Setting Sail Early

Simply improving Logan’s physical abilities was not difficult. Yinsen had done plenty of research on Enhancement Potions while strengthening his own body this time, and Logan already possessed a Healing Factor, so many of the potions’ side effects could simply be ignored. That actually made him easier to enhance than Yinsen.

"The problem now is that we don’t have suitable raw materials."

Yinsen had long since identified where to find the raw materials. He simply had not yet had the chance to visit those worlds.

"So you want to gather Space-Time Energy first?"

"At the beginning of our journey into that route, I plan to gather as much Space-Time Energy as possible and raise everyone’s strength by another level. That way, even if Brent’s problem turns out to be dangerous, it won’t be enough to threaten us."

In truth, everyone was already more than capable of protecting themselves. But Yinsen liked doing things like blasting a skiff with a battleship’s Main Gun. It made him feel safer.

If possible, he wanted all his companions to become incredibly powerful—not merely strong enough to protect themselves, but strong enough to crush their enemies. That way, he could freely enjoy this strange world and treat every adventure like a sightseeing trip. Ideally, even when they reached the next sea region, they would still be able to overpower every opponent.

"What about Laura? Will she be like me?"

"Laura is still growing. If we enhance her now, she might become even stronger than you in the future." Yinsen was still unsure how best to train Laura. She was too young, after all. He planned to let her study some basic mage courses first and see whether she had talent in that area.

If she did, the image would be truly wonderful. Just thinking about it was entertaining.

There was no need to worry about Loki. The power of the Casket of Ancient Winters would keep him busy for a long time. Completely mastering that Ice Power would not be easy, no easier than Yinsen fully mastering Holy Light Energy.

Especially with such extreme energy, controlling and using it well might not be too difficult, but completely mastering it and making it one’s own power was another matter. Even though Loki was Asgard’s most talented mage of the new generation, he would need years, perhaps even decades, to truly accomplish it.

"Have you also planned out a direction for Selene’s enhancement?"

"For now, Selene is simpler than either of you."

Yinsen was not saying that casually. Because Selene had mutated into a vampire, she was naturally attuned to certain dark attributes. At the same time, her Mental Power was stronger than an ordinary person’s, so she could absolutely learn some dark-attribute spells to improve her strength.

Yinsen felt that a vampire like Selene was especially suited to blood-related spells. Although he did not currently possess much material on that subject, it would not stop Selene from first building a foundation—for example, using her Mental Power more effectively while gradually strengthening it.

"I even think that as her Mental Power grows, she may awaken some instinctive spells or skills."

An ability like drinking blood to read someone’s memories could easily be developed into a spell. Then Selene could obtain intelligence with only a little blood, without even needing to go through the trouble of drinking it.

No sooner thought than done. With his own enhancement already reaching a temporary stopping point, Yinsen’s daily routine, aside from his usual physical training and Mental Power cultivation, became teaching Laura and Selene the basics of Mental Power cultivation.

After cultivating together for a while, Yinsen discovered that both Laura and Selene were fairly talented. Their Mental Power was far stronger than that of ordinary people.

Logan’s Mental Power was actually powerful and resilient as well, but he lacked talent for cultivating it. No matter how Yinsen taught him, he could not learn it, so Yinsen decisively gave up.

Loki watched the whole thing for amusement. Most of the time, he simply held that scepter and said nothing. Selene and Logan assumed Loki simply disdained talking to "mortals" like them. Only Yinsen knew that Loki had been busy practicing control over his energy all along. His diligence put considerable pressure on Yinsen.

An unstable factor in the team was training this desperately. Was he planning to cause trouble?

To keep Loki from reaching max level too early and being unable to resist stirring up trouble, Yinsen had no choice but to work even harder. He began considering whether they should set sail early and look around nearby to replenish some Space-Time Energy.

During this shipyard maintenance, he had specifically asked the shipyard to install a Communication Device on the Goddess of Dawn. Once Brent finished handling his affairs, he could send Yinsen a message through the Communication Device and arrange a meeting place.

After considering it carefully, Yinsen found the plan workable. It would also spare him from setting out with Brent and having to find an excuse not to travel with him. Otherwise, he would have no chance to search for Space-Time Energy.

Yinsen was a man of action. Once the shipyard confirmed that his ship’s maintenance was complete and the installed equipment had been tested without issue, he went to find Brent.

"You’re planning to leave early?"

"Yes. I’ll go over and assess the situation directly. It will also test whether my ship can handle the conditions there."

He had already prepared the excuse, and the situation truly did warrant attention. Brent had previously said that his ship could barely move in that drastically changed sea region. While the vessel had suffered some damage after prolonged travel, Brent had also mentioned that the sea conditions there had become as harsh as those in the latter stretches of the route.

Furthermore, Brent had specifically told Yinsen that he had stayed on the island for so long this time not only to wait for the various captains, but also because he needed to wait for his new ship to complete its final testing.

Brent had operated in this sea region for years and had ventured onto the route several times, yet the ship he used did not appear much stronger than Yinsen’s Goddess of Dawn. There was a reason for that.

He had been collecting information about the route and building a more powerful new ship based on what he learned. This accident had merely forced him to reveal his trump card early. He had not suddenly decided to start construction on a whim.

Yinsen had not seen Brent’s new ship, but he was certain it would not be an ordinary sailing warship. Metal Plating armor was almost certainly included, giving the vessel greater stability and defense. It would definitely have a magic stone engine as well, though he was unsure whether it would also be fitted with a magic stone shield generator.

He guessed there was an eighty percent chance it would be installed. Brent had been around for too many years to lack the funds for such a thing, and Yinsen suspected the shield generator might be related to whether one could break through the next stretch of Stormy Seas.

Brent had likely intended to make every preparation before using his new ship to charge through the Stormy Seas in one go. Now, he had no choice but to reveal his trump card early, which delayed him even longer.

"That works too. If you find that your ship cannot adapt to that sea region, come straight back."

Compared to traveling together only to withdraw upon arrival, this was better for both sides. At the very least, after Yinsen inspected the situation alone, he could carefully consider whether he still wanted to take part in the operation.

Brent felt that Yinsen had great potential. Although he did not know how strong Yinsen currently was, considering that he had not been in this sea region for long, Brent believed Yinsen still needed time to accumulate more funds and upgrade to a better ship and equipment.

Still, Yinsen’s offer to join was well-intentioned, so Brent could hardly say something like, "You’re too weak. Go back and train for a while longer!" and drive him away.

"Then it’s settled. When I depart, I’ll travel along the route from which the Stormy Seas can be seen. If you receive my message and want to meet up with me, choose that route."

This was a common method of rendezvous in this sea region. The Stormy Seas were visible from there—the "wall" that nearly connected sky and sea—and the generally accepted route was not the one toward the Outer Side, but the Inner Side, closer to Central Island.

If they took the Northern Route, it would mean sailing along the southern side of that "wall."

After chatting a little longer, Yinsen said goodbye to Brent and returned to their lodging. Logan and the others had already packed and were waiting for his news. The moment Yinsen suggested leaving early, they had been unable to sit still.

Central Island might have been peaceful and comfortable, but they had all felt uneasy living there. Its facilities were also built almost entirely around adventurers. Laura even found it more boring than life aboard the ship, relying on video games to get through each day.

After packing up and checking out, Yinsen and the others returned to the Goddess of Dawn.

Once he decided to set sail early and confirmed that the ship’s maintenance was complete, Yinsen had the dockworkers load his ship with all the supplies they needed. Although it was already dusk by the time everything was finished, Yinsen still chose to depart.

"It may be called the Goddess of Dawn, but we set sail at dusk every time."

Both Logan and Selene already knew why Yinsen was so eager to head out to sea. When Yinsen prepared to adjust course and head north, he awkwardly discovered that the Space-Time Pointer in his hand was firmly pointing south.

There was no need to hesitate. Yinsen adjusted their course in the direction indicated by the pointer. He had set sail early for Space-Time Energy, so whether it was on the way did not matter. Once he gathered the energy, he could adjust course again, as long as Space-Time Energy did not keep appearing farther and farther south.

Fortunately, that awkward situation did not occur. After spending several days collecting that mass of Space-Time Energy, Yinsen did not immediately activate the Traversing Magic Array.

He turned north, intending to gather as much energy as possible along the way. Then, after entering the route, he would decide when to traverse based on the situation.

"Is anyone coming along for this traversal?"

Yinsen looked at the others aboard the ship. Loki was still sitting there, leaning on his scepter and staring blankly ahead. The God of Mischief was practically becoming the God of Cultivation. Aside from eating, he maintained that posture most of the time. Upon hearing Yinsen’s question, he merely nodded.

Logan, Laura, and Selene clearly stated that they wanted to go as well. This world really was rather boring. Now that they were at sea again, they had no idea how long they would be drifting on the ocean, so if they had the chance, they naturally wanted to visit another world.