Chapter 303: Chapter 265: Tracing the Origins of the Deep Sea: 666
"It’s so bright! The ship itself is glowing!"
Even though the golden light in the sky had dissipated, the group standing before the sailing ship still couldn’t help but squint.
Top-quality teak is usually dark brown, but after prolonged exposure to wind and sun, it naturally oxidizes to a golden hue. Moreover, as time passes, this regal color becomes even brighter.
At this moment, having undergone a mysterious transformation, the *New Golden Deer* had completely shed its old self. To the naked eye, the originally brand-new dark brown timber had quietly reached its most perfect state of oxidation, shining golden from end to end as if it were a ship made entirely of gold.
In Spirit Vision, it shone as brilliantly as the sun.
The ship’s sails had also transformed, light and fluttering like pristine white clouds. Pure, luxurious, eye-catching.
Had it not been for the lack of the iconic "Ship Spirit" associated with Legendary Warships, they might have suspected they had inadvertently created a legend of the sea.
The exterior was secondary; the Sailing Logbook in Byron’s right eye instantly read the information of this colossal Sacred Relic.
[Second-Class Relic • Tudor Hybrid Sailboat Prototype]:
"In the Silver Era of 1471, Lighthouse Sequence ’Storm Knight’ Byron Tudor proposed an unprecedented new ship design concept and named it after his mother’s surname.
Half a year later, on April 13, 1472, it was completed by Tower Sequence ’Artisan’ Little Hans and Violet.
Its speed-focused parameters have broken all historical records for ships, and it holds the potential to become the finest pirate ship, adventure ship, and whaling ship. It has left an indelible mark on the history of world navigation."
"Ability One: See Ship Fast.
Originating from a design concept that transcends its era.
A sloping keel, flat deck, hull form, length-to-width ratio... a series of milestone design excellences enable it to surpass all currently known sailing ships in speed. From now on, no matter what kind of ships it encounters at sea—even those Wonder Battleships with special Figureheads—its sailing speed will always be passively a notch faster than theirs. As long as the opponent is a ship, it can absolutely never catch up to you; they’re all beneath you!"
"Ability Two: Timeless.
Derived from its outstanding all-teak construction.
Time will not leave its mark on this ship; whether ten years or a hundred pass, it will always look as new as when it first hit the water. Even if damaged in battle, as long as various repair materials are piled in the cabin, it can repair itself automatically. This ability is unaffected by intense combat; it can be damaged and repaired simultaneously, possessing excellent sink resistance. Even if ultimately sunk by catastrophic damage, as long as more than a third of the hull remains, it can still slowly recover and eventually resurface.
Indeed: A ship to last eight generations; when the people are gone, the ship remains!"
"Mandate of Heaven: Who Dares Be Faster Than I!
Once aboard this ship, you are the fastest men on the sea; others are only fit to eat your wake. When navigating in formation, you can only serve as the lead ship, never retreating behind the others."
By the time he read this, Byron’s eyes were shining as brightly as the ship itself.
Jackpot! This is a tremendous windfall.
This Sacred Relic Warship might have only two abilities, but both speed and sink resistance were crucial strengths for a Warship. Being number one in a single ability was enough to overshadow its peers. Moreover, don’t forget that The Golden Deer also came with a title effect: ’World’s Fastest Three-Master’. This increased its designed normal sailing speed by an additional 20% and reduced the negative effects of large waves, strong winds, and heavy rain by 20%. As the mystical owner of this name, Byron could transfer the title at any time by renaming a vessel; The Golden Deer’s title effect would then transfer to the new ship. Boosted by this title, the *New Golden Deer’s* maximum speed could easily exceed 14 knots even under regular sailing conditions, rivaling the Flying Clipper he hadn’t yet brought out. Combined, these abilities created a miracle of escape, ensuring that no enemy ship could catch it. Regarding a Warship’s other aspect, its offensive capabilities, Byron, as the Storm Admiral, could perfectly compensate with his transcendent abilities. He could use a series of abilities to enhance cannon performance: Artillery Range Extension, manual guidance, and even operate the Warship single-handedly with ’Riding.’ Combined with The Golden Deer’s unrivaled speed across the seven seas, maximizing hit-and-run tactics would be effortless.
As the water level in the dry dock finally leveled with the ocean outside, Byron straightened his tricorn captain’s hat and waved his hand decisively.
"All aboard! Let’s make an appearance and show this sea our grand treasure!"
"HOOAH! Aye-aye, Captain!"
The 140 elite crew members who had already assembled—also the first core members of the Guardsmen, the ’Wings of Death’—boarded the ship in an orderly file.
The proportion of First Order Transcendents among them reached an astonishing one-fifth.
Many of them had originally been mere fishermen, vagabonds, bankrupt individuals, low-ranking merchant sailors, or even slaves bought and sold at whim. All had been elevated step by step solely through Byron’s patronage and the ’Captain 721 Fission Mode,’ which opened a channel for their advancement.
They possessed not only loyalty but also had their interests tightly intertwined with Byron: their savings were in Pioneer Bank, their houses in the Tayman Archipelago, their wives with the colonial company, and their very lives were tied to the cursed Gold Coins.
The successive victories achieved by following Byron, from the very inception of the ’Wings of Death,’ had forged this unit’s indomitable spirit and imposing presence.