I Created Scientific Magic

Chapter 52: Chapter 49: Conquering the “Eye of Death”!

Under the command of Laud’s whipping hand, the sailors, clutching at their last sliver of hope, sprang into action: the ropes were tightened, the winches continuously turned, and the sails made of camel hide leather were raised—these hides being exceedingly tough, capable of withstanding fierce winds and torrential rain.

The rest of the crew began to jettison the cargo piled on the deck to lighten the weight of the sailing vessel.

Watching as the cargo was cast off, one piece after another, into the water, Laud’s heart bled, but he was powerless to stop it, for his own life was always more important.

The howling wind and rolling waves made the massive sail ship seem like a leaf that could capsize at any moment; the vessel rocked ceaselessly, as if it might plunge to the ocean floor at the next second.

Lynn’s method of response was straightforward: relying on the adjustment of the sail’s angle and harnessing the power of the fierce wind to stabilize the ship. It was an operation of fine precision, and fortunately, the sailors on board, though ignorant of aerodynamics, each had decades of sailing experience, enabling them to barely maintain control of the situation.

The warship, under Lynn’s guidance, slowly steered around, heading at full speed in the direction of the currents…

“Wizard sir, could you be mistaken? That way lies a massive whirlpool!” Laud, who had just gotten the sailors moving, turned to look at the course and was so scared he felt his soul might leave him.

Were they trying to escape the whirlpool, or rush headlong into their deaths?

He now believed what the helmsman had said: the other party simply didn’t understand ships!

“Of course I know that’s the great whirlpool. What we need is the power of the Eye of Death!” Lynn said solemnly.

The speed of the sailing warship was only seven knots, and escaping the pull of the whirlpool was nearly impossible. The only way was to align the ship’s direction of travel with the spiraling currents, circle halfway around the great whirlpool, then use the powerful centrifugal force to speed away!

As it turned out, Lynn had no experience with sailing ships, but he had been assessed in starship piloting and knew how to use the gravitational pull of planets for slingshot maneuvers. The principles of both were more or less the same.

In short, it was a matter of charging in then being flung out!

Lynn explained his plan in very simple terms, but Laud didn’t understand a single word, although he vaguely felt it made a lot of sense.

“We must be mad!” Laud muttered to himself. He had never imagined that one day he would sail straight into a great whirlpool.

Apart from Laud, the rest of the sailors soon realized there was something wrong with the course, but they didn’t even have time to despair, as several of the sail ropes on deck couldn’t withstand the strong winds and snapped!

In such a dire situation, there was no choice but to temporarily rely on manual strength to tightly pull the ropes, avoiding any adverse effect on the warship’s navigation.

Lynn constantly adjusted the rudder, and with a violent yet brief shake, the vessel swerved sharply to the right, then stabilized again. The surging waters propelled the sail ship rapidly forward, firmly charging towards the great whirlpool.

A thunderous, deafening boom came from the distant sea, like a thunderclap from clear skies. The edge of the great whirlpool soon came into view through the thin black mist.

It looked like a gigantic, hair-raising funnel had appeared on the sea, with vast amounts of water spinning into the bottomless abyss. At the very bottom of the whirlpool was a gray and eerie coldness, exuding a breath-taking aura, obscuring any view of what lay hidden within…

Gazing at the terrifying whirlpool, Laud’s face turned ashen, and the reactions of the sailors were even worse; many began to babble nonsensically.

“Mom, I’m coming to find you…”

“It’s the stars; I see the stars!”

…

Lynn faintly sensed something was off. This great whirlpool, known as the Eye of Death, seemed able to affect a person’s mind, suggesting that it was not a natural phenomenon caused by ocean currents or gravitational tides.

We must sail away from here as quickly as possible…

But it seems the current speed is still lacking!

“Use the Fireball Technique, at seven o’clock!” Lynn shouted, to make sure Johnny understood, even specifying the direction.

The girl with silvery-gray hair immediately got the hint and activated [Mage Hand], instantly conjuring a huge fireball in her palm, tossing it towards the aft side of the sail warship.

Lynn, at that moment, performed the same action. The two massive fireballs collided, and the intense shockwave made the ship creak and groan, but the force of the impact also increased the warship’s sailing speed once more!

The constantly shaking sail warship dangerously skimmed the edge of the great whirlpool, and under the influence of the strong centrifugal force, it burst out at a speed several times faster than usual!

The violent noise also awakened Laud and the others, allowing them to break free from the mental impact of the great whirlpool. As they saw the terrifying “abyssal maw” receding, a look of having survived a catastrophe spread across everyone’s faces.

After a brief calm, the deck suddenly erupted with passionate shouts, each person venting the joy of having escaped the clutches of Death.

“It’s incredible, we really escaped from the great whirlpool!”

“It must be a miracle!”

“Once we’re ashore, let’s get married right away, not a moment to wait!”

…

All the crew were overjoyed, celebrating with each other, and two bearded uncles even embraced each other tightly.

“First Mate, after we get past this sea area, take out my collection of liquor, let’s all celebrate properly,” Laud said, his hands and feet shaking, but he still generously voiced his offer amid the lively scene.

“But, Boss Laud…” The First Mate hesitated, then carefully said, “Your box of liquor… we just threw it overboard…”

Laud’s expression immediately froze, as an immense sorrow welled up in his heart. For years he had accumulated treasures, mostly stored in wooden boxes on the deck, and now they were all gone!

In Laud’s heart, there even emerged a wild idea to dive into the whirlpool and salvage his money.

But that, after all, was just a fantasy…

Amidst the heartache, Laud did not forget the great hero of this “conquest” of the Eye of Death.

“I am immensely grateful, Wizard sir, you saved all of us! Should you have any commands in the future, please feel free to instruct…” Laud looked towards Lynn, took his hat off, placed it over his chest, and bowed as a sign of respect.

The once noisy deck immediately became extremely quiet. The sailors and shipworkers present, one after another, mirrored Laud’s action, which was the highest respect amongst seafarers.

If after the Sea Harbor Battle they held immeasurable fear for Wizard Lynn, now it was genuine respect.

Having just experienced the power and terror of the Eye of Death, they were naturally full of gratitude and belief in Lynn, who had led them in the escape from the pursuit of Death. n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om

“Please instruct us on what to do next!”