"He’s at sea."

Snapping out of his daze, Ethen’s words echoed through the room as he looked around quickly. The vision had been too realistic. At some point, he had even felt Tywin’s gaze pressing against him, as though the man on the boat had somehow noticed his presence despite being nothing more than an image inside his mind.

The feeling was still fresh.

The endless ocean.

The violent waves.

The overwhelming pressure.

Everything about it had felt real.

Karth was really powerful.

"Sea? Why?"

Immediately, Vira and Kang fell into deep thought. Neither of them doubted the vision, but the location itself made no sense. What did taking taxes from rich or corrupt officials have to do with the Great Sea? This was supposed to be a Demi-God ritual.

Everything they had uncovered so far pointed towards something happening within human territory, yet now their only lead had taken them somewhere completely different.

"I think I know..."

Ethen muttered as he looked towards the man sitting in front of him.

There was still something strange about the old man.

The moment the vision had ended, the presence surrounding him had changed. The strange feeling behind his eyes had disappeared, leaving behind nothing but the appearance of an ordinary elderly man.

"When I spoke to the king, he said there were three Celestial Dragons currently in existence. Two of which were exclusively in the Dragon God Clan."

Vira and Kang turned their attention towards him.

"The one with Tywin is uncounted."

Ethen continued, his thoughts slowly connecting together.

"So the third one should still be somewhere in the Great Sea."

The room became quiet.

"I think that’s the goal."

His voice carried through the room.

"Someone is trying to take the Celestial Dragon in the Great Sea... and Tywin is helping."

Ethen’s words cut through the room, bringing silence to the space.

It wasn’t a perfect answer.

There were still too many things they didn’t understand.

The purpose of the ritual.

The reason for gathering so much wealth.

The identity of the person behind everything.

But for the first time since entering Bark, they had a direction.

The sea.

"Quite insightful."

The man seated behind the orb smiled faintly.

"You are a promising young man."

The moment those words left his mouth, something changed.

The strange gaze behind his eyes completely disappeared, leaving behind only the expression of an old man who had just returned from somewhere far away.

Then, before anyone could ask what had happened, he spoke again.

"Ulric is my name."

"Do not forget it."

"You might need me in the future."

Hearing this, Ethen looked at the old man seriously, watching as his gaze slowly became normal.

There was no pressure anymore.

No strange presence.

Just Ulric.

Turning towards Vira and Kang, he expected some kind of explanation.

But neither of them spoke.

Clearly, they were confused as well.

Whatever had just happened inside the room, even they did not understand it.

But their next action was already a given.

They had to set sail.

.

.

.

.

.

In this world, there were about eight wonders.

Some were places of beauty.

Others were locations that inspired fear and respect from every race that knew of their existence.

The Great Sea belonged to the latter.

It was an endless expanse of water that stretched across the planet in one continuous stretch, a massive ocean with no serious landmass capable of dividing its waters.

For countless generations, sailors had attempted to understand it.

Most failed.

But the Great Sea was not merely an ocean.

It was a raging beast.

Most ships could not survive even a single day upon its waters without extreme magical reinforcement. Even with powerful vessels, the chances of returning safely were never guaranteed.

Every year, countless lives were lost beneath its waves.

From the human territories to the Flood Lands where the Dragon God Clan presided, the sea remained one of the few things that cared little about race, power, or status.

It swallowed everyone equally.

"Sorry, no one goes five kilometres out into the sea. It’s regulations."

Standing before a ship captain, Vira received news that immediately irritated her.

She had already spoken to several captains at the dock, and the answer had remained the same every single time.

No one wanted to go.

Flying contraptions were not an option. They created too much noise, and over the open sea, they would become easy targets for anything lurking beneath the waves.

A ship was their only choice.

Unfortunately...

Every ship captain on this dock seemed to value their lives far more than their payment.

"Any news from the Punishment Hall?"

Arriving before Kang, she asked with clear frustration on her face.

"Yes."

Kang gave a disappointed smile.

"They can’t make it out here at a moment’s notice."

He wasn’t surprised.

The Punishment Hall was powerful, but even they couldn’t simply move forces across the kingdom instantly.

The timing was too inconvenient.

He let out a quiet sigh.

"I received a recommendation, however."

Taking out a piece of paper, he quickly wrote down a name before handing it over.

"Old man, do you know a Nicolas Herald?"

The captain looked at the name.

For a moment, he remained silent.

Then...

"Crazy Nick?"

The old man immediately burst into laughter.

"I wouldn’t be surprised if he was already sleeping with the fishes, to be honest."

He shook his head while laughing to himself.

"Nicolas Herald... that man is insane."

The captain looked back towards the endless horizon.

"These people are really desperate, aren’t they?"

He understood.

Anyone who came looking for a ship capable of entering the Great Sea was desperate.

Nobody willingly approached those waters unless they had no other choice.

But desperation did not change reality.

The Great Sea was no laughing matter.

"If not for the World Tree from which High Hanger is held, no one would dare come here."

The captain’s expression became serious.

"There’s a reason why our enemies never tried to reach us from the sea."

He looked towards the endless waters.

"It’s impossible."

For a moment, silence returned to the dock.

Then the old captain suddenly looked past them.

"Oh."

"There he is."

Following his gaze, they turned towards the approaching ship.

At first glance, it looked like it should have sunk long ago.

The wooden frame was covered in countless repairs, the sails appeared worn from years of use, and several parts of the ship looked like they had been replaced with whatever materials were available at the time.

It was not a ship built to inspire confidence.

It was a ship that looked like it had survived countless disasters.

Yet somehow...

It was still moving.

Slowly approaching the docking area, the vessel was guided towards the platform where it would be lifted and secured.

Standing atop the ship was a young man with silver hair.

His eyes shone brightly, filled with confidence and excitement as he looked towards the harbour.

The condition of his ship told one story.

His expression told another.

Most people who had seen the Great Sea feared it.

Most people who survived it respected it.

But this man?

He looked as though he couldn’t wait to challenge it again.

His ship looked like it was barely alive.

But his eyes screamed one thing.

I’ll do it again.

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