Chapter 2: The Last Lancaster!
Plop!
Byron was the last to be forced off the ship by the pirates' blood-stained cutlasses, disappearing into the waves like the final ripple on the sea's surface.
The burly first mate, whose aura of bloodlust seemed to grow even thicker, laughed with unrestrained arrogance:
"Be grateful for the mercy of 'Bone Crusher' Miles.
We don't need more blood or the fear of dying sailors to summon the man-eating sharks. 'Walking the plank' is far more comfortable than 'keelhauling,' hahaha..."
Soon, some of the sharks, their bellies full, began to swim in a perfect circle around the pirate ship, their eyes glowing with a crimson light as if guided by some unseen force.
Watching them, Miles' eyes burned with fervor:
"Though it takes a live sacrifice every three days to command them like the ship's blade-wielding guards, to scout and fight for us...
No matter the cost, this is... the extraordinary!
Soon, just a few more jobs with the captain, and I too might be granted this miraculous power by the great [Blood Eye]!"
With that, he turned and walked away, not the least bit concerned that any "sacrifice" could survive after walking the plank.
Over time, the blood and tears of countless souls had forged their arrogance, as well as the fearsome reputation of the [Man-Eater Shark] in these waters!
And indeed, things unfolded just as he expected.
A pack of sharks, still hungry, tore apart the old sailor who had fallen into the water before Byron, then swiftly turned their attention to him.
Bound hand and foot, Byron was utterly defenseless.
He knew full well that even a fully armored knight would be doomed in such a perilous situation, let alone an unarmed man like himself.
When he saw the crimson glow in the sharks' eyes, his heart sank even further.
"These aren't ordinary beasts... they're supernatural!"
Drawing on the remnants of his knowledge, he vaguely recalled having witnessed supernatural powers many times before, so the scene before him wasn't entirely unfamiliar.
But mere knowledge offered no salvation.
He could only watch helplessly as the sharks opened their jaws, creating turbulent whirlpools in the water as they lunged toward him!
In that moment.
The blood-stained sea reflected the chaos, black fins churning the currents, gaping maws revealing rows of dagger-like teeth gleaming with cold light...
Byron's sea-blue eyes narrowed sharply, his thoughts accelerating.
It was as if he had suddenly fallen into a life-flashing-before-his-eyes moment before death.
Anchored by fragments of stories he'd heard from sailors, two memories from his dreams resurfaced from the depths of his mind.
One was of a gaunt young man, ravaged by ALS, lying on a hospital bed, his eyes locking with Byron's:
"I never want to experience the loneliness of waiting for death on a hospital bed again!
I want to run, to jump, to swim, to adventure freely.
To see the glaciers, deserts, auroras, vast forests, and endless oceans of this world...
If one day I can die in the midst of raging waves, it would be my perfect redemption!"
The other was of a sweat-drenched boy, clad in armor, swinging a heavy sword with unrelenting determination, never slacking even when exhausted.
Years of rigorous training had etched an indomitable fighting spirit into his very bones.
As he swung his sword, he let out a fierce cry: "A knight charges forward, and to be struck from behind is a disgrace!"
The two figures suddenly merged, filling the gaping hole in Byron's consciousness that had tormented him.
At the same time, something unexpected happened.
The blue light that had been flickering in his right eye since he fell into the sea finally seemed to meet some prerequisite, bursting forth from his pupil.
In an instant, the grand tolling of church bells echoed in his mind, and a series of wondrous scenes unfolded before his eyes.
The sun rose and set, clouds drifted across the sky, tides ebbed and flowed, and life flourished on the earth...
Ancient tribes tilled the land with fire, two-legged dragons hunted freely, and legions of knights formed steel tides that swept across battlefields...
From the dawn of humanity to the present, an endless stream of images washed over Byron's consciousness.
"What... is this?"
Just as the question formed in his mind, the shimmering river of light surged through every vein and nerve in his body.
Before his eyes, it condensed into a yellowed, slightly water-stained... diary.
No, it was an ancient [Logbook]!
The cover bore no words, only an eye as blue as the sea.
The moment Byron's gaze met it, the logbook flipped open, and deep blue ink began to write on its own.
"A passion for life, a yearning for freedom, the courage to never retreat in the face of adversity, and an [Anchor] from the 'correct history'...
Conditions met!
The logbook reboots, ready to record a new history!"
Turning past the title page, the text began:
"Some say we live on a small island of ignorance, surrounded by an endless black sea.
Perhaps we should never have set sail!
But we had no choice.
This logbook will record the captain's exploration of every unknown and secret, and bestow the gifts of [Spirituality] and [Keywords]!
Starting point: October 12, 1471 of the Silver Era, the War of the Red and White Roses in the Kingdom of Hytens ends, and the throne belongs to the White Rose, the House of York!
Captain Byron Lancaster (Luo Yi), perhaps all you need is a little push to carve out your own legend in this era!"
In that instant, it felt as if a bomb had exploded in Byron's mind, his eyes blazing with newfound clarity.
"I am Luo Yi, the transmigrator, but also... Byron Lancaster of the Kingdom of Hytens?
The Red Rose Lancaster! The Lancaster whose kingdom was stolen!!!"
A fierce gust of wind roared in his ears, carrying with it the pungent stench of fish and blood, engulfing his consciousness in a tidal wave of memories.
Boom—!
A bolt of lightning split the night sky.
In its flash, Byron saw himself, clad in a junior officer's uniform, standing on a massive sailing warship as large as a hill.
Flags fluttered wildly in the gale atop the mast.
The black flag with a blood-red cross of the Kingdom of Hytens, the red rose banner of the House of Lancaster, the Sword of Kingship representing the royal flagship.
The Storm Banner of the Storm Knights' Grand Master, the fleet commander's flag, the captain's pennant, and a blue dragon [Figurehead].
"This is... the first-rate battleship [Blue Dragon King] of the House of Lancaster!"
With the power of the [Logbook], Byron's consciousness returned to five days prior, the night when the Yorks and Lancasters fought to decide the fate of the throne.
It was also the night he had inexplicably lost his memory.
Before today, the two fleets bearing the red and white rose emblems had been locked in a fierce battle for days in the southernmost part of the North Sea, the Strait of Dover.
Just like the intermittent thirty-year war that had come before, neither side could gain the upper hand.
According to the sailors.
That night, a sudden storm would bury the Lancasters once and for all!
However, as his lost memories slowly returned.
Byron, as an eyewitness, knew full well that what defeated the Lancasters that night wasn't a storm, but...
"No!"
His face twisted in panic as he turned to rush into the ship's cabin.
Even though he knew that what had happened five days ago was irreversible, he still clung to the hope that he could do something.
But alas, the disaster struck once again, right on schedule.
Toot toot toot...
A nauseating, chaotic flute sound pierced through the rain from the heart of the storm.
The waters around the [Blue Dragon King] and the Red Rose fleet were rapidly dyed black by some unknown force.
It was as if a colossal entity was lurking in the darkness, emitting a low, sticky growl and a stench so foul it seemed to seep into the very marrow of one's bones!
Except for Byron, who had been on duty that night and remained on the quarterdeck.
Every member of the Lancaster family, who had been asleep, suddenly opened their eyes.
With blank expressions, they walked out of their cabins and onto the decks of their respective ships.
Among them were Byron's father, Prince Edmund Lancaster of Solenburg, and his uncle, the current King of Hytens, [Mad King] Henry VI!
Meanwhile, the sailors who were supposed to be on duty had all fallen unconscious, sprawled across the deck.
The tragedy repeated itself.
Starting with the ordinary people who had no supernatural resistance, the Lancasters leaped one by one into the black sea.
They vanished without even a splash.
Not a single one was spared!
Even the mid-to-high-level supernatural beings of the family, who briefly regained consciousness under the threat of the water and death.
Were as if grabbed by the ankles by deep-sea ghouls, instantly stiffening and sinking into the icy abyss without any resistance.
It was as if a tangible fear lurked in the pitch-black depths of the ocean.
Unbeatable! Unavoidable! Inescapable!
Once again, Byron felt the overwhelming sense of powerlessness and despair, and he finally understood what his father had been trying to say.
Before being dragged into the sea, his father, using the supernatural abilities of a [Storm Knight], summoned a gust of wind to hurl a golden signet ring, symbolizing the family's legacy, toward him.
With a look of desperation, he shouted:
"The danger comes from dreams, Byron, run!!!"
Unfortunately, not having fallen asleep initially didn't save him.
Only a few breaths later, he, along with the [Blue Dragon King], which was being dragged into the water by the boundless shadow, followed the fate of the rest of his family.
At the very last moment, as Byron's consciousness began to stiffen and he was about to be swallowed by darkness.
Illuminated by the lightning, he vaguely saw a massive silhouette in the depths of the sea, dissipating like a bubble in a dream.
Along with it vanished this memory of the "secret," and his consciousness!
The only difference between him and the rest of his family was.
He was actually a transmigrator from another world!
When his surface consciousness was shattered by the attack from the dream, his past life, which had been lying dormant as a "foundation," suddenly awakened.
It barely filled the void in his consciousness, allowing him to cling to half a life.
And thus, he became the sole survivor of the House of Lancaster.
Carried by the chaotic currents of the stormy night, he drifted to the outer waters of the Strait of Dover, only to be caught in the [Man-Eater Shark]'s raid on the [Pelican].
It wasn't until the [Logbook] activated under specific conditions that he recovered the memory that had been swallowed by the unknown entity, or rather, the "secret" that no one was allowed to record!
Allowing his two lives to merge into one.
And this miraculous [Logbook] seemed to have been hidden within the memories of his past life, Luo Yi.
However, Byron (Luo Yi), who had finally regained his true self, had no time to ponder the hidden secrets behind this memory.
His eyes burned with ferocity:
"Revenge—!!!"
At the same time, the [Logbook] continued to write rapidly on its own:
"Captain, you have glimpsed the secret behind a monumental historical turning point: the shadow of the War of the Red and White Roses, historical influence 31%.
If the Yorks truly possessed the power to easily annihilate the Lancasters, why didn't they use it in the past thirty years?
The blood feud of usurpation and genocide is clearly more than just a war of succession."
"Based on the influence level of this secret and the reward for completing the first decryption.
You have gained your first keyword—[History Corrector] (activatable upon formal employment in any supernatural profession), and your spirituality has greatly increased.
Legend has it that the Northland Baymen, the pirate race that once plundered the entire world, always adhered to their racial motto: Vengeance is a must!!
The ancient blood of the Baymen within you begins to boil.
Spiritual sublimation begins!"