Grey and his two companions quickly escorted Azrael to an area that was already under martial law. This was the entrance to the Black Flag secret realm, a gateway humming with barely contained energy.
"Old Zhou, you made it," called out a guard stationed outside. Though they clearly recognized Grey from previous expeditions, protocol demanded that they follow proper procedures. After thoroughly examining their documents and credentials, the guard waved them through.
Grey strode to his jeep and pulled out four weathered pirate uniforms, their fabric stained and reeking of old sweat. He tossed one to Azrael without ceremony. "Put this on."
Azrael caught the uniform and immediately began changing, not bothering with false modesty or complaints about the smell. Grey's eyes flickered with approval at the young man's straightforward attitude, though his expression remained neutral.
The four of them approached the shimmering portal that marked the entrance to Black Flag. Azrael felt his vision blur as reality twisted around him. Suddenly, he found himself standing on a rocky coastline. The salty tang of sea air filled his nostrils, confirming what his eyes had already told him: he had successfully entered the secret realm.
"Move it; don't just stand there gawking," Grey said, clapping Azrael on the shoulder as he headed toward a wooden vessel moored nearby.
Azrael stared at the impressive ship flying a skull-and-crossbones flag, wondering where they had acquired such a vessel. Before he could voice them, Marvin seemed to read his expression and grinned.
"We liberated this beauty during our last expedition. The captain will fill you in on the details later."
"Thanks, Brother Zhao," Azrael replied, nodding in gratitude.
"By the way, do you have a flying mount?" Marvin continued. "The ship is anchored in deeper water to avoid running aground. If you can't fly, I'll have to ferry you out there."
Azrael's face lit up. "I've got that covered, Brother Zhao. No need to worry about me." He summoned his creature card, and Pidgeot materialized in a flash of light and spread its magnificent wings.
Grey and his companions exchanged impressed glances. In low-level secret realms, flying creatures provided tremendous tactical advantages, especially against ground-bound monsters.
The four quickly made their way to the ship, where Azrael grimaced at the bloodstains splattered across the deck. The metallic scent of old blood assaulted his senses, but Grey and the others seemed completely unbothered as they strode toward the captain's quarters.
Inside the cabin, Grey unfolded a massive nautical chart on the table. Before discussing their current mission, he took time to brief Azrael on everything they knew about this secret realm and their previous reconnaissance efforts.
"Since you weren't with us last time, Azrael, let me bring you up to speed on the current situation." Grey's finger traced patterns on the map as he spoke. "Originally, the pirates and monsters in [Black Flag] were divided among three major factions: Dead Bones, Rose, and Night Owl. But recently, a fourth power calling itself Black Flag has emerged, and it has quickly become the dominant force."
Grey drew a large circle encompassing most of the map, then added four smaller circles within it. "This big circle represents the boundaries of the secret realm, and the smaller circles show each pirate group's territory."
Azrael studied the vast expanses of ocean surrounding the main landmasses. "Brother Zhou, there's still a lot of unexplored area on this map, isn't there?"
Grey shook his head. "That's common in secret realms. Once you reach the established borders, you simply can't advance any further. Think of the rest as creative cartography. It looks impressive, but it has no practical meaning."
Without pausing, Grey pressed on. "During our last reconnaissance mission, we discovered that these four pirate groups are moving toward forming an alliance with Black Flag as the leading faction. That's actually how this secret realm got its name."
He tapped a skull-shaped island on the chart. "Today, they're holding a summit meeting on Skull Island. Our objective is to infiltrate the meeting and gather intelligence on the groups' approximate strength and capabilities."
Azrael didn't bother asking about potential language barriers. It was common knowledge that entities in the secret realm capable of human speech could be understood by inhabitants of Earth, and vice versa. Some mystical property of these dimensional spaces translated meaning directly into the listener's native language, a phenomenon that had initially fueled hope for peaceful coexistence between worlds. Reality had proven far crueler than those early optimists had imagined.
"Before we leave, Azrael, I need to know about your cards," Grey said, his tone growing more serious. "You don't need to reveal their specific abilities; just give me their general specializations and quality ratings."
Azrael didn't hesitate. He summoned Yoriichi Tsugikoku and Kaneki, and their forms materialized with practiced ease. "I have one purple-grade card and one red-grade card. Both are combat specialists."
The words "red card" hit Grey and his companions like a physical blow. They exchanged shocked glances, suddenly understanding why Lian had called Azrael a genuine prodigy. They had expected talent, perhaps even a gold-grade card, but this exceeded all projections.
Azrael's raw power level already surpassed Marvin's and Carl's on paper. The three veterans immediately straightened, replacing their casual demeanor with protective concern. Geniuses like Azrael were invaluable assets to the Lore Cardians Association.
After a moment of stunned silence, Grey's expression grew grave. "Azrael, if things go sideways, you mount up on that Pidgeot and get out of here. Don't waste a second worrying about the three of us."
Marvin and Carl nodded silently, their agreement implicit.
Azrael met their serious gazes without flinching. "Brother Zhou, let's not invite bad luck with that kind of talk. We're just gathering intelligence, not starting a war. What are the odds we'll be that unlucky?"
His confident words drew reluctant smiles from the trio. As long as they maintained their cover, Azrael was right that this mission should involve minimal direct conflict. The Association wouldn't have approved Azrael's participation if the danger level were genuinely high.
Besides, Grey was an experienced bronze-level Lore Cardian. Unless they found themselves completely surrounded in this bronze-tier secret realm, he could handle most situations that might arise.
Operating the pirate ship with only four crew members was challenging, but fortunately, they only needed to reach Skull Island. As the ominous landmass came into view, Grey held up a hand to halt their approach.
"Time for some method acting," he announced grimly, producing a sharp blade. Without hesitation, he began cutting shallow wounds across his arms and legs. "Our cover story is that we barely survived an attack by Earth forces. Everyone else in our crew was wiped out, so we need to look the part."
He turned to Azrael with an apologetic expression. "Don't worry, Azrael. Marvin's biological card specializes in healing. These minor injuries will be healed by the time we successfully infiltrate the island."
Before Azrael could object, Grey carefully inflicted several convincing wounds on the young man's exposed skin. The three veterans knew exactly how to make injuries appear serious without actually harming anyone, but Azrael lacked their experience.
It was Azrael's first time experiencing intentional injury, and he couldn't suppress a sharp intake of breath. Still, he managed to keep from crying out, clenching his teeth against the pain.
Carl observed Azrael's pale but determined face with growing respect. "The kid's got backbone," she muttered approvingly.
Following guidance signals from a pirate stationed on Skull Island's watchtower, Grey steered their vessel toward the designated landing area. The four of them presented a convincing picture of battle-scarred survivors as they approached the shore.
On the beach, the harbor patrol squad captain spotted their blood-soaked group and immediately tensed, his hand moving instinctively toward his weapon. "Hold it right there! Identify yourselves! Which pirate group are you with?"
Grey arranged his features into a submissive, almost groveling expression. "We're with the Dead Bones Pirate Group, sir."
The patrol captain's eyes narrowed suspiciously. "Dead Bones? But representatives from the Dead Bones Pirate Group already arrived earlier."