CHAPTER 452: CHAPTER 354 FRACTURED ISLES, SONG OF THE SIRENS

SPLASH...

The elegant bow adorned with the [Figurehead · Southern Wind Girl] gently pushed aside the excessively calm and murky sea surface beneath the fog.

Its body, as if crafted from pure gold, brought a splash of vibrant color to this silent expanse of water, making even this dark, wild sea area seem bright and dazzling.

Centered in the golden glow, the pristine white statue was a slender and graceful semi-nude girl, dancing with the wind, wearing only a layer of thin gauze. Though a hard sculpture, the girl’s pose and the layer of thin gauze perfectly sketched the shape of the wind and its rhythmic vitality. A single glance was enough to perceive the warm, gentle spring breeze seemingly caressing her.

And indeed, that was the case. In the Doldrums, spanning five degrees north and south of the Equator, where no horizontal winds parallel to the sea’s surface should exist, only updrafts, The Golden Deer’s sails were nevertheless almost fully billowed. This was thanks to the figurehead’s first miraculous effect:

"Wind Direction Conductor. Within a certain range, it can twist and change the direction of the wind, causing the sea breeze that blows across the warship to favor the most advantageous quartering tailwind. Change the angle within plus or minus thirty degrees. Even with only updrafts, it can easily harness their power."

Additionally, a [Large Sea Monster · Ammonite], Little Snail, could use brute force to pull, giving The Golden Deer double insurance for traversing the Doldrums.

Byron looked up at the sky. "It’s just past five in the evening. The Doldrums should be bathed in direct sunlight, yet the sky is already completely dark."

He then ordered the crew, "Light the navigation lamps! First Mate, repeat the night sailing taboos."

Atop The Golden Deer’s mainmast, a Whale Oil Lamp with added second-rate spice powder was hoisted high. The faintly blue, bright light continuously signaled to other ships at sea and nearby lighthouses: *There is a ship here.* This was a common practice for sailing ships on fixed routes. Unless you were the sole vessel on an open sea expedition, it was best to prove to others that you were... human, thereby preventing not only collisions but also misjudgments.

[Iron Wall] Bruh, standing on the quarterdeck, his voice clearly reaching everyone, announced, "Don’t find this tiresome. Everyone, repeat the night sailing taboos for overseas voyages.

"First, do not call each other directly by name; use only nicknames or codenames.

"Second, if you hear any unusual noises from the sea, do not investigate them yourselves. Report immediately to me or the Captain. We will take turns on watch during the night.

"Third, if you become separated while working at night, upon encountering another crew member, you must immediately verify the password and their duty post. Confirm they are the person you know, and not... something else.

"Fourth, the Celestial Orbital Belt is nearly as dangerous as the First Circulation Zone. Do not stare at the sea’s surface for more than twenty minutes at a time. Without a high enough Class or a strong enough [Anchor], doing so will instill an urge to return to the sea, to become a fish. The longer you look, the stronger the urge.

"All crew members will now be divided into two rotating shifts for watch duty. Team One remains on duty; Team Two, rest immediately.

"As for the [Pirate’s Ten Commandments] of the Pioneer Guiding Colonial Trading Company, I won’t repeat them all now.

"During non-combat status, it’s lights out at eight in the evening. Violators will administer ten lashes to themselves with a cat-o’-nine-tails bound with bullets. If your light is found on without a lampshade, the punishment is doubled."

"Aye, First Mate!"

The sailors aboard were the finest from the entire Privateer Fleet, the Lancaster Remnant. They were swift to act, moving as one upon receiving orders. On ordinary merchant ships, any Transcendent would be qualified to serve as captain. Yet, among this crew, more than half were Transcendents, and their literacy rate was an astonishing one hundred percent.

For this long-prepared expedition, Byron had armed The Golden Deer to the teeth, from its personnel to its equipment, inside and out.

The further from the [Silver Code] and the Old Continent, the more changeable the weather became under the influence of the Source Tides. The Celestial Orbital Belt, situated on the world’s best-lit Equator, was nonetheless occasionally filled with low-visibility fog and even Mirage Cities.

The Sacred Relics warship moved silently through the darkness, alone. Oppression, solitude, the unknown—a torrent of negative emotions assailed them, constantly testing every sailor’s mental resilience. Especially at night, all sorts of Evil Spirits, Bizarre Things, Demon Monsters, and various other strange entities would emerge. Relying solely on their limited eyesight and the faint lamplight offered little defense against these omnipresent dangers.

"Delia, activate the [Lighthouse Sentinel]," Byron, gripping the helm tightly, ordered his Navigator.

"Aye, Captain."

Delia quickly adapted to her position, crisply acknowledging before hanging her Miracle-grade Whale Oil Lantern on the bracket next to the helm. She extended a slender finger, the tip of which flared with Divine Light as she lightly touched the lantern’s glass casing.

The faintly blue flame bloomed, and then Delia’s face materialized within it.

This was a unique Transcendent ability of Navigators, the [Lighthouse Sentinel].

Byron extended his Spirituality towards it. He immediately felt a peculiar wave emanate from the flame and reflect back, transforming the darkness before his eyes into an entirely different vista. Even submerged reefs in the pitch-black water below became clearly visible.

He couldn’t help but praise her: