Late evening.
On the deck of a ship, Levi sat cross-legged.
A red water-like qi, reminiscent of diluted blood enveloped his body.
All around him were cloths, empty crates, or other random items.
He circulated the water commandment, paying them no mind.
It was the 3rd day since he left the cloud continent.
In the beginning, he felt sick to his stomach, inhibiting his ability to cultivate, but during the past 3 days, it got better.
"...Now, for inscription practice." His eyes cracked open, as the qi seeped back into his body.
Puft!
His mental energy flame appeared.
Qi spilled from his fingertips, forming patterns and stacking them swiftly.
It was then coated in mental energy.
"... I don't have any material to attach this to." Levi mumbled.
" Hmm." He got up.
He could only hear the waves crashing, as darkness loomed.
" Well, this inscription doesn't 'need' to be attached to anything to use it." Levi mumbled.
He extended his arm, as the inscription floated out over the water.
A stream of qi spilled from his palm, flowing toward the inscription.
"!!!" Levi plugged his ear with his finger.
An extremely loud screeching sound exploded from the inscription.
" I guess it failed." He mumbled under the noise.
" Aghhhhhhhh!! What!! Is!!! That!!! Screechin'!?!?!" A loud female voice sounded from below the deck.
" Ca-Cap'n...can ya be quiet?! People'er sleepin' 'ere!"
" Dammit! Who's it that blew me eardrums?!"
" Shhh! Quit yer shoutin'! People be sleepin'!!"
" Ah?! Who's shoutin' ere?!"
"..." Levi kept silent.
He overloaded the inscription with qi, causing it to shatter.
...
The next day, Morning.
" Adjust the sail!"
" Oi! Tell number 14 they're breakin' too far away, ey?!"
" Aye!"
The wind was caught in the numerous sails as some of their edges flapped wildly.
" Oooi!! I can see 'er!"
" Tha Divine dragon continent!"
" Aye!"
In the distance, atop the sea was a cluster of green.
" Remember! Don't ya go wanderin' off when we get there! Not unless ya want ta become a slave!" Someone shouted.
" Aye! Those bastards don't play around', I tell ya!"
" Ouuu!"
" Always an interestin' sight!"
" S'this place really shaped like a 4 fingered dragon claw?!"
" Aye! An get this, tha 4 kingdoms 'ere take up only half-a each finger! S'what I heard anyway!" Someone said.
" Ah? Then what about the rest of it, ey?"
" All wilderness! Full of precious 'erbs an' other materials!"
" Wha-"
" But don't get no ideas! Some people live there! Them an' the 4 kingdoms don't get on too hot though, so a lot of 'em are enslaved! The weak ones 'nyway!"
The ships continued to sail towards the Divine Dragon continent.
The weirdly shaped continent became more visually accessible.
Large curved rows of land pointed out.
The ships were sailing between the thumb and index finger, which were pointing to each other.
The continent was filled with vegetation.
A castle was visible on the thumb finger since it was elevated, but the cities were hidden by the trees among other things.
A large port sat between the two fingers.
Ships of varying sizes went in and out.
Some of the merchant ships soon docked.
" So this is 'that' Divine Dragon continent, huh." Levi looked up.
A path was cleared through the forest, but as far as he looked, he could only see green.
" Not gonna get off?" 'Head merchant' Ann asked, as she grinned.
"...How long are you going to be staying here?" Levi asked.
" Not answerin' huh? Hehe, a few days..." She said after some thought.
"..." Levi kept silent.
" ...So I'd like ta say, but some powerful people 'ere don't think so good of me!" She snickered.
"..." Levi kept silent.
" Che! Yer no fun!" She stomped off.
...
A week later.
The morning sun shone brightly, giving everything a feeling of freshness.
Levi sat on the deck, enveloped in red water-like qi.
The ship was much calmer, as there wasn't as much shouting and running around.
" Land ahoy!"
" Aye!"
The ships sailed slowly as an island came into view.
If one looked closely, they would notice that just beside it, in the distance, was another island.
Multiple islands lined this part of the sea, which led to them becoming known as 'The Arc belt' or chain.
" Viiiiiiiiiuuu!"
" They came!"
" Oh! Thank god! My kid's pants are cutting him in half from the crotch!"
" I'm almost out of perfumes and cosmetics!"
" And my pills for...Hehhehheh, let's just say my pills have run out!"
Distant shouts and faint whistling sounded from the island.
" Heh heh, this here place s'always good fer business!"
" Hehe, these'er mostly rocky islands without much resources!"
" In other words, they'll always need us ta come ere, ey?"
" Don't forget there'er others like us on the sea!"
" Aye!"
"..."
" What'sa matter?"
" How long is the brat gonna be 'ere for?" A man pointed to Levi, who was still cultivating.
" Ah? The boss got paid ta take 'im to the sword continent, so til there'?"
" Hrnn."
" Oi! What're ya starin' into space for?! Go tell the other ships to go on ta the other islands!" A man shouted.
The fleet split into groups, with each group sailing to one of the islands.
...
A few days later.
Levi sat on the deck.
In front of him, blood energy spiraled, creating a large circle.
" Oi, yer destination s'up ahead!" 'Head merchant' Ann said.
"..." The blood energy scattered and Levi got up.
" Oh." His eyes widened in astonishment.
Even though they were not at all close to it, from left to right, no matter how far he looked, he couldn't see either end.
" 'T'll take about a month ta get ta the port though!"
"..." As the ship got closer, Levi silently admired the beaches.
Even at their distance, he could see a few large mountains.
Besides the merchant fleet, other ships and boats sailed, all in different directions.
Sometimes glowing lights would swirl around the larger ships.
...
A week later.
"..." Levi watched as the ship slowly sailed past a port.
" Oi." Levi turned to a man.
" Ah?" The man scowled.
" Why aren't you stopping?" Levi pointed to the port.
" Tch, fuckin' nuisance." The man mumbled under his breath.
" The boss chooses where we sail. If you don't understand what that means, then go ask her!" He said with an annoyed tone.
" Humph." Levi snorted.
'...From the time I arrive, I will need to have my fake personality and back story fleshed out.' Levi sat down.
' Preferably, it should be the opposite of myself.'
' I highly doubt anyone on this continent knows me, but I would rather be on the safe side.' He closed his eyes.
' For simplicity's sake, my name will stay as it is. I came from a small country, an orphan.'
' My parents died when I was very young, thus I grew up on the streets.'
' At the age of 12, I was taken into a sect. That same year, I was kicked out of said sect because of a dispute with an elder.'
' I moved to a small mountain village for a while before moving to the big city. There, I got a well-paying job as an attendant for one of the city's young masters who was around my age.'
' I heard stories about the legendary martial arts of the jade sword continent, and since I still cultivated every day, I decided to one day go there.'
' For two years, I saved my money. I then paid a merchant to bring me here, and I even saved some of my money!'
Time passed swiftly as Levi created a simple backstory.
" What's he doin'? Meditatin'?" A man asked.
" Ah? Back ta work, aye?!" Another one shouted.
...
A week and a half later.
Levi sat on the deck cross-legged, his eyes closed.
'...This kind of personality should be good.'
' Mostly quiet, because I hate talking to other people.' He thought with a straight face.
' Slightly shy, because meeting new people is annoying.' A shy smile crept onto his face.
' Explosive in certain situations, because putting on an act for long periods is mentally exhausting. I need a way to vent sometimes.' His brows furrowed angrily.
' And...slightly clumsy, just because.' He chuckled foolishly.
"...The hell's he doin'?" A man said at the sight of Levi's changing expressions.
" Y'know 'ut, fuck it! Keep watchin' 'im! But I want ya to know, when the boss sees the brat doin' nothin', she ain't gone say nothin'. Wait'n see if she's goin' to react the same way with you!" Another man said, annoyed.
...
2 weeks later.
During these two weeks, Levi was often seen either enveloped in red water-like qi, or with a large circle of blood energy in front of him.
This day it was the latter.
Beside him was also the blood gate.
" Oi!" A female voice sounded.
" Yes?" Levi turned his head.
His eyes had a never before seen sparkle.
"...W-Were 'ere...Creepy." 'Head merchant' Ann said, before mumbling.
" Ahhh..." When Levi got up, an excited sigh escaped his mouth.
In the distance, a large port town sat.
It looked like it was built on the side of a hill.
The white bricks that lined the ground reflected sunlight.
The port had mainly boats, along with a few ships docked.
" Relay this! We'll need just 8 ships! Move yer asses! I want this brat off my sea carriage!" 'Head merchant' Ann shouted.
" Aye!" The men shouted collectively as they sprang into action.
8 ships were quickly docked, as planks were extended from them.
Groups of people were already gathering at the base of the harbor.
" We've arrived at your destination, dear customer." 'Head merchant' Ann smiled at Levi while speaking in as polite a voice as she could.
" Now git yer ass off'a my bloody ship! And don't ferget ya owe me some coin, an' I don't fergive debts!" She shouted.
" Mhmm, Mhmm! I will pay you the next time I see you!" Levi's eyes became slits as he smiled.
" But afterward, don't appear before me again." A cold light flickered in his eyes for a split-second.
" Humph!" 'Head merchant' Ann grinned.
He walked toward the town, a slightly reserved look on his face.
The sea of people parted for him, letting him through before closing back up.
The black spot merchants brought out their products, causing excitement to build in the people.
While walking, Levi realized something.
" I've never been here in my life, where should I go?" He looked around, a slightly nervous look on his face.
" What?!" A shout echoed from the distance.
" Hii!" Levi squeaked in a high pitched voice, before turning his head.
" No need to pretend, you heard what I said. The agreement was, you dive, I will pay handsomely for any artifacts you find, provided they are in good enough condition." A man said.
This man wore a beautiful white robe with blue stripes going down both shoulders.
White, gold-embroidered cloth shoes along with white pants covered his legs and feet.
An imposing aura surrounded him.
His eyes were sharp, while his hair was spiky.
In front of him was a tanned man wearing dark-blue pants.
He wore neither shirt, robe, or shoes.
The ends of his black hair were washed out.
" But here you are, trying to force a rusted metal basket into my hands. We have nothing more to discuss. You have profited enough at my expense."
" Destroy my communication device." The man said as he turned around.
" You bastard! After making so much from our diving, you are just going to throw us away?! After some of us even died for you?!?" The man shouted with bloodshot eyes.
" Hey, calm down! You know how strong he is..."
" So what?! Is it so wrong to want to be treated like a human being?!" The man shouted.
Multiple men wearing only pants held him back until the other man was out of view.
...
A few minutes later.
"...Um, what is going on?" Levi asked cautiously.
" Che!" The man scowled.
" What is that thing..." Levi pointed.
' What could it be? The man walked off calling it trash, but...In any case, this shouldn't affect my current character, right?' Levi thought.
" Tch! This thing?!" The man got up.
Deng!
" This fucking thing?!" He kicked something resembling a basket made of metal.
Its edges were rusted, while stone-like corral grew on the basket-like part.
There were also square holes the size of a quarter of a palm.
Deng!
" Ow!" The man kicked it wrongly, causing him to wince in pain.
" That damned bastard! After making all of the money, after some of us even died, this is how he treats us?! fuck." The man cursed.
" Um..." Levi called out.
" Huh?! You're still here?! Get lost!!" The man shouted.
" Wait, wait, wait! Hear me out!" Levi waved his hands in front of himself.
" Huh??" The man's face scrunched up in annoyance.
" Wh-Why don't you work for me?" Levi asked.
"..." An astonished look appeared on the man's face.
" I mean, I won't abandon you like the man from earlier, so..." Levi proposed with a nervous look on his face.
"..." The man stared at Levi in astonishment.
"..." Levi nervously waited for an answer.
" SCRAM!!!" The man shouted, almost bursting a vein due to anger.
" Hiii!" Levi swiftly ran away.
' Well, what did I expect. It might have been for the best that he reacted that way.' Levi thought as he ran.
'...I wasted so much time and I still don't know a thing about this place.' He thought.
' First, I need to find a person who will answer my questions without asking any.' He slowed to walking.
" Ah?! What are you back here for?!" A shout sounded in the distance.
" Huh? Why are you shouting at a paying customer?" A boy wearing a green robe, white pants, and black shoes asked while scratching his head of light green hair.
" P-Pa-Pay-Paying customer?!? You stayed at my inn for a full week saying that you will pay before you leave, but you didn't have even a copper on you!!!" The Inn keeper's eyes nearly pooped out of his head.
"...Oh! I just remembered, you're right! I'm so sorry! Could you just let me stay the night? I will pay you tomorrow, I've-" The boy was interrupted.
" That's the third time you used that excuse!" The innkeeper slapped the boy's head, causing it to bounce in multiple directions.
" Hey, innkeep, how can you abuse your paying customers like this?" The boy rubbed his head, a wronged look on his face.
" Gahhhhhhh!!" The innkeeper grabbed his head and screamed at the top of his lungs.
'...When life gives you lemons.' Levi thought.
" Hey, I just arrived here today! Can you answer a few questions for me?" Levi walked up to them.
" Hmm? Sure! But... I'm in a somewhat troublesome situation." The boy said.
' Waiting much longer would be troublesome, so...' Levi thought.
" How about we talk inside? This is an inn, right?" Levi asked.
" Hmm, that's kinda the problem. This bear-like innkeeper is fairly abusive, even to paying customers. I wonder if I should take my money somewhere else?" The boy said.
" You...you..you-you-you!" The innkeeper's mouth twitched from rage.
" I would like a room for a few days please." Levi said to the Innkeeper, before handing him a handful of silver coins.
"..Hmm?...Hmm?! Right away, dear C-O-S-T-O-M-E-R!" The innkeeper glared down at the boy with bloodshot eyes.
...
In the room.
A lamp illuminated the slowly darkening room.
"..." Levi sat on the bed, his mouth wide open.
In front of him, sitting on the ground was a boy with green hair, Adam.
" S-So, you arrived here not long ago yourself?" Levi questioned carefully.
" Hmm, I threw up the whole trip. Seasickness I think it was called? But seriously, I can't believe that innkeeper." Adam said.
"..." Levi's mouth widened slightly.
'...Then why did you say that you would answer my questions? I now know how that innkeeper felt. I just want to strangle this fool right now!' Levi thought as a vein on his forehead threatened to burst.