Eldritch Horror Theatre

The Ash Sea.

Fu Qian's vision was undoubtedly exceptional. Even from this distance, he could clearly make out the unnatural, pervasive ashen white blanketing the continuous chain of islands.

Classmate Su Gao's description had been apt: it looked exactly like hills of bone ash.

So beyond this boundary, did this deathly pallor stretch on endlessly?

He could certainly understand why the crew's reluctance had skyrocketed as they drew closer.

"Should we hold back a bit? These things are constantly shifting. If the boat gets trapped, it will be a problem," someone finally couldn't hold back and suggested.

"And stay in the water? How is that any different from turning straight back?" Before Lane could respond, Lady Burning Ash let out a cold snort.

"Stop wasting time. Find a gentle slope and drive straight ashore."

"What the hell do you know? Not a single creature in this sea will willingly come near this place. Even if that thing doesn't follow us in, it might just wait for us right outside."

...

Amid the fierce verbal sparring, Lane clearly fell into hesitation.

His indecision was obvious: although the boat continued forward, its speed noticeably dropped.

It was understandable. For the sake of safety, Lady Burning Ash's approach made the most sense. But there had always been rumors that creatures of the Ash Sea steered clear of this place. Didn't going deeper mean courting just as much danger?

Staying in this position should at least guarantee a modicum of safety—

A deafening boom and a violent shudder of the hull shattered this train of thought, nearly throwing several of them to the deck.

It had actually been tailing them the entire time!

In that instant, a terrifying realization gripped everyone's mind.

"Charge the shore!"

Lane cast aside all hesitation and made the call.

The water around them instantly surged with an unnatural turbulence. The rocking boat stabilized at an unbelievable speed, then tore madly toward the ashen white Archipelago, striving to shake off their pursuer as fast as possible.

...

That was more like it.

Fu Qian, the freeloading passenger, watched the scene with satisfaction. His tentacles retracted into his body as he returned to his cabin.

These guys really didn't understand how precious a passenger's time was.

Fortunately, thanks to his little push, the Floating Islands—hundreds of meters high and devoid of any sign of life—were already rapidly enlarging in their view.

Screech—

Amid an ear-piercing scrape, the Poaching Band's small boat breached the water without slowing down in the slightest, hurtling straight for the ashen shoals ahead.

A fierce surge of water trailed right behind it, doing everything it could to propel the vessel even higher up the shore.

However, the Floating Islands, which looked like piles of accumulated dust, were not remotely as soft as they appeared.

Where the hull ground against the surface, it was like scraping across solid diamond, leaving only shallow grooves behind.

Conversely, the gouges on the bottom of the boat multiplied at an alarming rate.

Even the protective cover applied to the hull rapidly dissipated after a violent shudder.

"How is this stuff so hard?!"

Before the boat had even fully come to a halt, a swarm of figures leaped out onto the shore.

This group clearly had plenty of combat experience. Having lost their only valuable cover while beached and completely immobile, staying huddled inside the ship would only turn them into sitting ducks if there truly was any danger.

The fellow who had previously worried about the boat sinking into the ash was the first to cry out in shock.

Unfortunately, no one was in a position to answer him.

Fortunately, nothing leaped out to attack him, either.

Knowing full well that sticking together was the only way to ensure their safety, the group took up defensive positions without needing to be told. A moment later, they all visibly exhaled in relief.

This legendary death zone for all living beings was currently as silent as a graveyard. There wasn't a single trace of life anywhere.

There was also a miraculous detail: separated by a mere boundary line, the weather behind them was still raging fiercely, yet not a single drop of rain fell upon the Floating Islands.

Clang!

With a crisp ring, someone fiercely thrust a bizarrely shaped metal spear into the ground beneath his feet.

It was clear the spear was no ordinary weapon; golden arcs of electricity even sparked from the point of impact.

Yet despite such power, it failed to leave a single mark on the surface.

How could something like this float on the sea? How could it rapidly shift and dissipate?

The group's imaginations were sorely tested.

...

"Is the boat still usable?"

Lady Burning Ash displayed her pragmatic side, looking toward Lane as she asked.

"The damage is severe. If the wind and waves are too rough, we might have a problem."

Lane withdrew his gaze from the hull to give the less-than-optimistic assessment.

Might not hold up in rough seas? Weren't they specifically supposed to travel during severe weather?

If the weather was too calm, let alone the Night Watchers, even running into Siren's ships would spell trouble.

This brief exchange made everyone's hearts sink even further.

"Was this Delanlai's goal all along?"

As they exchanged uncertain glances, someone couldn't help but ask.

"To use the threat of the Curse Abyss to force us in here and trap us?"

"What the hell is wrong with that guy? Why would he do something like this?"

The question was directed at Lane; everyone clearly remembered what he had told Lady Burning Ash.

It seemed they had known all along that something was wrong with Delanlai.

"I don't know."

Facing the crowd's questioning glares, Lane's answer was brutally straightforward.

"Even though he was a new recruit, Delanlai helped me out immensely. His strength was unquestionable. Honestly, I didn't see anything wrong with him at all."

"Then why did you have someone keep an eye on him?"

That excuse clearly didn't fly with the rest of the group.

"Simple. Even if I didn't see any problems, he's still new."

Lane answered without missing a beat.

"... This woman hasn't been with us for very long, either," someone said, pointing at Lady Burning Ash.

"Exactly, which is why I had her watch him."

...

The group fell into silence once more.

Everyone in this line of work was a seasoned veteran. It only took a moment of thought to understand the intent behind Lane's words.

Deliberately assigning the new recruits to monitor one another was obviously just a test, rather than a genuine expectation that they would uncover anything.

The only problem was that Delanlai had simply hidden his true colors too well.

"My apologies. I truly didn't spot him doing anything out of the ordinary. I didn't even notice when he slipped away."

Lady Burning Ash spoke up in her distinctive hoarse voice. Glancing around at the group, she then abruptly turned and walked away from the team.

"I'm going to scout the area."

...

Setting up camp in a danger zone required constant vigilance; everyone knew this, yet no one wanted to stray from the group.

It was surprising that this new recruit—who had just been bluntly told she wasn't trusted—would actually volunteer for the job.

Was she just bitter, using scouting as an excuse to break off and act alone?

Surely no one would be foolish enough to risk their life just to prove a point?

But if that wasn't it, what was her angle?

As the group struggled to make sense of her actions, even Lane kept his mouth shut, simply watching Lady Burning Ash walk away.

...

To think that a newcomer would be the one to offer a pleasant surprise among this specialized team operating near the Ash Sea.

Watching from the sidelines, Fu Qian—still in his Blood Crusade State—silently observed the scene.

The only reason he hadn't left the moment they arrived was because he hoped this group might display some understanding of the Ash Sea when pushed into a corner.

In an unfamiliar death zone where time was tight and the tasks were heavy, he had to make use of every available pawn.

Even so, Fu Qian did not follow Lady Burning Ash to investigate.

In his vision, an ethereal thread pointed directly toward another island.

It was the mark he had left when he snagged the merfolk with his Thread of Attachment back in the water.

The Poaching Band was mostly useless, but the young merfolk had offered quite the surprise—it had actually fled inside this place, too.

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