Mystery: The Last Shepherd

Chapter 488 Luna's Promotion and Afternoon Town

Central Sudan Sea.

"call--"

A strong wind howled, filling the crimson sails to their fullest extent, propelling the "Hind" forward at an extremely high speed. Behind this three-masted sailing ship, several other ships followed closely at the same high speed. Among them was even a steam-powered warship covered in iron armor, its cannons fully loaded and steam billowing forth.

The entire fleet headed southwest, towards the Roside Islands, at full speed.

The captain is really strong.
Philia looked at the billowing sails with admiration.

The winds on the sea off Sunia weren't very strong today, and the three-masted sailboat's speed was entirely due to the captain's mysterious power.

"If only I could become an Extraordinary One," Philia thought to herself, clutching the object in her arms tightly as she approached the bridge where the helmsman was. A middle-aged man with a full beard was steering the ship; he glanced at Philia as she came aboard.

"Mr. Rupert."

"Philia shouted."

"What?"

The helmsman, Rubeus, with an old face, held the rudder in his right hand and a wine bottle in his left, and replied casually.

"The captain asked me to ask you, how much longer until our ship reaches Blue Mountain Island?"

Blue Mountains Island is the main island of the Roside Islands, and the capital city, Bayam, known as the "City of Generosity," is located on that island.

"About ten more hours, if this damned wind keeps going." Helmsman Rube said, taking a swig of wine and wiping his mouth with his hairy arm.

That means we'll arrive in Bayam tomorrow morning.
"Okay, I know."

Philia placed the box she was holding at his feet. "This is the boatswain asked me to bring you the Leronzi. He said it's compensation for you staying behind to watch the ship."

"Hmph, such petty favors."

Rubeus muttered something under his breath, but Philia pretended not to hear.

A cool sea breeze swept across the bridge, which was higher than the deck and offered a clear view of the entire ship. Philia observed that the deck was deserted; there were far fewer sailors, only a few stiff, flesh-and-blood puppets performing the most basic tasks, maintaining the ship's condition.

The reason there were so few people on deck was because—

Philia turned and looked towards the stern of the ship, towards the warship they had captured. There, many sailors were learning how to operate the cannons from the captured naval soldiers.

This was the captain's order, requiring them to take control of the warship as quickly as possible. So most of the sailors, including the boatswain, boarded the ship. Philia saw the gunner she had been with; he was stroking the cannon's thick barrel with an unusually gentle expression.

The fleet was closing in on Bayam without stopping.

Captain's interior.

"Gurgling."

The liquid in the iron pot was tinged with gold, yellow, and red, each color distinct and intermingling without any sign of mixing into a single hue. Bubbles constantly surged within the liquid, unable to escape and instead bursting inside.

Is this the Joker's magic potion?

It looks much better than the Secret Prayer method.
Luzer examined the liquid and confirmed that it looked the same as Klein had described. He then scooped it out with a spoon and poured it into a shallow dish.

"Meow~ Meow~" Luna impatiently tugged at his robe until he bent down and put the plate on the floor, then immediately leaned over and licked it with her tongue.

The potion had a peculiar binding property; Luna only licked it a few times before swallowing it all. Soon, a surge of spiritual energy overflowed from the black cat's body. Its tail stiffened, its eyes turned completely black, as if it had lost its soul and become a rigid doll.

This state lasted for a few seconds, and just as Luze began to worry, Luna quickly regained her senses. She first shook her body, then opened her curious eyes and began to test her abilities.

"Whizzing!"

The black cat leaped swiftly through the room, far exceeding the speed of an ordinary cat, and its control over its body had become incredibly strong. Lu Ze watched as it darted around the room in various difficult poses, never once losing its balance.

"OK OK."

Luze waved his hand, using the shadow beneath Luna's feet to catch it. He scooped up the black cat, turning its face towards him. "So, can it talk now?"

"Meow?"

Luna let out a confused cry. Its intelligence was clearly higher than before, but it still didn't seem to have learned to speak.

Is it because the sequence is still too low?

Lu Ze thought to himself, then opened the door to the captain's cabin. "Alright, stop causing trouble and go play outside."

"Meow!"

Luna excitedly rushed outside. A moment later, Darkwell's scream and the sound of birds flapping their wings could be heard from outside.

Lu Ze ignored it, instead closing the captain's cabin door again, sitting back in his chair, and closing his eyes to rest. A new battle would begin in a dozen hours, and he needed to be fully prepared.

Sigrún has taught at the Iceland University of the Arts as a part-time lecturer since and was Dean of the Department of Fine Art from -. In – she held a research position at Reykjavík Art Museum focusing on the role of women in Icelandic art. She studied fine art at the Icelandic College of Arts and Crafts and at Pratt Institute, New York, and holds BA and MA degrees in art history and philosophy from the University of Iceland. Sigrún lives and works in Iceland.

On the land shrouded in the long night, the constant roar of lightning illuminated a large area of ​​buildings ahead.

"This is Afternoon Town."

Colin Iliad, the chief of Silver City and a Sequence 4 warrior, the "Demon Hunter," carried two swords and pointed at the dilapidated buildings.

This is the intermediate point connecting the Giants' Royal Court and Silver City. The distance is relatively short, and it didn't take the exploration team long to reach it. However, for some reason, despite being so close, Silver City only began sending people to explore this place many years later.

Arrived
Derrick gazed at the buildings from afar.

He saw that it was a city built against the mountain, and it was not small at all. The stone buildings had stood in the darkness for who knows how many years. Some were so tall that they looked like the dwellings of giants, while others were smaller and, like the houses they lived in, some had collapsed and decayed, while others still maintained their original appearance.

According to the records of Silver City, this place is the gateway separating reality from mythology, where humans and giants live together. During the day, it remains in an "afternoon" state, and no matter the weather, the intense sunlight cannot be changed.

However, that was merely a record from mythology. Now, the town seems devoid of any mythological aura, just like the city-states their expedition had encountered elsewhere—utterly destroyed.

Myth has ended. The age of the Lord is gone forever.
Derrick sighed inwardly. He glanced instinctively to the side of the group and saw Elder Lovia watching the dilapidated buildings from afar, her delicate face expressionless.

I wonder what she's thinking right now.
"Set off."

The leader didn't give them much time for reflection. With a single command, he led the exploration team into Afternoon Town. The dark town welcomed them in silence. In the darkness, it seemed as if countless eyes were watching them.

(End of this chapter)