They don't want me to try anymore.

[Your last remaining strength was completely absorbed by the bloody hand, and you could no longer hold on, collapsing unconscious.]

You were carried onto the ship by the female pirates' henchmen.

An hour later, you wake up to find that the ship has left the port, and you and your companions are handcuffed and locked in the lower deck.

A minotaur appeared before you and said, "This is the Pearl S. Buck, belonging to the great Captain Veronica Drake, and I am Minus, the first mate."

He claimed that Captain Veronica admired them and was willing to give them two choices: either join the pirate crew on the spot, or be dropped off on an island along the way, with only five days' worth of food and water, and their survival entirely up to luck.

Richard hesitated for a moment.

Honestly, if you only look at the rumors, he wouldn't want to work under Veronica at all... but she has an official character design!

That's another matter.

Moreover, even being exiled to a deserted island doesn't guarantee survival...

Let's take a gamble!

You agreed to the conditions, adopted the alias Charlie, and officially became a sailor. Of the other slaves, only the elf was willing to go to the deserted island; all others submitted.

From this day forward, you are a pirate.

However, even though you're new, you don't need to start by painting the deck.

On this pirate ship where everyone seems to have dropped out of prenatal education, you, as a mage and an intellectual fluent in common human language, Elvish, and parts of Dwarven and Giant languages, quickly gain a useful position.

Contrary to the impression of savagery, perhaps due to the restraint of the female captain, the pirates on this ship were relatively polite, respecting both strength and knowledge—but this didn't prevent them from being swift and decisive in killing, they would simply add a "please" before or after doing so, such as: "Die! Please!"

After several robberies, you gradually became part of the ship.

And your understanding of Captain Veronica has deepened further.

On one hand, her cruelty and bloodthirstiness are not entirely rumors. Facing hostile pirates, pursuing Imperial Navy forces, those who betrayed her, or those who coveted her beauty and made advances, she would not hesitate to tear them to pieces or suck them dry before throwing them into the sea to feed sharks. Occasionally, when in a bad mood, she would even devise more creative methods of torture.

On the other hand, you discover that this female pirate treats her crew quite well, distributing tasks fairly, never beating or scolding them without cause, and even seeking revenge if anyone is bullied in the port. Furthermore, she spares the lives of civilians and slaves who pose no threat, and has never massacred a ship.

Of course, as a vampire, she also has some special requirements for her crew.

Especially for you...

Richard swallowed hard.

He recalled the long, vivid passage of text he had seen during the simulation.

Special requirements and such... to put it bluntly, it means they treat the crew like bread to be eaten!

However, Veronica usually didn't drink too much blood at once, so it had little impact on the health of most of the crew, but the problem was...

Richard, being the only high-quality bread on the ship with a charm rating of 60 and an inner magic, immediately topped the captain's favorite list upon arrival!

Other crew members might contribute blood once every few months, and they would often use tools to draw blood. But he was different; he might be arrested every few days, at unpredictable times. Sometimes he would even be taken away as a midnight snack before going to bed, where he would be grabbed by the neck and bitten.

While it's nice to get a glimpse of Veronica's fair thighs exposed in her pajamas and her bare white feet hidden in her boots... well, the feeling is ultimately like walking on thin ice, making one feel uneasy.

Being bread is definitely not a good experience.

Fortunately, this was a simulation; otherwise, Richard would have wanted to run away long ago.

In addition, as compensation for sacrificing himself for the captain, he would often receive a larger share of the spoils and have better food than others...

[After a year on board, you have truly become a part of the Pearl S. Buck, with a position similar to the captain's secretary and personal chef (your life revolves around cooking), second only to the first mate.]

You've saved up quite a bit of money.

As usual, Richard would use his savings to buy gifts and increase the favorability of the characters in the character portraits.

But considering that the vampire captain was too ferocious, and that the life-or-death crisis of Nion City was still looming over him, he gave up the idea.

You used your savings and took advantage of every opportunity to land to frantically buy information related to Nyon from intelligence dealers, and soon you got results...

A year later, Nyon's story had been reported in the newspapers countless times and spread far and wide. With the help of an information broker, Richard finally obtained the complete story.

It turns out that during that legendary failed experiment, the ancestor of all fungal beasts, a large fungal beast of the silver rank, quietly arrived in the main plane.

At first, this primordial fungus was quite timid, afraid of being discovered. But later, for some reason, it got in touch with a notorious cult called the Void Cult, and thus became a follower of the so-called Lord of the Void, becoming an apostle of the alien species.

What followed was perfectly logical...

With the help of the Order, the Primal Bacteria continuously increased its strength, and then used a scheme to lure the garrison in Nion City out of the protection range of the ancient magic circle, wiping them out in one fell swoop.

The large amount of fresh flesh and blood used as sacrifices allowed the Primal Bacteria to reach the critical point of Gold, and its size doubled, much like a Pokémon Dynamaxing.

Driven by hunger, it continued its advance, and in coordination with the religious order, breached the defenseless city of Nion.

This is what Richard saw before he "traveled through time".

With the situation deteriorating to this point, it's reasonable to assume that Nyon will be completely destroyed.

But according to the Imperial newspaper, at the crucial moment, the Imperial Sword Luvia appeared!

The newspaper didn't go into details, only saying that this famous future swordsman defeated a cult monster from another world and saved Nion!

...at least it saved the remaining half.

Furthermore, it is fortunate that Zoe and Katyusha survived despite their severe injuries, while Richard, who had not appeared in public for a year, was confirmed dead and his obituary was issued along with that of Baron Follett.

The above is a general account of what happened.

Richard fell into deep thought.

Is it the Void Man Cult? How should we deal with them?

And Luvia, why is she in Nion? What a coincidence! Wait, could it be...?

At this moment, new information interrupted his thinking.

[The first mate of the Pearl S. Buck, Minotaur Minus, has suddenly approached you with his men and extended an invitation.]

Join forces with him to kill Veronica.

Chapter Sixty-Two: Lacking Worldly Desires

What did you say?

Richard was taken aback for a moment by the sudden suggestion.

He remembered that the first mate was outwardly very respectful to Veronica.

You can know a person's face but not their heart!

As for betraying Veronica... she has character art, but you're a minotaur, how could I possibly be with you!

But seeing the many henchmen behind the other man, Richard did not immediately berate the minotaur.

You pretended to be both interested and somewhat timid.

Minus grinned, a hint of disdain in his smile, and reassured you that he knew you were afraid because you were often sucked blood, but there were no Veronica spies around, so it was perfectly safe.

He added that he had formed an alliance with the Evil Wind Pirates, securing their aid and promises. He said that if you helped him drug Veronica to weaken her, and then the three of you joined forces tonight, you could definitely overthrow this "tyrant"!

Then, he began complaining about Veronica's strict management and expressed his anticipation of enjoying her body after defeating her, adding that he would let her have a taste too...

At that moment, Richard realized what was happening.

The minotaur before them was a truly cunning and ruthless pirate, with no moral compass. In comparison, Veronica was also ruthless, but she acted with a sense of propriety.

The former is constrained by the latter, and over time, this will inevitably lead to dissatisfaction.

So, how can I defeat him?

If you directly object, you probably won't be able to leave this room.

Secretly contacting Veronica was time-sensitive, and what if the enemy was the Evil Wind Pirates...

Richard remembered that it was a pirate crew that had a grudge against Veronica and some shady dealings with the nearby imperial governor; their strength far surpassed their own. If they really intervened, even if Veronica defended herself with all her might, she would find it difficult to resist.

Ultimately, you agree to everything Minus says.

Things are progressing smoothly.

Although the pirates' poor discipline and lack of secrecy led to numerous mistakes in your operation, the Evil Wind Pirate Crew sent reinforcements far exceeding expectations, resulting in a truly devastating victory.

Ultimately, Veronica, poisoned, was surrounded by you on a small island where only a few native fishermen had settled.

at the same time.

Thousands of miles away, on the vast ocean.

In the captain's cabin of a sailing warship, the beautiful woman who was sleeping with her eyes closed suddenly frowned.

This time, is it Minus who has betrayed them?

And what about that new guy? He wanted to test his mettle, but he turned out to be a traitor too?

It seems I'm destined to fail again this time.

Revenge failed, and the ambition to conquer the sea was not realized. Ha, it's all a joke...

But you want to kill me?

...Then you will pay a bloody price!

Sleeping Beauty revealed an almost manic smile.

You drew your broken sword, gathered your remaining strength, and lay in wait in the deserted thatched hut, hoping to find an opportunity to perish together with the enemy.