SPLASH!

As the final character was inscribed, ripples of silvery white radiated from the cover of The Celestial Compass, surging instantly into Dorian's body.

The warmth was like a mother's hands, soothing the scars left within his consciousness.

The gentle power was like spring rain, quickly nourishing his soul.

An ethereal force that had flowed only in his spirit suddenly shattered the boundary between the spiritual and material worlds.

A sound like thunder rolled overhead, and Dorian distinctly heard a coarse voice, as rough as sea salt, singing an ancient Bayfolk epic into his ear:

[The sails met the mighty wind;

Flapping, spinning endlessly;

'Death' is the helmsman's cry;

Leave none alive, show no mercy!

With an iron keel;

We ram the enemy's ship;

The vessel tilts and rocks;

Sinks into the dark heart of the sea.]

Deep within his soul, a seed began to sprout, root, and grow.

It lifted his consciousness from his mind, higher and higher, until it bloomed, bore fruit, and set him free.

In that instant, Dorian's breath, heartbeat, touch, and perception—all reached the most ideal state a mortal could achieve.

It felt as though he were a seasoned mariner, holding tight to a wind-filled rope, the salty breeze whipping through his hair as his vessel surged powerfully through the waves.

At that moment, the sails, ship, wind, and sea resonated in harmony, flowing through his veins.

Time seemed to stretch, to be both fleeting and endless.

The epic's chant rose to a crescendo:

[So, I scarred myself;

Broke through the prison's door;

My soul ascended;

And climbed the stars of my homeland!

The warrior spirit raised his cup;

Drained the overflowing wine;

May you be safe!

Northland! May you be safe!]

BOOM!

The echo of stone gates bursting open thundered above his head.

A fish that had been trapped in the deep dark sea now broke through the surface, like the ancestor of land animals stepping onto the earth for the first time, witnessing the vast world beyond.

Dorian found the foundation in his soul to hold himself aloft, his identity and life elevated beyond the mundane.

His Spirituality had awakened!

At that moment, Dorian sensed an invisible third eye opening, giving him Spiritual Sight to perceive wonders beyond mortal vision.

He sensed an intangible third hand that, with a simple thought, untied the ropes binding him with ease.

Unlike the majority of this world’s population—nearly 90% of whom lacked literacy—Dorian, as the descendant of a noble family, had received complete basic and mystical education since childhood.

He understood this new state of his, adapting to the experience in the blink of an eye.

“Awakening Spirituality is like gaining a miraculous new organ—intangible, yet the source of all supernatural power, and the essential foundation for every mysterious profession!”

Dorian also knew that the awakening was not yet over.

“In this world, humans are but beings born from dust, never meant to be rulers of the supernatural.

Every time Spirituality is elevated, it is a transgression of one's position—a challenge that bears unpredictable risks.

To master this power that does not belong to mortals, one must connect to the source of humanity's supernatural strength and establish an anchor to stabilize it!”

Immediately, Dorian unleashed his Spiritual Sight, beholding an immense silver web stretching across the world, endless and omnipresent.

It was the force that protected human nations and served as the origin of all legitimate supernatural powers—the Lex!

And from this law arose a series of supernatural advancement systems—the The Argentum Ascent!

Yet, just as Dorian prepared to anchor himself using the supernatural knowledge he had learned, the awakening process hit a snag.

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The Lex supposedly had seven layers, but even its first layer seemed distant, almost unreachable.

“Is it rejecting me?”

Being an outsider in essence, Dorian (Ali) quickly realized the root of the problem from that sense of alienation.

Trusting his instincts, he whispered to himself:

“I am... Dorian Crimsonvale!”

By accepting his identity, fate, and responsibility, he cast the first anchor into this world.

The barrier between him and the Lex instantly dissipated.

The pure white radiance of his Spirituality transformed into an anchor of light, firmly hooking into the first layer of the Lex anchoring his existence.

Dorian became a node within that vast network.

The knowledge and experience flowing through the Lex nourished him in return, granting him true supernatural power.

The ascension was complete!

What seemed an endless transformation within the spiritual realm had taken but an instant in the physical world.

Now reborn, Dorian let out a long, deep breath, watching the bubbles rise to the ocean’s surface.

His icy blue eyes radiated a cold spiritual glow, fixing on the red-eyed sharks before him.

In his Spiritual Sight, the sharks, which had only been glowing-eyed predators before, now appeared different.

Their bodies were covered in red, wailing specters, whose hands and feet pierced into the sharks like grotesque tumors.

Some sharks had only a few such spirits, while others were infested with dozens.

These were clearly the souls of the "sacrifices" devoured by the sharks, a part of a supernatural control ritual.

“The innate abilities gained during the awakening of Spirituality are often tied to one’s deepest desires and needs.

They may not always be combat skills, but they possess miraculous power in moments of life and death.

For instance, mine... Cognitive Override!”

Dorian no longer tried to flee. Instead, he unleashed the power he had just acquired, drawing upon the knowledge he had received from the Lex.

His Spirituality resonated with his physical body, an invisible ripple flowing through his veins and surging out from his deep blue eyes.

“BEGONE!!”

HUMMMM—

Instantly, the sharks that had been moments away from biting into Dorian, suddenly acted as if they were facing an unstoppable apex predator—a “killer whale.”

Panicking, they turned tail and fled.

Taking advantage of the moment, Dorian swam, using both hands and feet, reaching the shadowed spot beneath the pirate ship’s aftcastle, evading the pirates’ sight as he broke through the ocean’s surface.

Wiping the seawater from his face, he glanced in the direction of the Hastings Kingdom's island archipelago.

For a moment, his icy gaze flashed with a desire for revenge against the White Rose York family, but ultimately, he held back.

The merging of his two lives had tempered his character.

The carefree young man had become mature, patient, and adaptable.

He understood well that there was nothing more useless than unrealistic daydreams.

Though he longed for a life of freedom, even if it meant dying amidst the raging sea, reckless charging was not courage.

Not until he understood the nature of that disaster—and gained the power to challenge a kingdom!

Dorian's eyes turned instinctively to The Celestial Compass, now bound within his right eye.

He already knew the Compass’s ability—the Echo of History:

[The Captain can record or revisit the history of any person, place, or object he touches or experiences, gaining insight into the unknown and the hidden.

[Depending on the “historical impact” of those secrets, he may gain increased Spirituality or receive a unique Entry.

[No matter how absurd the Entry might seem, as long as it is written in the Compass, it will alter reality, granting him genuine power.

[Impact Scale*: (0-10) from an individual to a village or town; (10-20) from a city or region to an entire territory; (20-30) from a territory to a nation; above 30, it begins to influence continents or even the whole world.

[Secret: The Shadow Behind the War of the Red and White Roses, Historical Impact: 31%. (This means it carries a continent-level influence, making its reward especially substantial.)

Under Dorian’s gaze, deep blue ink began to etch ancient hieroglyphics on the Compass’s cover.

“Write with honesty, never deceive!”

It seemed noble, as if the Compass had the integrity of an ancient chronicler. But Dorian knew it had no intelligence. It couldn’t communicate—only rigidly follow its rules.

With Dorian’s Spirituality awakening, the Compass had unlocked access to Ali’s memories from his past life.

All of its writings had been transformed into the English characters he was most familiar with—characters only he could read.

Even the writing style had changed to match his preferences.

[Captain: Dorian Crimsonvale

[Bloodline: Bayfolk of the North (Direct descendant of The Bathers in [Dragonblood, King of the Blue Dragon Reinhardt, founder of the ancient North Sea Empire)

[Creed: Vengeance is inevitable!

[Title: The Last Crimsonvale

[Son of Prince Edmund Crimsonvale of Solenburg, former seventh in line for the throne of Hastings, now a vengeful man with nothing left to lose.

[This title might bring unexpected benefits when dealing with Hastings Kingdom, Bayfolk, dragons, or the Crimsonvale lineage. (Some are born beasts of burden, while you were born in Rome itself. Each step you take distances you from Rome, but alas, your grand Rome... it has fallen!)

[Title Effect: Enemy of York: Permanent Pursuit—No rest, no end!

[The closer to Hastings, the stronger the effect.

[Legendary Degree: 12

(In a world of prophecies and seers, the news of your survival has already spread in some circles within Hastings. Abandon hope, and flee!)

[Spirituality: 1

(Awakened. Achieving Spiritual Ascendance at the age of seventeen without using Awakening Elixirs or incense does not make you an unparalleled genius. However, compared to those who can never achieve supernatural status, or another avenger who unlocked immense latent power upon witnessing the extermination of his entire family, you are far stronger.)

[Profession: Not Initiated

[Rank: None

[Crew Members: None

[Innate Abilities:

Cognitive Override: Awakened due to the most intense desire and need during Spiritual Ascendance. (Allows you to simulate the cognition of other beings, be it predators, prey, or even fellow humans. You can impersonate predators, prey, or perfectly substitute someone else (a lifesaving skill).)

Weather Sense - Many animals possess senses far superior to humans, particularly when it comes to sensing weather changes. Now, you have the same sensitivity.

(Additional ability derived from the Blue Dragon Blood that has been diluted over nearly a thousand years of royal inbreeding. If you manage to catch even a whiff of ocean brine stronger than yours, don't fantasize about bloodline reversion and reaching the pinnacle of life. That's not in your fate.)

[Knowledge:

Storm Swordsmanship - The knight training you received with the Royal Order has laid a solid foundation for you.

Navigation, Artillery, Marksmanship, and Naval Combat - As an excellent graduate of the Royal Naval Academy, you are well-versed in every sailor's duties, though your experience still falls short.

Law and Natural History - Your noble upbringing has given you a perspective far beyond that of commoners, as well as access to precious knowledge, maximizing your chances to avoid the dangers of the supernatural world.

You should be grateful you aren't starting your journey like a curly-haired baboon in a hellish beginning.

Hittite Solar Script and Runes - Knowledge is the source of supernatural power, and ancient languages are the keys to unlocking the mystical.

Each of these forms of knowledge corresponds to a specific supernatural sequence under The Argentum Ascent.

Clearly, even if your family has fallen, your life still holds far greater choices than those of ordinary people!

[Secret: Shadow of the Red and White Rose War (You have discovered part of the truth of this world, Historical Impact 31%, Deciphering Rate 11%)]

[Additional Entry: Historical Corrector (Not Activated)]

[Special Notice:

In this dangerous world, no human can cross the ocean relying solely on their body.

Please, quickly acquire a ship or become a crew member on one, and officially begin writing your Celestial Compass!]