Morning light slowly pushed away the gray mist covering the Sonia Sea.
Adrian stood at the bow of the ship, staring at the distant coastline.
After drifting for nearly a day, land had finally appeared on the horizon.
A faint outline of buildings could be seen along the coast, their shapes blurred by the morning fog.
Adrian let out a quiet sigh of relief.
"Finally…."
Living alone on the sea had made him realize how fragile his situation really was.
He needed information.
He needed supplies.
And most importantly, he needed to understand the world better.
According to the memories of the body's original owner, this coastline belonged to a port city not far from Backlund, the capital of the Loen Kingdom.
That was good news.
Backlund was one of the most important cities in the world.
If Adrian wanted to gather knowledge about Beyonders and mystical materials, he would eventually need to go there.
But not yet.
Right now, he was far too weak.
Soon the small ship approached the harbor.
Fishing boats and merchant vessels moved slowly across the calm water, their sails fluttering gently in the wind.
Compared to the silent sea from before, the harbor felt lively.
Sailors shouted orders.
Dock workers carried crates.
Seagulls circled above the water.
Adrian lowered the sail and carefully guided the ship toward a quiet corner of the port.
After securing the vessel, he placed a hand on the wooden railing.
For a moment he felt the faint spiritual presence inside the ship.
The wandering soul he had bound earlier remained calm and silent.
"Guard the ship."
Adrian whispered softly.
Of course, the spirit couldn't truly understand complex commands yet.
But the connection between them allowed it to instinctively protect the vessel.
Adrian then stepped off the ship and onto the wooden dock.
The moment his boots touched solid ground, a strange feeling passed through him.
It had only been a short time since he arrived in this world…
Yet everything already felt completely real.
Adrian pulled his coat tighter and walked toward the city streets.
The buildings were made of stone and brick, arranged in narrow rows along the road.
Carriages occasionally passed by, their wheels rattling against the pavement.
Gas lamps stood along the streets even though the sun had already risen.
Adrian quietly observed everything around him.
The architecture…
The clothing…
The atmosphere…
It was exactly like the world he remembered from Lord of the Mysteries he had read.
A strange mix of steam technology and hidden mysticism.
After walking for a few minutes, Adrian finally stopped in front of a small hotel.
The wooden sign above the door swayed gently in the wind.
It wasn't luxurious.
But it looked clean enough.
"That'll do."
He stepped inside.
The interior was warm and smelled faintly of tea and wood polish.
Behind the counter stood a middle-aged man reading a newspaper.
The man glanced up when Adrian entered.
"Need a room?"
Adrian nodded.
"Yes. Three days."
The hotel owner studied him for a moment before replying.
"That'll be two silver coins."
Adrian silently thanked the original owner of the body for leaving some money behind.
After paying the fee, he received a small brass key.
"Second floor. End of the hall."
Adrian thanked him and walked upstairs.
The room itself was simple.
A bed.
A wooden desk.
A small window.
But it was quiet.
Perfect.
Adrian closed the door and locked it.
Finally, he could relax.
He sat down on the chair and closed his eyes.
For the next few minutes, Adrian carefully examined his spiritual senses.
Ever since binding the wandering soul to his ship, his control over spiritual energy felt slightly smoother.
"The potion digestion…"
He could clearly feel it.
The chaotic spiritual energy inside him had become slightly more stable.
Adrian slowly raised his hand.
A faint ripple of spiritual power spread from his palm.
As a Spirit Master, he could now sense spiritual fluctuations much more clearly.
Even inside the hotel room, he could faintly feel traces of lingering emotions left behind by previous guests.
Fear.
Loneliness.
Anxiety.
"Interesting…"
He also noticed something else.
Whenever he concentrated deeply, he could faintly sense a distant connection.
A place far beyond reality.
Adrian opened his eyes slowly.
"The Sefirot…"
The mysterious space connected to the Outer God inheritance inside him.
Until now, he had only entered it accidentally.
But now that his spiritual senses had improved…
He might be able to enter it deliberately.
Adrian leaned back in the chair, deep in thought.
"No rush."
He still had three days in this hotel.
Plenty of time to study his abilities and prepare.