Although Jack Sparrow expressed regret at his failure to recruit Fang Senyan, he clearly noticed Fang Senyan's hesitation and temptation, so he laughed heartily and changed the subject to women. He was obviously an expert in this area. Fang Senyan played along appropriately, making sure to express his particular fondness for mature women and married women. The future Captain Jack’s eyes immediately lit up, thinking he had found a kindred spirit, and the two conversed even more congenially.
From their conversation, Fang Senyan discerned that Jack Sparrow was not exactly a rake; on a deeper level, he was the type of man who was deeply affectionate but not monogamous. If one were to use an analogy, it would be the father of Duan Yu in Demi-Gods and Semi-Devils. Such men fall in love with multiple women simultaneously, yet they invest genuine affection in each one, thus perpetually seeking this cycle despite often suffering considerable emotional harm. At this point, Jack Sparrow lacked the world-weary cynicism that later characterized him; one could still faintly detect his ambitious aspirations to dominate the Seven Seas in his tone.
As the two were deep in heated discussion, the short and stout Mr. Gibbs stomped up the stairs. He first glanced at Fang Senyan, then leaned in to whisper a few words to Jack. Jack Sparrow was intensely arguing with Fang Senyan over whether the most alluring part of a mature woman’s body was her hips or her chest. Upon hearing Gibbs, he could only shrug, sighing regretfully:
“I have to admit, Gibbs brings bad news. Something is amiss aboard the Black Pearl that requires my immediate return. This delightful conversation must regrettably be postponed for now.”
Fang Senyan smiled and raised his glass:
“Unexpected events always linger around us. In any case, it certainly couldn't be more disappointing than when I painstakingly caught a girl in Malacca only to find out it was the inconvenient time of the month for her.”
Jack Sparrow paused for a moment, then couldn't help but throw his head back and roar with laughter. He raised his pirate hat, gave a slight bow, and then departed with effortless grace. His suave demeanor was truly captivating—if he had such an effect on a man like Fang Senyan, one could only imagine his devastating charm on women.
Watching Jack’s retreating figure, Fang Senyan could no longer contain himself and reactivated the 'Insight' ability. Despite being nearly bankrupt financially, he simply could not resist his urge for gossip when faced with this legendary figure of the Caribbean, especially now that their relationship had progressed from 'stranger' to 'friendly.' Surely this Insight ability would reveal more information now?
This time, after activating Insight, Fang Senyan waited a long time before receiving a prompt from the Nightmare Imprint:
Jack Sparrow First Mate of the Legendary Pirate Ship Black Pearl Height ???, Weight ??? Strength ?? points Agility ?? points Stamina ?? points Perception ?? points Charisma 50 points (This value has reached the current world difficulty cap) Intelligence ?? points Spirit ?? points Basic Abilities Unknown Advanced Abilities Unknown Combat Abilities Unknown Seventh-Tier Special Passive Ability: True Luck. Description: Unknown
Although a long string of information was displayed, only two points were truly usable: first, that Jack Sparrow’s Charisma value was an astonishing 50 points, and according to the subsequent notes, this value might even be constrained by the rules of the Nightmare World, suggesting it could be higher otherwise. Second, this protagonist possessed a Seventh-Tier Special Passive Ability: True Luck!
Fang Senyan rapidly collated and analyzed these two pieces of information, finally reaching the following highly probable conclusions: a: Under the current world difficulty, it is likely that the maximum single attribute value for everyone (including plot characters and contractors) is 50 points, with no possibility of breaking this limit. b: For contractors, exceeding fifty points might represent a critical threshold. c: The various abilities possessed by contractors and plot characters are categorized by tiers. Tier One is presumably the lowest, while his own current abilities... seem too commonplace, lacking any hope of achieving a formal tier, or perhaps there is some hidden complexity? d: Judging by its name, the True Luck ability should be extremely rare and powerful. Protagonists often rely on it to escape peril and turn the tide in imminent life-and-death moments. Since this skill is only at Tier Seven, one can infer that the most top-tier abilities likely do not exceed Tier Nine. e: The numerous unknown entries displayed when detecting Jack Sparrow indicate that his strength far surpasses Fang Senyan's. It is believed that had the previous conversation not fostered a friendly disposition, these attributes would also have been ???. Thus, for a very long time to come, Captain Jack remains an object one can ally with, not an enemy to be faced.
The bartender came over again to pour Fang Senyan another drink. Dense bubbles swirled and danced in the golden liquid, resembling a small, intoxicating, chaotic micro-world that drew one in. Meanwhile, less than four kilometers away underground, the potion in Bacon's crucible finally began to boil.
Gazing at the bubbling potion in the crucible, Bacon took out a brown glass bottle from the box. The way he handled the bottle was exceptionally cautious, as if afraid of contamination. Bacon then began sprinkling powder into the pot, and the potion immediately ignited, forming a purplish-black flame. This flame seemed to instantly melt the bottom of the pot, dripping molten material downward, rapidly engulfing the surroundings to form a pile of purplish-black fire.
The purplish-black flame came and went quickly, melting the solid rock floor and leaving a pit half a meter deep and about two meters long. Strangely, the pit emanated a bone-chilling coldness that permeated the surrounding air with wisps of white mist! While those nearby might not feel much on their skin, the cold radiated outward from the very marrow of their bones—truly eerie and exceptionally bizarre.
Bacon struggled to lift the female corpse from the ice slab and move it into the pit, but he was roughly pushed aside by Lord Foulke, who personally and tenderly lifted his wife’s body and placed it face-down into the pit. Bacon then took out an ink-green bottle, carefully sprinkled a bit of the powder onto the corpse, and began chanting obscure, difficult-to-understand words. Simultaneously, a faint glimmering light began to emanate from around the body.
Observing the brightness of the light, Bacon frowned. Gritting his teeth, he opened the bottle again and sprinkled more powder, but the luminosity did not change. This powder was dried blood from a Lernaean Hydra, which he had acquired at great cost; this small bottle was nearly worth half his entire fortune, hence his intense pain. What Bacon was performing was not entirely alchemy; it was more heavily weighted toward the soul-based dark magic he commanded. Unfortunately, it seemed ineffective this time.
Bacon glanced at the Endless Gold Pouch clutched in Lord Foulke’s hand, and with painful resolve, he poured the entire contents of the bottle onto the corpse. Instantly, the light intensified, and faint smoke began to drift off the body, coalescing in the air into a ghost-like presence. However, this specter appeared incredibly weak, its faint light flickering as if it could be dispersed by a mere breath.
“Sally! My dear Sally!!” Lord Foulke suddenly rushed forward and knelt before the apparition, crying out like a wounded beast consumed by trauma. But Bacon immediately restrained his reckless action, saying with annoyance:
“Your Excellency, Lord! I have not yet attained the ability to manipulate souls. This is merely a fragment of the memories extracted just before her death, and given the advanced state of decomposition of the body, these memory fragments are likely quite scattered and disjointed. If you continue to be so impulsive, all my efforts will undoubtedly be in vain!”
Lord Foulke quietly stepped to the side. Bacon then produced a wooden basin filled with clear water and began making complex gestures while chanting incantations. The white smoke in the air gradually dissolved into the water in the basin. The surface of the water began to display chaotic images—the residual memory fragments of Lady Foulke’s life. To avenge his wife, Lord Foulke watched intently, determined not to miss a single detail.
But very quickly, Lord Foulke’s expression shifted, turning from pale to red, and finally settling on ashen! It must be said that Bacon’s command of dark magic was profound; the scenes enacted in the water were incredibly clear, akin to an uncensored 1080p high-definition movie in the Caribbean world. Sally’s pale, twisting body, the quiver of her full hips after being struck, were rendered vividly realistic. Even the detail of her actively kissing her lover was captured. When a man discovers that the woman he loves has not only cheated on him but done so with multiple different men, the overwhelming pain and despair that ensues are enough to make the entire world crumble to dust!
“Cartik! Gavin! Jack Sparrow!”
After watching the entire memory sequence, Lord Foulke stood up with vacant eyes. Waves of intense cold radiated off him. The sensation he gave off could only be described in four words:
“A walking corpse!”
His voice seemed to echo multiple times as it struck his hollow chest, making it feel as if the entire world had darkened around them. In his heart at this moment, the two surviving lovers—Cartik and Jack Sparrow—were clearly designated as the primary targets for slaughter!
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