I Seem to See the Glorious Future of the Toya Lake

(Please add it to your library! please send power stones! Thank you ! 

For early access up to 10 or more chapters check out: patreon.com/Sykkoo )

Snap.

A light sound echoed as the upper half of the wooden box slowly lifted open.

Inside, it was almost completely empty, with only one item resting quietly in the center: a tube-shaped musical instrument with an antique design.

It had a pale yellow hue, resembling jade bamboo, with rounded edges. Five holes were carved into its surface, and it measured about 18 inches in length.

"So this is the shakuhachi that Yasuo carries with him in the game, huh? It does look nice, but… I don't even know how to play it."

Shanuo examined the instrument for a long while, then scratched his head with a helpless expression.

This thing turned out to be part of the Sailing Starter Pack? How useless. If it was going to be something Yasuo carried, they might as well have given me his sword instead.

After all, the only weapon Shanuo had right now was the "Toyako," a wooden practice sword that worked fine for sparring and training. But if he ever found himself in a real fight to the death, such a weapon would hardly suffice.

The sword Yasuo carried in the game would surely rank among the likes of Great Swords, one of the 21 Supreme Grade Blades in this world.

"Oh well, at least it's not too conspicuous. I'll just hang onto it for now."

Taking the shakuhachi, he fastened it to his waist alongside the Toyako. As for the wooden box, after confirming it was completely useless, Shanuo casually tossed it over the railing. It landed in the sea with a plop.

"Hmm? Wait a second. Something doesn't feel right…"

Just as he was about to open the ancient scroll, Shanuo suddenly frowned, as if he had sensed something unusual. He quickly lowered his head, placed his right hand on his waist, flicked his thumb upward, and unsheathed the Toyako.

Swish!

A flash of icy white light streaked past his eyes, emitting a sharp, chilling aura that sent shivers down his spine.

But in just an instant, the icy gleam vanished as if it had never been there. The old, plain-looking wooden sword in Shanuo's hand remained unchanged.

"What's going on?"

Shanuo stared at the Toyako with a mix of confusion and uncertainty. While the sword's appearance hadn't changed, he, as its owner, could clearly feel something different about it. Hesitating for a moment, he reached out and gently touched the blade with one finger.

As his finger brushed the wooden blade, a bone-chilling coldness seeped through the surface, penetrating his skin and making him shiver involuntarily.

Shanuo pulled his hand back in shock.

"It feels exactly like a real blade. Could it be… the system automatically used the weapon enhancement feature?"

Staring at the blade of the Toyako, this thought suddenly crossed Shanuo's mind. After pondering for a moment, he felt increasingly convinced of his theory.

"This is frustrating! Why use it now? Couldn't it have waited until I found a real sword of at least good quality to enhance?"

Shanuo stared at the wooden sword with an expression that looked as though he were constipated. He felt like his heart was bleeding.

Even if a wooden sword had been enhanced, it would at best match the quality of a standard real blade, and it wouldn't even come close to comparing with good or supreme-grade swords. The thought of this was utterly maddening.

Since it was a done deal, Shanuo could only complain before reluctantly sheathing the Toyako again.

"Oh well. Let's see what else there is."

Turning his attention to the ancient scroll, Shanuo flipped through it briefly. As he suspected, it contained detailed instructions and diagrams about the art of iaido, or the technique of drawing and striking in a single motion.

His eyes lit up, and he excitedly closed the scroll before carefully tucking it into his coat.

Iaido, a swordsmanship technique used to instantly draw and cut down an opponent, was vital for any swordsman. Shanuo's Wind Blade Swordsmanship still had many gaps, and his newly learned Steel Slash technique was still very raw. Mastering iaido would undoubtedly elevate his skill to the next level.

After a moment of thought, Shanuo turned his attention to the last item.

"All that's left is this Bronze Treasure Chest."

Without hesitation, Shanuo reached out to pick up the chest and place it on his lap to open it.

However—

Buzz! "Conditions unmet. Unlock after upgrading your hero level or Wind Blade Swordsmanship."

"What?! I can't open it now? I have to level up first?"

Holding the Bronze Treasure Chest, Shanuo looked it over and muttered in frustration, "This thing is so heavy. Where am I supposed to put it? In my inventory?"

"You have chosen to place this item in your inventory. Please confirm."

To Shanuo's surprise, as soon as the thought crossed his mind, the system responded.

"Well, at least the system has some intelligence," Shanuo muttered, his eye twitching. "I guess I was wrong to think you were completely useless."

In that case…

"Confirm."

Shhh!

As soon as he spoke, the surface of the treasure chest glowed briefly before disappearing entirely.

A moment later, the inventory panel appeared before him. In one of the six available slots, a shimmering icon of the Bronze Treasure Chest was visible.

"That's better. I'll open it when the conditions are right."

Seeing this, Shanuo let out a sigh of relief.

He glanced at the sky, then grabbed the railing and stood up slowly. He made his way toward the cabin doors, walking carefully.

Earlier, Shanuo had planned to nap on the deck for a bit, but after trying out the Steel Slash, he felt mentally and physically drained. He decided it was best to return to the room Taddo had assigned him and get a proper rest in bed.

The setting sun painted the sky in hues of gold and red.

In the dimly lit corridor of the pirate ship's second floor, there wasn't a soul in sight. It was eerily quiet.

This was where Taddo's crew rested, with rooms lining both sides of the hallway.

Tap. Tap. Tap.

After some time, the sound of footsteps echoed from the stairwell. A small figure emerged in the dim light, slowly walking down the corridor.

It was a boy, about eight or nine years old, walking cautiously, as if on high alert. Every now and then, he glanced nervously over his shoulder before continuing toward the far end of the hallway.

Eventually, he reached the last door, directly across from the stairs. A narrow wooden door stood before him, with a wooden sign hanging on it that read: "Storage Room."

"Aha, finally found it!"

The boy grinned as he looked up at the sign, his childish face lighting up with joy.

But just then—

Grrr…

A loud growl came from his stomach, breaking the silence. As the noise grew louder, the boy's expression turned panicked. He crouched down, clutching his stomach with both hands.

"Darn it, all that old man's fault! I haven't eaten all day—I'm starving!" the boy grumbled under his breath, glaring toward the stairwell.

Thankfully, the noise soon subsided.

After waiting a while longer to make sure everything was quiet, the boy exhaled in relief. He stood up slowly, stepped forward cautiously, and pushed open the door to the storage—