Lord of Rot

Pigtail Bay.

The sky was thick with dark clouds. It was only just past noon, but the day was already so overcast that no light could be seen.

The Porcupine, the first ship of the Porcupine Territory, had seen a great deal of service. Now, most of its equipment was being unloaded, and many items were being moved out from its cabins.

Several slaves struggled to lift a massive weapon—a giant iron barrel named ”cannon”—onto the ship.

The Tuna family had made the first move, infuriating Leech, and he had no intention of taking it lying down.

The Porcupine could fit two cannons at most, but he planned to station six Caster apprentices on board.

These Caster apprentices had all been trained recently. The weakest among them had a Spiritual Power of 2, while the strongest had 5.

’As long as I’m willing to sink in the resources, I can always cultivate talent.’

Each of them had been ordered to learn Magic and would serve as the ship’s cannoneers.

In the valley.

Leech watched as the Caster apprentices lined up to practice firing the cannons.

”BOOM!”

After a Spell was chanted, the angled cannon fired. The blast was not only immensely powerful but also quite accurate.

The apprentices’ faces flushed as they stared at the massive boulder shattered by a single shot.

They had never imagined they could unleash such terrifying power.

’It’s a bit clunkier than the cannons on Earth, and it needs a dedicated crew, but this is the fastest way to get them operational.’

It was cheaper to get the apprentices up to speed, and the cannons were more powerful this way. Most importantly, Alchemy Materials were scarce. Every shot cost a fortune in Jinri, and if it wasn’t used to its maximum effect, it was just like burning money.

Even burning money wasn’t this fast.

But the results would be worth it!

Leech returned to Porcupine Castle.

A male servant hurried over. ”My Lord, a letter from East Port!”

The letter was from the merchant, Deni.

When Leech had asked about the Tuna family of Monkey Territory, Deni, who had business dealings with them, didn’t hesitate for a moment. He had told Leech everything he knew in one fell swoop.

According to Deni, the Tuna family possessed a total of eight merchant ships. Since they lived on an island, these ships had to transport not only trade goods but also necessities like food and clothing.

It was also perfectly normal for them to moonlight as pirates, plundering other merchant ships to quietly line their pockets.

The lord of Monkey Island was the current King, Bor II. It was said that Bor II hadn’t visited Monkey Island in many years. The place was barren, the island itself wasn’t very large, and its people depended entirely on external trade for food and drink. Fortunately, they had plenty of ships and a booming maritime trade; otherwise, the entire island’s population would have starved to death long ago.

Leech knew he couldn’t go head-to-head with the King, so direct revenge on Monkey Island was out of the question. Even the Duke of Radiant Sun wouldn’t dare declare war on the King, much less attack his personal territory.

However, things were different outside of Monkey Island.

’Let’s just see who the Four Gods will bless!’

Leech returned to his study, picked up a pen, and quickly wrote a letter. He handed it to a servant. ”Deliver this to East Port!”

A raven flapped its wings and flew off, heading for East Port.

...

Over the next few days, Leech made no moves.

Life was exceedingly peaceful.

It was as if the news of pirates being attacked and plundered had nothing to do with him.

But the thick clouds covering Porcupine Territory never dissipated, as if waiting to unleash a torrential downpour.

The modifications to the Porcupine continued. Bare-chested craftsmen bustled about in the ship’s hold. With the dark clouds pressing down overhead, sweat streamed down their bodies. They had the simple design schematics from their Lord, but actually installing the cannons and making them operational was not so easy. It would take constant trial and error.

The Caster apprentices were also making rapid progress. Mastering the technique of firing the cannons was no longer difficult, but how much use they would be on a real battlefield remained to be seen. That would depend on their own skills.

The only skills that mattered were those that could be used on the battlefield.

Leech tossed out a piece of four-headed snake meat. The Horse-headed Eagle took two quick steps, leaped into the air, and caught the meat in its beak.

It tilted its head back joyfully, and the meat slid down its throat.

Over the past few days, the Horse-headed Eagle had grown much stronger, already surpassing the size of a horse. If that Griffin were to stand before it now, it would be, at most, only slightly larger.

”COO! COO!”

”Go on,” Leech said with a wave of his hand.

Horse-headed Eagle Rocket landed and let out two cries toward the stables.

Horse after horse charged out, standing tall with their chests puffed out, like Soldiers awaiting the King’s inspection.

”COO! COO!” Horse-headed Eagle Rocket nodded with satisfaction.

The herd of horses scattered to begin their own training. Porcupine Territory’s stables were surely the most self-disciplined on the entire Lu Leiyi Continent; the horses knew to train without ever needing the crack of a whip.

’In the end, firearms are just a temporary solution.’

Leech had wondered before what would happen if his firearm squad encountered an enemy beyond the Extraordinary realm. The answer was simple: no matter how powerful the weapons, his men would all be slaughtered.

The fate of ordinary Soldiers was to be cannon fodder; that much was certain. Perhaps the future Leech had always envisioned—a battlefield dominated by Transcendents—was already here.

While everyone else trained, Leech was not idle. He had access to the best resources in the territory, and he certainly didn’t believe he could gain power just by lazing around, eating and drinking.

He was still experimenting with training methods for Transcendents, though they hadn’t helped him much personally. However, constant combat helped him integrate his existing battle experience. This was especially true now that his strength had surged; his old weapons felt light again, forcing him to adapt many of his techniques and habits.

”My Lord.” Arkke approached with a damp towel, freshly soaked and wrung out. In her other hand, she held a glass of iced honey water.

”Thank you.”

Leech casually planted his Dragon-Slaying Sword in the ground, wiped his face, and took a large gulp of the honey water.

The honey water went down his throat.

His exhausted body recovered rapidly, filled with vitality once more!

This Extraordinary Honey, cultivated from bees that Arkke had painstakingly selected and raised, was even more potent than the honey from the original Griffin Grass, and its yield was abundant.

His gaze shifted to the other side of the training grounds.

A group of youths was training under the leadership of Rob. They were specially selected for their aptitude and had a good chance of becoming Transcendents in the future. If Leech could obtain an Extraordinary Magic Potion, the physically stronger among them would have an even greater chance of breaking through into the Extraordinary realm after consuming it.

Normally, Leech fed them a main diet of silkworm pupae and Giant Crab. The youths trained desperately, but desperation didn’t always guarantee results.

Take Rob, for example. He was among the first batch to begin training, yet he had never been able to break through to the Extraordinary realm. Here, bloodline was the ultimate constraint. Only an Extraordinary Magic Potion could offer him one final chance.

The scions of ancient noble families had a much higher chance of becoming Transcendents. It was unfair, but in this world, bloodline truly equaled glory.

When it came to sheer talent, however, the most terrifying was probably Arkke.

She had defeated five flesh-strengthened Transcendents by cultivating Extraordinary bees. Even Leech himself would have had to expend considerable effort to face them, and might have even been at a disadvantage, yet she had handled them with ease.

”Starting tomorrow, drink the honey during your training as well,” Leech said to Arkke. ”It might help you advance even further.”

Arkke nodded, a smile gracing her cheeks.

She would do whatever her Lord asked of her. Compared to staying by his side, the honor of defeating five Transcendents held no appeal whatsoever.

Her happiness didn’t come from getting to consume the Extraordinary Honey, but from the fact that it was a reward from her Lord.

’Even Monkey Island has a whole contingent of Transcendents. The other old territories have probably been getting rich in secret for ages.’ Leech wouldn’t underestimate the old noble families. His own power seemed to have risen meteorically in the past two years, but he was no match for families with centuries of history. The wealth they had accumulated was beyond his imagination.

’I need an Extraordinary Knight Order of my own. Not some undead hiding in the shadows, but a proper Extraordinary Knight Order that can fight openly on the battlefield.’