Chapter 18: Bilgewater

"A word of advice, if you want to travel to Shadow Isles. Go to the Bilgewater Bay and ask the bartender in the Sharks' Drink about me. It is a tavern situated on the top of the towering cliff. Ask about directions when you arrive, is easy to get lost between all the bars and casinos over there. Don't do like most people and make the mistake of staying too much time in the Bay. The longer you stay, the more they'll try to exploit you for power and wealth." Miss Fortune explained.

"I will remember that." Syrme said seriously.

"Be sure to do that." Miss Fortune said with a smile.

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"Excuse me, do you know where is-"

"Get the hell out of here, kid!" The rude person shoved Syrme away.

Syrme just wanted to say one word for describing the Bay and the Docks.

HUGE.

Miss Fortune said the tavern was on the top of the towering cliff. What she didn't mention is... what towering cliff. There were more than three for sure.

In the bottom of them, Bilgewater's lowliest inhabitants dwell in a labyrinth of meandering canals and hidden inlets, with no separation between the homes they build and the sea where they ply their trade.

If we observe more over the top, we could see the difference in wealth. Those with money in their pocket would frequent the uptown taverns, enjoying fine drinks and merry conversation. Syrme assumed Sharks' Drink was in one of those sites.

"Did you know? I heard someone took one of Gangplank arms! He is not invincible! Maybe we could organize a search and try our luck in catching that old-man." One man talked with another.

"You think? I don't know man. Have you heard the stories of that man?"

"I'm sure they are all exaggerated! He just lost an arm! It's our opportunity!" The man persisted.

After looking for a while, he overheard some people going to the place he was searching. He decided to follow them, and in the way over there, a lot of conversations similar to the first he heard were being talked between the people.

"It seems Miss Fortune already spread the word of Gangplank to barrage him with even more people. I bet she doesn't even want the money. She just wants the bastard dead." He chuckled.

Sharks' Drink.

"Here it is." He murmured.

The ambient and light were comfortable. The people were laughing, telling each other stories and playing cards. Some of them were just simply drinking and eating at the bar. The bartender was a young woman, black hair and brown eyes. She was cleaning the vase of the client next to her when she caught the eye of the twelve years old boy.

"What do you want, kid?" She asked with a smile.

'Maybe next time I will henge myself as an older person, I'm a little tired of the people calling me kid.' He sighed inwardly.

"Hello ma'am, I need to speak with someone, Miss Fortune sent me here when I asked where I could get a ship."

She immediately narrowed her eyes.

"Miss Fortune sent you? What for, kid?" She asked.

"Yes, I require a ship that can hold at least for three months. She also said about asking for someone named Eleine and give her this." He replied, holding a weird coin.

"She gave you that? Interesting... come inside- William! Your turn in the bar! My shift is done!" She yelled to the back of the tavern.

"You said you needed a ship, right? Come with me." Said the bartender, she guided Syrme through the streets and canals of Bilgewater Bay. In the back of the cliff, there was a port with a lot of different ships.

"What is your destination?" The lady asked.

"Shadow Isles..." Syrme replied.

The lady turned her head and looked at him in the eyes, looking for something.

"Ahh... So you are one of those..." She realized.

"I wouldn't recommend going to that place when is so close to the Harrowing, but I believe you'll go anyways... so I'm just going to say... good luck." She said signalling the correct ship.

"If you want someone who could guide you to the Shadow Isles, you should ask about 'The Purifier'. He uses to come to the Sharks' Drink when he is not in that cursed place." She finished.

Syrme thanked her and went to see the ship from the inside.

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"Are you the one who has been asking for me?" An impatient voice made himself known to Syrme.

'Lucian...'

"Yes, I want to go to Shadow Isles, and someone told me you know the way." He reasoned.

Lucian took his twin relic weapons and shot at him in a blink. Syrme quickly dodged with his Sharingan activated and when he saw Lucian wasn't going to shot at him anymore, he deactivated it.

"You pass... Let's go, we don't have all day." Lucian said heading into the ship.

"Shouldn't we first go to buy food and clothes for changing? We are going to be in that ship for two and a half months, you know?" Syrme sweatdropped.

Lucian paused.

He turned around stoically and-

"Let's go buy some food... we don't have all day." He repeated to Syrme.

'That should be my phrase!' Syrme yelled internally.

He could indeed buy food from the System, but he only did that when there wasn't any other choice. He wanted to don't depend too much on the System when it comes to mundane things.

They went to food in the market and came back to the ship in record time.

"Let's go... we don't have all day." Lucian said getting into the ship.

'This is going to be a thing... isn't it?'

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They spent two months on the ship.

When Lucian saw how Syrme was training he joined with him almost every day. Sometimes they sparred with each other and always manage to come to draw. It's true Syrme couldn't go all out because of the ship, but that didn't stop him to practice in evasion techniques and reaction speed.

Lucian also opened a little to Syrme in the passing of the journey. He was from Demacia, and he wanted to slay the undead and cleanse the souls of the Shadow Isles. He also... liked Spanish food.

...That's it. That was all he got from him.

Then... it came one of the worst days of Syrme's life. The day when Lucian...

"How long until we arrive?" Lucian asked.

...

Syrme robotically turned to him.

"Weren't you the one who knew how to reach Shadow Isles?" Syrme asked, gritting his teeth.

"I know they are in the south. I thought you were the one who knew how to arrive, Eleine always invited a navigator to the ship when I went to the island." Lucian said.

"You thought I was the navigator... when you were the one having a map and a compass this whole time."

"Yes..." Lucian admitted.

"Give me the compass." Syrme demanded, holding out his hand.

Lucian handed to him the map and the compass.

"Lucian... you know 'N' stands for North...right?"

"Yes." Lucian said, almost insulted.

"Then, why are going north... and for how long?" Syrme said, almost hyperventilating.

"I don't know, I don't bother to look at the compass. I just let the navigator do... Oh." He said realizing what he just said.

...

"WE WERE SAILING THROUGH THE SEAS FOR TWO MONTHS!" Syrme exploded, glaring at him.

"The ship is in a serious need of maintenance. The food is almost gone. If we turn around now, it will be five months until we reach Shadow Isles. The ship will not hold, especially after all the spars we had." Syrme said, sinking in his seat.

"I need a break..." He finished after a few breaths.

Lucian took the map and looked at it.

Upside down.

"Syrme! False alarm! We are sailing correctly! The Shadow Isles are in the North after all!" Lucian informed.

'This guy...' Syrme incredulously looked at him.

'When he is fighting or in combat, he is a good strategist, genius even. But when it comes to things non-combat related...'

'This guy is an idiot!' He finished in his mind.

"Look! We already arrived!" Lucian said, signalling the coast.

"Look at the flags and the warships, do they seem to you they are from Shadow Isles?" Syrme asked, deadpanning.

"Now that you mentioned it." Lucian narrowed his eyes, trying to get a close look.

'They are Noxian flags...'

"Why are there Noxian flags in... for fuck's sake." Syrme swore.

"One after the other. I just can't get a break..." Syrme said, almost crying.

"Those are Noxian flags...?" Lucian asked, his tone darkening.

Syrme widened his eyes.

"We are going to intervene. My mission is to slay the undead, but when it comes to Noxus... I also have a bone to pick with them." Lucian said, holding his two weapons.

Syrme sighed and looked at the map for the last time.

"If what the map shows is correct, we should be in Navori... the Ionian City."

[ Stats ]

Lvl: 80

EXP: 4,122,000/8,070,000

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-True Name: Syrme

-Race: Human

-Age: 12 years

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-Strenght: 200

-Vitality: 300

-Dexterity: 500

-Intelligence: 450

-Wisdom: 470

-Charisma: 300

-Luck: 150

Points unassigned: 0

[ Host StP= 103,500 ]

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Origin: Dreams, Knowledge.

Magic Circuits: 30B->30A

Magical Core: S

Magical Trigger: Here I dream, here I learn.

Chakra Pathways: Lightning, Fire, (New) Wind.

Chakra Reserves: High-Jonin

Chakra Control: 80%

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Skills:

[BLOODLINE/INNATE SKILLS]

-???: ???

-Death Wisdom: A+

-ID: Create/Escape: A

-Spellcasting: S++

-Speech: A++

-Instinct: A

-Apparition: S

-(New) Mangekyo Sharingan: C

-(New) Chemtech/Hextech affinity: D

[MIND]

-Occlumency: S+

-Thought acceleration: S+

-Memory Partition: A+

-Memory Manipulation: B

-Mind's Eye (False): B+

[COMBAT]

-Paranza Corta: S++

-Reinforcement: A++

-Northern ITF Taekwondo: A++

-Renewal Taekwondo: S++

-Mana Burst (Lightning): A->S

-Champuru Kendo (Mix): A++