Chapter 11: Secondary Occupation: Sailor

On a certain ship off the coast of Tortuga Port, Liu Zhi, carrying his pack, was diligently tending to the sails. Behind him, a group of mercenaries dressed much like himself watched him with expressions reserved for fools.

They had all been hired by the Governor of Tortuga Port to clear out nearby mermen and protect the shipping lanes. Instead of resting on the way to the mermen’s gathering place, Liu Zhi was helping the sailors with the sails—a task that no one else would bother with.

Yet Liu Zhi, happily controlling the sails, paid no mind to their opinions. Had he not heard that among the mermen targeted in this operation were those of the Stormwave Clan, he would never have gotten involved in this messy affair.

After boarding the ship, Liu Zhi realized they were not heading straight to the Stormwave Clan’s stronghold. They were to patrol several routes out of Tortuga Port, striking at various mermen clans that appeared nearby.

Although in a few years, new mermen clans would emerge among the reefs, for now, the lanes would be safer, and incidents like a mermen clan attacking the Silver Fleet of Cise would be less likely.

Liu Zhi fought alongside the fleet against two mermen clans, and through these battles, he understood how insignificant his own strength was. This was merely a local escort fleet; neither their equipment nor fighting power was the best.

Still, their combat effectiveness exceeded that of Liu Zhi, who had studied the mermen for over ten days. Upon reaching the mermen’s territory, the warships opened with a barrage of cannon fire, then the sailors formed battle lines and charged at the enemy.

The mercenaries who came along for easy profit followed behind, contributing little, and within an hour or two, each mermen clan was wiped out.

More than once, Liu Zhi suspected that the fleet's true purpose in hiring mercenaries was simply to show off their strength, to remind the mercenaries—who were willing to do anything for money—that Tortuga Port was not a place where muscle alone let you run rampant; should the Governor’s men wish to eliminate them, it would take but a moment.

But after speaking with the veteran mercenaries, Liu Zhi learned he was mistaken. They had not been brought in simply for show; these first battles were only the beginning. In the true war, the mercenaries would lead the charge, not the sailors, for the mercenaries were little more than disposable cannon fodder.

Knowing this, the mercenaries lingered on deck, conserving their strength, determined to survive the coming slaughter. It was for this reason they regarded Liu Zhi as a fool.

It was clear that no one in Tortuga Port would let Liu Zhi hang back in the charge simply because he helped with the sails.

Yet Liu Zhi had his own motives. As he earnestly adjusted the sails, he glanced at the data for the "Sailing Skill," quietly calculating.

Suddenly, the urgent clang of the bell rang out. A sailor in the lookout shouted, “Stormwave Clan sighted! They’re launching a counterattack!”

At the call, the mercenaries stood, drew their weapons, and limbered up, making their final preparations for battle.

Liu Zhi remained unmoved, giving the sail a final strong pull, filling it to the brim.

An older mercenary, seeing this, shook his head and approached Liu Zhi. “Don’t waste your strength. We’re about to fight.”

Liu Zhi kept pulling at the sail. “Just one more gust, that’s all I need.”

The old mercenary was at a loss for words, about to speak further, when a breeze swept across the deck. Liu Zhi, excited, pulled the sail taut once more before carefully rolling it up. His eyes gleamed with exhilaration.

The old mercenary was about to ask, but Liu Zhi waved him off, tying down the ropes before joining the mercenary ranks.

Liu Zhi had no interest in conversation. All his attention was fixed on the text appearing before him.

[Sailing Skill Level 4 (0+0/9000): Mastery in controlling sails, an essential skill for sailors. Can sense the supernatural power of wind in the air. Strength +0.4, Spirit +0.2]

[Supernatural Ability: Gale—Summon a powerful wind to a designated location. The strength of the wind depends on Spirit.]

[Criteria met for secondary profession Sailor (Sailing Skill 4/1, Basic Sailor Swordsmanship 4/1). Would you like to take up the Sailor profession?]

Reading these words, Liu Zhi finally smiled. He had received the prompt for meeting the requirements for Sailor when he first mastered the sailing skill, but upon checking, he found that if he accepted then, his profession would have been Apprentice Sailor.

After reading the profession description, Liu Zhi knew exactly how to proceed, and so he had delayed taking up the secondary profession until now.

Sure enough, upon choosing Sailor, more text popped up before him.

[Successfully taken up secondary profession—Sailor. Based on your ability, you are rated as Supernatural Sailor (Apprentice, Ordinary, Elite, Supernatural), Level 1]

[Sailor Attributes (per level): Strength +0.1, Agility +0.1, Constitution +0.1]

[Sailor Skills: Ship Handling—As a sailor, controlling a vessel is essential. The size of the vessel depends on the sailor’s ability. (Apprentice can handle a dinghy; Ordinary Sailor can operate a one-man sailboat; Elite Sailor can operate a small sailboat requiring two people; Supernatural Sailor can operate a small sailboat requiring three people)]

[Supernatural Skill: My Ship—As a sailor, you cherish your vessel as you do your own body. After controlling a ship for a certain period, it becomes supernatural, gaining effects that match the sailor’s supernatural level.]

“This is exactly what I wanted,” Liu Zhi snapped his fingers. Setting aside the requirements for Boatswain, First Mate, and Captain, the ability to take a ship out to sea as a Sailor was reward enough for his recent efforts.

What he truly desired was a means of leaving at any time; after all, in this era of great voyages, being trapped at port was an agony.

Now, with this secondary profession, as soon as he acquired a small boat, he could set sail whenever he pleased—no longer forced to return to Tortuga Port midway at someone else’s whim.

With this excitement, Liu Zhi relaxed his grip on the saber. Out on the sea, the Stormwave Clan’s mermen had surged forth in a dense mass, their mouths emitting guttural growls as they rode the waves, brandishing fish spears and spiked clubs, charging straight for the warships.