Back on the Horizon Talon, Kade allowed herself a quiet sigh of relief as the boarding party disembarked from the longboats. Although battered and bruised, the boarding party returned with both their lives and much-needed supplies. She’d seen worse outcomes from missions with far fewer threats, and she knew they’d scraped through by more than just skill. The Lord of the Forsaken Tides had taken his toll, but they’d still come out standing.

  As they climbed aboard, Lawson stood beside her, his gaze forward, his posture as rigid as her own. They strode across the deck toward Captain Voss, whose expression remained stoic as he looked over the returning crew. Kade could see a hint of approval as she and Lawson delivered their report. She detailed the combat swiftly, skimming over the intensity of the fight. He didn’t need her to dwell on the brutality. What mattered was that they’d succeeded. When she mentioned the crossbows and pike poles, his eyebrow quirked slightly.

  "I see," he said, sparing a glance at Lawson. "Fine work."

  "Cole, get those supplies secured. Any ranged weapons are to be positioned logically across the lookout posts. There are no assigned owners yet, as I’m sure you’ll agree we’re short enough on ranged support. Make sure they’re accessible should we need them on short notice."

  Cole gave a firm nod, a grin breaking through as he moved off to the hold, already calling out orders to his team. There was an efficiency about him that Kade found grounding. Even in the chaos, Cole had that natural ability to make everything seem manageable.

  "Navigator, prepare the course," Voss ordered, "and set a course for that container ship as soon as the longboats are secured. I’d like us underway before dawn."

  "Aye, sir," the Navigator replied.

  Within minutes of hoisting the longboats back aboard, the Horizon Talon glided forward, leaving the abandoned cargo ship behind. It felt like shedding a weight. Kade walked toward the railing, glancing back one last time as the outline of the ship faded into darkness. She turned her eyes upward, the sight above like a balm to her weary mind.

  The clouds had parted, revealing a clear night sky above the still, dark ocean. Stars spread out in vast constellations, piercingly bright. Even on typical nights, the stars at sea were brilliant, unmarred by light pollution. But tonight, they seemed impossibly clear, each star gleaming like polished glass, illuminating the vast, undisturbed sky with an otherworldly radiance.

  As Kade gazed, she felt a pull she hadn’t felt in ages. A sense of awe that was part memory, part raw wonder. This mystery, this endless frontier, had drawn her to the sea. She’d always loved the ocean for its vastness, for it reminded her how minor human concerns were against the backdrop of the universe. And now, in this transformed world, the ocean felt even more mysterious, as though its depths held secrets yet to surface.

  Scattered across the water, faint, strange lights glimmered in shifting patterns, casting pale reflections that wavered and pulsed. The ocean seemed to come alive, revealing long-hidden parts of itself. The sight sent a shiver down her spine, not from fear, but from the sense that they were witnessing something profoundly unknown.

  There was a beauty to it, a reminder that the sea had always been an alien, unexplored realm, as wild and untamed as the stars above it. And now, that strangeness had only intensified, as if the ocean were marking its own boundary between what once was and what was yet to come.

  As the crew settled into their new course, Kade moved back to the main deck. The familiar hum of activity brought her back into the present. She spotted a stack of barrels off to the side and took a seat on one, stretching her legs as she finally let herself exhale. The adrenaline of the fight had faded, replaced by the ache of her bruised ribs and a bone-deep exhaustion.

  There was still work to be done. She could see notifications faintly blinking at the edge of her vision, reminders of changes she hadn’t yet acknowledged. In the surrounding quiet, it was finally time to address them.

  +2 Sword Combat | Congratulations! Ah, you have found the sharp edge. Good choice!

  +2 Dirty Fighting | Congratulations! The gloves are off… and so are the rules. Playing nice? Never heard of it. Go ahead, make them regret playing fair.

  +1 Leadership | Congratulations! Authority suits you. Now, rally the troops… or at least pretend you know what you're doing!

  Kade was still unclear what the numbers meant, but the higher numbers were always better. At least, that is the theory she was going with. It was hard to quantify, but she felt she was getting better with her sword skills and more comfortable in a leadership role in the post-cataclysmic world. However, she was more inclined to consider the nature of experience rather than some number on a screen. Maybe, she finally thought, maybe she was overthinking it, and the numbers translated into a representation of practical experience. The dirty fighting skill made her smirk, though. Dirty fighting? No such thing. There was winning and getting a pair of bruised ribs. Given the dull ache the medic indicated she'd have for a while, she'd take winning any day.

  Level up! Congratulations, you are now level two. Go forth and defend the realms mighty hunter. Warning: Due to the current level-zero protocols, class choice and ability points are deferred until level five. Actions taken between levels one and five will contribute to the available class selection.

  Level up! Congratulations, you are now level three. Go forth and defend the realms mighty hunter. Warning: Due to the current level-zero protocols, class choice and ability points are deferred until level five. Actions taken between levels one and five will contribute to the available class selection.

  Level three sounded great, but if the skill points were vague in their value, they were just downright pointless until she hit level five, from what the notification had to say. She was curious about what class selection meant. She basically understood the implications, but what classes would be offered to her? Still, she thought her character sheet was shaping into something. Hopefully, that would translate into a class that would be useful to the ship and crew.

  Name: Sarah Kade

  Class: Commoner

  Level: 3

  Health: 180/180

  Mana: 120/120

  Stats

  Strength: 4

  Dexterity: 6

  Intelligence: 6

  Constitution: 5

  Charisma: 4

  Abilities None

  Skills

  Sailing: 8

  Ocean Craft: 8

  Ocean Navigation: 6

  Leadership: 6

  Sword Combat: 5

  Dirty Fighting: 4

  *Due to Simulation error, skills gained after the error but before the reboot will be assessed upon first use of the skill post reboot*

  What drew her attention was the abilities section. Currently, she had none, but would those come with her class selection? What was the difference between skills and abilities? Listening to some of the crew members who were more familiar with roleplaying games, they theorized that some of their abilities would be more active. Some power like you'd see in a superhero comic. She would believe it when she saw it, but it was still fun to imagine.

  She didn't want to admit it, but she was starting to see why these roleplaying games were so popular with some people. The rewards she had received from the quest had given her a shot of endorphins. She hadn't wanted to believe the item descriptions as being real, but when she slid the eyepatch over her head, the young Marine who had told her it most likely wouldn't block her normal vision was correct. Her vision was much sharper than it had been before. She could see great distances as if she were using a pair of binoculars with a thought.

  That use was pretty self-explanatory, but she was still trying to figure out why certain items had a bit of a glow around them. Mainly, it was items like the cutlass, and the other quest rewards the boarding party had received. The item description said the eyepatch would detect magic, but what qualifies as magic under this new simulation? From her perspective, everything that was happening was magic.

  Farsight Eyepatch

  Quality: Uncommon

  Enchantments: Arcane Sense, Night Sight, Eagle's Focus

  Description: More than just a rugged accessory, this eyepatch is a powerful tool for those who operate in shadowy corners or aboard dimly lit decks. Crafted from enchanted leather and inlaid with a subtle silver thread that pulses faintly with energy, the patch enhances the wearer’s perception in multiple ways.

  Night Sight grants the wearer perfect vision in low-light and near-total darkness. Arcane Sense, when activated, will show nearby magic items and enchantments with a faint outline. Eagle's Focus will allow the wearer to zoom their vision with a thought, to see objects far off in the distance as if you have high-powered binoculars. Ideal for spotting distant ships, hazards, or tracking movement on the horizon.

  Kade was sure there would be quite a few pirate jokes in her immediate future, but the item was just too valuable not to wear to avoid a few jokes. Besides, over time, the item's usefulness would stop any jokes cold to those who know its benefits. Anyone who still wanted to make jokes down the road would find out the hard way just what an edge it gave Kade.

  If the eyepatch was good, then the sword was indeed a marvel. Kade didn't want to fight more monsters, but she was convinced she would have little choice and that monsters would be a daily part of her life from now on. The real question would be if the greatest monster of all would show up at some point. Humanity.

  Since fighting would be part of everyday life, Kade was happy that one of her rewards for the quest was a new sword. Her dress sword functioned as a fighting weapon, but its construction wasn't designed for prolonged fighting. Already, the weapon had developed several chips and a slight warping in the blade. It wouldn't have made it through many more battles, so the new sword as a reward was fortuitous. If there was a case for intelligence behind the simulation, a new sword at an opportune moment certainly gave that notion credit.

  Looking at her new sword, it was a thing of beauty and brutality. Thirty inches of blade length, right in the sweet spot for a cutlass. Long enough to provide some reach but short enough to swing in the closed-in spaces of a ship. Its clipped point and slight curve were standard for a cutlass. While still primarily a chopping and slashing weapon, the clipped point would allow it to be used as a piercing weapon.

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  The hilt featured a typical basket style except to include a knuckle bar with several half-inch spikes. It seems the Simulation had given her a weapon that played into her dirty fighting skill. Punching someone with a sword was not how sword fights were supposed to go, but it was undoubtedly how her instructors had taught her to fight. Fight to win, not honor. That ideology was a bit of a misnomer because the traditions of the navy included a long history of what makes up valid combat engagements. No, the sentiment was not a commentary on might makes right, but once the fight starts, do anything to survive. Usually, surviving meant having to win.

  Tempest's Edge Cutlass

  Quality: Rare

  Enchantments: Gale Strike, Officer's Command

  Description: This fine weapon shimmers with a metallic blue sheen, evoking the color of stormy seas. Fine engravings along the blade’s edge depict waves crashing and swirling. Small, storm-like motifs adorn the hilt, and dark leather wraps the grip, securing the weapon even when wet. When wielded, the cutlass hums faintly, like the whisper of wind on the open sea.

  Gale Strike is a passive enchantment granting additional force damage with each successful strike. Upon a critical hit, this force damage will also disrupt an enemy. Officer's Command serves as both a weapon and a symbol of authority. When an officer triggers this active ability, it grants nearby allies a temporary bonus to their attack and morale checks, increasing the unit's effectiveness in combat. Enemies within twenty feet of the officer will suffer a morale debuff. The wielder's leadership skill will determine the effectiveness of the Officer's Command.

  Setting her dress uniform cutlass off to the side, she slipped Tempest's Edge into her scabbard before testing the draw several times. The scabbard fit was good, almost better than the sword it had originally been intended for.

  Leaning back against the stack of barrels she'd been sitting on, she returned to the night sky. She wanted to sit for a few minutes and relax before returning to her bunk to rack out.

  Having dozed off, Kade blinked awake, her back stiff and her neck protesting as she lifted her head from the barrel she’d been leaning against. It took her a moment to realize where she was. The Horizon Talon’s deck, not her quarters. The night had passed in a blur of exhaustion, the tension of battle and the endless weight of responsibility finally catching up to her. She straightened slowly, feeling the bruises from the fight with the Lord of the Forsaken Tides throb in dull protest.

  "Didn’t even make it to my bunk," she said, running a hand through her hair.

  "Ma’am, sorry to wake you," a young deckhand said. "Captain Voss is asking to see you and Lieutenant Bishop."

  "Don't suppose you brought any coffee? What time is it?" Kade said.

  "It’s just before dawn, ma'am." the young man responded, "I don't have any coffee, but I can run down to the mess and grab you a cup if you'd like."

  "No, Ensign. As much as I'd like a cup, I will not reduce you to being a runner for a lazy officer," Kade replied.

  Kade squinted toward the horizon, noting the soft glow of pre-dawn light creeping over the world's edge. The wind had picked up, filling the sails and giving the ship a gentle sway. It would be a good day for sailing, but Kade knew better than to trust it. The ocean was fickle. It could turn from calm to chaos instantly. A perfect day could just as quickly end in a storm or something worse. Especially in this new world they found themselves in.

  Shaking off the last remnants of sleep as she stood. Her legs felt heavier than they should, the lingering effects of the fight still gnawing at her muscles. "Did anyone consider waking me up before I made a public display of using cargo as a mattress?"

  The officer hesitated, unsure whether to answer, but then nodded toward the aftcastle. "Captain mentioned it might be best to let you rest, given everything." He gave a small, sheepish smile. "But I don’t think anyone expected you to sleep through the night on the barrels."

  Kade snorted softly. "Good to know the crew’s looking out for me. At least I wasn’t tossed overboard."

  Lieutenant Bishop, the ship's third in command, joined her as she made her way toward the aftcastle. He fell into step beside her, his usual calm demeanor giving way to a smirk of amusement as he gestured toward the barrels she’d just vacated.

  "So," Bishop started casually, "the crew decided that the XO sleeping on deck was just something we were going to let happen?"

  Kade gave him a sideways glance. "Apparently, you all thought it was too good of a moment to interrupt. Or maybe you just wanted to see how long I’d last out there."

  "Well, if it’s any comfort, no one seemed too worried about it. Figured you’d earned the break after keeping us from becoming fish food."

  Kade shrugged. "If that’s the standard now, we’re all going to end up curled around crates by the end of the week."

  There was an undercurrent of truth to the joke, though. After everything they'd seen, normalcy felt far off. Rest, even on barrels, had become a luxury. Kade was sure it was going to get worse before it got better. She'd served on patrol boats in a couple of conflicts. You got used to sleeping whenever and wherever you could because, more often than not, the world wouldn't wait until you were on duty before it came crashing down around you.

  They walked in silence for a few moments, the resigned humor in Bishop’s voice hanging between them like an unspoken acknowledgment that their relationships were evolving. The formal distance between officers was fraying at the edges. This world was too strange, too hostile for them to hold on to the same professional rigidity. All they had now was each other.

  "So," Bishop said, "do you think we’ll ever get used to this?"

  Kade thought momentarily, watching the pre-dawn light spread across the sky, painting it in shades of soft violet and gray. Part of the situation was normal for those who had previously served in combat zones. Chaos was the general order of the day, and you either rolled with it or got rolled over. The fun little twist this time was that every rule about how the world worked was up for grabs. Magic couldn't be real. That's why they called it magic. Yet, she was now wearing an eyepatch that didn't obscure her vision and even let her perform other tasks that would have required very sophisticated technology forty-eight hours ago.

  "We’ll have to," she said. "I'm pretty sure we have little choice."

  The wind picked up slightly as they approached the aftcastle, tugging at her jacket. Captain Voss stood at the helm next to the navigator, his silhouette outlined against the faint light breaking over the horizon. His back was straight, his stance composed, but Kade could sense the weight of command settling on him. The captain didn’t flinch, didn’t allow any weakness to show, but she could tell this was just as hard for him as it was for the rest of them.

  Bishop gave her a nod as they neared the captain. "Guess it’s time to see what the day brings."

  Kade replied. "And pray it’s just a fair wind and clear skies."

  "Who do we even pray to now?" Bishop remarked.

  "Outside of my pay grade, I'm afraid," Kade said.

  Kade approached the helm with Bishop beside her, the early morning air crisp and the horizon stretching wide with the faintest touch of dawn. Captain Voss stood with his back straight, the kind of posture that didn’t come from habit but from years of carrying the weight of command. The navigator stood close by, quietly adjusting the ship’s heading, but it was clear from the captain’s stance that the day’s actual conversation was beginning.

  Voss turned his gaze to her, and a small smile tugged at the corner of his mouth. "Lieutenant, I’d comment on your efficiency, but it looks like your efficiency took a hit when you slept in your uniform."

  "Though, with that getup, you look halfway to becoming a proper pirate."

  "I expected pirate jokes from the crew, but you too, mon capitaine," Kade chuckled.

  The sound was more relaxed than she’d felt since everything started. She hadn’t had a good laugh since the world had turned upside down, but the captain’s dry wit reminded her that, at least on this ship, they hadn’t lost everything.

  "Guess I’ll take what I can get, sir. If I’m going to look like a pirate, I might as well own it."

  Bishop, standing beside her, chimed in, "I do admit to being confused by the eyepatch, XO. Mind explaining?"

  "Not at all. It was a magic item I received for completing a quest the boarding party offered. It doesn't impair my vision; if anything, it enhances it by allowing me to see in low-light situations as if it were daytime. However, I will admit that when I tested it last night, everything was a shade of grey, so I won't be able to pick out colors. The best I can explain it is that it was like seeing as if it was a full moon on a clear night," Kade explained.

  "It also has some other abilities, like zooming in my vision as if I'm looking through high-powered binoculars." She said.

  "Very interesting, indeed," Captain Voss added. "We'll need to decide what items should be put into the ship's supplies versus what should belong to the individual."

  "Agreed, sir. That was one item that I was going to bring to your attention. We'll need to review how crew shares were handled during the golden age of sail, but that should give us a starting point." Kade said.

  "I will say that quest rewards appear to be specific to the individual. I would leave those to the person receiving them, but there was also a reward of gold coins," Kade continued.

  "Gold coins? I guess we truly are living in a video game now," Bishop remarked.

  Kade shook her head but smiled all the same. It was the first time she’d seen Bishop this loose since the world had changed, and it was nice to see there was still room for humor. They’d need it with everything they were facing.

  Voss’s expression sobered as he shifted to the matter at hand. "We’ve got a long day ahead of us," he said.

  "If our estimates are right, we should spot the LVCS by midmorning, assuming it hasn’t drifted too far from where we expected. But with how the Simulation restarted, I’m not putting much faith in our last known position."

  Bishop grunted before responding. "The restart could’ve thrown off its position entirely. Could be miles from where we’re expecting."

  "Which makes this more about survivors than salvage," Kade added, shifting her weight slightly as her ribs still ached.

  "If we don’t find anyone alive, there’s not much point in tearing through a container ship without the right equipment. Quartermaster Cole already made that clear."

  "We need to know what happened to the crew of that ship. And if there are no survivors...we’ll move on." Voss said.

  "What’s more pressing is what’s happening back in New London. We need to return to port, assess the state of command, and figure out how this new world is going to work. As much as it pains me to say it, if we haven't found the ship by mid-day, we'll stop the search and make best speed for home."

  Kade could hear the pain in his words, the undercurrent of personal concern that threaded through the professionalism. It wasn’t just about duty anymore. It was about the people. She could see the tension in his posture, the slight narrowing of his eyes. Voss wasn’t just thinking about the chain of command. He was thinking about the millions of people who might suffer in the aftermath of this new reality.

  "We don’t even know if the chain of command exists anymore," he admitted. "We need to find out what’s left."

  "Depending on what we find in New London will determine our next steps."

  "Sir, I have heard comments from a handful of the crew that would like to be put ashore once we return. They're concerned about their family and spouses." Bishop remarked.

  "I took a moment to go look through the crew manifest to see how many crew we could lose to the situation, and surprisingly, few of the crew have close family," He said.

  "That feels intentional," Kade commented. "Lots of oddities with this cruise, Captain."

  "Yes, quite. We'll have to ask command about that when we return. If there is a command to return to," Captain Voss said.

  The silence between the three of them was thick with unspoken thoughts, the uncertainty that had been creeping into their minds now laid bare. Kade exchanged a glance with Bishop, whose usually steady demeanor seemed a little less sure in the face of the captain’s words. They had to find out what had happened. Not just for themselves, but for the people they were supposed to protect.

  Then, without warning, Kade’s vision filled with the now-familiar sight of a simulation message forcing itself into her line of sight rather than her status log. The crucial difference between the two messages appeared to be time-critical messages versus straight informational notifications. The former could force itself into her vision while the latter waited until she went looking for them.

  Greetings, Players! Congratulations on making it through the first planetary cycle of the Simulation reboot. You will be happy to know that the level zero protocols are working as intended and the global player population is adjusting toward the accepted upper limits of the Simulation. Previous player population: 8,089,179,962 Humans. Current player population: 5,354,948,178 Humans. No player data for additional player species is available.

  Kade blinked, staring at the cold numbers, feeling a blow to her stomach. Almost three billion people, gone.

  Voss straightened beside her, his eyes locked on something unseen as he, too, must’ve received the update. His voice, though steady, now held an unfamiliar edge of gravity. "That’s a third of the world, XO."

  Kade swallowed, her throat dry, and nodded. "Yes, sir. Two point seven billion ...in a day."

  She felt the enormity of it sinking in, a third of the world gone in the blink of an eye. The Simulation had done more than change their reality. It had shattered it. Off to the side, Kade could hear at least one crew throwing up over the ship's side.

  "That tears it," Voss said. "We investigate the LVCS. Then we make best speed for New London, and we find out what’s left. No matter what."

  "Aye, Captain." Kade said.

  "Aye, Captain," Bishop echoed.

  Tides of Ruin: Book One is completely written and already scheduled. Chapters go live every Tuesday and Friday. You can read with confidence knowing this mission isn’t going dark mid-voyage.

  The Grand Crusade. It’s happening on another front, and things aren’t any prettier over there.

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