Ser Davos Seaworth's Black Betha
Kai found himself swinging in a hammock, staring up at the musty and moist wooden roof. He sat up and saw that he was wearing a thin, loose shirt over torn shorts. His feet were damp and naked.
Then he looked around.
It was a big hall crammed up with many dusty yellow hammocks, which gave a hint that they might have been white a few ages ago. The floor was also wooden, long, soggy timber running across from one side of the hall to the other. Wooden casks were lying about in two of the four corners, and the entire hall reeked of a strong, bitter smell of booze and piss.
A sudden creaking noise from his right caught Kai's attention.
Kai was on one side of the hall, with nothing but a wooden wall on his right, and now, words were appearing on the wood as if someone was scratching them out using a sharp knife. Even the noise had an edge, Kai realized, wincing with every letter.
[
You have triggered a Side Mission.
Main Mission: Three heads of the Targaryen Dragon
Side Mission: Elementary Seamanship
Side Mission Summary: Black Betha, a galley captained by Ser Davos Seaworth, is stationed at Dragonstone's harbor. In the absence of the Onion Knight, the ship is under the command of the Quartermaster Matthos, Ser Davos' son.
You are a newly hired ship's boy who is apprenticed to be trained in the ways of seamen. The second mate, Raul, will oversee your training and will assign you all the work any seaman ought to do on the ship.
Once the second mate deems you worthy enough, he will present you to the Quartermaster for inspection. You must get Matthos' acknowledgment to proceed to the third part of your Main Mission.
Side Mission Objective: Get Elementary Seamanship Ability
Side Mission Time Limit: 1 week
Side Mission Hint: Put heart at work
Do you accept the side-mission?
]
'Ugh!' Kai grimaced. 'Not again!'
But it was not like Kai didn't want it. The System was allowing him to get an Elementary Ability, which was already one of the rare ones if he were to go with what Item-M had told him. It was also the most sought-after Ability for those who wanted to make a name for themselves in the worlds of One Piece and the Pirates of the Caribbean.
Kai also noticed that there was no introductory notification this time.
'Maybe I will get it after completing this mission,' Kai guessed and accepted the mission. 'The black bar of Abnormality Limiter has returned, though.'
After the mission's acceptance, all the words etched on the wood disappeared. More rows of words followed this disappearance, whose structure suggested a personal nature.
[
Congratulations Kai Stormborn on completing your Officer Qualifying Mission…
Reward: Captain of Guard
As an officer, your post grants you the following privileges:
1. +10% Mission Credits (all rewards) - subject to change with higher posts
2. +5% chance to get a second random Item as a Loot
3. Can form a Party of up to 4 members
4. Free Party Mission Assignment once per Set
Notes:
1. Party Mission Assignments must be initiated by the Captain of Guard
2. Party members can join an ongoing mission of the Captain of Guard, given the mission assigned to them by the Captain matches their equivalent floors
3. Party members from floors higher than the Captain of Guard's floor will have their Stats restricted to match the mission grade assigned to the Captain
4. Captain of Guard can not kill a Party member without presenting an exclusive Side Mission related to it and after its subsequent approval by the System
]
It was quite a lengthy description, Kai noted. He went through the notification, being afraid not to catch all the hidden meanings behind those sentences.
'So,' Kai thought after a few moments of deliberation, 'if I were to add a 6th-floor Contestant into my Party and make him come to my mission, then the System would restrict his Stats. Reasonable.'
It was reasonable, indeed. But Kai could also tell the obvious advantage of it. The top-class Organizations could rear many Captains of Guard by adding higher floor Contestants to their Party. Sure, the System would restrict their Stats, but it couldn't restrict their experiences.
'It's a typical young-master advantage,' Kai reflected, sneering.
Suddenly, Kai remembered Item-M's words. -/Chaos,/- he barked, -/I want to add 3rd-floor Contestant, Code named Morning Mist, to my Party./-
Kai's lips twitched and his brows pressed together as he called her by her Code Name. It felt quite odd to call her anything but Item-M as if her entire identity had changed after the oath.
[
Sending the request to Contestant Morning Mist…
Request Accepted.
Assign a name to your Party…
]
Kai scratched his head as he looked at the notification. 'Name?' He thought, feeling a little confused. 'I did not know I would have to give the Party a name. Hmm, let's see…'
Kai felt a sudden burst of coldness in his chest. He looked down, his hand already lifting to rub the skin over his heart. -Selene- Kai hissed coolly. -Sleep. I don't need you for now.-
The Ghost Basilisk squirmed within him and went back to sleep as if it had never awakened. It did leave behind an idea for Kai. Or better would be to say, it left behind a name.
-/White Serpent./-
[
Assigning the name…
Party: White Serpent
Party Leader: Blood Demon, Captain of Guard
Party Members:
1. Morning Mist, 3rd-floor
]
Kai smiled.
It was then the voice boomed from outside.
"Ship's boy!" a powerful, manly voice called out. "Come out, you fucking whoreson!"
The smile vanished. Kai's eyes narrowed, and in utter seriousness, he contemplated what would happen if he were to just go out and kill this person.
He jumped out of the hammock like a snake and donned the shoes lying on the floor. With brisk steps, he walked out, and was greeted by a man twice his size. He was bearded, broad-shouldered, and had a receding hairline. Behind him, Kai could see a towering mountain, bellowing out thick, gray smoke. And under the mountain was an even magnificent castle.
Kai wasn't an ignorant Contestant anymore. He had a powerful Item that served as a knowledge bank. Item-M had already told him about all the things he needed to know regarding this world.
That mountain was Dragonmont.
And that castle was one of the major settings in the world of Game of Thrones.
The Castle of Dragonstone!
***********
AN: An Image Reference of the ship is available on Discord.
Many of the mysteries that are pending since the Vol 1 will get cleared in this arc. Except those mysteries, I will keep it fairly fast paced.
Party and Party members are different than Team and Team members. Party is valid even outside the Random Worlds, while Team is only for the missions. A Party member can be a Team member too. It will be explained in the coming chapters as well.
Only 1 chapter today.