"Quert, all you know is battle, but you haven’t heard of his accomplishments."

"The Pharaoh provoked him and faced direct retaliation—twice!"

"He killed a newly promoted S-rank Awakened. If it weren’t for all the innocent people on that General-level wandering ship, sinking it rashly would have created a huge mess and attracted the attention of Black Gold. That ship might have already been sent to the bottom. Even so, that Ptolemy is now like a stray dog in Africa, the subject of constant gossip, his authority utterly shattered."

"You have Ancient Rome and Constantinople at your back,"

"It’s foolish to make an enemy of an S-rank Awakened who has nothing to lose."

Aboard the Tudor Rose, the three captains of the General-level wandering ships were having a rare meeting.

Elizabeth, who had inherited the title of "Duke," looked at her muscular ally and colleague. As a woman of keen insight, she knew how to wield the art of language.

"Hmph."

As reluctant as Quert was, he understood the stakes.

Seeing that the Gladiator was outwardly resistant but had inwardly accepted her point, Elizabeth turned to Wright.

"Wright, what do you suppose the Secretary-General wants with him?"

"Who can say? It’s most likely something that would be inconvenient for any of us to handle."

"That Calm Sea Pearl of yours, did it fall into his hands?"

"...My Calm Sea Pearl was stolen by Iwami of Vortex Country."

A hint of disgust surfaced in Wright’s deep-set eyes.

...

...

...

Aboard a small wooden boat, Shi Ming looked at Secretary-General Abraham. The man was in his fifties and his hair was completely white, but he had a robust and sturdy physique.

’The Twelve Stars need the flesh and blood of a Holy Hall-level Sea Beast,’ Shi Ming mused. ’It must be related to their ongoing research. After all, before this, only Lighthouse ever let slip that they’d obtained a so-called Holy Hall Relic. According to the intel I got from Miss Yan, that relic seems to be "Holy Hall 004: Immortal Evil Eye."’

’The other King-level Wandering Ships, however, seem to have never dabbled in this field.’

’Fall behind once, and you’ll fall behind in everything.’

’I have the remains of the Abyss Lord on me, but they would reveal too much and aren’t suitable for a trade.’

’I was already planning on going to Fujing Mountain anyway, to sneak in while the Great Black Heaven Dragon was sleeping and... ’fleece’ a little something. I could use it to evolve my Arm of Power or Brain of Creation; it doesn’t take much to upgrade a skill. My Eye of the World, evolved with the flesh of the Abyss Lord, has proven to be incredibly useful, which makes me even more excited for the upgraded versions of my other two skills.’

’But now Abraham reveals that Lighthouse is planning an expedition?’

’And they’re going to blockade Fujing Mountain?’

’Could it be they’ve already achieved initial results from their research on that Holy Hall Relic?’

’Looks like I have to move up my plans.’

"Mr. Secretary-General."

"Killing Lighthouse’s S-rank Awakened was purely a matter of self-defense, an emergency measure. Everyone knows it’s better to avoid trouble. While I can hold my own against an S-rank Awakened, that doesn’t mean I can confront an entire King-level Wandering Ship faction and cut off a piece of a super sea beast while under their blockade."

"The level of difficulty is immense."

Shi Ming said it would be immensely difficult, but not impossible. The implication was obvious.

He wanted a higher price.

Abraham, of course, understood.

"What kind of support does Brother Shi have in mind?"

Shi Ming answered directly.

"A position as an Honorary Knight of the Twelve Stars, the Tear of the Earth Sea, the Purifying Marrow, and... real-time updates on the research results for that sea beast."

Abraham was taken aback.

Even the stoic, unmoving Awakened standing beside him seemed to freeze for an instant.

’This kid has some nerve, making such an outrageous demand!’

’I ask him to name one condition, and he gives me four?’

’An Honorary Knight?’

’The Twelve Stars has only ever had twelve seats since its founding. Recruiting you would be a blatant slap in the face to Lighthouse. They might not say anything openly, but malicious targeting is their ’time-honored tradition.’ The unexpected attacks would be impossible to defend against.’

’The Tear of the Earth Sea?’

’A European specialty that can temporarily change one’s appearance. That’s not a problem. It’s rare, but the main ship has a supply in reserve.’

’Purifying Marrow?’

’I’ve never even heard of it.’

’The research results?’

’The ink isn’t even dry on this commission, and you’re already laying claim to the results?’

"Ahem."

"Brother Shi, you are quite knowledgeable. Even I have never heard of this Purifying Marrow. If we get any news about it in the future, I’ll be sure to inform you immediately. As for your other requests..."

"The Twelve Stars does have a Tear of the Earth Sea. I can give it to you personally, as a show of good faith. You won’t have to return it, regardless of the mission’s outcome."

"An Honorary Knight... the title itself holds no real power, merely representing honor. It grants certain privileges aboard the Twelve Stars, like renting equipment and accessing intelligence files. If you retrieve the remains of the sea beast, I am willing to use my authority as First Secretary-General to recommend you to the King-level Wandering Ship."

"But even if your appointment is approved, it cannot be made public for the time being... On this, I believe you understand, Brother Shi."

"As for the research results."

Abraham considered for a moment.

"Alright. But you must guarantee it will not be leaked."

All of the promises, except for the Tear of the Earth Sea, would only be fulfilled if he brought back the remains. Whether he could actually retrieve them, and what results the subsequent research might yield, were still completely unknown.

In this arrangement, the Twelve Stars stood to lose nothing.

It was all an investment.

Although the back-and-forth negotiation didn’t get him everything he asked for, Shi Ming was quite satisfied with the result.

The flesh and blood of the Great Black Heaven Dragon could evolve the skills granted by his [Eye of the Divine]. Even without this commission, he would have had to go ’fleece’ some before Lighthouse established its blockade. But now, he could kill three birds with one stone. Not only would he get a sponsor, but he could also use the leftover remains for another trade, maximizing its value.

First bird: Get advance sponsorship from the Twelve Stars.

Second bird: Evolve his skills.

Third bird: Use the remaining flesh to complete the commission and reap the rewards.

This was definitely not a losing deal.

...

The highly publicized expedition of the Twelve Stars was not without reward. They returned from that sea region with the enormous, fresh carcass of an S-rank sea beast. Though it had thoroughly decayed after death and much of its rotting flesh had been washed away by powerful undercurrents, it still possessed immense research value. For a time, it was front-page news in all the major papers.

Yet all the tabloids and underwater intelligence networks remained conspicuously silent about the magnificent sound that had echoed across the sea at dawn.

It was as if it had been nothing more than a waking dream.

Quert of Constantinople received a large number of contribution points.

Elizabeth and Wright also received the contributions they were promised beforehand.

The Twelve Stars returned to its home waters, anchoring once again in its familiar location. It resumed its role as the unwavering beacon and supply station for all wandering ships in the European Sea Region, guarding a corner of the vast sea.

Carrying 2,000 Pure Dome Crystals and a small vial of the "Tear of the Earth Sea," Shi Ming boarded the Sun-Piercer and began his journey back.

Next, he had to get to Fujing Mountain before Lighthouse launched its expedition and set up the blockade.

...

...

...

The White Dragon Whale had been hauled onto the [Dream of Salmon] and left there for nearly a day.

Its enormous heart had been removed and perfectly preserved. The blood was also carefully collected—enough for three to four people to Awaken. This hunt was an immense success; in all his life, Chris had never had such a bountiful harvest.

Even though he had Shi Ming’s promise, Chris still hadn’t touched the whale.

He hadn’t dared to process so much as 100 grams of its flesh without permission.

Only when Shi Ming returned and personally gave him the go-ahead would he be able to rest easy.

...

Finally, as the sun began to set, the crews of the Dream of Salmon and the Dayun spotted a distant figure appearing on the horizon.

Shi Ming had returned to his loyal ship, the Dayun.

The weight on Chris’s chest finally lifted.

And then it shot right back up into his throat.

He could feel his heart pounding.

Never in his life had he felt so apprehensive.

Shi Ming had already made a promise regarding the ownership of the Heart of the White Dragon Whale.

He was not a despicable person like those from Vortex Country. Chris had honored their agreement, and the whaling techniques he’d taught without reservation had helped Shi Ming avoid many pitfalls when hunting the Dusk Whale.

One strike through the eye directly to the brain; another to inflict a crippling blow to the spine.

If he had been left to figure it out on his own, he might have had to battle within the "Ragnarok" domain for a long time before he could inflict any effective damage, and other complications might have arisen.

Besides,

the time and difficulty required to obtain a ’whale fall’ was, for him, a greater challenge than killing two S-rank sea beasts.

As per their agreement, three-quarters of the White Dragon Whale’s blood would go to Shi Ming—enough to add three more A-rank Awakened to the Dayun’s crew.

On this venture,

Shi Ming had obtained "Ragnarok" and "The Third Law," the blood of the White Dragon Whale, 2,000 Pure Dome Crystals, the Tear of the Earth Sea, and some of the Dusk Whale’s blood and rotten flesh.

Chris had obtained the Heart of the White Dragon Whale.

The Twelve Stars had obtained a powerful "Mercenary."

A triple win! 𝕗𝗿𝕖𝐞𝐰𝗲𝕓𝐧𝕠𝕧𝗲𝐥.𝚌𝐨𝚖

No one lost a thing.

Except, perhaps, for the [Beheading Great Saber]?