While consulting ancient books on Shar and Rudolf, Roland had also discovered an important clue.

According to the records, before the first year of the End Times, aside from the common four elements of wind, fire, water, and earth, two special forms of energy had existed in the world.

These two energy forms were similar to Mana Elements, yet their essence was completely different. Their effects were even more powerful, standing above the four elements.

Because their characteristics were exact opposites, scholars of the time had called them "Positive Energy" and "Negative Energy."

According to the descriptions, Negative Energy was a kind of energy containing cold, withering, and the aura of death.

It was almost identical to the aura emitted by the strange black patterns he had encountered in Joe's forest and Mist Creek Town.

Ever since obtaining the Trait [Shar's Favor], Roland had found that his perception of this Negative Energy had become unusually sharp.

But unlike the four major elements, this Negative Energy did not drift freely in the air.

Aside from those black patterns, Roland had only faintly observed it on some withered plants or dying creatures.

Therefore, Roland had reached a conclusion.

Negative Energy should only appear on living beings that were about to die.

Yet at this moment, that conclusion had been broken.

Without letting anything show on his face, Roland examined the young man in dark green traveling clothes.

Sunlight outlined his thin frame.

Fair skin. Slender wrists.

His long fingers bore no sign of labor. One glance was enough to tell he was not of common birth.

He spoke appropriately and moved with elegance. Compared to the people around him, his vitality was even quite vigorous.

But Roland's brow furrowed.

Because he could clearly sense it.

Within this seemingly ordinary young man's body, cold energy fluctuations flowed, lurking in the dark like a poisonous snake.

That malicious Negative Energy appeared and vanished with the young man's breathing.

While Roland observed him, the argument at the port continued.

"Why won't you let us board!"

A richly dressed young man flushed red with anger and waved his arms furiously.

If not for the port guard's burly build, his fist probably would already have landed on the man's face.

Even so, he still refused to give up.

"Do you know who I am? My father..."

"I know, but before we argue..."

The port guard wiped away the spit that had splashed onto his face.

After glancing at the family crest on the young man's chest, his expression did not change, but contempt entered his eyes.

"Brat from the Philip family! You should look at whose ship this is!"

"Mr. Colin told me to welcome an honored guest here! But you clearly aren't among the honored guests!"

As he spoke, the guard's hand moved to the sword at his waist.

"If you want to throw around your noble airs, I suggest you go next door to the Golden Valley Kingdom! The Black Shell Trading Company won't indulge rude behavior like yours!"

"You!"

The noble youth naturally refused to swallow such an insult. As he spoke, he stepped forward.

But in the next moment...

"Shing!"

The sharp sound of an iron sword leaving its sheath cut through the air.

Looking at the bright blade before him, the noble youth's flushed face turned deathly pale. His lips trembled, and for a long while, he could not say a single word.

"Forget it, Tariel..."

Just as the atmosphere turned tense, the young man in green traveling clothes stepped forward from the side and pressed a hand onto the noble youth's shoulder.

On his almost translucent fair face appeared a gentle smile.

"Since this... lord does not permit us to take this ship, then we can simply wait for the next one."

Those words gave the noble youth a graceful way out.

"Fine... fine! Leon, for your sake, I won't lower myself to argue with such a crude man!"

As the noble youth spoke, he quickly retreated. Only after putting more than a dozen steps between himself and the guard did he stop and mutter in a low voice,

"If not for..."

Roland naturally could not hear what came after.

First, the distance was too great. Second...

"You must be Mr. Roland, yes?"

The guard who had been so arrogant moments ago now bent slightly, his face piled with a fawning smile.

"Mr. Colin specifically instructed me to await your arrival here."

"Thank you."

Roland nodded lightly and was about to move forward when his steps paused.

"Excuse me, this..."

"You can just call me Lor!"

"Very well, Lor."

Roland turned his head slightly and gestured with his chin toward the port.

"What is the background of that group from just now?"

Hearing the question, Lor gave a disdainful snort, then lowered his voice.

"Just the son of some minor noble family from the River Kingdoms. Why? Does he have a grudge with you? Should I..."

He drew a finger across his throat in a cutting gesture.

The corner of Roland's eye twitched.

"That won't be necessary. It's just..."

He paused.

"Did you see the young man beside him in dark green?"

"Hmm..."

Lor gave a muffled sound and narrowed his eyes, thinking.

"He was rather pretty... Wait, sir, are you..."

Thinking of the street rumors about certain peculiar tastes among some upper-class people in the River Kingdoms, Lor looked at Roland strangely.

"If you have that kind of need, sir, I know a few places in the River Kingdoms... I guarantee you'll be satisfied!"

Seeing the suggestive look in Lor's eyes, Roland frowned in incomprehension.

"We can talk about that later. What I mean is... that person is very dangerous."

His tone deepened.

"You'd better send someone to inform Mr. Colin and tell him to take strict precautions. Ideally, he should investigate that group's exact identities."

Realizing that he had completely misunderstood Roland's meaning, the burly guard's face turned red, and he hurriedly straightened his back.

"Yes! I'll immediately send someone to report to Mr. Colin!"

After speaking, he bent down and whispered urgently to another guard beside him.

Only after watching that guard quickly disappear into the port crowd did Roland let out a light breath.

"No matter who that person really is, with such dense Negative Energy inside his body... he definitely isn't some kindhearted soul."

The thought flashed through his mind. Roland lingered no longer and stepped onto the deck.

The Black Shell Trading Company's ship was entirely black. An emblem of a flared shell was carved into the bow, and the deck was laid with polished ironwood, giving off a dark, subdued glow in the sunlight.

All kinds of people moved back and forth across the deck.

Several Elves leaned by the rail, speaking quietly, their silver hair lifting in the wind. Dwarves sat around a barrel of ale, foam still clinging to their copper beards. Human merchants gathered beneath the mast to check cargo lists, their silk robes snapping in the sea breeze.

"Mr. Roland, this way, please."

An attendant who had clearly been waiting for some time made an inviting gesture.

"Mr. Colin specially prepared an upper cabin for you. The view there is excellent, perfect for sightseeing."

After thanking him, Roland followed the attendant toward the higher deck.

After parting with Bronson at the door, he entered the room.

The furnishings inside were simple, yet carried a hint of luxury.

It was spacious and bright, with an excellent view.

"If you need anything... just pull this lightly, and I will come to serve you."

Following the attendant's finger, Roland saw a hanging cord on the wall and the bell attached to it.

Bad memories surged up, making his brow crease.

"I understand. Thank you."

"You are too kind."

As the door closed, only the faint sound of waves striking the ship remained in the room.

What Roland did not know was that the moment he stepped onto the deck, the green-clad young man he had specifically warned about was staring fixedly at his back, a complex expression churning in his eyes.

It looked like resentment, and also helplessness, before finally turning into intense grief.

"Leon..."

Seeing the lingering hostility in his companion's eyes, the noble youth Tariel mistakenly thought Leon was still angry on his behalf. He gently patted his shoulder to comfort him.

"No need to be angry for me. The River Kingdoms are just like that..."

He sighed.

"There, nobility doesn't really count as an especially noble status. In terms of standing, they're probably not even as high as those wealthy merchants."

At this point, Tariel changed the subject and asked with curiosity,

"Right, I remember you're from the Golden Valley Kingdom, aren't you? Judging by your bearing, you should also be of noble birth. Why would you want to travel to the River Kingdoms? That place... isn't exactly good."

When he mentioned Golden Valley nobility, envy entered Tariel's tone.

Hearing the question, the young man named Leon's eyes flickered. Then he showed a gentle smile.

"So what if I'm a noble? I'm not the eldest son of my family. No matter what, the title won't fall to me. So..."

He tilted his head slightly and looked toward Far Harbor's city gate. Longing crossed his eyes, but it quickly returned to calm.

"...I thought I might as well travel while I'm still young. It's better than moldering away in a room."

"Ha! Well said!"

Those words had clearly struck Tariel's heart. He laughed and patted Leon's shoulder with force.

"By the way..."

Although Tariel had not used much strength, the sharp pain from his shoulder still made Leon instinctively frown. He quietly shifted half a step aside and asked without showing anything,

"Tariel, you said before... the Knight Academy of the River Kingdoms really has no restrictions on status, and anyone can go there to study?"

"Of course!"

Tariel nodded in reply, but his tone soon became hesitant.

"But... you have to pass their entrance assessment first."

He helplessly shrugged.

"Maybe precisely because there are no restrictions on status, the River Kingdoms' Knight Academy assessment is especially strict. Someone like me..."

He pointed at himself and let out a heavy sigh.

"I've already failed three times. If I still can't pass this year, my father will beat me to death..."

Imagining that scene, the noble youth shivered.

Hearing this, Leon frowned in thought.

"Then the specific contents of the assessment..."

Before he could finish asking, Tariel suddenly cried out excitedly.

"Leon! Look! A new ship has arrived! Hurry, hurry, hurry! We have to grab good spots!"

Before his voice had faded, he had already grabbed his frail companion and sprinted toward the newly docked ship.

...

...

On the Black Shell Trading Company's ship.

"It seems..."

Roland lay back on the soft bed, recalling the exchange between Lor and the noble youth. A playful smile appeared at the corner of his mouth.

"The so-called joint rule of nobles and merchants in the River Kingdoms isn't as harmonious as the rumors claim. So right now..."

Thinking of Colin's meaningful smile when they had spoken, Roland's brow lifted.

"Have I been marked as part of the merchant faction?"

"Being drawn into a whirlpool the moment I arrive somewhere new really is a headache..."

Although he thought this, Roland's face showed no distress.

Compared to a Knight breathing method, these political problems were trivial.

As long as he was strong enough, whether merchants or nobles, none of them could do anything to him.

"But I still need to be cautious in the early stage. Although I have the help of the occupation panel, cultivation of a Knight breathing method can't be accomplished overnight..."

Thinking this, Roland opened the occupation panel. His gaze lingered for a long time on the [Enchanter] entry before he released a soft sigh.

"The job requirements for the higher occupation [Enchanter] will probably be hard to satisfy in the short term. Once I arrive, I'll first have Colin help me find another recommendation, join the Blacksmith Guild, and continue honing Basic Blacksmithing... As for magic theory, I'll probably have to rely on large amounts of reading..."

"As for other base occupations and upper occupations..."

In an instant, one possibility after another flashed through Roland's mind.

For example, production-type occupations such as Chef, Carpenter, or Tailor, as well as gathering-type occupations such as Farmer, Fisherman, or Lumberjack.

Previously, he had never tried taking these life occupations mainly because he urgently needed to improve his combat strength and had no attention to spare.

But once he arrived in the River Kingdoms, perhaps he would have enough time to study them properly.

"Although most of these life occupations will probably only be base occupations even if I successfully change into them, and the attribute bonuses and extra buffs they provide will have almost negligible improvement to my strength, even a mosquito's leg is still meat!"

"Once I reach the River Kingdoms, I'll first understand the local situation. After obtaining a Knight breathing method, I'll try them one by one..."

Just as he was thinking, noisy commotion came from outside the cabin.

Roland frowned, rose quickly, and reached the window in a few steps to look outside.

On the deck, a group of monsters with fish heads and humanoid bodies had appeared.

Their ferocious forms looked especially terrifying in the sunlight. Dark green scales covered their fish-headed, humanoid frames, wetly reflecting a cold gloss.

They hunched their backs. Sharp dorsal fins stood up like daggers, and webbed claws gripped rusty harpoons and knives.

Their blood-red eyes shone with predatory ferocity, and foul-smelling mucus dripped between jagged fangs.

The leading fishman released a hoarse growl, the gill slits along its neck opening and closing violently, greedily sniffing prey.

Seeing this, the guards roared and raised their longswords to meet them, but the fishmen's assault was fiercer than they had imagined.

These aquatic monsters leaped across the deck with eerie agility, their webbed claws leaving slippery trails across the planks.

A rusty harpoon pierced a guard's chain mail with a whistling sound, and blood immediately sprayed into the sea breeze.

"Hold formation!"

A guard shouted, but three fishmen soon knocked him to the ground.

Their sharp teeth tore open his throat, and their blood-red eyes contracted in excitement from bloodlust.

Inside the cabin, terrified screams rose one after another.

On the deck, however, the guards were being forced back step by step, and the fishmen grew more frenzied the longer they fought.

They let out piercing hisses and used rusty knives to slice open the guards' bellies, spilling organs mixed with seawater across the deck.

A young sailor tried to counterattack with a harpoon, but a fishman knocked him over with one claw, then tore his face into a bloody mess with its teeth.

The battle had become a massacre.

Several arrows stuck from the fishmen's bodies, but they seemed unable to feel pain. Instead, the smell of blood stimulated them into even greater madness.

The guards' defensive line was collapsing, and even more fishmen were climbing over the rail.

And in the direction from which the fishmen had attacked, about a hundred yards away, the surface of the sea was being churned into a boiling whirlpool by some enormous being.

A black-robed figure tumbled amid the waves. The daggers in both hands flashed with sharp light beneath the sun, and every slash made the attacking tentacles spasm and retreat.