Captain – Chapter 576 – Light Mist Rises Like a Beacon

“Thud!”

In the dim ship’s cabin, a water ghost composed of coral, octopus, and other sea creatures slowly collapsed, the light in its eyes completely extinguished, before being enveloped by pale golden flames.

This was no ordinary natural fire – it seemed to have no heat at all. Rather than igniting the floor and walls, its burning process was more like a slow decomposition.

Gentle yet deadly.

As time passed, the water ghost’s remains gradually scattered into ghostly green light dust, which were swept away by the sea wind and cold rain, drifting apart like fireflies.

Even the formless resentment unwillingly perished in this process.

“Alright, that should finally be the last one.”

Watching the strange man withdraw his hand, Ferguson said coldly, his face pale and bearing a new bruise on his forehead. That “wound,” along with other aching spots on his body, all came from that violent shaking without warning.

Something had happened on deck – this was the only thing he knew for certain.

Those chaotic gunshots and vague collision sounds all confirmed this point.

Therefore, on this lowest gun deck, after dealing with the last “vermin” that had snuck in, Ferguson turned around without hesitation. Suppressing the worry in his heart, he loudly ordered: “Now, get back up to the deck immediately!”

“Bring everyone who can move, quickly!”

Hearing this, the pirates following him responded in disorder, then turned to either notify those defending the gun positions or surge toward the upper deck.

But these activities had barely begun when they were interrupted by a soft sound.

It was the sound of something landing.

“Oh, will this never end?”

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Hearing the commotion behind him, Ferguson sighed toward the sky, then turned to look toward the source of the sound while saying to the strange man beside him: “Hurry up and deal with it…”

But the moment he saw the newcomer, his words stopped abruptly.

Because it wasn’t a water ghost, not a survivor from their earlier extermination, but… a young man, his robes blood-red, his blood-colored eyes like fire.

At this moment, he was silently half-kneeling at the spot where the water ghost had burned away, reaching out his hand to let the last light dust drift away through his fingers.

As if trying to hold onto it.

“Roskin, though your tentacles really were annoying, at this moment…”

After a long while, the young man seemed to come to his senses. Looking at his empty palm, he sighed silently, then stood up while murmuring to himself in a low voice.

“I still want to say goodnight, my crew member.”

“You no longer have to suffer eternally.”

As the young man rose, water droplets slid down his cheeks and coat, shattering to pieces on the deck. The crisp “drip-drop” sounds echoed in the deathly silent corridor, so stirring they were like a solemn funeral march.

For that soul, and for many other departed resentments, and for all the dying.

“It’s an honor to meet you, First Mate Ferguson.”

Hearing that slightly hoarse greeting and feeling the young man’s cold gaze, Ferguson’s face twitched slightly as he groaned: “Captain Richi Quake.”

Facing the legendary Blood-Eyed Butcher, especially when your identity was his enemy and he was so close, any pirate would be gripped by terror.

Except for those legendary figures themselves, who would dare face this executioner’s wrath directly? This cowardly schemer naturally lacked such courage.

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But the next moment, knowing the other already harbored murderous intent toward him, Ferguson’s fear transformed entirely into anger, becoming hysterical.

His face contorting viciously, he roared: “What are you all staring at? Kill him!”

At this point, the First Mate had no mind to think about what was happening on deck or why this legendary figure had appeared – he only wanted to keep that snake-like threat at a distance of more than ten meters, preferably eliminating it completely.

As Ferguson’s words fell, the pirates immediately snapped out of their shock at the Blood-Eyed Butcher’s appearance, raising their curved blades and charging forward with angry roars.

The strange man who had been standing eerily silent beside the First Mate took the lead.

Moving against the flow of the crowd, Ferguson, after giving that order, quietly retreated under cover of the chaos, finally turning and running with labored breathing, his eyes no longer holding any murderous intent.

Like a panicked fleeing rat.

Throughout all this, Richi’s gaze remained firmly locked on him. He walked toward the surging enemies while treating them as if they didn’t exist.

Because they… could never reach him.

Amid sudden thunder, outside the gun ports in the corridor, many heart-stopping breathing and climbing sounds suddenly appeared. Soon, accompanied by fierce roars, the first water ghost tumbled in, viciously pouncing on a pirate.

Then came the second, the third…

The corridor that should have been the young man’s death trap had now become hell for the Nightmare King’s crew.

Richi continued forward, drawing closer to the strange man, close enough to smell the ancient fabric and rotting body odor emanating from it.

But even it, this believer who had given both body and soul to the devil, couldn’t reach him, couldn’t even touch the hem of his clothes.

Because at some point, a blood-craving creature with blood-fire burning in her pupils had positioned herself before it.

“Be careful.”

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Seeing the young woman approach the strange man, Richi paused slightly and couldn’t help but warn her.

“Go chase that rat in peace. I have no intention of facing this thing one-on-one.”

Vivian waved her hand without turning back, then drew her eerily beautiful heavy rapier and laughed lightly: “After all, just as you taught me, as pirates…”

“We should be as shameless as possible.”

Just as the young woman finished speaking, Longfellow, who had just finished off a pirate behind the strange man, pounced forward with a sinister smile, nearly severing its head with his pincers.

Seeing Vivian and her companion grappling with the strange man, and more and more water ghosts surging forward like a “ghost wave” trying to drown that abomination, Richi shrugged, bypassed the battle, and disappeared into the darkness at the end of the corridor.

The chaos on deck continued.

“Captain, we can’t hold on much longer!”

“This monster is really…”

Hearing the intermittent, terrified cries for help from pirates nearby, Talin didn’t even furrow his brow, still staring intently at the figure on the bridge.

Gazing through the deep rain curtain at those blue eyes that revealed hidden storms.

Why…

Feeling the other’s aura as a “kindred spirit” yet more noble and pure than his own, the Deep Sea Captain trembled slightly as he couldn’t help but question inwardly.

Why was it you who received his favor and not me? Or perhaps you were sent by his command to replace me? But what exactly did I do wrong…

Thinking this, Talin seemed to suddenly notice something odd, his brow involuntarily rising.

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No, this blessing doesn’t seem to come from that one.

His gaze flashing rapidly, in just moments the Deep Sea Captain’s eyes showed a trace of understanding as he recalled that disturbing confrontation from several days ago.

So you’re her believer – how utterly laughable.

A false god… also dares to bestow grace?

After confirming this fact, the despair that had previously lingered in Talin’s heart – the belief he had been abandoned – vanished completely. He smiled coldly and gave an order.

“Go, eliminate that bastard spawn.”

Hearing this, the two strange men who had been protecting him, showing no reaction regardless of the situation, finally moved, heading toward the rampaging dragon.

But beyond everyone’s expectations, including Caine’s, before the two strange men had gone far, Talin suddenly stepped forward, pressed his hand on one of their shoulders, and without explanation stabbed upward, piercing its heart from behind.

“Squelch!”

Even from a great distance, the young man on the bridge could hear that chilling sound of blade entering flesh. Watching this scene that ordinary people couldn’t comprehend at all, he frowned and gripped the railing tightly, an ominous premonition rising in his heart.

When its companion was stabbed, the remaining strange man continued forward as if it felt nothing.

And after the Deep Sea Captain slowly withdrew his curved blade from the one with the pierced heart, the wound began bleeding pale golden liquid. When that blood touched the rainwater, it began to evaporate, transforming into wisps of ethereal light mist that drifted toward the sky.

Having lost external support, that strange man swayed back and forth like a puppet with severed strings, finally backing into the ship’s railing and tumbling into the sea.

Thus, after a splash, a thin, bright column of light mist appeared above the ocean.

Like… some kind of beacon.