Worried

However.

To Black’s utter surprise

Alice’s predicted ending was still death!

And she had only two days left!

“How could this be…?”

For the first time, Black’s expression slipped out of control, his heart filled with panic.

He had clearly altered the plot point where Alice and Jianye originally clashed.

Why was her fate still death?!

Where exactly had things gone wrong?

He strained his memory, desperately recalling every detail from the game’s prologue, but after racking his brain for ages, he still couldn’t pinpoint the issue.

It couldn’t possibly be Jianye’s doing again, could it?

The moment that thought crossed his mind, he dismissed it himself.

Jianye wasn’t the kind of protagonist who carelessly took lives.

Her actions just now—saving someone without hesitation—proved that clearly enough.

In the original story, Jianye only acted against Alice after repeated provocations following their initial conflict, indirectly causing Alice’s death.

But now, the confrontation between them at Su Lan’s Three Fights no longer existed—the plot point had been changed.

Alice’s character had also shifted; she was no longer the arrogant villainess from the original.

Under Black’s influence, she’d even begun treating servants with equality and respect.

The incident during their last meal was proof of that.

The two of them shouldn’t cross paths again—like parallel lines that never meet.

Yet the truth remained right before Black’s eyes.

He almost wanted to question whether his All-Knowing Glasses were broken.

But reason told him that was impossible.

After long contemplation, Black still couldn’t make sense of it all.

With the storyline altered, all he could do now was adapt as events unfolded.

Technically, even if Alice died, it wouldn’t affect the prologue’s ending—in fact, it would align even more closely with the original outcome.

But Black couldn’t accept her death.

In his eyes, Alice was no longer a villainess.

At her core, she was just a stubborn girl.

And she’d already begun to change—no longer haughty, aloof, or aggressive.

A bright and sunny future should await this imperial princess.

To let her die like this… Black simply couldn’t accept it.

Couldn’t accept it at all.

“It seems I’ll have to stick close to Alice these next few days.”

Black couldn’t guarantee he’d be able to save her from her destined death.

But at the very least, he could give it his all—without regrets.

What Black didn’t realize was that a faint tenderness had already taken root in his heart.

That clumsy yet earnest figure—now tinged with tsundere pride—had already left a vivid mark within him.

****

Night.

The bright moon hung high in the sky.

It was a night worthy of moon appreciation.

Unfortunately, no one was in the mood for it tonight.

The scent of blood still clung to the Hodyr.

Even though the deck had been scrubbed multiple times, the vivid red stains refused to fade.

Black walked back to his room from the mess hall.

Along the way, he noticed the entire fleet had escalated to maximum combat readiness.

Dragon-Slaying Guards patrolled everywhere on the ship.

Alchemists continuously fine-tuned ballistae and other siege weapons to ensure the heavy artillery remained operational.

Logistics personnel hurried in and out, stockpiling medical supplies and ammunition.

The whole fleet was immersed in a state of urgent activity.

To Black, this was perfectly normal.

They were now approaching the Caribbean Sea, and the dangers they faced were growing by the hour.

Just like today, no one could predict when the next Dragon Tide would strike the fleet.

They’d barely repelled one wave—another attack in the dead of night wouldn’t be surprising at all.

Humans could never fathom the thoughts of dragons.

Thus, Pascal’s special warning had put everyone on high alert,

requiring them to stay battle-ready at all times.

Back in his room, Black wearily took a shower.

He also washed the clothes stained crimson with dragon blood.

Little Jinzi was already fast asleep—tiny in size, yet snoring loudly.

Today’s intense battle had finally exhausted even this hyperactive young dragon.

Lying in bed, Black tossed and turned, unable to sleep, until he finally gave up and stared blankly at the ceiling.

His mind was heavy with worry and unease.

Today’s first wave of the Dragon Tide had already exceeded his expectations in scale.

Even elite dragons like Orex had appeared far earlier than anticipated.

The royal fleet had been caught completely off guard.

How terrifying would the next waves be?

Setting that aside, there was another matter troubling him—

the assassination plot by the Draconic Parliament.

He had no clue which young nobles the Parliament intended to target.

Even if they hadn’t struck yet, given their ruthlessness,they’d likely make their move within a day or two.

These assassins were hidden among the fleet—impossible to guard against.

Wait!

Within a day or two?

Black suddenly connected this to another thought.

[Predicted Outcome: Death within two days]

According to his All-Knowing Glasses, Alice was fated to die within two days.

Could it be possible—just possible—that Alice was the very target of the Draconic Parliament’s assassination?

Although Alice wasn’t exceptionally gifted, she was still the Second Imperial Princess!

Given her status, she’d absolutely be on their kill list.

The more Black thought about it, the more plausible it seemed.

No matter how slim the chance, he couldn’t take any risks.

For the next two days, he absolutely had to stay close to Alice.

Now that he had the Imperial Wyvern and the Flow State enhancement,even if he couldn’t defeat the assassins, he could at least buy a few crucial moments.

Those moments would be enough for the Dragon-Slaying Guards to react—abnormal spiritual fluctuations were extremely noticeable.

Of course, he could try convincing Alice to stay in her room and avoid going out.

But knowing her personality, without solid evidence, how could he possibly persuade her?

With so many worries crowding his mind, sleep became impossible.

Black finally gave up on sleeping altogether, got up, and walked to the window to clear his head with the sea breeze.

As he gazed outside, a massive, mobile steel fortress on the water caught his eye.

That was… the Welton.

Seeing that floating prison sent a chill down his spine.

At that moment, Black suddenly remembered something important.

He’d promised the crew of the White Pearl Pirates that he’d reveal their escape route.

Judging by the timeline, it was about time.

Two days from now, they’d enter the Caribbean Sea.

He’d use the Golden Fishing Rod to lure out Jörmungandr as soon as possible.

The farther the final battle took place from the Abyssal Chasm, the better.

While the royal fleet was occupied with the showdown, the pirates could slip away unnoticed.

Actually, Black’s main reason for helping them escape was that he needed to flee with them.

After all, he had no idea how to pilot the White Pearl himself.

His escape plan had three critical steps.

First, severely weaken the Draconic Parliament’s strength to ensure their assassination failed.

For the most part, he’d already accomplished this.

Without the Dragonfang Blade and with one Yellow Dragon already dead, most of the Parliament’s scheme had collapsed.

Only one part remained—their plot to sabotage the Hodyr’s ammunition depot.

Second, use the Golden Fishing Rod to provoke Jörmungandr early, avoiding a battle near the Abyssal Chasm.

He’d already secured the Golden Fishing Rod, so once they entered the Caribbean Sea, he could execute this step.

Once the first two steps were complete, the outcome of the final battle would be all but decided—neither Jörmungandr nor the Dragon Tide would stand a chance against the royal fleet.

That would bring him to the third and final step:escape.

He’d already planned to inform the White Pearl Pirates of the escape route and the ship’s location in advance.

Then, once the final battle was in full swing, he’d sneak away and rendezvous with them.

Together, they’d commandeer the White Pearl and vanish into the horizon.

Afterward, they’d drop him off back at the fishing village.

A flawless plan.

Therefore, Black decided to deliver the escape route and the ship’s location to them tonight.

That way, they could prepare over the next two days and seize the perfect moment to break out.

Without further delay, Black quickly sat at his desk, picked up pen and paper,and began sketching out the escape route from memory, circling and annotating as he went.