Chapter Two: The Autonomous System

"Where is this place?" Awaking from a deep sleep and taking in the warm, bright surroundings, Roland found himself puzzled.

But as his memories returned, Roland instantly understood where he was—aboard the pirate ship of the Golden Lion.

Why call it a pirate ship? Because through the window, Roland could see the endless sea outside and the clouds receding rapidly. If this were the Golden Lion’s base, he would not be able to witness such a scene.

“So, everything that happened yesterday wasn’t just a hallucination?” Roland recalled that after saying ‘thank you’ yesterday, he had lost consciousness, and the events before he passed out felt like visions seen in the throes of death.

The Golden Lion was such a ruthless and brutal man—how could he possibly have saved him?

But now, Roland had to believe it, for the truth was right before his eyes. If not for the Golden Lion, his second chance at life would have ended yesterday.

More importantly, as he sorted through his memories, Roland discovered something he hadn’t noticed in the chaos of yesterday: the system.

There was a system in his mind—a detail he had entirely overlooked before. What was a system? As someone who watched anime and read novels, Roland understood perfectly. This was his cheat, his special advantage.

With the system, he no longer needed to worry about surviving in this world.

Yesterday, the prospect of earning the Golden Lion’s protection had made him happy, but that happiness was nothing compared to the thrill of possessing a superpowered system. After all, whether he could stay with the Golden Lion was uncertain; the system, however, was undeniably real.

He softly called upon the system, and instantly, a virtual panel appeared before him.

“Self-Discipline System.” That was the system’s name.

“This is excellent—I like it,” Roland grinned at the title.

When it came to self-discipline, he was confident he wouldn’t lose to anyone. In his previous life, Roland had grown up amidst criticism and scolding, yet even so, he’d made it to university and become a top lawyer.

Without a strong sense of self-discipline, he would have crumbled long ago, let alone become a renowned attorney.

“Host: Roland.”
“Race: Human.”
“Special abilities: None.”
“Strength Level: 0 (0/10,000)”
“Speed Level: 0 (0/10,000)”
“Endurance Level: 0 (0/10,000)”

“Complete daily training to receive a random amount of attribute experience points.”
“A normal person’s attributes are all at level 1, while ordinary marines and pirates will have at least one attribute at level 2.”
“By consistently completing self-discipline training a certain number of times, you can receive cumulative rewards—the longer you persist, the greater the rewards.”
“Current consecutive training days: 0/30, reward: ???”

The virtual panel detailed Roland’s current stats and the system’s features. After reading through them, Roland felt this system suited him perfectly.

He was well aware that even without the system, daily training was essential for survival in this world. Now, the system allowed his daily progress to be displayed clearly, just like leveling up in a game, with each increment of experience visible at a glance.

Moreover, judging by the system’s functions, as long as he accumulated enough experience, his growth would be unhindered—he only needed to keep up with his daily self-discipline tasks and train.

When it came to perseverance, Roland believed he was second to none.

However, for now, all of this was secondary. For Roland at this moment, one thing was more important than anything else: finding something to eat. Once he was full, he could figure out a way to get close to the Golden Lion and secure this powerful ally.

“You’re awake?”

Just as Roland was wondering where he might find something to eat, a sudden voice startled him. Following the sound, he saw an unfamiliar face standing beside him, eyes alight with pleasure.

“And you are?” Roland asked, puzzled. Who was this person, and why did his awakening seem to make him so happy?

“I was sent by Lord Shiki to take care of you. You can call me Oss.”

Oss didn’t know Roland’s identity; he only knew that Lord Indigo himself had carried him back, which meant his status must be special—perhaps even the captain’s illegitimate child—so he treated him with great respect.

“Oss, could you help me get something to eat?” Roland quickly pieced together why Oss was being so deferential.

In short, he was enjoying the Golden Lion’s prestige. Otherwise, a pirate from the Golden Lion’s crew would never treat a nobody like him with such respect.

Let them misunderstand, Roland thought. He couldn’t be bothered with the details; feeding himself was the priority.

He’d experienced hunger in his previous life, but never four days without a bite of food.

“Certainly, please wait a moment.”

Oss left the room and returned some time later with a few pieces of fruit and a bowl of porridge.

“I’m sorry, as it’s not mealtime, this was all I could find in the kitchen,” Oss said, looking somewhat embarrassed.

“No problem—this is perfect right now.”

Roland didn’t complain about the meager offering. Hunger made him devour everything with gusto, regardless of the quantity.

For someone who hasn’t eaten in a long time, it’s best to start with light, easily digestible food rather than heavy meals—it’s gentler on the stomach.

Once he’d eaten and drunk his fill, Roland could feel his vigor returning. He swung his legs off the bed, feeling much stronger.

Though, according to his system panel, he was still a complete novice.

But then, he was only eight years old. It was normal to be weak—after all, not everyone was like Ace or Sabo, fighting grown thugs as children.

“Oss, could you take me to see Lord Shiki?” Roland asked after stretching a bit.

“Please follow me.”

Oss didn’t inquire about Roland’s identity—he didn’t dare. Someone personally brought aboard by the captain was not someone a regular crew member had the right to question, especially when the captain was the infamous and brutal Golden Lion.

The Golden Lion’s flying pirate ship was enormous, but the distance from the infirmary to the captain’s cabin wasn’t far. A few minutes later, Oss led Roland before the Golden Lion himself.

“Oh, you’ve recovered?” Sensing someone approaching, the Golden Lion turned and saw the now energetic Roland.

Indeed, the spirited boy before him was a far cry from the sickly child of yesterday—a bright, handsome face lit up by a dazzling smile, exuding a comforting presence.

“Thank you for saving me yesterday, Lord Shiki.”

Roland bowed slightly. After all, such a debt deserved a formal show of gratitude.

“Do you hate those villagers?” The Golden Lion wasn’t surprised Roland knew his name. Instead, he gave a strange smile and asked the question.

“Hate? The villagers?” Roland was taken aback, but quickly realized he had been investigated.

On reflection, it made sense. Were he in the Golden Lion’s position, he wouldn’t rescue someone of unknown origin without checking their background.

“They weren’t wrong.”

Roland shook his head. He was long accustomed to such things. The villagers, easily swayed as they were, might be repugnant, but ultimately, they were just ordinary people oppressed by pirates. What was there to hate?

If there was fault, it lay with this twisted world.