Chapter 70: Boarding the Pirate Ship

As the graceful notes of the harp spread through the hall, the conversations among the guests gradually faded away, each person drawn irresistibly to the performance of the bard upon the stage.

After nearly ten minutes of an evocative prelude, the music reached its climax, and the surroundings began to transform, as if everyone had suddenly been transported to the legendary heavens. The floor gleamed with pure gold, the walls were crafted from emeralds and precious gems, and the windows sparkled with translucent crystal glass. The doors shimmered with multicolored pearls, and beyond the crystal panes stretched streets paved in gold and walls of jade, each one more magnificent than the last. In the courtyard stood a wondrous Tree of Life, its branches heavy with fruits of vitality, while life-giving waters trickled gently from its roots.

At first, the guests managed to keep their emotions in check, but as the music continued, its subtle power began to stir greed deep within their hearts. Some realized something was amiss and tried to interrupt the bard’s performance, only to find their bodies no longer obeyed them. As time passed, strange expressions of intoxication appeared on their faces.

Gradually, more and more guests succumbed to the hypnotic melody, falling into enchanting visions and behaving disgracefully.

“A trifling trick, and yet he dares to show off!”

Hussein glanced at the count, smiling. “He knows not the limits of the world, and regards the arcane masters of Naither with utter contempt!”

(That line is quite amusing—I’ll try one myself.)

“He’s certainly a talent. The structure of his spell and the way he intertwines the senses with the music is flawless.” The count, eyes closed and listening intently, sighed with regret. “Alas... he’s chosen the path of corruption. If he’d progressed properly, in ten years Naither might have boasted a high-ranking bard. But now, having abandoned self-respect for depravity, he’s become nothing but a third-rate spellcaster who relies on external power to advance. Who does he think he’s fooling?”

With that, a surge of powerful magic radiated from the count, centered on Earl Ioleim. Those around him, who had fallen prey to the magic, were released from its effects and collapsed to the ground, wailing in confusion.

Borne, who had noticed the danger early on, quietly activated his “Qi” and hid at the very edge of the banquet. With two great figures present, he had no intention of intervening; besides, he was eager to witness firsthand what top-tier high-level power looked like.

To avoid unexpected trouble, Borne cleverly distracted the chairman, reasoning that if anything went wrong, even if Hussein spared him, he’d have a hard time explaining himself to the chairman. He had no intention of digging his own grave so soon.

On stage, Victor was gradually enveloped in black smoke, and as more people succumbed to his hypnotic spell, their evil impulses strengthened, generating an ever-growing aura of malignance.

The sinister energy quickly gathered around Victor, amplifying his presence.

Borne’s eyes lit up like a child discovering a new toy.

“System! Scan and record the data!”

He hurriedly issued the command to his chip. It was his first time witnessing someone ascend to a higher tier in real-time—though he’d never try this method himself, the information would be invaluable.

As the bard’s aura surged, the black evil energy began to corrode his body. His once handsome face bubbled and decayed, his brown hair withered into a dull gray.

Victor, however, wore an expression of rapture, sending chills down Borne’s spine.

At the moment of the bard’s corrupted ascension, an even more overwhelming power swept through the banquet hall, forcibly ejecting everyone from the bard’s spell with sheer force.

Borne was stunned by the count’s aura. He’d expected Hussein to act, but it was his own grandfather who intervened. The power was terrifying—was this truly high-level? The creature on stage, who had just entered the ranks of the advanced, was utterly outclassed; they weren’t even on the same plane of existence!

It was the first time Borne had seen his grandfather unleash his magical might. The last time, he’d only dealt with some goblins, never revealing his true strength as a master of the arcane.

Now, Borne finally had a direct experience.

He activated [Arcane Eye], and in his vision, the count’s magic surged like a tide, constantly intertwining with the arcane web.

So this was the strength of someone at the pinnacle of the high ranks.

On stage, the fallen Victor, his spell interrupted, roared furiously at the count.

Borne shook his head. The bard had become a true monster of evil, his basic reason gone. Did he not see the great ones preparing to act? If he didn’t flee, with beast-like intelligence, only the intervention of his evil god could save him; otherwise, he would be slain.

Sure enough, the corrupted bard was soon subdued by the count—not pinned to the ground, but rather dragged through the skies.

[Reverse Gravity], [Mage Hand], [Solar Ray]...

A barrage of spells rained down. The count, considerate of the garden, sent the corrupted bard skyward before unleashing several high-level spells. The sky exploded in magical fireworks, followed by a gentle drift of ash, carried away by a breeze to settle among the flowers.

Borne watched with delight.

Combat casting, spell escalation, silent casting, quick casting, metamagic—every technique was at the count’s fingertips! (In game terms, these are various feats.)

Though the count moved quickly, the chip still managed to gather plenty of data. The trip had not been wasted.

With the corrupted bard eliminated, the rescued guests hurried over to lavish praise, showing no embarrassment at their earlier disgrace. All seemed to suffer collective amnesia, forgetting everything that had just transpired.

The banquet resumed as if nothing had happened—dancers returned to their steps, flirtations continued apace. Only the harpist ensemble was missing from the stage, having been led away by the guards; their ordeal would surely leave a lasting impression.

Soon, Lisper arrived in haste, visibly relieved to find everything in order. As president of the Arcane Society, her intelligence was undeniable; she immediately realized that Borne had orchestrated her departure earlier. She cast a plaintive glance at him.

Borne felt his head ache. He wasn’t a heartless man—he knew Lisper was fond of him, but he had his own ambitions. The chip had just recorded a wealth of data, requiring much experimentation and research, and the hundreds of mouths at the Lehmann Guild depended on him. Romance would only waste precious time!

Fortunately, Chief Hussein lent a helping hand, rescuing Borne from the awkward situation. Borne discreetly gave him a thumbs-up from behind.

“Boy! When did you notice?” Hussein asked curiously.

If the bard hadn’t used magic, he wouldn’t have sensed anything amiss, since the corruption was voluntary; anyone pre-polluted wouldn’t have been able to enter. The bard exploited his profession, lulling his audience into listening without suspicion. Many intermediates, realizing too late, fell victim as well; even Hussein only escaped thanks to his powerful lineage.

Yet Victor had overlooked one crucial detail: the gap between advanced ranks is immense. To kill Hussein or Earl Ioleim with the power gained upon promotion was impossible, even if he retained his sanity. This was a matter of unequal information.

With so many guests affected, and Borne untouched, the two great figures couldn’t help but notice him.

“I knew as soon as he took the stage,” Borne replied honestly.

“You knew as he took the stage?” Hussein was surprised, and even the count cast an unexpected glance at Borne.

“You sensed it directly?”

“Yes.”

Borne wasn’t joking—his perception had risen to eight, higher than any other attribute. Basic elemental manipulation and spell structure were almost second nature now. Any abnormal magical elements in a spellcaster’s vicinity were immediately detectable to Borne, let alone an evil aura.

The two led Borne to the underground cell, where he saw the imprisoned members of the ensemble.

Borne immediately understood what was needed. Before anyone was brought out, he identified two corrupted individuals and one infected. The three were promptly taken away for specialized testing.

Naturally, the results matched Borne’s assessment, and Hussein’s eyes lit up at once.

“It’s over…” Borne groaned inwardly.

...

(At the request of several readers, the basement ruins in Chapter 70 have been revised. It was originally intended as a plot point, but since it wasn’t popular, it’s been changed.)