Wizard: I Add Points and Hunt Monsters

"I can wait!"

"Yes. And there’s another way to increase your strength. I’ll give it to you then as well."

It involved transforming into one of the Undead Creatures known as a ’Deadpool’ to gain an innate ability.

’But the undead transformation level isn’t high enough yet, and the success rate of gaining an ability is too low. I’ll have to wait a while longer.’

Besides, Wei’en also needed to find more knowledge on mechanical and undead modification.

Since he hadn’t managed to acquire the relevant knowledge from the Ghost Soul School, he had decided to research it himself.

"I believe in you, Wei’en!" Shawa nodded emphatically, her neck almost folding at a right angle against her flat chest. "If it’s possible... I hope to devour more Undead Creatures."

"Devour Undead Creatures? Alright, I’ll provide them for you." Wei’en didn’t refuse her request.

’He knew that Undead Creatures devouring each other was the norm in the Undead World and their primary means of growing stronger. It just wasn’t very efficient.’

’Still, Undead Creatures were available on the Ghost Soul School’s exchange list. It was just a matter of spending more gold pounds.’

An Undead Creature like Shawa, whose overall strength barely reached the Captain level, cost twenty gold pounds. The price for a Minister-level one was ten times that.

As for the Director Level, Wei’en skipped right past it. Prices that easily ran into the thousands of gold pounds were too much for his poor eyes to handle.

’Then there was Zero’s workshop and the material costs for making Mechanical Puppets. Unlike him, Zero hadn’t mastered max-level runes before starting puppet construction.’

’The failure rate for Zero’s crafting process would probably be high, which meant another significant expense.’

’Adding up all these miscellaneous costs, even for Wei’en, who was currently sitting on the huge sum of ten thousand gold pounds...’

’...he was still poor. He had to make more money!’

...

...

After breakfast, Wei’en left the theater space and returned to the *Ronan*.

Huh?

The faint sound of a chanted eulogy drifted from the deck.

"...On the blue Cordo Sea, a brave sailor sleeps an eternal sleep. His soul soars high like a seabird, his name lives on in the wind."

"...His ship sails on the Cordo Sea, his gaze resolute and true. His courage is unmatched, his story carried on the sea breeze..."

Wei’en extended his Spirit sense, his brow furrowing slightly as he pushed open the cabin door and walked out.

"...We see him off on his final journey. His courage, his resilience, his love, live forever in our hearts. His soul soars over the sea."

Dozens of pirates were gathered on deck in small groups, facing the figurehead made of mechanical gears. With heads bowed, they chanted in unison.

On the other side stood Clelia and, behind her, dozens of guards in uniform leather armor, their ranks neat as they chanted along.

In their midst lay five bodies, their faces twisted in horror. Their eyes were wide open, almost perfect circles, with bloody tear-tracks streaking from the corners. Their bodies were otherwise unmarked...

’Three men and two women?’

Wei’en took in their appearance. ’Have even the women who just boarded died?’

As the chanting died down, Ronan called out in a low voice, "See them off!"

At his words, a dozen burly pirates stepped forward. They lifted the bodies and walked toward the ship’s rail, preparing to cast them into the sea.

"Wait!" Wei’en called out.

"Captain?"

Ronan faltered, then said cautiously, "Captain, these are the ones who were unfortunately pulled into the dream last night. They died from the shock..."

The other pirates also looked confused.

According to the customs of the Cordo Sea, any crew member who died an unfortunate death was given a funeral at sea to comfort their soul.

"Let’s wait on that."

"What’s wrong, Captain Marco~?" Clelia’s expression showed she hadn’t quite had her fill of the ceremony; she found such things rather interesting.

The women behind her, looking revitalized, were seeing the Red-haired Captain for the first time. They hadn’t expected him to be so young and handsome. A hint of shyness appeared on each of their faces as they were clearly reminded of certain... customs of the sea.

Wei’en knew they were confused, but he didn’t offer an explanation. Instead, he waved for them to put the bodies down, then pulled out two vials of Spirit Summoning Potion and poured them into the mouths of two of the corpses.

"Summoning spirits? You want to awaken their souls?" Clelia raised an eyebrow, a glimmer of understanding in her eyes.

Wei’en nodded. "I just want to see if I can get any information out of them."

"It’s no use, Captain..." Ronan hesitated before speaking. "People have tried this before, but never found anything."

"Nothing at all?"

"Not exactly. It’s just that their souls can’t coalesce... Oh, right, look!"

He didn’t need the reminder. Wei’en had already noticed a gray mist surging from the two corpses that had ingested the Spirit Summoning Potion. Specks of fluorescent light drifted from their bodies but failed to coalesce, as if their souls had already scattered.

’Their souls are gone?’

Wei’en extended his Spirit sense over the corpses.

’Nothing...’

’Huh?’

’There’s a voice!’

"...Sir... Rexi..."

A few hoarse, ethereal voices emanated from the gray mist. They sounded like last words conveyed by the fragmented points of soul-light, or perhaps like traces left on these souls by someone else...

’Slaughter, death?’

’The Gonzalez language?’

Wei’en’s brow furrowed. After a moment of thought, he ordered, "Second Officer, put them all in crates. I need to study them."

"Crates? Alright." Ronan didn’t ask any further questions. He signaled for a few pirates to head back to the cabins, then shouted to the others, "The rest of you, disperse! Back to your posts!"

As the pirates dispersed, Clelia sidled up. She joined Wei’en in examining the corpses on the deck and asked, "Did you find something? Is it related to that death dream?"

"I’m not sure yet." Wei’en shook his head, saying no more, but his mind was on something else.

’It had been five minutes since he returned to the *Ronan*, but he hadn’t received any panel notifications about collecting killing intent.’

’Just as he’d guessed last night, the places that collected killing intent were only active at night.’

’What he hadn’t expected, however, was that those who couldn’t escape the dream safely would have their very souls dissipate.’

’Or... had their Origin dissipated?’

’No, their Origin had dissipated—the panel hadn’t notified him that there was any Origin Power here to be devoured with Soul-Devouring Magic!’

"Well, you do your research. I’m going to take them for training."

Clelia glanced at the guards behind her, all with alluring figures and attractive faces. Her eyes glinted mischievously as she added, "Captain, would you like to pick a couple of guards for yourself? They’re all very pretty, you know~"

"Huh? Guards?" Wei’en blinked, then shot her a glare once he understood. "Go on, get busy!"

Clelia pouted, then shot a seductive smile at a few of the women among the guards who had subtly pushed out their chests. "Sorry, ladies. The Captain’s not interested. Better put those ’bells’ away."

"PFFT!"

Hearing her words, the guards almost burst out laughing, but they quickly composed themselves into serious expressions when they saw Wei’en look their way.

"Hmph~ Back to training, all of you! Don’t want your captain getting any ideas about you!" Clelia had also noticed Wei’en’s glance and huffed, a little annoyed.

Wei’en: "..."

’What was that all about?’

’When had he ever paid any attention to these women?’

[You have been scanned by the Spirit sense of a Deep Sea Creature - Blue Marlin. Evaluation: Ooh~ Smells tasty... Evaluation: Survival Points +2.]

[...]

[You have been targeted by the killing intent of a Deep Sea Creature - Blue Marlin... Evaluation: Survival Points +3.]

Just then, a few notifications flashed across the panel, interrupting Wei’en’s train of thought.

’Huh?’

’These damn Deep Sea creatures... don’t tell me they smelled the corpses?’

PS: There will be another Chapter tonight. Crap, I forgot to write the title. I’ll have to ask my editor to change it after the holiday.