Knight: from Apprentice to the Almighty

"The Land of Mist? How can this be..."

Staring at the scene before him, Roland gripped the oar tightly.

He recognized the shape of this coastline.

Just a few months ago, he had teamed up with Teresa and others to slay harassing Demons in this very fishing village. It was a small hamlet on the edge of the River Domain, and the task was a requirement to become an Apprentice Knight.

Back then, this place had been drenched in sunlight. The sea breeze carried the scent of salt and hearth smoke, and the legendary Land of Mist was still over ten days’ journey away.

But now, the village was deathly still, with no signs of life. Where the coastal waters had once been open, jagged reefs now jutted out abruptly.

They were like black fangs thrusting up from the seabed, a stark contrast to the scene in his memory.

’I have to go around!’

A chill shot through Roland’s heart. He had long heard of the Land of Mist’s fearsome reputation, so without a moment’s hesitation, he wrenched the bow of his boat around and paddled furiously, trying to find a shoreline not yet enveloped by the mist.

But as far as he could see, both to the north and south, the grayish-white curtain stretched on endlessly, merging completely with the sea and sky. There was no end in sight.

’If I follow the coastline north, I should be able to leave the River Domain and reach another country, but...’

Roland swallowed thickly, his saliva feeling viscous in his dry mouth, and gently shook his head.

The ale and jerky he had scavenged from the Pirate Ship were long gone.

He had only managed to sail the small boat this far thanks to [Hydrological Intuition], a Trait from his [Fisherman] Profession.

With its help, he could occasionally catch a few fish—just enough to stave off starvation.

But while he could manage his hunger, finding fresh water was an insurmountable problem.

Although his power had already reached the Extraordinary Realm, he still couldn’t escape the limitations of his mortal body.

Without fresh water on this boundless ocean, death was only a matter of time.

Roland had no guarantee that he would find safe land before he died of thirst.

As he was weighing his options, Tress flickered anxiously on his shoulder and spoke in a low voice.

"Mr. Roland, the Magic Elements in this thick fog... they seem much more concentrated than when I left..."

Enhanced by [Material Synesthesia], Roland’s own extended Spiritual Power could keenly perceive the dense Magic Elements within the fog.

But unlike the relatively active Magic Elements found elsewhere, the ones in the mist, despite their high concentration, were as silent as dead things. He couldn’t hear any "whispers" from them.

"I understand..."

After murmuring a reply to the Pikachu, his gaze locked onto the eerie mist that had swallowed the fishing village.

There was no going around, and no avoiding it.

Ahead lay a land of infamous peril. Behind lay the Abyss of thirst.

He licked his nearly cracked lips and took a deep breath of the cold, damp air, thick with the reek of the sea and the chill of the mist. A flicker of resolve flashed in his eyes.

His oar dipped into the water again. This time, he stopped trying to turn away and instead headed straight for the coastline shrouded in the grayish-white mist, cutting through the waves.

A few moments later, the jagged reefs were close at hand.

Seeing that his small boat couldn’t reach the shore, Roland quickly secured it to a sturdy reef with a hemp rope.

Gazing at the beach some hundred paces away, swallowed by the dense fog, he took a deep breath.

He focused his Spirit, and activated [Wave Treading].

The churning water beneath his feet instantly solidified into a fleeting but firm path. The howling sea wind became an invisible support, allowing Roland to stand steadily upon the surface of the ocean.

However, the sensation was completely different from when he had tested the Trait on the open sea.

The violent undercurrents between the reefs constantly tore at the Power beneath his feet, and each impact made his Spirit a fraction heavier.

What was more unnerving was how the dense, inert Magic Elements permeating the area felt like a viscous grease covering the sea, making each step unusually sluggish and far less smooth than when he had first tested the ability.

Roland let out a soft breath, searching for footholds among the jagged, interlocking black reefs.

Then, without the slightest hesitation, he began to move.

Sometimes using [Wave Treading] for a boost, other times leaping onto the slick tips of rocks, he weaved and vaulted between the menacing "fangs."

The cold mist and seawater battered him relentlessly, and the drag from the inert Magic Power made every step a huge drain on his energy.

Fortunately, the soft glow emanating from Tress on his shoulder greatly eased the drain on his Spiritual Power.

Even so, the journey of just a few hundred paces was exceptionally difficult.

When Roland finally leaped from the last great boulder and his feet landed solidly on the cold, algae-covered sand, the Power of [Wave Treading] instantly dissipated.

A fog even denser, colder, and more redolent of decay than the one at sea instantly swallowed him whole.

SHING!

With a soft ring, the Mithril Longsword was drawn.

Roland gripped the hilt, advancing cautiously.

The fishing village was small; only a few dozen villagers had ever lived there.

It didn’t take long for Roland to scout his surroundings.

After confirming there was no immediate danger, he and Tress went from one house to another, searching in the corners until they found a few cracked clay pots filled with fresh water.

The cool liquid slid down his throat, instantly easing the dizziness brought on by dehydration and invigorating his Spirit.

"Ah..."

He drained another pot of fresh water. With a soft gulp, Roland licked the droplets from the corners of his mouth, let out a long breath, and fixed his gaze on the remaining containers.

’I’ll have to ration this. It should last a few days, which will be enough to sail north along the coast and explore...’

At this thought, he looked up at the somewhat dazed Pikachu at his side. 𝕗𝕣𝐞𝐞𝘄𝐞𝚋𝚗𝗼𝘃𝗲𝗹.𝚌𝕠𝚖

"Tress, what are your plans?"

Over ten days adrift at sea had brought Roland and the tiny Pikachu much closer.

Tress had gradually returned to her usual cheerful self, adding a spark of life to the otherwise tedious journey.

"Me?"

"That’s right."

Roland nodded, carefully pouring the remaining fresh water into the waterskin at his waist.

"Are you planning to head deeper into the Land of Mist to return home, or are you coming with me to leave this godforsaken place?"

"I... I’ll go with you, Mr. Roland."

Tress’s voice was tinged with dejection. The butterfly-like wings on her back drooped, their fluttering growing faint.

"I can’t sense my companions anymore... Maybe they abandoned this home long ago and went somewhere else."

"In that case..."

Roland nodded. Once he was sure the last drop of water had trickled into his waterskin, he rose briskly to his feet and spoke.

"Then we should leave as soon as possible. This fog-shrouded region is no place to linger."

"Mm."

Tress agreed in a low voice, beating her wings to follow Roland.

But perhaps it was her despair at losing contact with her companions that left her distracted. She didn’t notice the change in their surroundings until Roland, walking beside her, suddenly stopped in his tracks.

Through her unique fae-sight, she saw that the once merely dense and inert grayish fog was now oozing wisps of a deeper, more ominous Shadow.

They weren’t physical entities, but rather a condensed chill, twisting as they rose slowly from the ground, from the rotting wood, and even from the mist itself.

The cold she felt wasn’t coming from the air; it was the silent shriek of countless beings, filled with pain and venomous resentment.

In her Perception, it manifested as a bone-chilling wind that pierced her very soul.