Shrouded Seascape

"Thank you, I'll visit when I have time," Charles replied. However, as soon as he finished speaking, his expression turned sour. It had nothing to do with Elizabeth, but rather, the auditory hallucinations in his ears started ringing again.

Charles' expression contorted as he started hitting his forehead with his wrist. Each strike landed heavier than the last.

Elizabeth immediately noticed Charles' distress, and her eyes widened in surprise. "My dear Adonis, how long has it been since you had a rest?"

She reached into her chest and pulled out a green jelly-like substance, handing it over. "Eat this quickly; it can provide relief."

Charles hesitated for a moment as he looked into her eyes. He ultimately accepted the offering and swallowed it in one gulp.

A cool sensation slid down his throat, and while the murmurs in his ears remained, the irritability began to dissipate.

"Thank you, what is this?" Charles looked at Elizabeth with a much friendlier gaze.

Elizabeth let out a light chuckle. "You're welcome. I don't know what it is exactly, but I know it can alleviate the whispers of the Fhtagn god. If you need more, you can dig some from Redwood Island. Just don't consume too much; you might get addicted."

Redwood Island... Charles silently noted the new location in his mind.

The muscular man with bulging muscles from before appeared behind them without notice. He patted Charles on the right shoulder and said, "Newcomer, if the whispers of the Fhtagn god are already affecting you so much, you should have a good rest."

Most of Charles' guard was now gone. Although he didn't know why, he could sense the goodwill from these people. It had been a long time since he had felt such obvious kindness.

Elizabeth glanced at the staff who was still busy with the machinery. She then grabbed Charles and headed toward a nearby sofa. "Come with me; I'll tell you some things that most people don't know."

Charles was about to refuse, but the burly man wrapped his arm around Charles' shoulder and guided him forward.

"Don't be shy. As the saying goes, if you want to survive at sea, you have to make more friends," the burly man chuckled.

Before Charles could react, he found himself being pressed onto the sofa. He was encircled by seven or eight eccentric-looking captains who were scrutinizing him. Their gazes held both curiosity and skepticism, but there was no hostility.

Elizabeth plopped down right beside Charles and leaned toward him, her supple curves pressing against his arm.

"Do you find us too overly friendly? Hehe, the sea is already dark enough. When on land, we should be kinder," Elizabeth spoke up.

"It's quite unexpected. It's not quite what I researched from the museum," Charles commented in a relaxed tone.

Upon hearing Charles' words, a chubby man widened his eyes and shouted loudly, "What do those books say about us? A bunch of legal pirates? Crazy lunatics who care only about money and not their lives? Those who speak such words should be thrown into the sea to feed the fish!! If I become a governor in the future, anyone who speaks such words shall have their tongues cut out!!"

Elizabeth shot a fiery glare at the chubby man and then turned to Charles with a smile and said, "This is the gathering place for the Coral Archipelago's Explorers. From now on, you can participate in information exchange here."

Charles understood. This was the gathering place for exploration ship captains.

"What kind of information is traded here? Island intelligence?" Charles inquired.

"All kinds of information. Islands, routes, relics—any useful information can be shared. You might encounter something you can't handle, but others may have a solution. If you have any questions, feel free to ask. We will be able to answer them for you."

Her words marked the spot; Charles did have one question burning in his mind.

After pondering for a few seconds, he asked, "Do any of you have any clues about the Land of Light in the North?"

The power behind Charles' question exceeded his expectations. The sound of chairs scraping against the floor echoed through the room as everyone instinctively distanced themselves from him, as if he carried a contagious plague. Even Elizabeth, who had been pressing herself into him, swiftly retreated to the other end of the sofa. Her eyebrows furrowed with concern. "You're not a follower of that sun god cult, are you?" she asked.

Letting out a nervous chuckle, Charles answered, "No. I don't believe in any deities."

Elizabeth let out a sigh of relief and patted her ample chest. "Good to know that. You don't strike me as one of those lunatics."

The tense atmosphere immediately eased, and conversations erupted from all corners of the room.

"You scared me there. I don't want anything to do with those crazies. Why are you inquiring about the Land of Light?"

"If you're asking about that legendary folk song, I've heard it before. It goes something like, 'Nestled on the island in the north~ A stairway to the light, shining forth~ Eternal brilliance and…' something. Hmm, I'm sorry, I forgot the rest of the lyrics."

"That a thing of the legends. How could we possibly know about it when we are not gods."

"Mr. Newcomer, you sure have a sense of humor."

A tinge of disappointment crossed Charles' face. He had hoped that these seasoned Explorers would have some clues, but it seemed that the human inhabitants of this subterranean sea had been separated from their true homeland for far too long. Their once familiar origins had transformed into distant legends.

While everyone continued their discussions, a woman behind the counter approached with a stack of books in her hands.

With a smile, she said, "Mr. Charles, you are now a qualified Explorer. Please keep this certificate as proof. Now, let me introduce you to the details of your mission."

She opened the books in her hands. They revealed pages filled with dense text and intricate sea charts.

"For any exploration task you undertake, the Association will reimburse you for provisions, fuel, and other necessary supplies. The rewards vary based on the level of danger in each uncharted region."

Charles accepted the sea charts and carefully examined them. Along the edges of the explored areas, the uncharted dark regions were divided into several smaller sections with white lines, resembling slices of a cake. Each section was marked with a corresponding reward amount.

To Charles' surprise, scattered islands within the unexplored seas were also marked, including the island with the golden statue that he had previously visited.

A fair hand reached over and pointed at the sea, and Elizabeth's seductive and magnetic voice resonated in his ear. "Charles, as a newcomer, I advise you to spend a few years exploring the seas. Get familiar with the environment first before venturing to the islands"

Although her advice had some truth to it, Charles had a different perspective. He pointed at that golden statue island and asked, "What does this number mean?"

The island was marked with a vivid red number '4'.

The chubby man next to him chimed in, "That's the danger level. Newly discovered islands have a default danger level of 0, but every time an explorer fails to return, the danger level increases by 1. For a Level 4 island like this, it's best for a newcomer like you to stay away. Spend a couple of years exploring the sea first."

Elizabeth glanced at him and whispered into Charles' ear, "Ignore him. I think you have great potential. You can probably explore this island within a year, at most."

"I have been to this island," Charles commented nonchalantly. The room fell silent, and everyone stared wide-eyed at the young man standing before them.