Chapter 905: The Treasures
Karyk closed his eyes and focused his energy, channeling his essence into the lifeless body of the Pirate Chief. It was much more exhausting to bring back the Royal Family members who had been dead for centuries. They were also very strong during their eras, which made it even harder. But it was much easier to bring back the Pirate Chief who had just died. It didn't use much of his essence either. A faint glow enveloped the man as Karyk's necromantic magic took effect. Slowly, the man's eyes fluttered open, now devoid of life and filled with an eerie glow.
The Pirate Chief rose from the ground, his body now under Karyk's control. No longer a living being, he had become an undead servant, bound to obey Karyk's every command. The man's flamboyant attire and bearded face now appeared even more sinister in his undead state. "Welcome back," Karyk said, his voice laced with a chilling tone. "You are now mine to command. Serve me faithfully, and I may grant you the opportunity to become one of the commanders of the Undead Army I'm about to create."
For the next few hours, the Pirate Chief informed Karyk about details that ordinary pirates didn't know. It was information that only the Sea King and the three pirate chiefs under him knew about. This information included the locations of all their bases and how one could easily find the whereabouts of Pirate Island, even though it often changed location. It was a secret that could expose Pirate Island to dangers if the secret was exposed to the Elzeiran Empire. But it was a tightly guarded secret that no one under the Pirate Chief knew. It was a secret that could expose Pirate Island to dangers if the secret was exposed to the Elzeiran Empire. But it was a tightly guarded secret that no one under the Pirate Chief knew. The pirate chief also informed Karyk about the people who were the strongest and their strength compared to the Warriors of the Royal Army. Although Gabriel had read the memories of one of the pirates and knew the rough knowledge, what he came to find out from the Pirates was surprising even for him. The Pirates weren't stronger than the Royal Army, but there were quite a few strong beings amongst them. Just the pirates alone could sweep their upper realm if they had sent their complete force through the portal, instead of just a small investigation team. What made the Pirates even more dangerous was that not even the Pirates knew about every member. They had many spies that had infiltrated the Elzeiran Empire. Their sheer number was also huge. It was another secret closely held by the Sea King and the three Pirate Chiefs under him. This intricate web of secrecy and power dynamics within the pirate ranks made them a formidable force to reckon with. Yet, amidst the secrecy and power struggles, there was a sense of unity and camaraderie that bound the Pirates together in their pursuit of their goals.
The Undead Pirate Chief didn't hold any secret back. He couldn't do that even if he wanted to. He was only serving one master now. He told Karyk and Gabriel about the weakness of all the Pirates that were even comparatively strong. He also talked about the Sea King's strength and his perceived weakness. The undead pirate chief also exposed all the treasures that had been gathered by the Pirates throughout the years. Any significant treasure that a pirate gathered was donated to the Pirate Chief that they served under. And all the Pirate Chiefs had their own treasury.
In total, there were three such treasuries in Pirate Island. Each Pirate Chief could only open their own treasury and not the other two. Only the Sea King was able to open all three treasuries as he wished. Moreover, even if the Pirate Chief wanted to take out a treasure from their treasury, he needed to take the permission of the Sea King who had the list of all the items kept in the treasury. Although the undead Pirate Chief didn't know what the other two treasuries had, he told everything that his treasury had contained. "This is the key to open the treasury. But once a treasury is opened, the Sea King would get alerted. That's why, his permission is often taken before opening one."
The Undead Pirate Chief handed over a golden key to Karyk, which had a unique mark carved on it. "What does this mark mean?" Karyk asked the undead pirate chief. "It is a symbol assigned to me. It represents my legion," the Undead Pirate Chief answered. "Being the Sea King seems to be quite beneficial. No wonder you were scheming against him." Karyk smiled, keeping the key.