Louise looks at William and meaningfully chuckles.

“Roman? I know that one. He is Rank 7, and amongst quite strange Walkers from what I gathered. He was even a past Academy instructor. That must have been quite something to have someone like that with you. When it comes to me, of course, I managed excellently. Who am I kidding?” he chuckles and continues. “The terms of the 10-day training period are a piece of cake anyway, apart from the start of us, being the Walkers, that is. The true rise of pain will begin in the following years, or in our case, the Academy Trials. It will be the usual stuff, I bet. A time when we will have to do our best, so we can achieve something greater. Don't you think?” Louise asks after revealing nothing new, but talks regardless of common sense, or William's silence.

Perhaps in order for others to not hear him, he even steps closer to William, who doubts it does even makes some change in his voice. He speaks loudly and carelessly talking about whatever he wants, reminding him of someone.

“I reckon there isn't a lot of information for us, but you seem to know some things about the Trials?” William asks after having some interest in Louise's words. “My instructor wasn't keen on revealing anything, and getting to know things about the Academy or its Trial was impossible for me.”

“Ho? That's a rather intriguing worry, but I take it as you aren't the lucky one of those... who got to know things. There are a lot of them, I see. The young, like us, appears reluctant and afraid. They await the future with nervousness but you and I are different. They wait and silently seep in their nervousness in their rooms. That isn't right. The world is so vast for us to fear it. If not us, then who else should force the Dark away?”

“Why do you speak like this?” William asks, unfollowing his words which seem overly zealous and motivational. “In fact, what do you know about the world anyway? You traveled far? You seem like someone who was in the Federation for your whole life. Apologies if it's too direct, but that's how I see it.” he says after noticing Louise's frowning face, who then smiles and chuckles.

“You are right... Who am I kidding, than myself? You are a funny one, then. Worrying about things, or trials. You even asked about the kind of thing that isn't that cheap to acquire.” Louise rubs his chin with his palm, as if in thoughts. Appearing all so mysterious as his words, he turns his body to face William to appease his own wonders and words.

William sees his body language and hearing his words definitely picks some things for him. “You don't have to tell me much of anything. Not like your words carry something I need and not like it would change much. We are going to discover it in a couple of hours anyway so why are you talking like this?” Williams argues about his attempt to talk it out since he genuinely thinks this way.

Part of his time on this ship is waiting for it to be over, and wasting time. It will be gone in a while, so what will happen until then doesn't matter. The trial is what's left for the near future and William knows how to feel his expectations. If it ends up as a failure, he could curse his own life, luck, or his lack of perseverance. Then, he will have to go with some other path or do something else as a Walker.

William thought about it a lot in the past, and whether the failure means something bad, he is sure it does, but so what? He already feels he did everything he could, so he has no place for regrets in his heart. He will do the best he could, and none will stop him. Some talk about the information about the Academy and trials isn't what he wants to know. Soon enough, he will uncover it himself anyway, and Louise can keep his secrets and unnecessary words.

At this far away point, and seeing Louis all so smiling and looking at him, William still hesitate. Seeing and hearing what kind of person this Louise is, he isn't expectant of other Walkers to be great people. They are all just kids anyway, and youths with high expectations that the world and others give them. He is like this too, so he knows what's up with him.

Before Louise has a chance to broaden the horizons of this youth he knows, a sudden shout stops him from doing so. It also stops William, who figures out some words to tell.

“Why the fuck did you disappear away from me? This ship is so small, yet I was looking at you for a whole 5 minutes and here you are... Louise!”

A youth with strangely shaped brows, and a voice, not one bit weaker than Louise's appears. Walking towards Louise from his right, he munches on some chicken legs from the buckets and cares little about other people. No regard is also for himself. His mouth has some leftover sauce around his lips, and he even talks while chewing.

“Give me a break, Stark,” Louise complains, and sights. “I can still walk as I wish here, and it's not like we are all alone on this ship. There are others like us and there are some Walkers that we should get along with. It doesn't matter who you are.”

“Ahh? You!?” Stark points with his saucy finger, noticing the person on Louise's left as he ignores his words. Unsurprisingly, William recognizes him after a couple of meetings that were kind of hard to forget.

“My goddess... we meet again? What's your problem anyway?” William asks, sighing and voices a problem that isn't his by any means. It is always this noisy asshat that is looking for problems and William knows it like the sun in the azure sky.

Stark gulps down the kitchen meat, and strides towards him.

“I knew you would be here! Some measly 75 is trying to reach the Academy? I wonder if goddess Mi-Yung was a bit too loose with you. She will be disappointed by whatever she was forced to do. I bet she will be quite angry and disappointed with your failure Heheh.” Stark mutters with obvious mockery and chuckles afterward.

“I don't mind trying though,” William answers without a speck of anger, stopping Louise what wants to argue about this to Stark.

His try and excuses further agitate Stark, whose forehead reveals a popping vein.

“C-calm down youuuu... This is a nice journey. No need to get angry with the others.” Louise pushes himself forward, stepping between the two of them before it would escalate to something unnecessary. He knows that Stark would be a prime spark to do so, and he also knows that Stark isn't giving some care to William. He clearly dislikes him.

“Stopping me? Why the fuck are you here with him Louise? Are you picking friends of this caliber just because you are bored? Him?” Stark points at Wiliam, and changes his gaze to the fatty, who is quite frankly, his only friend. It's partly because of the fact, that like him, he is the son of a well-known hunter and achieved similar talent.

Though he long regards him as if he is a brother. Louise feels Stark isn't as bad of a person as he appears. He is just dumb and hard to follow with his tough interior. They interact and fuse their personalities from a young age, forming a unique friendship, but Stark is a bit more unique than that... He is always a lofty one. Even a bit arrogant, unsurprisingly.

“What do you mean?” Louise asks, bothered. “He is one of the few who isn't so untouchable and silent. I tried to talk to a few, and they shoved me aside or didn't talk at all. He at least has some cool to spend time in this place and isn't like a brick.” he argues without feeling one bit weaker than Stark.

“Hmph! Fine... Fine...” Starks backs away, still glancing at William with some hidden hatred in his eyes.

“Right. Right. Gimme that!” Louise grabs the chicken legs from his bucket and shoves them into his mouth without giving Start a chance. Further arguments soon follow, and Louise wouldn't lose against Stark at all.

William watches them with some surprises but doesn't find it all that strange. They look like long-time friends, but fighting over chicken legs? That's something he saw some people do, but not 2 privileged-looking kids who seem to have a different kind of life than himself. William didn't hear about them, and not like he cares about them either.

So what if their past and parents are good? It doesn't mean that one can follow the talent of one's parents and become a star in the sky. William knows how much Walkers die, and young age is the most prominent age to die. Out there in the dark world, there is nothing finite than life. Talent or not, it matters little when Dark can't care about it.

It takes some time for the pair of friends to cool down, and Stark ends up as a loser after losing the rest of the chickens. Afterward, he doesn't pay William much attention and steps aside to seek the ocean as well. He is still angry at William's prominence, or by the fact, that William is closer to Mi-Yung than he would ever be? Who knows about it? He will at least never reveal that he had a crush on Mi-Yung since he was 10. Not even Louise should know about it.

Williams goes back to lean on the railing and ignores whatever occurred. Checking his watch on his left arm, he still has a long time to go before this multi-hour-long journey ends. Even the hat on his head is leaving him with some heavy feelings while the Emblem within his right arm is also there, for all eyes to see, and Stark and Lousie notice it. Theirs aren't noticeable, but William has no choice. He doesn't want to lose his clothes because Annihilation would destroy them.

“Whatcha thinking to look so lost into the horizon? You in love or something?” Stark comments after some uncomfortable silence. “Those waters or this part of the Outside isn't kind to someone like you,” Stark tells after Louises successfully finished the rest of the chicken legs, revealing the empty bucket to Starks' face.

To his dismay, there is none left, which causes Stark to curse at Louise again but he laughs at his face.

“None of your concern,” William says back in a calm tone, not even batting an eye to look at Stark to his further right.

“Oh, that's true I suppose. But I will still concern myself because I am bored. Do you even know about those waters? The mysterious lying inside of them and the dangers? I bet you have no clue, considering you are nothing but an inland Outsider. Heheheh.” Stark laughs and mocks him some more.

To his unfounded disappointment, this doesn't make William angry at all, since his words are kind of honest and truthful. William knows he knows nothing about the ocean or water, so his interest has been piqued by his words.

“What about those waters then?” William asks without bothering to care about Stark's superior and obnoxious face. “If you are talking about it, then why not speak some sense?”

Louise hears that, and shoves Stark face aside, moving between him and William without giving Stark a chance.

“That's because they are starting to get infested with the Dark,” Louise reveals with chicken sauce around his lips. He too has been quite fierce with the chickens' legs.

“Dark in the ocean? What? Are you sure about it?” William asks as if he doesn't believe it. If that would be the case, the Federation would long be gone, and any travels through the ocean wouldn't make sense.

“You don't know?” Louise asks, and Stark chuckles at this little thing. Both of them have been well taught because of their families, and they know more about the world of Walkers than some Outsider, who could've grown up in the wild, but when it comes to the secrets, they are better.

“Are you both serious or are you playing with me?” William once again asks, and turns his head to his right, glancing at Louise and Stark.

Looking at his genuine curiosity and naivety, Louise guesses he doesn't know things like them, and by now, Stark gets some idea to back it up. Walking around Stark, he leans over the ceiling from William's left. “Just look at those waters and the deepness,” he says and points down the railing with his finger.

William leans across similarly to him, and Stark uses this opportunity to strike. Grabbing his neck, he almost shoves him across the railing, but he isn't such a lunatic to do so completely.

William shouts in fright, as this is a natural reaction that anyone would utter with their body and mind. His head and torso lean over the railing, and he is feeling as if he is ready to fall down. His hat is also close to falling too, but that won't happen.

Fortunately, his hands are free, so finding the railing isn't an issue. William forces himself up and pushes Stark, who laughs his ass off in amusement, away. Even Louise is giggling in a helpless manner, but not so much.

“Fucking hell... What a bunch of kids... I suppose that's what you get from living in the Federation. I bet.” William argues and gets away from the railing. He looks at the pair in annoyance, and their little prank, but ends up calming down from this momentary anger. He has no need to get angry or anything, and this was clearly a prank, or at least Stark's. Though, if he would end up losing his hat, he fears he would shove his fist into Stark's cheeks.

“Sorry. Sorry, but Stark is right this time.” Louse stops giggling and pushes his palms together in a pleading sight. “In favor of this fun, let me show you something. Come on. Follow me. This time, there won't be anything wrong and Stark won't try another thing. I swear.” Louise gestures with his palm, forcing William to follow him.

Walking towards the back side of the boat, William momentarily hesitates, but seeing even Stark return to some calmness, he chose to go. Not like he has something to lose with this, other than some calm, and this was nothing but a nasty prank in their little bored lives.

Walking forward as well, Stark also decides to follow, but just as he is about to walk past William and walk side by side with Louise, a hand grabs his collar. Not his cheek, but it's not much different.

William shoves him with his right hand toward the wall and not the reiling, because he isn't some nasty bastard. He looks and forces him to the robust wall, and seriously says.

“You had fun? If so, don't do this ever again. Understood?”

Surprised, and started, Stark is shocked by the sheer speed and force William displays as well as his own inability to do much about this. Before he knew it, William forces his body a few dozen inches above the ground, while William is calm, but feels pissed off. He is only choosing to not show it but to act instead. His right hand itched to do this and a little action is all he needs to fill his satisfaction and teach Stark a lesson. William isn't the kind to get bullied unless he knows at least a reasonable cause for it.

Grabbing his right hand's wrist, Stark tries to show his power too, but at this point, William stops his grasp and shoves him back to the ground.

“I hope you understand...” are William's serious and deadly calm words, before he restarts his walk to Louse, who hasn't noticed the sight before his back. He notices Stark's tumble on the ground but dismisses it as a slip, which isn't surprising in this environment.

“Pfhe... Don't think too highly of yourself...” Stark mutters to himself and thinks nothing of this little situation that doesn't matter. It was just a small prank, and he even included some truth in that prank so what problem William has, isn't his problem.

In the back of the boat, there have been quite a bit more people here, but all of them are Instructors. They hide and do some stuff on the back part of the ship that one can't see from the middle, or front of the ship. Walls are in the way, but William sees dozens of them in the public section. With all of them being unknown to William, he is curious about what Louise has to offer with this follow-up.

Seeing the sudden arrival of 3 rookies, one instructor stops Louise before entering the back of the ship. “Stop right there. You aren't allowed here and you know why,” he says and steps forwards. He is a middle-aged man wearing a light cloak that hides his sturdy body.

“Yea. I know.” Louise nods to this instructor and gives a small nod to William behind his back. “Unwritten rules, but I want to show something to a friend.”

“No one cares about your friend. This is no place for you to barge into and there are good reasons for it.” the man says in seriousness, causing Wiliam to understand that those two didn't exaggerate their words. Something is suspicious about this, and the only reasonable thing is protection.

Further back, outside of their vision, there are another 2 dozen instructors while only two of them have their Emblems summoned. They face the back of the boat standing right past the engine's propellers and glancing further into the distance. Both have a weapon, with some blood on it. It's not theirs for obvious reasons as no bloody wounds are on their bodies. Left one grips a glowing spherical hammer, while the other has a series of long swords floating around his torso.

They don't hunt the water, but the sights beyond the horizon. Dark Beings are there, trying to come to this ship out of their little desired hunts. It is fitting, considering that so many Walkers in one player means delicacy and a splendid hunt.

“Are you sure about it, Big Rick?” Stark says after he gets to the front after forcing Louise and William aside. He speaks with little or no care to this man who is two heads taller.

“A little Stark? I know you are here, but I don't do things differently even regarding your presence or anything else. Rules are there to follow and you are no exceptions.” Rick replies with obvious intentions that should be easy to figure out. The hunt behind is too dangerous.

“Not even a little?” Louise tries again.

“No.”

“Fine by me. Have a good day.” Stark replies, as if the matter of fact doesn't matter t him at all. It doesn't as some measly help to William isn't worth the problems. Though, he wouldn't mind seeing his shocked and fearful face when he would see the sight right behind the boat.

However, even if one looks behind the railing, towards the back of the boat, it helps nothing. Only further back, directly at the propellers, one could see the series of beings following the waves of the boat. And that is if one would have decent eyesight. They are a mile behind, floating around the water, or trampling over one another underneath the water. Those are normal kinds. Such as Jawrans, Utrans, Drons, Batshits, and so on.

Most are of the inland features, but all of them had some wing elements over their bodies. Traveling to the middle of the ocean is tough for them, yet the sight of the hundreds of Walkers is too rich for them. There are some Dark beings underwater too, but those are stranger than the ones above the water.

Some have fishy scales with many underlying similarities with inland Dark beings. They are mutants. The Dark beings that underwent changes since too much time is passing by and thanks to the limited prey inland, the world is changing. Thus, the evolution of the Dark beings is going to solve some of the deep-rooted issues, and it goes by simplest things. That is water, as its primary thin that hindered the beginning of their invasion, but it is a bit more complicated than this. For now, working against the water issues is the main thing. Some of the Dark beings will slowly adapt to underwater living and that may pose disaster to many.

William would find it shocking for sure, but the cause for these beings is yet to become a fatal reality. None of them are able to reach Rank 4 for the time being, while the majority are just overgrown sharks or strange tentacle forms with common features of Dark beings.

This isn't a knowledge of common problems, but it can turn out to be a disastrous one. A thing that humanity isn't ready for, but since it is yet to turn the world in shambles, it isn't something known. It isn't knowledge featured in the library since the research regarding these creatures is still quite new. There are few of them, or they are yet to turn from the depths to the surface. It has always been a known factor that most Dark beings disliked the water and now, the status quo will slowly change in the upcoming years, to decades.

Louise and Stark know about it, and almost all Walkers do too. It is one of the big issues since this is something that would pose an extreme threat to the existence of the Federation. Now, it is yet to become an issue, since Walkers are protecting and researching the water-based Dark beings. Fishing is still possible because of them, but how long it could last?