With preparations complete, the ship began its journey toward the open sea, watched anxiously by the lord. Baker gazed in wonder at the waves parting around the vessel. Aquaz, too, seemed slightly fascinated, perhaps because she'd never been aboard such a large ship. Ketal stood on the deck, happily savoring the sea breeze. He was finally sailing into an ocean inside a fantasy world—a thrilling fact that filled him with satisfaction. “How long will it take?” he asked Valkran. “The wind is favorable, and the sea is calm. There are no signs of storms either. Considering the distance to the City of Merfolk it should take roughly a week.” “One week? That sounds quick enough.” “But the ocean is unpredictable,” Valkran warned. Sailors traditionally enjoyed extravagant meals before setting sail, treating each voyage as though it could be their last. “You never know what might happen at sea. It's always wise to double your estimates.” Ketal nodded thoughtfully. “Steady winds!” a sailor shouted. “The sea remains calm!” another reported. “Excellent! Raise the second sail!” Valkran ordered. The crew moved quickly, efficiently adjusting the sails and rigging. Ketal watched them with a broad grin, feeling as if he had stepped directly into a scene in a movie. He couldn't be happier. After smoothly gliding forward for some time, the ship suddenly slowed. Baker, who had been curiously feeling the ship’s gentle swaying, now looked confused. “Huh? Why are we slowing down?” “Headwind,” Valkran explained with a frown. The wind had abruptly turned against their direction, rendering the sails useless. He quickly ordered, “Lower the sails! Head below deck and start rowing!” Ketal’s eyes lit up at that. He immediately asked him, “Can I try rowing the ship?” “You want to row?” Valkran blinked in surprise. “I suppose you can, but it isn’t necessary.” Rowing a large vessel like theirs was exhausting labor. Despite being afloat, the ship weighed hundreds of tons, and it required tremendous physical effort to move it manually. Historically, such arduous tasks had always been delegated to lowly slaves. Valkran couldn't understand why a barbarian would willingly volunteer for such exhausting work. Ketal chuckled brightly. “You and your crew worked tirelessly repairing the ship. You set sail without even resting properly. You deserve a break. Considering you're risking your lives to help us, it’s the least I can do.” Hearing that, the sailors exchanged impressed glances. They were touched that a barbarian would voluntarily undertake the hardest task aboard the ship. Aquaz, too, nodded in admiration. “To have such a noble outlook on life... volunteering to sacrifice yourself for others. Truly admirable,” she said earnestly. Well, that’s not exactly my intention, but..., Ketal thought privately. In modern times, people paid large sums of money to experience hard labor for fun, even activities others once avoided. To Ketal, rowing felt like precisely that—a fun, novel experience rather than a sacrifice. But saying so out loud would’ve seemed strange, so he kept his true feelings hidden. Regardless, from the outside perspective, he appeared noble, and crew members timidly approached to offer their heartfelt thanks. Ketal graciously accepted their gratitude and then went below deck to row alone, firmly declining any help from Aquaz or the crew. Aquaz gave Valkran a puzzled look and asked him, “Is it even possible to row by yourself? Don’t you need to row on both sides?” “The ship’s design technically allows it, though...moving it alone?” Valkran voiced skepticism. However, their doubts quickly vanished as the ship suddenly surged forward, accelerating smoothly through the water. Valkran's expression turned odd. “He's... faster than when we had favorable winds,” Valkran muttered incredulously. Indeed, despite Ketal being alone at the oars, the ship sped along quicker than it had even with the wind behind it. Valkran questioned if what he was seeing was truly possible. Then again, this was the same barbarian who had effortlessly carried their entire ship back to the sea. Rowing it forward shouldn't have surprised him so much; he simply hadn’t considered it because it defied common sense. Several hours later, when favorable winds returned, Ketal finally emerged from below deck. The crew stared at him in awe and disbelief. “He rowed the ship alone...for hours?” one crewman whispered. “Is that even humanly possible?” These sailors were seasoned men, proud of their strength and toughness, yet Ketal was like an insurmountable wall in their eyes. Respectful, admiring gazes followed his every move. But Ketal didn't stop there. He continued helping with various minor tasks—unfurling sails, adjusting ropes, and tending the deck. For him, this was all just enjoyable hands-on experience, yet to the crew, he seemed a remarkably thoughtful barbarian, always looking out for others. Aquaz tagged along behind him, closely observing his actions with fascination. A barbarian voluntarily helping others, followed everywhere by a high-ranking inquisitor of the Sun God like a curious little chick—it made for an odd sight. The sailors watched the peculiar duo uneasily. “What...exactly is going on over there?” one of the crew asked quietly. “Don’t even ask,” Valkran replied bluntly. Their voyage continued uneventfully. Baker, who’d initially marveled at the sea, grew bored of the repetitive scenery and soon secluded himself in his cabin, refusing to come out. Two days later, pirates appeared on the horizon ahead of them. The sound of the bell echoed urgently across the deck. A sailor perched atop the mast cried out loudly, “Pirates! Pirates approaching!” “Pirates?” Ketal’s eyes brightened with excitement. Turning toward the stern, he spotted another ship swiftly approaching theirs. Valkran clicked his tongue in annoyance. “Damned bastards. Of course they showed up now.” “I thought travel was blocked by those beings from the Demon Realm?” Baker asked Valkran, sounding puzzled. “Those primates are confined to a certain radius around the City of Merfolk,” Valkran explained. “We just got unlucky when fishing near Bulkan Estate, since that area was within their domain. Outside of that, sailing is still possible.” Naturally, with the constant threat of those primates spreading, most ships had avoided taking any chances and stayed ashore. Pirates, however, were different—they thrived on risk, living their lives entirely at sea. Plenty were still active, roaming freely despite the danger. Valkran squinted at the flag waving on the approaching ship and scowled. “It’s the Kakan Pirates. Troublesome bastards.” The Kakan crew had long been bitter rivals of Valkran's own group. With territories frequently overlapping and similar strength, conflicts between them usually turned violent. Expecting the worst, Valkran shouted, “Unfurl the sails! They're still far enough behind—try to shake them off!” The crew rushed around, frantically trying to widen the gap. But despite their efforts, the distance between the two ships steadily closed. “They’re gaining on us,” Ketal observed. “Damn it!” Valkran cursed, realizing his mistake too late. Their ship was massive, several hundred tons in weight—solid and stable, but slow. The pirate ship, however, was smaller and lighter, built for speed. “I can’t believe I overlooked something so obvious!” Valkran berated himself. Shaking off rust from being ashore too long, he'd forgotten basic naval strategy. “Everyone, open the gunports!” Pirates scrambled to prepare for battle, and Ketal’s chest swelled with excitement as a naval battle was to happen. He was not going to miss seeing two ships clash at sea. The enemy ship steadily closed in, soon drawing close enough that both crews could clearly see each other’s faces. Their captain stood at the bow and shouted mockingly at Valkran. “Valkran, you cowardly dirt-eater! I don’t know what brought your sorry ass out to sea, but today will be your funeral! Prepare to feed the fishes!” “Funny—that’s exactly what I was about to tell you, Kakan, you lowlife!” Valkran retorted fiercely. And with their captains’ exchange, the battle commenced. Cannons roared as cannonballs flew between the ships. The crew scrambled in panic. Their large vessel was ill-equipped for combat, having fewer cannons and sluggish movements, making them easy targets. The situation quickly turned dangerous. Yet, a few onboard remained calm. “Master, can you leave this to me?” Aquaz asked Ketal. “Again with the master stuff? Haven’t we settled that?” Ketal replied. “You’re still my master... but if you really dislike it, I'll go back to calling you Ketal.” With a nod, Aquaz stepped forward. Captain Kakan burst out laughing at the sight. “Valkran! You've sunk low, bringing women aboard your ship! You disgrace all pirates! Everyone, fire at will!” Cannonballs hurtled toward them, their trajectory clearly impossible to dodge this time. The crew paled in fear. However, Aquaz murmured calmly, “O Great Sun God, grant your servant a radiant shield of protection.” A glowing barrier instantly enveloped the ship. The cannonballs collided harmlessly against the shield, bouncing away without causing any damage. Both pirate crews stared, dumbfounded. Kakan quickly snapped out of his shock and shouted, “Reload! Fire again!” Despite another volley, the shield remained unharmed. Cheers erupted among Valkran’s crew. “This is the power of a god!” Aquaz turned toward Baker, calmly requesting, “Mr. Baker, would you do the honors?” “Gladly,” Baker replied. With clear disdain in his eyes, Baker casually flicked a finger toward the enemy ship. “Know your place, filthy pirates.” Suddenly, a hole appeared directly above the enemy vessel, through which a massive pillar of ice plummeted, impaling and crushing it instantly. The pierced ship immediately began sinking beneath the waves. The crew gaped at Baker in astonishment. They knew he was a Transcendent mage, but they'd never witnessed his magic firsthand. Pirates rarely encountered real mages, so they had no idea how powerful Baker truly was. Until now, they'd dismissed him as a lazy passenger who lounged about doing nothing useful. Now, seeing him sink a ship in a single move, they felt both awe and fear toward him. Satisfied with their stunned gazes, Baker smirked arrogantly. “They deserve it for recklessly challenging me.” “Oh? Was that a spell that shoots ice pillars?” Ketal asked him curiously. “H-huh?” Baker’s confident demeanor evaporated in an instant. He hastily stammered, suddenly nervous. “Technically, I summoned part of a glacier that I'd previously stored in subspace directly over their ship.” “Oh, that’s a very clever and efficient spell,” Ketal complimented him sincerely. Baker visibly trembled. “R-really...? You think it’s clever?” “Absolutely. You summoned the pillar midair, leveraging gravity and velocity for an attack that costs almost no mana. That's incredibly efficient.” Baker stared at him wide-eyed. “You... you really understand my magic.” “Outstanding,” Ketal reiterated earnestly. Baker’s expression grew complicated. This terrifying barbarian—someone capable of casually killing him with the ease of snapping a twig—was genuinely praising his magic. It felt oddly reminiscent of the pride he'd experienced long ago, being complimented by his old teacher. A strange new respect emerged in Baker’s gaze as he studied Ketal. Meanwhile, the impaled enemy ship was gradually disappearing beneath the waves, prompting victorious cheers from Valkran’s crew. Believing the fight finished, Aquaz lowered the barrier. But at that exact moment, Captain Kakan, making his final desperate stand, shouted, “If I'm going down, you're coming with me!” From the sinking vessel, a massive harpoon launched toward their ship. Aquaz casually prepared another shield, confident it posed no threat. But she immediately realized something was wrong. The force behind the harpoon was abnormal. Baker gasped aloud, recognizing it. “A magic weapon? Why does a pirate have that?” “Damn it!” Aquaz hastily attempted to create a stronger shield, but the harpoon had already smashed through her weaker barrier, rushing straight toward the ship. Ketal calmly watched it approach. A violent shockwave rocked their vessel, causing sailors to scream and tumble to the deck. Some even slid dangerously close to the railings. Valkran, barely holding onto the railing himself, struggled to his feet—and stared in disbelief. Ketal stood completely still, casually gripping the massive harpoon with one hand. “Impossible,” Valkran gasped. Ketal had caught a harpoon heavy enough to rock an enormous ship barehanded. “Can Transcendents really do something like that?” Valkran wondered aloud, stunned. But Baker and Aquaz—both Transcendents themselves—also stared in shock. The harpoon was indeed a magic weapon—immensely heavy and launched at tremendous speed. Even Transcendents like them would struggle to defend against it without preparation. Yet Ketal had simply caught it, unmoving. Why wasn’t he thrown backward? Baker thought. Even if caught, the immense kinetic energy should've sent Ketal flying, yet he hadn’t budged an inch. The scene defied physics. “I don’t need this, so you can have it back,” Ketal said casually, pulling back his arm and throwing the harpoon. The entire ship lurched again, throwing the sailors to the deck. This time, the harpoon shot back toward the enemy ship several times faster, completely obliterating it. With an explosive roar, the enemy ship burst apart, seawater shooting upward like a volcanic eruption. Debris rained down like a torrential downpour. When the ocean finally settled, nothing recognizable remained of Kakan’s ship—just scattered debris floating everywhere. Valkran’s longtime rival, the Kakan Pirates, had been annihilated instantly. Dusting his hands with satisfaction, Ketal stood proudly, while everyone around him stared, speechless. ɪꜰ ʏᴏᴜ ᴡᴀɴᴛ ᴛᴏ ʀᴇᴀᴅ ᴍᴏʀᴇ ᴄʜᴀᴘᴛᴇʀs, ᴘʟᴇᴀsᴇ ᴠɪsɪᴛ novｅlfire.net They soon resumed their course, the crew eyeing Ketal with a mixture of awe and disbelief. “He caught that flying harpoon barehanded...” “And threw it back even harder...” “How is anyone that strong...?” Even Transcendents like Aquaz and Baker had been stunned, leaving the ordinary crew in total shock. Valkran chuckled bitterly. “Are all the powerful figures in the world that strong? I’ve truly lived in a tiny corner until now. The world is wider than I imagined.” “No, they aren't,” Aquaz cut in immediately.