Chapter 303 Pirate Trouble-01
On Daniel's side, outside of the island, he used his magic to stabilize the raft and the sea around it, preventing any movement. At this moment, it was nearly indistinguishable from a raft floating on a calm lake.
Daniel looked back at the island, observing through the vision within his mindscape. What he saw was a massive seal construct, a tall pillar the size of a substantial building, draining the mana around the island.
"That seal should be the one preventing anyone from using magic. It seems to be strategically placed here to deter mages from entering their country," Daniel muttered as he analyzed the purpose of such a seal.
However, he remembered that Japan had recently opened its borders to the world, including mages. Was the seal intended to defend against mages in general, or was it specifically designed to counter him? How did they anticipate his use of this route?
These questions lingered in Daniel's mind, but he pushed them aside, shifting his focus to the cards within his mindscape. Initially considering destroying the seal, he found no enchantment-breaking cards in his current hand. Instead, he discovered another card that could be used in this situation.
Card Name: Runic Safeguard
Picture: Three radiant runes—White, Blue, and Fiery Red—inscribed on a sword.
Rarity: Common
Type: Enchantment - Attachment
Mana Cost: 1 Holy, 1 Water, 1 Fire
Description: Enchant target Artifact you control. Target Artifact becomes immune to all Enemy Enchantment and Spell effects, unless it's Attachment type.
Flavor Text: "Three rune ward inscribed and forged by the fire of faith and holy water into the holy artifact, protecting it from heretical magic and corruption."
Daniel wasted no time and quickly broke three of his mana vials, applying the enchantment on his 'Universal Pocket.' Three runes materialized on the peculiar leather bag, signifying the activation of the enchantment. Daniel keenly felt the transformation in this artifact.
Confident now, he realized that even though the mysterious power on the island was suppressing his abilities, the 'Universal Pocket' remained unaffected.
Daniel observed that the method and function of the runes did not align with the knowledge he possessed as an 'Archmage.' For some reason, he couldn't find a match within the extensive magical knowledge at his disposal. However, he could use the general principles from his Archmage knowledge to replicate the enchantment the moment he sees it.
It felt akin to being an experienced chef with a wealth of knowledge about various cuisines but lacking the recipe or prior understanding of how to make a pizza. Yet, when looking at a pizza, the chef instantly knew how to create it. That was the kind of sensation Daniel experienced.
Daniel pondered over the anomaly. Wasn't the 'Archmage' supposed to possess all-encompassing knowledge about magic? Then, he considered the timeline embedded in his card game, particularly the settings of the different card lore.
The 'Archmage card' belonged to 'The Rise of Camelot' set, a time long before the events in 'The Crusade Of Light And Darkness.' Could it be that the knowledge of card sets occurring after the 'Archmage' set was not included in the 'Archmage's' understanding, according to the timeline he had established?
After contemplation, Daniel found this to be a plausible explanation. It aligned with the need for him to conduct research on how to bring the 'God Slayer Cannon'—a technology from the 'Atlantis Period' that should exist in this world's past—into orbit using a space rocket.
If the 'Grand Artificer's' knowledge was genuinely all-encompassing, he should theoretically have the information or blueprints on creating a rocket stored in his mind, eliminating the need for such research.
Daniel quickly took note of this theory and planned to test it later by learning some modern magic from Envy. If there was anything new for him to learn, it would prove that this theory was a fact.
He began inscribing the three runes onto various artifacts, including several of his metal scarabs. These scarabs would assist him in inscribing the runes on the many artifacts within his universal pocket. He took his time with this process, aided by his little helpers, the metal scarabs.
As time passed, he noticed a speedboat approaching. On the boat were several armed men wearing improvised equipment such as flak armor. One of them pointed towards him while laughing and speaking in Japanese, a language Daniel couldn't understand.
Then, one of them pointed their gun at him while the others laughed, treating him as a live practice target, and fired.
Bang! Bang! Bang! Bang! Bang!
They fired at him, but the bullets met his mana shield, which he always kept on standby. The pirates were confused but attempted to fire again.
However, Daniel didn't wait for them to open fire once more. He quickly returned fire.
Bang!
With a loud bang, the pirate who was about to shoot him had his head blown off. Daniel's large-caliber bullet turned the pirate's head into something resembling an exploding watermelon.
The other pirates were shocked at the sight, encountering someone who wasn't military or hired mercenaries but dared to fight back.
The pirates shouted in rage, eager to kill him, and readied their weapons, but three more shots silenced them. Two shots blew their heads to pieces, and another shot blew off the last pirate's arms, causing him to fall to the boat floor, crying in agony.
Daniel used his metal scarabs to push his raft towards the speedboat and jumped onto it. He walked toward the last pirate, gun pointed threateningly.
"Why are you here?" Daniel asked, his tone serious.
The pirate didn't answer. Instead, he responded with a long string of cursing and threatening words that Daniel couldn't understand. The tone and expression on the pirate's face suggested he had no intention of answering truthfully.
Bang!
Daniel shot off another remaining arm of the pirate, being careful not to hit the boat floor and sink it, since the pirate's leg was already on the boat floor.
"English! Motherf*cker! Do you speak it?" Daniel demanded again. This time, the pirate seemed afraid and spoke towards Daniel with a more subservient tone, still in Japanese.
"If you don't speak English, then you're of no use to me," Daniel declared, pointing his gun at the pirate's head. This time, the threat was effective.
"No! No! I'm here! Capture! Two women! Slaves!" The pirate spoke in broken English with a heavy Japanese accent while signaling towards the direction of the island with his head. Daniel caught the key information – the pirate came to capture the two women on the island.
Now, Daniel contemplated whether he should go back to help those two. Honestly, he didn't want to return, especially after the blue haired woman's secretary had pissed him off.
However, the memory of the blue-haired girl, seemingly weak and innocent, and the recollection of the fateful night when he died in that hole haunted him. The fate that had almost befallen his girlfriend, Koyuki, also weighed on him. He didn't want anyone to go through the same ordeal if he could prevent it.
Meanwhile, the radio in the speedboat crackled to life, with someone on the other end looking for the pirate onboard. Daniel gestured to the pirate to respond, pressing the radio button while keeping his gun pointed at the pirate's head to ensure compliance.
The pirate quickly replied without any unusual behavior, conveying that everything was fine. The radio conversation concluded.
"Me... go! Island! Me go island!" The pirate repeated in broken English, signaling Daniel to head towards the island. The pirate's face paled as blood continued to flow from his two arm stumps.
Daniel nodded and steered the speedboat toward the island. Despite his skepticism, he anticipated a hostile reception upon arrival, expecting at least two or three squads of pirates armed with bullets.
Shortly after reaching the shore, Daniel's expectations were proven right. As he arrived, an RPG rocketed toward the speedboat. Reacting swiftly, Daniel leaped into the sea, leaving the pirate on the boat to face his demise at the hands of his comrades.
Boom!
The RPG exploded, the sound reverberating as wreckage and debris scattered. Daniel swam towards the shore, aiming to conceal his presence underwater as much as possible.
However, Daniel soon noticed a bomb thrown into the water near him. These pirates really intended to kill him. Reacting swiftly, he swam away with all his might, creating a small wave akin to a shark swimming at full speed, thanks to the various enchantments enhancing his physical capabilities beyond human.
Boom!
The bomb exploded, generating a pillar of water, followed by gunfire as the pirates shot at the area near the bomb. The commotion gradually subsided, with one of the pirates seemingly receiving orders from a leader-like figure.
Daniel took note of this and decided to swim underwater, flanking the pirate defensive parameters. He quietly emerged on the shore, swiftly taking down two pirates with the hidden knife concealed within his trench coat.
"Hope these two aren't the only people who can speak English," Daniel muttered, praying that he hadn't just killed the pirates who could communicate in English.
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