Chapter 112: Power
TL: Etude
A few seconds after swallowing the pill, Gaden felt a searing heat spreading rapidly from his abdomen throughout his body.
“This feeling! This feeling…”
An indescribable sense of immense confidence surged within him, making him feel as though he could take on ten men, no, any number of adversaries without fear.
Gaden’s right hand clenched slightly, and he saw the veins on his right arm bulge alarmingly, his muscles swelling to an exaggerated extent.
He suddenly felt an intense heat throughout his body.
“Ah—” the pirate leader yelled, throwing a punch at the table in front of him.
Gaden’s fist struck the corner of the solid oak table, which shattered like it was made of cheese, both the tabletop and legs breaking into pieces.
Due to the residual force, the table, now missing a leg, toppled to the ground with a clang.
The pirate leader looked at the table in disbelief. Under normal circumstances, it would have been his bones that fractured..
Apart from the sensation of striking something hard, his palm felt only a fleeting pain when he hit the table, and it vanished instantly. Gaden raised his palm to his eyes for inspection; it was neither injured nor swollen, everything was as usual.
After a moment of mild surprise, a thirst for violence surged within him: he wanted to kill, to wreak havoc, to unleash his newfound power.
Barnett, noticing Gaden’s transformation, muttered to himself, “Hmm, I should have reduced the dose a bit, didn’t expect his body to be so sensitive.”
The pirate leader now looked ferocious, his stature having transformed from short and stocky to a hulking figure, his facial muscles contorting as if he were mad.
But Barnett calmly extended a hand towards the about-to-berserk Gaden, chanting something unintelligible.
As Barnett’s arcane words filled the air, the frenzied look on Gaden’s face gradually faded, returning to normal.
“Sorry, I didn’t control the dosage properly,” Barnett said with a shrug, showing not the slightest remorse.
“Master, the feeling just now was incredible.”contemporary romance
The pirate leader was still in a daze, staring at his hands in disbelief that what had just occurred was real.
“I felt stronger than ever before. Was it an illusion? No, it was real.”
The broken table on the ground reminded him that everything that had just happened was indeed real.
Barnett patted his shoulder with a smile, “Your strength hasn’t faded yet, you can try again.”
“That’s enough, Master Barnett, I now believe in your ability to pay the promised reward.”
If all his pirates could take such pills, and if they could control the dosage as this wizard suggested, taking down the ragtag pirate groups in the Northwest Bay would be a breeze.
Although he was on the verge of madness just moments ago, the memory remained, and it was this self-proclaimed wizard who had restored his normal consciousness. Confronting such dangerous power with such calm, the wizard must be even stronger than his current self.
Feeling the power still generating within him, he asked Barnett, “How long can this state last?”
“The duration of the effect varies from person to person, but generally, it lasts three to four hours without a problem.”
“How many of these pills can you provide us?”
“Before you unify the various pirate groups, fifty per week. After that, it will depend on your performance, though by then, you probably won’t need them anymore.”
“No, no, no, Master, I believe I will continue to need them.”
Becoming the second Edward was just the beginning for Gaden. From these miraculous pills, he saw even greater possibilities.
This wizard had already talked about inciting turmoil and splitting the Kingdom of Ordo. Perhaps Gaden could also carve out a share for himself on land.
Barnett’s smile disappeared instantly, making Gaden shiver inwardly. Barnett asked, “Does this mean you have decided to cooperate with us?”
Gaden nodded repeatedly, “It’s an honor to work with you and the secret sorcerers behind you. But why did you choose me?”
“It’s not just you; there are others I have chosen, and I will tell you about them in time. As for why you…,” Barnett said with a sinister smile, “I’ve observed many candidates in different ways, and you are the least foolish among them. You know when to be patient and when to act. In this land of the Northwest, there aren’t many like you.”
Hearing this, Gaden, who prided himself on his intellect, didn’t know whether to laugh or cry. “Is it what I said today that led you to this conclusion?”
Barnett shook his head, “It’s not just about today. I’ve been observing you for a long time.”
A chill ran down the pirate leader’s spine: “How long has this wizard been lurking around me without my noticing?”
Barnett, noticing his fright, was very pleased with this effect.
Unlike Marltz Kent, a lord still nominally under the king and superior lords, pirates were inherently in opposition to the Kingdom of Ordo. Inciting Gaden to confront the kingdom was much simpler than dealing with Marltz Kent.
Moreover, this pirate leader was quite to Barnett’s taste, as he had said, “the least foolish one.” Using fools might bring trouble that the secret sorcerers weren’t ready to expose to the world.
For someone he favored, Barnett preferred a more “peaceful” way of recruitment, like what he was doing now with Gaden, unlike the methods used against Marltz Kent. He was negotiating cooperation in a friendly manner.
Well… except for that unfortunate fellow nicknamed “Swordfish.”
The problem was that Gaden’s strength was somewhat lacking, but this also meant greater dependence on Barnett.
Barnett decided to stoke the fire a bit more: “Leader Gaden, do you want to know where Edward, the former top pirate of the Northwest Bay, went?”
“Edward? Where did he go?”
Gaden was indeed curious. This pirate, who once commanded the Northwest Bay, disappeared at the beginning of the year with his fleet, sparking a series of disturbances in the region.
It was Edward’s disappearance that led to the uncontrolled pirates breaking the rules. Shark even killed the old lord of Alda, and the new lord, Paul Grayman, vowed revenge. After annihilating Shark, he established a navy, swearing to eradicate all pirates.
Barnett said with a smile, “Edward is now one of us, playing a crucial role elsewhere.”
The pirate leader’s eyes widened, “Edward… is… cooperating with you?”
Barnett nodded, “Yes, and thanks to us, he’s even more powerful than before.”
Gaden fell silent, his head bowed in thought. After a while, he suddenly looked up at Barnett and said, “Magician, let’s talk about the specifics of our cooperation.”
done.co