The wooden ship groaned with every wave, and the air was thick with the stink of sweat, old beer, and gunpowder.
Below deck, in a dark prison cell, a weak lantern swung from a rusty hook, throwing shaky light across the faces of the chained prisoners.
A black haired young man sat quietly against the wet wall, eyes closed and listening. His name is Ken.
Upstairs, the pirates were loud, laughing, drinking, singing.
"Ha! Look at all these Initiates!" one pirate shouted, thumping his mug on the table. "We ain't never caught this many before!"
"Easy gold!" another yelled, drunk and red-faced. "Those asura clan pay big for 'em, long as they haven't taken a daemon spirit yet.."
"Once they bond a daemon spirit, they turn into real Pathwalker. Too dangerous then. But now? Hah! Now they're just valuable goods."
They burst into laughter, banging their mugs together as one pirate held up a spoon like a monocle. "Mmm, yes, good spine on this one. I'll take three! Ho ho ho!"
"I heard they use them as some kind of furnace." one pirate mumbled, nearly falling over.
Just then, hurried footsteps pounded down the stairs. A young pirate burst through the door, out of breath. "Captain! We're close! Few knots from the reef!"
The singing died down for a moment. Heavy boots clunked on the steps above. The door creaked open.
The pirate captain walked in coat dripping with seawater. His eyes were sharp and cold as he looked at the prisoners.
Dozens of them, all locked in one big cell. Their eyes burned with quiet anger. He turned to a girl in the corner, a maid in a torn dress, with an iron collar around her neck.
"Feed them," he said.
She nodded and walked off without a word.
The captain looked at the prisoners one last time. "Don't blame me," he said, voice like gravel. "Blame the world. It's cruel. We just do what we have to do."
Then he left, the door slamming shut behind him. The singing started up again, rough and off-key.
"Oh the sea is wide and the gold is deep,
We sell the strong, we sell the weak,
Initiates chained, their fate is sealed,
To buyers rich with swords they yield!"
The ship rocked gently, and in the dark, Ken opened his eyes. He looked around seeing other that got captured.
Dozens of captives sat or lay around him, chained and silent. But above each one… floated a number.
32, 45, 51, 12, 16, 7, 3,…
Ken wasn't a stranger to these numbers. They represented each captive's power level. He narrowed his eyes at the figure.
[Target Scan Complete]
Name: Takeshi Kaze
Power Level :45
Pathwalker Realm: Kiren – Level 5
Daemon spirit: None
Analysis:
Wears rough robes marked with a symbol of a clan, likely an Trainee Disciple. Mud on the hem shows he's been walking through wilderness recently.
His left hand has rope burns and blisters, suggesting he tried to escape. The right hand twitches near his waist, showing habit from drawing a weapon.
Though he's clearly exhausted, he's holding himself together using basic ki circulation techniques.
He's in the Kiren Realm, the first stage of Pathwalker where one learns to circulate ki through their body by opening meridians. At this level, even basic control requires focus and willpower.
Likely an orphan raised in a harsh situation. Strong survival instincts. High mental strength. If he sees a chance, he will try to escape.]
Ken shifted his gaze. His eyes fell on a girl with cropped hair and a bloody gash on her cheek, sitting cross legged, back to the wall.
[Target Scan Complete]
Name: Tsubame Yuwa
Power Level: 51
Pathwalker Realm: Kiren – Level 6
Daemon Spirit: None
Analysis:
Wears pale blue robes with delicate silver thread on the shoulders, a mark of affiliation with Silver Petal Hall, a known mid-tier clan. Though her clothes are dirty and torn, they're tied in a way that preserves freedom of movement, showing clear field experience.
The subtle way she sways with the ship's motion, feet firmly planted, suggests this isn't her first time at sea.
She sits cross-legged, one knee raised and angled outward, poised to move at any moment.
There's a fresh cut on her cheek, likely self-inflicted, possibly to remain alert. She avoids eye contact with the others and hasn't spoken once, a sign of deep-seated distrust.
Currently at Level 6 of the Kiren Realm, she has completed full meridian circulation and likely awakened her elemental affinity, though its nature is unknown. At this stage, her techniques could manifest in visible ki or elemental effects.
Behavioral patterns point to strict training in a cold, possibly isolated clan environment. No signs of familial warmth.
Emotionally restrained. Highly alert. If pressed, she'll react with force rather than words.
[Target Scan Complete]
Name: Shiran Sumiya
Power Level: 18
Pathwalker Realm: Kiren – Level 1
Daemon Spirit: None
Analysis:
[Wears a thin, patched linen shirt, clearly hand-sewn, most likely by a family member. His bare feet are scraped and bruised, with dried mud under the nails, indicating he fled barefoot, likely in a panic.
He's curled up tightly in the corner, head down, limbs drawn inward.
Avoids eye contact. Breathing shallow. Obvious signs of recent trauma.
A faint blue tint on his fingertips hints at latent water affinity, though it remains unshaped. No signs of training.
Based on his condition, he's likely a civilian, recently captured, with no cultivation background.
Still in shock. Still trying to make sense of what happened. But if given time… there may be potential.]
"Kak, kak, kak."
A black raven with glowing red eyes flew through the prison bars and landed softly on Ken's shoulder. Strangely, none of the other captives seemed to notice it. Only Ken could see it.
"Kak, kak, kak," the raven cawed again.
"I see…" Ken muttered, frowning as he gently patted the raven's head with his finger. "Those greedy pirates are after another target too, huh?"
The heavy door creaked open. The maid returned, carrying a box filled with rough, stale bread and a few half-rotten fruits.
She avoided everyone's eyes as she carefully dropped food through the cell's feeding slot, one portion at a time. Some captives scrambled weakly for the scraps. Others just sat there, staring at the ground in silence.
Ken stayed still, watching her closely.
[Target Scan Complete]
Name: Yuki Hayashi
Power Level: 5
Pathwalker Realm: None
Daemon spirit: None
[The target wears a plain, faded dress with several patches and tears, showing long-term use and poor living conditions.
An slave collar is locked around her neck, making sure she cannot betray them.
Her hands are thin and shaking, with bruises on the wrists, clear signs of mistreatment and forced labor.
She moves carefully and quietly, always keeping her head low to avoid attention.
Emotionally drained, but strong survival instincts remain.]
The raven on his shoulder let out another soft "kak," almost like a warning. Ken narrowed his eyes. 'No more time…'
A red circle appeared on Ken's view, locking onto the back of her neck.
Bam!
With one clean strike, he knocked her out cold. The prisoners stared at him with wide eyes, their faces full of shock and disbelief.
But they weren't surprised by his speed, no, it was because he could somehow use Ki. Inside the prison, there was a sealing array that was supposed to block everyone's Ki completely.
"Hey! Free us too! We can help!" Tsubame quickly called out.
Ken simply put a finger to his lips. "Quiet. I'll be back," he said calmly.
Without another word, his body melted into the shadows again and disappeared from their sight.
"H-How did he do that...?" Takeshi muttered, still stunned.
"Maybe he has some kind of protection talisman from his elders," Tsubame Yuwa guessed, trying to make sense of what she saw.
Takeshi Kaze shook his head and pulled out a small amulet hidden inside his clothes. "Clan Senpai gave me this before I left the clan. She said it was made by an elder at Daemon Level three… and even this doesn't work here."
"What?!" Tsubame gasped, her eyes wide with disbelief.
They both fell into silence, staring at the empty spot where Ken had just vanished.
All of them were thinking the same thing, 'Who exactly is this man who's been locked up with us?'