Knowledge Is Power: The Last Reader

The first warning wasn’t a sound.

It was the silence.

The ocean had a rhythm.

Milo had learned that quickly.

The waves had a certain pattern when the wind pushed from behind. The wood of the ship creaked differently when the current shifted. Even the gulls that followed distant vessels had their own predictable habits.

The sea was never truly quiet.

Not unless something else had made it quiet.

Milo slowly lifted his head from the navigation table.

The candle beside him flickered.

Once.

Twice.

Then went completely still.

No wind.

No waves.

Nothing.

His hand moved toward his sword.

Not quickly.

Quick movements came from panic.

He wasn’t panicking.

Not yet.

He stepped onto the deck and looked over the edge.

The water below was black.

Too black.

The moon reflected everywhere except there.

A patch of darkness followed the ship.

Milo stared.

"...That is concerning."

The understatement was intentional.

It was how he kept himself calm.

If he started describing the situation accurately, his brain would probably start using words like massive unknown aquatic predator.

Those words were less useful.

The ship suddenly tilted.

Not violently.

Almost gently.

Like something underneath had bumped against it.

Milo grabbed the railing.

The Overdue groaned.

Wood complained.

Metal bolts screamed.

Then the ocean exploded.

A serpent erupted from the water beside the ship.

For a moment, Milo only saw a wall.

Not a creature.

A wall of dark blue scales, each one larger than his hand, covered in glowing lines that pulsed faintly beneath the surface.

Its body rose higher than the ship’s mast.

Its head turned toward him.

Two golden eyes opened.

Ancient.

Hungry.

The creature released a roar that wasn’t really a roar.

It was pressure.

A vibration that traveled through the water and into Milo’s bones.

The ship shook.

Milo’s first thought was simple.

Not now.

Not because he feared death.

Because he genuinely did not have time for this.

"Hollow is currently waiting somewhere ahead," he muttered.

The serpent blinked.

Milo pointed his sword at it.

"I do not have time to be eaten."

The serpent answered by opening its mouth.

Reasonable response.

Milo moved.

---

The first strike wasn’t an attack.

It was a test.

The serpent slammed its tail toward the ship.

Milo didn’t block.

He jumped.

[Levitation]

His body lifted just enough to clear the impact.

The tail passed beneath him.

The force alone destroyed half the railing and sent broken wood flying across the deck.

Milo landed.

Immediately activated:

[Appraisal]

Information unfolded.

> SEA SERPENT

Rank: Bronze

Level: 17

Threat: Moderate

Strength: High

Defense: High

Speed: Moderate

Weakness: Mana Core located beneath third throat scale cluster

Milo narrowed his eyes.

A mana core.

Interesting.

The creature was powerful because of its size, but not refined.

It was closer to a magical animal than an intelligent monster.

Which meant...

Predictable.

The serpent attacked again.

This time with its head.

Milo saw the movement before it happened.

Not because he was faster.

Because the creature was obvious.

Its muscles tightened.

Its neck moved.

Its eyes focused.

The attack was coming.

He stepped aside.

The serpent’s jaws slammed into the ship.

The entire vessel shook.

Milo looked at the damage.

Then at the creature.

Then at the ocean.

A normal adventurer would fight the serpent.

Milo wasn’t interested in fighting it.

He was interested in making it stop being a problem.

---

The serpent pulled back.

Milo raised his hand.

[Magic Missile]

Three bolts of mana formed.

The serpent barely reacted.

The missiles hit its scales.

Nothing.

The creature almost looked offended.

Milo nodded.

"Good."

The serpent paused.

"...That was a test."

It obviously didn’t understand.

Milo didn’t care.

The attack confirmed his theory.

Its scales were too dense.

Direct damage was inefficient.

So he needed another route.

He looked at the ship.

Then the water.

Then the serpent.

A small smile appeared.

"You’re very large."

The serpent prepared another attack.

"And that means you have a very large turning radius."

Milo jumped backward.

The serpent chased.

Exactly as expected.

It wasn’t stupid.

But it was an animal.

It followed movement.

He landed near the ship’s broken mast.

The serpent struck.

Milo moved at the last second.

The creature’s head crashed into the mast.

The impact didn’t hurt it.

But it distracted it.

Enough.

[Telekinesis]

The broken mast lifted.

Not toward the serpent.

Toward the water.

The serpent watched.

Confused.

Then Milo changed direction.

The massive wooden beam swung upward.

Directly into the creature’s jaw.

Not enough to damage.

Enough to force its head upward.

Revealing the throat.

The third scale cluster.

The weak point.

Milo moved.

[Levitation]

He launched himself forward.

The serpent noticed.

Too late.

Its mouth opened.

Milo reached the throat.

His sword entered between the scales.

Not deep.

Not enough.

The creature’s body twisted violently.

Milo was thrown away.

He hit the deck hard.

Pain spread through his shoulder.

The serpent screamed.

The wound was small.

But it mattered.

The mana core had been disturbed.

The creature became unstable.

Its movements became wild.

And wild opponents were easier.

Milo stood.

Breathing heavily.

His exhaustion from the journey was catching up.

His mind was still thinking about Hollow.

Still worrying.

Still afraid.

But this was familiar.

A monster was easier than uncertainty.

A monster had rules.

A monster had weaknesses.

A monster could be solved.

The sea serpent charged.

Milo waited.

Three seconds.

Two.

One.

Now.

[Telekinesis]

The sword lying beside him lifted.

The creature’s eyes followed Milo.

Not the sword.

A mistake.

The blade flew upward.

Not toward the head.

Toward the wound.

The exact place Milo had already opened.

The sword entered.

The mana core shattered.

The serpent froze.

The glow beneath its scales disappeared.

Then the massive creature slowly sank back into the ocean.

The sea swallowed it.

Quietly.

Almost respectfully.

---

For several seconds, Milo remained standing.

Then he sat down.

Hard.

The deck was destroyed.

The railing was gone.

His ship looked like it had survived a battle.

Because it had.

He looked at the damage.

Then at the ocean.

"Three days."

He sighed.

"I have been at sea for less than three days."

The system window appeared.

> [SEA SERPENT DEFEATED]

[EXP GAINED: 300]

[LEVEL REQUIREMENT MET]

[RANK CONDITION FULFILLED]

[RANK PROMOTION AVAILABLE]

Milo blinked.

A second window followed.

> [RANK PROMOTION]

IRON → BRONZE → SILVER

PROMOTION COMPLETE

CURRENT RANK: SILVER

He stared at it.

Then laughed quietly.

Not because it was funny.

Because somehow...

After everything.

After dungeons.

After monsters.

After nearly dying repeatedly.

A random sea serpent had been the thing that finally pushed him over.

"Of course."

He leaned back against the damaged mast.

"Naturally."

The sea continued moving.

The ship continued sailing.

And somewhere beyond the horizon...

Windward Shoals waited.

Along with the woman who might finally have the answers Milo had spent weeks chasing.

Milo closed his eyes for a moment.

Just one.

Then opened them again.

No matter what waited there...

He was getting closer.

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