"The edge of the coastal waters... so far away. Finally, we're almost there."
Chen Qi stepped out of his boat house, holding a map.
With the assistance of the Deepsea Water Spirit boosters, his small houseboat had sailed for a full day.
Now, the flas of daylight were gradually weakening.
The afterglow of sunset spread across the sea, the light dancing playfully with the water's surface, accompanied by flower petals drifting from Flower Island toward the ocean.
It looked like a magnificent floral carpet on the sea, welcoming visitors.
Chen Qi raised his head to look at the distant island.
A mountain covered with flowering trees, a small town at its base, and a simple dock.
Flower Island had fertile land suitable for growing dicinal herbs and flowers, with nearly a thousand inhabitants - quite a sizable town.
However, compared to people from the Moonstone Archipelago, residents of these remote islands were more insular and rarely left their holand.
To them, these islands far from cities were peaceful and beautiful, with tourism bringing easy money every year.
Of course, this peaceful life depended on the absence of pirates and dinsional tides.
Chen Qi slowed his houseboat, preparing to dock.
At that mont, a massive white pigeon flew overhead, gradually descending to land at Flower Island's harbor.
It was Pelu - she had arrived too.
Chen Qi moored his houseboat at the dock and leaped onto Flower Island's soil.
Pelu noticed the movent behind her and turned to Chen Qi with confusion:
"How are you so fast? Did you depart at night too?"
She had left last night and traveled by air!
Chen Qi stepped forward:
"Sort of. My boat's engine is quite expensive."
Although his houseboat was fast,
the real reason he arrived simultaneously with Pelu was his pride and joy:
Deepsea Water Spirit brand boosters!
Seven of them, to be exact!
With the water spirits' help, his houseboat achieved incredible speed.
The only downside was that compared to machines, the water spirits tired too quickly.
After just one day of pushing, they'd turned into limp piles of goo!
This must be because they lacked exercise - more training would fix it!
Since the water spirits didn't need oxygen, only requiring periodic absorption of seawater,
Chen Qi stored them in his backpack card.
Later, he could summon them like throwing Poké Balls.
Pelu picked up her cara and snapped so photos:
"Whatever, your timing's perfect. Let show you how Moonstone City's most famous reporter, with eagle-like vision and wolf-like sharpness, catches the Flower Witch."
At the dock, the two showed their identification to the harbor personnel before heading toward Flower Island's village.
"So lively."
Chen Qi observed the village.
Flower Island's houses were built from red bricks, each front decorated with flowers.
Despite the dinsional tide, it was spring - peak tourist season.
Many visitors filled the streets.
Moreover, groups of people were exchanging information at the village entrance.
Chen Qi pricked up his ears.
"Did you hear? That rift's about to open again."
"Please don't tell it'll be like ten years ago when the distortion exceeded 40% and things ca pouring out."
"Impossible. The village chief said they've invited experts this ti."
So this place also has an awakening rift... probably D-class for this region...
Chen Qi thought while observing his surroundings as he walked with Pelu.
Just then, two massive statues at the village's central flower bed caught his attention.
One depicted a hunter wielding a bone-shaped greatsword - towering in stature, wearing heavy hunter's light armor, his rough face hidden beneath a hood.
Carved from stone and covered in deep green moss, the statue still exuded authority like a stern hunter gazing at the sea.
"Deep Sea Hunter..."
Chen Qi was slightly startled - this was his first ti seeing a Deep Sea Hunter statue.
This must be the legendary Deep Sea Hunter, the only one besides the witches to repel the Great Whale.
"If this is the Deep Sea Hunter, then that statue is...?"
Chen Qi looked at the other statue.
It depicted a young woman wearing nun-like robes, holding a holy text in her right hand and a lantern in her left.
Like a towering lighthouse, she stood watch over Witch Sea - beautiful and sacred.
Even larger than the Deep Sea Hunter's statue.
And clearly more ancient.
"This is...?"
Chen Qi couldn't imdiately recognize it.
Pelu took photos of both statues:
"You don't know? This is Witch Sea's pride - the Ice Witch's statue."
"Ice Witch..."
mories flooded Chen Qi's mind.
So it's that omnipresent super background character!
The Ice Witch was quite famous in Witch Sea lore.
But unlike the protagonist Flower Witch, the Ice Witch was a classic background elent.
Five hundred years ago during a dinsional tide, as the Great Whale oppressed the seas, famine spread, monsters erged like tides, and humans turned on each other.
anwhile, Beiguo was embroiled in civil war due to the Hamr Phase rift's collapse, unable to address the dinsional tide.
Without mainland support, all mariti residents fell into despair.
Then the Ice Witch erged, single-handedly repelling the Great Whale and saving countless lives and families.
To commorate her deeds, the king renad these waters from Whale Sea to Witch Sea.
Moreover, the Ice Witch was an incredibly powerful mage, the pride of Witch Sea's magical community.
Even today, the fourth strongest pirate crew - the Ice Demon Pirates - derived their na from her.
She also loved history and archaeology.
Thus, her traces appeared in many major events and ruins.
In many places, she was revered more than the ancient Sea Goddess.
Especially on outer islands, people believed her statues protected travelers.
Chen Qi recalled many forum posts about the Ice Witch.
In most ordinary New Worlders' eyes, human lifespan had limits.
Deep in this world existed a shadowy Lantern Reaper who harvested those attempting to defy mortality's laws.
Anyone living beyond a century would face the Reaper in the Spiritual Sea.
Even those with mountain-moving powers couldn't withstand ti's erosion.
Yet forum information suggested this centuries-famous Ice Witch hadn't died, but lived like a ghost, influencing major historical events.
"Truly magnificent... was the Ice Witch a battle nun?"
Chen Qi clapped and looked away from the statues.
anwhile, Pelu had finished photographing and begun inquiring about the Flower Witch.
Her thod was startlingly direct - randomly interviewing villagers.
And with that microphone, she stood out terribly.
She approached an elderly woman, offering 1000 Shell Coins:
"Grandmother, have you seen soone wearing a cloak?"
The woman deftly took the money:
"No."
"......"
Pelu froze montarily at her disappearing coins.
Then the woman stood up, scanning around:
"Cloaked people are everywhere. Let look... is it that girl? Her head keeps wriggling oddly, acting all mysterious."
At an open-air herb stall ahead, many tourists gathered.
One cloaked figure was bent over selecting herbs.
Sensing their gaze, she pulled her hood lower before tilting her head to look back at them.
Upon seeing them, her hood undulated wildly like ocean waves!
"Flower Witch..."
Chen Qi was shocked.
Who knew she'd be so easy to find!
Right at Flower Island's village entrance!
Wait... Chen Qi suddenly realized sothing.
"Hold this."
Pelu's eyes hardened as she thrust her backpack at Chen Qi.
She crouched, arms loose, palms slightly open - a sprinter's starting stance - and took a deep breath.
"My fan, ti to witness a reporter's speed."
"Flower Witch, you're not escaping this ti!"
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