008 New era

The wild wind howled, the torrential rain poured down, and the three-masted sailboat undulated between one "mountain peak" of waves and another, as if being thrown and caught by giants like a toy.

Alger Wilson's deep red eyes faded, and he found himself still standing on the deck, no different from before.

Then, he saw the strangely shaped glass bottle in his hand shatter with a crack, the frost melting into water, merging with the raindrops.

In just a few seconds, this ancient oddity completely disappeared without a trace.

A hexagonal crystal snowflake appeared in Alger's palm, then quickly faded until it disappeared, as if it had shrunk into his flesh.

Alger nodded imperceptibly as if pondering something, remaining silent for a full five minutes.

He turned his body and walked towards the entrance of the cabin. Just as he was about to enter, he encountered a man dressed in a robe embroidered with lightning patterns.

The man with soft yellow hair stopped in his tracks, looked at Alger, extended his right hand, and clenched his fist over his chest, saying, "The storm is with you."

"The storm is with you too." Alger's rugged and profound face showed no extra emotion as he reciprocated the gesture, clenching his right fist against his left chest.

After exchanging greetings, Alger entered the cabin and walked towards the captain's room in the distance.

Along the way, he surprisingly did not encounter any sailors or crew members again. It was as quiet as the inside of a tomb.

The door to the captain's room opened, revealing a soft and thick brown carpet in front of him. On both sides were shelves and a wine cabinet, with books with slightly yellowed covers and bottles of dark red wine shimmering under the candlelight.

On the desk where candles were placed, there was a bottle of ink, a quill pen, a black metal telescope, and a brass sextant.

Behind the desk, a middle-aged man wearing a skull captain's hat and a pale face watched Alger step by step with anger in his teeth, saying, "I will not yield!"

"I believe you can." Alger remained calm as if discussing the weather.

"You..." The middle-aged man was momentarily stunned, seemingly not expecting such a response.

At that moment, Alger's body slightly arched forward, suddenly rushing forward, instantly closing the distance between the two to just the desk.

Crack! His shoulder tightened, his right hand suddenly reached out, grabbing the middle-aged man's throat.

Without giving the other a chance to react, scales of illusion appeared on the back of his hand, and his five fingers exerted crazy force.

Crack! With a crisp sound, the middle-aged man's eyes widened in astonishment, his body lifted entirely.

His feet jerked violently, but soon calmed down, his gaze becoming blank, his pupils dilating, and a foul odor emanating from his crotch.

Alger lifted the middle-aged man, bent his waist, stepped forward with his feet, and approached the nearby wall.

Bang! He used the middle-aged man as a shield, fiercely slamming towards the front, his arm as thick as a monster's.

The wooden wall shattered with a sound, and the raging wind and rain swept in with the smell of seawater.

Alger twisted his waist and threw the middle-aged man out of the cabin, throwing him into the mountain-like waves one after another.

The sky was dark, the wind and rain were howling, and the natural force buried everything.

Alger took out a white handkerchief, carefully wiped his right palm, then threw it into the sea as well.

Stepping back a few steps, he patiently waited for his companion to enter.

"What happened?" Less than ten seconds later, the man with soft yellow hair rushed in.

"The 'captain' escaped." Alger gasped, frustrated, "He still retained some extraordinary power!"

"Damn!" The man with yellow hair cursed under his breath.

He came to the breach, gazing into the distance, but apart from the wind and rain, he saw nothing.

"Forget it, he's just an accessory." The man with yellow hair waved his hand, "Finding this ghost ship from the Tudor era, we'll only earn credit."

Even the guardian of the sea would not dare to dive into the water in this weather.

"And if the storm continues, the 'captain' won't last long either." Alger nodded, noticing that the breach in the wooden wall was slowly regenerating before his eyes.

He glanced deeply at it, then subconsciously turned his head to look towards the helm and the position of the sails.

Even though separated by thick wooden planks, he could still clearly know the situation there.

No first mate, no second mate, no crew, no sailors, not even a living soul!

There was nothing there, just the helm and the sails adjusting themselves eerily.

The image of the "Fool" shrouded in gray mist came to mind again, and Alger sighed suddenly.

He turned to look at the raging wind and waves outside, with a dreamy tone of anticipation and fear:

"A new era begins..."

---

In the capital of the Kingdom of Rune, Becland, the Queen's District.

Audrey Hall pinched her cheeks, unable to believe what had just happened.

On the dressing table in front of her, the ancient bronze mirror shattered into pieces.

Lowering her gaze, Audrey saw a "deep red" shimmer on the back of her hand, resembling a starry "tattoo."

The "deep red" gradually dimmed and eventually disappeared into her skin, vanishing without a trace.

It was only at this moment that Audrey confirmed she wasn't dreaming.

Her eyes shimmered, a slight smile crept upon her lips. Unable to contain her excitement, she stood up, gracefully lifting the hem of her skirt.

With a bow to the air, Audrey's steps lightened, and she began to dance the most popular "Ancient Elf Dance" in the court.

Her figure graceful, her face adorned with a radiant smile.

Knock! Knock! The bedroom door suddenly sounded.

"Who is it?" Audrey halted her dance, assuming a refined posture.

"Miss, may I come in? It's time for you to get ready." The maid asked from outside the door.

Audrey turned her head to look at the mirror on the dressing table, quickly concealing her smile, leaving only a faint one.

Glancing left and right, she confirmed her appearance was flawless before gently speaking:

"Please, come in."

Turning the doorknob, her personal maid, Anne, entered.

"Oh, it's broken..." Anne immediately noticed the fate of the ancient bronze mirror.

Audrey blinked, speaking slowly:

"Um, yes, uh, Suzie came in earlier, you know, she always enjoys wreaking havoc!"

Suzie was a golden retriever of somewhat mixed lineage, a gift obtained by her father, the Earl Hall, when purchasing a foxhound. But Audrey adored her nonetheless.

"You should teach her a lesson." Anne carefully collected the fragments of the bronze mirror, afraid of injuring her mistress.

After tidying up, she looked at Audrey, smiling inquiringly:

"Which dress would you like to wear?"

Audrey pondered slightly: "I like the one Mrs. Ginny designed for my seventeenth birthday."

"No, dear. People might gossip about the Hall family facing financial troubles if

 they see you wearing the same dress more than once." Anne kindly reminded her.

Audrey's eyes darkened, unable to refute Anne's words.

"Then, let's pick a new one." Audrey said helplessly.

Anne nodded with satisfaction and walked to the wardrobe.

The wardrobe was full of dresses of different styles, colors, and fabrics, all of which were meticulously tailored.

After picking out three options, Anne turned her head and asked:

"Miss, shall I help you prepare?"

Audrey nodded slightly, turning her head to face the landscape painting on the wall.

In the painting, a pair of young lovers stood side by side, holding hands, facing the sunset together.

Their faces were peaceful, their eyes filled with longing, as if they were expecting a bright future.

Audrey's heart trembled slightly, and a trace of emotion flashed in her clear eyes.

"From today onwards, everything will be different." She whispered to herself.