Limitless Seas, Chapter 4.

Chapter 4.

Larson walked out of the dungeon and found himself looking at a late afternoon overcast sky. Time inside the dungeon was always a bit off and you could never tell if just a few moments or several hours had passed while being inside. The activity was picking up around the fort, and several sailors and marines were keeping watch over the harbor entrance and the sea around them. Being at the top of a plateau, the fortress gave a commanding view and unless shielded by magic of some kind, no ship could approach without plenty of warning time. An unusual system prompt appeared as Larson toured the defenses.

Congratulations, you have gained a new level and are now Level 7. Due to your current situation, your current class of Privateer Captain will evolve and change. Visit your ship, The Sea Venom to explore the new options that are available to you.

That answered the question of where his next destination should be. He was excited to see his ship, knowing that Cassia would also improve her control over the Sea Venomas she mirrored Larson’s new level. He was a bit concerned that his class would change, sure, he couldn’t remain as a Privateer if he lost his letter of marque, but this sounded like it was something a bit more involved than just a change in title. It was a bit of a slog to get back down to the port and town, so he had some time to think as he traveled.

Approaching the front gate to the fortress, he was happy to see that Tarley or another of his officers had sent a work party to see about repairs. Several of the work crew were sailors, but one of them was a civilian they had evacuated from Stratwall Harbor. The man was a carpenter’s apprentice, a profession that was going to be in high demand around this place. It turned out the gates were ruined, a cannonball tends to do that to wooden structures, but they could salvage some of the materials for a makeshift barricade until enough trees could be felled to construct a new gate.

Looking over the island as he descended the winding path toward the port, Larson realized that while the island was a decent size, it only held so many raw materials. Things like wood, stone, and metal had to be brought in, especially since Larson wasn’t about to let them strip the whole place bare. This was their home and he wanted it not just to be functional and defensible, he also wanted it to be a nice place to live.

“Captain, I take it that since you’re back among us, the trip into the dungeon went as planned?” Tarley asked, the man spotting Larson as he made his way to the harbor.

“Aye, there’s a new ruler in the dungeon, a lizardfolk chief called Paktul’pa,” Larson advised.

“What does that mean for us? Should I have Ibn set a guard over the entrance?” Tarley asked.

“Having a guard set isn’t the worst idea, but not because of a threat from inside the dungeon. That place is going to generate a lot of funds for our little venture, at least once word of its existence gets out and we start attracting adventurers. The guards are there to protect the dungeon. If someone tries to remove Paktul’pa, we’ll know and can join in to help him defend the place,” Larson said.

“Very well, sir, I’ll see that it’s done. Are you sure there’s no threat from the dungeon itself?” Tarley asked.

“No, the system will enforce the agreement I worked out. Paktul’pa is even supposed to come to our aid if the town is in danger,” Larson said.

“We can use all the help we can get. Everyone’s about rested up, what are your orders?” Tarley asked.

“For now, get everyone working on repairs to the town so it’s liveable. The place was pretty run down and between our attack, and the invasion of dungeon creatures, it needs a lot of work before our people can live a normal life here. I also want a complete report on our supplies, we’ll need to make a run somewhere to take or buy some more,” Larson said, thinking for a minute over their next steps once the immediate needs were seen to.

“We’ll make it happen, sir,” Tarley said. The man looked equal parts overwhelmed by the scale of what they were trying to do and excited for the future. So far, Tarley had been more than competent as both a first mate and a captain, and Larson had no doubt he’d get the job done.

“Great, once you’ve got everyone working, gather the officers and meet me aboard the Venom. Making this place livable for our people is a priority, but making the Free Isles fear us is also on the agenda. It looks like we’re to be pirates, so let’s see where we want to strike first,” Larson said.

Tarley hustled off to get things rolling, and Larson made his way to the Sea Venom. He didn’t remember much of his prior life as a human, but he knew there was a connection to the sea and brief memories of massive steel ships that dwarfed anything sailing the seas of this world. Despite the incredibly powerful nature of the vessels in his old world, none of the images in his mind made the same type of connection he felt with the Sea Venom. His blood had seeped into the wood from the time he spent chained to the rails, and his future had been bound to it from the moment he slew his captors and seized control. With Cassia also bound to the ship, that connection had only gotten stronger.

“My Captain, it is good to see you once again. What is happening, I sense that change is upon us,” Cassia thought to him.

“The system has something new in store for us, but I’ll need to spend some time in my cabin to figure it all out,” Larson replied.

“I stand ready to assist you in any way I can, my life, my future, is bound to you, Captain Larson,”Cassia offered.

The ship wasn’t exactly a beautiful thing, it was a hodgepodge of design elements, the basis of which was a warship. Sloppily converted to a merchantman, the ogre engineer, Bug Bartholomew, had helped change it back to something that better resembled its original purpose. Guns lined the deck, and Cassia’s serpent-like figurehead stood proudly at the bow. Back in his cabin, Larson felt he was at home. Taking up a place behind his desk, he opened his interface to see what the System had in store for him.

Since the revocation of your charter as a Privateer of the Free Isle, and your condemnation as a pirate, your current class of Privateer Captain is no longer valid. New class options have been unlocked, please choose from the following. Once you have chosen, your existing class skills and abilities will be altered to fit your new class.

1. Buccaneer Captain. A solo pirate that sails the seas in search of treasure and fame. This class focuses on updating and improving a single ship and crew, but when sailing with other pirates, the Buccaneer Captain can confer bonuses to sailing and combat to his allies. The Buccaneer Captain can command great respect and wealth with his ship becoming exceptionally powerful compared to other vessels of its type.

2. Dread Pirate. A bloodthirsty pirate that is feared around the realm. This class focuses on a single ship and crew, gaining blood points as you take prizes and inflict casualties. As you gain blood points, you can convert them into more skills and power for yourself, your ship, and your crew. A Dread Pirate may sail with other pirates, granting a bonus to the combat skills of his allies. The Dread Pirate can grow to become extremely powerful, instilling crippling fear in his enemies, and respect from his allies.

3. Pirate Lord. Command not a single ship, but a port and fleet of vessels. A pirate lord is based on a stronghold where he will administer and grow his realm and add new ships to his fleet. A Pirate Lord may command his flagship for a short time but needs to be near the stronghold or dissent will begin to grow.

4. Merchant Captain. Set sail for distant lands where your reputation as a pirate is unknown. Carry cargo and brave the seas as you amass great wealth and power. As your wealth and power increase, the notorious nature of your past will be forgotten, eventually leading to a pardon by the Free Isles where you may return to conduct further trade. A Merchant Captain gains an advantage in negotiation and reading market conditions, as well as a small yet effective array of combat skills to defend his crew and cargo.

His life as a privateer was over, and now Larson had four choices for his new life and class. At first, Larson couldn’t help but feel angry, and despite the difficulties he had experienced from his first day in this world, he had enjoyed his new life. Back in the other world, he could become anything he wanted, but his future was pretty much set upon a single path once he had invested several years of his life into it. He knew that it would have been very difficult to change his career so suddenly, and there would have been no system to tailor his prior skills to fit his new career. Having four options given to him and having all his skills and abilities match his new profession, wasn’t entirely a bad thing.

The four choices were all aspects of his current life, but each focused more on a different area. The first, Buccaneer Captain, sounded like a good fit. He could sail the seas with his ship and crew, and after getting revenge on Lord Mox and the Free Isles, Larson could go where he wanted and explore this new world. The appeal was there, though he would have a hard time passing up the town and fleet he was growing. The life of a Buccaneer Captain seemed better suited to a single ship and crew.

He knew that he wasn’t a forgiving man, and Larson admitted that he wasn’t afraid to use violence to further his goals, but the Dread Pirate seemed a step too far in a dark direction. The Dread Pirate was an easy pass for Larson, but it was also an eye-opener. When the system that controlled an entire world saw enough darkness lurking in you to offer such a class, it should be seen as a warning to guard your behavior. Larson wasn’t going to change his ways, wasn’t going to become weak and easily manipulated, but he would need to guard himself so that he didn’t slip from becoming harsh and unyielding to becoming evil.

At first glance, the Pirate Lord seemed like the perfect fit, he already had a small flotilla of ships, a fortress, and a growing town under his control. Larson could easily slide into this life, and from the fragmented memories he still possessed from his old world, this was close to the life he had once led, commanding a fleet and business empire. He didn’t think there was any piracy in his background, but this was a new world with new opportunities and dangers that often required a different approach. Despite it being the closest fit, Larson wasn’t sure he wanted to be locked into the responsibility, he wanted to be out on the Venom, sailing the seas, not forced to administer an entire island.

His last choice wasn’t much of a choice for Larson. He knew markets and the world of business but had no desire for that to become his entire life. It also went against his pride to select a class that sort of forced him to accept what Lord Mox had done. This class almost felt like Larson had to admit he was wrong and work to gain forgiveness from the very people that had done evil to him. No, he wouldn’t become a Merchant Captain, working to build enough wealth to purchase absolution from the same people that wrongfully granted him the title of pirate.

For a long time, Larson sat there in his cabin, mulling over his options. There wasn’t any immediate threat, and he could take his time on this decision. His cabin felt like home, he could feel Cassia’s presence and hear the crewmen going about their daily tasks. It was much quieter than normal, with most of the crew off on other duties and only a skeleton crew aboard. Larson found that he relished the relaxing atmosphere of his ship and cabin. Could he give this up for an empire under his control, only stealing away for short trips aboard the Venom before duty called him back to his stronghold?

No, he would live this life differently from the last. He would do what stirred his blood and gave him satisfaction. He would command his ship, her crew, and give the responsibility for running this place to another. He wouldn’t become a bloodthirsty Dread Pirate, a merchant, or the Pirate Lord of an Island, he would become a Buccaneer and remain free to sail the seas as he sought fit.

You have selected the class, Buccaneer Captain. Please wait as your new skills and abilities are applied.

He was free, the seas of this new world were his to explore and conquer, but he had one thing to do first. Lord Mox and the Free Isles had wronged him, called him a pirate, and before he saw and partook of everything that this world had to offer, he would see his enemies destroyed.