For thirty days, the sailors on the ship maintained a tense peace through their show of force, but Ikyidan, the leader of the sailors, never allowed himself to relax. Though currently, the sailors with their knightly prowess were strong compared to the wizard apprentices who had yet to learn sorcery, he worried about the future.
Once these wizard apprentices truly learned magic, they would easily be able to kill any knight, and they held endless potential for development—a fact clear to all apprentices. As for the sailors, even if they were lucky enough to advance to legendary knights, they would still only be the servants of powerful wizards, seeking greater power, like the former legendary knight Baron and the current legendary knight bosun, both of whom served great wizards. After all, this was a world dominated by wizards!
Understanding this reality, Ikyidan knew that despite their current superiority, the wizard apprentices fundamentally looked down on and rejected them. This was a natural aversion to those unlike them. Therefore, Ikyidan dared not be complacent, especially with the Five Great Wielders among the apprentices. Even though the so-called “Five Great Wielders” possessed magic that would amuse true wizard apprentices, they could still easily kill an ordinary knight.
So, when Amelande announced the formation of the "Blood Sail Alliance," Ikyidan’s heart skipped a beat.
This was bad!
Acting almost without thinking, Ikyidan drew his sword, disregarding the sailors behind him who hadn’t yet reacted. He roared, “Damn it, what Blood Sail Alliance? Without the consent of the sailor group, your Blood Sail Alliance won’t be established today!”
Glaring menacingly at the hesitant wizard apprentices, he added, “Anyone who joins will be killed by the sailors!”
Though his heart trembled with fear, Ikyidan maintained a fierce facade, knowing that while he might not prevent the alliance forever, he had to stop it now, or the sailors would be doomed.
The sailors behind him finally reacted, grabbing their weapons and standing beside him, glaring fiercely at the apprentice faction.
On the other side, the Five Great Wielders stood at the forefront of the wizard apprentices, their respective followers behind them, drawing weapons and staring back at the sailors.
Amelande met Ikyidan’s gaze and said coldly, “Five of your sailors must be thrown into the sea today! With the five of us together, you’re bound to lose!”
“Try me,” Ikyidan retorted, showing no sign of backing down.
“Hmph! You think the apprentices on this ship are still the same kids from a month ago?” Amelande retorted with a cold snort. His blue gemstone ring flashed briefly, and with an incantation, a shimmering magic sword appeared before him, vanishing in an instant.
With a slick movement, the sword grazed Ikyidan’s right shoulder, leaving a bloody mark, just as a white puppet swiftly extracted the sailor leader's heart.
The puppet was just over half a meter tall, its entire body gleaming white with an almost pure aura. Yet it held a bloody, still-beating heart in its hands, giggling with childlike innocence as it dodged the furious sailors rushing at it, then escaped like a mischievous child caught stealing candy.
With a thud, the heartless sailor leader collapsed.
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Elsewhere, Nidhogg and Yorkris coordinated seamlessly to attack a sailor bound by vines. Yorkris blocked other sailors attempting to rescue him, while Nidhogg, eyes glinting coldly, swiftly slit the sailor’s throat with a dagger.
Boom! A blazing fireball...
Moments later, the remaining sailors found themselves surrounded by wizard apprentices, many of whom felt a rush of excitement. Not only were the apprentices relieved to avoid further risk for the next three days, but they also glimpsed the powerful force some among them wielded.
This was wizardry—a force knights couldn't defy. A handful of the weakest apprentices and about twenty helpers had easily overpowered more than twenty robust sailors!
Having endured life and death trials, these apprentices would soon reach the academy and use their most effective methods to enhance their strength, reborn anew. No one doubted this.
In the battle, four sailors died, seven were seriously injured, nine lightly wounded, and one knocked unconscious. The surviving sailors were tied up by the apprentices.
The apprentices paid a price, too. Nidhogg was unharmed, but Yorkris suffered minor injuries, and a few careless team members died, as the sailors, driven to desperation, fought fiercely in the end.
Watching many apprentices eagerly join the Blood Sail Alliance, the Five Great Wielders couldn’t help but feel a significant sense of accomplishment.
Amelande sighed, “It’s a pity, five more than necessary died.”
The others were taken aback but didn't dwell on it. Among the core members, a few relatively weaker female apprentices recorded the names of those joining the alliance and informed them of their responsibilities and obligations.
Laughter occasionally erupted on the deck from the apprentices, a rare break from the oppressive atmosphere on the ship.
“Haha, weren’t we called pigs to the slaughter? Why aren’t you boasting now? Hahaha…”
The next morning, the Faceless Mask wizard’s shrill laughter echoed again.
“Hehehe, it seems there’s been quite a change on the ship. Not too bad, ten fewer this time.”
The apprentices were full of spirit and confidence, no longer as cold and ruthless as before, united by some force, however tenuous it seemed.
Yünli and Bibilianna remained unfazed by the unified apprentices. To them, their talents were treasures to be cherished by the wizards, and their abilities to easily kill others meant they never experienced the harsh realities of the lower-level apprentices.
Solang, always mysterious, watched the new alliance with curiosity, occasionally glancing at the Five Great Wielders.
The bosun looked grim, seeing his former subordinates, the sailors, bound and at the mercy of the apprentices, who could throw them overboard at any time.
Amidst the various feelings, the Faceless Mask suddenly announced to the Blood Sail Alliance apprentices, “Now, for some bad news…”
Drawing out the word "bad," he caught the attention of the apprentices, who stiffened, bracing for something outrageous.
They instinctively distanced themselves from their peers, fearing unexpected chaos.
“The bad news is… hehehe... hehehehehe…”
In the wizard’s eerie laughter, with the apprentices on edge, the Faceless Mask declared, “We’ll be reaching Black Sotha Wizard Academy on the wizard continent by this evening, so those sailors you captured are probably ‘useless,’ hehehe, hehehehehe… Disappointed?”
Hearing this, nearly all apprentices felt a surge of frustration. If they had enough power, some hot-headed individuals might have charged at the old sorcerer.
However, upon cooling down, they were excited about finally arriving at the wizard academy.
Each apprentice had vowed to themselves to learn powerful sorcery and control their destiny after watching others being tossed into the sea over and over.
The brutal survival battle on the ship for over a month had left an indelible mark on all the apprentices. Yet, through this struggle, the survivors were honed and aware of both the cruelty and value of the path of a wizard. They were destined to go further than others who hadn’t faced such trials.
Throughout the day, the apprentices kept an eager lookout from the deck. As time passed, more ships appeared, and the horizon slowly began to change...
By evening, as the sun set, the bosun expertly anchored the vessel, which had sailed for over two months across the endless sea, at an unfamiliar port. Amidst the uncontrollable excitement of the apprentices, the robes of the Faceless Mask wizard suddenly released countless black crows, gently lifting him into the air.
“Hehehe, little ones, welcome to the great Black Sotha Wizard Academy on the wizard continent!”