Jack placed the dice on the wooden table of the Ocean Wanderer's main cabin.

"There are six items left." He said in flat tone. Devoid of unnecessary emotion. "Two Phoenix Feathers, one Lightning Wolf Fang, and three Merdragon Scales. You know the rules. If you want the item, you roll. Highest number takes it and bows out of the next rounds."

He looked at the two [Phoenix Feathers]. They glowed with a dull, sunset orange color. "We'll start with the feathers." He announced. "Two with the highest number can get those."

Don Donson, the ship's cook, stepped forward. He wiped his hands on his apron. He was a man who appreciated heat. [Phoenix Feather] would suit him indeed.

He picked up the dice and shook them in his cupped palms. The rattle was the only sound in the room. He tossed them. A five and a six. Eleven.

"Good start!" Jack remarked.

Serene, the elder of the healer sisters took the stage next. She moved with a grace that masked her underlying tension. She picked up the dice and rolled. A six and a six. Twelve.

"Eleven and twelve." Jack whistled. "You two set the bar really high."

The others took turns and rolled the dice. But, they failed to beat the first two rolls. None could even gain a ten in their rolls.

"The feathers go to Serene and Don." Jack declared. Gesturing the two to take each of their prize.

Jack looked at the remaining items. "Let's continue with the fang." 𝙧𝙚𝙚𝔀𝒆𝓫𝓷𝙤𝓿𝒆𝙡.𝒄𝙤𝓶

For the [Lightning Wolf Fang], almost everyone allowed decided to roll. Autumn rolled an eleven. The highest number out of the others.

"Autumn gets the fang." Jack announced. "That left us with the scales."

For the three [Merdragon Scales], the crew members rolled the dice again. This time, the three highest rolls belonged to Baroness Artheim, Chloe, and Ned.

"The distribution is complete." Jack said. Sitting on his chair and leaning back. "Let's begin the infusion now. Moby, you first."

Moby stepped into the center of the cabin. He was a big, muscular man. The second greatest out of all the crew in term of height and size, after Jack. He held the [Leviathan Tail Bone] and reached for his mystic energy.

"Focus on your mystic energy." Jack instructed. "Treat the bone as a part of your own skeleton that was simply misplaced. Pull it in."

Moby closed his eyes. His breathing became heavy and rhythmic. As he gripped the bone tight, a dull, thrumming sound began to emanate from his chest. Slowly, the artifact began to dissolve into a fine, silvery dust. One that sank into his skin.

The transformation afterward was rather... violent. The crew watched in silence as Moby's frame began to shudder. There was a sound like dry branches snapping. His bones were lengthening and thickening.

His already impressive height began to grow. A visibly growth spurt. He kept growing until he stood exactly as tall as Jack's human form. And, along with height, his muscles were also developed. They became denser, thicker, and more defined. Even bigger than Jack's.

When Moby opened his eyes, they were clear and sharp. He flexed his hands. And the sound of his knuckles popping was like small gunshots.

"How is it?" Bell asked.

"I feel... solid." Moby grunted in response.

Jack nodded, his [Eyes of Judgement] scanned Moby's frame. "You've acquired the [Tough Bone] and [Great Regeneration] traits. You'll be much harder to break. And if you do break, you'll knit back together in minutes. You might now be one of the toughest Mystic Scholars."

He then turned to Barnaby, Don, and Serene. The ones with the [Phoenix Feathers].

"Alright, you three can start now. Do not fight the heat." Jack warned them. "Let it infuse your body with its power."

As the three of them absorbed the feathers, a wave of dry heat rolled through the cabin. Barnaby's usual smirk vanished. Replaced by a look of intense concentration. Don looked like he was standing over a roaring stove. And... Serene's pale skin turned a flushed crimson.

The final physical change was visual and immediate. A streak of vibrant, fiery red bled into their hair. Starting from the roots and settling into a permanent highlight. Their eyes, once ordinary brown, shifted into a bright amber color.

"Nice change there." Jack commented when they were done. "Normal fire won't hurt you now. And you have [Lesser Fire Control]. You can't exactly summon a volcano, but you can influence existing flames. My suggestion... carry lighter wherever you go."

This story is posted elsewhere by the author. Help them out by reading the authentic version.

Barnaby ran a hand through his hair. Looking at the red streak in a small hand mirror he produced out of his pocket. "Stylish! As expected." He muttered with a wide grin.

Jack looked at him helplessly. He was suspicious that the reason this bard chose the feather might not be for power, but for its physical alteration.

"Alright, Reina, Autumn... It's your turn." Jack continued the power infusion process.

Reina and Autumn stood in their positions. They held their [Lightning Wolf Fangs] tightly.

"Focus your energy." Jack instructed. "Absorb the fang in your hand slowly. Don't be in a hurry. Slowly!"

As the two absorbed the fangs, tiny arcs of electricity danced between their fingers. They gasped as the energy surged through them. Their hair stood on end for a brief second before settling back.

When the sparks of electricity faded, Reina and Autumn opened their eyes. The pupils of their eyes had turned into a piercing, electric sky-blue color. And they now moved with a new, agile grace. A predatory alertness.

"The [Lightning Spark] spell is now yours to command." Jack confirmed their successful integration. "And your reflexes have been heightened. You might need some time to adjust yourselves for that."

Reina vanished in a blur of motion. Reappearing on the other side of the table before anyone could blink. His [Absolute Blink] was even faster now. She looked at her hands. A look of practical satisfaction on her face.

"Alright!" Jack turned his attention to the last three prize winners. "Baroness! Chloe! Ned! It's your turn. You know what to do."

Baroness Artheim, Chloe, and Ned nodded. They absorbed the [Merdragon Scales] slowly. This process was quieter. Only accompanied by the sound of trickling water and the appearance of a slight cool mist.

Once they were done, their eyes deepened into a dark, bottomless blue color. Like the ocean at midnight. Jack watched as a faint, shimmering pattern appeared on their necks. Fine, translucent scales that vanished as quickly as they appeared.

"You have the [Scaled Skin] mystic spell." Jack told them as he used his [Eyes of Judgement] on them. "It acts as a layer of invisible armor when triggered. More importantly, you can now breathe underwater. If we hit a reef or the ship goes down, you three will be the ones doing most of the salvaging."

"A most practical gift." Baroness Artheim said. Her voice sounded slightly more melodic. As if it was filtered through water.

Chloe was busy concentrating. Trying to trigger the scaled skin.

Ned simply nodded. Looking more confident than he had since the voyage began.

"Good!" Jack said. Standing up from his seat. "Take the rest of the night to acclimate to your new bodies. Everyone else, do what you need. We leave Whaleback in two days."

He picked up the [Heart of the Ocean]. The pulsing, blue orb felt quite heavy, as if it was infused with the weight of a thousand leagues of water. He left the cabin and headed down into the belly of the ship.

Rune followed him. Her glow shifted to a deep, rhythmic blue. One that matched the color of the artifact.

Jack descended past the sleeping quarters and the cargo hold. Down to the very base of the disguised vessel. He stood in the dark space of the bilge. A surprisingly dry place where the massive timber of the keel ran the length of the ship.

Jack could feel the 'essence' of the Silent Mermaid. The ship was more than wood and iron. It was a bound supernatural entity. A ghostly construct cloaked in the mundane, physical form of the Ocean Wanderer.

He knelt and placed the [Heart of the Ocean] against the central keel.

"Here it is. Fuse!" Jack whispered a command.

The orb began to sink into the wood as if either one of the orb or the timber were liquid. A faint, vibrating hum resonated to the entire ship. It wasn't a sound heard with the ears, but felt in the marrow of the bones.

From the keel, veins of faint blue light spread outward. Racing along the ribs of the ship. Up the masts. And into the very rigging.

To an outside observer, the Ocean Wanderer still looked like a common, slightly weathered sloop. But Jack could feel the change. The ship's connection to the water had fundamentally shifted. It had received the blessing of the ocean.

He closed his eyes and checked his mental map of the ship's stats. The top speed of the ghost ship at night, or under the cover of a storm, had effectively doubled. In the dark, the Silent Mermaid would now be a speedy phantom that no vessel could ever hope to catch or flee from.

Jack returned to the deck. The night air was cool. And the town of Geyser Town flickered with orange lanterns in the distance.

For the next two days, the crew stayed on Whaleback Island. Resting, enjoying the hot springs, and adapting to their new powers.

Jack simply watched as the crew began practicing their new abilities.

He watched as Moby tested his new constitution by hauling massive crates while Bell struck him with iron rods. He watched when Don experimented with the kitchen's fire. Cooking at temperatures that he wouldn't do before.

He watched when Reina and Autumn practiced their movements. They played a game of chase in a secluded clearing on the coast. Testing their new speed and reflexes.

He watched as Chloe and the Baroness dove beneath the surface of the sea on the Whaleback Lagoon. Staying down for twenty, thirty minutes at a time. They would emerge later. Their dark blue eyes were shining with the thrill of a new world opened to them.

On the third morning...

"Man the stations!" Jack shouted. His voice was carried effortlessly across the deck. The ship was still in Ocean Wanderer's mode. They had to sail in a conventional way.

The crew moved with a refreshed precision. Argust Osprey, the navigator, took his place by the wheel. Preparing to steer the ship without using the control chamber.

"Destination, Shipmount Island! Lift the anchor!" Jack commanded.

The anchor was raised. The sails were unfurled. Catching a calm breeze of the sea. The crew rapidly navigated the ship away from the harbor of Geyser Town.

Jack stood at the bow. Standing steady against the spray of the sea. Rune hovered beside him. Her glow was a steady, confident emerald.

Shipmount Island was their next target. It was another mundane island. Just a normal stop before going to Barrentree Island.

But, recalling what they had experienced in every island they landed on, Jack sighed. He wasn't confident enough to claim that the next stop would be a normal landing without any problem.

=====<O>=====

If you, dear readers, enjoy the story, please share a review.

And if you are willing to support my work, please consider visiting and joining /Alkrishna. It should be about 15+ chapters ahead there.

=====<O>=====