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Chapter 6: Darkest Of Times I

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His pitch-black eyes were reflecting the scenery before him, the peace yet wildness of rain... Until that changed as it suddenly started to reflect something else only he can see, "Limitless."

[System: Limitless]

[Name: Yovan Night]

[Age: 23/69,69]

[Physique: 52/∞]

[Endurance: 55/∞]

[Agility: 64/∞]

[Willpower: 69/∞]

[Mind: 30/∞]

[Countdown]

"Aghh, what's with this number? Am I cursed or something?" Yovan couldn't help but wonder though his doubts were soon thrown out of the window as he eyed the other numbers.

'It's addicting, too addicting to watch the numbers go up. However, why is the effect so low? I first assumed that just doubling my initial stats would mean that I will become two times stronger than a normal human being, but that doesn't seem to be the case.' 

He was puzzled, not about how the stats work but about why they work in such a way, 'The effect at first was low, but it's getting better. The higher the number, the high the effect of each number, but why?'

That wasn't that much of a problem because he can assume that if the system worked in an alternative way, increasing his stats would be much harder.

"The world has a way to balance things out..." Yovan murmured. He wishes things were easier, but he really couldn't find it in himself to complain.

His memory problems are still there, seemingly not healing in the slightest, so he can assume that he'd need his endurance or mind stats to be much higher.

"The countdown though... God it's making me so anxious." And indeed, anxiousness was evident on his face every time he looks at the countdown. 

He has no clue as to what it's for, and his time in desolation made him a bit pessimistic, so he was naturally assuming the worst.

The countdown was another reason why he feels like he has to eat the devil fruit once he leaves the island, and train it the best he can.

But first, he has to leave the island. Only then can he be assured to take it because he won't have to go hunting in the water for food anymore.

Yovan's gaze settled upon a certain direction on the island, "It's almost ready, then I can seek my freedom... But for now, I have to start the meat-preserving procedures."

He took care of a few things first before heading to the container again, bringing several sharp knives with him. 

He started cutting the shark meat into small parts, letting half of them cure in the salt. The other half he took with him to the smoker, preparing to let it smoke for about five days.

He was prepared for it to rain, so of course he prepared plenty of wood beforehand, not letting it get wet. He also hid the smoker from the rain and wind.

Yovan then lit up a fire in a place close to the house, protected from the rain and the wind, and started cooking a bit of the meat.

While it was cooling, as per schedule, he began his training. The center of the Island was his training ground where he leaves his workout gear.

Lying before him were two palm trees, carved in the middle to allow firmer hold, and that he did. 

He grasped one with each hand and started doing squats, followed by running with them on his shoulders.

The intensity of the exercise only continued to increase as he focused on working out each muscle of his body to its limits, becoming a sweating mess.

He always makes sure to drive himself to the limits and even push beyond sometimes, just like now, breathing heavily and limping back to the camp, taking a quick shower in the rain before devouring the meat.

He was sure this would've been so much more of an atrocious experience if he didn't have Limitless because his increase in endurance is what allowed him to resist a lot of things, such as the cold.

Yovan spent the next month performing a similar routing, especially focused on what he's building, his workout, and his friendship with the gods of Olympus.

Today was a special day. Today, the usual routine was no more. Today, Yovan woke up even earlier than usual, before dawn.

He usually sleeps almost entirely naked, only attired in clothes made of palm fronds. His old clothes were still there, but he chose to keep them unused until it was time to leave.

He kinda thought it'd be embarrassing if seen adorned in royal exquisite palm fronds, but today it was different.

Today, Yovan woke up and the first thing he did was to go out and take a quick shower in the ocean water before drying himself thoroughly. Only then did he wear his modern clothes.

He also didn't forget to trim his hair. As an adventurer, seeker of the distant, Yovan was used to keeping his hair short because maintaining it in the wilds is only wasted time.

Still, this time he left it longer than usual, letting it fall to his shoulders after cleaning it thoroughly. His golden hair returned to its former glory, to a certain extent.

"Phew, I'm kinda nervous. Hope nothing goes wrong." Yovan reassured himself, taking a deep breath before eyeing a ship not far away.

He wasn't satisfied with a raft, especially with the ferocity of the waves, but he couldn't really make something that much better, or could he? Because before him was a ship, nothing like a raft.

Not just that, Yovan would consider it a tank for a ship because it was constructed to fight against the very waves he fears would bring it down.

The number of handmade ropes keeping the ship together was immense, a testament to Yovan's hard work.

The ship was certainly not a comfortable place to live or sail, but that wasn't his focus, so he didn't mind. His priorities were its durability, its food and water storage, and its sailing speed and accuracy.

He did a tour of the ship, making sure everything is in place before going back to the house, bringing a few things out of hiding, a pair of earrings and black fruit.

The very sane adventurer put the earrings on and placed the fruit on the ship before taking a look at his reflection, something he did almost immediately after waking up here.

He didn't look that much different, his face didn't at least. His face looked more defined, rougher, and more handsome. 

His body on the other hand looked completely different. His training for the past several months wasn't for nothing as he looked absolutely ripped, sculptured right out of a fantasy book.

"I will be leaving huh," Yovan muttered to himself, eyeing his reflection on the water before gazing at the Island again, all of its structures and his accomplishments.

"There is a first time for everything, and this will be the first time I didn't paint a place I like. This will be the first adventure I didn't paint as a memory... Too bad."

He didn't want to paint anything without the necessary tools. Painting is one of his favorite things to do, especially when on adventures. His memory problems made it, so those paintings were the reflection of his memories on paper.

He can of course use cameras but it didn't hit quite the same. There was just something special about painting his memories himself, so it does feel bad to not paint such an interesting memory.

If he paints, he has to have the right tools else he simply won't. He wants to give his hobby the respect it deserves, and only the right tools can allow him to paint the memory as vividly as he wants.

Still, he didn't forget to make a note of the island on a palm frond before getting on the boat. Everything was prepared beforehand, so Yovan didn't need to look back anymore.

He just allowed it to sail, letting the wind guide him into whatever destination it desires...