CHAPTER 91: ANTIQUE COIN

The sea roared with rolling waves, scattering the moonlight. A mysterious black ghost ship approached slowly. The tall ship was as long as the cruise ship, its black sail tattered and worn. The body of the ship glinted dimly under the moonlight like a black statue weathered by long years. It instilled both a fear that made one want to run away and a mystique that drew people in.

The ship crew and the production team stood on the deck, silently staring at the uninvited ghost ship.

There was no light, only boundless darkness. The ship’s approach twisted the atmosphere in the serene water. It wasn’t simple fear. The greed was even more overpowering.

They wanted to explore it.

The ship crew speculated that the ghost ship was a pirate ship that had gotten into an accident and gotten carried to an island by wind, then the wind propelled it to start sailing once more. Pirate ships meant treasure, and there was no reason to turn away a treasure trove that had knocked on their deck.

Under the captain’s order, the sailors turned on the light and organized a group of ten treasure seekers. They put on life vests and jumped onto the lifeboat to head to the ghost ship.

Director Wallace was the most excited among the passengers. He exclaimed that he wanted to join the team and board the ghost ship to take shots for his movie. The ghost ship would not only be a selling point to boost the box office, but it would also be a free set. He couldn’t contain his excitement at the thought of adding shots of the ship into his movie.

He was more excited than when he bedded the second female lead last night.

The captain solemnly tried to dissuade him. The ghost ship would have gone without maintenance for a long time, and a misstep could mean death. That, however, didn’t deter Wallace. He was a director with a grand ambition in art. Compared to death, he was more afraid that he would lead a life of mediocrity, not having made even one masterpiece for which people would remember him after death.

“As a director, I’ve had too mundane a life. I’ve never been to war, and I’ve never encountered pirates, earthquakes, tsunamis, or storms when traveling by sea...”

“Other directors stared death in the eyes and became inspired by it, while I can only watch them with envy. I’m no less than them. I just need a chance! Tonight, I’ll seize that chance one way or another!”

Ignoring the warnings, Wallace gathered his crew to board the lifeboat. Both the captain and the chief mate joined, about driven crazy by the brain-dead director.

Meanwhile, Wayne had gone to the stern of the ship, seizing the time when everyone else gathered on the front of the deck. He dove into the sea and made it to the ghost ship. With the water elements fueling his magic, he accelerated his diving speed. Before the lifeboat reached the tall ship, he had already boarded it.

He didn’t have the presence of mind to worry about whether there was another mage onboard or if his use of magic would be detected. He sensed a thick energy of Darkness, and there was treasure on the ship.

Magical treasure.

To whom treasure would go was written in fate, and not taking what was destined to be yours would be punished instead—he would have to be a fool not to grab what was within reach.

Wayne could think of more than a hundred quotes about such virtue. Simply put, the treasure would be a waste in another’s hands; he was the only one who could tap into its full potential.

The ship deck was worn and drenched, as if it had just gotten out of water. The rotten wood broke as he took every step. With night as his cover, Wayne avoided the cruise ship’s searchlight and followed the energy of Darkness to the captain’s stateroom, soon finding a palm-sized wooden box.

He wrenched the rusty lock open and saw a black ring with a cold glint inside.

“The ring looks familiar!”

(一`´一)

Perhaps it was his imagination. The ring looked so similar to the one in the asylum director’s possession. Wayne imagined an evil black-bearded pirate captain rampaging across the sea with the ring, using it to defeat the navy fleet attempting to capture him and thus accumulating great treasure throughout his years as a fugitive. Then, an accident capsized the pirate ship and sank it.

The ring being similar to the asylum director’s could be explained away. There were two Death Knights. Why wouldn’t there be more than one magical ring representing the Goddess of Darkness?

It had to be a pair to begin with, or perhaps a collection; the director merely picked up one. What a perfectly logical and probable story. Wayne managed to convince himself.

Creak!

The noises of footfalls on wood came from behind. He slowly turned around, his eyebrow arching. He saw an armored skeleton wreathed in black mist. White flames danced in its eye sockets. It only needed a horse and a sword to pose as the Death Knight.

Holy, I thought you were the Death Knight!

“A ghost?” Wayne clutched the ring and enveloped his fist with the black mist. After seeing the ring, he had thought the Darkness Knight had sought him out, but that was it? If the skeleton was the Death Knight, what was he?

“We meet again, Wayne. How’s the gift? Do you like it?” The skeleton dismissed its energy of Death and revealed Planck’s face and stiff white beard. He praised, “To be frank, you’re bolder than I expected. I thought I would frighten you.”

“I was...” Wayne felt the weight of the ring in his hand, exasperated. “Director Planck, why are you pretending to be a ghost in the sea? Is this a teambuilding activity for the asylum?”

As soon as he said that, he realized the answer.

“I promised the High Reverend that I would not seek you out. One should honor their promise...” Planck reverted to a skeleton. “It’s been days. Have you made up your mind? Are you interested in joining the Free Mage Alliance?”

Very much so!

“To be frank, not very interested.” Wayne frowned. “I’ve had a heart-to-heart with Master. Joining the Free Mage Alliance will be a betrayal. I don’t want to disappoint her.”

“She doesn’t have to know. As long as neither you nor I tells anyone, no one will know.”

I don’t believe you. You don’t seem reliable at all!

Wayne rolled his eyes and admitted, “Director Planck, you’ve shown me a lot of goodwill, and you saved me once. It’s difficult for me to reject you. But Master—”

“Wait, speaking of the High Reverend, we have to talk about her husband, Mr. Lando.” Planck obviously came prepared. He chuckled and continued, “Mr. Lando made me an offer I could not reject, asking me to diagnose you with mental illness as the director of Red Leaf Asylum and claim that you need inpatient treatment immediately, preferably for a long time. It’ll be best if you stay in the asylum your whole life.”

...Surprising, but not really. It’s very much on brand.

“But don’t worry. I only agree on the surface.” Planck explained his plan. He would give Wayne the Blacklight Ring, and when Auston asked, he would claim that Wayne had been corrupted by Darkness.

That way, Planck would get his research funding, and Wayne would get a magical item and become free from Auston’s harassment. It would be a win-win situation. None of them would have a bright future.

“You can’t fool him for long. He’s not an idiot. You’ll be exposed once he sends someone to verify.” Wayne shrugged and exposed Planck’s true intention. “At the end of the day, you just want someone to take the blame so that you can trick me into joining the Free Mage Alliance without offending my master.”

Planck felt slighted. Yes, that was what he was planning. He had thought that he could make Wayne change sides easily by bringing up Auston, but Wayne’s composure surprised him.

Seeing Planck wordlessly stroking his beard, Wayne sighed. “I’m willing to join the Free Mage Alliance, Director Planck, but please keep it a secret and not let my master become disappointed in me.”

Planck didn’t understand the sudden acceptance. Had Wayne been moved by his earnestness?

“At the end of the day, you are a well-respected legendary mage and someone I owe my life to. I can turn you down once, but not repeatedly.” Wayne sighed and explained his resignation. He was devoted to the Goddess of Nature and loyal to his master; it wasn’t his choice that he joined the Free Mage Alliance.

A trade between two willing parties was twisted into a one-sided coercion, and a win-win situation through cooperation became pure business. The more Planck thought about it, the more it felt wrong to him. But no matter. His goal was for Wayne to join the Free Mage Alliance, and it came true.

“Of course, I also have a condition that I hope you’ll agree to.”

“Tell me.”

“Don’t try to fool Mr. Lando. He’s a smart one and will find out if I’ve truly been corrupted by Darkness. The plan won’t work.” Wayne suggested a new plan: procrastinate. Every time Auston asked about the progress, just tell him ‘soon,’ ‘won’t take long,’ and ‘just a little longer.’

Planck hesitated. Then he wouldn’t get his funding.

“Mr. Lando is not only a smart man but also a man who will stop at nothing to achieve his goal. Failure will only lead to an even more severe response. As you can see, I’m merely a mage apprentice. I have neither the time nor the ability to play this game.” Wayne lamented his predicament. He would rather spend his time fornicating with the magical girls than waste it on his father-in-law.

The eastern bank of the River Thames would become the western bank in thirty years, and an underdog could one day become dominant. Once he got a steady footing, he would confront his father-in-law.

For now, it was best to avoid trouble!

Planck agonized for a moment and said, “Mr. Lando is a difficult opponent. I’ll compromise. You keep the ring, and I’ll give you half the funding.”

I’m going to keep the ring, yes, and I won’t turn down the funding, but why are you so eager to split the spoil—I mean, the responsibility?

You’re a legendary mage. Why are you worrying about him? Why are you begging for food on your knees?

Is the two-faced man this dangerous?

Wayne was surprised by the hint of resignation in Planck’s response. He reevaluated Auston’s status and guessed that it had something to do with the Tulip Families and Windsor’s royal family.

There was no point in worrying about the distant future, though. He nodded and accepted the ring and half of the funding. They were going to work together to pull a big con against Auston.

“However!” Wayne said solemnly. “The risk I take on should be compensated with more than money. You have to give me something to make me stronger, Director.”

“Didn’t I give you the ring?”

“The ring is only a support. I have to depend on my own power. A legendary item isn’t going to make me, a mage apprentice, a legend.” Wayne put on a serious expression. “I need the four elements. I have to quickly skip the novice phase. Only by getting stronger can I face Mr. Lando’s nonstop schemes.”

“That won’t be a problem,” Planck agreed easily. It was just the four elements. He had saved up so much that it wouldn’t hurt to give Wayne some. This wouldn’t even count as splurging.

“No, it’s a problem. I accumulate elements unusually slowly...” Wayne’s brows furrowed. “There’s something wrong with my constitution, and my master has put in a lot of work to help with my meditation, even setting up a magic circle to gather elements...”

While he elaborated on the issue quickly, Planck snorted with amusement.

You need to broaden your horizons, young man!

Planck believed that the crux of the problem was Wayne’s master, a Gold-rank mage. Limited by her rank, she didn’t know about the other uses of the four elements, nor did she know a more sophisticated way of gathering them.

Planck, on the other hand, was a legendary mage. Collecting the four elements wasn’t a problem for him. No matter how much Wayne needed, he could give.

“Your constitution is different, Wayne, which changed your life essence and allows you to endure the backlash of wielding numerous faiths. That, though, also means that you need more four elements for your powerful life essence. It’s logical. Your master can’t satisfy you, but the Free Mage Alliance can.”

He believed that without a doubt. He had set his eyes on Wayne exactly for his unusual constitution—or bloodline. He took an antique silver coin from his robe and handed it over.

“The silver coin...”

Wayne had seen an identical one in Auston’s hand.

“It’s a token for the Free Mage Alliance. Only a select few have one. I’ll lend you mine for a while.” Planck offered generously.

He explained that the Free Mage Alliance had captured a grey space where the collapsed world had reverted to its original state, letting loose an unbelievable amount of the four elements. The antique coin was a portal that would allow its owner to access those elements. Wayne was welcome to have his fill. There would be enough in the grey space to sate his hunger. His appetite couldn’t be that big.

“What is the grey space?”

Wayne concealed his joy and took the coin. The Free Mage Alliance was such a great support, and he had to thank his father-in-law for once again offering him support.

Mr. Lando had given away his daughter, wife, houses, and butler, and he had even offered resources and items for Wayne’s training, not caring how big of a clown he seemed. Wayne swore that once he was successful, he would treat his father-in-law right.

“It’s the miracle of falling, proving to us that gods are not eternal...” Planck smiled cryptically. Noting Wayne’s deepening curiosity, he shook his head and said, “It’s too early for you to know the truth. Just remember that faith is not absolute, and gods do not care. The essence of the world is magic, not gods!”

Wayne nodded. He had his own beliefs about gods, but he wasn’t going to argue with a legendary mage. One could never go wrong by listening to a senior.

The deal was made, and Wayne joined the Free Mage Alliance, gaining a ring of Darkness and an antique silver coin. He couldn’t wait to return to his suite to train. Planck, having tempted Wayne, was also satisfied. They went below deck and dove into the water.

Just then, the group of ship crew and production team climbed onto the ghost ship, beginning their treasure hunt. Wallace got to board the ship, taking valuable shots under the protection of the cruise ship’s crew.

***

That night, with the full moon hanging high in the sky, Wayne sat cross-legged on the sofa in his suite, accessing the passage leading to the grey space with the antique silver coin in his hand. Unlike the elemental space belonging to the Lord of the Void, he saw a grey world through the portal—a crumbling world.

There were grandiose architectures, tall mountains, dense forests, and vast oceans in the world, but everything was crumbling, releasing great volumes of the four elements. They each occupied a corner in great density, their sheer quantity leading to a transformation. They manifested as the earth, fire, water, and wind found in nature.

His large eye opened. As soon as its gaze settled on the fire elements, they rushed over eagerly.

He couldn’t stop his lips from curving up. If the Lord of the Void could see his successor carrying out his unfinished business from the afterlife, he would surely go to the netherworld with a smile.

Nothing else to say. It’s grinding time!