"Hey, you bum, this isn't a place to sleep."
A harsh female voice echoed down the road.
Fungi was still asleep on the rooftop of some shop. He didn't respond immediately—whether from exhaustion or sheer indifference. But before long, he was being nudged and pushed from side to side by the blunt end of a spear.
With a tired, expressionless face, he slowly looked up at the figure standing above him, pointing the weapon his way.
It was a woman dressed in leather armor with green and brown tunics. Her build was solid, and her long hair was tied back in a high ponytail. She stared down at him seriously as Fungi struggled to stay awake.
"This area is not meant for resting. Please kindly relocate. A tourist zone shouldn't leave a bad impression on visitors."
Fungi didn't say a word. He simply gathered his belongings and apologized.
This had become his daily routine.
He had been traveling on foot toward the Ancestor's Kingdom for days now, resting on rooftops wherever he could. A homeless man in every sense of the word. With no money, no real chance of work or connections, wandering was his only option. Luckily, the Kingdom wasn't on the far end of the continent—it was located at its center.
The journey hadn't been overly chaotic. One could even call it peaceful. The paved roads helped, and every few kilometers, there was a control tower ensuring no uncontrollable threats lingered in that area. It was great for Fungi. All he had to do was keep moving.
At night, he'd just hide and sleep. Of course, food was another problem. He couldn't hunt around the towns; prey was usually protected by local hunters selling meat in the markets. He'd already gotten into trouble with them once when he tried…
As for catching sea beasts for food? Not a chance. The water was freezing, and he didn't know any spell to breathe or move underwater. If something attacked him down there, it'd be instant death.
Using the Soul Path to heal people for money? Out of the question. Back in his homeland, that alone drew too much attention. Now that he was a foreigner, trying to profit from that would just bring more harassment.
His only source of nourishment was the tea herbs he brewed. It didn't taste too bad—if you used a bit of imagination.
The only good news in all this misery was that he was finally close to the Ancestor's Kingdom. At least he could get a job as a sea explorer… or so he hoped. He wasn't a master of the Water Path, and that could cause trouble. But more than anything, he just didn't want to have to abandon his plan if it all failed.
The last thing he wanted was to be forced to rely fully on the Soul Path here.
What gave him a bit of hope was knowing that explorers were provided proper equipment. Not everyone was a trained underwater fighter, and since the job was dangerous but vital, the Kingdom invested in supporting those lacking certain skills. He hoped that gear would compensate for his weaknesses.
And so, Fungi walked on, heading toward the final checkpoints before reaching the Kingdom.
The sun began to set once more. Off in the distance, beyond the vast forest lining the road, stood a towering marble wall surrounding the area. Huge structures loomed above, casting shadows over the descending sun. Ahead of him, a long line of people formed at the entrance, and merchants were parked in caravans selling goods nearby.
After hours walking under the blazing sun, Fungi finally arrived.
He wasn't too thrilled anymore—days on the road had worn him out. He quickened his pace toward the entrance.
Near the gate, he saw a booth surrounded by guards. They wore red armor and carried various weapons: halberds, spears, swords. A woman in red robes sat behind the counter, handing out pins to the people in line. Others simply flashed their own pins and walked in.
This was the city administration.
In a world filled with sorcery, there had to be precautions against constant danger. The world was in constant flux, and people—citizens and merchants alike—were always migrating between realms and islands. In times of conflict or unrest, infiltrators often snuck into kingdoms or sects like Trojan horses, aiming to destroy them from within.
Such incidents were common in the past—especially during the dark age when even the Sky's Venerated Ones were thrown into chaos. This was due to weak defenses and poor identity tracking systems.
One major culprit was the infamous Blood Ancestor—the world's most wanted enemy—whose grotesque blood sorcery allowed him to mimic the heritage, looks, and even enhance the traits of his enemies. A global purge had to be launched to wipe out his bloodline. Yet it still wasn't enough.
So the world learned to adapt to damage rather than try to reverse it. Using what they had learned from the Blood Ancestor, most major kingdoms and sects created identification pins through Blood Path sorcery. Any outsider entering would be instantly traceable, and if needed, the authorities would know exactly where to look.
Of course, Blood Path magic was strictly forbidden due to the Ancestor's crimes. Any blood mage would be executed without hesitation. Even those with demonic tendencies weren't as feared as blood mages.
However, official blood mages in the kingdoms were supervised directly by the Heavens. They were heavily regulated—no one wanted another Blood Ancestor rising from the shadows.
Sects usually avoided even saying the term "blood mage," fearing being marked as enemies of the world.
As for Fungi, he had never needed an identification pin before due to his unique use of the Soul Path. Plus, most Blood Path knowledge had been destroyed or buried deep in secrecy.
In his life, he had only received a few pins. The most valuable one came from the Kingdom of Swords—but that was a special case. Identification pins varied greatly, though most people only had access to the common ones that didn't grant access to more restricted areas within major kingdoms.
Still, Fungi hoped he'd at least be allowed to enter.
He waited in line like everyone else and eventually received his foreigner pin—a small silver lobster with red gemstone eyes. Citizens had the same design but in gold. The difference wasn't huge, but it was enough to mark him as an outsider. He kept it hidden inside his robe. These pins, once marked with one's blood, became part of the bearer—impossible to steal.
Not wasting the chance, Fungi asked the administrators about where to apply for the Sea Explorer role. He was directed to the south of the city.
The elegant white streets stretched before him. From the sidewalk, the sea came into view once more. Down the slope, he could see a small port with stairways leading to lower areas filled with houses and other buildings. In the distance, other islands were connected by a massive white bridge leading to a colossal castle that covered the entire horizon. Tiny buildings peppered the island around it.
Fungi headed down the stairs to the port near that bridge. It turned out that this was the headquarters for sea explorers—and the port was their daily departure point.
There were other bases across the kingdom, but the southern one was the main hub.
He was told to look for someone named Hall-Naven, the captain of the exploration corps. The description made him easy to identify, and sure enough, it didn't take long before Fungi spotted him arriving with a dozen explorers behind him.
They all wore leather armor with green tunics bearing a white lobster symbol. Each carried white bone-colored spears with tips shaped like shrimp claws, seemingly made from crustacean shells.
The only one who stood out was the captain. He wore black leather armor with a red tunic, and his cape bore the image of a massive white octopus. His spear had an orange tint, adorned with green moss-like details.
That matched the description.
Fungi stood up and approached them. The group was in the middle of a lively conversation when Fungi gently tapped the captain's shoulder.
All eyes turned to him. Fungi ignored the attention and politely spoke up:
"Excuse me, Captain Hall-Naven. I was sent here by the city administration to apply for the sea explorer position. They said you'd provide the details."
The captain turned to him. He had a stern expression, a thick beard, curly hair, and a scar cutting through his eyebrow.
Fungi felt a bit intimidated, though he sensed no hostility. Hall-Naven stared at him for a moment from above—he was a very tall man—and spoke with a deep, calm voice.
"You must be a foreigner. I suppose you're lucky—we're heading back to our base now. If you're here for the interview, come with us."
Fungi raised an eyebrow, slightly surprised. At last, some luck. He smiled lightly.
"That's great, just what I needed. Please explain the steps or requirements to join."
One of the explorers behind the captain chuckled.
"Kid, there's not much to explain, you know? This job just needs you to show your Water Path mastery and you're in."
Fungi gave him a shy glance.
"Oh, of course—that's not a problem."
He started chanting softly and stretched his hand toward the sea. A marine serpent emerged from the ocean and coiled around him. He began reshaping it constantly—until the captain raised a hand.
"Sorry to interrupt your little show, but that won't be enough, kid."
Fungi raised an eyebrow.
"To be an explorer, you'll need more than just flashy tricks. I'm sure you know that already as a foreigner. We evaluate mastery through specific criteria."
"Using water on land is completely different from using it in the ocean. The first requirement is basic Water Path control."
Fungi didn't respond. He just dismissed the serpent, letting it return to the sea. The captain continued calmly.
"I'll explain. Our interview process consists of three parts: mining, exploration, and combat. Everyone must specialize in at least one, but a minimum is expected in all three."
"Come with us to our base if you're serious about applying. But let me warn you—it's not for performers who only know tricks with their Path."
Fungi processed the captain's words. It was pretty much what he expected. Even if he wasn't sure about the upcoming trial, he had reached his goal, and he wasn't going to back down now.
So, without hesitation, he agreed to follow them to the castle.
The sooner time flowed forward, the better.
Even if he was unaware of other dangers awaiting him…