The three of them looked at William as though they were meeting him for the first time. They had followed William before, perhaps because of his superior combat abilities compared to the others, as well as his more thoughtful personality when compared to people his age. But this time, William displayed a fiery, inciting quality that didn't match his age or position.
Vallon didn't know how to describe William at this moment. He simply felt that, compared to the usual meticulous and calm William, this version of him, though out of character, carried a commanding aura that made others feel a sense of respect.
"You're right, William, and I don't want to live the way we used to either," Gin said in a low voice. "Before, I could tolerate things until it became unbearable, but now, I don't think I can tolerate even the smallest thing. If I were to go back, I think I would immediately smash those bastards' heads with an iron rod."
Aramis and Vallon didn't say anything, but their expressions indicated agreement with Gin's words. Once the taboo of killing was broken, they no longer feared the existing order and laws that had once weighed heavily on their shoulders.
William smiled faintly, pointing to a small mound of earth in the distance. The bodies of Danton, Gore, and Bamon were buried there. Simple-minded Vallon had even kindly placed a makeshift cross made from branches next to the mound.
"Well then, I think you should understand why I advocated for us to learn something at the dojo. I don't want to be like those lowly pirates, chased by the navy like stray dogs. Surviving on the seas is already tough enough. I don't want to live in such a pathetic manner. Either we stay on land, or if we go to sea, we have to make sure we can stand our ground and not be driven back to shore!"
...
William once again found himself in the strange, mysterious space in his sleep, but this time, it was different from the past few days. After completing the "Narrow Escape" mission and successfully leaving the Danton Pirate Crew, the space finally changed.
Previously monotonous and dull, with only a small road surrounded by darkness, William sometimes doubted the environment, thinking that something was wrong. But now, the darkness seemed to recede like a tide. At the end of the path, an archway appeared, and beyond it, a small square was faintly visible.
William quickly quickened his pace and walked over. After passing through the archway, the path, just like the first intersection, was once again enveloped by darkness and disappeared. He no longer had the interest to think about it and instead began observing the small square where he now found himself.
Compared to the first intersection, it was evident that the quality of this place had improved. The ground beneath his feet had turned into stone paving, and the area was much larger than before.
In the southeast corner of the square was an antique wooden chest. William eagerly opened it, but before he could peek inside, a mirror suddenly sprang out and floated in front of him, startling him.
He took two steps back and focused on the mirror, which was as tall as a person. He glanced at the wooden chest, which was clearly only as tall as his shins, and wondered just how large the inside of the chest could be.
However, the reflection in the mirror wasn't William's current appearance but rather his real-life body, the young man sleeping by the campfire.
Suddenly, the surface of the mirror flashed with light, and when William looked again, he noticed that while his posture hadn't changed, his body had undergone a drastic transformation. His skin and clothes became transparent. William moved closer to see more clearly, and the mirror seemed to sense his intent, zooming in on his real-life body.
Countless specks of light suddenly appeared in the void, gradually covering his body. The light gathered especially around his brain and spine, with the specks eagerly entering these areas.
The mirror seemed to be only showing William this for a moment. Before he could observe further, it was pulled back into the chest.
William rushed to the chest, peering inside. Contrary to what he had imagined, the chest didn't lead to another space and appeared to be just a normal wooden chest. The strange mirror was nowhere to be found.
Still shaken by what he had seen, William heard a loud noise from the center of the square. He turned his head and saw a tall stone platform rising from the ground in just a few seconds.
On the platform stood two human-sized statues. William was surprised. Although the statues were made of ordinary stone and had somewhat rough appearances, with indistinct facial features, he recognized the pose. One statue held a dagger, plunging it into the stomach of another person who was struggling. This was the same scene as when he had fought Danton in the sea.
In front of the platform seemed to be some inscription. William quickly moved closer to read it:
Morgan William - "Unknown"
Year: 1490 - ???
Birthplace: East Sea - Fales Kingdom
Skill Specialty: Beginner Swordsmanship
Special Talent: Lightning Reflex
Achievement Specialty: Overthrow
William glanced briefly at the word "Unknown" before focusing on the specialties. The stone platform seemed to sense his gaze, and small text appeared beneath the three specialties.
[Beginner Swordsmanship]: You are a novice in swordsmanship and no longer wield the sword like an untrained person. In this field, you have barely begun to learn.
[Lightning Reflex]: Your reflexes are exceptional, giving you extraordinary reaction speed. (Mission Reward)
[Overthrow]: Your ambition cannot tolerate others sitting above you, whether it's fame, position, or power. You won't be intimidated. (Reward for killing former captain Danton)
William stared at the "Overthrow" specialty for a long time. He hadn't expected killing Danton to yield something like an achievement reward. As for "Beginner Swordsmanship" and "Lightning Reflex," he quickly understood that the former referred to his learned skills and abilities, which could improve over time. The latter, a special talent, seemed to refer to an innate ability that was difficult to alter, changing his reflexes.
The "Achievement Specialty" was the only one that seemed unclear to him. He understood that skill specialties required gradual accumulation, while special talents likely depended on this strange space, but the achievement specialty appeared to be something that could be gained through clever means, and he was eager to understand the rules behind it.
As he thought about this, he looked around the square and noticed that there were no other paths extending from it. He wasn't surprised, as the previous locations had been similar. The paths seemed to be closely tied to his intentions, and now that he had killed Danton, his short-term goal hadn't been set. Going to the dojo to learn swordsmanship was a vague goal, but it was easy to achieve. The four of them were not fugitives, and even if they couldn't go to the "One Heart Dojo" that Aramis mentioned, they could go to another place.
It seemed the space wouldn't make things too easy for him.
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