Bayam's docks were always bustling. The salty sea breeze carried the smell of fish, mixing with the shouts of Sailors, the cries of vendors, and the whistles of steamships.
Luo En carried a bag of fish and chips, and Lachi poked her head out of his satchel, staring eagerly at the food.
"Didn't I just feed you fresh fish?" Luo En rubbed the Orange Cat's head.
"Fried fish isn't good for cats." Despite saying that, Luo En still handed Lachi a golden-brown piece of fried fish.
Ticket Hall...
After queuing for nearly an hour, Luo En finally reached the ticket window.
The ticket seller behind the window didn't even look up: "Where to?"
Not as enthusiastic as the staff in Backlund...
"Backlund, I want the fastest one," Luo En stated expressionlessly.
He had divined earlier that the risk of returning to Backlund was the lowest. The previous commotion should have died down. Secret organizations that could act wantonly in the colonies would have to quiet down in Backlund.
Moreover, whether it was for patent applications or building factories, Backlund was more suitable than the colonies.
What's more, he still had shares in several arms factories, and those factories were also around Backlund.
"Third class 6 pounds, second class 15 pounds, first class 40 pounds."
This was more expensive than a ticket to Backlund... The colonies are really heartless.
"Second class." After hesitating for two seconds, Luo En gave up on the idea of splurging and chose a second-class ticket again.
He counted out 15 pounds in banknotes and handed them to the seller.
After getting the ticket, he turned and left the ticket hall. As soon as he stepped out the Door...
"Bang!"
A figure hurriedly bumped into his shoulder. The person wore a wide-brimmed hat pulled low, revealing only a pale chin. He didn't apologize, didn't even pause, just squeezed into the crowd and disappeared in a flash.
Tsk... Luo En's brows furrowed slightly.
He instinctively touched his pocket; his wallet, ticket, and some change were all there, not stolen.
His suitcase also showed no signs of being opened.
Everything seemed normal, but his spiritual intuition trembled slightly, like a plucked string.
"Could it be a Beyonder from the same Pathway...?" Luo En looked in the direction where the person disappeared, lost in thought.
"Meow." Lachi's meow from the satchel interrupted his thoughts.
"Forget it, why think about these things? Less trouble is better than more." Luo En shook his head and walked towards the port where the ships were docked.
...
The hotel where Luo En had previously stayed.
Pea vines hung down from the sky, reaching towards the room Luo En had previously occupied.
A certain chestnut-haired lady slid down the vines into his room.
"This is it..."
"No one?" She glanced at the empty room, a little confused.
"Strange..."
"Did he know I was coming, so he ran away?"
...
"Nice view." Luo En stood on the deck, gazing into the distance.
Compared to the dusty cities within Loen, the sea gave Luo En a different kind of refreshing feeling.
"First time on a ship?"
A slightly accented voice came from beside him. Luo En turned and saw a dark-skinned, deeply featured native man smiling at him.
He was wearing a coarse linen shirt, common among Sailors, and a peculiar necklace woven from shells and bone fragments hung around his neck.
"I suppose so." Luo En nodded politely.
Perhaps not sensing the colonialist's Pride in Luo En, the two started chatting.
"A Loenese?"
"Mm."
"You look at the sea in a very special way," the man leaned against the railing, his gaze cast into the distance, "Most Loenese only stare at the deck, or complain about the rough waves."
"Oh, by the way, my name is Ka Lu." The man extended his hand.
"Brando." Luo En gave a simple handshake.
...
After a brief chat about the sea, Ka Lu suddenly lowered his voice: "Are you a follower of the storm lord?"
"No." Luo En shook his head slightly.
"I didn't think so either."
"Followers of the storm lord have a certain..." Ka Lu made a tense gesture, "...aura, like they're ready to fight at any moment. You don't have that."
"Haha ~ Indeed."
Luo En laughed at that; the description was quite accurate.
Luo En then fabricated a persona of a new adventurer for himself. Upon learning this, Ka Lu suddenly changed the subject: "The sea is full of opportunities, but also full of dangers. Have you ever seen waves tens of meters high? I have, and I almost died then."
Why suddenly talk about this? Luo En was a little confused.
Noticing Luo En's confusion, Ka Lu said: "Whenever we encounter such dangers, we need a deity, a deity who holds the authority over the sea and storms."
Ka Lu looked left and right, and after confirming no one was paying attention, he pulled out an exquisite small wooden carving from his In arms.
"Let me introduce you to our god, the savior of the archipelago, the favored one of the sea, the Sea God — Kavituwa."
Luo En looked closely and saw that it seemed to be a sea snake.
Coming to promote local beliefs to me... Luo En's mouth twitched.
Also, this Sea God seems to have no gravitas at all; just hearing the name makes him sound less powerful than the storm lord.
...
Considering the pleasant atmosphere of their earlier conversation, Luo En didn't directly refuse but instead laughed it off and evaded the topic. He also refused Ka Lu's statue.
He didn't want to attract any more messy gods.
"Fanatics are such a nuisance..."
After parting ways with Ka Lu, Luo En sighed.
"Only fools would believe in some Sea God."
Just then, a teasing voice suddenly came from behind him.
Luo En spun around, seeing a tall man leaning against the ship's rail. He had golden hair and blue eyes, and a dangerous glint in his gaze.
Seeing Luo En look over, the man raised an eyebrow: "You didn't accept his statue, so you don't seem too foolish."
Tsk... This person's words are really unpleasant.
"Who are you?" Luo En's expression was normal, but his hand had already reached into his In arms, gripping the hilt of "Phantom."
"You're an adventurer and you don't know me?"
"Are you famous?" Luo En retorted.
"Tsk." This seemed to stump the man; he paused for two seconds, then said in a flat tone:
"My name is Anderson, and like you, I'm also an adventurer."
"Known for eavesdropping on others' conversations?"
"..."
...
What kind of people are on the sea...? Luo En sighed as he returned to his room.
"That person must be a Beyonder."
"He gives me a similar feeling to Danitz. It's just that he's much smarter than Danitz, and his strength is probably greater than Danitz's too."
"An adventurer, huh...?" Luo En sighed softly.
"I hope this journey goes smoothly."
Evening.
Thick fog rose from the sea, and the passenger ship was surrounded by a white, misty expanse. The damp, cold fog enveloped them in a deathly silence.
"What's wrong...?"
A flurry of footsteps woke Luo En from his sleep.
"What happened?" He stepped out of his room and stopped a panicked fleeing passenger.
"Quick, hide! There are... there are pirates!"