LIGHTNOVELWORLD Chapter 53: Chapter 53
Keno looked down at his chest, pierced through by Ethan's longsword, then back at Ethan, who stood behind a translucent white shield, his right hand gripping the blade. Keno's lips twitched, as if trying to say something, but the severe burns he suffered in the earlier explosion left him unable to make a sound.
Ethan didn't give him the chance to speak. Almost at the exact moment he coldly said, "Go to hell," he pulled the longsword out of Keno's chest.
The burns had already left Keno's body broken, but Ethan's final strike was the last nail in the coffin. As the sword withdrew, so too did the last remnants of Keno's life. His eyes went dull, the light of life fading completely.
With a heavy thud, his unsupported body collapsed to the ground. At that same moment, Arthur and Brent, who had been locked in combat nearby, both stopped and turned their attention to the lifeless body.
There was no need for their fight to continue. Keno's death had settled everything. For the first time, Brent felt his reputation fail him in the Sea of Calm.
"Ugh..."
Brent let out a low sigh. He had wanted to prevent any casualties. After years of wandering and learning more about the world's hidden dangers, he had come to believe that every capable adventurer in the Sea of Calm was invaluable.
Returning to the Sea of Calm this time, his goal hadn't just been to recruit new talents for his crew, but also to help promising adventurers grow stronger. Keno's character had its flaws, but his years of surviving in the Sea of Calm and his near-readiness to challenge the Sea of Storms spoke to his undeniable skills and potential.
"What a pity…" Brent muttered.
Although adventurers constantly arrived to replenish the ranks of the Sea of Calm, those capable of crossing the Sea of Storms were rare, even among the exceptional. The loss of an adventurer of Keno's level felt like a waste.
"No, there's nothing to pity," Ethan countered firmly. "People like Keno do nothing but bring harm. Their existence only leads to more tragedies."
Brent met Ethan's gaze, his tone calm but resolute. "You're still young. You can't imagine how difficult this world truly is. If you want to reach the end, you'll need to unite all the forces you can."
This wasn't the first time Brent had spoken about the state of the world. From his words, it was clear that while the new sea areas were rich in resources, they were also far more dangerous. To survive and thrive, one would need to rely on others.
"So you're saying all capable adventurers should band together to face those challenges?" Ethan asked, cutting straight to the heart of Brent's argument.
"Isn't that obvious?" Brent replied.
Ethan was quicker to catch the underlying meaning of Brent's words than he had expected, surprising him. The sharpness of the young man's mind only made him more curious about Ethan.
"Individual strength has its limits," Brent continued. "Only by uniting everyone can we stand a chance against an increasingly dangerous world."
"Increasingly dangerous?" Ethan picked up on the critical detail. "So crossing the Sea of Storms and reaching the new sea areas… that's only the beginning?"
Brent's statement about the limits of personal strength didn't seem to faze Ethan. He didn't even take it seriously. The gap in knowledge between the two was too vast to bridge.
While Brent believed human strength had an upper limit, Ethan held a completely different perspective. He believed there was no ceiling to personal power, as long as one found the right path forward. In Ethan's case, when he fully mastered the path of a mage, he envisioned himself crossing the Sea of Storms alone, without needing anyone or anything else.
Even without the difference in their understanding of the world, Ethan still wouldn't agree with Brent's philosophy.
"So, what you're saying is that no matter how vicious or untrustworthy someone is, they should still be included in the group? You've never considered how adding people like that could destroy a once-strong team?"
"No," Brent said, unshaken. "I believe that when faced with great danger, everyone will unite."
It was a fundamental clash of ideals, one neither could convince the other of until such a situation truly arose.
"Then I can only wish you the best."
Ethan wiped the blood off his longsword before sliding it back into its scabbard. For a moment, he had considered killing all of Keno's remaining subordinates, but he knew Brent would never allow that to happen here.
He decided it wasn't worth clashing with Brent over a group of underlings. Still, they needed a warning.
"This is your last chance," Ethan said coldly, his gaze sweeping over Keno's men. "Take it seriously. If I see you out at sea again, still robbing and committing crimes, there will be no one to protect you next time."
Brent, who had already stepped back, gave Ethan a slight nod, a silent agreement to ensure no further violence erupted. Then, with Arthur in tow, he turned and left the scene.
Arthur let out a small sigh of relief when he saw Ethan sheath his weapon. Though he had come to understand Ethan's perspective, even agreeing with parts of it, Arthur wasn't someone who believed in senseless slaughter. Now that Keno, the ringleader, was gone, he didn't see the need to kill everyone else. He hoped they would take this opportunity to turn their lives around.
As the two young men walked away under the crowd's watchful eyes, Brent stared after them and sighed, shaking his head.
"Bury Keno's body properly," he ordered some of the onlookers.
Then, his gaze shifted to Keno's subordinates.
"As for you," he said, his tone steady but firm, "you have two choices. You can join my crew and leave your old ways behind. Or, you can go your own way. But if you stay with me, there will be no more of the things you used to do."
Brent's offer was clear: reform under his guidance or leave to face the consequences of their choices.
He was curious to see what these men would decide. Would they take the chance to change, or would they cling to their old ways? Unfortunately, their hesitation disappointed him. It was easy for Brent to see what was holding them back.
Following him meant safety and a stable future, but it also meant giving up the freedom and recklessness of their former lives. On the other hand, striking out on their own allowed them to maintain that freedom, but without Keno's leadership or strength to rely on, survival would be far more uncertain.
And then there was Ethan's warning. Brent wouldn't be staying in the Sea of Calm forever, and once he was gone, who else would protect them if they crossed paths with someone like Ethan?
After much internal struggle, most of the men chose to leave. Their reasoning seemed sound enough—Ethan's strength clearly surpassed the level of the Sea of Calm, and it was only a matter of time before he crossed the Storm Sea. With that in mind, they figured they wouldn't run into him again anytime soon.
But if they knew what Ethan was thinking at that moment, they might have panicked.
"Besides killing Keno today, we've also gained some valuable intel," Ethan said as he and Arthur returned to their resting place to plan their next steps.
"Let's hear it," Arthur replied.
Ethan briefly explained his thoughts and speculations. Arthur, considering what Brent had said earlier, found himself agreeing with Ethan's conclusions.
"So," Arthur said thoughtfully, "even though the new sea areas are larger and richer, there's no reason for us to rush into leaving the Sea of Calm."
Ethan nodded. "The Sea of Calm might not have much, but it's the perfect place to build a foundation. Rushing into the Sea of Storms without proper preparation could be a fatal mistake."
After all, no one attempted the crossing lightly. Most adventurers only ventured into the Sea of Storms after amassing enough wealth and resources in the Sea of Calm to survive the challenges ahead. That way, even if their strength was lacking at first, they'd have enough reserves to get through the hardest period.
Ethan and Arthur didn't have that luxury. Their only assets were the Goddess of Dawn, a Caravel ship that had recently been overhauled and upgraded, and the ore they had stored with the guild, which would soon be converted into supplies.
They weren't short on weapons, but the lack of magic stone equipment, a critical resource in this world was a glaring weakness. The only magic stone-based items they had were the everyday appliances Ethan had installed on the ship during its refit, like kitchen tools and lighting.
"When I discussed the refit at the shipyard, there were a lot of upgrades I wasn't sure about at the time," Ethan said. "Looking back now, it's clear those additions were necessary."
Arthur wasn't very knowledgeable about ship mechanics or structures, so he had left most of those decisions to Ethan. His focus was on something else entirely.
"Actually," Arthur said, "I think Brent had a point, at least to some extent. Even if your strength reaches Merlin's level someday, the easiest way to increase our team's combat power is by recruiting more companions."
He gestured at Ethan, then at the pile of backpacks and gear cluttering the room. "Otherwise, just hauling all of this would keep the two of us busy for weeks."
Ethan couldn't argue with that. He knew it was true.
"Finding good companions isn't as easy as it sounds," Ethan said with a helpless shrug. "You know our situation. People like you, who have both skill and character, are rare. Even Merlin had to pay a hefty price to earn trust. I can't just bring anyone aboard."
It wasn't that Ethan didn't want more people on his crew. Sailing was lonely and exhausting, and a proper crew was essential for managing a ship.
In his past life, Ethan had often fantasized about traveling across worlds, building a crew of fascinating and skilled people, and sharing exciting adventures with them.
But reality was much harsher than his dreams.
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