Even though he had achieved the goal of taking back the Storm Sigil Ring, there were still tasks he needed to complete.
Byron, with Eight Fingers at his side, quickly stepped through the chaotic, twisting alleys of Pirate City.
He randomly selected a few shops and, with his own "professionalism," exchanged the other jewels for Gold Pounds or bank certificates.
As long as it was not a large-scale shipment measured in whole pirate ships, the port did not limit small, private retail transactions.
Salman entrusted Byron with the task of exchanging the money. On the surface, it was a show of trust, but if Byron failed, the crew's anger would naturally turn towards him.
He certainly didn't want to take that risk.
Following the four-quadrant management method, Byron only breathed a sigh of relief after he had taken care of the most important and urgent tasks.
Then he hurried to purchase the things he needed.
"Boss, I need 10 milliliters of bear bile, 2 milliliters of horseshoe crab blue blood, 30 milliliters of virgin's blood... and a bottle of Absinthe. Put it in a wineskin for easy carrying," he said.
Clearly, these bizarre ingredients were the ones he had read about in *Bloody Mary's Gourmet Cookbook*.
Bloody Eye Salman had truly made a losing investment, one with no hope of return.
He had intended to use the cookbook to devour this top-quality "chef" and brew the supreme Blood of Metamorphosis.
Little did he expect that Byron would use the nearly endless recipes in his head to trade for an immense amount of forbidden knowledge from *Bloody Mary's Gourmet Cookbook*.
Within just a few days, he had obtained dozens upon dozens of various Blood Brew recipes.
Maybe in a few more days, he would completely drain the forbidden knowledge from the cookbook.
For instance, he traded a recipe for tomato and egg soup for one of the most representative Blood Brews, the "Bloody Mary":
Main ingredients: Blood of Transformation, 15 milliliters of pure virgin's blood, 30 milliliters of vodka aged at least three years, 1 drop of Devil's hot soy sauce, 2 drops of the Spring of Life.
Auxiliary materials: 15 milliliters of lemon juice, 1 drop of hot and sour oil, black pepper powder (to taste), salt (to taste), tomato juice, lemon wedge (cut in 1/8ths).
If combined with a special technique and spiritual blending, it could be turned into a Blood Brew cocktail that would prevent a woman from aging for a year.
It could also be used to perform a forbidden ritual, summoning an Evil Spirit named "Bloody Mary" to divine the future.
Other recipes included the "Hero's Berserker Brew," which could send warriors into a semi-berserk state; "Carnal Bliss," which could make people drunk with ecstasy and experience the ultimate mortal pleasures; and "Blue Blood Spring," which could heal all kinds of external injuries, among others.
The main components of these Blood Brews, apart from the essential base material Blood of Metamorphosis, were all concocted from the fresh blood or body fluids of various creatures, as well as the six base spirits: whiskey, brandy, vodka, gin, rum, and tequila.
Compared to the professional system of Magic Potions, it was undoubtedly much cruder. However, its diversity and simple preparation method could greatly enrich a Transcendent's capabilities and enhance their survivability in complex situations.
How did that saying go? The greatest Talents in the world are not the martial arts masters who have already reached the summit, but the unknown youth starving in some forgotten corner.
Reality is not a game; there are no second chances, so the ability to preserve one's life is naturally the top priority.
Blood Brews might not be as good as an alchemist's Magic Potions, but they had the advantages of being convenient, reliable, and easy to learn.
Furthermore, for this material-gathering trip, Byron used the extra public funds earned from selling the jewels, without spending a single Copper Furl of his own.
This made his mood all the more pleasant.
Byron's only concern was the potential price of learning forbidden knowledge.
Anyone who personally conducted the ritual, using sentient beings to brew the most basic yet critical Blood of Metamorphosis, would have to pay a price: a trait chosen randomly from either "Gluttony" or "Lust"—or, with bad luck, possibly both.
One might end up insatiably hungry like Salman, eating five meals a day yet never feeling full. Or one could become alcohol-dependent, craving blood and obsessed with raw meat.
Or, overcome by Lust, one might find a certain type of woman completely irresistible.
They might even develop unacceptably strange fetishes for animal ears, sharp teeth, tails, fur, tentacles, and the like.
Even after Byron had tucked the various materials he had bought close to his chest and left the shop selling all kinds of Extraordinary Materials, he still hadn't completely made up his mind.
The Blood Brew isn't urgent. I'd better go back and complete my inauguration first. As long as the materials are prepared in advance, they can be used immediately whenever an emergency arises, without any delay.
Information he had deciphered last night was more important to him than the Blood Brew: *Bloody Mary's Gourmet Cookbook* came from a secret organization called the Bloodthirsty Cult, and Bloody Eye Salman was suspected to be a deserter from that Cult.
After obtaining this last piece of the puzzle, the Decryption Rate for "[Hidden: Bloody Eye Salman's Unspeakable Secret, Historical Influence 4%]" finally reached 100%, after being stuck at 95% for several days.
This not only raised Byron's Spirituality to 1.5 but also finally granted him a second Trait Tag after his first, "[Historical Reviser]": "[Heartfelt Trouble]."
"Special Effect: Lancaster, subservient to none!
Others are their superior's confidants, but you are your superior's... Heartfelt Trouble!
The more exceptional your abilities and the more outstanding your achievements, the more you will be valued and recognized by your superior, and the closer you will seem to being their 'confidant' in the eyes of others.
When you launch a backstabbing attack on your superior, the ability enhancements you gain are significantly greater.
Furthermore, such an act of 'ruling from below' is exempt from punishment under any systemic laws! The Pirate's Ten Commandments, the Royal Iron Law, and the Silver Law will all deem it lawful.
Even without a backstab, your superior will, out of a misguided sense of camaraderie, passively shield you—this 'confidant'—from disasters, gradually becoming mired in misfortune and frequent accidents themselves."
This was also Byron's ace in the hole, his ultimate reason for targeting Bloody Eye Salman in the blood duel ritual, aiming to resolve things once and for all.
And the plan was already foolproof.
The day before, he had stealthily stolen a bottle of Bacardi Rum that Salman treasured from the storeroom.
To cultivate that batch of lesser Ghouls, it already contained a portion of Blood of Metamorphosis mixed with Salman's own blood.
Byron planned to extract the original ingredients and use his purchased materials to concoct a bottle of "Hero's Berserker Brew," a potion with beneficial effects and harmless to the body.
When the time came to serve Salman his meal, Byron would secretly give the concoction to the already critically ill captain.
Then, while Salman is in a frenzy, I'll use my "Sword-Drawing Art" and definitely take him out in one fell swoop!
At that moment, the bottle of rum was also in the wineskin, tucked securely in Byron's coat.
"Eight Fingers, let's head back."
He beckoned Eight Fingers, who was gawking at everything like a country bumpkin, to follow. Byron then took the lead into a winding, narrow alleyway.
Better safe than sorry.
With thousands of Gold Pounds on him and his own sensitive identity, this was no time to be wandering around outside.
Hm?
As he walked on, however, his brows suddenly furrowed.
He noticed that even though he had passed several forks in the road, a figure he had seen from a distance earlier—now wearing different clothes—had once again appeared ahead of him.
The figure was now walking directly towards him.
Just as the figure stepped within a three-meter range, a prompt appeared in the [Sailing Logbook]:
Sailor Chief of the Privateer Ship [White Crystal], Point Monkey. An individual... brimming with malice, a devious schemer!