As night approached, William and the girls found themselves increasingly busy, except for someone, Rei, who remained thoroughly intoxicated, clinging to William like a magnet. Slightly annoying, perhaps, but he didn't mind it too much.
Watching her hold onto him like this, William's thoughts wandered to his next plans involving her, and he quietly hoped this newfound 'closeness' wasn't merely the fleeting effect of 'drinker'. But even if it is just fleeting, William feels that as long as the 'closeness' is still there he can use it in his plan.
He then glanced across the deck where Kei and the Lamb girls moved purposefully, making quick work of the final preparations. Kei, ever meticulous, checked the ship's magical nodes carefully, ensuring everything was functioning correctly before thoroughly inspecting their inventory against the list William had provided earlier. She was determined to miss nothing essential.
Meanwhile, the Lamb girls busied themselves cleaning and inspecting the ship. Occasionally, they paused to ask William or Kei if items left behind by the cultists were usable or needed disposal. Once finished, they diligently scrubbed away seawater stains and leftover traces of the cultists, their faces earnest with concentration.
William had plenty to do himself. First, he needed to secure his smaller ship to their newly acquired larger vessel, now named: "Liberator."
[Ship: Liberator]
Type: Extraordinary War Vessel
Level: 5 Uncommon War Ship
Durability: 4500 / 4500
Size: Mid-Tier Large
Speed: Moderate (Wind-Assisted)
Traits: Reinforced hull, Spirit-boosting sails, Built-in armory and sleeping quarters, Minor sea-stabilizing enchantment, War Flame;
Added Modules:
> Fishing Rack(Rare): Able to produce fishing equipment as long as the materials added to the rack, Maximum quality won't exceed the rack quality.
> Water refiner(Rare): Able to refine high quality freshwater.
> Forging Room(Rare, 10% Complete): Forging Room For The Forger.
> Witch Laboratory(Rare, 3% Complete): Perfect Laboratory For Witches.
After securing his first and smaller ship, William inspected [Liberator] thoroughly for damage, methodically repairing what he found. During this process, he also modified the ship's internal room and integrated several modules purchased from the System Shop, finally allowing meaningful progress in his long-neglected classes.
Class: Captain(29% > 30%) / Spirit Forger(7% > 13%) / Deep Hunter(0% > 7%)
Fiddling with the ship also slightly boosted his Captain class. And while he knew there was still much left to do, time was limited, and he had to settle for completing essential repairs and modification then installing two simpler modules, a notable achievement for the first significant use of his Spirit Forger class with his limited tools at hand.
Satisfied with the preparations, William gently guided Rei into a more comfortable position at his side and opened his system interface. With practiced ease, he navigated through the menus until bright blue letters filled his vision:
[Status]
Name: William Deathwill (Unique Identity)
Race: Mythical Creature / Seraphim
Mythical Title: Seraph Of End;
Rank: Extraordinary Level 1
Perfect Dominion: Winged One;
Weird Mutation: Left Eye - Eye of Beast of Spirituality;
Ship: Ordinary Fishing Boat, War Vessel 'Liberator';
Pet: Open Inventory
Personal Skill: Mysterious Knowledge, Perfect Self(New), Extraordinary Senses, Hunter, I'Am Here.
…
It had been four days since William arrived in this world. And each time he opened his status screen, it had changed, sometimes in small ways, other times dramatically. But every shift was a sign of one thing: he was adapting. More and more, his presence was anchoring itself in this sea of madness.
The most recent change had come after last night's battle, a new skill, unnamed at first, accompanied by one of the System's usual cryptic notes. William took the liberty of naming it himself: Perfect Self. A fitting name, he thought, considering everything he had become.
> Skill: Perfect Self
Description:
One Of All, One Of Self. Which One Is 'You'? Which 'You' Is Yours?
Become One… Oh Broken 'Self';
Effect:
One Self: Every Fractured Version Of 'You' Is Unified. Strengthening Your Identity And Deepens The Cognition Of 'I'.
Overlord Of Self: With Unity Comes Control. Your body belongs solely to you. External Influences Are Weakened, Resisted, And Purified, Then When Empowered By [End] Will Eventually Be Destroyed And Gaining Control Over It.
Even with the vague poetic language, the effects were clear: William had become a self-contained forge of power, resistant to external influence, able to absorb foreign power and refine them as his own. In essence, he had become a perfect vessel for himself.
Thanks to this skill, the chaotic mutation once known as 'Winged One' had fully fallen under his command. Now, it wasn't just something he carried, it was something he defined, reshaped, and wielded at his command. Because now…
He didn't just possess the mutation.
He became its source.
Because the Origin of Winged one mutation is coming from 'Wings of The Lord', and Seraph forcefully inherited it from a fallen Myth whose name William no longer cared to speak. He became the new owner of it, but before, there was still danger of lingering will's of the old Myth, making him unable to change back to his normal body.
Now, with the help of this skill, William was free from that remnant thought of that old Myth.
He even achieved a Perfect Dominion over it.
Because of that and from now on, all 'Winged Ones' would be shadows of his form, a faint echoes born from Seraph, the new origin. That was why he could suppress the mutation, fold the wings away into his body, and walk the world in a human guise. Something no other bearer of the mutation could do, no matter how skilled their control.
Because now, with the source of the mutation in his grasp and the identity to hold it in place, William had become the new master of the Winged Ones.
He shook his head lightly, ending his self-congratulation there. Enough self-talk, enough praise, there were things to do tonight.
Today's true purpose was clear: performing a ritual to transform the Lamb girls into true followers. With this ritual, the connection between them would deepen far beyond a simple mark of faith, turning into pillars that could stabilize his existence within this sea filled madness.
Of course, the girls would gain something from it too. Through the ritual, they would inherit his Winged Mutation, drawing infinitely closer to him. This would significantly accelerate their progression along their class path, [Devoted Lamb]. And if their devotion proved strong enough, they would eventually unlock a unique Myth-bound class, one specifically centered around William himself.
This ritual would also cleanse their innate classes, such as [Villager] or [Commoner], freeing a valuable class slot and purifying both their bodies and their faith.
Although the ritual was not inherently dangerous, even offering blessings and power, it came with a significant risk: their very existence would become permanently bound to him, a Mythical being whose mere thoughts could make them mad.
In the Mystic Sea, individuals who underwent such rituals were called Tainted or Faithful, depending on the extent of their zealotry. Most appeared normal, indistinguishable from ordinary humans.
But once their faith was challenged or their zeal awakened, they became indistinguishable from madmen of fanatical beings who walked paths of obsession and worship. This was how classes like [Cultist] emerged, and why most sensible people avoided such followers at all costs.
William pushed aside these thoughts for now.
As the sky steadily darkened and the sun dipped toward the horizon, he opened his shop interface again, perhaps for the twentieth time today. The sight of over thirty thousand SP still sitting comfortably in his account brought a satisfied smile to his face. The number continued climbing steadily, fueled by the ongoing popularity of his forum thread.
Anyway, from the shop, he bought the materials to make the ritual circle: Blessed Bone Powder, Purified Blood Of Extraordinary Creature, Several Purified Crystal Core and other things he needed, each material gently dropping into his inventory as he confirmed the purchases.
With the materials preparations complete, William moved to approach the main deck, where Kei and the Lamb girls were already waiting, their faces showing anticipation.
"Will…?" a soft, pitiful voice murmured suddenly from his side. Rei, still intoxicated from his blood, sounded fragile, vulnerable like a kitten afraid of abandonment. Feeling his subtle movements, Rei instinctively tightened her grip around his leg, unwilling to let go of the warmth she already claimed as hers.
"Relax," William whispered gently. He adjusted his posture and gently lifted her from the deck, shifting her into his arms. Rei settled comfortably, clinging tightly to his chest in a princess carry, her breathing soft and even again.
"Let's begin the preparation," William said firmly, nodding toward Kei and the Lambs, who quietly awaited his instructions.
Next he begins taking out the materials from his inventory, then giving Kei the time light to create it. Kei nodded with satisfaction when she saw the quality of the material he bought, and without waiting, she then started to mix the materials with her own tools, before taking out a magical brush from her own inventory.
Seeing that Kei already busied herself with the circle, William didn't disturb her and while he also has knowledge about the ritual and the like, thanks to several books he bought this afternoon. William still thought it was better to let someone more familiar do it, this will weed out errors brought from unfamiliarities.
Not to mention the Class [Path Of Knowledge] and [Shaman] from before will also help Kei in this ritual making sequence.
Later, William gave the Lambs several Light Stones from the shop and tells them to place it across the ship. Giving them the lighting needed for night voyage.
Afterward, William strode to the aft, still cradling Rei against his chest. Her soft breath tickled his throat, still he felt the pulse of her bond humming beneath his arm, steady, and promising. As he reached the quarterdeck rail, William pressed his free palm to the engraved helm sigil, and willed the ship awake.
A muted pulse rippled through the ship's body.
"Anchor," he said slowly.
Runes along the capstan flared in amber. The iron links rattled; the anchor then broke free of the seabed and climbed, seawater sluicing from its flukes. This was the power of Captain class, able to control the ship as he willed. Of course this was still basic use, unlike someone that has opened the ultimate power of this class, they can control more of the ship parts just like their bodies, and he also heard Naval Battle is where they can truly shine even without ship crews.
On the ship, the Lambs hurried along the bulwarks, fixing light‑stones at even intervals. Silver halos blossomed across the deck, illuminating Kei as she knelt in the circle, brush sweeping bone‑mixed blood powder lines with surgeon precision.
Satisfied, William shifted his grip, tucking Rei closer so one arm was free. The wheel turned at his touch; sails unfurled with a soft hum and filled with the rising night breeze. The Liberator shivered, found the wind, and pushed forward.
Their destination? The Golden Giant.
…
Thirty minutes later, the island was already gone from their view and the silver moon started to shine overhead. System quest also started at this time, but with their speed, they can easily run from those monsters summoned by the System.
The reason why William chose to do the ritual at night is also because of this silver moon. Kei said, the probability of successful rituals are higher when the silver moon is shining. And, with him marked by [Beast of Spirituality] with the mutation, she thought it would be better doing the first rituals below the Beast Gaze.
Several minutes later, Kei finally finished carving the ritual circle on the ship deck. Then she took out several purified crystal cores he bought, placed them on several smaller carvings on the side, surrounding the two bigger circles within, before calling him.
"Will, it's done." Kei said, as she took a deep breath, letting the tension on her small arms out.
William nodded and crossed the deck, the light‑stones and the moon above casting soft silver across the fresh sigils. Kei wiped a smear of bone dust from her cheek, then stepped back to let him pass.
But before that, Kei helped William stripping her sister bare, and not after confirming there are no more clothes on her sister's body Kei nodded in satisfaction. And just like Kei thought before, the fate of the twin witch is on William's hand, what she is doing now is giving them self more value for him.
Stripping Rei naked is easy with her drunkenness, and as long as William holds her, she is content, not caring about anything.
Seeing Rei's exposed form made William swallow involuntarily, a forgotten sensation rising unbidden within him, a primal urge he hadn't felt in a very long time. The need of procreation. Seeing her bare body makes him remember this, but for now he buried the needs down, He has more important things to do.
Kei quietly watched from the side, eyes tracing William's every subtle reaction. As a witch, she understood the natural desires of beings, Mythical or otherwise, and noticing his intent gaze linger upon Rei's bare skin filled her mind with fleeting, unbidden thoughts she quickly tried to suppress. And when his gaze turned toward her, her face became a little bit red, like she was caught in act.
Anyways after she coughed two times, William gaze then back to normal and at this time, the Lambs also done setting the lighting on the ship.
Seeing Witch Kei and their God hold and then stripping down Rei didn't make them question him, but as usual, they were just stayed silent in His presence. They are Lambs, the [Devoted Lambs], their life is nothing more but a plaything to their God. The class say such, and their mind too, already warped to praise his every being and decision.
They felt happy when they were with him, felt themselves fulfilled in a way words cannot describe. As long as they were with him, it was enough for them. That was why they always wanted to become closer with Seraph, or what their God called himself William in his human form, to feel his flesh and warmth, that was, by extension… his existence.
Tonight, their God was preparing a small ritual. But for the Lambs, this ritual's importance is just below that of their faith. As this ritual will make them closer to their God!
Heard that? How wonderful do you think the feeling will be?! Ah… just hearing their Lord saying that line makes them fall into cloud nine, Oh heaven. Their Lord truly knows how to fulfil their unthinkable wishes.
Regarding who is gonna be the first and the last in this ritual, the Lambs didn't care. As long as they can undergo the ritual their sense of purpose will be filled.
Hearing their Lord's instruction to prepare, the Lambs exchanged brief, eager glances. Without a word, their hands moved simultaneously, removing their clothing swiftly yet gracefully. Moments later, they stood quietly, their youthful bodies bared openly, their expressions filled not with embarrassment but serene devotion.
Rei and William, seeing how fast his Lambs were getting naked, was stunned. Fast is one thing, but the readiness and zealotry on their face make them feel that this sea is truly filled with the crazed ones. Of course William didn't think this was bad, but than it, he felt this was the true Devote.
'I should truly reward them later on.'
Shaking his head, William then focused on Rei again. She was already, let's just say digging into his body. Maybe leaving her bare in the early night makes her feel cold and the only warmth source she needs is of course William.
He needs to slowly take out her hand with the help of Kei, before he can move her body into the innermost ring. And when Rei's body touched the planks, the symbols flared faintly. After confirming there are no faulty lines in the circle, William then moved to the other smaller ring and sat down.
This smaller ring is for him, or in his eyes, this ring represents the giver, or more exactly the place for the subject/object that will give 'something' to the bigger ring. Of course this 'Something' in this context is very broad in many senses. It can be anything or everything, depending on the ritual creator's intent.
For this, William trusted Kei will not come to harm her sister, of course he still checked with his eyes and there is nothing wrong with the circle itself. As for the reason why Rei is the first one receiving this ritual, it was because she drank too much blood from him. Making William have a hard time distinguishing which one is closer to him, The Lambs or Rei.
Because of this, he made a small talk with Kei, then they two reached consensus. Rei will be the first one to undergo the ritual. Not only because The [Silver Beast] is The [Original Witch] companion, but also a way for the twins to tighten their bond with him. So Kei said, "Rei will be the first sacrifice for you, and I will follow after our bonds start germinating."
Why is it? If you ask.
The answer is compatibility. Without bond or the feeling of [Closeness], basking in this ritual will make the subject mad, and have a high chance of being corrupted. That is why the subject needs to have faith or at least a small connection with him to have a chance of success. As long as those two conditions are fulfilled, the ritual is risk free.
But right now, Kei's connection with William is nil, only her sister has it, but it is also because of her class, so Kei is unable to replicate the process.
As William sat down, Rei in front of him, even in her half‑sleep mode, reached for his sleeve, murmuring his name.
"I'm here," he reassured, brushing a thumb along her jaw. Then he straightened and drew the ritual knife.
A shallow cut across his palm sent dark beads pattering onto his circle. The lines drank the blood at once; Then crystal cores around the perimeter brightened from dull quartz to moonlit ice. A hush fell over the deck, and the wind stilled, as the timbers held their breath. The ritual has started.
From above, Seraph felt the silver moon shine intensify, as if The [Silver Beast] focusing his attention to this small ritual.
Surrounding Seraph, The Lambs knelt down, their face full of zeal, their mind is praising him non stop.
Eventually, The System recognized the ritual, and The Beast too, watching him.
[Ritual Detected]
[Judgement In Process…]
[Confirmed Small Bonding Rituals]
[Checking…]
[Patron: A Young Mythical Being]
[Beneficiary: First Level Extraordinary Witch]
[Compatibility: High]
[The Beast Of Spirituality Approved The Rituals]
[Processed? Y/N]
"Proceed," William whispered.
The circle ignited.
Threads of silver‑white light rose like spider‑silk, weaving into a shell around Rei. Her breath caught. Wings of luminous mist unfurled across her back, half‑formed, ephemeral, beating once before re‑absorbing into her spine. William felt the tug of shared essence, a gentle siphon that drew power from him and fed it into her core.
Rei's eyes fluttered open slowly, silver reflected clearly within them. For a brief moment, lucidity replaced her drunken haze. Her gaze found William's, then drifted to the silver moon above.
"Will… Seraph… Beast of Silver…" She whispered softly, each word tinged with awe, recognition, and something deeper, reverence.
A rush of light poured from the crystals to the center. The deck sigils pulsed, steady, deliberate, branding an invisible crest just above Rei's heart. William sensed it locked in place, a subtle echo answering in his own chest.
Then the light collapsed inward. The circle dimmed; the crystals browned to spent stone. Only the wing‑shaped glow beneath Rei's skin lingered, slowly fading.
Rei then exhaled, a long, soft breath, and slowly drifted into natural sleep.
William flexed his freshly healed palm. The cut had sealed the instant the ritual ended, leaving a faint silver scar that vanished as he watched. Perfect Self working as intended.
The Ritual is also, A Success!
There is no feeling of rejection from Rei, her vital sight is also stable, not to mention, William Right now can feel Rei more clearly. It's hard to describe, it just not 'feel' in the sense of seeing her or touching her body, but more depth. As if perceiving the essence of her every being. And with it, he feels he can also choose to sever the connection if he wanted, because [William] or in this case [Seraph], have the higher standing in this bond.
Of course he won't do that. It would destroy the purpose of the ritual itself. Aside from that, [Beast Of Silver] even recognizes the ritual himself, and obviously William as a new Myth doesn't dare to displease this Great Myth at all.
After confirming there is nothing wrong with the ritual, Kei and The Lambs took out Rei from the inner rings, then covered her body with a blanket. Afterwards Kei checked the crystal core energy, feeling it still has more than enough energy for another ritual, She nodded to William.
William's gaze finally landed on the Lamb girls, and with a nod of his head, the smaller one slowly moved into the circle where Rei lay before. The other two Lamb look at her expectantly.
After the youngest is ready, William then re-initiates the ritual.
Another success. The youngest then fell asleep and Kei then changed the crystal core to the new one. Afterward, the two Lamb came in one by one.
All in all, the ritual is a great success, no failed ritual, but everyone has fallen asleep. Only Kei did not undergo it because of low compatibility, still awake. And it seems, The [Beast of Silver] is only interested in witches, as when the Lambs undergo the rituals, there is no more notice from The Beast.
Regarding this, William doesn't have much though, because what though a young Myth like him can give to a Great Myth like [Silver Beast]? Nothing of course.
When it's done, the ritual circle fades a little bit. Kei said it needs to be re-painted again to be used. But for now, there are no more people that need to use it, so they ignore it.
Next, they two took liberty to take the sleeping girls to the bed inside the ship. After confirming they were good, the two then went back to the ship deck.
Seeing Kei back from behind, William felt that she was a little bit lonely. So, he scooped her from behind and made her sit on his lap.
Just like before, she yelped before glaring at him. Seeing that, William just smiled and held her. The night is lonely, and every companionship should be valued. Kei already helped him, in a small way or just by existing. She made William feel that this world is not as dark as she describes. Not that unforgiving nor evil.
And so, he wanted Kei to not feel alone in this world, even if they didn't have that spiritual bond, at least they can feel each other's warmth. And in this cold night, as William and Kei look at the night sky in each other embrace, some stir can be felt from the depth of Myth.
Feeling something, William closed his eyes for a second, then said.
"I accept." With that, William Mystic siphoned slightly and went away to an unknown place.
Kei threw a question face at him, but he just shook his head lightly.
"Nothing, just some cultists praying to their God."
Kei gradually relaxed in his arms as the lingering silver glow of the ritual faded from the deck. Lamp-flames mingled with moonlight over the rail, turning the sea into hammered silver
"Cultists, huh?" Kei murmured, shifting slightly to meet his eyes. Her voice held a faint note of amusement, "You're becoming quite popular."
William only smiled, eyes half‑lidded in the breeze, "A minor devotion and sacrifice. I sent a spark of protection, nothing more." In truth, a strand of his Mythic essence now coiled around Zealot Mackerel's distant campfire, bathing the offering in pale wings. The zealot would wake by dawn with a faint halo and a tiny sliver of Seraph's power, and a hunger to spread the word.
Another seed has been planted.
The Liberator groaned softly, its timbers flexing as the wind freshened. Far ahead, dark clouds banked on the horizon, the silhouette of the island is not yet visible, and its unseen giant waiting beneath.
William's silver eyes narrowed, "We'll reach them before sunrise."
Kei followed his gaze, "And after we save those players?"
"Then," he said, voice steady, "we see what a newborn Myth can do to a golden nightmare."
Behind them the deck was quiet: light‑stones dimmed to a low hum; the Lambs slept below, warm in newfound bonds; Rei dreamed, wings of nascent light pulsing beneath her skin.
For a few heartbeats there was only the hush of sailcloth, the endless wash of water, and the silver moon riding high, its ancient glow mirrored in William's slit‑pupil eye.
He tightened his arm around Kei, anchoring them both to the moment.
Faith had been forged.
The voyage had begun.
And the sea, alive and watching; carried them toward the next madness.