Shrouded Seascape

Julio forced a strained laughter. "Actually, does it really matter whether you're with the Foundation or not? If the Foundation that Charles mentioned truly wanted to help us find the Darkness, they would have reached out by now.

"Since they didn't, then it means they are not with us," Julio concluded.

Jax nodded in agreement. "Based on the intel we got from Charles, they don't seem to even have the strength to reclaim the Darkness. If we want to retrieve the Darkness, we can only rely on ourselves."

"Hmm… you're right, we only have ourselves to rely on." A resolute glint flashed across Julio's eyes.

"Let's go. Now that Hope Island has shared their technology, let's see what are the newest tricks they have up their sleeves that have allowed them to develop so rapidly." With that, Julio placed his hands behind his back and headed toward the imposing hall in the distance.

"Are you really going to send your grandson to those Fhtagnists?" Jax called out, halting Julio's stride. "Those Fhtagnists are not nice beings. He could very well die there."

"If he dies, so be it. I can't shield him from every storm for the rest of his life. Those good-for-nothings are so useless because I've kept them protected and sheltered too well.

"If he wants to enjoy the benefits, he must pay the equivalent price."

***

On the barren wasteland outside the stronghold, Dipp watched with bated breath at the Narwhale, wobbling and swaying as it hovered.

The massive, streamlined exploration ship was being slowly lifted off, head first and unsteady. Every sway of the giant ship made Dipp's heart skip a beat, fearing that the vessel might crash into the ground at any moment.

First Mate Bandages and Second Mate Nico stood next to the fish man. Together, the three of them craned their necks as they stared at the retrofitted ship.

"Don't worry…The Narwhale… isn't that fragile… It's covered in… Type 3 Alloy…"

The metal mooring lines on the Narwhale started writhing upward and caressed the bulging gray leather balloon strapped to the top. The leather was emblazoned with a black circle—the emblem of the colossal hole leading to the surface.

As the Narwhale continued its ascent, its swaying gradually diminished. Finally, after ten minutes of trial flight, the vessel slowly landed on the ground once more.

The three members of the Narwhale approached the engineer who had retrofitted the ship.

He exuded an aura of confidence as he said, "Rest assured, sirs. We just need to run a few more test flights and make some adjustments. This ship will then fly perfectly stable in the air. This isn't the first exploration ship I've modified and won't be the last either."

"How long more will you need? We don't have much time to waste here," Nico asked as he twirled a lock of hair around his finger.

"Ten days. I guarantee that it will be ready in ten days."

After several reminders to the engineer to be extremely cautious, they prepared to leave. However, Bandages remained uneasy and decided to stay behind to keep an eye on the progress around the clock.

Dipp and Nico left and walked toward the bustling stronghold.

"This is such an important matter; why didn't Captain see to it personally?" Nico asked.

"I heard that he's trying to find a solution to stop things from being relicfied. If we can't stop the relicfication, there's no way we can continue our exploration. Come on, let's go grab a drink at the bar," Dipp suggested as he scratched at the itch on his scaly skin.

It wasn't a spur-of-the-moment idea that Dipp decided to ask Nico out for a drink. He wanted to bridge the gap between him and Nico.

Nico was a newly added crew member, and Dipp could sense the invisible barrier between them and wanted to break it down. The fostered trust from breaking down the barrier would be greatly helpful in future explorations.

Nico was slightly surprised as he regarded Dipp's invitation. He then nodded. "Sure."

Inside the bustling and packed tent bar, sailors were shouting over each other as they engaged in conversation.

The scent of alcohol, sweat, and smoke permeated the air. Yet despite the chaos, Dipp felt a sense of peace as he entered the bar.

A bar like this had once been like his home, where he would come to unwind, drink, boast, and play cards with his companions all day long.

But ever since he got married, he hadn't set foot in such a place for a long time.

On the contrary, Nico looked extremely uncomfortable and out of place with the bar's dirty surroundings. His forehead slightly creased as he pulled out a handkerchief to wipe down a stool.

"Hey! Missy! Two beers over here! Quick!" Dipp called out as his right hand shot up into the air, his fingers snapped to catch the attention of a busty barmaid across the room.

Dipp raised his beer jug and downed the contents in a long, satisfying gulp. The discomfort that had been nagging at him was finally gone, allowing him to let out a sigh of relief.

As a Deep Dweller, Dipp found it hard to adapt to the dry, acrid environment on the surface. However, he had never complained to anyone; such trivial discomfort wasn't worth mentioning.

When Dipp started chugging his second jug, Nico was still wiping down the table.

"Hey, weren't you an explorer before? Haven't you been in such an environment? Compared to the bars in the harbor area, this place is already considered pretty clean. Just sit down already."

Only after the table and stool were spotless did Nico finally sit down. With his pinky raised, he lifted his beer jug and took a sip.

"I'm not like you guys. Before I became an explorer, I lived with my parents in the heart of the island. They never let me go near the bars in the harbor district. Quoting my father's original words, only lower-class peasants gather there," Nico explained.

Dipp let out a low whistle in surprise "An island heart explorer, huh? That's rare. Now, I'm curious. How did you end up becoming an explorer?"

"Typically, explorers can be divided into a few categories: pirates, captains with massive debts, and fools with big dreams. However, I was none of those," Nico began.

"I became an explorer because of my lover. Back then, I was still young and rather impulsive. I believed that love was everything. That young man back then was a fool with a big dream, and he died while I became a governor," Nico reminisced, his eyes reflecting a hint of nostalgia as he cradled his beer.

"Guess how old I was when I discovered the Coral Archipelago?" Nico leaned toward Dipp, his long eyelashes fluttered as he sent the latter a playful wink.

Dipp turned toward Nico and scrutinized his face, trying to deduce an age from the man's features.

Nico's coffee-colored long hair framed his well-defined face. Though his appearance was considered rather striking, Dipp's keen eyes caught the crow's feet that makeup couldn't quite conceal.

"The Coral Archipelago is relatively new and was discovered less than twenty years ago. So you should probably be in your twenties when you found it, right?"

"I'm forty-nine this year, and indeed, I found the Coral Archipelago when I was twenty-four. Your guess is spot-on.

"Life is surely unpredictable. I thought I would spend the rest of my life on the Coral Archipelago and die there. Who'd thought that nearing fifty, I'd still be out here on expeditions," Nico mused.

"That's impressive. Despite not being out on expeditions for over twenty years, you're still in the game. I have a buddy whose last expedition was just three years ago, but he's already become as fat as a pig. He can only be cannon fodders for monsters now," Dipp remarked.

The corners of Nico's lips curved upward into a faint smile as he stared at the Deep Dweller next to him. "Is that how you compliment people on Hope Island?"