Chapter 111: Blood Magic Has Other Uses As Well

Swish, swish, swish—

Pop, pop, pop—

Duh, duh, duh—

Despite Viserys and the others refusing to halt their ship, the pirate speedboats chasing them began launching arrows. However, the poor lighting made visibility abysmal, causing most arrows to miss their mark and splash into the water. A few struck the ship, injuring only three or five crew members. But in the darkness of night, the number of casualties remained uncertain to most.

Under the pressure of the assault, everyone rowed with all their might. Some even grabbed whatever they could find to help row, but the effect was minimal.

"Uh-oh..." Suddenly, another crew member was hit by an arrow, prompting those around him to duck in fear. With fewer people rowing, their speed couldn't improve.

"Lord Viserys!" Viserys turned to see Gerrold Redback approaching. He wanted to demand why the rescue hadn't arrived yet, but instead, he bowed his head and whispered urgently to the owl, "Dany! Wake up! Dany! Wake up!" Yet, as the speedboat behind them drew closer, Dany's owl remained unresponsive.

He knew that if he abandoned the crew and escaped, he would likely survive—he could hold his breath underwater for nearly an hour. But doing so would render their entire mission futile, and Windblown would be unable to return. Moreover, he couldn't bring himself to abandon the people who had risked their lives alongside him.

Just then, a ship approached from the front, a round, shiny object visible on its bow. As it neared, they realized it was Regis. Never had they been so relieved to see that bald head!

The sight of the approaching ship lifted everyone's spirits. The pursuing speedboats also noticed, slowing down temporarily. Regis and his crew maneuvered their ship between Viserys and the pursuers, providing cover with a volley of arrows.

"Hurry, hurry, hurry! Get on board!" The crew on Regis' ship even threw down ropes to help them board faster. Viserys and his men exerted every ounce of strength to scramble onto the ship.

Thump—splat—

"Ouch!" A mercenary's stolen scepter fell from his waist, striking the head of the man below before splashing into the sea.

"My scepter!"

"Scepter my ass! Get up here, or I'll stab you myself!" Despite the chaos, some still couldn't resist the lure of wealth. Watching a scepter worth at least 3,000 gold dragons, studded with precious gems, sink into the sea broke the mercenary's heart.

Finally, as the last of them climbed aboard, the pirates in pursuit realized what had happened. They shouted orders: "Hurry! Tell the crew on the ship wall to block the passage!"

One of the pirates grabbed a cow's horn from his belt and blew it with all his might. In response to the horn's call, the ship wall began to close, with several flashes of fire illuminating the narrowing passage.

"Charge! Accelerate and break through!" The crew on the ship stared anxiously at the narrowing exit. As they approached, it became clear that there was no room left to pass.

"Ram it! Smash through!" Viserys roared, and the ship shuddered violently. For a moment, it felt as if the vessel might tear apart—railings splintered, the deck buckled, and a terrifying crack echoed through the hull, threatening to destroy them all.

But miraculously, the main body of the ship held together, and they managed to escape the closing ship wall at the last moment. As Orange Shore Bay receded into the distance, a wave of relief washed over everyone.

"We made it!"

"Ahahaha..."

"Woo-hoo~~~"

The crew erupted in cheers, especially Caggo and the others who had accompanied Viserys on the pirate raid. The loot they had seized far exceeded their expectations. Even if they had returned empty-handed, the heads of their enemies alone would have ensured a life of luxury for a long time.

Above them, a few crows circled in the night sky, their beady eyes fixed on Viserys's ship as if intent on following it. But suddenly, a piercing cry cut through the darkness, scattering the crows in all directions. Viserys guessed they were likely Euron's crows.

He was astonished that Euron could control an entire flock of crows simultaneously. Yet, under the threat of a golden eagle, the crows fled as if their lives depended on it.

Having dealt with the pursuers, Viserys didn't join in the celebration. Instead, he made sure they were safe before heading to Dany's quarters. There, he found her convulsing in Kyla's arms. Her delicate features were twisted in agony, as though she were enduring some inhuman torture. Her once translucent, delicate skin had turned a ghastly blue, and her tightly shut eyes and furrowed brows made Viserys's heart ache. If only Euron had been more useful and handed over the blood magic earlier, this might have been avoided.

After gently distracting Kyla, Viserys quickly began practicing the blood magic Euron had taught him. He cut his wrist, allowing the blood to flow as he chanted the incantation. Though he didn't lose much blood, Viserys felt his vitality draining rapidly, as if his very essence was being siphoned away.

When he checked his status panel, he saw that his Spirit, Health, and Constitution were all declining rapidly. By the time the spell was complete, he had lost nearly 40 points in these attributes, with his Health plummeting from 100 to 69. But he wasn't too concerned; he still had plenty of Assignable Points.

The blood in the small bowl seemed to be drawn by an unseen force, every drop entering Dany's mouth. The thick blood didn't even cling to the bottom of the bowl but flowed as easily as water. As Viserys's blood entered her, Dany's expression gradually relaxed. After a while, she drifted into a deep sleep, her pallor replaced by a healthy flush. Satisfied that her breathing had steadied, Viserys finally felt a sense of relief.

Suddenly, a thought struck him: 'With these skills, I'm basically a healer, aren't I? This is literally blood restoration.'

He pondered further. 'Could blood magic also work on dragon eggs?' He remembered that in the original story, dragons were hatched with the help of blood magic—or perhaps it transformed the fossilized dragon eggs. Could he use this magic to nourish the eggs now? After all, the Mother of Dragons hatched her dragons long after the Red Comet. Maybe he could accelerate the hatching process.

Feeling revitalized, Viserys used the points he had accumulated, boosting all three attributes back to over 90. The surge of energy made him feel much stronger.

The next morning, the crew gathered on the deck to divide their loot. Under Caggo's watchful eye, no one dared to keep any for themselves. One pile was reserved for the heads of the pirates, and the other for the treasury.

Jorah eagerly presented his calculations to Viserys.

"Prince Viserys, we've captured 163 treasures and taken 42 pirate heads. If we sell these heads in Volantis at the listed bounty prices, we'll earn 170,000 gold dragons!"

Jorah had been a mercenary and slave trader on the continent of Essos for many years, but he had never seen such wealth. If he had, perhaps his wife wouldn't have run off with another man. As for the 100+ treasures, Jorah didn't recognize some of them, but he estimated their total value at no less than 400,000 gold dragons.

"Let's go have a look," Viserys said. As he stepped onto the deck, he saw the crew gathered around the loot, pointing and talking excitedly, with some even drooling over the riches. It was said that Caggo had gone around to check everyone the previous night to ensure no one was hiding anything before heading to bed.

"Lord Viserys is here!"

"The sergeant has arrived!"

When Viserys appeared, shouts of recognition echoed across the deck. It was clear to everyone that he alone had the authority to distribute the spoils. He cast a glance at Caggo, Webber, Redback Gerrold, Black Gerrold, Regis, and the other mercenaries who had accompanied him on the raid. Then, he looked over at the mercenaries standing at a distance, whose only task had been to pick them up after the raid.

Under the expectant gazes of the crowd, Viserys declared, "For the brothers responsible for picking us up, each of you will receive an additional 300 gold dragons!"

"Oh..."

"Long live Viserys! Long live Viserys!"

Cheers erupted across the ship, startling the seagulls perched on the mast into flight. For the ordinary mercenaries, 500 gold dragons was the equivalent of one or two years' pay—maybe even two or three years! With that kind of money, they could live comfortably for quite some time.

But then Viserys made an even more generous and extravagant decision. He addressed the crowd, "My brothers who joined me on the island, go pick something from the treasure pile!" The cheers grew even louder. None of these treasures were worth less than 1,000 gold dragons!

"Long live Viserys!"

"Long live Viserys!"

"Long live Viserys!"

As soon as Viserys finished speaking, the men who had participated in the raid eagerly stepped forward to choose their share. Despite the excitement, everyone was tactful and avoided taking the half-meter-tall coral, valued at around 10,000 gold dragons. It was rumored that the coral had originally been a meter tall, but someone had broken it off for easier transport. Given the circumstances at the time, they hadn't had the luxury to be more careful.

Viserys estimated that this haul would bring in nearly 400,000 gold dragons, enough to build an army of about 2,000 men.

"First, we'll head to Volantis, exchange these pirate heads for cash, and then enjoy ourselves! All expenses are on me!" The mercenaries erupted into near madness, their cheers reaching a fever pitch. It seemed they could hardly say anything other than "Long live Viserys."

Jorah, standing nearby, was stunned. Viserys had just committed to spending over a hundred thousand gold dragons without so much as a blink. It was... astounding. Viserys's lavishness reminded Jorah of his own extravagant wife. Then again, she had never been quite like this—more like Robert Baratheon. But while Robert had drained the national treasury, Viserys was spending money he had earned himself.