The celebration gradually dissolved into slurred laughter and collapsed bodies. Treasure hunters slumped over tables, some snoring into bowls, others dangling half-finished drinks from their slack fingers. A few sang horribly off-key songs praising the Patron, which made the Princess cover her ears several times before giving up entirely. When the noise finally softened into an exhausted murmur, Kiaria quietly rose and approached Chief Azriel.
"Chief, does this boat have a martial practice chamber?"
Azriel blinked, still hazy from alcohol, then straightened immediately as if someone tugged a string along his spine. "Yes, Patron. If that is your wish, I can guide you."
Kiaria nodded, turning to Princess Lainsa–who was leaning heavily on a table, her cheeks deeply flushed. She barely lifted her head before Kiaria gently held her hand.
A soft pulse of monochrome-white spiritual energy slipped from his palm into her skin, rushed through her meridians, and swept into her mind.
In one breath, her drunken fog shattered.
Princess Lainsa stiffened. "Ghost…? What–what did you just–?"
"Side effect of ascension," Kiaria said casually.
Diala pulled her hood down and followed him. She had stayed sober throughout the celebration–Kiaria had told her earlier not to drink anything stronger than tea. She trailed behind like a small shadow, her eyes blinking in confusion as Chief Azriel led them down a narrow corridor deep into the ship's belly.
None of the drunk hunters even realized they were gone.
"Here," Chief Azriel said finally, stopping before a bronze tablet engraved with ancient script.
He pricked his finger and pressed it against the metal. His name bloomed in glowing red letters, then melted like living ink into the carved channel of a massive violet pillar beside it. The pillar's carvings drank the blood-light, humming as each line lit up one after another.
With a low vibration, a clone of the pillar formed beside it, sliding backward to create a doorway. Straight purple light connected both pillars, forming a shimmering membrane.
Chief stepped aside.
"Patron… please. This chamber is yours alone."
Before Kiaria entered, Chief handed him a small token suspended in a droplet of his blood.
"This chamber was created by the Grand Preceptor himself. Inside is the Illusory World of Arshland. You cannot truly die inside–only your mind suffers pain. But the fear is real. The Grand Preceptor used it to select treasure hunters. Many failed. Some suffered such backlash their minds shattered… some ended their own lives."
Princess frowned at the heaviness of his tone.
Kiaria only smiled faintly. "A week is enough. We won't go too deep."
They stepped into the membrane.
Instantly, color drained from the world. A vast barren land stretched out under a pale sky–ruins poking up from dead soil, twisted stone monuments half-buried like bones. A cold wind blew, carrying faint voices that sounded like laughter and screaming mixed into one.
Kiaria crouched, scooping up a handful of soil.
"Dry. Drained. Dead. Just as Big Sister described."
They walked. Ten minutes. Twenty. Thirty. Ruins, dust, and more dust. No houses, no beasts, no human trace.
Until Princess Lainsa's next step.
A tremor.
"Quicksand–!" Diala shouted.
Kiaria grabbed them both by the waist and flashed backward. The ground in front of them collapsed–not into sand, but into a writhing pit of Quicksand Moth Worms. Dozens. Hundreds. All in Nascent Soul Realm.
Diala's face tightened. "Endless worms! Even if we surpass them, our energy won't last–!"
Princess huffed. "Little girl, we're not here for a picnic. Even if you die here, it's only your mind that gets hit. And we have a healer with us."
Kiaria summoned his beast.
The colossal two-headed Wolf-Deer Saint burst forth, shaking dust off its antlers.
Princess gawked. "How many things do you hide from me, you little monster?!"
At that moment Diala looked at her own companion fox cub. The Nine-Tailed Fox emerged in full Marshal Realm form, shimmering with blue-white light.
Princess nearly choked. "Even YOU–?! Then fine! I won't lose either!"
A massive Four-Winged Third-Eye Falcon materialized from her ring–wings spanning thirty feet, claws gleaming with royal-grade spirit metal.
All three equipped their armors and weapons. Princess Lainsa wielded her Corrosion Hand Fan and wrapped herself in the Serpent Scale Shrine Armor.
Kiaria smirked. "Big Sister… didn't we buy that at the auction? It suits you. Like a poisonous snake."
Princess glared. "Inside this world, I'll show you EXACTLY how poisonous."
Kiaria turned to Diala.
"Don't activate the sword's full power. Use only the Mysterious Sword Technique."
His beast flicked its antlers. Six small portals formed behind each person–escape gates.
Then the ground exploded.
The first wave of Quicksand Moth Worms surged forward.
Kiaria dashed into the fray bare-handed. His fist cracked through worm skulls like thunder muted by sand. He didn't unleash any techniques–just raw reflexes sharpened before Cemetery Island.
Princess Lainsa fluttered forward, her fan slicing through worms with arcs of corrosive mist. The worms' bodies convulsed, then burst into greenish vapor that corroded their own swarm. Her Serpent Armor shimmered, allowing her to slip between monsters like dancing venom.
Above them, the Falcon soared. A sharp KEEEEN screamed from its beak, freezing the worms in place. The Falcon circled overhead and unleashed a rain of golden feathers that pierced worms cleanly, igniting brief bursts of golden flame inside their cores.
Diala rushed forward, her Nine-Tailed Fox shielding her flank. She swung her sword–
Slash. Slash. Slash.
Her sword intent cut through Nascent Soul worms like slicing wet cloth. Kiaria purposely threw injured worms toward her, forcing her to fight harder, refine her technique, sharpen her will.
Then the ground rumbled again.
A MUCH deeper tremor.
"Big ones…" Princess muttered.
The soil behind them exploded violently as dozens of Marshal Realm Quicksand Moth Worms erupted from the earth–massive, armored, and shrieking loud enough to distort the air. Their bodies thrashed like living sandstorms, their screeches rumbling through the land.
Princess quickly unfurled a Soul-Spirit Replenishing Scroll. "Kiaria! We need time to refill our energy! How long can you hold them?!"
Kiaria's eyes gleamed. "Big Sister, rest. But don't hold Dia back."
Princess nearly choked again. "If she gets hurt, I'll bury you alive!"
Diala giggled weakly despite exhaustion. "Princess, I can manage."
Kiaria led the front. His beast took position behind to guard Diala, tossing injured worms toward her. She fought fiercely, dozens falling to her blade. But eventually exhaustion hit her like a hammer.
Her Nine-Tailed Fox caught her as she collapsed.
Phoenix blood and Immortal blood stirred in her veins. Energy replenished rapidly–far more than normal. Moments later, she broke through–
Tier 3 Golden Core.
Age: six.
Kiaria chuckled. "Dia, here's a reward."
He tossed a massive living Marshal worm toward her fox. Diala awoke mid-stumble. Kiaria pointed.
"Slash."
She obeyed.
Her sword cleaved the monster perfectly in half.
She joined him again–two children cutting through high-level beasts like a pair of terrifying prodigies.
But the land trembled a third time.
This tremor was heavier.
Deeper.
A gust of poisonous wind swept across the barren field.
Then it rose.
A monstrous Saint Moth–fourteen feet long, wings like rusted blades, shedding poisonous dust like a death storm.
Princess went pale. "T-Tier 4 Saint Realm…!"
Kiaria didn't hesitate.
He grabbed Princess and Diala–lifting both with one arm each–and hurled them toward the escape portals.
His beast leaped through after them, sealing the portal.
Kiaria floated into the air.
Face to face.
Monster to monster.
Silence stretched.
The Saint Moth's wings expanded, sending ripples through the illusory sky. Poisonous dust curled like smoke from its body. Its mandibles clacked, releasing a deep resonant growl.
Kiaria's Patron aura flared faintly.
He stared directly into the creature's many eyes.
A stillness fell.
A moment of acknowledgment between predator and challenger.
Then–
Both moved.
Their killing intent collided first–like two storms smashing into each other, shattering the ground beneath.
The battle for dominance began.