Chapter 1: Ian Calvinde

A solid iron cannonball screamed through the air, cutting across several hundred meters of ocean before slamming into the hull of the Stormbreaker at the waterline.

Boom!

The old oak planks of the ship shattered with a deafening crash. A spray of wood shards, as sharp as blades, swept through the cabin, while the cannonball continued to bounce with what little kinetic energy remained.

"Ahhhhhh—!"

In the lower hold, the cramped quarters of the slaves were filled with panic. There was no place to hide, and they were struck down by splinters and the cannonball's deadly trajectory, their bodies torn apart in a gruesome display of blood and limbs.

The sounds of wailing and shrieks filled the air, mingling with the stench of fear and despair that suffused the cabin.

Yan Lin "felt" something heavy bouncing toward his back.

"Move!" His instincts kicked in, and he rolled away just in time to avoid the impact.

But then, scalding liquid splashed onto his face, the metallic taste of rust filling his mouth.

Yan Lin bolted upright, his eyes snapping open. The first thing he saw was a mangled body, its chest torn open, blood spraying like a fountain.

The sight was so shocking that he didn't have time to consider the unusual movements in his dream just moments before.

'I'm not dead... am I?'

Looking around, he realized the situation was far different from what he'd imagined.

The ship's hull had been ripped open, a gaping hole serving as the only source of light. Water was rushing in with the ship's sway, filling the cabin.

The space was overcrowded, its occupants disheveled and in strange clothing. Blood, broken limbs, and anguished screams filled the air, the atmosphere thick with the stench of feces, blood, and rotting flesh.

The oppressive smell of decay and sea water was overwhelming, stabbing at his senses.

'I'm really not dead… but where is this?'

He remembered the accident on his way home from work.

At the red light, a truck swerved uncontrollably to avoid hitting an electric bike and headed straight toward him. He hadn't noticed until a bystander shouted out, but it was too late—his head collided with the steel.

'I should never have been looking at my phone. Maybe if I'd seen it coming, I could have avoided it.'

'A helmet could have saved me. How could I forget to wear one? If I'd had it, maybe I'd still be alive.'

Yan Lin tried to gather his thoughts as he moved to a wall away from the gaping hole. Leaning against the hull, he steadied himself.

'This isn't my body,' Yan Lin thought, glancing down at himself. He noticed several wounds on his body, some of which were white and healed, but they were all old injuries, nothing serious. Fortunately, there were no other apparent problems.

Aside from the aches, his body felt strong and coordinated, with clearly defined muscles. It was far more robust than his previous condition, where constant overtime coding had left him in poor health. This body—this wasn't his!

He had traveled to another world.

'Who am I? What do I do now?'

He couldn't suppress the rising panic, but he took deep breaths and leaned against the wall, trying to calm himself.

In that moment, memories—both unfamiliar and strangely familiar—flooded his mind.

His name was Ian Calvinde, the 17-year-old son of Baron Arnold Calvinde, lord of Storm's Point, located at the southern tip of the Kingdom of Bodria.

This place was called Eioranga, a world teeming with extraordinary power and numerous intelligent races. Humans were the dominant species of the continent and had ruled it for millennia, ever since the Ice Age.

The continent was split into two parts: the East and the West. The East was long and narrow, occupying only a third of the Western continent's size, with the land extending from the northwest to the southeast, resembling a curved sword plunging into the Death Sea.

The Kingdom of Bodria was the largest kingdom on the East continent, occupying the southernmost region.

For the first 2,600 years of the Fifth Era, the land was surrounded by a dense mist, which contained supernatural power. Anyone who entered the mist would lose their sense of direction, eventually perishing in the Death Sea.

However, thirty-three years ago, in the year 2602 of the Fifth Era, the tide of magical energy arrived, scattering the fog over the ocean. Adventurers discovered islands in the open sea, bringing back immense wealth. This kicked off the Age of Sail, a golden age of exploration and fortune.

Some people became immensely rich, while others entered extraordinary ranks. The Death Sea became the Sea of Miracles.

Storm's Point, originally a small, isolated region on the southeastern tip of the continent, was a land of rugged storms and few arable lands. The local economy depended mostly on fishing.

But Storm's Point had a natural deep-water harbor, and it stood as the gateway to the South Sea of Miracles, making it one of the first beneficiaries of the Age of Sail.

Just a few nights ago, a massive pirate fleet attacked Storm Harbor, led by one of the infamous Pirate Kings—Blackbeard.

It was an unexpected assault, and the fortress built on the cliffs overlooking the sea was breached. Pirates flooded in, including more than a dozen extraordinary beings.

The family's fortress had six or seven extraordinary professionals. Ian's father, a Tidal Hunter of Sequence 8, and Ian himself, an Alchemist of Sequence 9, were among them, along with several other extraordinary professionals like the captain of the guard and the butler.

But they were no match for the pirates, hardened by bloodshed and fire.

In the crisis, his father pushed him out of the castle, holding back the pirates with his older brother and the guards.

Ian was thrown into the raging storm of the sea, where his father's contract sea beast—the Deep Sea Sword Dolphin—had already received orders to rescue him. The dolphin helped him break through the waves.

During the escape, Ian and the dolphin were struck by an unknown curse, and after losing the pursuers, the dolphin managed to bring Ian to a rocky outcrop before collapsing.

With the curse lingering, Ian struggled to stay conscious, the last memory being of a passing merchant ship rescuing him.

In a haze, he experienced Ian's brief life, absorbing his emotions and memories. It felt like a distant dream, yet more vivid than any movie.

'Looks like you didn't make it through after all.'

Yan Lin took a deep breath to calm his jumbled feelings. Since he had crossed over, from now on, he would be Ian Calvinde.

Coming back to his senses, Ian found himself in a strange, misty space. He seemed to float aimlessly, as if his very existence were suspended in the void.

The "sky" above was covered by an endless curtain of darkness, a deep void that felt too pure to contain any stars.

Two "celestial bodies" hung in the distance.

In the center was a golden "sun," radiating a soft, warm glow that filled the entire space.

Nearby was a small "star," glowing faintly with a red hue.

Beneath him, there was a small, clear lake, almost dry, and not much bigger than a pond.

The most striking feature in the space was a tree, slender and tall, standing in the middle of the lake. It was no taller than a man, with a straight trunk and sparse branches. Its roots, however, were vast—like an enormous neural network—buried deep into the "lakebed," the exposed parts of the roots even forming a small "island."

'This must be the spiritual realm. And that tree… that's the core of my extraordinary profession—the original tree of my sequence!'