Chapter 229

Chapter 229 Crocodile and Plover Bird

Zhang Heng managed to talk to Betty for a short while during the storm . She told him the similar story she told Seth . Betty claimed she was an ancient Celtic God, and had the power to protect all sailors out at sea . She would grant her followers the power of controlling storms . This power, however, was limited for now, and Zhang Heng could only use it once a month .

According to Betty, the world had almost forgotten her name . If Zhang Heng could recruit more disciples for her, she would eventually be powerful enough to grant Zhang Heng more abilities . Once she was restored to her pinnacle, she would be able to make Zhang Heng the lord of the ocean . In order for it to come true, the goddess would need millions of disciples . This was why she targeted Zhang Heng all the while after noticing his extraordinary leadership skills .

However, Zhang Heng didn’t answer her on the spot . He knew that he would only be only in this world for another decade . It would be pointless even if he became king of the ocean . Aside from that, what Betty said reminded him about the Moresby, the monster that escaped from Papua New Guinea .

According to that older man, that thing was a sacred totem worshipped by one of the Papuan tribes . Along with the extinction of the Alkiz tribe, Moresby had to stick himself into a short time loop . When it emerged, it had significantly weakened .

After talking to Betty, Zhang Heng discovered that all supernatural entities were actually facing the survival problem as well . As compared to humans, their situation was on the verge of collapse .

Thanks to that, he didn’t wholeheartedly believe what Betty told him . Since she would cease to exist real soon, the promises she made were questionable . Besides, Zhang Heng still couldn’t figure out what happened to the carrack . In no way would he place all his faith in this mysterious being . Be it as it may, he still managed to extract useful information from their conversation .

Whether it was Moresby or Betty, their powers had everything to do with the number of disciples they had . It seemed as if they were afraid of being forgotten by the world . When Zhang Heng was a kid, he heard countless stories about gods . Regardless of where the mythology originated from, gods were always perceived as mighty and powerful beings . They created the world and humans, and they could do anything they want . Right now, Zhang Heng understood that gods and humans actually shared a mutual relationship . Just like the crocodile and the plover bird, the sea anemone and hermit crab .

Zhang Heng wasn’t sure if his metaphor was suitable to describe the ancient gods’ current state of affairs . This evening, he could watch the sunset on the beach . It had nothing to do with any previous occurrence whatsoever . In retrospect, he realized that he had been in this world for almost two years now, and was getting increasingly comfortable with his current life . Memories of his real-life strayed further and further away from him .

As he gazed at the crimson sunset, faint wisps of memories from the real world drifted through Zhang Heng’s mind . Perhaps that was the only thing that remained unchanged throughout three hundred years . Nonetheless, despite being homesick, he didn’t dwell too long in his nostalgia and longingness . He pulled himself back to where he was and finished the wine with Anne . As the sun descended into the horizons, the two strolled back to base camp .

“I’m not sure if Anne’s told you about the progress of our repairs . We are nearing completion! If it all works out, I think we can set sail tomorrow afternoon,” Billy said as he ran towards Zhang Heng .

“Everyone has worked very hard for this . Let’s take half a day off after it’s done . We need to rest well and prepare for our next battle . We will depart to Parrot Island day after tomorrow . ”

Billy was cool with the idea . After he left, it was Dufresne’s turn to look for Zhang Heng . He gave the situation report to the captain .

“The food and water problem is solved for now . We have enough for another month and a half . However, since we are heading to Parrot Island to get the rest of the pirates, I’ve hidden the rest of the rations inside a cave west of the beach . By leaving the extra bulk here, our ship will sail faster during critical situations . We can always come back if we need them urgently . After all, it’s only a day from Parrot Island . ”

“Good job . ” said the captain .

Dusfresne wasnt finished and continued,

“As for our ammunition, we have been through several fierce battles, and we have spent a lot . We still have some for our twenty-four-pound cannons . We got some from Miranda as well . ”

“Worst come to worst, we can always replace the twenty-four-pound cannons with the twelve-pound cannons . ”

“Actually, I’m not worried about the number of cannonballs we have . I’m worried about the gunpowder . Miranda didn’t do a good job of keeping their gunpowder away from getting wet . When we fought with them, most of their gunpowder barrels were opened . We managed to salvage some of it . I opened up two to see if they were any good . After I looked at it twice, I found it badly affected by moisture . ”

“Do you think our gunpowder is enough for the next battle?”

“It’s enough for seven or eight rounds, sir . ”

These figures were acceptable for Zhang Heng . Seven shots should be enough to end a battle . However, that meant they couldn’t afford to make a single error . Everything was ready, and they had no reason to give up on the mission . Once Jackdaw was wholly fixed, it would be strong enough to handle a battle . Even if the enemy was more robust than them, Zhang Heng could still choose to run away . Ever since his sailing skill had increased to Lv . 3, he felt confident about his seamanship .

Whether it was for the five thousand pounds of gold bars, or to save the pirates marooned on the island, or even for vengeance, this battle was inevitable .

“Don’t worry . We will defeat them with seven rounds,” said Zhang Heng while patting Dufresne’s shoulder .

“Yes, captain . ”

Dufresne didn’t want to return to Nassau empty-handed as well . His job was done, and he reported the current situation to Zhang Heng . Now, he would wait for the captain to make the call .

The night went by peacefully .

On the second day, the pirates were done fixing Jackdaw, launching it back to sea over a bed of rolling logs . The moment she hit the water, cheers erupted when they saw the vessel bestowed to her former glory . All that effort hadn’t been wasted after all . Not only had all the holes and cracks been fixed, but they even employed extra materials cannibalized from Miranda’s wreck . Blending hard work with a bit of scrap, they managed to greatly fortify the ship .

Jackdaw was now ready for the next battle .