Somewhere in the distant seas.
Several rafts drifted together in ghostly white waters.
"A serf forcefully stole a quota? How courageous. Those bastards from the sixth rank school in our city are quite incompetent to let such a thing happen right under their noses."
"Should we get to tracking him down my lord?"
"Hmph, that lowly serf has some nerve, but he isn't worth our time, if we see him kill him otherwise, we have better things to do. My ancestors found the legacy of the Scatter Burst Shrimp by trailing an infant fry to their main nest, while Scatter Burst Shrimp aren't necessarily here the principle is still useful, we just need to find the right fish species with a high enough bloodline and track it back to its nest."
"There are definitely large nests to be found in these waters."
"I will definitely become a Duke in this generation. My father already gave me all the notes detailing how to find the right species right here" A heroic handsome youth who towered over others like a giant held up a small piece of paper before continuing.
"Immediately spread out and report all the characteristics of new and old fish species to me, you you and you, stay with me. I'm sick of this raft already. We need to get a ship as soon as possible to increase our range and speed of movement."
"Also, we need to-"
Suddenly the water splashed but it oddly behaved like flames instead of water, yet it was liquid.
"My lord watch out!!"
The heroic handsome figure who had just given orders immediately turned around and pulled out a silver gun with a fish mouth.
Seeing a fish about 6 meters long with a head as large as their rafts, he shot three times in succession exploding its head.
"As expected of my lord, three shots on target, what expert marksmanship!"
"Indeed!"
"No need for flattery, let's go."
Gnom!
A blurry silhouette with an erect horn and bloody mouth flashed out of the water before anyone could react and disappeared after swallowing the heroic man.
"..."
"..."
The followers looked at the empty raft and amongst each other repeatedly.
"Well…what now?"
The heir to an Earl family died just like that.
Whooo~
The wind blew a piece of paper in the air.
Immediately the air of confusion transformed to a thick tension and bloodlust as they all glared at each other, each aiming to grab the notes for themselves.
***
In another sea area.
A bald teenager with the body of an adult ruthlessly licked blood of his knife as he stared at two shivering old women.
“Enough fun, time for work.”
"Tsk tsk, no beautiful women in this village, what a shame. You two hags give me your knowledge and I'll give you an easy death, it's a win win for both of us. Tell me everything of importance you know, treasures, people, sects, religions, legends, organizations, be sure not to leave out one bit or you'll end up like the rest of your village."
Wanton laughter echoed from several neighbors' houses along with the shrill screams of men and women.
****
"Hahahaha I'm the son of luck!!! Peerless Silver! Three at that! Guns no less! Lady luck is my mistress!"
A black pupiled young man with an ugly smile found himself on a very small island and found three Peerless Silver level items whose glow illuminated the island.
As he stroked the Three Barrel Pressure Pistol a bone chilling air invaded his body.
The pistol melted into a gooey green substance stuck to his body.
"Ahh ahhhh!"
The green substance turned into the face of a one-eyed old lady with three fangs sticking out of her mouth and a bloody boil on her tongue. The other two relics transformed and merged with her.
With a wicked screech she swallowed him whole.
But on the outside, it seemed she merely covered him like a layer of clothes, his muffled screams and the steam from him being vaporized by acid, were the only sounds left on the small island as he perished bit by bit, his skin, bone and tissues being corroded, feeling each sensation until he felt his last.
***
Four waterfalls of different colors surrounded a clear lake, each waterfall had a large beast guarding it. A Greedy Manturtle, Sleeping Fishowl, Lesser Draco-bull and a gigantic carp.
Feeling the third order auras emanating from these creatures, three figures on rafts drifting in the lake cut off by the waterfalls, wanted to cry without tears at their shit luck.
***
In another area with no sun or moon, but instead a ceiling of pitch-black darkness with yellow fog clouds. Water flowed in many rivers with no end in sight.
Several people found their rafts useless in this water as it quickly vaporized but fortunately land was between the rivers however many didn’t make it in time to the river banks.
This water from hell had a red-yellow color like the medicinal tisane — turbid and muddy. Although this water flowed down quietly, everyone standing next to the river was filled with horror. They felt that this water was formed from countless corpses, giving off a disturbing sensation as if there were myriads of the dead buried beneath the river.
Disbelief and hopelessness from having lost their rafts to travel the sea, and having no visible exit to this hell, was also eating away at their psyche.
Several black skeleton tar like weird quickly grabbed persons standing closest to riverbanks and dragged them inside the water. Evil jeers and ghastly whispers echoed from the depths, that was the finally straw for many who peed themselves or started crying and fell to the ground.
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***
In a bustling city a distance away from the coast.
Under a secluded bridge,
Several robed figures gathered before a young woman dressed in a bodysuit wearing a fluffy scarf.
"My lady these are the list of important people worthy of ransom and under the second order."
A fair skinned girl with phoenix eyes and a graceful figure lightly took a scroll from her bowing subject.
"They satisfy either pure wealth or influence and power hm, the top two are from … a merchant family and a martial arts dojo? Well get it done, the fastest way to power and wealth is robbery and extortion. It's not usually my style but I know a few brutes who are definitely doing it immediately and I can't be left behind."
"Yes, my lady!"
***
In another area, a green skinned three eyed man slowly approached a raft curiously.
"S-sir, it's getting closer!"
"I have eyes fool, it doesn't matter, it's the daytime and I coated the raft with evil warding nectar there's no way he's touching us, he's just a first order just look at the appraisal mirror and warning torch, the black inswood plus the nectar? it’s like the flames of hell no the righteous light of heaven to their kind.
A few moments later, the raft was covered with blood as the green skinned man poked two raw brains with weird needles.
"Strange they are human, but they have a mysterious aura, still weak but…odd very odd "
"This mirror? It's a cursed item from the Thousand Eye Wisdom Devil, this torch is from the Heavenly Fate Moth… although they are just tiny fragments, why would such weak humans have something so precious as cursed items with fragments of heavenly demon divinity?"
"Strange, very strange…strange."
The green skinned man repeated strange over and over again. Getting information from his needles that had finally transmitted some clear memories, he suddenly became quiet before he let out an eerie laugh.
“...interesting."
If anyone from earth were to see this fear would grasp their souls immediately, a weird had clear wisdom and was not affected by either the sun or evil warding objects, moreover, it was just a first order being and its intelligence was not low at all!!
***
All across the seas newcomers provoked conflict and agitated weird monsters, some died soon while others immediately used expert methods to win over natives and form their own force, others bullied and tortured information. Similarly some unlucky saps met intelligent dangerous life that tortured information out of them instead. Others were parasitized by other lifeforms or controlled by weird curses to do their bidding. On the other hand, a select few sons and daughters of luck actually spawned next to high grade relics.
It was only a short period of time, but Earth sailors had already began to mark this sea.
***
A room which was quiet and neatly arranged. Rays of light which were not too bright spilled through the half-open bamboo window; hence, the room was not overly dim.
An old man with bright eyes was smoking a pipe while he fixed a simple prothesis that could be detached from nerves repeatedly!
Kano’s eyes almost popped out the first time he saw it, such high-level technology was used for such a simple arm, he quickly bombarded the old man with questions until his shame had caught up with him.
I shouldn’t have asked so many questions when we barely know each other but still, even factoring in knowledge nobles shut off from the public, i doubt such technology existed at such a low operational level in our world. So, in actuality I’ve already met new technology!
The pungent foul smelling medicinal paste on his arm was just an afterthought to Kano now, this was definitely a new novice area, filled with uncharted waters of treasures and adventure!
Feeling the prosthetic connect with his nerves and the pain being reduced greatly,
He celebrated his lucky encounter with a prosthetic mechanic before being dumped with a bucket of cold water.
“I’m afraid I have some bad news.”
“You were out in the water for a while, not long enough to be lethal a dose but you were infected by Haqai, nonetheless. The good news is, stay here for treatment for a few months and you’ll be as good as new.”
“Haqai? An infection? but I was on a raft?”
“Yes, Haqai happens for all those with close proximity to the Black Spot Seawater, every sailor has to travel with a Garlen Burner and burn Roseweed thorns to keep it away on board. As a foreigner it’s not surprising you didn’t know”
“Those capable of traveling great distances are usually exalted ones but you do not seem to have embarked on a ‘path’, quite a miracle you made it here. Thanks be to Gremo’r.” The old man made a weird gesture with three fingers and one hand to Kano’s confusion.
“Months?!” The news struck like the sound of thunder to Kano.
The novice area was only open for 3 months! Then they could leave whereby other flag bearers from previous generations could set foot within the region with special methods. Although many opportunities ‘existed’ only within 3 months thanks to great blessings, the danger from their presence was what was important.
After that, like the previous 12 areas, a random number of natives and places would be shuffled from outside and take root within the novice area or the flow of time would accelerate within the borders of the barrier fog. Then the cycle would repeat itself after that point when the time came for new entrants.
The region here was not the novice area, no method could strongly affect the inside of a novice area. The barrier fog that surrounded the novice area had an impenetrable effect, no items, abilities or blessings could pass through. But that wasn't the same for the region immediately outside the novice area, with them, the novices as reference, several means could give others back in their world or in this world, the coordiantes of where they were and others wouldn't even need the coordinates and could directly come over.
“Is there any way to reduce that time, old Faru?” Kano asked desperately. He couldn't afford to miss out on the gold rush. Time was weighted gold in these 3 months. The invisible safety net of the novice area and the deep gold mines of treasures available were both priceless and heavensent to the current Kano, a serf with nothing to his name and the target of nobles.
Old man Faru thought for a while and emptied his pipe, “Well it’s not impossible but I wouldn’t recommend it.”
“Whatever it is I want it!” Kano quickly chirped.
“You’ll have to give me some time, I’ll make a batch of medicine for you to bring with you.” Old Faru sighed as he looked at Kano’s desperate gaze, he couldn’t say no after all. This was a child just older than his own granddaughter yet sailing the seas alone for so long he was malnourished and weak in the bones.
“Really?!” Kano jumped up, grimacing in pain before he shrugged it off and smiled at Old Faru.
“Easy now. It’s not all that good, islanders in this region don’t even leave their home island due to the sea, has been the case for centuries which shows how ruthless Haqai is. The medicine I give is more poison than medicine. A small ailment but long treatment will turn into a long ailment with a short treatment needed or you’ll die if you don’t find the antidote in time.”
Old Faru chuckled seeing Kano’s wrinkled brows and depressed gaze deep in thought, “I’m just scaring you. It’s not that bad unless you manage to provoke the condition somehow. Otherwise, you have a few years at the very least to get an antidote, the seas are filled with countless possibilities, having made it here from where you come from, your luck doesn’t seem that bad, I’m sure you’ll make it.”
Kano felt his heavy head get lighter with that.
But then he noticed something,
“Provoke? How?”
“Well… probably entering some cursed places, touching cursed items, proximity to curse fiends or weird, it could be quite a few things actually…” Old man Faru suddenly lost confidence when he looked at Kano but tried his best not to show it on his face until he realized he failed by observing Kano’s expressions.
“Ahem, the degree of ‘provocation’ is also a factor as long as you don’t have shit luck and provoke it by a few decades, you’re in no threat of immediate death. Legend has it the curse of Haqai comes from the Black Spot Haqai Greatfish, although just a myth the infection has mild intelligence, it has things it likes and hates, unfortunately either count as provactions so you're aiming for neutral until you're cured. Embarking a path and becoming an exalt would also cure your conditions I believe, but normal paths wouldn’t work, I’ve heard that the Great Knight glow is needed to lead you on the path at the bare minimum. A few who followed the Soldier glow, Leader glow and even Knight glow have been inflicted with Haqai in the town before and they all died I’m afraid. So, chin up young man, aim for the clouds.”
Soldier glow, Great Knight glow?
Kano was curious but he wasn’t planning on asking,
I’ve already said too much in excitement. Rule 11 of the 36 Newcomer rule guide: Never treat the natives as fools. Even if I look like I’m a kid my lack of knowledge would be too suspicious if I don't show some restraint.
“Kano Kano come play with us!” Hearing that voice Kano’s face turned ugly.
He wasn’t a child! He was just malnourished!
Ever since he tried to sneakily leave in the night to scout the area and possibly escape, if he was still somehow being tricked, he was dragged back in by the little she-devil with inhuman strength. He was scolded for leaving while he was injured but he protested that he had recovered enough but that backfired. He was asked to play with her and her idiot friends afterwards.
The good news was that this room wasn’t a trick, nor were the girl and her grandfather, there was indeed a town past the trees to the west and the sea was nearby. The details such as scent, taste, smell, and logic from the illusion breaker core principles taught in school were fine, the townspeople and dumb children could remember their past and their parents knew better than they did and so on. There was also the fact that he was a weak mortal with no status in even his world so who would plot against a bag of empty wind.
The bad news was that there was no free lunch in this world. Even if it was truly free. He couldn't refuse his saviors because they were being annoying, he would be an ingrate. So, he had to cleverly avoid playing with her but the little she devil was quite cunning so avoiding her directly by sleeping or hiding were the only ways to be free of dreaded play time.