Sarah's Inner World

"Phew..." Ryze released the spell sustaining the magic circle when the Leviathan stopped firing.

"Captain, this ship... is ours now? Just like that? So quickly and so easily?"

Raven spoke haltingly, his face full of disbelief.

"Am I really not dreaming?"

"It seems not..."

Sarah felt like a mere ornament.

The entire crew of the Siren felt like mere ornaments.

They hadn't done anything, yet in barely ten minutes, they'd somehow ended up with a massive ship?

"Don't sell yourselves short." Ryze was breathing a little heavily.

"Such is the law of nature: the Law of the Jungle. Without that kid, the Leviathan would have dealt with you in no more than ten minutes. One barrage would've been enough."

"All we can do is stand against that law. When we have great power, we must become Guardians of Order, not oppress the weak."

"Guardians of Order..." Sarah still couldn't quite believe it.

She couldn't take in anything about order right now. The Leviathan represented nearly half of Gangplank's strength. Losing the warship would be a devastating blow to him!

"I'll be able to avenge my mother soon." Sarah clenched her fists, breathing rapidly. Ryze noticed it all.

Blinded by revenge... Ryze shook his head. Sarah clearly had some issues deep within her.

"Hey, are you coming aboard? Come take a look at your new ship!" Ato leaned over the railing and called out.

"Come aboard? Right, we should take a look."

Sarah lowered the Small Wooden Boat and boarded the Leviathan with Ryze, Raven, and some of the sailors.

When they reached the deck, the sailors ignored Andrew, who was huddled in a corner—the ship's only survivor.

They were immediately stunned by how advanced the Leviathan was.

"As you'd expect from a military warship. Every component off the Production Line fits together perfectly, and even the masts are beautifully designed. This place is paradise!"

A sailor who knew about shipbuilding exclaimed.

While everyone was absorbed in the Leviathan, Ryze pulled Ato aside.

"Sarah is bent on revenge. Now that she has this ship, she's already very close to her goal."

"I'm worried that after she gets her revenge, she'll become the next Gangplank. She'll listen to you. Can you help her let go of her hatred?"

Ato smiled knowingly. Of course Ryze had noticed what he himself had overlooked. "Leave it to me."

Sarah was gazing at the Leviathan's various facilities when it suddenly dawned on her that the ship didn't belong to her yet.

She needed Ato's permission, after all. He was the one who had won the Spoils of War.

She made up her mind: if Ato changed his mind, she'd borrow the Leviathan for a while, whatever it cost.

"Looks like you're pleased with this ship." Ato patted Sarah on the shoulder.

"Mr. Ato... are you really giving it to me?" Sarah asked nervously. This was the moment that would decide her fate.

"Of course. What would I do with it? I'd have to learn how to sail it, maintain it regularly, refuel it, find somewhere to dock it..."

"Thank you so much!" Sarah bowed deeply, cutting off his rambling.

"There's no way I can repay you for all your help. If you ever need me, Sarah Fortune will be by your side, no matter the danger!"

"Whoa, whoa, don't do that..." Ato waved his hands frantically.

In his past life, he'd never even exchanged more than a few words with an ordinary person, let alone met a stunning beauty like her. He'd certainly never been thanked with a bow.

The first time he'd met Sarah, he'd only managed to talk to her by immersing himself in his game character.

Sarah stayed bowed for a long time, unwilling to rise. She'd thought she'd cried all the tears she had, and hadn't shed any for over a decade, but now her eyes were wet again.

The others noticed and turned to look at Ato, leaving him at a loss.

After all, he'd just been the Demon God who killed everyone aboard an entire ship!

Ato looked to Ryze for help. Ryze frantically gestured with his eyes. This was the perfect moment to set Sarah's slightly warped outlook straight!

Ato gritted his teeth, stepped forward, and held Sarah by the shoulders, making her meet his gaze.

Tears still clung to the corners of Sarah's eyes. It made him feel awkward, but he steeled himself and said:

"Sarah, I want you to answer me. Gangplank is a failed ruler. He wields power, but he's cruel and merciless."

"Now you have power equal to his. Have you thought about what will happen after your revenge is complete? Bilgewater will be leaderless, and its fragile order will collapse. Then someone strong will need to unite the factions and restore order."

"I know Gangplank is someone you have to bring down. I won't stand in the way of your revenge."

"But I need to know: will you be the one to restore order? Will you build a Bilgewater unlike the one Gangplank rules?"

"I will." Sarah looked calmly into Ato's eyes without the slightest hesitation.

"Ever since my mother died at Gangplank's hands, I swore I'd never become like him. I'll take over Bilgewater and prove that Gangplank failed, that everything he did was wrong."

"I'm glad I could help." Ato let go of her, turned around, and scratched his head.

"I'm sorry, Mr. Ato, Mr. Ryze. I was too rash before. My revenge against Gangplank needs more planning."

"Even without the Leviathan, Gangplank is still one of the strongest forces in Bilgewater. One mistake could cost us our lives."

"I'm glad you see it that way," Ryze said with a smile.

"I'd also suggest that we don't take the Leviathan back to Bilgewater. We need to find another harbor for it," Ato added.

"A ship was following us. During the battle, it came close to observe us."

"Once they saw what happened, they quickly left. I didn't stop them, so Gangplank must already know he's lost the Leviathan."

"I can imagine how furious he must be." Sarah felt pleased. She was happy to do anything that would make Gangplank suffer.

"He'll certainly strengthen his defenses. When the Leviathan returns to Bilgewater, that'll be the moment you face off against him. We're not there yet. You're not prepared, so you can't start a war."

"That's a very reasonable suggestion," Sarah agreed.

"We're not familiar with fighting from the Leviathan yet. But where can we find a suitable harbor? This ship is too big. Even Bilgewater only has a few harbors that can accommodate one this large."

"Just not Noxus," Ato said with a shrug.

"Gangplank stole it from there in the first place. Docking in Noxus would be like walking into a tiger's den. But we can't get too far from Bilgewater, and we'll need supplies too. There are too many requirements..."

Where should they dock? Ato began to think it over seriously.