First Travel!

"What does this mean?"

Gazing at the introduction of [Travel] displayed on the panel before him, Ryan paused, his initial shock quickly giving way to keen interest.

The spiritual sea, coordinates, and other details mentioned were tempting! With the raft effortlessly gliding on the breeze, and with time to spare, Ryan's choice was clear, he was set for a [travel].

With a mix of curiosity and anticipation, he mentally activated the [Travel] function.

Instantly, his world transformed. His vision dimmed momentarily, and he felt his body begin a swift ascent.

Time lost meaning as he soared, finally coming to a halt after what felt like an eternity.

Slowly, Ryan opened his eyes. The view that greeted him left him speechless.

He floated in an immense starry expanse, over a churning "ocean" made up of countless brilliant points of light.

—The spiritual sea.

Though he had never seen it before, the name instinctively formed in his mind.

Its origins and boundaries unknown, it stretched into infinity. In its vast presence, life seemed as fleeting as that of a mayfly.

Suddenly, Ryan's descent began. Grey specks of light coalesced before him, forming a "sail raft" that caught him just as he touched the spiritual sea.

The small craft struggled against the mighty spiritual tide. Time seemed irrelevant, it could have been days or mere seconds. Powerless to steer, Ryan could only watch as the raft collided with a massive, bubble-shaped luminescent entity.

His eyes lit up with wonder.

As his sight stabilized, Ryan found himself on an expansive island.

The grey raft lay half-real on the sandy beach, and to his astonishment, everything around him was of an extraordinary scale.

The dark blue creature moving sideways in the distance, nearly as tall as a person, was surely a crab, right? The coconut trees towering above seemed hundreds of meters high, their coconuts larger than a human!

At this moment, Ryan felt like a adventurer in a kingdom of giants.

"So, what's the next step?" he murmured to himself, feeling both dwarfed and intrigued by his surroundings.

Just then, a rush of information flooded his mind, clarifying his peculiar situation: he was not physically present here but merely a projection of his consciousness. His form, while identical to his actual body, was essentially a "traveling clone" created by a unique method derived from the [Unnamed Ship Sculpture].

If his clone perished in this realm, the [travel] would abruptly end. His real body would only suffer a mild mental fatigue, nothing life-threatening. He could re-enter this realm the following day.

Yes, he must press on.

The destination of [Travel] remained constant until an [Anchor Point] was discovered.

But what exactly was this [Anchor Point]? Perhaps a treasure or a formidable creature... The possibilities were vast, but whatever it was, it would distinctly stand out from its surroundings.

The benefits of [traveling] were manifold. Firstly, the [Anchor Point], being a highly spiritual entity, could repair or even enhance the [Unnamed Ship Sculpture], which was currently at a dismal repair level of just 1%.

Secondly, influenced by the "anchor point," the vicinity would transform, spawning rare plants and animals of significant value.

And perhaps most crucially, defeating spiritual creatures in these realms would bolster the "level" of his traveling clone, a mechanic reminiscent of video games.

The clone started at level 0, but by vanquishing these spiritual beings, it could ascend in strength. More importantly, any enhancement to the clone's level would directly bolster his main body's capabilities.

"If that's the case, it doesn't matter," Ryan concluded with a new resolve. "The key is to advance the clone's level swiftly, as every step forward here amplifies my real-world strength."

With this realization, a surge of excitement coursed through Ryan. It was undoubtedly the most encouraging news he had encountered since his arrival.

---

[Level]: 0

[Spiritual Value]: 0

---

The interface of his traveling clone was starkly minimalistic. Mulling over his situation, Ryan's gaze settled on the imposing blue-black crab sauntering along the beach. It was the only creature in sight on the expansive shore.

Without a second thought, Ryan sprang into action.

He knew better than to confront such a colossal creature unarmed. The [Travel] function, mercifully, was not so cruel.

Glancing down, Ryan noted the basic gear provided by [Unnamed Ship Eagle] at his feet, a long sword, a log shield, and leather armor.

[Long Sword]: This was the most rudimentary weapon available, usable only within the "traveling place." Once damaged, it could be exchanged for "spiritual points" at the [Small Sail Raft]. As the [Unnamed Ship Sculpture] leveled up, new features like enhancement and qualitative changes could be unlocked.

The descriptions for the log shield and leather armor were similar. Ryan donned the leather armor, gripped the shield in his left hand and the sword in his right.

Although it was his first encounter with cold weapons in what felt like a past life, the rudimentary "Storm Swordsmanship" techniques quickly turned the unfamiliar into the familiar.

Stepping off the raft, Ryan felt a rush of reality as his boots hit the sandy beach. The semi-illusory world of the raft gave way to the more tangible, gritty texture of the island. The adventure was truly about to begin.

The moist sea breeze and the sensation of his shoes sinking into the soft sand infused Ryan with a vivid sense of newness.

As he stepped onto the solid ground, his body transitioned from the gray, semi-illusory form of the raft to one bursting with real, vibrant color.

"This sensation..." Ryan muttered, his eyes wide with wonder.

After a moment's pause, he focused on the large blue-black crab meandering on the beach ahead, seemingly oblivious to his presence.

The distance from the raft to the crab was about a hundred meters. To maintain stealth, Ryan kept close to the towering coconut trees, using their massive shadows as cover while he advanced.

When he had closed the gap to about sixty meters, Ryan halted. Beyond this point, there were no more coconut trees to shield him, leaving the stretch to the crab exposed and open.

Hiding in the shade, he watched the crab, its back to him, its huge claws waving lazily in the air. Ryan's impatience grew; the crab seemed uninterested in moving. Meanwhile, his main body still drifted vulnerably on the sea. The raft, hardly a sturdy vessel, bobbed weakly on the waves, vulnerable to any change in the weather.

Considering the unknowns of the time difference between the realms and the urgency to secure a gain from this first [travel], Ryan resolved not to wait any longer.

With a deep breath, he crouched slightly, muscles tensing as he gathered energy. Moments later, he burst forward in a swift sprint, charging towards the unsuspecting blue-black crab with determination.