Ocean Of Broken Dreams

Unfortunately, it wasn't some useful information from the book which attracted his attention but something from the outside the ship.

'Hmmm…a weak presence of some powerful creature…'

John's crow also seamed a little bit restless.

He extended his perception outside his cabin. – "That kid have some abnormal luck! To think that he made a contract with something like that…"

'Just by relying on that snake in the future he will surely have some accomplishments…'

Suddenly John stopped this exited line of thought and calmly returned to study the Universe Index.

"Only whose who survive can accomplish something in this life…hopefully he is one…"

"Craaaaw!"

[…]

Right after returning to the ship Alexander for a few moments had a sensation that someone observed him, but it lasted less then one second so didn't pay attention to that.

He tried to inspect the little Snake with the Boundless Energy. 'I can't even see it…I sense it because we have a connection overwise I would think that it's only a normal bracelet.'

Suddenly Alexander felt someone's gaze right on him. It was Old Hound.

The boy nodded to the man. – "I killed the Moon Tryq. It wasn't easy thought. One person died but the other one awakened his bloodline."

Hound listened to the description of the fight and sometimes nodded. – "Such…unprofessional…" – His azure mist started wiggling around his body. – "…hunt…still you're…a novice hunter!"

The old man extended his hand and Alexander saw a round token in his palm. In the center there was a smiling face. It was surrounded by wolf heads biting each other.

Alexander took it, and threw a questioning look at Old Hound. – "It's…a token…of…Hunters!"

The last word was spoken with much more vigour.

The boy wanted to ask something else, but the old man already turned around and went away.

He could only store away this token.

"EVERYONE RETURN TO YOUR CABINS! WE'RE ABOUT TO RETURN TO THE UPPER OCEAN!" – John's voice submerged the ship.

[…]

"What is this?" – Mumbled John once the Sorrow entered the spatial tear. The Interspace was silent as usual. Specs of different energies randomly flowed around attracted or repulsed by various spatial disturbances.

John raised his hand a few golden energy specs floated towards him. They were extremely slow and even seamed… 'Unwilling?!'

Captains pupils shrunk and he exerted more attractive power. 'Yes…this energy definitely has some consciousness left…'

The more energy the used the more resistance he felt.

However, it still was akin an ant opposing the biggest mountain in the world. Once John touched the golden energy he frowned. 'It's the same from before…when the Sixth Prince disappeared.'

Now, this energy was everywhere around them. Moving randomly, it still had some bits of consciousness.

'It means that this energy was emitted not too much before…'

John immediately became more cautious and extended his perception as far as he could. Now not even dust passed unnoticed.

The ship advanced quickly towards the Upper Ocean.

[…]

Blackwater seamed to Alexander even gloomier than usual. Some dark clouds cowered the sky above it and time to time some lightning could be seen.

"The Deep is angry…" – Commented Doctor. – "Something bad is going to happen." – His face was particularly serious and dark.

This time the crew didn't even had the time to land before a hooded person arrived running from a nearby street and silently gave Captain a letter.

"New mission?"

"Our Lord is angry. The Deep craves blood." – Answered the messenger. – "You have to go to the Distant Battlefield Road."

John's face stiffened. – "It's an expedition? I must prepare some things then…" – He opened the letter and started reading. At some point some slight surprise appeared on his face. – "There other Ocean Lords? Who?"

"The young ones…You are the only one from the past generation."

Captain sighed. – "To become a babysitter during a military expedition…" – He turned towards the rest of the crew who were looking at him with questioning gazes. – "In the evening you are departing towards the Distant Battlefield Road. You have five hours to prepare everything and return to the ship. I will catch up with you later."

Alexander saw the woman with beastly eyes and wheat-colored hair from before following Captain towards the city. – "She is Captain's contracted creature. No one apart Doctor has ever seen her true form, but she is monstrously powerful." – Explained James.

"Doctor called her "Feathered Woman" before…is she some sort of a bird?" – Asked the boy. James could only scroll his shoulders with an uncaring expression. Alexander could only change the subject. – "What is the Distant Battlefield Road?"

"It's a huge artifact created in the ancient times. Its main use is to create a stable channel towards other worlds. One must have a lot of energy and coordinates of the destination. In the Broken Ocean the Distant Battlefield Road is the most popular way to invade other worlds…"

Alexander was immediately taken aback by the last statement. – "Invade?"

James nodded. – "Well, the population of the Broken Ocean is huge, and the sheer number of resources needed to sustain all these people is equally big so, to reduce the burden on our world we plunder the others."

"So that's the case…" - Alexander has never thoughts about this aspect before. James nodded. – "If we were only to use resources from the Broken Ocean, it would've already become a barren and lifeless land…"

[…]

Alexander didn't have anything to buy or prepare so he only found a small restaurant and after lunch returned to the ship.

Other crewmembers bought some equipment but nothing interesting: weapons, materials, strange instruments and objects.

*Toc* *Toc* *Toc*

Suddenly a sound of a wooden cane hitting against the deck attracted Alexander's attention.

He saw an old man with a long black beard. Even if his whole figure was covered by a beautiful blue robe the man seemed muscular and well-build for his age.

Long black hair covered his shoulders.

As the man walked forward around his frame formed many colored sparks. Alexander had and extreme urge to observe him with Boundless Energy but fortunately the boy managed to repress it immediately.

"Vice-Captain." – Greeted James respectfully. The old man nodded.

"Finally returned, Bag of Bones? – Asked the Beast-woman. – "Long time no see, Helena. You are as beautiful as ever!" – Answered the old man paying no attention to the nickname she gave him.

He looked around and finally his gaze landed on Alexander. – "Someone new? Interesting." – Suddenly his eyes became sharp as he looked towards a particularly dark corner.

*Toc*

His cane touched the deck. '[Sorcery: Banishment]'

"OLD BASTAR…" – Doctor's voice sounded only for a second before disappearing completely. Old man softly sighed. – "The air feels fresher now…" – Helena nodded, visibly satisfied.

Alexander was left somehow speechless. 'Doctor isn't weak…but that old man made him disappear like if it was nothing…' Some dread appeared in his heart.

Once everybody returned the ship started moving and Blackwater swiftly disappeared in the distance. James said to Alexander that the Distant Battlefield Road wasn't very far from them but still it will take at least four days to reach it.

[…]

"Wow…it's…enormous!" – Alexander was shocked by the construction in front of him. It was very simple. Ten concentric stone circles covered by runes and energy lines.

Only the outer four circles were slowly moving now creating hundred meters waves.

*Toc*

'[Sorcery: Barrier]' As one of the massive waves was about to hit the ship a transparent barrier completely blocked the impact.

'One has to be shockingly powerful just to go near this thing…' Thought Alexander as another wave crushed against the barrier. 'And the one who created it should be even more…'

In the distance suddenly appeared another ship. It was a bit smaller than Sorrow. 'It's sure livelier than our ship.' Thought Alexander as he observed the fiery red sails.

"That is the Cataclysm!" – Said James as his huge belly appeared from the lower deck.

*PSHHHHH* As the gigantic wave crushed towards the Cataclysm it was greeted by an equally terrifying explosion of fire.

The water was directly evaporated, and Alexander felt some remnant heat even from all the distance which separated the two sh.i.p.s.

"BLAKE! FIGHT ME!"

A thunderous roar suddenly arrived from the other ship and a ball of red flames shot in the air towards the Sorrow.

The old Vice-Captain observed as the flaming man neared their ship. A slight smile appeared on his lips.

"Captain Blake isn't here at the moment." – Suddenly he erupted with power. – "I'm too old to offer you an interesting fight, Young Man." – He raised his cane. – "But I can offer you a one-sided absolute suppression." – His eyes shined with dangerous glint. Alexander who wasn't far from Vice-Captain felt coldness and bloodl.u.s.t. It wasn't concentrated on him but still he couldn't stop trembling.

'[Sorcery: Space Lock]' – The shouting man suddenly stopped mid-air.

'[Sorcery: Multidirectional Gravity Grip]' – Sound of cracking bones could be heard from where Alexander stood.

'[Sorcery: Gravity Pull]' – The old man pointed down towards the sea and the man, as if an invisible force pulled him down, crashed towards the water surface and disappeared.

In less than two second the fight was over, and the fate of the flaming man was unknown.

Silence covered both sh.i.p.s.