Chapter 1641 — 1641: First public appearance

Jack had regrets. Of course he had regrets. Admittedly, he kind of anticipated that Bob would screw things up. He even thought of finding Bob and telling him specifically what to say. Their entire history up until that point had led Jack to believe that Bob would, in some way, screw things up.

So why did he go ahead and tell Bob to cause a stir anyway? It was simple. Jack… thought it might actually be kind of fun. Looking back, every time Bob caused a scene, it was absolute chaos and sometimes even nearly killed them. But looking back, it was also a lot of fun.

What was a little challenge here and there? What was the point of life if all he focused on was working and not having fun? After all, he'd decided to do all the serious stuff as Lex, while living slightly more carefree as Jack.

After all, unlike Lex, Jack had no pressure weighing down on him, such as the threat of his Inn being discovered as an unguarded treasure trove. At most he had that pesky karma weighing him down.

So, he decided to let Bob let loose for once, and have a little fun along the way. Now, he very much regretted that decision. He had signed up for some fun, and a little inconvenience. He had not signed up to let everyone in the universe know that he, as a mortal, had interacted with a Dao Lord.

Of course, one could see that as an amulet of protection. Who would mess with a person who had proven ties to a Dao Lord? The answer was: anyone who had a bone to pick with that particular Dao Lord.

In that regard, the dragons had left no room for any doubt. It was an absolute certainty that they had many who had a bone to pick with them, but didn't actually dare to mess with them. In such a situation, Jack could become a decent alternative. Even so, Jack did not expect to face immediate trouble.

No matter what, it would still be foolish to target him. Who said the dragons wouldn't retaliate if something like that happened? No one.

But, as if that was not enough, Jack had now publicly received his own ship - a ship which had now carried 7 Dao Lords across the Void. The mere touch of a single Dao Lord, let alone seven, was enough to transform the Jolly Rancher into a remarkable treasure.

This was not an exaggeration. Jack had already learned, through Lex's experiences, that anything and everything related to a Dao Lord was absolutely out of this world and perhaps even beyond their comprehension.

Now what would happen to a ship - one that Jack had specifically designed with the intention to traverse the universe - once it carried seven Dao Lords across the universe? Neither Jack nor Lex had any idea, but they were about to find out.

Fortunately, the laws within the Artica realm were special. The Jolly Rancher was immediately restricted by the level it was in, limiting its growth to that of a mortal item. That meant that the Jolly Rancher could, at most, be an item with the power level of the Nascent soul realm.

That also meant that the ship would have an extremely robust foundation, so that it could easily transcend the limitations of the mortal realm, and easily grow stronger when it was needed.

Jack, standing atop the ship, could feel the changes happening beneath his feet. He felt the wood grow stronger, the gold become an even better conductor of spiritual energy, the crystal become harder and more difficult to break.

Not only did the sails also grow stronger, they gained the ability to restrict just the wind. They could now be pushed forward by currents of energy as well.

As if that was not all, Jack felt the cannons hidden beneath the deck grow stronger, and felt the crows nest become mysterious, as if able to see through not only the distance, but the future as well.

Jack, due to his connection to the ship which he had nurtured with his own fairy dust, felt each and every change as he was stuck there. But those in the surroundings just looked on as the Jolly Rancher, a behemoth of a ship, underwent numerous changes to its appearance and aura.

They could only begin to guess the changes that were taking place, and even more, could only guess in their hearts the background and origin of the fairy standing definitely in front of the entire realm.

His handsome yet solemn expression as he looked out at them, ready to accept all challenges, made him seem powerful beyond his realm. Many instantly decided to either befriend him, or stay away from him, not risking becoming his enemy.

Some, however, had impressive backgrounds of their own, and weren't so easily deterred. Those could not help but feel a sense of challenge welling up inside their chest. They could feel it. In front of them was the protagonist of the era - the defining character who would challenge conventions, make history, and have his name written down in the annals of time. Maybe, just maybe, he would become a legend too.

Before any could challenge him, however, it happened. A magenta light rose up from within the ground, passing through everything solid, and filled the very air, as if announcing its presence to the universe.

Many dropped to their knees instantly, though since they had been facing the Jolly Rancher when the light erupted, it looked like they were kneeling in front of the ship, and in front of Jack.

Bob, who looked out at the scene before him, raised his head with pride. He was not surprised by the shining of the light, nor the kneeling of the people. It was only right. The captain had made his first appearance in public since the crew was started, and this would only be the first of many.

Bob looked towards the others, to see their reactions, and felt immense satisfaction to see their surprise. Then he noticed that… Goldilocks was missing, and a trail of gold footprints went out into the distance.

Bob shook his head. The others really needed to stop causing trouble for the captain. It was most brown of them.