After going into the sea, I met the witch.

"The Primordial Era, which is the time when the world was first created in myths and legends, has been described in various ways by different churches. Just listen to it and don't take it seriously. This era is basically a symbolic existence."

"The prehistoric era is after the primordial era. It is said that the creatures of this era were incredibly large. Unfortunately, too few fossils have been unearthed. Prehistory, prehistory, it is called the prehistoric era precisely because there is no historical evidence to support it."

"The Divine Era, on the other hand, has a much larger record. Most of the churches on the continent today are descended from this era. At that time, the continent was filled with gods, the divine kingdom was high in the clouds, all living beings had faith, and those without faith would fall into an endless abyss after death."

"The Age of Gods lasted for a very long time, until a thousand years ago, when a golden tree grew from the center of the world. The [Golden Law] woven from it permeated the entire world and caused the gods to fall from the clouds."

"No one knows exactly what happened back then, but from that time on, the gods disappeared, the continent officially entered the Golden Age, and the name of the continent was changed to 'Golden Continent' from that time on."

"And the path is the way that mortals can achieve the extraordinary, as engraved in the Golden Rule."

"A thousand years have passed, and now there are twelve paths that have been discovered. Each path has nine steps, also known as the 'Stairway to Godhood.' It is said that when a professional steps onto the ninth step, they can achieve the position of a god."

"Unfortunately, let alone becoming a god, there are very few high-level professionals in the entire kingdom."

Frey sighed softly.

"Although there are twelve known routes, their specific names are also closely guarded secrets. I only know of six of them: [Scholar], [Soldier], [Pirate], [Night Watchman], [Lawyer], and [Bard]."

"The name of a pathway can reflect its essence to some extent, but it is not entirely absolute. I will explain the details to you later when we have time."

"Let's get back to [pirates] and [night watchmen]."

"The [Pirate] path, as the name suggests, is a very powerful class in naval warfare. Tier 1 [Pirates] are proficient in the use of conventional weapons and possess battle cry abilities that can boost the morale and status of themselves and their teammates. By the way, the captain of the [Skull] before, Salem, known as the 'Mountain of Flesh' with a bounty of 18000 pounds, was a Tier 1 [Pirate]."

"The [Night Watcher] path is a path highly favored by major churches across the continent. Professionals using this path possess considerable combat power at the first level, and their nighttime combat ability is even more outstanding. Unfortunately, due to the high requirements for employment, their numbers are extremely limited."

"If you were to ask for my advice, I would recommend that you take up the job of [pirate]."

"There are two reasons. First, you basically meet the requirements for becoming a [Pirate], including physical fitness and weapon proficiency. Second, becoming a [Night Watcher] requires a prayer ceremony on the night of a full moon, and the full moon has only just passed a few days ago. If you want to perform it, you'll have to wait about a month. Moreover, whether you can encounter any sea monsters in the vast ocean is basically a matter of luck. Even if you do encounter one, with your current strength before you've even become a member, you're unlikely to be a match for it."

"..." Ryan looked at the smiling girl in front of him, speechless.

Good grief, you've already thought it through, and now you're giving me two potions to choose from?

In my current situation, isn't the [pirate] route my only option?!

Chapter 22 The Great Terror Hidden in the Potion Path

"Then I'll choose 'Pirate Potion'."

Ryan spoke.

“A wise choice.” Freyne smiled slightly and put away the other potion bottle: “You’d better tell me before you take the potion so we can protect you and prevent any outside interference.”

“The process of spiritual sublimation and career development is extremely important. If it is interrupted, it can cause serious injury or spiritual damage, or even death on the spot. It cannot be taken lightly.”

“I understand.” Ryan nodded vigorously, his gaze sweeping over the dark blue ring on the girl’s finger, a hint of envy in his heart.

This must be a special piece of equipment with storage space, right?

I really want one!

Picking up the "Pirate Potion" from the wooden table, Ryan carefully put the potion into his pocket, gazing at its dazzling, star-like appearance.

"That's about it. Is there anything else you want to ask?" Frey leaned back in her chair, her hands clasped, her expression calm and elegant.

"Lady Freyne, what was that 'black mist hemisphere' that you suddenly created when you were fighting that 'mountain of flesh' Salem on the bow deck?" Ryan asked curiously.

"You mean this?" Freyne smiled, took out a jet-black ring with an octopus carving on it, and waved it in her hand: "Low-grade artifact - Ring of Black Corrosion. After use, it can create a black mist area with a radius of about five meters, which can corrode all living beings except the wearer of the ring. Its power is very strong among low-grade artifacts, but unfortunately, the side effects are also great. It requires the user to pay off one-fifth of their blood."

"Let me give you a little more information. Rare objects are precious creations that contain spiritual energy. Some are naturally formed, while others are man-made. They are divided into low-level, mid-level, and high-level, and their power corresponds to the professional of the corresponding level."

"Hmm... this thing is useless to me, but I'll give it to you as a gift."

Subconsciously accepting the "Low-Rank Artifact - Ring of Black Corrosion" tossed to him by Freyne, Ryan was slightly taken aback, then bowed respectfully and thanked her: "Thank you for your generosity, Lady Freyne!"

"Yes, go and get some rest. You've had a tough battle. We'll talk about your appointment after you've rested." This sincere "Lady Freyne" made Freyne nod in satisfaction.

"Then I shall take my leave." Ryan bowed respectfully before leaving the captain's cabin.

……

Several nautical miles away from the Black Rose, a level 5 sailing cruiser was sailing on the sea.

"My Lord, those two three-masted sailing ships seven nautical miles ahead, the larger one, judging by its flag, is the Skull and Bones, and its captain is 'Mountain of Flesh' Salem, with a bounty of 18000 pounds. The other one is the Black Rose."

Listening to the lookout's report, Lord Sparrow, wearing an exquisite wig, a nobleman's robe, and a longsword at his waist, remained expressionless.

He was well aware of the reputation of the Skull, a pirate crew known for its brutality. Sometimes, even fellow pirates would be slaughtered on board. As for the Skull's captain, "Mountain of Flesh" Salem, a professional pirate with a bounty of 18000 pounds, Lord Sproul knew he had no certainty of victory in a one-on-one fight.

Of course, naval battles are not all individual combat. The performance and firepower of the White Dove far surpass those of the Skull, so in a real fight, the White Dove would have a huge advantage.

The problem is, how did the Skull and the Black Rose get mixed up together?

Lord Splow lowered his head, looking at a compass-like object in his hand—a disposable gadget made by the Lawbringers, called the "Bloody Compass." It wasn't exactly a rare item, but it could roughly pinpoint the location of the "Bloody Child" within a week.

The Bloody Guide now clearly shows that the Bloody Child named "Lyan Rayland" is on the Black Rose.

If it were only the Black Rose, he would have given the order to attack by now. But the problem is, there's also the Skull ship nearby...

A professional pirate whose strength was on par with his.

Thinking of this, Lord Sproud, though unwilling, gritted his teeth and said, "Follow from a distance for now and observe. Report to me immediately if anything happens."

After giving the order, he returned to the captain's cabin, sat down at the table, and took out a pale green conch shell from the drawer.

“Il, I need your help. The location is where the conch is positioned.”

Lord Sprout put down the conch shell, which was emitting a faint glow, and clutched his chest in heartache.

He will have to pay a huge price for this request for assistance.

But he was willing to go to any lengths to win over "Bloody Son" Ryan Reyland.

The "Bloody Mark" only lasts for a week, after which even the "Lawbringers" will find it difficult to track down the Blood Child's exact location. And Ryan Reyland's "Bloody Mark" has less than five days left...

At that time, in the vast ocean, finding a single person would be an absolute pipe dream.

Lord Sproud could not determine the relationship between the Skull and the Black Rose, nor could he deduce the relationship between "Wall of Flesh" Salem and "Bloody Son" Ryan Reyland. Therefore, he could only make the worst-case scenario plan.

His time and his opportunities are running out...

……

Inside the second officer's cabin of the Black Rose.

Compared to the rooms on the old ship, this new cabin was more spacious. Ryan glanced at the wooden crate next to him, incorporated the [Nameless Ship Sculpture] into it to create a miniature "small sailing raft" of the same style, and then pushed it under the bed to hide it. Only then did he breathe a sigh of relief and lie down wearily on the wooden plank bed.

While Freyne's abilities could heal physical injuries, they could not alleviate mental exhaustion.

Looking at the "pirate potion" in his hand, Ryan's eyes were somewhat complicated.

The "path of cultivation" he had been longing for was finally within reach, but he couldn't feel happy at all.

because……

At the very bottom of the gray text describing "Pirate Potion," there is a line of extremely small text that flickers faintly, as if some force does not want it to be revealed.

He hadn't noticed it before because he was excited, but upon closer inspection, he immediately discovered it.

[After using this potion, during the process of spiritual ascension and job selection, you will be targeted by an unknown entity. Upon advancing to the seventh rank, you will be assimilated.]

Ryan felt heavy-hearted.

The initial joy vanished instantly upon seeing this message.

He didn't know what the "unknown existence" mentioned on the gray panel was, but the word "assimilation" at the seventh level was terrifying no matter how you looked at it.

Although reaching the seventh rank seemed a long way off, how could he dare to take the position?

As his thoughts raced, a sudden inspiration struck Ryan.

Locking down a target inevitably involves a distance limit. If he were to have his wandering avatar drink a magic potion and take up a job in the place he was traveling, would he be able to avoid being locked down by the "unknown entity"?

Thinking of this, Ryan perked up and became somewhat eager to try.

Unfortunately, it's still noon, and we'll need another half day before we can travel there again.

Suppressing his excitement, Ryan slowly closed his eyes.

He's too tired and needs to rest.

Chapter 23 Our goal is the deepest part of the ocean, where everything...

When Ryan opened his eyes again, it was already dusk.

Soft, golden sunlight streamed in through the windows on the bulwark.

"Did I sleep for that long?"

Ryan was somewhat taken aback, then shook his head.

It seems that the previous battle with the Scimitar Pirates had taken a greater toll than he had imagined.

Looking at the food laid out on the wooden table not far away, Ryan felt a warmth rise in his heart.

Freyne is quite considerate in all sorts of details and is a very gentle person—cough cough, provided you ignore her brutality when she slaughters pirates.

After resolving the dinner issue, Ryan sat on a wooden chair, examining the jet-black ring on his palm.

The octopus carving is so lifelike that it gives people a strange and ferocious feeling.

Ryan looked at the gray text describing the thing.

[Low-Tier Artifact - Ring of Black Corrosion: Upon use, it expands into a "black mist area" with a radius of five meters. Any living being other than the user will be corroded by the black mist, resulting in negative statuses such as weakness, blood loss, and blindness, lasting for one minute. Usage Requirements: One-fifth of the user's blood (the higher the tier, the lower the cost)]

This rare item contains a faint essence of spiritual energy; absorbing it can improve the repair progress of the [Nameless Ship Sculpture].

Looking at the introduction in front of him, Ryan's pupils contracted slightly, and his heart pounded.

"Can it improve the restoration progress of the [Nameless Ship Sculpture]?!"

The effects of the "Low-Tier Rare Item - Black Mist Ring" are nothing special, similar to what Freyne described, but its ability to improve the repair progress of the [Nameless Ship Carving] is what keeps him unsettled.

Prior to this, Ryan had always believed that only after conquering the "Wandering Lands" and finding the "Anchor Point" could the "Nameless Ship Carving" be repaired.

But now...

wrong!

In an instant, Ryan recalled the scene when he first came into this world.

Under the control of some inexplicable force, he pulled the trigger and blew the head off a baron from the Violet family of the Kingdom of Augustus.