HoG - Chapter 21

Chapter 21: Ghoul

Time rewinds slightly.

"Burp~"

A drunken figure stumbles up the wooden ladder from the lower cabin, clambers over the railing in the misty drizzle, closes his eyes, and unbuckles his belt. He begins to relieve himself with a splash.

The air is thick with the scent of alcohol, and it's unclear how much he has imbibed. Obviously, in his stupor, he has forgotten the commandments and hasn't bothered to open his eyes to check the time before ascending to the deck.

Indeed, people of this era generally have a poor sense of hygiene, with many cities essentially being giant cesspools. Even kings who bathe only a handful of times in their lives are not uncommon. If they could, they wouldn't mind relieving themselves right next to their hammocks. 

But on sailing ships, it is absolutely forbidden. Every part of the deck requires meticulous upkeep. When sailors are idle, they are often urged by pirate officers to scrub the decks and apply tung oil to prevent mold, rot, and mushroom growth, which could capsize the ship. Even the powder magazine, with the highest safety requirements, has copper or tin floors laid to prevent sparks.

Anyone who dares to relieve themselves on the deck as they would in the city would find their companions not averse to cutting off their genitals and shoving them into their mouths. Even if he hasn't sobered up by the middle of the night, he is subconsciously avoiding such a terrible fate. Compared to the 'Ten Pirate Commandments,' this is a more deeply ingrained instinct!

Unfortunately...

One of the rule-makers clearly has no intention of forgiving this reckless individual.

Another bright flash of lightning rips through the night sky, casting a silhouette on the tall sterncastle that is not human-like in its stature. It makes the pirate seem petite in comparison.

The shadow moves in a bizarre manner, crawling on the ground and, under the cover of the rainy night, silently approaches the pirate who is pulling up his pants.

Ten steps, seven steps, four steps, one step...

"What's that smell? Which bastard took a dump on the deck?"

The pirate wrinkles his nose, muttering a curse. He has just turned his head when he sees a terrifying "monster" right in front of him. His eyes widen in shock, and the alcohol is immediately scared out of him.

"Help..."

The urgent cry for help hasn't even left his mouth when it is immediately stifled by a pale claw. In the critical moment, he tries to kick the deck to attract his companions' attention. But he is grabbed by a claw as big as a basket, lifting him by the head. The "monster" opens its mouth wide, filled with dagger-like sharp teeth, and bites into his neck.

"Gulp, gulp..."

It swallows the pirate's blood, mixed with alcohol and 'Blood of Transformation,' in large gulps. Due to rapid blood loss, the pirate's vision darkens as he sees the "monster" up close. Originally only 1.5 meters tall and round like a ball, the body has doubled in size, hunched over, with gray skin and sharp claws on the palms and soles of the feet. The two deformed claws still bear dense clusters of gout stones.

The entire body emits a strong smell of decay. Only the face retains some of its original features, especially the pair of blood-red eyes that have turned into vertical pupils!

"Captain...?"

The pirate's faint pleas for mercy were only audible to himself, failing to sway Salman's unyielding will.

"Gulp... I bestow upon you the supernatural, to merge with me. Joyfully embrace your ascension, hehehe..."

The 'Ten Pirate Commandments' symbolized the projection of legal power, bound by the invisible 'Pirate Code.' Few pirate captains dared to openly defy the Pirate Code, risking a severe legal record. However, by enticing crew members to break certain stringent commandments, the captain could justifiably mete out punishment.

It so happened that sailors of the Age of Exploration were infamously unruly, most lacking a sense of rules, especially on the most undisciplined pirate ships. Forgetting the ship's rules and breaking commandments was not uncommon. In this era, harsh penalties for minor offenses were routine on all nations' ships. "cat o' nine tails," "dragging the keel," "walking the plank," "water dragging," "banishment to a deserted island"... were all distinctive inventions of the time.

And on the 'Maneater,' the starting point was the death penalty!

"So it's a ghoul?! No, this must be the price Salman is paying for violating the 'Gourmet's' cannibalism taboo and using forbidden knowledge for so long!"

Hearing the unusual noise, Byron stealthily slipped out of the kitchen. Through a gap in the open deck, left unrepaired after a naval battle, he witnessed everything. Recognizing the ghoul as Salman, Byron couldn't suppress a shiver.

"Truly renouncing humanity?"

To claim he wasn't tempted by the forbidden knowledge of 'Blood Brew,' banned by the church, would be dishonest. 

The soul within him, which had perished from amyotrophic lateral sclerosis and sought freedom and rebellion, was inherently opposed to the cage-like, orderly legal system and the 'Stairway of Glory.'

The abilities of each rank within the sequence were almost predetermined. For instance, while swordsmen's swordsmanship varied, it was certain they wielded swords, not something like a firearm. But the forbidden knowledge outside the sequence was different.

During a fight, one could unexpectedly produce something. Others might anticipate a dagger, only to be confronted with a thick, long rocket launcher, granting an inherent advantage.

Unfortunately, seeing Salman in this state, he also understood that while forbidden knowledge was potent, since it wasn't included in the 'Silver Laws,' one had to endure the consequences of "transgressing one's station."

Diminished rationality and deviation from humanity were common. Other manifestations could include a craving for sweets, bloodlust, gluttony, lust, aversion to light, forgetfulness, jealousy... and so on. This was why the church denounced it as black magic, and most supernaturalists silently concurred. So, was there a way to transcend the original fixed sequence without any side effects, the so-called 'White Magic'? 

The answer was... none!

"Salman is not only becoming more insane in his mind but also appears to be physically transforming into a ghoul. Or perhaps this was his goal! 

The 'Gourmet' grows stronger but suffers from gout; 'Blood Brew' can cure his gout but requires constant cannibalism, which in turn violates the 'Gourmet's' taboo against eating one's own kind...

Repeatedly nesting, caught in a dead loop. But as long as he gives up being human, this contradiction is immediately resolved, simply perfect."

"This pirate probably didn't intend to go on deck himself; he was likely influenced by the blood wine and delivered himself to Salman's mouth.

Worse, due to the assimilation effect of 'Blood of Transformation,' the pirates and sharks he consumes will likely become bloodthirsty secondary ghouls! The only ingredient missing now is the top-grade 'Blood Brew' produced by me, an 'excellent chef.'"

Contemplating this, Byron felt the cookbook with the 'Judgment Inscription' praising the Lord of Gluttony was too perilous to handle. He resolved not to practice it until he understood the side effects. As he pondered, another change occurred on the deck.

Salman, now a ghoul, after draining the pirate's blood and devouring his innards, reverted to human form. His condition was markedly improved from before. He casually discarded the pirate's remains into the sea for the sharks, allowing the residual 'Blood of Transformation' to concentrate again, before striding back to his captain's quarters.

Simultaneously, the decryption rate of the 'Secret: Captain Salman's Unspoken Suffering' leaped to 95%. The overall outline had essentially all surfaced. The remaining details could likely be found in "Bloody Mary's Culinary Recipes." Byron felt he wouldn't need much longer to complete the subsequent interpretation.

Setting aside the matter of the cost, he was somewhat anticipating what new 'entry' this secret would bring him.