Prologue: I swear I will conquer you
First of all, I know there's people who don't read the synopsis, so I will also explain it here. The MC has a system, but its only function is to give the potions to him after he digests the prior one. This means that it doesn't have any sentience, it doesn't give missions, it doesn't have an inventory or a shop, etc.
With this explained, I hope you enjoy the story.
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Prologue: I swear I will conquer you
The sky, dyed with dense shadows, burst into lightning that fell, creating arcs of silver and blue. The sea, deep and dark, rose in waves that reflected the fury of the heavens for moments. The air thundered with divine echoes, while the wind, laden with salt and tempest, carried the essence of a majestic and terrible chaos.
In such a situation, Khoras found himself trying to redirect his small fishing boat. He was a young man, about twenty years old, tall and athletic, with short black hair and a severe complexion. His black eyes, perhaps calm at another time, reflected the panic of the moment.
He reduced the sails, leaving only the smallest ones, trying to catch the waves at a certain angle—neither facing them nor completely sideways. The engine was working at full power, and the boat had already surfed some waves that were twice its height.
Khoras did everything possible not to fall.
At that moment, the wind picked up, causing the boat to turn slightly.
"Shit..." His eyes widened as he watched the currents change and the waves start coming from different angles.
He had been warned that it was going to be a rough week, but he had been sailing for as long as he could remember. His grandfather had taken it upon himself to instill in him a deep love and respect for the sea.
However, his grandfather's teachings had been ignored the moment money started to run out. A whole week without fishing would be a hard blow.
"It's better to be on land wanting to be on the sea than to be on the sea wanting to be on land, huh?" Khoras muttered this old phrase, which, until now, he hadn't fully understood. "Damn it!"
His brow furrowed deeply as the waves came in. Many questions came to his mind: Was it worth risking his life like this for money? Couldn't they have held out until the next week? What would his poor mother think, left alone in this harsh world?
They were all useless questions because the reality was what it was, and this was proven the moment after.
The first wave hit the side of the boat, causing Khoras to fall to the ground with a crash. The next one came from behind, and with the ship already unstable, it was more than enough to throw him into the water.
Khoras was a good swimmer. He tried to stay afloat, which he managed decently with his vest.
He knew that he could not swim back to shore. He would not make it; his only hope was to be found by some rescue team that managed to track him.
He used all his strength to stay in place since, if he was swept away by the current, it would be impossible to find him.
However, as if it were a tragedy dictated by the heavens, at that moment the sky roared once again. Khoras saw a momentary flash that blinded him, leaving only figures and patterns like white circles. His ears were stunned, and only a distant beeping remained.
'What...' His mind went blank, and he felt himself slowly sinking, with the vest unable to save him. 'The sea... how cruel... even when I love you so much, you are this merciless.'
Unable to move, his thoughts only grew duller and duller. Still, he strangely let out a small chuckle.
At the end of his life, he understood that, although the sea was cold and heartless, he was unable to let it go.
'If there is a next life, I swear I will conquer you.'
And so he died, like so many other sailors before him, adding one more body to the world's largest graveyard.
Or so it would have normally been.
'Eh?' Khoras noticed his back touching something solid.
[You have successfully consumed the Sequence 9 potion.]
A voice reached his ears, but that was impossible; his eardrums had been destroyed!
[Congratulations! You are now a Sailor!]