Late afternoon, Second deck of the Liberator.
After lunch and the warm moments shared with the girls, William went back to work again.
He already selected a quiet, unused room below deck for this particular ritual. And unlike previous rituals that could be conducted openly, this one required absolute stability and careful balance, too much exposure or disturbance could shatter the delicate control needed and risk harming Kei's sanity or health.
The sheer precision required was immense, but fortunately, a [Myth] inherently wielded mystic energy with natural ease. As Mystic energy bowed willingly to the intent of a [Myth], gentle and fluid. In stark contrast, spiritual energy was more stubborn and rebellious, like mischievous children who needed to be disciplined and taught first before cooperating.
The preparations then began swiftly.
With Rei's assistance, William mixed the blood needed for the ritual circle. Most of it came from Rei herself, who could rapidly regenerate by absorbing more blood, with a small portion taken from the Lambs.
Consequently, William had to donate his own blood to Rei once again. But that did not matter, as he refrained from directly using his blood for the ritual, fearing the resonance would become too intense. Thus, the blood of his followers served as an ideal buffer, maintaining good equilibrium and perfect intensity.
Next, after acquiring several portions of [Sea Silver Dust] from the shop once again, William set to work, drawing the intricate circle with a magical brush borrowed from Kei. Fifteen meticulous minutes later, the elaborate ritual circle was completed, its lines glowing faintly with latent power, shining in a mix of red and silver.
The twins and the Lambs watched attentively from the side, curiosity glinting in their eyes as they sought to discern how this differed from typical rituals. In truth, the differences were subtle, yet profoundly significant, it was extraordinarily rare for a ritual to be personally executed by a [Myth].
Indeed, how often could someone witness such an event firsthand? Most people, even the extraordinary one, would pass away from old age without ever glimpsing a [Myth], not to mention watching them perform such careful, devoted craftsmanship.
William's followers, therefore, should count themselves incredibly fortunate. After all, how many could claim a [Myth] had ever shown them such profound care?
With the ritual fully prepared, it was time for Kei to step forward. But before she could begin undressing, William turned to the other girls.
"Alright, you four, head outside and guard the ship. I need absolute focus from here on," he instructed firmly.
The Lambs nodded obediently, understanding immediately, while Rei hesitated with a playful pout.
"Eh~ Do I really have to? I wanted to watch," she complained mischievously.
William shook his head firmly, unwilling to risk distractions, "This ritual carries a slight danger. I need absolute focus to do it."
Rei finally relented with exaggerated disappointment, "Fine…" she sighed dramatically for a moment, then waving her hand, "See you later, sis."
Only after the door clicked shut did William turn his attention fully back to Kei, who stood motionless, uncertain.
"What are you waiting for?" he asked calmly, "Strip now."
Kei hesitated, her eyes narrowing suspiciously as she shielded her body defensively with one hand, "Will, you're not thinking of anything else, right?" she questioned warily.
William, understanding her thoughts clearly, approached with a gentle smile, tousling her hair affectionately, "Of course I've thought about 'that'. But that's not our priority right now," he reassured softly.
Kei, being noticeably smaller than him, could only helplessly close her eyes as he continued to mess up her hair. Finally, she relented, mildly flustered, heart racing with his touch, "Ugh, alright, stop messing with my hair!"
"Good girl," William replied, stepping back with a satisfied nod.
Kei began to slowly undress, her movements shy yet captivating. Her slender fingers gracefully untied the fabric, revealing pale, flawless skin inch by inch under the dim, ambient glow. She hesitated slightly as she slipped her final garment off, leaving her completely bare. Instinctively, she tried to shield herself again, embarrassment coloring her cheeks.
"I've already seen your naked body before," William said softly, his eyes quietly appreciating her form.
"Hmph…" Kei mumbled, voice barely audible, as she stepped into the circle and sat down.
"Let's focus," William continued, his voice gentle but firm. Lifting his index finger, he conjured a delicate golden flame atop it, "Can you see this?" he asked.
Kei nodded slowly, "Mystic energy in the form of golden fire, right?"
"Correct," William confirmed, "Now, close your eyes and focus on our bond. After that, I'm going to surround you with my mystic energy. Don't resist it, just let it seep into you and merge with our connection."
"Just that?" Kei questioned softly.
"Honestly, yes. I'm the one who initiates the ritual and the circle is there for a reason, so I and the circle will shoulder most of the burden. You just need to stay calm and receive it gradually. Though, you need to remain clear-headed to avoid losing yourself entirely to the mystic influence."
"I understand," Kei responded thoughtfully.
After a brief pause, William gently asked, "Are you ready?"
Kei took a deep, calming breath, steadying her racing heart. She had long anticipated this moment after the night she experienced before, to embrace a [Myth], not merely in physical but also in profound spirituality.
After a moment, she nodded, closing her eyes and reaching deeper into herself, to touch the delicate, recently-formed bond. The connection was fragile yet astonishingly profound, Kei didn't know how to explain it clearly, but it was like a pillar she could lean on. Like an infinite wellspring from which she could draw endless strength.
With the link becoming stronger, she can also use it to wash away unwanted stains in her mind or spirituality, keeping herself pure, untainted by madness and corruption in this Mystic Sea.
Then somehow, time blurred as she explored the bond, yet became vaguely aware of the atmosphere thickening around her, as if she was breathing in the sea of mist. Her body instinctively tensed, sensing something in the air, yet she recognized it as William's mystic power, so she didn't resist and allowed it to wrap around her, sinking gently into her skin.
With each breath, she absorbed more of the mystic essence, feeling her body resonate harmoniously with it. Their connection thickened considerably, becoming stronger and more resilient. Minutes then slipped by, indistinct from hours, as she drifted deeper into the ritual's blissful embrace.
Gradually, Kei lost her sense of time entirely. A voice began to echo softly in her mind, chanting praises to [Seraph], resonating endlessly within her consciousness. She found herself embracing it willingly, drowning in devotion, the name and title of [Seraph] becoming sacred truths within her.
Slowly, she yearned to surrender herself fully to him, no longer just as a companion, but as something far more intimate, far more bound. To be his follower, perhaps his woman… No, even his plaything would suffice. She craved nothing beyond his touch, presence and gaze. In her mind [Seraph] was divine, eternally above her and all things she knew.
As the mystic energy continued to infuse her being, a deeper euphoria bloomed within. And yet, a fragile sliver of clarity endured, barely conscious, yet still there, 'Is this what the Lambs feel?' she wondered faintly, 'to be enveloped by their god, basking in his sacred light, trembling under the weight of blissful surrender?'
The sensation was overwhelming. Pure, peaceful, and all-consuming. Kei let herself drift further into that sea of warmth, letting the mystic energy cradle her completely. Thoughts of the future, of burdens, of anything beyond this moment faded into oblivion. There was no more need for doubt, for struggle.. She only needed him, his presence, his gaze, and his everything… Somehow, she no longer thinks at some point. Because in this realm of sacred contact… thought itself was unnecessary.
Bit by bit, she submerged deeper into their shared link, her consciousness spiraling gently into devotion. His name, his title, echoing more softly within her, each repetition strengthening the bond. She no longer knew what her body was doing in the physical world. Nor did she care. The body was irrelevant. Only the soul mattered here.
Then, after what felt like both an eternity and no time at all, something shifted.
From within the link she nurtured, a light emerged, golden and radiant, unmistakably [Seraph's] mystic energy. Warmth surged in recognition, but alongside it, bloomed something else: a glimmer of silver.
Silver?
The thought stirred something within her, an instinctual flicker through the haze. Next, the silver luminescence grew stronger, blooming inside her soul like moonlight parting a storm. And somehow, that light awakened her slumbering will, clarity appeared once more.
Ah… I see…
Kei opened her eyes slowly, now glowing faintly with silver clarity. The trance lifted, not broken, but refined more deeply. Observing her surroundings, she is no longer in the dimly lit room, but in the open space above the deck; The sun had long since vanished, and night now reigned.
In front of her, [Seraph]... No, it's [William]. In this form, he preferred that name. She could feel his emotions clearly, calm, yet satisfied, and burning with possessiveness. His need for her pulsed like heat in the air.
And she somehow understood something…
Raising her head to see the moon above, the silent witness to all that transpired. She slowly said in her mind:
'I accept his desire and protection… Along with it, I… shall offer that all I am.'
Her soul, now unwavering, gave voice to her purpose. With full clarity, she declared silently:
'In The Name Of [Original Witch], I, [Kei… Of Nightingale], Recognize The Epithet She Bestowed Upon Us Lost Lamb. I Vow To Protect Our Home And The Myth That Bind Us. To Remain Loyal To The Dream 'We' Shall Achieve!'
Kei shouted in her mind, but she was not done yet.
'I Accept It [Silver Beast]... The [Beast Of Contract]!'
The world seemed still as the new title unraveled. And then the System answered:
[Acknowledged, Contract Established.]
[Remain True To Your Vow… Kei Nightingale, Rei Nightingale.]
… … …
The wind whispered across the sea, pushing the Liberator forward under a cloudless afternoon sky.
It had been two days since the rituals.
And after those rituals were done, William kept his focus mostly to himself, dedicating most of his time upgrading the ship. In that time, his class [Spirit Forger] advanced significantly, enough to unlock the skill selection menu for the class. Luckily, he also gained the skill he wanted, and didn't need to wait for more progression to reset the selection.
[Class: Spirit Forger(27%)]
[Description: Forge The Spirit, Forge The world.
Passive: Spirit Forger has a surging will. Able to maintain focus for a longer period of time, gain considerable bonus to spirit stats and more bonus to forging technique.
Active: Using your spirit, you may enhance, stabilize, and restore the extraordinary properties of materials and equipment. This class grows with your Spirit, the higher the spirit the higher the bonus.
Active(New): Essence Extraction. Using this skill you can extract the essence of everything. Note: The very core ability of [Production Class Branch].
]
With this new skill, William accomplished something few others could in early progress of his class. Altering the prefix of a triple-lined class, transforming the class from [Deep Sea Warlord] into [Sea Blessed Warlord].
Ordinarily, such a feat would be impossible without years of mastery in a production branch. Even high-level extraordinary would struggle to stabilize an essence during extraction. One wrong move and the entire effort would be wasted, essence dispersed, corrupted, or lost due to spiritual backlash.
But William was not an ordinary person.
As a [Myth], he wielded Mystic Energy with perfect control, bypassing the usual limitations. Unlike others who needed to meticulously regulate their control over skills, he could simply use the mystic energy to wrap the essence, then move it into a container. And with his mutated eyes, he can perfectly see and divide the essence without damaging them. So, there was no risk of failure, only success.
This allowed him to avoid one of the largest restrictions in custom class creation: the one-class-per-extraction bottleneck. Normally, people could only create one usable custom class by extracting and integrating class essences. But William could separate the prefix and suffix of a triple-lined or double-lined class, then stabilize both into separate class cards.
In his case, he extracted the [Deep Sea] prefix from his [Deep Sea Warlord] class card. But of course, a prefix alone couldn't form a functional class without a compatible essence. Then, deciding to experiment a little, he merged it with the extracted essence of lower-tier class [Deep Hunter], accidentally creating a new triple-lined class: [Deep Sea Hunter].
It was a pleasant surprise honestly, as he didn't think it could work like that.
Still, he had no immediate use for [Deep Sea Hunter]. The class didn't mesh well with humans or any non-water breathing creature, nor did it suit any of his followers. William himself couldn't equip it either, since he hadn't fully progressed his [Deep Hunter] class. Perhaps in the future, he'd find someone worthy, or simply let it gather dust in his inventory.
As for the [Warlord] suffix, he combined it with three essences extracted from [Sea Blessed], a double-lined class, crafting the class he truly desired: [Sea Blessed Warlord], a powerful, hybrid war class he chose to integrate immediately.
Interestingly, he noticed a strange disparity during the process. Creating [Deep Sea Hunter] had only required two [Deep Hunter] essences, while [Sea Blessed Warlord] demanded three essences from [Sea Blessed] classes. He wasn't entirely sure why, perhaps there was a resonance between [Deep Hunter] and [Deep Sea] prefix that reduced the requirement. He doesn't know, as the actual mechanics behind essence compatibility and conversion were still a mystery, even to him.
Regardless, the trade was more than worth it: two custom triple-lined classes at the cost of five lower-ranked ones.
Now his class look like this:
[Class: Captain(30% > 34%) / Spirit Forger(13% > 27%) / Deep Hunter (7% > 9%) / Sea Blessed Warlord (0%)]
Even his [Captain] class progressed during this period, crossing the 33% threshold and unlocking new skills. While [Deep Hunter] class was neglected, only gaining a small 2% of progress from killing the unique monster the system sent. Still, this advancement deepened William's understanding of the nuances between the different class tiers.
A [Single-Lined Class] offered only three additional skills in the class progression, either passive or active, beyond its initial base skill, culminating in one powerful ultimate upon maximum progression. Moreover, this class tier didn't allow any choice when reaching progression thresholds, leaving it to luck and making it difficult to strategically plan one's advancement.
In contrast, a [Double-Lined Class] provided greater flexibility, granting four additional skills and one ultimate skill. While it seemed a modest improvement at first glance, the real advantage lay in the freedom of choice: at each progression milestone, the class offered two skills to choose one from. Allowing the user to deliberately shape the development path.
Furthermore, if unsatisfied with the selections, one could reset it using Mystic. Or if they don't have Mystic, people could defer their selection by gaining an extra 5% progression to unlock their single free reset.
The pinnacle of complexity, however, was the [Triple-Lined Class]. Skill acquisition began as early as 20% progression, enabling the user to amass five new skills alongside one formidable ultimate skill. Each progression milestone presented three skill choices, allowing for diverse customization and specialization. Furthermore, the inherent strength and quality of the acquired skills increased substantially with the class's tier and rarity.
Leaning comfortably into Rei's warm embrace, William let his thoughts drift. His immediate goals, that is: upgrading the ship and successfully acquiring the triple-lined class he had desired, were finally accomplished.
Now, at last, he allowed himself to get more moments of peace. The meticulous effort of these upgrades had demanded significant focus, and William gratefully embraced this fleeting respite, letting both mind and body relax.
"Wake me up when the sun sets," he said at last, before slipping into the much needed rest time.
…
Not far from where he lay, Kei stood quietly, watching him with thoughtful, glinting eyes. Behind her, two wings extended, soft and pristine white, lightly stirring in the sea breeze. They fluttered with life, newly born and foreign to her frame, but it does make her visage more sacred.
Her wings had manifested just the day before, after William conducted the second bonding ritual, one meant to awaken their deeper connection, just as he had done with Rei.
The experience hadn't been particularly divine or awe-inspiring. At first, it was merely a warmth, gentle and comforting, as Mystic energy enveloped her body. But that sensation was soon eclipsed by the maddening itch that followed.
Much like Rei's account, the growth of wings was an ordeal of nerves, muscle, and transformation. No matter how sacred the cause, the sensation of something erupting from your back was not easily romanticized.
Still, Kei endured it in silence.
And now, with her wings stretching idly behind her and the sea wind brushing against her skin, she understood something she hadn't before, the depth of devotion the Lambs felt when they gazed upon William.
She could feel it too, though it wasn't something she could put into words. His presence… filled a space inside her that she hadn't even realized was hollow. It was not just spiritual. It was personal, deep, and undeniable.
Her eyes then drifted to her sister.
Below the middle mast, Rei had curled into William's side, her arms firmly wrapped around him, her head resting on his chest as if she naturally belonged there, her wings meanwhile folded loosely, shielded them from the sun above. On the other side, the youngest Lamb, Lily, just being named by him, had snuggled in close as well, using William's arm like a pillow, clutching it in her sleep with both affection and dependence
The intimacy stirred a quiet yearning in Kei's heart. She was his first woman. She had been the one to receive his touch before anyone else. And yet, seeing Rei and Lily embracing him stirred no jealousy. If anything, it stirred something else: longing… and pride.
She wanted the Lambs to be closer to him too of course, yet, the first of all is for her sister to experience everything. To surrender her purity. To offer her all.
That was their vow, after all, to give everything to the one they followed everything they have. Body, soul, and future. Their bond was more than affection. It was faith, and faith demanded offering.
Even so, Kei held herself back. William was exhausted. Despite the system simplifying much of the labor, as he had said, three full days of ship upgrades had worn down his mind. The fine control needed for each materials integration had taxed even him.
And Rei, despite her light demeanor, had been vigilant each night, taking her turn as a night guard alongside one of the Lambs. Their shifts rotated, but Rei always treated the task with quiet seriousness. As such, she tended to sleep deeply during the day, only waking as dusk approached.
Kei didn't want to disturb that.
As for why they all chose to sleep under the mast? The ship was large, too large for a few souls above the board. The sleeping quarters below, though comfortable, felt distant and hollow when shared by so few. The open deck, with sky above and one another nearby, was warmer in a way no walls could ever be.
So Kei remained where she was.
Simply standing at the edge of the front deck, letting her wings bathe in sunlight, silently guarding the ones she cherished most. For now, this peace was enough.
But then,
"Miss Kei!" A light shout broke the afternoon calm.
The voice was careful, not that loud as Lala, the middle Lamb, knew their god was resting. Yet even in her restraint, the panic was unmistakable.
Kei turned her head, "What is it?" she asked, her gaze landing on Lala frantically reeling in her fishing rod.
Lala pointed down at the sea, her face flustered, "Lina fell in again!"
"…She what?" Kei blinked, her voice slow and disbelieving, "She fell again?"
This wasn't new. In fact, Lina's record for ocean-related accidents was steadily growing: slipping on wet planks, falling overboard while mid-swing during training, or getting launched into the water by a fish too strong for her dainty arms to handle.
Still, Kei had to ask, "How did she manage this time?"
"She said the fish challenged her," Lala deadpanned, as if even repeating it hurt her dignity.
Kei stared for a beat. Then sighed.
"I see," she muttered, her expression unreadable as she shook her head, "Of course she did."
Without another word, she took a step back, flapped her wings, and soared into the sky.
She spotted Lina not long after, a familiar silhouette bobbing lazily along the waves like seaweed. Kei sighed again, this time with relief. 'At least she knows how to swim,' If not, she might've had to wake William up, and that she doesn't want to.
So whatever Lina's latest sea-romance entailed, it would be Kei cleaning up the mess, again.
And so, this was their life now.
With a [Myth] on board and sunlight at their backs, their days had grown warmer, if not always quieter. Peaceful, yes. Predictable? Not at all.
But no one really complained. Because somewhere between sky-kissed wings, mystical devotion, and some fish that challenge their day…
At least, they were truly happy.