The only novel website with the fastest updates and the most complete collection smelled faintly of burnt candle wax within the darkened hold of the ship.

The thick bulkheads provided excellent sound insulation, likely because the original owner of the cabin had hung heavy velvet curtains along the surrounding paneling, muffling even the sound of the waves to a faint whisper.

Scar Henry lay there in the captain’s cabin. Although the candle had inexplicably gone out, he had no intention of relighting it. For him, still tormented by a violent headache, this dark, quiet environment was undoubtedly more comfortable. A throbbing pain pulsed in his temples; pressing hard with his thumb would certainly alleviate it, but the consequence of doing so was a fierce protest from the muscles in his arm, feeling as if they were being ripped apart.

“If this were ten years ago, how could I be so wretched! Fortunately… I’ll soon be back on the Bell and Goblet.”

Scar Henry stroked the silver rapier he held, which had already been drawn from its scabbard. Even in the darkness, the blade shimmered with waves of silvery light—this was the personal sword Amande had given him before departing.

Just then, the cabin door suddenly burst open with a bang! A dark figure rushed in, carrying the scent of fresh sea air, accompanied by heavy, ragged breaths. This panting wasn't due to exhaustion but an indescribable tension and terror.

“Sir, Mr. Henry! There’s a mutiny on the ship! They killed Carter and sent me to replace your bandage with one laced with poison. The whole ship is filled with our enemies now. Their sole desire at this moment is to kill you and divide this massive fortune.”

Scar Henry’s eyes snapped open. Despite the lingering physical pain, all his imposing aura and killing intent returned instantly to the burly Viking. He sprang up with incredible agility, lowering his voice:

“How many of them, Charlie?”

The figure who had slipped in was none other than Fang Senyan’s servant, Charlie, his voice trembling:

“Six… six of them. The poison in the bandage will take effect in fifteen minutes. They’ll rush in then!”

Scar Henry pursed his lips tightly, making his expression exceptionally fierce. His voice sounded as if it were being squeezed through his teeth:

“Good, very good!”

It was unclear whether he was commending Charlie’s actions or sarcastically commenting on Fang Senyan’s group. Scar Henry paced nervously in the cabin a few steps, his nostrils suddenly twitching:

“You’ve been drinking? Is there more?”

At this moment, alcohol could undoubtedly dull the pain immensely and boost morale. Charlie, needing courage to betray his master and the other pirates, must have had a drink to steel himself. Upon hearing Scar Henry’s question, he nodded eagerly:

“Yes, yes! I had some before I came, and I filled a whole pouch.”

Scar Henry reached out and yanked the wine pouch from Charlie’s waist. Tilting his head back, he pinched the pouch with one hand, and a stream of deep yellow liquid shot out like a water jet directly into his mouth. His Adam's apple bobbed up and down, and in a short time, he drained the entire pouch. Several fierce red streaks appeared across his eyeballs. Stimulated by the alcohol, Scar Henry let out a long breath, looking somewhat comfortable, but a few seconds later, that comfort twisted into ferocity. He roared, like a cornered beast trapped in a snare, and snatched Charlie in front of him, screaming maniacally:

“You betrayed me too! You poisoned the wine!”

Charlie, whose build was not small, was seized by the massive Viking Scar Henry and struggled helplessly, like a chicken awaiting slaughter. Charlie’s face was filled with disbelief, and he shrieked:

“I didn’t! I didn’t! They clearly said they were putting poison on the bandage!”

Suddenly, a monotonous clapping sound echoed from outside the cabin door. A group of men filed in from the stairs, led by Fang Senyan, fully armed, accompanied by a gaggle of ferocious pirates, resembling a pack of greedy, watchful jackals. Fang Senyan looked at Charlie and revealed a mysterious, slight smile:

“Well done, my servant.”

Charlie froze instantly, while Scar Henry’s eyes became bloodshot and nearly popped out. He felt dizzy, a pain everywhere—head, stomach, body. He exerted force on his grip, roared, and snapped Charlie’s neck bones clean through! Then he casually tossed the body aside. It hit the paneling with a thud and slid down like a broken sack, utterly motionless. However, two thin streams of blood slowly trickled from the corner of the dead Charlie’s eyes—whether tears or blood was hard to tell!

Fang Senyan simultaneously received the Nightmare Imprint notification: "Your servant pirate Charlie has died." However, he paid it no mind. In his plan, Charlie, who lacked both ability and loyalty, had always been disposable. Maximizing his utility at this moment was sufficient; his life or death was entirely outside the plan. Fang Senyan and the pirates behind him, including Watt, burst into raucous laughter upon seeing Charlie’s corpse. Their laughter agitated the already volatile and frantic Scar Henry, filling him with a vague, ominous premonition. He roared furiously:

“What the hell are you fools laughing at?”

Fang Senyan looked at him with pity and said lightly:

“Congratulations on personally killing the last loyal man on this ship.”

Hearing this, Scar Henry’s eyes grew redder. He involuntarily staggered back a few steps and screamed:

“Impossible! Impossible! He was clearly trying to harm me with poisoned wine!”

Fang Senyan shrugged and offered a scornful smile:

“Actually, Charlie’s loyalty to you was written clearly on his face the whole time. We merely used a small trick to make him believe the originally untainted bandage was poisoned, while the wine and food he carried had already been secretly laced with poison by us—the logic is simple: if he truly intended to harm you, why wait until after you finished drinking before running away?”

“If he truly intended to harm you, why wait until after you finished drinking before running away?”

“If he truly intended to harm you, why wait until after you finished drinking before running away?”

“If he truly intended to harm you, why wait until after you finished drinking before running away?”

Fang Senyan’s final question struck deep into Scar Henry’s heart like a sharp blade, relentlessly stabbing repeatedly. He couldn't help but turn his head and look back, catching sight of Charlie’s unclosed eyes and the bloody tears staining his cheeks. He felt a torrent of resentment surging uncontrollably within him, nowhere to vent, almost ready to burst his body apart! He let out a fierce roar; his mind held only one thought: kill them! Kill everything alive in front of him! Either destroy himself, or destroy the entire world!

Fang Senyan’s pupils contracted sharply; an unforeseen variable had appeared outside his calculations! The Nightmare Imprint immediately issued a warning:

“Scar Henry’s nerves have been excessively stimulated! Ancient Viking bloodline activated!”

“Scar Henry has entered a Berserk state! Immune to pain, fear, and other status effects. Fights purely on biological instinct. Damage taken increased by 200%, damage dealt increased by 250%!”

The giant Scar Henry let out a beast-like roar and lunged at Fang Senyan with a direct punch! The punch was devastatingly heavy, giving the feeling of a fifty-ton heavy-duty pickup truck charging head-on. Fang Senyan, having won an arm-wrestling match against Scar Henry in the bar when he first entered this world, held a psychological advantage and threw out both fists, intending to meet the impact head-on. But the moment they clashed, he felt an indescribable, massive force pressing down, making it almost impossible to breathe. Fang Senyan was sent flying by Scar Henry’s first blow. In his backward flight, he crashed through the cabin door behind him. With a crisp crack, he tumbled onto the deck along with the splintered wood, and when he managed to stand again, blood was trickling from the corner of his mouth, looking utterly disheveled.

“Damn it…” Fang Senyan instantly understood the reason for his absolute inferiority in strength: first, it must be a Title, and second, Equipment!

They were fighting at sea now. Fang Senyan’s "Pirate Captain" Title granted him +2 Strength and +2 Stamina. Therefore, Scar Henry, the First Mate, must possess a far more potent Title, granting him significantly stronger bonuses. Furthermore, the last time he wrestled Scar Henry was in a bar—one usually doesn't bring a full armory to a leisurely spot like a tavern when surrounded by subordinates. This was analogous to an N1 assassin in the real world not carrying a heavy sniper rifle case everywhere.

Although he was at an absolute disadvantage from the very first exchange and looked utterly battered, Fang Senyan had prepared for this. As Scar Henry, roaring like a maddened lion, stepped out of the cabin onto the stairs in pursuit, he was suddenly blinded by a flash of firelight. Several torches had just been thrown directly at him. He roared and swiped the torches aside, but then a massive force slammed into him, knocking his entire body backward with a tumble. Immediately following this was a sensation of cold yet burning heat spreading from his chest to his back, quickly followed by an agonizing pain that spread over his entire body like a spiderweb!

At this moment, the stunned Scar Henry barely had time to look down, catching sight of the arrow fletching trembling deeply embedded in his chest, while the sharp, bloodied arrowhead protruded from his back, adding a ghastly crimson hue in the night!

This arrow had been fired from the heavy ballista originally positioned on the ship for naval combat! Such a colossal crossbow could pierce even thick hull plating, naturally capable of inflicting grave damage on Scar Henry. Fang Senyan and his men had aimed the weapon directly at the cabin entrance, intending to deliver this brutal strike to Scar Henry!