Twelve Zodiac Star Disc.

The shimmering stars lit up half the sky, and on the grand high-backed chairs, figures began to appear one by one: the supreme Mr. Cancer, the elegant Miss Aries, the composed Mr. Taurus, and the lagging Gemini and Leo.

Christian was the first to arrive, so he observed particularly clearly. Gemini and Leo really hadn’t made any progress at all; their Life Stars remained stagnant. As secretive practitioners, what were these two doing all day long?

… Miss Aries seemed a bit melancholic, which touched Christian’s heart slightly. Had she encountered some difficulty?

Estella smiled faintly, “It’s wonderful to see everyone again. Mr. Leo, has your predicament improved?”

Batty quickly stood up and respectfully replied, “Thank you for your concern, Miss Aries, it’s much better.”

“That’s good. You’ll gradually get used to it. Our Round Table Conference is like a big family,” Cantona said with a smile. “Recently, I’ve encountered a difficult problem and would like to seek your advice.”

“Please go ahead, Mr. Taurus,” said Li Xin.

“I’ve recently been on a sea mission, which was supposed to be completed in about a week, but we encountered a storm and deviated from the course. Now I don’t know where we are,” Cantona said with a wry smile.

Many of his abilities and experiences on land couldn’t be applied; it was indeed like crying out for help to the heavens but getting no response, “But the problem is that a curse seems to have appeared on the ship.”

Christian frowned. He was the kind who wouldn’t care about such technical tasks, “Didn’t you find a reliable captain?”

“The mission is quite secretive, the captain is one of us and has some sea experience…”

“Then it’s a matter of inadequate capability; the more important the mission, the more you can’t skimp on preparation,” Christian said. Watching the seemingly steady Mr. Taurus, but he was not steady at all.

Mr. Taurus could only smile wryly. He knew Mr. Cancer meant no harm, but the ability to sprinkle salt on wounds came naturally to him; he regretted not finding an experienced captain.

“Mr. Taurus, what’s the situation with the curse? I can ask someone about it,” Estella asked.

“Some people lose their sight entirely at night,” Cantona said. As someone from the mainland, this sea expedition had taken a toll on him, though fortunately, he was physically robust.

Everyone was stunned at losing sight; it’s no small matter. “Do you have any other impressions? Was it some sea creature, or is there something wrong with the ship?”

“There wouldn’t be any problems on the ship, everyone is one of us, absolutely loyal and reliable. As for sea creatures, we’ve encountered and already slain them. They didn’t seem to possess cursing abilities, and we have a priest who hasn’t sensed any sinister power,” Cantona said.

The unknown is the most stressful. Their mission this time was to find the treasure map. If they were wiped out, the consequences would be unimaginable.

“Mr. Taurus, what do you eat aboard your ship?” Li Xin asked.

“Food? We’re running low on freshwater, still a dozen barrels of rum, bread, jerky, and we catch fish. That’s about all. Are you suggesting someone poisoned the food?” Cantona asked.

“Mr. Taurus, it might not be a curse,” Li Xin speculated. “In the absence of a distinct hidden power, the problem might lie in the food. Our bodies require something that must be obtained from vegetables, fruits, or tea— if severely deficient, it leads to a condition called scurvy, which is quite fatal at sea, causing blindness and more severe symptoms, even death. Not knowing the cause can lead to chaos and panic.”

Cantona was taken aback, “What should we do then?”

“First, you must find land for supplies,” Li Xin said. “Additionally, Mr. Taurus, I once had a long sea voyage with harsh conditions, but the captain made sure we had tea and oranges ready. I’m not sure if that’s common knowledge on your end.”

When he traveled from the Celestial Capital to Hedan, the ship’s conditions were also harsh, but they did have tea leaves and oranges ready. Although people of this era didn’t know the reasons behind it, they must have found methods through experience.

Upon hearing this, a vague realization dawned on Cantona, his face changed.

“If Mr. Gemini is accurate, Mr. Taurus, you must be careful. A captain not knowing even this isn’t competent at all; you can’t overly rely on your capability; sometimes speaking truthfully is even more dangerous,” Christian stated, capability could make one overconfident, or perhaps Mr. Taurus’s capabilities weren’t as impressive as he claimed.

Flashes of memory kept flickering through Cantona’s mind. He had an excellent memory, realizing there were no fruits from the start on the ship, and vegetables were very scarce. The captain mentioned they spoil easily. Since water and hunger-sating food are the priority on sea voyages, he even specifically explained the necessity of bringing alcohol. It can be used as water at sea, helps calm emotions, and has a longer shelf life; at that time, everyone thought he was very professional.

Before defecting from the Nether God Church, he was in a high position and quite adept at discerning lies, not much inferior to his capabilities. It’s just partially his trust and the fact that what was said seemed to be true, he didn’t think much of it.

They didn’t consider tea leaves at all; the captain had some experience in this area. He once unintentionally smelled a hint of tea leaves in the captain’s room. After spending a long time at sea, where everything is fishy, even a faint tea scent can be noticeable.

He found it strange at the time but didn’t pay much attention, since he had no knowledge in this aspect and wouldn’t think further.

Common knowledge?

Cantona found it hard to determine if this wasn’t common knowledge. Different countries, different seas, maybe the experiences of seafarers vary, but for only him to have tea while everyone else didn’t felt too coincidental. In Cantona’s life experiences, such coincidences were never accidental.

Considering the captain’s recent behavior and signs, Cantona shivered. For this expedition, the Death Church had sent a strong lineup, experts from various abilities within the church. No matter if it was poisoning or hidden powers, they couldn’t execute anything without leaving a trace. Weren’t they all people who climbed out of piles of dead bodies? But there was one thing: they were all landlubbers. Fortunately, he was a member of the Round Table Conference.

Cantona stood up, took a deep breath, “Thank you, Mr. Gemini! Everyone, I need to leave to handle something first.”

At that moment, Cantona’s voice carried a chilling murderous intent. Mr. Taurus was no Mr. Nice Guy.

After speaking, Cantona leaned back, his silhouette disappearing from the chair, and when he woke again, he was already back in his cabin, with tempestuous waves roaring outside in a dusky world. They had been swept into uncharted seas by the storm. Humans, even the secretive ones, were but ants faced with the vast sea. Combined with the “curse”, the dauntless experts from the mainland were now all in low spirits.

Among the personnel in action, some had completely lost their vision, while others were weakened, vomiting, and other ailments, likely the condition Mr. Gemini spoke of.

The captain must have a problem; he was just waiting for the right moment to act. He didn’t move probably because he himself wasn’t blind yet.

Looking out at the dark, chilling sky, Cantona lit the last half of his cigar…

Source: Webnovel.com, updated by NovelKeep