Chapter 473 Hunting the Blue Shadow Falcon
After two full days of sailing, the Blue Avenger bypassed the Middle Range Island and arrived near the unnamed island mentioned by Alger, the Hanged Man.
Of course, it would take several hours of sailing to reach the island. The unmanned ghost ship left the busy waterway and sailed into unknown waters. Relying on the excellent positioning ability of Alger, the "navigator", it traveled through the reefs and fog, slowly and steadily moving towards its goal.
The sailors who usually ate, drank and had fun also calmed down, pushed the few cannons out of the gun ports, prepared their swords and guns, and prepared for possible battles.
Although the "mission" they learned was only to send the two guests on the ship to the primitive island and pick them up after they completed their hunting, it did not mean that the ship docked on the island would not be in danger itself.
Emperor Roselle once said that only by driving carefully can your ship be preserved for a hundred years.
Angel and Klein were also prepared for the battle. They were only nominal employers. Once they arrived at the primitive island, they would force Captain Alger to accompany them. After the latter pretended to refuse, he would agree. Then they would just watch him hunt the Blue Shadow Falcon and obtain the materials. They would not need to intervene in the battle.
But for the same reason as the sailors, the two did not let their guard down.
Moreover, after two days of boring sailing, Angel was unusually excited about the possibility of facing a battle. Life in the closed cabin was extremely boring, and due to the possibility of prying eyes, the two of them had no choice but to live separately. Angel even learned a lot of trivia about the Fourth Epoch on the way, and memorized half of the ancient Feysac dictionary. If she sailed for more than two weeks like this, perhaps she could learn another language.
"In about an hour, we'll be able to reach the island."
Angel said softly as he looked out the window at the islands gradually appearing near the water's horizon.
Klein was also in her room at this time, waiting for the moment to land on the island. Under Alger's deliberate control, they would arrive at their destination at dusk. The three of them would carry out their operations under the cover of night, avoiding the powerful creatures that might exist on the island and the sight of the sailors on the ship.
"Here we go again, the ghost ship's snooping."
Klein suddenly said, frowning and looking at the ceiling. This was the fifth time today, more frequent than the previous two days.
Angel didn't feel anything about this, but she had unconditional faith in Klein, who was more inspired.
Moreover, this frequent peeping could not have been a deliberate order from the Hanged Man, but could only have been a spontaneous act of the "Blue Avenger".
This ship, made in the Fourth Age, is most likely a ghost ship left over from the Tudor era, and it is of great interest to both of them!
"It can steer its own rudder, travel at high speeds, and even possess its own consciousness... Is this a 'ghost ship'?" Angel muttered, a hint of a sneer on his face. "Then, you should be able to decide for yourself whether to continue 'spying' on us, right?"
She reached out to touch the magical items on her body, and her fingers ran over the "Knight Bracelet", "Good Luck" Revolver and the "Rose Necklace" on her chest in turn.
The faint flame of the candle in the cabin swayed automatically without wind. The door that was originally closed opened slightly, and the rusty door hinge made a sharp creaking sound, as if mocking Angel.
The latter withdrew his hand that was groping on his body, with a dark red iron piece pinched between his fingers.
It was a "disaster" talisman that was freshly made before boarding the ship.
The candlelight flickered, the door opened and closed and stopped in an instant, the creaking sound stopped abruptly.
"Look, isn't this a good way to communicate?"
She squatted down and pressed the talisman to the floor, holding it down with one finger. This way, as long as she infused it with spiritual energy and recited the opening spell, according to her "rich experience", the ship would disintegrate into countless decayed fragments within seconds.
Of course, this would cause the entire crew to fall into the water, but she had the soul of the "Wind-Blessed One" and could take Klein to swim to a nearby island. As a "navigator", the Hanged Man would not drown himself.
The Blue Avenger, which possessed a certain degree of intelligence, was obviously aware of this. Its three-masted sails swayed in the wind, its rudders slapped the water left and right, and the bow seemed to be lowered.
Is it... begging for mercy?
Feeling the silent wailing of the entire ship, Angel chuckled and tried to say:
"Close the door."
"Bang--"
The door closed quickly, as if there was an invisible person waiting for orders.
The sailors of this ship always jokingly call themselves the servants and stewards of the Blue Avenger. Now, this ship is my servant... Several mischievous ideas suddenly popped up in Angel's mind, but he quickly extinguished them. What if the ship was forced into a corner and complained to the Hanged Man, then... well, it didn't seem like anything would happen, but there was really no need for that.
"If I ask you to return now, can you do it?"
No response.
"It seems you can't disobey the captain's orders. So, please stop spying on us, me and the man next to me. Can you do that?"
puff--
The candle flame went out in an instant, and then was rekindled by an invisible force.
It looked like they had reached an agreement... Angel then put away the "disaster" spell and stood up.
Klein, standing by, was somewhat stunned. The crisis of his identity being exposed, resolved by Angel, was secondary. He hadn't expected the intelligent "ghost ship" to be able to threaten and negotiate in this way. This was essentially a magical item, which meant that other magical items could be suppressed using similar means. And the gray fog space he could control...
He felt that his mind was instantly opened up.
————
After nightfall, the "Blue Avenger" slowly drove to the vicinity of this primitive island located outside the route, stopped at a distance just short of being stranded, and lowered a small boat.
The boat carried Angel, Klein, and Alger, who was "forced" to act together. When the latter boarded the boat, he saw a hint of worry on the faces of the sailors who remained on the deck. He was satisfied with the attitude of these men who were usually unruly but reliable at critical moments.
After all, I often give them days off, and the rewards from each mission are distributed according to the rules. Even if they are just worried about getting a new captain who doesn't follow the rules, they won't want me to die on the island... Alger pondered, paddling with the oars, gradually approaching the beach.
As "employers", Angel and Klein have the right to rest.
Fortunately, the sailor was not short of physical strength. The boat quickly rushed onto the beach, dragging the waves. The three of them stepped onto the soft sand and looked at the dense jungle not far away.
It was already late at night. The fog covering the island was not obvious during the day, but now it almost completely blocked the crimson moonlight. The little light that penetrated and fell to the ground gave this primitive jungle a bloody coat.
"Those large creatures will rest at night. If they come here during the day, the sky will be very lively."
"The Hanged Man," Alger said. He changed out of his priest robes and put on a sturdy leather coat. He held a lantern in his left hand and a swaying cloth bag in his right hand, and walked in front.
"This time, our target is the Blue Shadow Falcon. I need its crystal feathers. If you encounter other extraordinary creatures before hunting it, you will need their help, and all the spoils will be yours."
He repeated the terms that had already been agreed upon.
"And then?"
Klein asked in a low voice, looking at Alger through his gold-rimmed glasses, calm and indifferent.
"And then?" Alger asked, then immediately understood what he meant. "There are indeed many good things in the depths of the island, but they are also quite dangerous. If you're interested, we can discuss it in detail after we deal with the Blue Shadow Falcon."
The goal is clear, and there will be no unnecessary complications before it is achieved... Angel nodded, then walked forward, crossed the beach, and entered the dense jungle.
The fog in the humid jungle became thicker, and the "Blue Avenger" and the beach behind him immediately disappeared. Angel's dark vision could not see too far. Only the "Navigator" with its excellent navigation ability was still leading the way in front with a lantern.
"We're almost there. The cave ahead is the Blue Shadow Falcon's nest..." After walking for about five minutes, Alger suddenly stopped, extinguished the lantern, and said in a low voice, "They forage at night, while other flying creatures usually rest. Those flying in the sky right now are definitely them."
He had made thorough preparations and was already familiar with the habits of this blue bird of prey, striving to be absolutely sure.
As the footsteps stopped, Angel could vaguely hear the faint flapping sounds coming from the distance, which were chaotic and disorderly, and occasional whistling sounds coming from above his head. It was a lone blue shadow falcon!
Curious about how Alger planned to lure the raptor down from the sky, Angel and Klein stood quietly behind him, their eyes fixed on the "Navigator" with the same blue hair.
He calmly opened the bag in his hand and pulled out a piglet with its hind legs tied. It was about the size of the roast suckling pig served whole on a platter at Intis Restaurant, coated in a translucent substance, and waving its front legs, struggling.
As the cloth bag opened, the pig's leg swayed, and a strange but saliva-inducing aroma wafted out.
"It's a natural spice that the birds living on the Rorsted Archipelago love."
As Alger explained, he cut the ropes and threw the piglet a few meters away, letting it land on the soft grass. The piglet regained its freedom and quickly climbed up and headed deep into the dense forest, causing the branches to rustle.
"call out--"
A sharp bird cry was heard, and the sound of flapping wings overhead was getting closer and closer. As the wind blew, a blue shadow was attracted by the rapidly drifting fragrance and swooped down like a sharp arrow, targeting the panicked piglet.
With a swish, Alger drew the scimitar from his waist and held it in his right hand. With his left hand, he produced a tin talisman and rushed towards the piglet.
When the three were about to overlap, he raised the tin sheet as if predicting it and recited the opening spell:
"storm!"
A thick bolt of lightning shot out from his hand, splitting into countless branches and directing in all directions, while the main trunk shot straight towards the Blue Shadow Falcon several meters in front of it. The latter dived rapidly in the air and had no time to change direction. It was hit by the lightning as if it had crashed into it. It let out a sharp cry and fell headfirst behind the piglet, scaring the pig so much that it staggered and quickly disappeared into the bushes.
Alger didn't pause for a moment as he rushed to the bloody blue raptor. His right arm puffed up like air, his muscles tensed, and he swung the knife down.
The Blue Shadow Falcon, barely conscious from the electric shock, was struck by a blade at the junction of its neck and wings. The furious attack nearly split it in two, and deep blue blood gushed out, splashing onto Alger's face and coat. The claws, in their dying moments, clawed at Alger's chest, tearing his linen shirt and scraping across the phantom scales that had suddenly appeared on his skin, leaving only a few superficial wounds stained with blood.
Is it solved?
Angel raised his eyebrows, but was not surprised. The Hanged Man had obviously made sufficient preparations and even brought bait. If he still couldn't deal with a bird with little intelligence, it would be better to negotiate the price early and let them take action.
Alger was clearly satisfied with his battle. Although he still stood vigilantly beside the Blue Shadow Falcon's corpse, holding his scimitar and waiting for the Beyonder's characteristics to condense the materials he needed, a faint smile on his face showed that he was in a good mood.
At this moment, sharp bird calls were heard overhead. The fog that was so thick that it almost touched the ground was blown away by the wind, and two blue figures that were much larger than before appeared in the air.
"Piff—"
Gray eyes instantly locked onto the Hanged Man, whose blood was stained with that of their kind. Two Blue Shadow Falcons dived almost simultaneously, emitting a strong killing intent as they pounced on the surprised Alger.
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