Danger is Nearby

Whether the Endless Land was a deceptive legend or truly existed, Ethan didn't get a clear answer.

After completing the membership process and receiving an unremarkable Pointer, Ethan was led to the living quarters specifically for adventurers to rest.

Although it was just a single bedroom and a small bathroom, for adventurers who spent long periods drifting at sea, the environment here was simply paradise.

Clean beds, unlimited fresh water, and food you could eat until you were stuffed.

"To be able to provide all this for free, this Guild is even more powerful than I thought."

Recalling the mental power fluctuations that emanated from the clerk when he used the Magic Stone earlier, Ethan knew that the guy who always had a smile on his face was definitely not someone to be trifled with.

"What should I do next?"

Ethan took out the Magic Stone Wood had given him. This was the only thing he had that could be exchanged for resources. Other than that, there were the clothes and books the Ancient One had given him, neither of which was valuable and certainly couldn't be exchanged for enough supplies to support him going out to sea.

"So... I really have no choice, do I?"

The Magic Stone Wood gave him was his only hope for his next voyage. If he absolutely had to keep it, he could only rely on the Water Creation Spell and getting food from the ocean, then hoping to find an island – or Space-Time Energy – in the shortest possible time.

"Putting my hope in something unknown like that, doing it once is enough."

Moreover, by reading the information provided by the Guild, Ethan increasingly understood the rules of survival in this world: adventurers collect resources, exchange them for items that can increase their chances of survival, such as better ships, and then use that improved foundation to find more resources, and continue to enhance their strength.

This kind of cycle was the most basic rule of survival in this vast ocean, and it was also the rule the Adventurer's Guild worked hard to maintain.

"Using this Magic Stone to exchange for enough food is the bottom line. I don't have to prepare water... No, that would be too conspicuous. I still need to prepare some."

Having decided on his direction, Ethan's mind raced, planning what he would do next.

"If possible, I should get a new ship as soon as possible. My small boat is too poor in both capacity and safety. Even a slightly larger wave poses a risk of capsizing – even if I don't drown, it will result in the loss of supplies."

What he wasn't sure about was the price of ships in this world. Perhaps it wasn't a goal that could be achieved in a short time. In that case, he would have to control his range of activity.

Looking at the Pointer he received earlier, this Pointer issued by the Guild looked unremarkable, but it had a very important function – it could point to Floating Islands within a certain range, making it easier for adventurers to find their targets more quickly.

In addition, there was a dial on the outside of the box. With a gentle turn, the Pointer would point in the direction of Stat Island, allowing adventurers to find their way 'home' no matter how far they sailed.

Putting the Pointer away, Ethan continued with the simplest Mental Power Training. Even though he saw no progress, he persisted, because this was the only way he knew to make himself stronger.

"This world... might not be as peaceful as it seems..."

Danger was actually not far away. And being a good person didn't mean everyone would treat you well.

"I hope I'm just being petty..."

After a good night's rest, Ethan didn't waste any more time and immediately went to the Guild hall to trade the Magic Stone in his hand.

He didn't choose to go to the market because it was crowded and full of people, and he lacked the means to protect himself. There was no telling what he might encounter there.

The Guild was relatively much safer, even if he would lose a bit on the price due to the commission.

In fact, the situation was much better than Ethan had expected. The Guild didn't rip him off and even directly told him: this was a high-quality combat Magic Stone that could be exchanged for enough resources, with plenty left over. If he simply exchanged it for food and water, it would be enough for Ethan to live comfortably on the island for quite some time.

"Can I trade for a ship?"

Ethan's question didn't draw ridicule; instead, it drew appreciative glances from the Guild staff, who seemed to look at him more favorably – it seemed the Guild was indeed dedicated to cultivating better adventurers and was quite annoyed with those who just idled around.

Although he didn't know what hidden purpose there was, the current situation was more advantageous for Ethan.

"How big of a ship do you need?"

Ethan thought for a moment. He wasn't planning on recruiting strangers because the matter of Space-Time Energy was difficult to expose, especially when he lacked the ability to protect himself. So, if he was alone, he couldn't sail too large a ship.

"Not too big, one person can handle it. The main thing is that it can withstand some wind and waves."

"Then a ten-meter-long, double-decked single-masted sailboat should be enough." The clerk took out a notebook from the side and checked: "Is an old ship okay? If it's an old ship, in addition to a full load of food and fresh water, you can also exchange for some other things."

Ethan didn't consider it for long. Old ships didn't matter as long as they were sturdy and durable. After all, in his opinion, even this ship was just a temporary measure.

"As long as it's a good ship, new or old doesn't matter."

"Don't worry, anything listed on our roster is definitely a good ship that can be used normally. Old ships with hidden dangers will be recycled into lumber by us."

"Lumber?" Ethan's eyes lit up: "I have a small boat, do you buy them?"

"Of course! Should we include it in this transaction?"

Not only did he get a new ship, but he also managed to 'sell' his old small boat along the way. While happy, Ethan also realized that the value of this Magic Stone was even greater than he had thought.

Since he had sold it, he wouldn't regret it. What concerned him was the term 'combat Magic Stone'.

"This world really isn't that peaceful."

Inspection, transaction.

Ethan got his new ship, a sailboat about ten meters long, divided into two layers including the deck and the bottom. Although the length was similar to his original one, the height was much greater, and the draft was much deeper. From now on, when he found an island, he couldn't just rush in but had to choose a suitable mooring spot. It had a single mast and one sail. The bow and stern were slightly higher, forming two cabins, each with a small door allowing him to enter.

These two cabins, in addition to storing supplies, also provided him with a place to shelter from wind and rain. Although the space was cramped and he couldn't even stand up straight inside, it was much better than his previous completely exposed small boat.

Besides the new ship and the full load of food and water, he chose some basic daily necessities with the remaining balance, such as a low-quality fire-attribute Magic Stone powered stove, so he could cook food at sea without the risk of burning down the entire ship.

When the transaction was completed and the Guild staff had filled his new ship with food and water, he didn't return to the accommodation provided by the Guild, nor did he stay on the ship overnight. Instead, he immediately sailed his new ride, just painted with the name 'Goddess of Dawn', away from Stat Island.

While he was busy with the handover and loading supplies at the port, he had felt malicious stares more than once. Those stares came from strangers he didn't know, and also from one of his 'acquaintances'.

"Rodney... I didn't see Wood. I wonder if they've gone their separate ways... or is Wood hiding even deeper?"

He really didn't want to think the worst of people, but he had no room for error. The safest way right now was to leave Stat Island as soon as possible, disappearing from their sight before everyone with ill intentions towards him could react. The probability of being found in the vast ocean was undoubtedly much lower.

Everything unfolded just as Ethan had planned. The people watching him never expected him to head straight out to sea. By the time some of them reacted and went back to call for help to give chase, he was long gone.

The few who did react didn't have reliable boats to catch up to Ethan. These were likely the sort of people the Adventurer's Guild staff looked down on, the ones just scraping by on the island. Unable to make a living, they'd gotten greedy and set their sights on Ethan. Unfortunately, once he was at sea, their dilapidated boats were no match for his. Even though Ethan's boat was old, it was still in better condition than their poorly maintained and repaired vessels.

Only when Stat Island was no longer visible and there were no boats pursuing him on the sea did Ethan finally let out a sigh of relief.

"Safe for now."

Next, he needed to decide on a direction and then search for the Floating Islands that could appear at any time.

But before that, he habitually summoned the Space-Time Pointer, wanting to see if his greatest reliance had 'searched' for a new target.

The result didn't disappoint him. The Space-Time Pointer, which had previously shown 'Searching...', now displayed an arrow again, pointing directly to his side and slightly ahead. What made him even more overjoyed was that compared to the triple arrows shown when he first set sail, this time there was only one.

This meant the Space-Time Energy wasn't far from him, perhaps even very close.

"My luck suddenly turned good. It really is true that good deeds are rewarded."

Before that thought even faded, the Pointer for the Floating Island, which he had casually taken out, also began to spin. It quickly locked onto a direction and didn't change again.

"Uh... constantly shaking means no target, a fixed direction means it's found a Floating Island... When luck comes, you can't stop it."

Just as Ethan was about to agonize over which one to go for first, he noticed that the directions indicated by the two Pointers were almost identical.

"Well, this works out. I'll head in this direction and see which one I find first."

Although he muttered this, Ethan's heart leaned more towards the Space-Time Energy. Perhaps the prospect of traveling to different planes offered a greater sense of anticipation. So, in the following days, he constantly adjusted his course according to the Space-Time Pointer.

"There are so many different worlds! Even if I can't stay for long, there are countless ways to make my life better in this world. It even seems possible to achieve eternal life, or become a higher-level being!"

He wasn't sure how to find the Endless Land, but eternal life was also incredibly tempting, and it seemed more within his reach.

Even if dwelling on such things was too far-fetched for now, it couldn't stop Ethan from letting his mind wander and ponder them during his free time.

However, after he found the scattered Space-Time Energy, used the Teleportation Array, and was then immediately targeted by a group of women in leather armor aiming their bows at all his vital points, that thought was thrown to who knows where.