Chapter 234: A Shameless, Massive Extortion Before Departure

Negotiations between representatives of one gang and another equally powerful faction weren’t something that could be wrapped up in just a day or two. Especially when this particular representative also had the task of extracting a certain boss from the Divine Prison.

That afternoon, even before Swordfish Brother could meet with Sizar, the latter agreed to Starfish’s proposal.

Having lived in the Divine Prison for nearly half a year, Sizar was bored of the monotonous hundred-square-meter life. Turning on the ceiling light meant daytime; turning it off meant night. Sunlight was impossible to see, winds nonexistent. Twenty-four hours a day, it was as silent as a tomb. Even worse, the prison couldn’t even be bothered to provide a calendar! If not for the newspapers, Sizar wouldn’t know the seasons! In this environment, seeing advertisements full of outdoor scenery filled Sizar with the urge to blast the whole prison to pieces!

Now, encountering the “Coral Bug Pirates” meant not only enjoying ocean views but also experiencing pirate life freely. Plus, it met Elsa’s requirements. Naturally, Sizar wouldn’t refuse.

Late that night, the “Swordfish Brother” finally arrived. Sizar saw him in person: a huge Sea Clan member with a swordfish head, an extremely powerful physique, fins on his arms and back, and pectoral muscles more developed than some girls’.

Upon hearing Sizar was a doctor, Swordfish Brother’s reaction, though less dramatic than Country Explosion Head’s, still couldn’t hide his delight. His attitude towards Sizar was kind and warm, like a country farmer meeting a legendary scholar from the Research Institute—excited and thrilled. Because Swordfish Brother held a high status in the pirate crew, akin to a village notable, he treated Sizar with equal respect, not inferiority.

Sizar quite liked the straightforward and bold Swordfish Brother and didn’t discriminate against him just because he had a fish head. Compared to his previous encounter with the Young Lady Kane, both “Coral Bug” and “Freedom Bearing” were heavyweight factions. Similar in nature, both were dark forces backed by the Federation. The difference, however, lay in the fact that the former involved recruitment by a small-time cadre, implying limited future prospects, mediocre pay, and risking his life; while the latter meant being recruited by the ultimate boss. Even if Kane disliked him, he could probably land a cushy position to coast through the ten years.

Although joining the gang was arguably more promising than piracy, two things made Sizar change his mind. First, Elsa didn’t want him returning to the Central Continent. Second, Sizar was deeply annoyed by that woman’s attitude towards him, feeling like she looked down on him for relying on connections. In the end, Sizar chose the life of “surfing” the open sea. The only uncertainty was, what kind of person was Bal, the Coral Bug’s top boss?

After all, he was an ocean deity; he should have class, unlike that woman who lacked vision? Sizar consoled himself this way, but when he thought about the deities he’d met—like that supposedly dead headmaster, his own father, and the White Hall Forest God, that striped hyena who ran to the Church to tattle—most didn’t seem very reliable.

The signing ceremony concluded with Sizar obtaining a ten-year contract of servitude.

Compared to regular pirates, his benefits were just as good, if not better. He was, after all, the ship’s doctor, a crew member with high-level skills, plus a potential officer candidate. Except for the captain and the first mate, he didn’t have to bow to anyone! Such high-value talent was also the most prone to jumping ship. To ensure Sizar wouldn’t just leave after getting out of prison, a contract witnessed by the World Vortex was essential.

Of course, the contract wasn’t airtight. If Sizar exceeded his tasks during his association and achieved merits ten times his value, he could complete the contract instantly, gaining his freedom. Whether he stayed or left would be entirely up to him then.

After signing the contract, Swordfish Brother gave Sizar one week to pack. In a week, Swordfish Brother would finish his own task and then take Sizar out of the Divine Prison, heading to the equatorial Blue Sea, the City of Steel, where it was summer all year round.

Once the muscular giant and the explosion-head youth left, Sizar plunged into ecstasy, then quickly cooled down, pondering what he should prepare. More precisely, how to milk the South Third Zone for one last bit of benefit?

For instance, the “Simplified Belikov Spiral Spell Formation” he’d long coveted. Also, leveraging his partnership status, he could wheedle some gains from the two old men. And Em, the less familiar Giant Rock Johnson, and Hermes Romond—they’d been neighbors for so long; surely they couldn’t just send him off without a parting gift?

Tallying all this, Sizar discovered another headache: the magic armor Grandpa G had tailored for him. This heavy armor, crafted from seven layers of Magitec metal, was enormous. Built secretly behind the guards’ backs and tested only during unsupervised moments, the finished product was hidden in the Laboratory. Getting it out of the Divine Prison was impossible.

If he stored it in Camilla’s Private Laboratory, how could he retrieve it later? Take it apart piece by piece and sneak it out tucked inside Undead? After much thought, only one solution emerged—Grandpa G’s space Box! If he could get his hands on a spatial equipment item wouldn’t he be set?!

Over the next week, Sizar scurried between various cells, pestered relentlessly, and managed to squeeze every last drop from his cellmates.

First, the introverted Giant Rock Johnson. Ever since entering the South Third Zone, Sizar had barely exchanged a word with him. But living under the same roof for nearly half a year fostered some camaraderie. So, Johnson gifted Sizar a handful of his own body hair. These hairs looked disgusting and felt disgusting to use, but their effects were strangely potent.

Hairs plucked from different parts of the body had different effects: boosting self-healing, enhancing body toughness, increasing strength, sharpening mental power, improving stamina. The usage method? Eating them…

Holding a just-collected fistful of body hair, Sizar felt queasy. Though useful, he didn’t really need it himself—Blood Honey, Soul Syrup, Virus—why worry about healing, toughness, strength, or mental power? Still, he couldn’t just throw them away. First, for fear of hurting Johnson’s fragile feelings; second, these things were effective and should fetch a good price. If he couldn’t sell them, they could serve as Divine Prison specialties to befriend future pirate buddies.

Next was Hermes Romond. He gave Sizar a copy of “The Rainbow Pony Care Guide” and an address. Allegedly, following this address led to a mystical Forest within which lay a Divine Domain teeming with legendary Rainbow Ponies. Each possessed unique abilities. If one could subdue one physically, it became a pet, granting powerful mental contamination abilities.

Receiving the book and address, Sizar immediately sealed them in a thick lead box for safekeeping. After his release, he’d auction off the dangerous stuff at once, no matter how low the bid.

When it was Em’s turn, the old man didn’t have a gift prepared. Sizar owed his chance to see daylight and become a thief again entirely to him. But Sizar, showing unexpectedly thick skin, harassed him until Em relented out of desperation, giving the youth a special contact method.

Though part of “Military Mango,” Em had murky ties to pirate crews, plus his faction was backed by Eastern Continent influences, making him a shadowy figure who straddled both worlds. Therefore, the contact method he provided was naturally extraordinary.

Using this, no matter where Sizar was, he could access the nearest special trading spot. Black Markets were low-level, locally organized hubs, big or small, disconnected from each other. This place resembled a Black Market but was far more advanced. World-class high-grade materials and equipment circulated here, covering all systems and abilities—whether Deities or machines, everything could be found. Crucially, its influence was immense; goods circulated globally. From any trading point, one could browse all listings.

Leaving Em’s cell, Sizar didn’t go straight to Belikov. That guy was impervious to threats or pleas. He needed another plan. Next, Sizar summoned the two old men for backup, roped in Em and Romond for support, and the five stormed into Belikov’s junkyard. At the cost of all remaining scrap metal for the Crab Mech, several blocks of Soul Syrup to nourish Brains, and changing a few jail rules to Belikov’s advantage, they managed to plunder the “Spiral Spell Formation,” simplifed from a Talent.

Under pressure from Sizar’s forceful approach and the two old men’s covert coercion, Belikov reluctantly handed over the formation. However, he wrote it with a major defect, omitting crucial data.

Sizar stated he needed it to strengthen his Demon Fly’s tail stinger, so Belikov excised many key parts. With this spell formation, Sizar could only spiral objects the size of a needle tip—no bullets, arrows, let alone large weapons like triangular daggers or javelins. Furthermore, the stinger enhanced by this formation was much weaker than Belikov’s natural Talent effect and couldn’t be improved further.

Sizar didn’t really care. Once he had the formation, he was confident he could research ways to enhance its power. As for only spiraling tiny objects, he wasn’t overly bothered. After all, this spell was meant for the Demon Flies.

Finishing the battle at Belikov’s, Sizar charged into The Anatomist’s lair but came away empty-handed. Perhaps they were natural enemies; Sizar just couldn’t win against this flashy, arrogant, and vain old man. Since snagging that Witch Embryo for free, he hadn’t gotten a single advantage over him.

Defeated, the youth finally reached Grandpa G’s Laboratory. There, he cried poverty, made a scene, causing a ridiculous mess. Pressed for time, all Grandpa G could make for Sizar were a few core mechanical components. Later, if Sizar had enough money, he could assemble his own Mechanized Bodyguard Frame. As for the core devices—Magic Engine, drive system, weapons systems, electronic eye, Magic Cannon power converter—the old man had already finished them.

Getting all these core parts wasn’t enough for Sizar. He brought up his Magic Armor again, relentlessly pestering Grandpa G for a spatial Box. But how could the old man agree?

What was the most valuable thing in this world? Answers varied, but spatial equipment was always on everyone’s list! Ceylon wasn’t some Cultivation world flooded with spatial rings. Spatial equipment was incredibly rare. Even the rich and powerful could only use single-use Phase Paper to compress ordinary items lacking Supernatural Power.

Sizar’s shameless demand for a spatial Box got him instantly booted out. Over the next two days and nights, through relentless wheedling, the old man finally yielded, promising a semi-finished spatial equipment: a roll of tin-plated iron stamped with mysterious Magic Runes.

Apparently, this tin-plated iron was the prototype for Phase Paper. Ability Users had replicated it to create Phase Paper compressing normal stuff. This tin-plated iron could compress special items imbued with Supernatural Power—also single-use, naturally, and would be ruined after use!

According to the old man, if Sizar could find other space-attribute materials and process them specially, this tin plating could be made into reusable spatial gear. His own Box was entirely made from this kind of plating. But the specific method was lost. He’d researched for nearly twenty years with no success and had long since given up. Only Sizar’s shameless pestering made him dig it out now!

Sizar took the roll of tin plating and unrolled it. After accounting for the section needed to seal the armor, barely two square meters remained—pitifully small. He’d need to be very frugal using what was left. This wasn’t a long-term solution, though. If possible, it’d be better to upgrade Camilla’s Private Laboratory ability so it wasn’t just a “one-way entrance.”