[Congratulations! You have killed the Roaming Boss monster: Ketos]

  [+3 SP]

  [You have dealt the most damage to the Roaming boss!]

  [You have dealt the final blow to the Roaming boss!]

  [+2 SP]

  Exp + 1M

  [Level up!]

  .

  .

  .

  Zyrus looked past the usual texts and focused on the last two rewards.

  [You have obtained the Achievement: Unfair Survivor (B+)]

  [+30 HP recovery/sec in Boss fights, Water Element affinity (F)]

  He didn’t really need more Hp recovery, but water affinity was a good surprise. It was bound to increase the power of vortex manipulation by a notch.

  “Got something good?”

  “Let's see…” Zyrus picked up the ring from ketos’ skull and held it in front of Franken. The players were busy repairing the ships and hauling off ketos’ remains, while the two of them were responsible for collecting all loot.

  [Chief Weaver]

  A ring forged with the threads of a calamity-class aquatic spider. It is enchanted with an array core that can manipulate water.

  Effect: Agi +10, Decreases air and water resistance

  Web of the Vengeful: Upon hit, the chief weaver creates one ‘Thread’. After 10 such threads are accumulated, the user can manipulate the threads at the cost of 1 MP/sec. The effect will last as long as one such thread remains.

  “It’s amazing!”

  “Yeah, a pity it doesn’t suit my style,” Zyrus shrugged his shoulders and placed the sky-blue ring among the items that’d be placed in the contribution store. It was uncommon for a unique item to not have many options, but every time one did, it was bound to have a single powerful ability.

  The Chief weaver was perfect for the agile dagger users. He could almost imagine Lauren throwing a tantrum since she and all the ‘Marshals’ were dirt poor to purchase anything.

  “Don’t worry, I got you something good,” Franken had a smug smile on as he pushed two items towards Zyrus. One was a scroll, and the other…was also a ring.

  “Whales sure have a higher drop rate huh.”

  “Makes sense when you think about how they sunk nearly a hundred of our ships.”

  Only the ships that had Nuckelavee’s essence possessed the ability to self-repair. The rest had to be either scrapped or reassembled.

  Zyrus opened the scroll after sorting out everything else. Since Franken said that these were good, he was planning to keep them for himself.

  [Scroll of Self-Demise]

  A scroll that carries the dying wish of ketos. Upon activation, you can trap a target no bigger than 1km with conjured baleen. The filaments will explode with surrounding mana once they are destroyed.

  Usage: 1/1

  ‘That’s a sick joke alright,’

  Imagine your wish for vengeance was turned into an item– and it was rewarded to the one who killed you. It was apparent that the system had no pity for those who lost.

  Finally, he held the reddish-golden ring in his palm. Even though he knew that it was a rare item that dropped from one of the eight followers of Ketos, the power he sensed was beyond Chief Weaver.

  Stolen story; please report.

  [Muileartach’s Cursed Ring]

  An ancient artifact that was once used as an offering. It has lost most of its power under the tides of time.

  One-eyed Doom: On the night of new moon, summon a single eye to paralyze your foes.

  Note: This is an absolute ability. The duration will depend on the user’s and the targets’ level of existence.

  Shape of the Firstborn (Inactivated): Transform into an oceanic monster based on your status.

  Curse of the Drowned (Inactivated): Use the blood of those slain by you to create an ocean’s mirage. Those with weak willpower will be trapped inside the ring for eternity.

  ##?#-#..’,-##?.

  Immortal Crone: The sea hag will mark your presence from the moment this ring is equipped. The sea hag will chase you as long as the oceans exist, for only one of you may exist in one era.

  Caution: Cursed items are dangerous as they can harm you and those close to you. Do not use them unless you are prepared for the consequences.

  “…”

  “…”

  “Don’t you have something to say?”

  “It’s a good item, and more importantly, one that suits you.”

  “…Fair enough,” Zyrus sighed and put the ring on his index finger. He knew that this was destined to be a hot mess sooner or later, but the rewards were worth it.

  Absolute paralysis was one of the top-class abilities. The same went for transformation– especially the ones that were based on the whole status screen.

  ‘But what I want the most is the last ability…’

  Zyrus felt that the Curse of the Drowned was something he needed. It was an unfamiliar instinct, but he was proven correct the moment he put on the ring.

  The onyx crown that was quiet thus far was trembling even now. He was just a step away from creating his fourth authority…or perhaps, something much greater.

  …

  One month later, at the edge of the second zone.

  Dark clouds and churning waters were present as far as the eyes could see. There were a total of 6938 casualties among the players. Their original fleet of 1000 was lacking 63 ships despite all the repairs they had done along the way.

  Of course, there was good news as well. They were attacked twice in the last 30 days– by a pack of sharks and thousands of squids.

  The shark’s entire skeleton was a treasure. It had too many applications in every field that used metals and mana conductors. The squids didn’t have any special material, but their numbers made up for it. The present 937 ships were using a new rope processed from the squid’s remains, not to mention all of them were painted with black ink that had good resistance.

  “Alright, drop the anchors.”

  “Here?”

  “Right,” Zyrus spoke to the command center as he observed the weather. Contrary to what others were thinking, he wasn’t looking for signs of a storm. It was difficult to guess the sun’s exact position with so many clouds, but still, he knew that the moment he waited for was coming.

  “Also, tie the longboats with one another and the nearby galleon.”

  “Roger that.”

  The fleet looked like a giant monster that was prowling on the ocean. The black ships made the sea even more ghastly with their presence.

  It didn’t take long before all preparations were complete. The players were even more confused as neither the storm nor any enemies appeared for the next tens of minutes.

  “Today is the day of new moon,” Zyrus spoke in the comms once the sky became dark enough. Just one line was enough to explain the current scenario.

  The players became both nervous and excited. They had heard a lot from Zyrus about the mysterious third zone, a place where there was an ocean in the sky as well.

  Fortunately, they didn’t have to wait long.

  *Shuuuaaaaaa*

  The dark waters below them rose like a fountain. The ships were lifted alongside the water currents, soaring towards the night sky filled with clouds.

  Everything became dark around them. Apart from the difference in the air, it was hard to tell how high above they were.

  “Let’s go up.”

  “Sure thing,” Zyrus chuckled and jumped on Frankens' back. It was an exciting moment for them despite their vast experience.

  Zyrus inhaled the moist air that was dampening his scales. The clouds were getting closer and closer, and finally, they broke out with a puffing sound.

  “Incredible….”

  There were no other words that could describe the scene in front of them. The parted clouds were like a shore that connected with a sparkling ocean. Each and every star was reflected in the calm waters in front of them.

  This illogical yet majestic ocean was their target– the third zone of Pisces archipelago.

  One by one the ships also surfaced above the layers of clouds. Everyone was awed by the spectacle in front of them.

  “Hoist the anchors,” Zyrus curved his lips at the dumbfounded players. The ones who came here for the first time had the same reaction.

  Even the calmest of them were shuddering when the anchors tore apart the cloud below them. Thankfully, their ships remained floating just like before.

  “Onward.”

  *Flutter*

  Hundreds of black sails caught the night wind and rode the clouds. It didn’t take long before the excitement and adventurous spirit overcame the emotions of fear.

  [Congratulations! You are the first players who have reached the Third zone of Pisces archipelago]

  [Your feat will be recorded in the annals of history]

  While Zyrus reached his destination, he was unaware of the undercurrents he had set off.

  …

  At the abyssal zone of the ocean, a place far away from Kyros.

  A mountain rose from the seafloor and moved towards the surface. Boulders and seaweed scattered about as it collided with everything in its path.

  *Huuuaaaaaa*

  At last, it arose from the trenches after hibernating for countless millennia.

  ‘It’ was no longer a mountain.

  What rose from the ocean was a creature larger than two kilometers.

  …