Rhys rubbed his forehead where Lyra flicked him, still smiling despite himself.
Caria stretched her arms above her head and looked at the sea.
"Well... next stop is Sun Island."
Sophia raised a brow.
"Moon Island... now Sun Island? Is this a pattern?"
Aria giggled softly.
"It does sound like one."
Caria grinned and elbowed Rhys lightly.
"Hey, look at that. You went from Moon Island straight to Sun Island. Who would’ve guessed?"
Rhys groaned.
"Is this a the now? Am I going to tour every island with a short na?"
Lyra smirked.
"Probably. Next will be ’Ah’ Island. Then ’Oh’ Island. And after that, ’Ow’ Island—full of mobs that punch you just for existing."
Rhys gave her a flat stare.
"Why are you like this?"
Puddle sat proudly on Rhys’s head.
"Master strong! Master conquer all islands!"
Aqua raised her little hands.
"Sun Island! Sun Island! Go go!"
Rhys sighed.
"Well... whatever it is, I hope it’s peaceful."
Aria looked at him with a pitying smile.
"It won’t be."
Sophia tapped her interface.
"I checked the world map. Sun Island is a mid-tier region with high-level mobs, weird weather, and a dungeon that players call ’The Place Where Parties Break Up.’"
Rhys stared at her.
"...Why would you tell that?"
"So you don’t get surprised," Sophia said calmly.
Caria nodded.
"Also, the world chat has been... talking about you."
Rhys froze.
"...Talking how?"
Lyra shrugged.
"You beat a mini-boss solo. You tad an ancient. Twice. They’re trying to figure out if you’re lucky or secretly so pro player."
Rhys rubbed his face.
"...I hate both options."
Puddle lifted a hand.
"I vote best Master!"
Aqua copied her imdiately.
"I vote best Master too!"
Rhys blushed slightly.
"...Thanks, you two."
Sophia checked the ship’s info window again.
"We’ll arrive at Sun Island in... twenty minutes."
Caria cracked her knuckles.
"Alright, team. New area, new quests, new loot, new chaos."
Aria smiled warmly.
"And new mories."
Lyra placed a hand on her sword.
"Stay sharp. Sun Island isn’t a place to relax."
Rhys took a deep breath.
"Okay," he said.
"Let’s survive this one too."
Aqua bounced.
"Adventure two!"
Puddle pumped her fist.
"Adventure two!"
The whole party laughed as the ship sailed toward the next island.
Toward Sun Island.
Toward whatever madness waited for them next.
The ship cut through the waves, slow and steady, as if it already knew the path well.
The sky above them shifted—
from pale blue
to a warr gold,
like the world itself was preparing for Sun Island.
A soft wind brushed past Rhys’s hair.
Aqua held her hands out, trying to catch the breeze.
Puddle leaned forward on Rhys’s head, eyes wide and sparkling.
Caria rested her elbows on the railings.
"Feels... different, doesn’t it?"
Aria nodded.
"It’s warm. Peaceful. Like a quiet morning."
Sophia looked up.
"But the map says the island has unpredictable weather. Don’t get too relaxed."
Lyra rolled her shoulders.
"Good. Keeps us awake."
Rhys exhaled slowly.
But despite the warnings, sothing in him loosened.
A knot he didn’t know he had.
For a mont, everything felt simple—
Just a ship,
the sea,
the sun,
and people he trusted.
The waves humd softly,
a low rhythm,
steady and calm.
Aqua leaned against Rhys’s chest.
"Warm... sleepy..."
Puddle patted her head.
"Warm is good! Warm ans Sun Island is close!"
Rhys looked toward the horizon.
And there—
half hidden by mist,
half glowing like a firefly—
stood the first outline of Sun Island.
Golden cliffs.
Soft green trees.
A faint light that shimred like morning dew.
Caria whistled.
"Wow. Pretty place."
Aria smiled, a gentle curve.
"It looks like a painting..."
Lyra narrowed her eyes.
"...A painting that’s probably full of things ready to kill us."
Rhys sighed.
"Of course."
The ship slowed, gliding toward the shore.
The sunlight grew stronger—
warm, bright,
wrapping them like a soft blanket.
Sophia closed her interface.
"Everyone, get ready. The mont we land, the daily cycle starts. Monsters appear depending on the ti."
Aria nodded.
"Let’s stay together."
Rhys clenched his fists once, lightly.
"Okay," he whispered.
"Adventure two... starts now."
Puddle raised her fist again.
"We go!"
Aqua echoed her.
"We go!"
And the ship drifted forward—
toward Sun Island,
toward warmth and danger,
quiet mornings and loud battles,
golden cliffs
and hidden shadows.
The ship was only a few minutes from the shore when the water suddenly shifted.
A deep rumble rolled under the hull.
Rhys tensed.
"...What was that?"
Sophia checked the side of the ship.
"Sothing big. Very big."
A long shadow moved beneath the waves.
Then the surface exploded.
A huge sea monster burst out—
a serpent-like creature with glowing orange fins and sharp teeth that clacked together loudly. Water rained down on the deck as it hissed.
Aqua yelped and hid behind Rhys.
Puddle stood on his shoulder, fists raised.
"Enemy!"
Caria drew her axes imdiately.
"Great. The welco party."
Aria stepped back and began preparing healing spells.
"I’ll support from the back!"
Sophia summoned her magic circles.
"It’s a level 45 Sea-Flare Serpent! Watch out for tail sweeps!"
Lyra... didn’t move at all.
She just stood there, arms crossed, watching the others.
Rhys glanced at her.
"You’re not going to help?"
Lyra shook her head calmly.
"You don’t need for this. I could end it in one strike, but that won’t help you grow. You all need to fight your own battles."
Caria rolled her eyes.
"She’s doing that ’figure it out yourselves’ thing again."
"Exactly," Lyra said.
The serpent lunged at the ship again.
Rhys stepped forward, pulling out his sword.
"Fine. We can handle it!"
The monster roared and swung its slick tail across the deck. Rhys blocked the hit, sliding backward but holding his ground.
Sophia fired a burst of light magic.
Aria kept barriers up to reduce the damage.
Caria leaped high and brought both axes down on the serpent’s head.
"Take this!"
Aqua peeked from behind Rhys.
"Scary... but cool..."
Puddle pointed at the serpent.
"Master! Hit it again! Hit hard!"
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