Martial Online.

Second Volume - Black Heart Pirates

...

[Welcome to the harbor town, Seafare]

A large sign welcomed every traveler to the bustling town of Seafare, which was one of the nearest harbors to the infamous Dark Waters.

However, the town was relatively safe and was famous for its delicious seafood and shipbuilding industry.

The architecture was quite quaint, with seaside cottages and waterfront restaurants, each connected with streets made of wooden planks that had small holes showing the ocean waves crashing below.

It was almost as if the town was situated on top of the water, which wasn't far from the truth.

The harbor was a central hub for sailboats and large vessels that were moored to the docks, bobbing peacefully.

The seafood vendors were bustling with activity, serving up fresh catches of the day to eager customers, and near the waterfront restaurants, there were tables filled with people enjoying their meals while taking in the picturesque view of the harbor.

Near the entrance to the harbor town, a man wearing a small hat trotted down the wooden street, whistling a cheerful tune.

'This is strange.' He looked down at the ground and tapped his boot against the wooden planks, feeling like he was standing on top of a large boat.

Then he whiffed the air and closed his eyes peacefully.

The scent of salt water and freshly cooked fish filled his senses, transporting him to a serene coastal paradise.

"This is truly a paradise." Ambrose thought out loud, tipped his hat to nearby seagulls that were porched on the wooden pier, and then continued moving onward.

After a moment of experiencing the unknown culture of the coastal paradise, Ambrose found himself on the doorstep of a clothing store.

He gazed down at his ragged, old clothes that he hadn't changed for a few weeks now and then saw other, more breezy outfits of nearby townfolk.

'I don't have too much silver, but I should buy clothes suitable for the sea voyage.'

Ambrose whistled in a cheerful tone and then entered the clothing store.

After a momentary conversation with the shopkeeper, Ambrose began browsing the racks and displays.

In just five minutes, he had already picked up his new outfit and purchased it all.

He went to the changing room to change his clothing, and once he was done, he walked out and checked himself in the full-body mirror.

He wore a black suede coat, adorned with buttons, patches, and embroidery, and then a richly colored, buttoned ornate vest with a few intricate patterns.

Below all that was a billowy, off-white, long-sleeved shirt with lace cuffs and a ruffled collar.

His trousers were black, made of canvas, and slightly loose, definitely suitable for upcoming swashbuckling adventures.

He changed his old, worn-out boots to brown leather ones with laced-up fronts.

And lastly, he purchased a new wide belt to hold his trusty sword near him at all times.

When he looked at himself in the mirror, he thought he looked like a proper adventurer.

Ambrose nodded pleasantly and then left the store, looking like a new man.

It didn't even cost as much as he thought it would.

'Let's go check out the delicious food I smelled.' Ambrose thought and then followed the scent to a nearby waterfront restaurant that only had a few tables to accommodate customers.

It was quite a small restaurant, but it was open-sided, allowing the customers to perfectly sit beside the water and enjoy the breeze.

Most of the customers found their own place near the water to enjoy their meal.

Ambrose went to the restaurant, ordered a delicious seafood platter, and sat at a table overlooking the calm, glistening water.

He saw many sailboats and some enormous vessels with tall masts passing by in the distance, some docking in the harbor and others leaving towards the Dark Waters.

'Is that the Dark Waters?' He wondered as he looked far into the distance, where the horizon met with a fog-covered sea.

His curiosity grew as he wanted to know what mysterious secrets lay beyond the veil of the Dark Waters.

It took him five days to reach this town from Hightown, and during the painful voyage, he watched many streams of Dark Water adventures.

It only increased his excitement as many players encountered many dangerous creatures; some were simply creating their own villages on some of the abandoned islands, and some players were doing some pirating.

There were rarely any dull moments while he watched.

However, each stream chat managed to mention the existence of the Wild Hunt, which was still an infamous tale and a source of constant speculation among players.

As the scent of food got thicker, signaling that the food was soon ready, Ambrose opened his interface and glanced at one specific screen.

[Upgrading "Suicide Swordsman" Class]

[95%…]

'It's been upgrading for five days already. It sure takes long, but in a few hours, it should be done.'

"Here, sir." A voice then sounded as waiter brought a plate filled with exotic seafood and then left back to the kitchen, where the scent of spices and sizzling pans filled the air.

With a fork in hand, Ambrose began savoring the delicious dish, each bite filled with joy and satisfaction.

'Damn, it's good.' He felt like tearing up, as this was easily one of the greatest dishes he ever had.

Without realizing it, he had already emptied his plate, filling him with displeasure.

He debated whether he should go purchase another plate, even though it was quite expensive.

However, he then saw the sight of the sun slowly setting, realizing that he was out of time.

He still wanted to embark on his sea voyage.

Ambrose wiped his lips and then left the restaurant, walking down the busy harbor, feeling a mix of excitement and trepidation.

'Should I rent a sailboat for myself? But that is quite annoying. Whenever I log off, I will never know where I am when I log back in.

'The sailboat might even get swept by a storm, so being with a crew that knows where they are headed, I can log off more often.'

Thump—then, a man with an open-front vest and strawhat dropped a barrel filled with fish next to the seafood vendor, who argued for the prize.

However, eventually, the man managed to convince the vendor and get his money.

As he stuffed his silver pouch into his pocket, he encountered a black-haired young man standing in his way.

"Kid, get out of the way!" The man shouted.

"Are you going back to Dark Waters?" Ambrose asked.

"Yeah, why asking?" The man asked grumpily and pushed past Ambrose, but as his shoulder collided with his, he felt strange pain.

'Ngh, the hell?' The man held his shoulder and winced in pain, wondering whether he had injured it beforehand, unknowingly.

"Can you take me with you?" Ambrose asked, his gaze following the man.

"We don't have time for leeches; Dark Waters is a dangerous place!" The man shouted and approached one of the larger vessels with three masts and some fishing equipment on board.

It was clearly a fishing vessel, but it was also equipped with some cannons and other defensive mechanisms.

Since Dark Waters was dangerous, they couldn't go there completely undefended.

"I can take care of myself, and I can give you this." Ambrose pulled out a heavy-looking pouch, at least twice as heavy as what the vendor gave the man.

Seeing the silver-filled pouch, the man's eyes shone, and eventually he sighed and nodded.

"Fine, but stay out of our way!"

"All right." Ambrose smiled.