After going into the sea, I met the witch.

Ryan didn't care about any of that.

Lying on his back on the wooden plank bed, gazing at the dim ship deck, his violent heartbeat gradually calmed down.

The new captain of the Black Rose and his guards were far more powerful than he had imagined.

What exactly do "First-Tier [Scholar]" and "First-Tier [Soldier]" mean in terms of power?

How can one obtain such power?

Ryan had no idea.

Fortunately, although Freya saw through his identity as the Blood Child, she didn't seem to intend to pursue the matter. After asking a few simple questions, she let him go.

This left Ryan somewhat puzzled—what exactly was her purpose?

Regardless, Ryan did not sense any malice from Freyne.

After all, according to Freyne, she still needs to serve as the navigator of the Black Rose herself, and her safety is relatively guaranteed until a replacement is found.

Ryan could only console himself with this thought.

Circumstances dictate that his strength is far too weak.

The weak have never had a voice, let alone the right to make decisions.

Thinking about strength, Ryan's thoughts inevitably extended to the "places of travel".

During his last journey, he died in an attack by four beach crabs. Now that he thinks about it, the cave must have been the nest of several beach crabs. He had been fighting the first beach crab for too long, which led to him being attacked by the beach crabs that had returned to their nest due to the heavy rain.

—Next time, we'll have to lure the beach crabs away from their cave nests and attack them one by one.

Ryan thought so.

After his travel clone was upgraded, his strength became even greater. He could easily deal with a giant beach crab on his own, even without resorting to sneak attacks, by going head-to-head with it.

The mere increase of one level provided a noticeable boost to his physical body. If he were to level up a few more times, even if he couldn't obtain the method to acquire a "Path of the Dao" profession for the time being, his self-defense capabilities would be significantly enhanced.

With his mind racing, Ryan gradually drifted off to sleep.

He is too tired.

The series of events he has experienced since waking up have left him physically and mentally exhausted. If it weren't for the upgrade of his travel clone which allowed him to recover somewhat, he probably would have already passed out.

Now in a relatively safe environment, he could no longer suppress his exhaustion.

……

The weather at sea is always unpredictable.

This sudden downpour also departed silently.

The rain gradually stopped, the wind and waves slowly subsided, and by dusk, the sea had returned to calm.

At the largest port in Silvermoon Bay.

A fifth-class sailing cruiser has just set sail.

It was 150 feet long and had a staggering displacement of 800 tons. It was also equipped with a full 40 cannons. The flag that fluttered in the sea breeze was decorated with the emblem of the Augustan royal navy - crossed swords and a purple tassel above.

The Royal Navy was considered "the most terrifying hunter" by coastal pirates.

Almost no pirate could escape its pursuit.

At this moment, on the second deck of the cruiser "White Dove", Lord Splow put down his brass binoculars, his eyes filled with solemnity.

On the wooden mast behind him were a dozen or so wanted posters, all of which depicted portraits of pirates wanted by the Royal Navy.

Among these dozen or so arrest warrants, two stand out.

Not only do they have striking bright red borders, but they are also several sizes larger than other wanted posters.

The two wanted posters depict a woman and a man, respectively.

"—[Darkmoon Witch] Freyne...and, his name is Ryan Reyland, the bloodthirsty son who murdered the eldest son of the Governor of Silvermoon Bay."

"A heretic, and the last bloodline of a ruined noble family."

Lord Slop, dressed in a proper aristocratic suit and wearing an exquisite wig, was extremely concerned about his image, having once been a commoner.

He captured many wanted pirates, and his outstanding achievements earned him a title from the kingdom.

However, family members know their own business.

Lord Slop knew very well that, barring any major factors, the title of knighthood was the limit of his life's work.

In the noble system of the Kingdom of Augustus, the title of lord was not recognized as a true noble. It was usually used by the kingdom to reward commoners who had made outstanding contributions, and it was not hereditary.

To be promoted to baron and enter the true aristocratic class, it normally requires the efforts of at least three generations.

Lord Slop couldn't wait that long.

And now, a golden opportunity is right in front of him.

Two Bloody Sons have appeared in Silvermoon Bay.

Lord Slop doesn't seek to capture the Dark Moon Witch, but he is determined to capture "Lyan Rayland," a former nobleman who is now an ordinary man.

The "bloody mark" of the [Golden Law] can be tracked by the [Lawyer] of the Kingdom's "Law Path" to determine its approximate strength.

【Dark Moon Witch】is a first-tier official professional like him, and is also an extremely rare "Sea Witch". Lord Slop doesn't think he's very confident, but "Lyan Reland" is different.

This guy who dared to kill a nobleman was actually an ordinary person who had never even touched a Taoist profession.

Lord Slop himself would never forgive himself for letting such a "fat sheep" go.

The merit gained from capturing or eliminating a Blood Son is enough for him to be promoted to the rank of Baron!

Lord Slop coldly ordered, "Sail with the wind, full speed ahead! After capturing the Blood Son, the bounty will be distributed among all of you; I will take nothing."

Upon hearing this, the sailors on board cheered and worked even harder, chasing after their distant target.

……

"Wow..."

Waves crashed against the hull of the boat.

Ryan was awakened by the hunger in his stomach and the aroma wafting to his nose.

He opened his eyes, stretched, and all the fatigue he had accumulated vanished in an instant. Ryan looked at the wooden table not far away.

At this moment, on the wooden table are a plate of freshly baked white bread, two oranges, and a glass of ale.

At sea, fruits that provide vitamins are a rarity, and most people can only enjoy them once in a long while.

Hunger urged Ryan to get out of bed, and only after he had eaten all the food and felt satisfied did he lean back in the wooden chair and let out a long sigh.

Only then did he notice that his clothes were still wet, and he felt sticky and uncomfortable all over.

After changing into the linen clothes that had been prepared for him, Ryan frowned.

The rough, frictional feel made him very uncomfortable.

But given the circumstances, he had no choice but to force himself to adapt.

Through the small window inside the cabin, Ryan saw the faint moonlight.

"Have you slept for more than six hours...?"

Ryan whispered to himself.

Although the exact time is unknown, he was rescued and boarded the Black Rose around noon, and now it is already dark.

"I don't know if the [Travel] feature refreshes at midnight every day, or if it refreshes every 24 hours..."

Ryan wondered to himself.

Chapter 8 Revenge

Driven by a thirst for power, Ryan couldn't wait to re-enter the "Wandering Lands".

Looking inward, Ryan saw a "small sailboat" floating deep within his consciousness.

Previously, the "small sailing raft" to which the [Nameless Ship Sculpture] was attached had capsized in the stormy sea and its whereabouts were unknown. Since the raft was too far away from him, the [attachment] function was automatically released. Now, if he wants to use the [travel] function again, he needs to find another "attachment object".

Ryan quickly spotted his target after scanning the cabin. It was a rectangular wooden crate.

The level 1 "Attachment" skill can only attach to objects with a volume not exceeding one hundred cubic meters.

Under the current circumstances, Ryan doesn't think he has any chance of escaping the Black Rose.

Although he wasn't marked with a "curse" by Captain Freyne, he knew very well that if he tried to escape and was caught, he would face a terrible fate.

Therefore, he doesn't need anything too big to serve as the "hull" now; as long as it meets the minimum requirements for his "travels," that's enough.

A wooden crate would be a good choice.

Even if it were shaped like a raft, it wouldn't be very big. As long as it's hidden under the wooden plank bed and concealed with something else, outsiders wouldn't be able to tell anything about it.

As the [Nameless Ship Sculpture] "attached" to it, the wooden box gradually transformed into the shape of a miniature raft in Ryan's eyes.

It was the most primitive kind of raft, with only a basic hull and oars, without even sails, and only half a meter long, just big enough for Ryan to stand on.

Nodding in satisfaction, Ryan hid the mini raft under the wooden plank bed and concealed it with other miscellaneous items.

Upon opening the panel and seeing the grayed-out [Travel] function, indicating it was temporarily unavailable, Ryan sighed.

"Let's try again at midnight."

Then his gaze fell on the iron longsword hanging on the wall.

In addition to the longsword, there was also a round wooden shield with iron trim.

This cabin was originally the second mate's room on the pirate ship.

As the third-in-command on the ship, it's not surprising that the second mate had spare equipment.

After taking off his longsword, Ryan swung it around a few times to get used to the feel before beginning to practice Storm Sword Technique.

This swordsmanship is the skill he relies on to survive in the "Trial Grounds". Although the panel does not show the proficiency required for upgrading, practicing more will definitely not be a bad thing.

In fact, the battle with the beach crab using a longsword in the "Wandering Lands" last time made Ryan feel that he had gained a lot of new knowledge in Storm Swordsmanship. With more practice, he believed that it was only a matter of time before his swordsmanship level improved.

Recalling the words "Thorns Rapier Technique (Mastery)" in Cecilia's introduction, Ryan felt full of motivation.

While it's unknown whether there are other levels between "beginner" and "expert," the existence of these levels means that it's possible to achieve them through hard work.