Chapter 47: The Colossal Eye

Reshune’s shrill, anguished scream still echoed in Lin Wei’s ears.

“If you plot against me, then naturally you can’t blame me for betraying you... In this world, only when you possess power yourself can you continue forward. If you entrust your hope of survival to others, then being shattered to pieces is only a matter of time.” Lin Wei stepped onto the deck, silver-gray moonlight spilling from the sky, shrouding half his face.

He swept his gaze around, and immediately sensed the bone warrior who had dealt with Reshune charging straight at him.

Corpses lay everywhere on the deck, most were ordinary chefs and servants, with a few students from the Shadow Forest Academy clad in noble attire. Yet there were no remains of bone warriors to be seen; it was unclear if they, like Lin Wei’s earlier kill, had vanished into ash, or if there had been no loss among the bone warriors at all.

“No signs of battle? How is that possible?” Lin Wei was puzzled—how could there be so many bodies without a perpetrator?

“No—something’s wrong!” Suddenly, Lin Wei sensed a terrifying force spreading overhead.

He looked up instantly, and what he saw made his entire body tremble.

A massive ghastly face hovered in the air, its eyes glowing red, a chilling aura radiating from its surroundings. The face morphed constantly, like a flowing dark cloud.

Opposite the ghostly face, a bat floated in the void. Its wings stretched nearly a hundred meters across, twisting its immense body in the sky, exuding an even more dreadful presence. Its roar sent Lin Wei’s heart racing.

“Wait... is that...” Lin Wei suddenly noticed a shadowy figure standing atop the wheelhouse beneath the gigantic ghostly face.

“It’s Mentor Lorna!” Lin Wei instantly recognized the figure.

Lorna waved his arms, dense streams of black energy flowing from them, weaving around his body, faint threads connecting him to the monstrous ghostly face.

“That ghost face is controlled by Mentor Lorna!” Lin Wei’s worldview seemed to be reshaped anew. For a moment, he forgot the imminent danger, his eyes filled only with a craving for power. “So this is the strength of a formal wizard? Power beyond the mortal realm—no wonder they disdain mingling with ordinary folk. They truly belong to another world!”

Tap tap tap!

Lin Wei sensed footsteps approaching from behind.

“Is that the bone warrior catching up?” Lin Wei moved quickly, his mind racing. “Should I head to the first-floor hall? No, it’s probably unsafe—just now, Uens revoked the order for us to go there... In that case, survival on the deck is my only option, though it’s dangerous. If I’m caught in the crossfire above, I’ll be obliterated in an instant...”

“So... must I jump into the sea?” A ruthless gleam flashed in Lin Wei’s eyes.

His speed suddenly increased as he dashed toward the railing.

“Hiss...” The moment Lin Wei approached the railing, he involuntarily drew a sharp breath.

He looked around, astonished to discover that not only the Shadow Forest’s giant wheel, but all twelve ships had suffered fatal attacks.

The Shadow Forest’s vessel was relatively better off—its hull pierced by a gaping hole, seawater pouring in. Most of the other ships were half-sunken; two had vanished entirely, their masts the only thing remaining above water.

Countless heads bobbed on the sea, faces twisted in terror—students from other academies struggling desperately to stay afloat.

Lin Wei looked up again at the distant sky, and saw that above almost every ship, enormous bats soared through the air, each confronted by a formal wizard like Lorna, unleashing every ounce of their power in a bloody struggle.

Dark and bright energies clashed on the horizon; at times, thick lightning and streaks of fire erupted, mingling with survivors’ screams. The entire scene resembled the end of the world.

Yet Lin Wei felt no fear—instead, his eyes brimmed with boundless desire. He stared blankly, a manic smile creeping onto his face. “Wizard power... so intoxicating!”

“A crisis of life and death... If I survive this, I’ll devote all my heart and soul to the great power of wizardry!” Lin Wei finally realized the gravity of the situation—the most urgent thing now was to preserve his own life.

Boom boom boom!!!

Lin Wei gripped the railing, about to leap into the sea, when a deafening roar shook the night sky.

Suddenly, Lin Wei felt his heart stop for two seconds.

“What’s this...” Lin Wei sensed a golden light spill over him.

Instinctively, he looked up.

A colossal eye gazed down, set against the heavens, watching every soul upon the sea.

Within that eye were compassion, indifference, suffering, and also kindness, faith, and encouragement.

Lin Wei felt as though he was enveloped in a warm embrace, his consciousness slipping out of his control, sinking deeper and deeper.

“Warning! Warning! Warning!”

“Host is affected by unknown radiation!”

Lin Wei heard the mechanical voice of his intelligent orb at his ear.

“I mustn’t lose consciousness...” Lin Wei clenched his teeth, bloodshot veins spreading across his eyes.

He bit his lip hard; the metallic taste of blood and sharp pain pulled his awareness back to himself.

His body collapsed onto the deck, gasping for breath.

He forced himself not to look at the giant eye, yet the golden light suffusing the air around him was unmistakable.

A piercing cry echoed in the sky.

Lin Wei shielded half his vision, wary of the eye’s influence.

He saw the massive bats flying overhead, slowly disintegrating under the golden radiance, eventually turning to ash.

“This golden light—is it the eye’s power?” Lin Wei felt, more than ever, the insignificance of mortals.

“The bone warrior...” Lin Wei noticed that the bone warrior, who had pursued him onto the deck, likewise vanished into dust like the gigantic bats.

He sensed the golden light gradually fading around him, and gently lowered his hand.

The eye, embodying all emotions, closed and became a faint shadow, then vanished.

The night sky returned to silence; only the sound of waves lingered.

Lin Wei stood, eyes fixed on where the eye had disappeared, fists clenched, his expression solemn.

Suddenly, he smiled. “World of wizards... I have arrived!”