A vast amount of knowledge surged from deep within the demigod-human spirit body, forcibly cramming into Silas's head as if it would burst his skull.
However, he had already experienced something similar with the "Hidden Sage," so he didn't feel much pain.
After enduring it briefly, he pushed through this stage.
"Swish..."
The pitch-black armor enveloping Silas slowly dissipated, along with the black greatsword in his hand, transforming into shadows that gathered at his feet.
After the armor dispersed, he was still wearing the crimson robe formed from flesh and blood, his handsome features unchanged as always.
"Thank you for your congratulations."
Silas's lips curved slightly upward as he responded to Bernadette's congratulations.
He felt as if part of his emotions had been extracted, leaving him indifferent and detached. "I apologize, my condition is somewhat off..."
"This is a normal phenomenon. After advancing to Sequence 4, your spirituality has merged with divinity, causing you to somewhat detach from human emotions."
Bernadette naturally had experience with this and immediately explained, "You can try recalling some memories that brought you strong emotions.
This will help you return to your humanity."
Silas closed his eyes following her suggestion.
Memories that could awaken strong emotions...
In an instant, many faces surged through his mind.
The devout Lambs, Oliver weeping and apologizing to him as he lay dying, the beautiful and vicious demigod Witch, the arrogant and rigid George III, the steady and reliable Dunn, the gentle yet morbid Ma'am M, Ince Zangwill with his blind eye...
And that black-haired, blue-eyed girl who had protected him with her life.
Damn it!
My hatred isn't over yet.
What right do I have to become indifferent? What does divinity matter? Get lost! I need to clearly perceive my pain and rage!
The dining room seemed to darken for an instant, until Silas slowly opened his eyes.
"Thank you for your guidance, Your Majesty."
His voice now carried more emotional color, with flames of hatred surging in the depths of his eyes.
"I feel much better."
Do you really feel better?
Why do I get the feeling you've gone to another extreme...
Bernadette shook her head helplessly.
"Alright, I suggest you meditate first and rein in your dissipating spirituality.
We're heading back now. We should reach Toscarter Island this afternoon."
That was the last island they had stopped at before entering the Sea of Ruins, theoretically the border of Loen.
"Alright."
Silas accepted her suggestion. He left the dining room and headed to the bedroom the Queen had arranged for him. On the way, he encountered Anderson.
"That commotion just now... you advanced?"
Anderson looked at Silas as if seeing a ghost, scanning him up and down.
He had clearly felt the spirituality explosion on the ship earlier, as if the world itself had turned pitch black.
"Yes, that was my original purpose for entering that sea area."
Silas answered, then walked straight past without waiting for any more questions, leaving Anderson conflicted and envious in place.
Silas spent some effort ensuring his spirituality no longer leaked out.
He took the opportunity to study the knowledge that had flooded his mind, learning about the abilities of the "Black Knight" pathway.
First, after advancing to "Black Knight," all his original lower-sequence abilities had been enhanced, including his blood magic and shadow abilities becoming stronger.
Particularly "Shepherd," the number of Lambs he could shepherd had increased to nine.
Additionally, he could now "release" the Lambs to fight.
Released Lamb souls could use all of the Lamb's abilities!
Although Silas could achieve similar effects using that sea, it consumed far more resources.
Besides that, the "Black Knight" had many newly acquired abilities.
He could transform into a small giant seven to eight feet tall, covered in black, cold armor.
This armor was composed of "corrupted" shadows and could completely absorb damage.
In other words, when attacked, the shattering of the armor could compensate for the damage.
The Black Knight's core ability, however, was his greatsword.
"Cull of Spiritual Flesh."
Silas finally learned the sword's name. It too came from the authority of the "Corruption" domain.
The blade was not only exceptionally sharp but also had tremendous destructive power.
It could corrode flesh, annihilate souls, shatter barriers, and could even render the defenses of any creature with corrupted thoughts ineffective!
At the same time, the Black Knight also had an ability called "Shadow of Depravation."
He could separate the corrupted thoughts from within his heart and combine them with his shadow to form an independent creature beyond his control that could attack, influence, assist, and so on.
This creature had many potential uses that Silas had yet to fully explore.
By the time he roughly understood the Black Knight's abilities, afternoon had arrived.
The Dawn was racing across the Sonia Sea, leaving the Sea of Ruins far behind and quickly returning to the waters near Toscarter Island.
Ships gradually began appearing around them, brave fishermen crossing dangerous waves to hunt whales in the deep ocean.
Bernadette didn't disturb them but instead concealed the ship, silently and swiftly sailing near the waters.
"I'm returning to my base. What are your plans?"
She asked Silas.
Plans?
Silas thought briefly.
With the successful advancement to Black Knight, he had achieved his original purpose for going to sea.
Truth be told, he could just return directly to Backlund now.
But returning now didn't seem appropriate.
Loen was definitely still under high pressure domestically. That bastard George III wouldn't let him off so easily.
In Backlund, even a demigod couldn't act without restraint, especially since his current condition was still unstable.
So it was better not to return for now.
He would stay at sea for a while longer, attempting to role-play and digest the potion while improving his strength.
He had promised Medici he would make a trip to Binsy, and the whereabouts of the "Black Throne" still needed to be found.
There were many things left to do.
Besides, he had a bold idea that required the pirates to realize.
"Your Majesty, I'll disembark here then."
After clarifying his plans, Silas said to her, "I intend to stay at sea for a while."
"Very well, let's part ways here then."
Bernadette nodded.
"Swish," she tossed him a white note.
"This is the method to summon my messenger. Once you find traces of the 'Black Throne,' you can use this to contact me."
"Alright."
Silas tucked the note into his pocket and picked up Luna.
"What about you?"
He looked at Anderson.
"Are you disembarking with me, or will the Queen continue carrying you for a while?"
"I'll disembark here too."
Anderson smiled.
His own misfortune hadn't been completely resolved yet, so it was better to stay with Silas.
Besides, the pressure the Queen gave off was just too great. If he really had to stay on the ship, he couldn't handle it.
The Dawn dropped the two of them off at Stokart Island, turned around, and sailed into the depths of the Sonia Sea, disappearing without a trace.