Chapter 2: Sacrifice.

---Planet Asteri of Beta Dimension---

The stormy sea seemed like it was angry at all existence that attempts to cross it. Under it, waves were as high as hills and its power immeasurable. Lightning flashed here and there, like illuminating torches to hell. Thunders reverberated through the whistling sounds of wind and rain, like it was telling all of those who could hear to stay clear and not approach.

Despite the apparent danger of the wrathful sea, there were some men eager to take on the challenge.

"ALL MEN ON DECK!"

Bang Bang Bang.

A burly man with a saber on his grasp violently knocked on the wooden flooring of the galleon as if he meant to destroy it. This giant of a man is no other than Captain Qiu Wu. Instead of cannons, the galleon was equipped with artillery crossbows that threw spears as its arrows. The galleon-like ship was 160 feet and 32 feet wide.

No more than a second later after his call, sounds of hurried footsteps came from the bunkers under the deck.

Tap Tap Tap.

A while later, the crew and some other individuals were gathered on the main deck of the ship and they stood silently as the captain scanned the crowd. There were more than 150 men and women.

Sounds of creaking of wood escaped the planks and ratlines of the ship due to the rhythmic rocking of the ship.Cold drops of rain splashed them all wet and wind whistled non-stop. Their location was already inside the vicinity of the storm and there was no going back now. They were inside the storm and had no other choice but to steel their hearts and try their luck.

All of them kind of knew this but, for some reason, the men were excited and filled with passion in their hearts.

"ARE Y'LL EXCITED?!" Qiu Wu shouted with a grin on his large face. He had to scream his lungs out to overcome the noise coming from the storm winds.

There was his question and it was, of course, followed by an answer. " AYE AYE CAPTAIN!" All of them answered wholeheartedly and similar to their captain, they had to shout with all they got. Some of them even clanked their saber while some whistled, some shouted maniacally for additional noise.

"HAHA! MEN!" Suddenly, Qiu Wu's face turned serious and his grin disappeared and was replaced with a stern expression as he pointed his arm at the starboard. He did it so fast that his clothing flicked and released water in forms of tiny droplets. Lightning and thunder flashed and crackled as he spoke and the galleon was rocking like your granny's rocking chair.

"THAT THERE IS A CHALLENGE, A WALL FOR US TO OVERCOME!" Said Qiu Wu and then he took a pause before continuing.

"BEYOND THAT IS PARADISE, AN OCEAN WITH TREASURES, LANDS THAT ARE FAR RICHER THAN OUR POOR STINKIN' ISLAND!" No one interrupted his speech.

"WHO WANTS TO GET STRONGER?!" Qiu Wu asked. "AYE AYE CAPTAIN!" The crew answered.

"WHO WANTS GLORY?!" He asked them again. " AYE AYE CAPTAIN!" The crew answered.

"MEN! STEEL YOUR BALLS, FURL THE SAILS!DON'T LET THE SEA TAKE YOU!"

"AYE CAPTAIN!"

Qiu Wu then turned the helm to charge ahead. He focused on steering the ship to maneuver in the bumpy sea while his crew took care of the gritty work. The waves were getting bigger as they approached the turbulent center of the storm.

There was this legend from their home island. The legend states that there was a land far better than theirs beyond the undying storm at sea. It was said that the sea beyond the storm is so rich that fish eat gold for their meal. The land was no less. Treasures that never run out, like water flowing in a river. Furthermore, the legend mentioned that people on the other side are so strong they can erase or lift boulders with one hand and kill their enemy with a wave of their sleeves.

This was the reason why they all risked their lives. Who wouldn't want to get rich? Who didn't want treasures? Who will turn down power? The answer is no one in this ship. That includes a certain unfortunate failure of a man.

In the Bowsprit of the ship, there's a young man. Well, not voluntarily, He was tied to the Bowsprit like a cattle ready for slaughter. This young man was Wang Zhi. Despite the danger, it was actually a tradition to send men to challenge the wrathful storm every 20 years but perhaps no one succeeded. And that tradition is commemorated by tying a young and healthy man to the Bowsprit as an offering to the mermaids. Wang Zhi was just unlucky to be drafted not as a challenger of the storm but as the sacrifice. There was actually no escape for him as he was too weak. What could a malnourished young man like him do? Also, being an orphan offers no help.

"Damn. I guess this is it for me..." Wang Zhi was calm but still a little bit distressed. Who would have thought that he was so deprived of any luck that he was chosen among more than a thousand youth of his age. "AHHHHHH I still want to marry and have kids! HERE COMES ANOTHER ONE!"

Wang Zhi saw another big wave coming his way. He gulped in air even filling his mouth and readied himself for impact. As a person in the Bowsprit, he was the only person to pierce the wave. He'd hold his breath everytime the ship encountered waves. Wang Zhi was prepared to do this until, maybe, his death.

For an hour, the storm sent a barrage of waves to destroy their ship but Qiu Wu was especially talented in the art of sailing. He was trained by the best sailor of their island. He may be the chosen one to succeed and witness the legendary place beyond the storm.

"Haaa.. Ha... C-cold." While Qiu Wu and his crew might seem unfortunate in performing their tasks to stay afloat, Wang Zhi was already on the brink of death as he started to get exhausted of the routine of breathing in and holding it every time he was submerged. He also became hypothermic. An hour of getting dipped into the cold water can send anybody to their deaths. If not for his will to live out Qiu Wu, he would have given up and made his way to reincarnate.

"Haaaaaap." Came another wave, another breath closer to death.

On the deck of the ship was just pure chaos. The ratlines went haywire and even though all sails were already furled to avoid the wind, the masts were still suffering and started to break. The men were now almost halved as the weaker and less fortunate were swept off the ship by either the wind or waves.

" HOLD YOUR GROUND MEN! I CAN ALMOST SEE PARADISE!" Qiu Wu can't really see it but had to say so to encourage his remaining crew. He knew that if he lost any more men, the ship would be understaffed for operation. Another thing is that it would be too light causing it to be tumbled upside down by the joint force of the wind and waves.

Like a spell was cast, the crew did what they were told and held onto whatever they could, like it was their mother's embrace.

Another 30 minutes passed and Qiu Wu felt like the winds had subsided and waves came smaller in size. He instantly felt like celebrating! But suddenly, a beam of light shot down from the dark clouds above. It was too humongous to be a lighting and too fast to comprehend. All he knew was that it was coming his way?

At the Bowsprit, Wang Zhi was now unconscious and on death's door. Any moment now and he would be sent to the path of reincarnation. Luckily for him, the system was fast enough. Had he not been on the Bowsprit, he might have died. If the system was any nanosecond slower, he's a goner.

While he was lucky to be somewhat revived, the others were not on the recieving side. After being 'hit' by the beam, the ship was incinerated and not one piece of ash was left. Nothing but the young man Wang Zhi.

[Host Found]

[Binding Mode Commence]

The galleon and its crew disappeared into thin air but a certain young man drifted through the air, floating. Wang Zhi was being protected by a profound energy that seemed to protect him from any harm. The energy even kept him warm and set a course for him to the nearest island. This all happened without him knowing.

[Binding...98%]