[Leviathan]
"This has to be one of the largest hauls. No wonder they attempted to defend the village, look at that!", Arthur, the ever-cold sword instructor and ruthless navigator of the ship, showed excitement beyond saving
This was how impressing the loot was. The village had formed a militia, and defended until they drew their last breath. And the reason was easy to understand. They had found a small reserve of silver ore. It had been all extracted, and the village's blacksmith had refined it into ingots. If sold, it could fetch a fortune. Dozens of gold coins for the reserve they had stolen.
But this was not all. The meat, bread, and miscellaneous items could also fetch for a couple hundreds of silver coins. In total, James estimated the loot to amount 18 gold coins and 60 silver coins if sold on the black market.
Helena could not help but reveal a deep grin.
Lewis, however, did not show any of it. He was probably the one who enjoyed money the most in the room. hell, in the whole ship.
However, he was more interested at the moment at his status sheet.
[Name: Lewis Steel | Class: Level 1 Warrior (60 / 200 EXP)
Attributes:
STR - 9 | DEX - 11 | CON - 8
INT - 6 | WIS - 6 | CHA - 8 (+1)
Title: Leviathan Heir (+1 CHA, +3 CHA on the Leviathan and its crew members)
Perk: [Swordsman] (+10% growth rate in sword skill proficiency)
Ailment: Gambling addiction (30)
Skills: Swordsmanship I (50), Deck Agility (34), Dirty fighting (22), Sea sense (17)
Miscellaneous skills: Silver Tongue (31), Sharp Card (27), Knot mastery (20), Ropework (18), Mast Climb (12), Weather sense (10), Basic Navigation (8)]
Usually, players entered the game after a tutorial and started as awakened. But he was different. He had become one of those NPCs, who had to grind to reach this realm. The difference in breaking through was huge. 4 attribute points was the difference between a child and an adult.
He was still as dumb as a rock, with his intellect stat and wisdom remaining at a low 6 points, deep reminder of why he dropped out of school in his past life.
But the physical stats, however, stood out. He was just 16. With training and a couple of raids, he could definitely reach Arthur's level in a few months.
As for skills, knowing the game's mechanics would allow him to surpass him in swordsmanship.
With Helena around, he could even learn poison crafts and read his father's book collection to raise his wisdom stats.
The Leviathan provided the perfect environment for a low-level warrior like him to fully exploit his potential.
Now there was the question. Should he reveal his awakening?
There were few situations where announcing an awakening was beneficial. In a village, it might make others wary of you. In a bandit camp, it could lead to a deadly power struggle, as the unawakened leaders might see you as a threat to their position.
Armies were safe havens, as were merchant groups.
But piracy? It was no different from banditry. Revealing an awakening could be a dangerous move.
Still, Lewis wasn't just on any pirate ship—he was the heir to the Leviathan. His father would risk his life for him. Maybe not, but even if he didn't, Lewis knew his father cared deeply for him.
"Father, Arthur, Helena... I've awakened."
The three of them turned, the excitement over the loot immediately replaced by shock and curiosity. A sixteen-year-old awakening...
Even Helena, considered a genius by the crew, hadn't awakened until she was 21—three years ago.
Lewis continued, his voice steady: "I've killed four people, Helena only two. I want the same share of the loot she got. Also, I'd like to take on the role of treasurer. Let me handle the negotiations from now on"
The room fell into a tense silence. Arthur's usual composure faltered for a moment as he looked at Lewis, his brows furrowing slightly. Helena, always sharp, observed the young man closely, her grin fading into something more contemplative.
For a second, the only sound was the creaking of the ship's timbers as the Leviathan cut through the waves. Then, Arthur broke the silence. "You've made your request... but you're not the only one with ambitions, boy."
He didn't say it in a dismissive way, but there was a clear warning in his tone. Arthur had risen to his position with sheer skill, and no one—not even Lewis, with his newfound awakening—was entitled to the treasures of the ship without proving themselves. Before, they treated him as James' son. Now, however, they treated him as an adult, a fellow class awakened being.
Helena, who had been silently watching, finally spoke up, her voice surprisingly gentle. "You've made a bold claim, Lewis. I can't deny your potential. But this is a pirate ship. We follow the law of the Leviathan, and that's more than just loot. It's loyalty. The crew's survival depends on it."
Lewis met her gaze, unflinching. "I'm not asking for the title of captain. I'm asking to help. You both know I can handle negotiations better than anyone else on this ship. The crew respects me already. They're starting to see me as the heir, whether we like it or not." He paused, allowing the words to sink in. "I'll bring in more money. More than any of you could imagine."
Helena's lips curled into a knowing smile. She knew how persuasive Lewis could be, how his charisma—whether natural or influenced by his awakening—could draw people in. His tongue was as sharp as always. If used in negotiations, this had to be terrifying.
James, however, remained stoic, his arms crossed as he studied Lewis. "I accept, son. You'll have to prove you can manage money, not just with words, but with action. I will give you free access to my library. This is how i learned accounting. Reach level 2 too, and then we can reveal it to the rest of the crew. Until then, you will stay a cabin boy"
Arthur continued: "Let's use the loot we have as a test. James estimated the value of those ingots at 14 gold coins. Take half. If you can return with 7 gold coins or more, you can take all the excess for yourself. How about it, capt'n?"
James nodded.
And Lewis too. This was exactly the opportunity he had been waiting for.