the fog seeped into the cabin. Even with the gaping hole in the ship, it refused to cross the threshold, as if held back by an unseen force.

Ethan scanned the surroundings with his enchanted glasses, but after a few moments, he sighed and put them away, storing them in his spatial ring.

"The real challenge starts now."

The undead were gone, yet the sinister energy lingering on the ship remained unchanged. If anything, the fog had grown denser.

They were trapped.

"Another blast? Should I just sink the whole ship?"

Ethan considered the idea but quickly dismissed it.

This vessel wasn't the original ghost ship, it was the Advance, Philip and his crew's ship. That meant the so-called ghost ship wasn't tied to any single vessel. Rather, it was an effect, a phenomenon created by some malevolent force or entity. After claiming victims, it would corrupt their ship and turn it into its next haunt.

The ship itself wasn't the problem. The true enemy was something else—something lurking nearby.

Whatever controlled this sinister energy was highly skilled. Given Ethan's current tools, a blend of technology and magic, tracking it down would be impossible.

That left only one option: a manual search.

Ethan resolved to scour the entire ship, top to bottom, until he found the source.

As first mate, Philip knew the Advance better than anyone. With his help, Ethan combed through every inch of the vessel, even the most obscure corners.

According to Philip, everything was as it had been before they boarded, aside from looking more worn-down.

"So the enemy isn't on the ship?"

If that was the case, then there were only two possibilities.

Above?

Below?

Ethan recalled something Wilson had mentioned earlier. He also considered the nature of undead creatures. A realization struck him.

Below.

At the moment, they were in the ship's lowest compartment the cargo hold. It was an area rarely visited, known for its stench and poor conditions. Some sailors even called it hell's chamber due to its suffocating environment.

Compared to other ships, the Advance's cargo hold was relatively well-maintained, though the air remained unpleasant. It was the last place left to check.

Ethan didn't leave immediately. Instead, he gently tapped his wand against the wooden floor. A ripple of pale blue light spread outward from where he stood. Once the glow faded, he nodded in understanding, then turned to Philip and the others.

"Let's head back to the deck."

Philip and the others obeyed without question, though curiosity burned in their eyes. It wasn't until they were back above deck that Philip finally spoke.

"What now?"

Ethan didn't answer right away. After a pause, he turned to them with a serious expression.

"You won't be able to help much, and I won't be able to protect you if things go wrong. The best thing you can do is watch your backs."

Reaching into his storage, Ethan retrieved a handful of protective charms and handed them over.

"These will keep you safe from the negative energy for a while and prevent hallucinations. But be careful—" He pointed to a few charms that were visibly different from the others. "If any of these start burning up, it means you're under attack. Even if you can't see the enemy, assume it's there."

Philip, Stephen, and Sean didn't fully understand, but they nodded nonetheless, accepting the charms with grave expressions.

Satisfied, Ethan pulled out a specialized lighting device and clipped it to his chest. Another, smaller light was hooked over his ear, allowing him to adjust the illumination with a tilt of his head. Finally, he raised the hood of his cloak, carefully positioning it to avoid obstructing his field of vision.

"Next, I'm heading in to find the real mastermind. You'll have to fend for yourselves."

Philip and the others tensed at Ethan's words, momentarily unsettled. However, Philip quickly steadied himself, gripping the protective charm Ethan had given him. His expression turned resolute.

"As long as you can kill that thing, whatever it is, undead or otherwise, it doesn't matter if we all die here."

His firm declaration calmed Stephen and Sean, who had been on the verge of panic. After exchanging glances, they echoed his sentiment.

"If we don't make it, just promise you'll avenge us."

"Thank you for everything, Captain Ethan."

Ethan studied them in silence for a moment but refrained from making empty promises. He wasn't the type to offer false assurances like, I won't let you die.

The truth was, once he left to confront the enemy, there was a high chance these men wouldn't survive. And he had already accepted that outcome, whether they lived or died wouldn't change his course of action.

Yet, despite being ordinary men without extraordinary abilities, their composure in the face of death took him by surprise. He even found himself admiring their resolve.

He had to admit, if their positions were reversed, he wasn't sure he'd remain as calm.

Giving them a final nod, Ethan turned and leaped off the deck.

---

Underwater Breathing.

The enchantment woven into his cloak ensured he could breathe freely underwater, allowing him to fight without the risk of drowning.

At least, that was the theory.

In practice, moving in water was another challenge altogether. No matter how skilled he was at swimming, he wasn't a sea creature. The deeper he dove, the more he became aware of another problem.

"Damn it… I forgot about water pressure."

The further he descended, the more intense the pressure became. It wasn't unbearable yet, but he could already feel the strain.

Turning back now, however, wasn't an option. He had jumped in with full confidence, retreating before even catching sight of the enemy would be far too humiliating.

This was one of those moments where stubborn pride outweighed reason.

Fortunately, according to his previous scans, the target wasn't lurking too deep. If it had been, he might not have been able to reach it at all with his current physical limits.

After descending about forty meters, he finally spotted his enemy.

His earlier guesses had been correct, the creature radiated a powerful aura of death energy.

Now, however, he could confirm exactly what it was.

It was both a being of immense death energy and a powerful undead.

The figure was thin and skeletal, its bony frame barely concealed by the tattered robes it wore. A dense, concentrated aura of death magic clung to its form.

There was no mistaking it.

A lich.

"A lich…? There's actually a lich in this world?"

His gaze landed on an ornament set into the lich's forehead. Faint pulses of death energy emanated from it, an energy signature he was all too familiar with.

It was the power of a Death-attribute Magic Stone.

"Did it turn into a lich using a Death Stone?"

That was a new one.

Ethan had seen plenty of strange transformations before, but this was the first time he'd encountered this method.

Then again, he recalled Wilson's case, how he had turned into an undead creature after exposure to a Death Stone.

Considering that, the appearance of a lich wasn't so far-fetched after all.

***

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