Chapter 392: A New Orange Template
Right after that, the conversation between Richie Burke and the red-haired Robinson drew the attention of several curious passengers. They carried their plates over and sat nearby, occasionally interjecting with curious questions.
Many of those questions would've sounded childish to any transcendent being, but Captain Robinson was a patient man. He answered them one by one, then continued the earlier topic.
"Actually, as long as one follows the main sea routes established by the ancient Kingdom of Falric, it's almost impossible to encounter those sea monsters. The truly dangerous ones are the pirates."
"I myself was a pirate for seven years. Most pirates in this trade are Northerners. They roam the seas under the banner of freedom, raising enormous sea serpents, commanding shamans who can commune with the elements and summon storms, and readers who resonate with books to wield mysterious power. They steer their ships with ghostly precision—nearly impossible to defend against."
"The route from Thélraino Sea to Temple Port is called 'Paradise,' because few powerful pirates dare to strike here—it would provoke the wrath of both the Sea God Church and the three nations' governments. Only a few petty opportunists try their luck in these waters."
Robinson's tone carried a hint of mockery. Zhou Ning noticed Richie Burke's face turn blue, nearly cursing aloud.
"But once you pass Temple Port," Robinson went on, "you enter an entirely different world. Roughly seven hundred nautical miles due east lies a pirate haven called Grant Island—the headquarters of the Northern Pirates. Tens of thousands of them dwell there. That's why all merchant ships only dare to sail close to the Misty Sea's coastline. Even though official and church fleets patrol the area, many pirates still slip through the fog, relentlessly ambushing passing ships."
"Still, you don't need to worry too much," Robinson said, smiling faintly. "Thanks to my past as a pirate, most of them know me and won't touch our ship. But if we happen to run into one of the Five Northern Pirate Generals or the Three Pirate Kings, then it's truly dangerous."
"Most of the Generals and Kings don't kill wantonly—they're after wealth, not blood. They'll rob you of every last Veckta without hesitation, but they usually let people live. However, there are a few exceptions, like the Lightning General and the King of Lavides—pirates who both kill and plunder. They bow to no nation and show little mercy to their captives. Especially the King of Lavides, Saroyan—legend says his flagship is a massive four-tiered warship drawn by four colossal Lavides beasts. Anyone he captures who can't pay their ransom in full is brutally slaughtered, their flesh fed to the beasts. The prettier female captives are sold to various colonial islands. He's the second-most wanted pirate in the world, with a bounty of 200,000 Vecktas—second only to the Northern Pirate Emperor, Valentine, at 600,000."
Two hundred thousand Vecktas…
Zhou Ning's heart raced. If he could slay the King of Lavides, Saroyan, he could afford the legendary First Emperor Template—or even the Magus King Template. But realistically, such a maritime powerhouse was probably at least a demigod with an entire fleet under his command. Even if Zhou Ning used his "White Emperor" trump card, victory wouldn't be guaranteed.
In his previous life, by the early stages of the game's fourth version, sea-based content hadn't yet been explored—but now it seemed the oceans ran far deeper than expected.
He stopped paying much attention to the rest of the conversation. As he finished his meal, his thoughts turned inward. From that exchange, a risky yet entirely feasible idea began to take shape in his mind.
Zhou Ning opened his palm, and a silver rapier appeared—the Triton Sword.
[Ghost Ship Command: As the Lord of the Seven Seas of the Caribbean Pirate World, you can temporarily summon one of three legendary ships—the Black Pearl, the Flying Dutchman, or Queen Anne's Revenge—to fight for you. Duration: 6 hours. Cooldown: 18 hours.]
The Wings of Freedom would reach Temple Port around 10 p.m. tomorrow night and remain docked until 9 a.m. the following day to restock fresh water and supplies. During that time, all passengers would be free to disembark and relax.
Aside from the mysterious 2 a.m. gathering, Zhou Ning realized he could use the Triton Sword to summon a ghost ship and sail into open waters—using the Compass That Doesn't Point North to hunt for high-tier sea monsters. It wouldn't be too difficult… and the thought itself thrilled him. What kinds of powerful beings would he encounter? Zhou Ning couldn't help but feel both curious and excited.
Monstrous sea creatures, ruthless pirates, and wild adventure—why did it suddenly feel like he was stepping into One Piece?
After a hearty meal, Zhou Ning returned to his cabin, sat cross-legged on the sofa, and casually opened the Traversal Simulator. A few days earlier, he had sent a purple "God of Gambling" template to the Fullmetal Alchemist world. He hadn't been in the mood to check on it—until now.
He entered Template Cultivation Mode, viewed the "God of Gambling" template he'd been nurturing, and selected "Collect Rewards."
The result thrilled him—he'd hit the jackpot. As he tapped the template, a burst of orange light illuminated the screen!
Amid the dazzling glow appeared an image of himself—golden-haired, clad in a crimson alchemist's robe, and radiating bright confidence.
Fullmetal Alchemist · Zhou Ning
Personality: Assertive, competitive, sunny, inquisitive.
Talents: Genius Alchemist (Orange), Encyclopedic Memory (Purple), Gate of Truth (Red), God of Gambling (Red).
Skills: Alchemy (Grandmaster), Human Transmutation (Advanced), Gambling (Divine).
Estimated Value: 1150 Traversal Coins.
"Holy crap—orange!"
Zhou Ning's eyes misted. After so many bouts of bad luck, his persistence had finally paid off. Through aggressive strategy, his "God of Gambling" template had hit a Full House—probably the top-tier reward from the pool!
Though the number of skills and talents wasn't massive, two red talents plus one orange one—and the orange template color itself—proved its immense power.
For his next simulation in the City of Sin world, Zhou Ning considered deploying either this new version of himself or the Kyōka Suigetsu Zhou Ning.
If it was a world similar to Gotham, both would perform brilliantly—the alchemist skilled in gambling and transmutation, and the illusionist Blue Dye adept at deception and mind control.
After storing away the orange template, Zhou Ning didn't hesitate—he spent another 500 Traversal Coins to choose the "Excellent" attribute and clicked "Create."
[You have selected "Excellent" as your template attribute.]
[Generating random template...]
[Initial Template: Blue.]
[Matching...]
[Match successful.]
[You are a master strategist of finance—a Wall Street prodigy who plays the market like a symphony, turning small bets into empires. When money becomes mere numbers and financial gambits lose their thrill, fate grants you the chance to transmigrate. What kind of waves will you stir in another world?]
A new 3D card appeared in the panel's lower slot: Zhou Ning in a black suit, hands in his pockets, standing before a floor-to-ceiling window overlooking a glittering cityscape.
Financial Genius · Zhou Ning
When he clicked "Transmigrate," the system prompted:
[Selecting random world...]
[Randomizing...]
[Selection complete. You have arrived in the world of Demon Slayer.]
[Choose your simulation approach.]
[1. Cautious — 0 Coins]
[2. Balanced — 50 Coins]
[3. Aggressive — 50 Coins]
"Oh?" Zhou Ning raised his brows. In his opinion, Demon Slayer's power system wasn't particularly high-tier, but it did have some intriguing techniques. If he could master one of the breathing styles, that'd be a great buff-type ability.
As for his approach—he chose Aggressive, hoping for a strong result.
…
Tooot!
The ship's horn blared. After more than a day at sea, the Wings of Freedom finally sailed into Temple Port.
It would dock for nearly twelve hours at this major southern port of the Bryston Kingdom to resupply fresh water and provisions.
After drawing his new template, Zhou Ning's day aboard the ship had been restless—he hadn't encountered a single high-tier creature or pirate raid. So much for the protagonist's halo or Conan's magnet-for-trouble aura!
Checking his pocket watch, Zhou Ning noted that thanks to his control over weather and wind through the Uranus's powers, the Wings of Freedom had arrived two hours early—it was only 8 p.m.
He decided to go ashore first, look around the port, and later that night, summon a ghost ship and begin his hunt.
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