Horizon of Glory
"The Annals of Exploration and Empires," Book III, Chapter XVII, Page 211 In the annals of history, few epochs have been as rife with the promise of adventure and the peril of the unknown as the Age of Discovery. It was a time when the very fabric of the world was being stretched, its edges frayed by the bold hands of explorers and conquerors. Among these intrepid souls, one name, has been etched into the annals of legends. The Wars of the Roses, a conflagration that had consumed the heart of empires and forged kings from the crucible of blood and fire, had at last given way to an uneasy peace. It was in this aftermath, amidst the smoldering ruins of a world reshaped by conflict, that Byron's journey began. Armed with a relic of untold power, the "Navigation Logbook," he set forth into the uncharted waters of the world, where the mundane and the magical intertwined in an intricate dance. The high seas, a vast and uncharted canvas, stretched before him, a horizon that whispered of untold riches and the promise of peril. Great ships, their sails billowing like the wings of colossal birds, traversed these waters, their cannons thundering a challenge to the very gods of the deep. It was an age of ambition, a testament to the unyielding spirit of mankind's quest for dominion over the unknown. Beneath the waves, ancient beings from epochs long past slumbered, their legends carried on the creaking timbers of ships and the roar of cannons. Byron, undaunted by the shadows that lurked beneath the waves or the tempests that raged above, carved out a kingdom from the chaos that enveloped the world. His fleet, a specter of doom, became a symbol of his indomitable will, a force that would not be challenged lightly. This is a saga, a tale woven from the threads of history and magic, adventure and power, and the eternal quest for glory. It is a narrative that compels the heart and captures the imagination, a story that resonates through the ages, a reminder of the heights to which humanity can aspire when driven by the winds of ambition and the tides of destiny. Let this account, penned by the hands of the most esteemed historians and literature masters, serve as a beacon for those who seek to embark upon their own voyages of discovery. For within the pages of this epic tale lies the essence of the human spirit, a spirit that seeks, that conquers, and that endures.
HoG - Chapter 20
Chapter 20: Blood of Transformation
The rustling sound of the sea breeze had ceased, and in its place, a gentle drizzle began to fall under the thick blanket of darkness.
With a significant number of crew members missing, the living conditions aboard the ship had become noticeably more spacious.
Thanks to his role as a chef, Byron had the luxury of the entire kitchen to himself, spared from the stench of the pirates' body odor and the need to squeeze into hammocks on the lower deck with them.
Around 2 a.m., as the rest of the ship slumbered peacefully,
Byron, who had been lying on a small bed tucked away in a corner of the kitchen, suddenly opened his eyes and rose silently to his feet.
With his internal clock anchored by the 'Silver Laws,' his sense of time was even more precise than the finest maritime chronometer.
He ensured that all doors and windows were securely closed, lit a whale oil lamp on the table, and sat back on the bed, retrieving "Bloody Mary's Culinary Recipes."
"The 'Navigation Log' was right.
The moment I set foot on the 'Maneater,' the 'Secret: Captain Salman's Unspoken Suffering' began to unravel.
Historical influence of 4%, affecting the life and death of everyone on the ship!
It appears that the man-eating sharks in the sea and the pirates who imbibe the blood wine are all part of this crisis.
The source is this cookbook, harboring 'Forbidden Knowledge.'"
Byron gently caressed the cookbook's cover, which felt disturbingly like human skin and inexplicably stirred a strong appetite. He recalled the knowledge about oddities stored in his mind.
"In this world, oddities come in many forms, most of which are meticulously crafted by 'Craftsmen' from the Tower sequence.
A small number, however, are born naturally through some unknown principle.
For instance, the malevolent 'Cursed Objects' that arise from large-scale casualties, and the 'Relics' that lean towards the positive, embodying a significant history or heroic deed.
Moreover, naturally occurring oddities are often more potent than those created later.
The English Fleet possesses a famous relic, the 'World's First Matchlock Gun.'
It embodies the power of weapon transformation in the historical trend, more formidable than a third-tier mid-sequence supernaturalist."
"However, not only are they rare, but most of them also possess self-concealing characteristics, and only by meeting specific conditions can one harness their strength.
Naturally occurring 'Relics' are rare and can be set aside for now.
Once a regular oddity is crafted, it is inscribed with its 'Judgment Inscription' by the 'Craftsman' or its first owner.
The simplest method is to recite this inscription."
With the 'Navigation Log' as his guide, Byron, who excelled at uncovering secrets, was confident he could turn the mad captain's plan against him.
He casually opened the thick tome, and on each page, a recipe was written in the common language.
The first page was "Stuffed Dormouse":
Fill the dormouse with a mixture of pork and dormouse meat, crush pepper, nuts, herbs, and mix with broth to marinate.
Stuff the marinated dormouse into a ceramic baking dish, bake in the oven, and then simmer in a soup pot.
Further on, there were recipes he had already seen, such as porpoise pudding, pickled auk, herring in a can, pig's blood chocolate, and Grand's stinky shark jerky...
There was no fixed cuisine, ranging from the southern to the northern seas, as if it were a compilation from dozens of different chefs.
In short, this was a recipe book with a distinctive flavor.
Just reading the text descriptions made one feel unclean.
But Byron knew that these recipes were merely superficial, and the common language could not convey 'Forbidden Knowledge.'
Taking a deep breath, he actively invoked 'Echoes of History' on the oddity.
His deep blue eyes, as profound as the sea, suddenly shimmered with a spiritual light that enveloped the entire cookbook like water waves.
Buzz—!
With a faint hum, Byron felt his 'Spirituality' drain rapidly, leaving him with a sense of emptiness.
After a moment of discomfort, he shook his slightly dizzy head.
Using the ancient supernatural language, Runes, he enunciated the prompt that appeared in the 'Navigation Log':
"Praise the Lord of Gluttony."
It was also the 'Judgment Inscription' to activate "Bloody Mary's Culinary Recipes"!
The book-shaped oddity exuded a bloody aura from within, and the material, already resembling human skin, revealed its true nature.
It was indeed a book made of human skin.
Besides the title, the lower right corner of the cover also displayed a line of gold-embossed inscriptions that seemed to claw at the air—the Lord of Gluttony.
The common language text on the pages gradually faded away, replaced by Runes and illustrations.
At the same time, the 'Navigation Log' finally disclosed some information about the oddity.
["Bloody Mary's Culinary Recipes
Ability: When a devoted culinary artist reads the recipes and acquires the corresponding knowledge, the cookbook will also read and extract recipes from the reader's memory.
When all the culinary knowledge in the reader's memory is depleted, they will become sustenance for the cookbook, brewed into 'Blood Brew' with magical properties.
The more skilled the chef, the slower they will be drained by the cookbook, but the brewed 'Blood Brew' will also be more delicious and potent!
Without knowing the 'Judgment Inscription,' one can only read ordinary recipes; reciting the 'Judgment Inscription' is necessary to access the forbidden knowledge.
Note: Supernaturalists below the mid-sequence cannot resist this effect.
But! Great captain, what's the difference between this and getting something for nothing?"]
"Now I understand why those chefs vanished.
Salman's intention in giving away the cookbook was this.
—To continuously feed chefs to the cookbook to brew 'Blood Brew'!"
Byron's gaze merely skimmed the 'Navigation Log' before settling on the Runes that materialized in the cookbook.
"Compared to the cookbook's abilities, the 'Forbidden Knowledge' recorded within is the most valuable."
With Byron's expertise, he easily discerned that the text described recipes for mixing cocktails with supernatural blood and various ingredients: 'Blood Brew.'
It could also be translated as 'Art Brew.'
If one mastered the forbidden knowledge in this book, they could independently concoct over a hundred types of 'cocktails.'
Unlike 'Blood Eye' Salman, who, ignorant of the key, could only use the cookbook's abilities to brew chefs into a single variety.
Byron simply offered a "Seaweed and Egg Drop Soup" recipe from his memory to unlock the recipe—'Blood of Transformation.'
Ingredients: Flesh and soul of a sentient being.
Effect: Homogeneous transformation, with different directions of transformation depending on the ingredients.
Byron immediately connected the various bizarre occurrences he had witnessed on the ship:
"Transformation can be translated as: metamorphosis, replacement.
In other words, using this on 'Gourmet' Salman himself could serve as a nourishing 'main course' of his own kind.
If used on others, it can transform other beings, from soul to flesh, into his likeness.
The controlled man-eating sharks and the pirates who aspire to become supernatural beings are all like this!
All talk of 'Battle Blood' is a lie.
In the end, Salman only needs to conduct another ritual to disregard the 'Silver Laws' and the various human taboos."
Suddenly, his ears twitched, and he heard an unusual commotion from above.
It was a very brief cry for help, followed by... the struggle of the dying!
"Something's amiss!"
Byron instinctively grabbed his shortsword, ready to dash out of the kitchen.
But then he remembered Old Hans' warning not to break the rules, and he halted his steps.
One of the 'Ten Pirate Commandments' was "Rule Three: It is strictly forbidden to go on deck between two and four o'clock."
More crucially,
Byron, who had recently subjected a gout patient to an onslaught of purines, was acutely aware that the most severe gout attacks typically occur between 2 a.m. and 4 a.m.