Reborn As a Pirate - Chapter 68

Chapter 68: Freni’s Diary!
“Today marks the 1002nd year of the Golden Calendar, or perhaps it’s more apt to call it the 2nd year of the New Calendar? How swiftly time has elapsed; scarcely had I noticed, I’ve already spent two years as a fugitive.”

“Forget it, dwelling on the past serves no purpose. I’ll pen something more worthwhile.”

“Today is my second day in the Observation Land. My previous visit was marred by deceit from that loathsome traveler. This time, I come equipped and vigilant. I must meticulously weigh every decision before committing.”

“Fu Fu… ahem, what a ludicrous moniker, I can scarcely utter it without a chuckle. Come on, Freni!”

“I encountered the ‘Beginner’s Traveler’ once more. I had expected to observe two distinct entities each time I ventured here. Could it be that the primary focus of my observations is the journey and trials faced by this ‘Beginner’s Traveler’? I shall observe and learn.”

“Already, a confrontation? Let me see… The leader male fire dragons? This adversary sounds significantly more formidable than the last, a mere water fish dragon, and with the title of leader, he must possess considerable strength.”

“In terms of combat prowess, the Traveler now ranks at 24, showing remarkable progress from 21. Meanwhile, the Male Fire Dragon Chief stands at 39.”

“A rational analysis reveals a vast disparity between the two. The odds of investing in the Traveler are a steep 9.99:1, while those for the Male Fire Dragon Chief are a meager 0.01:1. With such a gaping chasm, it’s implausible that this ignoble Traveler could prevail, is it not?”

“Trust your instincts, Freni, and back the Male Fire Dragon Chief!”

“The outcome was determined swiftly!”

“Just as predicted, the Male Fire Dragon Chief triumphed, claiming 101 Spirit Essences! And then—”

“The screen on the observation deck darkened…”

“[Today’s viewing has concluded, please return tomorrow]?!”

“So, it appears we’re indeed here to chronicle whatever this despicable Traveler encounters along his path!”

“And regarding the investment return rate, my winnings of a single Spirit Essence… Is that not akin to no victory at all? It’s merely a token consolation prize, correct?”

“Huhuhu… Calm yourself, Freni, remain composed.”

“It seems that playing it safe blindly is not the strategy to pursue.”

“Alas… I need at least 200 Spirit Essences to trade for ‘precious materials’…”

——

“The third day of my exploration in the Observation Area.”

“As the old adage goes, ‘the bigger the waves, the finer the fish caught.’ Higher risks indeed yield greater rewards.”

“To amass substantial initial capital quickly, one must dare to gamble.”

“Provided I can secure over 100 spiritual essences initially, they won’t reset to 100 on the following day. Hence, no matter how formidable the adversaries or how staggering the odds against the beginner, I must place my bets on him. A more substantial reserve of spiritual essences in the future will afford me the luxury of more cautious and calculated decisions.”

“Ah, there he goes again, the deceitful beginner traveler, skulking cautiously through the dim shadows cast by the trees. His demeanor today suggests the scars left by his recent brush with the male fire dragon leader. I can’t help but chuckle at his wariness, it’s strangely satisfying to see him so unnerved.”

“That’s right, I openly admit my grudge against him! So be it!”

“…Yet, this is becoming tedious. What paltry foes has our despicable traveler stumbled upon now? A pathetic wild boar boasting a combat power of less than 5? There’s always something lower. And what’s this, a giant mosquito with a combat strength of merely 0.1? Even its power is laughably fractional!”

“Such feeble opponents don’t even meet the basic criteria needed to make them worth the investment.”

“…”

“Finally, a worthy adversary appears. It feels like it’s been ages, nearly three hours, hasn’t it? Let’s see… a Fire Bird, combat power 29, and the betting odds for the traveler are 3:1?”

“The Fire Bird’s strength rivals that of the previous Water Dragon, yet the stakes are significantly higher this time. Could it be because the traveler is without the aid of his companion Silver today?”

“No matter, my money’s on you, despicable traveler, don’t let me down!”

“Despite your clear disadvantage in combat power compared to the Fire Bird, I choose to bank on your cunning schemes and resourcefulness!”

“An hour drags by… Can he really pull it off?”

“The result is here!”

“The traveler triumphs!”

“Fantastic, a gamble of 101 spirit essences at a rate of 3.0:1 nets me 303 spirit essences!”

“Wait, we’re thrust back into the fray, could it be the male fire dragon leader again?”

“Indeed, as anticipated, the traveler succumbs, but not before enduring more than ten seconds post his victory over the formidable firebird. His combat power had soared to 27, his growth in strength is truly impressive.”

“Heh, as astute as ever, I placed my bet on the male fire dragon leader, though the returns were meager, a mere 3 spirit essences. Still, something is better than nothing.”

“The tour concludes with the traveler’s demise. Once he falls, the journey ceases. Such is the harsh reality of my observations.”

“306 spirit essences amassed, now to decide, should I conserve them as seed money for next time, or risk them on ‘precious material’ to test its authenticity?”

“Let’s take the risk. What if the tales are mere fabrications? I’d kick myself for not finding out.”

“…”

“It’s genuine! The item has been successfully exchanged in the real world!”

“Unfathomable, untold power, what marvel is this ‘Nameless Box’? No wonder the ‘Despicable One’ is desperate to obtain it.”

“The impact of the [First-Order Spiritual Enhancement Crystal] is overwhelmingly potent!”

“Even a mere 0.1 boost in spirituality might seem trivial, but considering my spirituality is already over 60% above the first-order upper limit, this small increment has amplified it by nearly 2%!”

“Imagine, if I were to consume ten doses of [First-Order Spiritual Enhancement Crystal], could it potentially elevate my spirituality by an astounding 20%?”

“With such an enhancement, I could undergo the ceremonial rank promotion baptism and experience a profound spiritual sublimation. Once I ascend my rank, my strength would surpass others at the same level by leaps and bounds!”

“We must amass more spiritual essence. If Cecilia and Mr. Ryan could also partake in ten servings of the [First-Order Spiritual Enhancement Crystal], it would undoubtedly lay a rock-solid foundation for our team’s career trajectory!”

“Moreover, this increase in the spiritual ceiling could potentially mitigate Cecilia’s ‘container breakage’ issue.”

“I’m genuinely excited for our next venture into the unknown…”

–

“Day four in the Observation Area, after over two days of sailing, Mr. Ryan predicts we’ll reach the Whirlpool Islands in less than twelve hours, faster than we anticipated.”

“Arriving early at the Whirlpool Islands to investigate traces of the Moon Wolf will greatly benefit our forthcoming endeavors.”

“Let’s commence, Traveler, a good evening to you~”

“Ahem… back to the matter at hand.”

“Today’s Traveler seem to be extra cautious, almost as if he’s purposefully hunting the weakest, ahem, wild boars, with a mere combat power of 5.”

“Is he collecting something? Every so often, he’s seen crouching, digging into the earth.”

“A wild boar, then another…”

“Ah, the battle interface activates. Is this a lucky strike or a miss? Let’s see, the wild boar king, combat power 29, investment interest rate at 2.5:1.”

“With equal combat power, the lower interest rate isn’t surprising, given the Traveler’s improved prowess.”

“Going all-in, on Traveler!”

“The battle commences.”

“And concludes in half an hour, quicker than I anticipated.”

“Haha, victorious! I netted 265 Spiritual Essence. This time, I’ll save it for future reinvestment, aiming to exponentially grow this sum.”

“Wait, the battle interface is up again, Male Fire Dragon Leader?”

“This Male Fire Dragon Leader appears to bear some sort of vendetta against the Traveler. Why does he always come out just after the Traveler has finished a fight?”

“Tsk, poor Traveler, it seems my investment must sorrowfully go to the Male Fire Dragon Leader this time.”

“The encounter lasts a mere half-minute, yet the Traveler held on longer than before.”

“The future holds promise, my novice traveler, I’m rooting for you.”

“With a heavy heart, I then collected a meager 2 Spiritual Essence. Hehe.”