Alex and Alexa remained near the front of the yacht, their eyes scanning the surrounding sea. Dozens of ships floated in all directions—so modest and tactical, others grand and flashy with banners flapping in the sea breeze. Yet still, there was no sign of Seojun.
"He’s not here yet," Alexa murmured, her gaze narrowing slightly.
"He’ll co," Alex replied calmly, but even he continued to glance toward the far horizon.
Suddenly, the distant horn of a ship echoed across the water.
A new vessel appeared—sleek, black, and marked with silver and crimson. Its tall sail bore a sharp emblem: a coiled serpent wrapped around a spear, dripping with silver ichor. Above it flew a dark green flag lined with golden stars—The Black Oath, one of the most notorious guilds in Germany.
On the ship’s deck stood Derrick Alder, the guildmaster. A tall, broad man with deep brown skin and short dreadlocks pulled back into a tie. His eyes were sharp, and his arms were crossed as he leaned over the railing, wearing armor that glead with enchanted runes.
A permanent smirk was carved across his face, the kind that made it impossible to tell whether he was amused or planning your downfall.
"Well, well," Derrick said loud enough for nearby ships to hear. "So the Vortex finally shows up. Thought you all would be too busy polishing your rank badges."
On the Vortex yacht, Seoha’s sword sparked to life in an instant.
She stepped forward, her grin sharp and wild. "Why don’t we settle the score now, huh, Derrick?"
"Careful," Derrick called back lazily. "You might break a nail."
The tension rose like a crashing wave, mana starting to hum in the air But just before Seoha could leap to the edge, Alex raised a hand. "No."
Seoha stopped, but her glare didn’t fade.
"Don’t waste your energy," Alex said, "There will be a ti to settle things. But not now."
Derrick chuckled and gave them a lazy salute before turning away.
Alexa sighed and nudged Seoha with her elbow. "Later," she said. "And when we do settle things... we’ll make sure everyone’s watching."
Seoha sheathed her sword again with a huff. "Fine. But when the ti cos... I’m breaking his ship."
Across the world, the live broadcast of the World Quest. It was history unfolding in real ti.
On a massive screen in Tis Square, crowds cheered as the cara zood in on the fleet of ships surrounding the mysterious island. Vendors sold snacks and guild rchandise like "Madqueen’s Fla" pins and So held signs with their favorite guilds’ nas written in bold letters.
"Go Madqueen!" a group of teenagers scread as Seoha appeared on the screen, her flaming red sword resting on her shoulder with a cocky grin.
In Korea, as the broadcast played across shopping malls, city plazas, and schools granted early dismissal, the public buzzed not only with excitent—but with confusion too.
Near the COEX Mall, a group of college students gathered around a large screen set up for the viewing. One of them adjusted her cap and frowned.
"Wait... isn’t sothing weird?" she asked, her voice low but concerned.
"Huh?" her friend replied while munching popcorn.
"The Olympian Reign Guild—you know, Korea’s top guild. Guildmaster Oh Tae-hyun isn’t there."
At once, murmurs spread like wildfire.
"You’re right! They’re not on any ship."
"I thought they’d be first in line for sothing this big..."
"They say only 12 guilds can enter the stage 2 of this quest."
"Still... why not them? They’re ranked top in Korea, aren’t they?"
"I heard rumors," whispered a man nearby, lowering his voice as if sharing sothing dangerous. "The Olympian Reign refused the invitation. So say Guildmaster Oh Tae-hyun doesn’t trust the system anymore."
A high schooler watching from the corner nodded seriously. "My uncle’s in the Awakeners’ Association. He said Olympian Guild is preparing.""
Others just looked puzzled, glancing between each other.
"Still, it’s strange. This is a world-changing quest, and Korea’s top guild isn’t even here?"
"Idiot! I heard that only 5 guild per country can join the quest!"
"Soone leaked info in GoTube, The Global system send different notification to each country."
***********
The Heavenly Realm stood in its eternal glory and there in the Divine Assembly Hall, the gods and goddesses of old gathered to watch what was unfolding on the mortal plane below.
The crystal-clear waters of the Sky Mirror in the center of the hall shimred, showing the ships circling the island where the World Quest was about to begin, and the deities sat on thrones carved from moonlight, fire, cloud, or vine, depending on their dominion.
One goddess with golden hair, her body wrapped in silver robes that glowed like the moon, leaned forward and pointed to one of the ships.
"That one!" she said, her voice soft but commanding like a gentle storm. "My chosen champion sails on that vessel. When the divine weapon appears, it shall fall into their hands."
A muscular god with blazing red eyes and armor forged from the sun’s fla laughed loudly from across the hall. "Do not jest, Selera," he said, thundering in voice, "Your child has no heart for battle. My warrior wields fire and war—he shall claim the divine weapon for glory and destruction!"
Another god, his beard made of white mist and stars twinkling in his cloak, raised his hand in peace. "The mortal realm has been still for too long... yet now, the board is set. The players move..."
Still, many gods continued to argue, pointing out their chosen mortals, speaking of fates they had glimpsed and blessings they had granted and so were already making wagers.
Suddenly, a loud burst of laughter echoed across the hall, making everyone fall silent for a mont.
It ca from the figure seated near Zeus, who remained quiet with a thoughtful look in his eyes. The one who laughed was a god with sharp, sky-blue eyes and hair like white fla, leaning back with a grin that showed a row of golden teeth.
"Well, well..." he said, his voice smooth and deep, like the calm before a storm. "It has been so long since this little planet showed anything interesting."
His gaze lowered to the Sky Mirror, where mortals moved like ants, unaware of the watching eyes above them. "It has been far too peaceful, far too quiet... and now, the pieces fall in place. Let the world burn with purpose again."
He raised a goblet of divine nectar in toast. "To war, to fate, and to the divine weapon... Let the one most worthy—or most daring—claim it."
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