chsdbacks Chapter 33 Loans
Chapter 33 Loans
When Mr. Victor flew back for the third time, the two people he was holding in his claws were bound by silver-gray spiritual threads.
The raven flew over the deck, loosened its claws, and its two bodies slammed onto the wooden planks.
"Five in total, all of them are here." The raven landed on the gunwale.
Kingsley crouched down and examined each of their eyelids and necks: "They're all unconscious."
Captain Campbell didn't speak. He stood a few meters away, his hand still on the hilt of his sword, his knuckles already white.
Hans and several night watchmen stood on the ship's side, and some of the crew members who were closer also saw what was happening. Their expressions were a mixture of awe and disbelief.
The raven hopped off the ship's side, its black claws making a soft "tap" sound as they landed on the deck.
The black spiritual glow receded like the tide, revealing the original gold beneath.
It began to change—its feathers folded together, its body lengthened, and its mottled black feathers faded from its surface, revealing the skin and clothing underneath.
The whole process took less than two seconds.
Viktor Zaitsev stood on the deck, his shirt sleeves rolled up to his forearms, his hair slightly disheveled by the sea breeze.
"Little Fafnir, please give me the clothes."
Fafnir, carrying the priest's robe, quickly walked over and handed it to him.
Mr. Victor bent down to take the black bishop's robe, shook it, and draped it over his arm.
"Thank you," Victor said, turning to Captain Campbell instead of immediately putting on the clothes. "That ship isn't currently in the international shipping lanes; it's about fifteen nautical miles from the Holy Land's territorial waters."
There were also more than thirty ordinary crew members on board; they were not superhumans.
Captain Campbell, thank you for your help.
Captain Campbell nodded: "Yes, Bishop Zaitsev, we will immediately sail the ship there according to the spiritual markings you left on the materials."
Kingsley crouched down and began examining the pockets and clothing of the five men.
He first used his spiritual vision to carefully observe the area, and then pulled out a metal badge from the bald man's inner lining.
"The Narns Empire Intelligence Agency," Kingsley flipped the badge over, revealing a serial number and a soaring eagle on the back. "These people are no ordinary smugglers."
Mr. Victor did not show any surprise.
"By the way, little Fafnir," Mr. Victor said, "did you see the spell just now?"
Fafnir nodded.
"Did you see it clearly?"
Fafner hesitated for a moment, then nodded.
He did indeed see clearly Mr. Victor transform into a raven, his spiritual radiance changing from gold to pure black, withdrawing from the material world, entering the spirit world, and then disappearing.
"Hmm...would you like to give it a try?" Victor asked.
Fafnir was surprised, but also felt a little expectant.
"I'm not telling you to turn into a raven," Mr. Victor smiled, walked up to him, and looked down at him.
"Little Fafnir, you still have a long way to go, but you can try to sense the spiritual structure of third-tier magic, which will benefit you in the future."
Victor raised his right hand, palm up.
A spiritual energy emanated from him, a stable and continuous rhythm.
"The third-tier spell 'Spirit Realm Barrier'," Mr. Victor said.
"The simplest third-tier spell has no offensive capabilities; it simply creates a spiritual barrier around the body, but it is far more complex than a first-tier spell."
Silvery-white spiritual threads spread from Victor's palm and began to weave in the air.
Fafner stared at the threads, trying to discern their intertwined patterns.
One layer, two layers, three layers... Each layer of runes has a different structure, nested and intertwined.
Victor's voice came from the side: "The total amount of spiritual energy is insufficient; it can't even fill the first layer of runes."
Fafnir nodded; he could sense the sheer size of the structure.
If the runes of the Fireball spell are a flower bud, then this "spirit barrier" is like a tree, with roots, trunk, branches, and leaves—each part requires a large amount of spiritual energy to fill and maintain.
Fafnir took a deep breath; he simply couldn't remember such a complex spell structure.
However, at that moment, he felt a slight warmth between his brows.
Something deep within his consciousness was touched.
Fafner didn't show it; he stood calmly in place, seemingly only nodding thoughtfully.
But deep in his mind, the panel made up of discarded ledgers had already surfaced automatically.
The pages of the ledger are turning, and the text on them is changing and rearranging.
Fafner watched as the text rearranged, and a new line appeared at the bottom of the panel.
"Special: Spirit Barrier (Tier 3) (Loanable) (1/1)"
There is an even smaller line of text below:
"Creditor: Viktor Zaitsev."
Status of claim: Exercisable once.
Fafnir's breath caught in his throat for a moment.
He quickly glanced at the rest of the panel; nothing had changed. Only this one line had been added at the very bottom.
"Available for lending"
The third-tier spell that Mr. Victor demonstrated was recorded in the ledger, becoming something he could "borrow."
It's not about learning, it's about borrowing.
Although it only happened once.
Fafner looked up from the ledger in his mind and looked up at Mr. Victor.
Mr. Victor's gaze had left Fafnir; he was turning to Kingsley and speaking softly. Fafnir only caught a few words—"Go back for further questioning," "Detain him in the inspection team for now," "Don't alert too many people."
The wind picked up on deck, causing the ship to rock slightly. The sailors busied themselves, some pulling in the mooring lines, others adjusting the sails.
Captain Campbell shouted a few orders from the command hatch, and the crew quickened their pace.
The bow of the "Anvil" slowly turned due east, its destination the smuggling ship.
Five people, bound like dumplings, were carried into the cabin, one by Hans and one by Gregory.
Fafnir wanted to help, but after looking at the size difference between himself and the others, he gave up the idea.
Victor put on his brand-new bishop's robe and stood at the bow of the ship facing the sea, the wind making the hem of his robe flutter.
Fafnir walked over and stood beside him. The two were silent for a while, with only the sounds of the wind and the waves.
“Mr. Victor,” Fafnir began, “you said that the simplest third-tier spell was much more complex than a first-tier spell.”
"Yes."
"And what about you, the one who turned into a raven?"
Victor glanced at him sideways and chuckled, "Haha, that? That's my specialty, not easy to imitate."
However, Fafnir, I believe you can learn it, certainly not now.
Mr. Victor didn't say anything more and turned back to look at the sea.
Deep in Fafnir's mind, the ledger remained on that page, the small words "Available for Lending" quietly displayed.