Content/Trigger Warning: This chapter contains disturbing imagery, body horror, psychological distress, and violence.
Once Phoebe and Director Alfred reached the docks, they saw a massive white mechanical ship, its sails billowing beside blue metallic fins that extended upward. Standing in front of it was a muscular dwarf in his forties, with brown hair and green eyes, wearing a pure black coat outlined in gold, a matching golden belt, and black boots.
Dwarves were a race with a naturally muscular build and long beards, known for their immense strength and endurance.
As they approached, Alfred greeted the dwarf warmly.
"Hi there, Dave, it's nice to meet you," Alfred said with a smile.
"Oho! Both of you have arrived. So, this is the brave young miss who'll travel with us," Dave said with a warm smile.
"Yes, her name is Phoebe. Phoebe, this is Dave, the captain of this ship. He will sail with you to the Middle Continent and is also a friend of Julius and mine," Alfred explained.
"Oh, hi, Mister! I'm Phoebe, a child from the Orphanage of the Freed. Nice to meet you," Phoebe said with a smile.
"Likewise! My name is Dave, and you don't need to be formal, HAHAHA. Anyone close to Alfred and Julius is a friend of mine. You can just call me 'Uncle,'" Dave said cheerfully.
"Okay, Uncle. Thank you. Please take care of me," Phoebe said gratefully.
"Yes, take care of her on my behalf, Dave," Alfred added.
"No need to worry! I'll make sure not even a fly touches her when she boards my ship," Dave said confidently.
"Thank you, I'm glad to hear that," Alfred replied.
"Also, Phoebe, always remember what I told you. Keep your rapier in its sheath—if anyone discovers it's an ancient artifact, it could be dangerous for you. Be aware of your surroundings, don't let anyone know you're new here, and avoid dark alleys; dangerous things could happen. And also…" Alfred continued, concern filling his words.
Phoebe laughed softly, a warm smile on her face. "Hahaha, yes, Director. I've heard it many times already. I'll remember everything and stay safe," she reassured him gently.
"Haa… okay then. Good luck, and take care on your journey," Alfred said with a smile.
"Yes, I will" Phoebe assured.
Soon as the sky turned orange, Dave and Phoebe boarded the ship. As all the passengers prepared for departure, a cyan barrier with octagonal patterns appeared around the vessel, and ballistas were positioned along its sides. The ship swiftly began moving from the west of the Outer Continent toward the direction of the west of the Middle Continent.
As the distance from the docks grew, Phoebe watched Alfred, and they waved to each other until the docks disappeared from view. Darkness began to fall slowly. When Phoebe could no longer see the docks, she stopped waving, and soon someone spoke behind her.
"You seem to miss your director already?" a calm male voice said.
Phoebe turned to see Dave standing there, a soft smile on his face, concern evident in his eyes.
"Yes… I do. But I'll be back soon after i graduated. Uncle Dave, can I ask you a question?" Phoebe asked.
"What is it?" Dave replied.
"How does this ship work? Did you create it?" Phoebe asked curiously.
"HAHAHA, I see you're curious! This ship moves by consuming mana stones," Dave explained.
"Consuming mana stones? Is it like the capsules at the inn back in town?" Phoebe asked.
"Indeed! It's one of the inventions of the Hydro Sovereign, designed to ensure safe travel across the sea," Dave said.
"Wow, that's amazing! How many inventions does the Hydro Sovereign have?" Phoebe asked.
"HAHAHA, you've seen nothing yet. If you visit her domain in the future, you'll see countless other inventions: water that flows upward, small boats traveling throughout the city, underwater tunnels, and even houses beneath the sea," Dave said, eyes sparkling with excitement.
"That's incredible! I'll make sure to include it in my travels. The Hydro Sovereign truly enhances everyone's life," Phoebe said, admiration clear in her voice.
"You bet! Among the five sovereigns, the Hydro Sovereign is the most trusted and closest to the three great gods. She even became close with God Lumine, the head of the three gods, and the female god of the Lumier race," Dave said proudly.
"What? She became a direct friend of our god?" Phoebe exclaimed, eyes wide with shock.
"Yes. Rumor has it that they often drink tea together," Dave said, chuckling.
"Wow… she seems incredible. I want to see her," Phoebe said, admiration shining in her expression.
Dave smiled warmly at her enthusiasm. Just then, a human approached.
"Captain, it's time for the shift," said the co-captain.
"All right, I'll go then. Phoebe, you should head to your room—room 4—since it's getting cold. If you want, you can join us in the dining room for dinner," Dave offered politely.
"Oh, thank you, but I already have my lunchbox prepared by Director Alfred," Phoebe replied politely.
"Ah, Alfred has prepared everything, hasn't he? HAHAHA! Okay, if you need anything, just come to us. But stay in your room—sea monsters might appear, and the waves could get stronger" Dave warned.
"Okay, Uncle. I'll keep that in mind," Phoebe said.
Phoebe found her room, had her dinner, and went to bed. Staring at the ceiling of the ship, she felt a sense of loneliness. It was her first time sleeping alone, far from Kanna and the other children of the orphanage. Softly, she whispered:
"So this is what it's like to be alone… I wonder if Kanna is already asleep. I wonder what will happen in the future… Yawn. Whatever happens, that's for future me to deal with… Goodnight, Kanna. Goodnight, Director. Goodnight, everyone…"
"As the ship rocked with the waves, Phoebe slowly drifted to sleep. The cabin was silent except for the soft splash of water against the hull… and soon, everything faded to black."
Somewhere else, the sky burned red. An orphanage lay in ruins, reduced to rubble. The village was obliterated, blood staining every corner. A cliff had enormous holes, and the surrounding trees were charred black and dead. Near the orphanage hill, countless bloodstains marked the ground.
A woman knelt in the blood-soaked earth, tears flowing like rivers, hands clutching dirt, her expression cold and dead as if she had lost everything.
She had long blonde hair with curtain bangs and a braided crown. Her piercing blue eyes stared blankly forward. She wore a black empire-style tunic with crisp white cuffs fastened by gold buttons, a thin golden stripe running down the center, tucked neatly into her belted black skirt trimmed in gold, and long black boots. Around her neck hung a gold necklace with two wings; at the center of the wings was a circle marked with the letter "A" above and the number "3" below. Beside her lay a crystal-blue rapier.
"DAMN IT, DAMN IT!!! If only I were faster… if only I had acted quicker… I achieved my dream, I achieved what I wanted, but I lost everything! Why… why? How did everything turn out like this? I wish I hadn't left the orphanage… now everyone's gone… Kanna… the children… the Director… they've left me. I'm alone… I… I wish I hadn't been childish… I wish I hadn't gone to see the world… If I hadn't, everyone would still be here. Someone… anyone… please help me… Kanna… don't leave me behind…" she screamed.
Soon, in the blood-colored sky, multiple gargantuan black hands appeared. As those hands lowered, their faces emerged from the crimson horizon. They were colossal beings with only the upper half of their bodies visible. Their long, slender black arms stretched downward, and their lower halves were hidden beneath torn, shadowy cloaks. Every creature wore an all-white plague doctor mask with pitch-black hollow eyes. The beak was lined with small, razor-sharp teeth, and beyond the throat was nothing but endless darkness.
All of the creatures slowly raised their hands, and from each of their five thin fingers, thick white strings extended—stretching from the ground all the way up to the blood-red sky.
The ground began to shake violently. Massive cracks split across the land where the strings were anchored. Soon, entire landmasses started to rise, pulled upward by the strings. Even the entire Kingdom of Freedom and the Village of the Freed were being lifted into the sky.
The scene was catastrophic. All around the woman, countless chunks of land floated upward, dragged by the creatures looming above the crimson sky. When she looked toward the horizon, her heart froze—this wasn't happening only near the kingdom.
It was happening across the entire Outer Continent.
When the floating lands reached a certain height, they stopped.
The woman suddenly sensed something approaching. She rose to her feet at once and grabbed the rapier lying beside her. When she turned, she saw a terrifying sight.
A group of people—different races—were marching toward her. Some had lost their heads, some their eyes, some walked with half their faces missing, their insides exposed. Some had gaping holes in their bodies, others were missing limbs. They continued marching without pause, all connected by strings embedded in their flesh, controlled by smaller versions of the same creatures floating above the bloody sky.
One of the marching figures—a man missing his right eye and right arm—spoke through trembling lips.
"Please… grant us death… Please free us… M-Miss Ranker… I beg you… make it stop…"
Tears streamed from his one remaining eye.Then some of them suddenly rushed at her—attacking while still begging to be killed.
The woman stepped back swiftly, horror twisting her expression.
Her eyes widened further when she glanced toward the edge of the Outer Continent. There, stretching endlessly across the horizon, a tide of gargantuan monsters was marching toward the Middle Continent. Each one towered up into the sky—some even surpassing the height of the clouds themselves.
The woman looked up at the blood-red sky, her face darkened with despair.
"This is… a catastrophe. Is this… the end?"
The scene was nothing but pure chaos, swallowing the entire continent toward its inevitable demise.
Soon the sun rose.
"Phoebe woke up drenched in sweat, her breathing heavy. She looked around in confusion. She tried to recall what she had dreamed—what could have frightened her so badly—but she couldn't remember a single fragment of it. It was as if she had never dreamed at all.
With no explanation, she convinced herself it was simply because it was her first time sleeping alone and traveling far from home.
As sunlight brightened the horizon, the Middle Continent finally came into view. With the ship's swift speed, it was steadily approaching the continent's shores.