Rey Reed Smith keeps on rowing and rowing until the second sun of the day begins to rise in the sky. His black singlet is filled with sweat, and his black trousers are soaked. His muscles keep bulging as he holds tightly to the two oars, twirling them with one hand, using great strength, so the waves of the Black Sea won't snatch the oars from his hand.
Rey Reed continued to row for several hours until he glimpsed the place where the black water was divided into two ahead of him. The two divided rivers are known as the Cador Ocean and the Blood Ocean. This signifies that he has reached the border of the Middle Land. Once he rows his boat out of the Black Sea, he will be exposed to the dangers of the world. He will be exposed to attacks from pirates, the horns and spikes of the Arcadia Empires, and other mythical creatures or hungry beasts.
The last time Rey came this far from the Middle Land was when he had just arrived in the Middle Land. Back then, King Sebastian saw him as a threat to the kingdom, especially when he fought a chimaera to defend the people of the kingdom.
Rey Reed engaged in a fierce battle against the Chimera, and the creature later fled when Rey transformed into his Hellhound beast. The news spread like wildfire, and King Sebastian started seeking a way to get rid of him, so he wouldn't become a threat to him in the future.
Because of this, he challenged Rey and gave him three deadly quests. Part of the quest is for Rey to retrieve a sceptre from the dragon island. Though it's an impossible task, Rey pulled it off because of his identity back then and with the help of Garry.
The sight of the water made Rey miss his power so much. He preferred his identity as an alpha and his Hellhound power to the one that was given to him by the blood lord at a great price when he didn't ask for it in the first place. But on another thought, if the blood lord hadn't bestowed the power on him before he was revived by his friend, there's a possibility that he would be empty without any special ability.
In the meantime, Rey agreed to continue carrying the mark of the blood lord with him until he found a way to break the bond between them. The only prayer Rey Reed had in mind was that he shouldn't destroy things beyond repairing them all in the name of pleasing the blood lord before he breaks the bond.
The mystical Black Sea, a vast expanse that stretched beyond the realms of ordinary comprehension, revealed an extraordinary phenomenon at its heart as Rey reached its end. As if guided by ancient forces, it parted into two distinct paths, each leading to divergent destinies, and Rey quickly thought about the right path to take.
The first path, veering towards the fabled Dragon Island, unveiled a tranquil azure hue. The water, also known as the Cador Ocean, was placid and serene and reflected the calmness that enveloped the island. Gentle ripples danced upon the surface, mirroring the peace that lay within.
Yet, beyond this tranquil facade, the currents whispered the secrets of the enigmatic cave that housed the slumbering ancient dragon. The blue expanse held an almost hypnotic allure, drawing those who dared to seek the wisdom and mysteries concealed within the heart of the island.
At the sight of that, Rey couldn't help but wonder how a body of water like this can manage to remain calm despite the beast that dwells in its depths and on the other side.
He could remember clearly that the last time he journeyed on it, he fought against hundreds of tall creatures that looked like skeletons without any flesh to cover their bones. These creatures had sharp teeth—dozens of them—and their hands looked like a blade, which was sharper than anything Rey had ever seen.
He averted his gaze from the Cador Ocean ahead and looked through the blood-red waters that led to the Empire Region. The scarlet sea shimmered under the second sun of the day, casting an ethereal glow reminiscent of liquid rubies. The air itself seemed to pulse with an otherworldly aura, an unsettling resonance that hinted at the presence of formidable creatures lurking beneath.
As if drawn by an unseen force, the denizens of this crimson sea moved in eerie synchrony, their forms obscured by the viscous, otherworldly essence that clung to the water. The red path, in stark contrast to its counterpart, symbolized the empire's tumultuous history, steeped in both power and mystery.
Since Rey had been through the Cador Ocean before and knew where it ended, he needed no one to tell him that his journey would take him through the blood ocean.
Rey sighed deeply, tightened his grip on the oars, and pulled himself in the direction of the Blood Ocean. He increased the speed he was using to row because he didn't want to spend the night in an open ocean without knowing the climate and being exposed to attack.
If Garry was here, it would be better because the boy knows things like that. Rey missed him.
Rey continued without any particular place in mind to spend the night. The Blood Lord had told him that the water would take him to the Kingdom of Vastadia. He had thought it would be a daylong journey, just like when he ventured to the dragon island on the other side of the water, but it seemed he was wrong now.
Rey continued his journey until the sun started to set in the sky. The atmosphere is now turning dark, and the moon is now starting to reveal its glory in the sky. By now, he's starting to get exhausted, and his arms are heavier from rowing non-stop since morning, neither to eat nor drink. Worst of all, he had no provisions with him.
Rey missed his alpha power again. If he hadn't lost it, he wouldn't be so exhausted as this. Rey had survived without drinking water or eating for a week when he still had his power. He can even pick fish from the ocean, fry it with his Hellhound power, and eat until he's satisfied.
Nevertheless, he managed to keep his body balanced in the boat, knowing that if he mistakenly fell into the ocean, he would become food for the aquatic creatures. He forced himself to keep rowing and spread out his power at the same time to search for creatures' thoughts he could feed on or a place to spend the night, but he found none. Maybe it's because the ocean is filled with nothing but water, with no forest or island in sight.
Rey kept doing it for some hours until he finally got weary and decided to spend the night in the middle of the ocean. He packed the oars, dropped them carefully on the boat, and allowed the waves of the water to push his boat forward.
This keeps going for some minutes when Rey's power picks up the thoughts of people ahead. At first, he presumed it was a trick, but he shrugged it away, knowing that his power would never fail him.
Rey raised his gaze, and it met with a huge ship ahead of him with the banner of the empire, which had the drawing of a horn and spike. Surely, it's an empire ship.
He is still like a predator waiting for its prey, picking up the thoughts of everyone inside the ship one after the other to hear what they are discussing.
It takes Rey some minutes to predict what the people are discussing and their numbers. They were talking about raping a girl one after the other, and from what he heard, they shouldn't be more than twelve or fifteen.
At first, Rey thought of sneaking onto their ship and killing everyone because they were doing what he hated most in his entire life. But he decided against it. He's too tired to be climbing, dodging, and weaving.
Since he's near, he will approach them and advise them to change their minds, so there won't be bloodshed. Their decision would direct his next move.
Rey gathered his strength and summoned mist from the water to protect his small boat as he approached the great empire fleet. He did this to disguise himself because he couldn't trust that the Empire Knights would just watch him come toward them and fail to shoot, even though he is harmless.
When he had reached the side of the ship, opposite the direction of the empire knights, he leapt up quickly and quietly without bothering about his boat, just like the blood lord had thought him. He grabbed the rail of the ship and used it to propel his body upward. He did all this as quietly as he could.
Finally, he reached the top and stood a few feet away from the knights as they stared lustfully at a young girl who was tied to a pole ahead of them. The empire wore black armour that didn't glow and was perfect for hiding in the shadows. Rey presumed it was created for a time like this and to protect them from the hands of pirates.
"Let her go!" He demanded with an authoritative voice, attracting the attention of the knight. "Why would you choose to molest a small girl when you could have gone for one of your friend's wives or daughters?"
Rey could feel the anger in his voice. This is the same reason why he burned every brothel in the Middle Land and killed all the kingpins.
"Who are you?" One of them scowled, drawing his blade from its scabbard, and the blade let out a great slashing sound. "Express yourself, or my blade will do you the honour."
Rey scoffed. "I'm not here to fight or kill; release the girl to me, and I'll be on my journey."
The man stepped forward to take a close look at Rey, and the rest followed. They are fifteen, as he had predicted earlier.
He stared at Rey with so much hatred for disrupting their fun, but the hatred slowly morphed into something else—surprise.
"I think I know you," he said, twisting his head sideways, so the moon could reflect on Rey's face for him to have a proper view. "I knew it! You're the one."
"I think you've got the wrong man," Rey denied, trying to walk past the man.
The knight grabbed his singlet, pulled him back, and placed his blade on his neck before saying, "You came to Dragon Island months ago, didn't you? You think we here at the Empire didn't hear about your fame and achievement?"
Without being told, Rey knows he's already in deep trouble. There's no doubt that he will fight his way out of this ship, and he hopes that the knights on the ship ain't more than that. If not, then he will have no choice but to flee, since he doesn't have enough strength to fight many men.
To be continued.