Chapter 4 The Mighty Devil

"Though many times..." Old Qiaomu patted the seat.

"I feel that this big thing we're sitting on is very noisy, greatly interfering with our Witchers' hearing."

"The dust from burning magic coal also significantly reduces my sense of smell."

"But without a doubt, times are changing."

"In my youth, we Witchers had no armor, and even our weapons weren't always sharp."

"Now, even a newly promoted first-rank Witcher"

"can own a set of black-iron leather armor, a sharp short blade, and a full-body shield necklace."

"In those days, a Witcher pistol was a luxury."

"Witcher bullets cost a fortune to buy; no one wasted them on target practice."

"Now, a powerful Witcher pistol is a necessity for every Witcher."

"And the manuals for crafting Witcher bullets are widely circulated."

"Even that kid Hodge can skillfully use magical tools to make Witcher bullets."

"And plenty of practice with Witcher bullets has given him extremely accurate aim."

"The widespread use of Witcher pistols and ample supply of bullets allow us to easily defeat a group of dark creatures from a distance; most of the time, they're killed before they even reach us."

"In the old days, that was impossible."

"Full-body armor and sharp melee weapons let us hold our own against those dark creatures in close combat."

"Even if injured, the potions in our packs can heal us easily."

"In fact, as long as the injury isn't instantly fatal, we can survive."

"And those dark creatures haven't changed much in the past sixty or seventy years. Set a simple trap, and they'll swarm in, only to be wiped out one by one."

"Plus, now there are more Witchers and more supernatural professionals. Many supernaturals outside the Witcher sequence have joined the hunting trade."

"After all, hunting those powerful creatures is quite profitable."

"So..."

Old Qiaomu smiled.

"The dark creatures appearing on the Western Wasteland Plateau aren't enough for all these hunters to share."

"Last summer, as soon as rumors spread about a large number of dark creatures in the Western Wasteland, many hunters went north, deep into the mountains."

"By the end of winter, we couldn't find any dark creatures left."

Old Qiaomu's words made Gune nod slightly.

The development over the past few decades had indeed greatly enhanced the power of the supernatural sequence in the Northern Empire.

Not only were there many supernaturals, but there were also plenty of magical equipment and resources to boost their strength.

As long as you had money, you could become stronger.

With the expansion of territory and the opening of sea routes,

the continuous acquisition of richer resources was the reason for the Northern Empire's growing prosperity.

"And you, young man? How did you leave the Sog ruins city?" Old Qiaomu squinted at him.

While Old Qiaomu was speaking, Gune had already crafted a very plausible identity for himself.

After a moment's thought, Gune began to speak softly.

"My father didn't survive that terrible night of the Winter Extinction."

"For my father, his lifelong goal was to restore the family's glory, and I will strive for that all my life."

"After my father died, I sold off all our property."

"Heading south now, after arriving in Belanc City, I'll transfer to a train for Harutov Harbor."

"As you know, the sea holds endless wealth."

"So I plan to buy a ship, hire some sailors, and explore the boundless depths of the ocean."

"I know that a single rough wave, a band of ruthless pirates, or an attack by sea demons or other supernatural creatures could leave me penniless, or even threaten my life."

"But as long as I don't die, I can always gain something."

"Life is like that: if you don't take risks, you might live comfortably, but you'll never taste the fruits of success and wealth."

"Only by striving, working hard, and taking risks—though you might fail, end up in misery, or even die—will the dawn of victory eventually appear."

Listening to Gune's words, Old Qiaomu nodded gently.

The opening of sea routes had indeed made many people rich overnight.

Not a few had ventured into deep-sea voyages.

He knew some bold and capable young men who had also headed to the sea.

Some had achieved success and even gotten rich.

But most had vanished without a trace.

Perhaps they had been eaten by fish, died on some isolated island, or been captured by cannibal tribes as sacrifices or food for 'ancestral spirits' or giant supernatural beasts.

"Going to sea is a good choice, but do you know about the recent events on the ocean?" Old Qiaomu said.

"I know a little, but not much. Are you referring to the sea undead, sir?"

Since he planned to go to sea, Gune had paid close attention to news from the ocean.

It was said that over a month ago, a powerful earthquake had struck near the ocean's seismic zone, triggering massive volcanic eruptions on islands.

This had opened a 'rift of the undead' on the sea.

A large number of undead from another dimension had entered the ocean, making it extremely dangerous. Some islands were said to be packed with undead creatures.

And the spectral undead roamed freely over the sea, forming tides of the undead that constantly attacked merchant ships venturing into the deep.

In response, the Ocean Supernatural Association had dispatched numerous steel ships and supernaturals to exterminate these undead.

It could be said that the sea was now a hot battlefield.

"Not just the sea undead," Old Qiaomu's voice rang out again.

"But also some powerful—devils."

Old Qiaomu's voice was very low.

"Powerful devils?"

Gune narrowed his eyes; he hadn't heard any news about this before.

Devils!

These were extremely terrifying and powerful top-tier spectral supernatural beings.

For other supernatural species, there were many ordinary creatures, fewer elite ones, and very, very few leaders.

Those that could become lords could easily dominate a large area and become regional overlords.

But devils, as apex crown species, were different.

Devils! There was no ordinary tier.

The weakest devil was at least 'elite level.'

And if an 'elite-level' devil was born, sorry, it had no right to exist; its sole purpose was to be food for leader-level devils.

Only 'leader-level' devils could truly emerge from the 'devil's nest.'

This meant that every devil that appeared was at least a powerful leader-level existence.

And with many leaders born, a 'devil lord' could easily arise.

In the world of spectral beings, devils held the same status as 'demons' did among flesh-and-blood creatures.

Hearing that a large number of devils had appeared on the sea, Gune's eyes sparkled with spiritual light.

"This is really... good news!"

As a crown species of spectral beings,

devils possessed extremely strong soul abilities.

Their greatest strength was devouring souls, converting and absorbing them to grow stronger.

Even if their soul was severely damaged or shattered, as long as it wasn't completely annihilated, they wouldn't die.

They could gather the broken soul fragments and slowly recover through their own powerful traits.

At the same time, they could also quickly heal their soul injuries by devouring other souls.

As a crown species of spectral beings, the power of devils was no small matter.

In contrast, if a human's soul suffered even a slight injury, it would have severe consequences.

A slightly heavier soul wound would cause instant death.

The gap between human souls and devil souls was enormous.

For Gune, who was about to condense a secondary soul,

devils, as spectral beings, were perfect materials for a secondary soul.

With a secondary soul as his soul shield, and his own primary soul being strong, Gune's soul survivability would be exceptionally robust.

"Devil lords are out of the question, but if I encounter a third- or fourth-rank devil leader, I definitely can't let it go," Gune thought to himself.

Old Qiaomu continued.

"These things have thrown the sea into chaos, giving pirates an opportunity."

"Nowadays, many merchant ships venturing into the deep aren't destroyed by sea undead or soul-devouring devils, but by powerful pirates."

"If you encounter sea undead, you can still avoid them in time."

"But if you run into pirates with demon ships, ordinary sailboats can't outrun them."

"And if they catch you, the outcome is often grim."

"Thank you for the warning, sir. I'll keep that in mind," Gune replied.

There was indeed a huge gap in speed between ordinary sailboats and demon ships on the sea.

And what Gune sought was precisely a demon ship.

If he really encountered some not-so-formidable pirates, who would destroy whom was still uncertain!

After a moment's thought, Gune looked at Old Qiaomu.

"Sir, as an experienced Witcher, do you know anything about 'Arcane Shot'?"

"Arcane Shot?" Old Qiaomu's expression shifted.