Chapter 28: Brutal Malice (Third Update—Please Keep Reading)

"Splash!"

Watching Julia pull him up from the liquid by his hair, Mo Wen coughed up a few mouthfuls of water before looking up. "Captain, is this your way of waking people up? A bit rough, isn't it?"

"Hmph." Julia let out a cold snort but couldn't be bothered to explain. She let go of him and walked over to a nearby desk, picking up a pen and paper to start taking notes.

Seeing this, Mo Wen rubbed his nose.

If it weren't for the fact that I can't beat you, I would definitely show you the power of my "Great Sword"!

You ask where the Great Sword is?

In the Principality of Main? Still being forged and reinforced?

Never mind then.

Retracting his gaze with a resentful sigh, Mo Wen stood up from the metal chamber. As he changed his clothes, he felt a strange, faint warmth at the back of his head.

"Maybe it's just an illusion?"

Not dwelling on it, Mo Wen stretched his body once he was dressed. A sense of relief, as if he had been reborn, washed over him.

Although the dream journey had only lasted a mere ten hours, the "thrills" of the process were something he hadn't experienced in the dozen or so years of his past life. Feeling the abundant and powerful energy within him, Mo Wen tilted his head slightly.

As he was now, if he were to encounter Captain Blackbeast again... he would still have to behave himself.

Mo Wen sighed helplessly. Although he had grown much stronger, he was still leagues behind the Gold-rank Captain Blackbeast, not to mention the Legendary-rank Julia or Frelia, whose rank he couldn't even detect.

For now, he had no choice but to stay on the *Blackbeast*.

Though, it wasn't as if he had any intention of running away. After all, the dream experiments were crucial to solving the "Curse of the True Puppet," and the process of entering the dream helped him grow stronger rapidly.

If he were actually told to leave, he wouldn't want to.

Glancing at Julia, who was ignoring him, Mo Wen shrugged and asked tentatively, "Shall I go out for a look around?"

"Her Highness has something for you; she's in the First Mate's quarters on the foredeck," Julia said without looking up, her tone cold. "Besides, the other 'Healers' have arrived as well, and they aren't as easy to talk to as I am."

"If you get bullied, don't come back crying."

As she said this, there was a hint of "schadenfreude" in Julia’s voice.

Mo Wen’s eyes flickered.

Other "Healers," huh?

This special organization, the Candlekeepers, had never appeared in the fragmented memories of his predecessor. Either the organization's level was so high that even the son of an imperial count—who was once a genius professional—wasn't qualified to know about it, or the Candlekeepers were hidden so deeply that they had never appeared in the public eye. Or, to put it another way, anyone who learned of the Candlekeepers' activities was "physically resolved."

Regardless of the reason, one thing was certain: any professional who could join the Candlekeepers was definitely not to be trifled with.

Having only recently promoted to "Black Iron," he still needed to keep a low profile.

Having prepared himself mentally, Mo Wen took a deep breath and opened the door.

The bright sunlight flooding into his pupils made him instinctively squint. A fresh, salty sea breeze rushed toward him. Once his eyes adjusted to the change in light, Mo Wen stepped out of the room.

The structure of the *Blackbeast* was quite simple. As a three-masted sailing ship, it had two levels. The lower level consisted of storage rooms and crew quarters below the deck, and the conditions there were quite abysmal. One could easily imagine the stench of sailors who had been at sea for a long time—a blend of body odor and sweat.

The upper level, which was flush with the deck, held only a few rooms: the Captain's quarters and the First Mate's quarters. The Captain's quarters were located at the stern, while the First Mate's quarters were near the foredeck. Since the Captain's quarters on the *Blackbeast* had been converted into the "Dream Laboratory," the First Mate's quarters had effectively become the de facto Captain's office.

To get from the Dream Laboratory to the foredeck, one had to cross the middle deck. To Mo Wen's surprise, not long after he stepped out, someone began walking toward him across the middle deck.

"So you're the new member Her Highness picked up, Mo Wen Leyland?"

"I thought a former genius would have some ability, but looking at you now, aside from a face that’s barely passable, the rest is just... mediocre."

The person approaching was a young man. He was dressed in ornate, meticulous clothing, with blonde hair draped over his shoulders and a solid gold pocket watch in his left hand, its chain dangling along the edge of his palm. His chest bore the crest of a noble family; he was clearly an aristocrat, and his tone was less of a mockery and more of high-handed arrogance.

Mo Wen narrowed his eyes. Although he had mentally prepared himself before coming out, being met with "scorn and mockery" right off the bat was truly unexpected. Did he have a grudge against this person?

"Who are you?"

"Evans Bemott. A guy like you, joining the organization—I doubt you could even pass the trial mission. You aren't worthy of knowing my noble name, but since I am magnanimous..." the blonde youth sneered.

Bemott?

Mo Wen’s eyes flickered. This surname was not unfamiliar to him. The Bemott family, like the Leyland family, was also a hereditary count family. However, because of the presence of Count Leyland, the Leyland family had always kept the Bemott family under its thumb.

In his predecessor's memories, the youngest son of the current head of the Bemott family had gone missing at a very young age and had never been heard from since. It seemed he had joined the Candlekeepers and was forced to "live under an assumed name." This explained why this guy was so hostile the moment they met.

He cast "Detection," and Evans Bemott's strength was revealed: Black Iron rank.

Mo Wen was amused. This guy had been acting so high and mighty, and it turned out he was just a small-time Black Iron rank, just like him. Who gave him the confidence to try and assert dominance over him?

"So, just a small fry after all," Mo Wen chuckled.

Evans didn't understand the true meaning of "small fry," but from Mo Wen's tone and demeanor, he could tell it wasn't a compliment. He was about to retort angrily when a cold female voice drifted over from not far away: "All of you, get over here."

Evans, forced to swallow his words, glared fiercely at Mo Wen before hurrying over. Mo Wen shrugged and walked forward.

Inside the First Mate's quarters—or rather, what should now be called the Captain's office—a long table was set up. By the time Mo Wen entered, five or six people were already seated on either side.

Sitting at the head of the table was Frelia, her expression as cold as ever. Recalling the vibrant and energetic Frelia he had seen in his dream, Mo Wen felt a stark contrast when looking at this version of her.

Looking left and right, Mo Wen casually found an empty seat at the end of the long table and sat down. Sitting directly opposite him was Evans, who glared at him.

"Except for Julia, who is occupied with other matters, everyone else has arrived."

"The meeting officially begins."

"There are only two purposes for this meeting. First, to introduce a new member to everyone: Mo Wen Leyland."

Seeing everyone's eyes turn toward him, Mo Wen stood up and bowed slightly.

"Second, to decide on the personnel to handle the ongoing incident at Falling Star Port."