Endless Ocean: Survival Begins with a Dugout Canoe-Chapter 112 - 109: Spar! Another Invitation
’The new generation is truly something else,’ Wright mused.
Watching the young captain before him, he suddenly felt an itch for a fight.
Spars between the Awakened were common. It helped them better master their Awakening Power and grow stronger through training.
His right hand stroked his longsword.
"Young man, to be able to kill a Glacier Dragon, your strength is outstanding among the younger generation I know. How about it? Care for a spar?"
"I’d be happy to oblige."
Seeing Shi Ming agree, Wright’s deep-set eyes sharpened, like a beast roused from its slumber.
He drew the broad longsword from his waist.
The screech of drawing steel rang out, a prelude to the coming clash.
Based on quality alone, the blade was no less impressive than the King Slayer before its upgrade. Just from the light reflecting off its razor-sharp edge, Shi Ming knew this was an extraordinary weapon. It had been stained by the blood of countless sea beasts, and the traditional refined steel used to forge it seemed to have been tempered and elevated by that very blood.
"Young man, this is just a spar. Let’s not go too far."
"After you, senior."
He had accepted Wright’s sudden invitation because he, too, had an itch for a fight.
He hadn’t had a chance to truly let loose in battle since awakening his new skill. This was the perfect opportunity.
Shi Ming did not use the King Slayer.
Activating the ice-attribute Awakening Power within him, a long saber forged of ice crystals materialized in his right hand, exuding a biting, frigid aura.
A-rank skill: Ice Annihilation!
It could forge weapons from ice out of thin air!
The weapon’s hardness was comparable to ordinary steel, and it even came with an ice enchantment effect.
And this was just one minor application of the A-rank Awakening skill.
"Excellent!"
The vast deck became their battlefield.
Everyone else quickly backed away. 𝘧𝘳𝘦ℯ𝓌𝘦𝒷𝘯𝑜𝑣𝘦𝓁.𝒸𝘰𝓂
Wright began in a defensive stance, not attacking. As the senior who had issued the challenge, he naturally wouldn’t make the first move. Shi Ming understood this. His Ice-Forged Long Saber tore through the heavy, damp sea air, condensing it into a visible line of white mist as he advanced.
CLANG—
In the blink of an eye, the blade was upon him.
A piercing scrape that set everyone’s teeth on edge rang out as the heavy longsword blocked the initial assault.
But a layer of frost had already condensed on Wright’s blade.
From that single clash, the temperature of his greatsword had dropped several degrees.
"Nice!"
Yize, watching from the sidelines, exclaimed with a hint of excitement.
"What a kid! What a skill!"
Wright’s deep voice grew more serious. No longer defending, he spun his blade like a tidal wave. Shi Ming’s reaction was just as swift; his Ice-Forged Long Saber met the heavy sword with a CRACK.
They had a tacit understanding; this was purely a contest of skill.
Within breaths, they had already exchanged a dozen blows.
Seeing that he couldn’t gain an advantage, Wright suddenly put more force into his attacks. A tight flurry of strikes temporarily suppressed Shi Ming’s assault as Wright let out a sudden roar, a strange power beginning to rise from him.
’Is he about to use an Awakening skill?’
Shi Ming didn’t seize the opportunity to launch a fierce counterattack.
’He also wanted to witness the veteran Awakened’s skill for himself!’
In the blink of an eye, dark clouds gathered in the clear sky, and the atmosphere grew heavy and oppressive. A clap of thunder followed. Wright’s eyes grew solemn, and streaks of lightning flashed within his pupils.
A-rank Awakening skill: Raging Sea Thunder!
Arcs of jagged lightning burst forth from his heavy sword.
"Mr. Stone, be careful! My teacher’s lightning is incredibly powerful," Yize called out from a distance.
As Shi Ming moved, a layer of crystalline ice armor formed over his body.
’I’m not afraid,’
’Pure ice is an insulator, a natural counter to lightning.’
Within a breath, the Ice-Forged Long Saber and the Thunderbolt Heavy Sword clashed again. The powerful Awakening abilities made the entire ship start to shake. But this was a spar, not a battle to the death. Both men controlled their power and technique well, allowing them to fight to their hearts’ content without causing excessive destruction.
But even so, in the heat of the moment, it was difficult to maintain perfect control.
CRACK!
The recently repaired deck cracked across a wide area once again!
Planks flew up, instantly turning into splinters,
burned to cinders by lightning, then frozen into dust by frost.
Both men simultaneously withdrew their weapons and nodded at each other in acknowledgment.
Yize watched the fight, his eyes glued to the two combatants.
’This is art, filled with the beauty of skill and power.’
’And to be able to fight my teacher to a standstill like this... just how strong is this Stone guy?’
...
Both men had countless trump cards they had yet to reveal.
But Shi Ming’s combat skills and abilities had already shocked Wright. In his eyes, Shi Ming’s fighting style was systematic, a clear sign of proper training... In this Wandering Era, that was an extremely rare thing!
’An elite from one of the major powers?’
’He looks like he’s from Dragon Country. Could he be one of their prodigies?’
’Have the youths of Da Yu really reached this level already?’
Wright was a well-known figure among the Twelve Stars, but at Shi Ming’s age, he had been just a brash young man. He had relied on his family’s status to get a good start in the Twelve Stars, always boasting about leaving to slay rampaging sea beasts. Yet when he first faced a real sea beast, he had been as stiff and clumsy as any greenhorn.
Yet this young man’s combat intelligence and power were on par with his own, even now!
And he was a dual A-rank Awakened on top of it all!
’This was the kind of person worth investing in and recruiting!’
After inspecting the quality of the Glacier Dragon, Wright nodded, indicating his willingness to buy it.
The two parties confirmed the specific details.
Wright took a small Honeycomb out of the larger one hanging from his waist.
"This is a specialty product of the Twelve Stars, called a Honeycomb. It’s a storage tool made from the hive of a species of undersea insect. It contains a small pocket dimension for storing items. The forty-five Pure Dome Crystals are inside. As for the Honeycomb itself, it’s not very expensive. Consider it payment for the damage our spar did to the ship’s hull."
"In that case, thank you, Mr. Wright."
Shi Ming accepted the Honeycomb.
"Young man, you are truly powerful. We’re planning a trip to a certain sea region to hunt a Cave Mother Insect, and perhaps even stronger sea beasts await. Are you sure you won’t consider joining my team?"
Wright extended the invitation to Shi Ming once more.
"We already have experts from all over the world joining us—a Fighting Master from the Black Gold Country, a top-tier expert from the Twelve Stars, a Great Swordsman from Vortex Country... Though we’re only a temporary squad, a single mission will be of great benefit to everyone involved."
"We can also spar during the mission. You’re still young and have immense potential. Often, a person’s strength isn’t just about them as an individual, but about their network and their team."
The subtext was clear: ’Join my team, and I’ll help you soar.’
Shi Ming hesitated for a moment.
"I’m sorry, Mr. Wright. I prefer to drift upon the sea with my ship, free and untethered."
’Are you kidding me?’
’If I join your team, how am I supposed to use the Map of the Endless Sea to hunt A- and B-rank sea beasts everywhere under everyone’s watchful eyes?’
’Not to mention, I also want to go see what an S-rank sea beast is like.’
’Even if it’s just finding their lairs and taking a peek from afar.’
Wright seemed to have anticipated this answer.
"That’s alright."
"When I was young, I also loved freedom and adventure. I still do, even more so now."
"But if you change your mind, you can contact me anytime."
...
...
...
Meanwhile, on the "Let There Be Light" channel.
The captain of the *Divine Comedy*, who had been silent for a long time, sent a message.
"Sir, with an introduction from a high-level contact in the Twelve Stars, ’Miss Yan’ has successfully gained Wright’s trust and joined the squad as an A-rank Awakened. Any word on how communications with Jinshan and the Black Society are progressing?"
