Severis Island was an oddity.
It was just outside the highly desirable supre island lands as well as larger islands that were dense in Qi and resources, but it had hardly any of its own.
It did have, however, extrely efficient production facilities despite the lack of resources.
Alchemists, refiners, and formation masters would frequent the island for materials or performing so work of their own, but few stayed.
It was a place that seed to rotate its population in and out on a regular basis where only those actively working or on a particular mission spent any ti there.
A few small sects had been set up that leaned towards keeping those laboratories and forges working well with well trained disciples to support the experts that worked there.
Essentially subservient sects for all intents and purposes.
Their benefits ca when the experts moved on and gifted pills, weapons, and other resources in appreciation of the support that freed up the expert to focus on their cultivation.
For such a hub, it was hardly discussed and had zero representatives in most powerful organizations but were likely to be in several middle ground bureaucracies.
Triton was sweating as he returned to his ho island.
It had been a rather quiet year since the incident with Watcher 117 and the death of the man he sent to watch her.
He had been terrified when that man died so quickly.
Why had he been killed?
Triton had only been removed from suspicion because he was arguing with Elder Thorn about his tactics.
Triton also had paled and nearly fell over in shock because he gave no such order!
He knew then that he was being warned to stop being so overt in his approach.
It ant he was in deep trouble but there was only silence afterward.
The 'killer' had been found after a few more bodies turned up but there were all travelers whereas no one could explain how the man had gotten inside the Warders' grounds for the first death.
Triton knew that whoever had been found was not the true killer, only mimicked the first murder to let it be resolved.
Wild Heart Isle had so upheaval but that was normal.
Lady Zhudao had successfully broken through to the Star Tier and settled a large territory that was only ?? of Lady Frostfang's original control.
It was then that etings were perford to formally acknowledge her rules which were very exclusionary but again, very normal for the aether beasts.
Triton found no sign of Lind Frey but Ethry had returned with the bloodied robes of Romana.
She stated that Romana had run afoul of a Qiong Qi near the central mountain of Wild Heart Isle.
There were a small number of them but they were hunted by both sky and ground creatures.
Even cultivators would partner with wild aether beasts to fight sothing like that.
The corpse of the winged tiger-like creature was also supplied.
It was entirely plausible but Triton felt like it was all a lie.
He had carefully sent out his own n but Watcher 117 was nowhere to be found.
A few humans, demons, and aether children had been confird but most were traced back to the teleportation arrays or the connection tunnel transit.
A few were not known but that was not unusual at all.
So hid their features on entrance and exit but no one could match a na to them that way.
All of it led to a year of Triton sweating as he waited for the invitation that finally ca a few weeks ago.
He had failed and they did not take failure lightly.
He looked at the gentle hill covered in knee high green grass as the wind gently blew across the land.
The shadow of a larger island cast a stark shadow but more than enough sunlight got through to make the island pleasant to live on.
As he turned around, the would of nature was starkly cut away by a tal wall.
The tal was not anything profound, just peak grade 4 sterling steel alloy.
It absorbed Qi like a sponge and was almost impossible to break once set.
Even peak Sky Realms would need to exert full force to break it where most grade 4 items were toys to them.
Triton saw the massive gate and fully armored human guard.
The man had a full masked helm but he knew the guard saw him.
Unlike the other people visible, Triton was careful and respectful to the guard.
Few could detect his cultivation realm but Triton knew the truth.
The guard was far more dangerous than any demon or aether beast.
All of the guards were.
It was a matter of pride to so and they sent their sons and daughters to apply to beco a guard.
Triton sotis wondered what happened to those families later but never dared to find out.
The city was not like many others created by cultivators.
It was divided up neatly into alchemical labs, refining forges, and formation developnt.
None of the derivative professions were there despite the recent rise of 2 of the 3.
Many people were out doing business in the divided city, but Triton thought all of them fools.
They had no idea of the true face of Severis Island.
He was on the Main Southway that was one of 3 main roads in and out of the city.
The city had no official na as Severis Island was so small, but almost everyone local or visiting called it the Factory.
Triton finally ca to the heart of the Factory.
All the rest of the city was for creation, so what would be at the center of such a place but an administration building.
Several towers as well as warehouses were set up for special storage, but Triton felt his heart rate skyrocket as he saw the black walls of the center ward.
The towers were slick tal rather than stone but Triton knew any official areas were hardly worth ntioning compared to what was underground.
A pair of guards were at each entrance but they just let Triton enter.
They would normally challenge anyone not wearing the right robes or were unfamiliar but Triton was very familiar to those guards.
Sweat was pouring down his face as he walked to the center before he did sothing odd.
He took out a small pouch and spread dust into the air.
Rather than fall, the dust seed to flow a certain direction against the wind!
Triton closed his eyes and turned that direction before taking a step.
He imdiately vanished from the world.
The loss of sunlight nearly made him weep but he slowly opened his eyes to find fires burning in torches but it felt wrong to look at them.
The glow as if it was offensive to his senses but he was long used to blocking out the feeling.
He walked down the dimly lit hallway but there was not a sound aside from his steps.
No mice, no wind, nothing was there but Triton.
It seed an eternity but he finally turned a corner and saw a massive room.
Tears ca from his eyes as he never wanted to see that room again!
Row after row of tubes were full of withering people.
They were not dead, but kept alive as they were slowly consud!
"You took the warning seriously, good."
A voice that grated on the ears made Triton nearly weep once more as he slowly knelt to the ground.
"Your theory is sound but you have drawn too much attention.
If you are discovered, pray they kill you before we get to you."
Triton almost collapsed as he put his forehead against the cool stone floor.
"Please forgive
Master but I am sure he is there!"
Lind Frey had vanished from the face of the Isles and no one could find him.
So friends simply made sure he was welco anyti but the trail dried up at Yinande for all.
What few knew, and Triton was one, was that shortly before the trail dried up, 6 won that matched descriptions to his wives went to Yinande.
At least 3 of them had been seen in Wild Heart Isle since but there was no record at all in the intervening islands for them to co back!
"We agree, but your orders were only to find him, not reveal yourself!"
The voice made his bones resonate painfully but Triton never dared to look up until he was allowed.
He was nearly hyperventilating.
A set of footsteps made Triton almost leap up but he kept his face pointed at the floor.
"You seem to have lost weight, we can't have that.
You have much work to do still and if Lind Frey truly is at Wild Heart Isle, you will need more support."
A whimper nearly escaped Triton.
The arrogant and authoritative tone from the Elders table was nowhere in the present.
The help the voice offered was not human, demon, or aether child.
It could only an one thing.
"G-great Master, there is no need for that!
I will fulfill all my orders to the letter!"
Triton was shivering as sothing touched his back but nothing else happened.
"So fragile, are you sure?
You would feel much better, I promise."
The voice was trying to be tempting but Triton knew the truth.
He had seen the results of such 'help' in his life.
He had refused it and worked hard to reach tier 8 of the Sky Realm.
He did not want to follow that path.
He nodded his head as he could no longer speak.
"You would do well then to produce results without further issues.
There is a caravan heading to the Wild Heart Isle that must be protected next month.
Just do your job and that will be fine.
Fail, however…"
Triton had his head yanked up and finally saw his Master once more.
Despite the grating voice and visceral disgust to the flas, an angelic face looked down at him in cold rage.
He was inhumanely beautiful but it was cold.
It srized all who saw him but Triton knew the truth of what that pretty face could do.
He was a Fiend, afterall.
The only one in the Floating Isles!
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