[Face of the Shield Giant]

[Type: Equipment • Apostle]

[Quality: Golden]

[Usage Requirements: Spirit 30]

[Special Effect: After putting on the Face of the Shield Giant, you can consume your current Spiritual Value to summon the Shield Giant to fight for you.]

[Negative Effect: Your movement speed slightly decreases.]

[Explanation: A peculiar mask crafted by a legendary Blacksmith, it seals a fierce Shield Giant within. Its combat prowess is formidable, but without sufficient Spiritual Value, it will be difficult to control.] 𝒇𝒓𝙚𝒆𝔀𝓮𝓫𝒏𝓸𝙫𝓮𝓵.𝓬𝙤𝙢

Golden Apostle-level equipment!

Rogel felt somewhat pleased.

He had fished up a pirate’s stinky boot all morning; this was his deserved reward.

However...

"This equipment is quite suitable for Mira..."

Rogel shrugged.

Apostle-level equipment isn’t of much use to him anymore.

Starting from the Deputy Tier, the power of one’s own abilities becomes far superior to these external objects.

"It’s just that this mask looks a bit ugly."

Rogel looked at the Shield Giant mask in his hand and stroked his chin.

However.

Mira soon happily accepted it.

Her interest in the mask’s abilities outweighed its appearance.

After putting on the mask, Mira closed her eyes.

Before long, a mysterious black hole appeared in front of her, and a giant deep-brown, scaly arm pressed down on the deck.

Soon, a giant over three meters tall stood up from the hole.

The giant looked rather ugly, but its body was exceptionally tall and robust. Not only was its body covered with scales, but it also carried a huge stone shield like a tombstone.

[Shield Giant]

[Type: Derived Monster]

[Quality: Dominator]

[Level: 49]

[Tier: Apostle]

[Explanation: A variant of the Monster, inheriting the strong resilience and power of Monster bloodline but is comparatively better at defense.]

Mira was fascinated by it, observing and making notes.

Seeing her quickly accept the Shield Giant, Rogel couldn’t help but smile.

With such a tank in front, Mira’s combat prowess undoubtedly got a great boost.

...

The Monsters in the Mire of Decay are always numerous.

And their appearances often seemed appallingly grotesque.

For example, swamp fish men, not only carrying signs of decay but also covered with white skin lesions and emitting a foul stench.

These low-level, low-intelligence Monsters recklessly tried to climb aboard the Gelin to devour the fresh flesh upon it.

But Gelin is no ordinary fishing boat; these Monsters are merely experience points for everyone on board.

Rogel and Heisatan were also leisurely, knowing that the levels and tiers of his and his clone were already quite high, dispatching these small Monsters yielded no gains.

Of course, some high-level, high-tier Monsters were easily dealt with as well.

In the midst, Rogel discovered many sunken shipwrecks at the bottom of the Mire of Decay, but most were ordinary fishing boats and merchant vessels, yielding only some treasures.

To quickly reach the next destination, Rogel utilized the Secret Pattern Ship Rudder to accelerate the Gelin.

However, navigating the Mire of Decay was fraught with dangers and unpredictability.

While using the Secret Pattern Ship Rudder, Rogel suddenly furrowed his brow.

Then, he looked slightly to his right.

By now, night had fallen, and as dusk descended, the already dim Mire of Decay became even darker and more obscure. Through his sharp vision, Rogel managed to observe at the very edge a dilapidated high tower surrounded by twisted trees.

"Hehe..."

Rogel: "...?"

Sometimes, having such excellent hearing is a trouble; he seemed to perceive such a strange voice from the high tower.

Subsequently, he pondered.

Was it a power or something pre-set?

He felt a clear resistance, originating from a mysterious force.

It appeared to be a power capable of restricting ships and affecting human minds, but its range seemed fixed.

No doubt, this force held hostility towards them.

"Let’s have a look."

Their destination happens to be along the way; checking what’s occurring is a wise choice.

After communicating with the crew.

Rogel quickly adjusted the course of the Gelin slightly, steering towards the dilapidated high tower.

On the way, they encountered numerous Monsters.

However, these Monsters differed starkly from those outside.

Most Monsters here were known as [Death Wastebones], as the name suggested, only skeletons remained.

What was noteworthy is a phrase in their explanation.

[Failed products of death]

Failed products of death?

This left Rogel thoughtful.

The ship quickly reached the dilapidated high tower under his guidance.

It was a tattered little island.

Yet, traces of human habitation could still be seen.

While the dock, despite being heavily corroded, with some buildings already collapsed, still held some semblance of its outline.

Soon, Rogel and his party landed on the island, leaving Heisatan behind as guard.

"It seems that someone lived here, yet it isn’t marked on the map." Rogel said, glancing at Mira.

Mira shrugged, helplessly saying, "Captain, don’t look at me, I don’t know either."

Hearing this, Rogel withdrew his gaze.

Alright, couldn’t rely on Mira.

To unravel what occurred on this island, they have to investigate themselves.