Chapter 315. Extraordinary Gains
"I feel that... the curse... hasn't... vanished. But I feel... I can... endure long...enough to reach... the Divinity's Land."
Hearing Bandages' words, Charles slapped Bandages' shoulder in excitement. Relief underlined his voice as he said, "Great! Surviving is what matters. The Narwhale cannot afford to lose her First Mate."
As if Charles' words were the cue, the crew surged forward and surrounded the duo. Their spirits were lifted with Bandages coming back to life. The heavy atmosphere aboard the Narwhale was instantly lifted, and a more cheerful air surrounded them.
Piqued by curiosity, the crew members quickly started experimenting, and soon, Bandages' newly acquired abilities were being drawn out.
The original relic seemed only capable of preserving one's life, but Bandages gained the extraordinary ability to manipulate plants for some reason upon obtaining the relic's powers.
Not only could he control the plants growing from his own body, but he could also influence other flora. However, the control ability came with a price.
For example, Linda's potted plants would wither rapidly once Bandages relinquished his control if they underwent significant changes during the process. It was as though they had expended all their vitality before due course.
At the same time, Bandages displayed extraordinary healing abilities. Any non-fatal wound on his body, be it on his plant physiology or his biological self, would heal rapidly.
As for fatal wounds, Charles refrained from testing them out on Bandages. If something went wrong, Bandages might end up bedridden again.
Another observation they noted was that the leaves on Bandages would periodically wither before they rapidly returned to their normal healthy, green shade.
According to Bandages, this stemmed from the corrosive power of the Divinity's Curse and its power counterbalanced with his healing ability.
Meanwhile, the noticeable trade-off for Bandages' newly gained powers was that he now required four times the amount of freshwater he used to consume daily. Beyond that, there were no other apparent side effects.
Witnessing how effortlessly Bandages had acquired these extraordinary special abilities, the other crew members grew eager; they yearned to gain similar powers.
Is it really that simple? Charles pondered as he petted Lily's smooth fur, his gaze fixed on the stack of papers in front of him.
He couldn't deny that even he himself was tempted upon seeing the special powers his first mate had acquired.
Despite 198's malicious intentions, the information it had provided, as bound by the effects of the black marker, appeared to be accurate and reliable. The documented procedure was indeed capable of safely transferring relic abilities to humans.
After all, relics were external possessions, and they came with various unacceptable side effects.
Dyed pink, Lily's eyes narrowed into slits as a smile surfaced on her furry face while she blissfully basked in Charles' gentle strokes.
"Mr. Charles, do you think I can gain such special powers as well? I want the ability to fly. When I was little, I've always dreamed of how wonderful it would be to fly in the sky."
Charles playfully tweaked her round little ears. "Shouldn't you be wishing for a special power that allows you to transform into anything you want? Don't you want to turn back into a human again?"
"Oh! Right! Forget what I said earlier. I want the ability that'll allow me to transform back into a human. Wait, Mr. Charles, is there a relic that can make someone take on a human form?"
Charles didn't actually take Lily's words to heart. In the first place, there was no way he could possibly allow her to undergo such a ritual. Her current form was that of a mouse with a different physiological makeup from that of a human. Using a method meant for humans would be exceedingly dangerous for her.
His mind was currently occupied by the significance of this special method.
We must make good use of this. Having such power could significantly enhance the overall strength of Hope Island.
The other thought that came to Charles' mind was that if he greatly expanded and developed their military strength, perhaps they might even stand a chance against the Divine Light Order in a head-on confrontation.
The introduction of such powers could revolutionize the Subterranean Seascape, akin to the seismic changes brought about by the invention of the steam turbines.
Charles rose to his feet. He placed Lily on his shoulder and walked out. Any other potential developments were thoughts for another day when he had returned to Hope Island. Now, he intended to use this special method to enhance his own strength.
Soon enough, the triple-layered pattern was drawn on the deck of the Narwhale once again.
This time, Charles sat in the center with an object—his most powerful relic, the Lightning Rod.
Clang!
He slashed his Dark Blade across the rod and left a deep gash on it. On his third strike, the rod broke apart to release the black mist of Origin Essence, which began to disperse as soon as it came into contact with the air.
Without a hint of hesitation, Charles sliced open his abdomen. But contrary to Bandages' situation, crimson blood gushed out of his gaping wound like a fountain.
He cast a brief look at Linda standing next to him before he pressed the Origin Essence firmly onto his pancreas.
Bzzzzzzt!
Charles started to convulse uncontrollably as arcs of electricity danced across his skin with a crackling sound. His hair even stood on end.
Minutes later, the strange power settled into Charles' body, and the visible anomalies disappeared. Linda quickly rushed to his side and stuffed a hemostatic pill into his mouth before skillfully using a slender needle to stitch up the gaping wound in his abdomen.
However, Charles was too absorbed in his own thoughts to notice Linda's actions. His gaze was fixated on his palm. He couldn't find the words to describe the sensation within him. He could feel an inherent change, and it was akin to having an extra organ in his body.
Bzzt!
While she was suturing Charles' wound, Linda recoiled as a low voltage of electricity coursed through her. She looked up to stare at Charles with an indescribable expression.
Charles turned toward the others and lifted his right hand. A bright arc of electricity shot out from his palm and instantly charred the coiled rope and the ground in the distance.
"This feeling... it's incredible," Charles muttered to himself with a hint of excitement in his voice. He didn't manage to find the exit to the surface on this voyage; the method to possess such power was an extraordinary gain.
After some experimenting with his powers, Charles discovered that his new power was easy to control. He needed just a bit of practice to control it. The power seemed to be linked to his psyche as well. If he overextended his powers, he would become extremely mentally exhausted and ravenously hungry.
Is it possible to absorb a second relic? The sudden thought entered Charles' mind.
After pondering over the thought for a few moments, he felt that it was worth a try. However, for safety reasons, Charles decided to choose a less powerful relic and opted for one of his more trivial relics, the tentacle ring.
The procedure was the same as before. With just a thought, he was able to grasp Lily, who was five meters away, toward him.
An exhilarated smile played upon his lips. The sensation of suddenly having several tentacles inside him was bizarre. On top of that, he realized he could combine the powers of the two relics into one. He could wrap the electric arcs around the invisible tentacles and turn the tentacles into a stealthy and efficient weapon against enemies.
Just then, Bandages approached Charles with three black stones in his hand. They were the stones that Charles had stuffed into his body.
Without a word, he extended his open palm toward Charles.
"Thanks," Charles said as he reached out to take them. However, he froze as a peculiar sound exploded next to his ear.
"Sk'yahf qi'plahf PH'MAGG!!"
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