Lord: Sequence Master

Assad, with his exceptional swimming abilities, swam through the deep sea for over a thousand miles in one day, struggling against exhaustion. 

It was late at night when he finally arrived at an island shrouded in ash, where a steady drizzle was falling. 

Upon reaching the shore, Assad collapsed on the beach, his body covered in wounds. His skin was pale, and there was hardly any blood left in his deep cuts. 

It wasn't just the long swim that had drained him—he had faced extraordinary sea beasts in the depths of the ocean, barely surviving thanks to his familiarity with the local waters. 

Assad took out a whistle and blew it hard before losing consciousness, his will finally breaking. 

Soon, several pirate captains arrived from within the island and brought Assad back to be treated by a doctor. 

In less than half an hour, Assad regained consciousness, his wounds mostly healed. 

He was still weak from blood loss, and the doctor beside him was currently administering a blood transfusion. 

"What happened?" 

Clement, the pirate captain, asked sternly, puffing on a cigar. 

"We ran into a tough one…" Assad bitterly recounted his encounter. 

"A Sequence 5 painter?" Clement speculated, uncertain. 

In his view, a Sequence 6 painter shouldn't be capable of controlling storms and lightning on such a massive scale. 

As Clement pressed for more details, trying to gauge whether the target was worth pursuing or letting go, something strange was happening. 

Unbeknownst to Clement, the number of pirates on the island was gradually decreasing. 

Rosen had followed Assad to the island but had actually arrived before him. 

Using the power of a Nature Sprite, Rosen had caused the gentle rain to fall on the island. 

There were many ways to make it rain, but every pirate captain was deeply attuned to the weather at sea. 

They might not fully understand the unpredictable forces of the ocean, but distinguishing between natural and artificial rain wasn't hard for them. 

However, with the Nature Sprite's natural authority, none of the pirates noticed anything unusual. 

Holding the Dragonfang Dagger, Rosen and his three water clones silently infiltrated the island, blending into the rain. 

Whenever they encountered a pirate, Rosen used the Ashen Curtain to suppress their spiritual energy, then casually tossed them into the Void Prison. 

Ordinarily, a Sequence 6 transcendent wouldn't be able to instantly kill dozens of Sequence 7 pirates. Most would struggle to take down more than a few due to the toll it would take on their spiritual energy. But Rosen, with his Devourer Stomach, never had to worry about such exhaustion. 

Pirates of various ranks—Sequence 9 through Sequence 7—whether they were captains or ordinary sailors, were gradually captured and thrown into the Void Prison. 

Next, the civilians living on the island—many of whom were either the pirates' descendants or people kidnapped along with their ships—were also systematically rounded up. 

Those who could be transformed into citizens would be; those who couldn't would either be freed or "sent on their way," depending on the situation. 

After capturing the last Sequence 7 sailor, Rosen made his way through the rain toward the island's only hospital. 

At this point, there was no one left on the island besides Rosen himself. 

Just as he was about to storm into the hospital, a red-haired, muscular woman wearing a mask emerged from the rain. 

Rosen recognized her instantly—this was Kaya, the other vice-captain of the Giant Monster Pirate Crew. 

Kaya was known for her ruthlessness, especially when it came to brutally punishing pirates who broke the crew's rules. Her name was feared across the island, but how had she managed to discover him? 

Rosen was using multiple layers of concealment—water invisibility from the Dragonfang Dagger, Void Shadow Slip, and Void Invisibility from his Void Boots. 

For a Sequence 6 pirate to detect him so easily was hard to believe. 

"I have a special talent that allows me to find you. If you go in there like this, you won't be a match for Clement," Kaya said, tearing open her shirt. 

Rosen's pupils contracted as he focused on a horrifying sight—an aberrant worm burrowing through Kaya's chest, its tail wriggling outside her body, penetrating her heart. 

This kind of injury… Rosen had read about it before. 

In the Blazing Shadow Duchy, pirate novels were the most popular genre. Among all the famous pirates, there were a few whose names were household knowledge. These pirates appeared not just in books but in movies and television shows as well. 

One of the most legendary figures was the Abyssal Pirate King, Anz Blazingshadow, a figure revered as an ancestral hero by the royal family of the Blazing Shadow Duchy. 

According to legend, Anz had once been an ordinary fisherman, but after surviving a shipwreck, he was swept into the Abyssal Plane, a nightmarish realm said to be the origin of demons and devils. There, he was enslaved by abyssal demons. 

But hardship didn't break Anz. He survived the Abyss and, after obtaining the bloodline of the lowest Abyssal Worm Demon, he continued to grow stronger, overcoming various challenges. Eventually, he escaped the Abyss, returned to his homeland, and founded the Blazingshadow Pirate Crew, rising to become the feared Pirate King. 

Thus, the people of the Blazing Shadow Duchy knew that Kaya was carrying an Abyssal Worm. 

And this meant that the pirate captain Clement might very well be a member of the Blazingshadow Royal Family. 

"It seems you recognize the Abyssal Worm," Kaya remarked, buttoning her shirt again. "Don't underestimate Clement. He's not just some low-level royal scion who can't even become a noble. He's the true heir to the Abyssal Pirate King's legacy. His standing in the royal family is even higher than the newly ascended Sequence 3 king." 

"How is that possible?" Rosen asked, shocked. 

"The Blazingshadow family isn't as simple as it seems…" Kaya spoke bitterly as she shared the secrets she had learned from Clement about the family. 

According to legend, Pirate King Anz's bloodline wasn't just that of any ordinary Abyssal Worm Demon. 

Anz carried the bloodline of the Primordial Abyssal Worm, a being said to exist at the dawn of the Abyss itself. 

Abyssal Worms were the lowest of all demons, and many Abyssal demons didn't even consider them true demons. 

In their eyes, Abyssal Worms were merely embryonic forms of demons, akin to one of the billions of seeds in a man's body. 

Theoretically, Abyssal Worms could evolve into any type of demon. 

But in reality, each Abyssal Worm contained a unique concentration of demonic bloodlines, determining which demon it could evolve into. 

However, the Primordial Abyssal Worm was different. It could evolve into any type of demon, and if unsatisfied with its evolution, it could revert to its worm form and evolve again. 

With such a bloodline, Anz possessed an unprecedented potential to evolve into almost any demon, which explained why he could escape the Abyss and rise to become the legendary Sequence 3 Pirate King. 

Anz didn't die a natural death. He returned to the Abyss and disappeared. 

But his Abyssal Worm bloodline was passed down, and members of the Blazingshadow family, upon awakening their spiritual potential, could use demonic materials to guide their bloodline into evolving into different types of Abyssal demons. 

However, once every thousand years or so, a member of the family would be born with a reversion mutation. 

While most descendants inherited a diluted form of the Abyssal Worm bloodline, these rare individuals carried the bloodline of the Primordial Abyssal Worm. With it came the terrifying potential to evolve into nearly any type of demon, just like Anz himself. 

Achieving demigod status was practically guaranteed. 

Naturally, the current Blazingshadow Grand Duke, already in power, wouldn't want to relinquish his authority. 

Allowing a descendant with the Primordial Abyssal Worm bloodline to mature would mean they could easily overpower all other members of the family who possessed only diluted bloodlines. 

Thus, each time a reversion occurred, the child with the Primordial Bloodline would be secretly eliminated. 

Clement was fortunate because his father was the current Grand Duke of Blazingshadow. 

Confident in his own ability to achieve demigod status, the Grand Duke saw no reason to fear Clement's potential and instead chose to nurture him carefully. 

Even though Clement was only a Sequence 5, he could rival a Beast King at the same level. 

The Primordial Abyssal Worm bloodline wasn't any less powerful than the bloodlines of the children of gods. 

Kaya's early life had been one of tragedy. As a child, her family had been attacked by pirates while at sea for trade. Her father was killed, and her mother was brutally tortured and killed by Clement. 

For some reason, Clement spared Kaya and took her in, raising her as his own. 

As she grew up, Kaya became Clement's lover, and Clement had a particular fondness for her muscular physique. 

Over time, Kaya had forgotten her childhood hatred, adapting to life as a pirate and resigning herself to her fate under Clement's control. 

But a few years ago, Clement implanted an Abyssal Worm in Kaya's heart. 

From that moment on, Kaya had a creeping sense that Clement intended to drain her of all value and dispose of her. 

As cruel as she was, Kaya refused to accept such a fate and endured the pain of the Abyssal Worm's parasitism, biding her time and waiting for an opportunity. 

"So, you want me to expose this secret to the World Government?" Rosen asked, having grasped Kaya's intentions. 

Kaya nodded. She was determined to bring Clement down with her. 

Nobles of the World Government could bear the burden of the ordinary Abyssal Worm bloodline, but no human noble could withstand the Primordial Abyssal Worm bloodline. 

This meant Clement could never become a noble. Worse still, as his bloodline continued to awaken, he was becoming less and less human. 

Becoming a true Abyssal Demon was Clement's inevitable fate. 

"I don't have much time. You'll need to sign this contract," Kaya said, producing a blank contract witnessed by the Contract God. 

If Rosen left the island and failed to report Clement's secret to the World Government, the Contract God would take his life. 

If he refused now, Kaya would alert Clement and have him kill Rosen here and now. 

But Kaya had miscalculated—Rosen wasn't afraid of Clement. 

Indeed, Clement, a Sequence 5 with the power to rival a Beast King, might even be stronger than the Bronze Dragon, who had been shackled by various constraints. 

However, Rosen had grown much stronger since his encounter in the Time Dragon's Nest. He was no longer the same person. 

So, instead of refusing, Rosen casually took the contract and stored it in his Scavenger Space. 

"If you have Clement's body tissue or personal belongings, I might just be able to make him die before you do," Rosen confidently remarked. 

Kaya shot a long, deep look at the man in front of her before tossing him a spatial ring and turning to leave. 

Rosen inspected the contents of the spatial ring and found an array of items—hair, nails, blood, skin flakes, and even a small vial containing the seed of the Primordial Abyssal Worm. 

It seemed Kaya had secretly collected these things over the years during her time with Clement. 

Curses and similar techniques were notorious for allowing the weak to overpower the strong or for ensuring mutual destruction. 

Kaya had seen Rosen's confidence in killing Clement. While she might not fully believe him, she was willing to provide help. After all, any man who dared to remain in the face of Clement's power was either a fool rushing to his death or someone with a plan.

Assad had been easily subdued, which showed Kaya that Rosen clearly knew what he was doing. Regardless of who lived or died in the end, Kaya had nothing to lose.

Rosen took a drop of Clement's blood and used his Mannequin ability to turn it into a control medium. He then walked to the building opposite the hospital and entered the Divine Library, watching through its window.

Drawing his Dragon King's Fury, he aimed and fired a compressed Space Element Fourfold Shell, infused with Divine Judgment, which increased the base damage fourfold. Using the Future Silencer, Rosen calmly fired and put the gun away.

Three seconds later, the Space Element Fourfold Shell appeared out of nowhere, striking the hospital. The space fire generated by the fission-fusion attack caused the entire building to disintegrate. Everyone inside was instantly incinerated—except for Clement, who shielded Kaya and emerged from the flames.

Enraged, Clement appeared ten meters from Rosen, but no matter how hard he tried, he couldn't locate his attacker. Even Kaya, who had survived thanks to her powerful artifact, was shocked that she couldn't detect the enemy either.

Just as Clement prepared to unleash his destructive powers to force out the hidden foe, Rosen, observing from the window, activated the Mannequin ability through the blood medium. Clement was instantly immobilized and, against his will, began transforming into his Abyssal Demon form.

When the transformation completed, Clement became a Six-Armed Flame Demon, a high-ranking demon with six arms, demon wings, massive curved horns, and a body engulfed in abyssal flames. However, no matter how much he tried to regain control, Clement found himself forced into an undignified position, acting like a dog—crouching on all fours, tongue out, and tail raised.

"The mannequin is ready. Time to start painting."

Rosen set up his easel, opened his Void Sketchbook, and took out Clement's hair, nails, and blood. Mixing these materials with Abyssal Deadwood powder, he created a specialized canvas paper and integrated it into the sketchbook. Rosen had a habit of collecting extraordinary materials for his artwork, and though Clement's skin would have been ideal, Abyssal Deadwood would suffice for now.

Kaya, seeing Clement completely immobilized, was eager to finish him off herself. Rosen quickly transmitted a mental warning to her, urging restraint. The Mannequin ability, though powerful, wasn't invincible. If Clement took too much damage, the control could break, and if Rosen himself dealt a lethal blow, the hold would be lost instantly.

With Mannequin, Rosen's focus was on extreme control, not direct damage. He needed his target to be held long enough for him to paint. Summoning his Divine Brush, Rosen began meticulously painting Clement's demon form, capturing about seventy percent of his essence.

Once the sketch was complete, Rosen stored the Void Sketchbook. For now, he couldn't use the painting to kill Clement, as the essence of a spirit realm is primarily mental, with only some physical elements. Even fully controlled spirit realms couldn't entirely escape their spiritual nature.

Rosen infused his Mind Painting Brush with the Void Prison's essence and projected part of the prison into the real world using the Ashen Curtain. Chains fell from above Clement, suspending the pirates Rosen had previously captured.

Rosen aimed Dragon King's Fury at Clement, loading a Judgment Bullet made from the divine essence of the Repressor he had slain. He set the Future Silencer to hit Clement in four seconds, then fired.

As the Judgment Bullet vanished, Rosen transformed his gun into a shotgun and, in one shot, killed half the pirates hanging above. The Time Dragon Crystal, previously drained, instantly refilled, loading another Judgment Bullet.

Locking onto Clement again, Rosen set the second bullet to hit two seconds later, then fired, killing the remaining pirates and recharging the crystal for a third Judgment Bullet.

Without the Future Silencer, Rosen fired the third shot directly at Clement. All three bullets hit simultaneously, not harming Clement's body but targeting his spiritual essence. In an instant, Clement lost 2,890 years of life, leaving him with only one year to live. His spiritual essence, battered by the three Sequence 6 Judgment Bullets, was near collapse.

Rosen flashed to Clement's side, opened the Void Sketchbook, and watched as the painted version of Clement reached out and dragged the real Clement into the book. Using the Sealing Painting feature, Rosen trapped him inside.

Kaya stood frozen, trembling as she witnessed Rosen effortlessly subdue Clement in mere seconds. Was this man truly a Sequence 6 transcendent, or something more? A hidden demigod, perhaps?

Rosen stored the Void Sketchbook with a smirk.

Although the entire battle had taken only four seconds, the preparation had been far more elaborate.

Without Kaya's help, obtaining Clement's blood would have been far more difficult.

Without the Time Tower to accelerate time, Rosen wouldn't have had enough time to paint a high-quality portrait before Clement broke free from the mannequin's control.

Without the Void Prison to hold the pirates, Rosen wouldn't have been able to strip Clement of nearly all his remaining lifespan.

Moreover, as a pirate captain, Clement was significantly weaker without his pirate ship.

All these factors combined made it possible for Rosen to capture Clement unscathed.

Suppressing the growing sense of pride within him, Rosen began to prepare for the next step: taking control of the island.

Kaya cooperated fully, her attitude bordering on submission. With the Abyssal Worm still parasitizing her heart and Clement now sealed in Rosen's painting, Kaya understood that Rosen controlled her life and death.

Having grown up in a pirate stronghold, Kaya knew how to navigate situations when she was at a disadvantage.

At the port, Rosen claimed Clement's ship, the Abyss, its true name, which had been disguised along with the Giant Monster Pirate Crew.

The Abyss was an extraordinary pirate ship of Sequence 3 quality.

In truth, it was far superior to Rosen's Feathered Serpent Warship for open-sea battles, as his warship was more versatile in nature.

Rosen settled on the island for a time, intending to use Mind Domination to fully control Clement. With the Time Tower accelerating the process, warping and controlling Clement's spiritual self progressed quickly.

Using the Void Prison, Rosen constantly interrogated Clement, exploiting every moment of his spiritual weakness to delve deeper into his memories.

Eventually, Rosen uncovered Clement's hidden truths.

Much of what Kaya had said was accurate, but there were key differences.

Clement was indeed the son of the current Crimsonshadow Grand Duke, and he believed his father harbored ill intentions toward him. Despite this, Clement felt powerless to rebel and dutifully followed his father's plans to become the next Pirate King.

But becoming Pirate King was not simply about reaching Sequence 3. All Pirate Kings held the title of Titled Demigod.

Clement's potential to reach this status was not a delusion. With his powerful bloodline, reaching Sequence 3 was almost guaranteed. Beyond that, the Crimsonshadow family possessed a unique spirit realm.

This spirit realm was built around the legendary story of Anz Crimsonshadow, the first Pirate King, and was the deepest secret of the Crimsonshadow family.

For centuries, the family had produced many prominent figures—painters, novelists, directors, and playwrights—from the Four Great Civilizations. Some of these individuals had even reached Sequence 4, and at that level, creating spirit realms became a tangible reality.

The vast array of novels and films about Anz Crimsonshadow, widely popular in the Blazing Shadow Duchy, were part of the family's effort to fuel the creation of spirit realms connected to the Pirate King.

Over the course of 20,000 years, the family had artificially constructed numerous spirit realms associated with Anz.

This also confirmed a critical fact—Anz Crimsonshadow had indeed perished in the Abyss.

There was even a theory that each descendant who awakened the Primordial Abyssal Worm Bloodline wasn't just an heir, but a vessel for Anz's potential resurrection.

This revealed the Crimsonshadow family's desire to wield Anz's power, but also their fear of his return.

It wasn't hard to understand why. In this world, a tradition existed to sever ties after five generations.

Essentially, once a bloodline extended beyond five generations, familial bonds weakened.

No matter how much descendants wanted to rely on their powerful ancestors, the ancestors were not inclined to support distant relations.

Why bother assisting distant heirs when they could simply start anew by having another child?

Rosen turned his gaze to the island below. It was a mobile island.

And deep within the island lay a spirit realm linked to the Pirate King, sealed away.

Until now, Clement lacked the strength to enter the realm, as it held the power of Sequence 3.

(End of Chapter)