After Alaric chose the military path, a second message popped up on his window. It read: "First Task: Acquire a land and become a noble. Reward: Player will receive exclusive blueprints, origins unknown, and an extra skill slot with three new skills. One will be gold rank, the others will be silver rank."
Seeing this, Alaric was shocked. A gold skill was immensely powerful, and acquiring it would make him significantly stronger. However, he was puzzled by the blueprints labeled as "origins unknown." Additionally, there was a side quest indicating that the military store couldn't be unlocked because his military rank was too low, requiring at least a sergeant rank.
Realizing the implications, Alaric understood that he not only needed to increase his overall rank but also had to advance in the military path he had chosen. The window provided further guidance: "Side Quest: Join the military. Become a sergeant. Reward: New path can be chosen. Auxiliary path."
Alaric was taken aback. The possibility of holding two paths simultaneously was astounding. It offered a chance to diversify his skills and strategies, making him even more formidable in his quest for revenge and power.
His thoughts were interrupted as he tried to make sense of his next steps. "How can I rank up in the military without drawing too much attention?" he wondered. The idea of blending into a military structure while secretly amassing power and resources seemed both challenging and exciting.
The blueprints labeled "origins unknown" intrigued him. What could they be? Weapons? Fortifications? Strategies? Alaric knew that unlocking these blueprints could provide a significant advantage, but he needed to secure a land first. This task would not be easy, especially with his current status.
As he pondered his options, the ship continued to sail steadily. He had to make a plan. Joining the military would require careful maneuvering, and acquiring land would demand resources and cunning.
The side quest to become a sergeant seemed straightforward, but Alaric knew that nothing in his world was ever simple. He would have to be strategic, leveraging his skills and the resources at his disposal. The promise of an auxiliary path was enticing, offering additional ways to strengthen his position.
Determined, Alaric decided to focus on his immediate goals: join the military, rise to the rank of sergeant, and find a way to acquire land. With these objectives in mind, he would move one step closer to unlocking his true potential.
Alaric noticed something intriguing about his window. It displayed numerous stores and options, including skills and paths he could choose. In this world, using those skills required a special type of energy, known as key energy or chaos energy. This energy flowed around like wind or mist, and people gathered it through their meridians. The higher the level of a person's meridians, the more energy they could acquire. If someone ran out of key energy, they couldn't use their skills for a certain period.
When Alaric checked his key energy capacity, he saw it was only six, and his current key energy was one. This realization made him understand that although his body was of a high rank and type, his meridians were weak and couldn't hold much energy. Strengthening them was crucial. To do that, he needed a rare and expensive potion called Alcho. However, if he could obtain the ingredients, he could make the potion himself.
From the age of five, Alaric had learned about alchemy and could create certain potions. Thanks to his resources as one of the prince of the Aryan Kingdom and being taught by the highest-level alchemist, he could easily produce high-ranking potions. His family didn't know about his alchemy skills because he had kept them hidden. Revealing his proficiency in alchemy would prevent him from joining the military, as experts in alchemy were barred from combat roles. But Alaric had always been passionate about the military, growing up among soldiers and admiring their strength and discipline.
Determined to find a way to join the military while keeping his alchemy skills a secret, Alaric devised a plan. He would gather the ingredients needed to make the Alcho potion, strengthen his meridians, and increase his key energy capacity. This way, he could become a formidable force in both alchemy and combat, giving him an edge in his quest for power and revenge.
With his goal clear, Alaric knew he had to act swiftly. The path to becoming a military leader and ultimately an emperor required him to be strategic, resourceful, and relentless.
Although there was another way of gaining chaos energy by expanding one's lifespan, it was a method fraught with danger. People only used it in the most critical moments because it could gradually destroy their meridians or even their entire rank foundation. Using lifespan for chaos energy was a risky gamble with only a 0.1% success rate. Even masters and grandmasters avoided it, knowing it could utterly ruin them.
. .. . . ... ( KILLER whale) ..... ..
While Alaric mulled over these perilous thoughts, in the captain's room, tension suddenly spiked. A person shouted out loud, "Sir, two signals are visible on the radar!" The captain was shocked. The signals were close, yet their medium-class radar, capable of detecting distant ships and planes, hadn't picked them up earlier. How did this ship and plane get so close?
Before he could ponder further, the unmistakable sound of a helicopter filled the air. The captain ordered everyone to hide everything and rushed to the bridge. Upon reaching it, they saw more than twenty soldiers descending from a helicopter onto the ship. Without a word, the soldiers barged into the bridge and pointed their guns at the crew.
The captain's heart raced. Were these soldiers here to kill them? Had they found the bodies of the council members? Were they from the kingdom seeking revenge? Sweat trickled down his forehead as he assessed the situation. The soldiers were at least Platinum One rank, making them incredibly powerful. This was no ordinary team.
However, when the captain looked at their badges, they didn't bear the insignia of the Supreme Maritime Force. Instead, they read "Royal Air and Navy." These soldiers were from the Aryan Kingdom Navy. Fear gripped the captain. Why was the Aryan Kingdom Navy here? They were a special force, not supposed to be in this region.
The captain's mind raced. The Aryan Kingdom Navy's presence could only mean something serious. He had to think quickly. The discovery of Alaric, the ship's mission, everything was now at risk. The captain knew that any misstep could lead to their downfall.
Suddenly, the captain felt an immense pressure, far beyond that of any Platinum rank. This was at least a Diamond rank aura. As he processed this, a figure entered the room and commanded, "You big heads, point down your guns. We didn't come here to terrorize." The figure was dressed elegantly, with four stars on either side of his shoulder and a badge that read "Northern Fleet Commander."
The captain immediately recognized the man. He was the renowned Northern Fleet Commander of the Aryan Kingdom, known as the Killer Whale. His reputation was legendary across the continent. Known for his ruthlessness and fearlessness, the mere mention of his name could sap the morale of his enemies.
The Killer Whale's gaze swept across the room, his presence dominating the space. "We've received reports of unusual activity and unauthorized engagements in this area," he said, his voice carrying a weight that demanded attention. "Identify yourselves and state your mission."
The captain, feeling the intense pressure, struggled to maintain his composure. "We are a merchant vessel transporting goods," he began, but the Commander cut him off with a wave of his hand.
"Do not lie to me," the Commander warned, his eyes narrowing. "We have intelligence that suggests otherwise. You have two choices: cooperate, or face the consequences."
The captain insisted that they were just a merchant ship. Without a word, the Commander ordered his soldiers to search every corner of the vessel. As the soldiers spread out, the captain's fear grew. He watched nervously as one soldier headed towards the sick bay. Noticing the captain's anxiety, the Commander smirked. "Why are we standing here? Let's head to the sick bay," he said, leading the way.
The captain, knowing there was no way to argue, followed reluctantly. When they reached the sick bay, the Commander found several special forces officers already stationed outside. "Open it," he commanded. The captain tried to stall. "There's nothing inside, just some medical supplies," he said, trying to deflect the situation. But the Northern Fleet Commander was having none of it. With a powerful kick, he broke the door open. His presence alone seemed enough to sink the ship, even if he was only using a fraction of his strength.
They entered the sick bay, but to the captain's shock, it was empty. He was certain he had locked the door and left Alaric inside. The Commander gave him a cold look but said nothing. They returned to the bridge, where they waited for the rest of the soldiers to finish their search.
After an hour, the soldiers reported back. "Nothing suspicious found," they said. The Commander stared at the captain. "Do you think I don't know anything? You're not a merchant ship, and we know that. But we didn't come here for that. Did you see any boy floating around the sea? About ten years old?"
The captain realized they were looking for Alaric. But why would the Aryan Kingdom be searching for him? Without hesitation, the captain replied, "We didn't find anyone."
The Commander studied him for a moment before responding, "Well, we didn't find anything either, so you can go. But be quick about it. The Supreme Maritime Force is already on its way. We don't care who you are or what you've done. We have no ties to the Supreme Maritime Force. They are just a nuisance we can easily deal with."
With that, the Northern Fleet Commander turned and left, leaving the captain to ponder the dangerous game he was now a part of.
After seeing the helicopter depart with the Northern Fleet Commander toward the Olosol Battleship, the crew heaved a collective sigh of relief. It felt as if a huge weight had been lifted from their shoulders. One of the soldiers finally broke the silence. "Captain, who the hell is that guy? I felt like a whole mountain was on my back."
The captain, visibly shaken but trying to maintain composure, responded in a low voice, "Do you know who he is? He is the Royal Red Navy's Northern Fleet Commander. He commands over eight hundred and fifty ships, five aircraft carriers, four additional carriers, six MVVS assault ships, with thousands of fighter jets and millions of soldiers under his command. The Supreme Maritime Force is just a drop of water in a vast ocean compared to him. Even the Supreme Maritime Force stays silent when the Northern Fleet of the Aryan Kingdom moves into their exclusive economic zone. They don't dare to interfere."
The soldier's eyes widened with realization. "Did you see that battleship?" the captain continued. "It has more firepower than six high-class stealth frigates. It can easily destroy a fleet of six frigates, destroyers, or even cruisers. It also has the capability to annihilate an entire carrier fleet with its missiles. We call this battleship the Moving Fortress."
The crew listened intently, each one feeling a mix of awe and dread. The captain added, "This is not just any ordinary fleet. The Northern Fleet is renowned for its strength and ruthlessness. The Commander we just faced is a living legend. His name alone can make enemies lose their will to fight. We are fortunate they didn't find anything suspicious, or we wouldn't be standing here right now."
As the realization of their narrow escape sank in, the crew felt a renewed sense of urgency. They knew they had to move quickly and carefully if they were to survive and complete their mission. The encounter with the Northern Fleet Commander had left an indelible mark on them, a stark reminder of the dangerous waters they were navigating.