Scholar Feng boarded the ship, the displeasure on his face directed at everything. The swaying ground, the rough air, and the burning sun. It was obvious that the scholar would rather be somewhere else.
"Captain, I am here. We can leave."
The captain, standing on the elevated back of the ship, looked down at the scholar with twitching eyes. But he couldn't argue with the man, instead letting out a loud command:
"Untie the robes! Prepare your rudders!"
"Ha!"
A unified shout came back as the sailors and soldiers got busy. A moment later the Graceful Swan and its two accompanying ships slowly left the harbour.
Quickstep stood at the very front of the ship, staring at the ocean with wide opened arms, laughing freely:
"Haha that's the feeling. Great!"
"You really love ships, don't you?", asked Fortune.
"Of course. That feeling of freedom. Going wherever you want to! Only you and the sea! It's great."
"It's only great as long as you can still go anywhere. I can't think of anything worse than being stranded at sea..."
Braag, hearing Lenn grumbling, immediately shot him an annoyed gaze:
"You always have to be a pessimist. Why not just enjoy the sun?"
"I'm just trying to be prepared. You never know what happens."
"Did you forget we're in a game? What's the worst that could happen?!"
"I don't know. Being attacked by sea monsters?"
Just then the waves began to stir. The ship, having already travelled quite far thanks to the game mechanism, trembled heavily on the open sea.
The players felt their stomachs sink as they peeked over the railing. There, in the water, a shadow of gigantic proportions was drifting below the sea surface. Just from a glance one could tell that a monster of that size would snack the three ships for breakfast.
Just then steps came from behind the party and Scholar Fang appeared with his umbrella holder in tow. He fanned himself, staring at the shadow with a smug expression.
"So it's that guardian beast of Flood Dragon Manor. Don't worry, it won't do anything to us. Getting Flood Dragon Manor to ally with the dynasty was the most outstanding feat of my esteemed teacher, Scholar Virtue of the Word. Yes, you heard correctly. My teacher is a rare titled scholar, the very elite of the dynasty!"
As Scholar Feng spoke, his nose rose ever higher. The players looked at his smug smile. Quickstep couldn't help but mumble:
"Why do I feel like throwing that guy off the ship?"
Luckily Scholar Feng didn't seem to have heard her. The young man continued to brag. He spoke about the various factions of the Western Ocean and how they would slowly fall under the dynasty's influence once more. He was extremely annoying but at least his words allowed the party to gain some understanding of the Western Ocean.
The ship continued its voyage. Under the game's manipulation the actual distance travelled was way more than the players could see. Soon, they got close to their destination.
Scholar Fang let out a wary sigh:
"Finally, we are close to Six Demon Island. When we arrive, no one but me is allowed to speak, understood?"
"Sure...", pressed Liam between gritted teeth as his patience was wearing thin.
His friends had long turned their backs to the scholar, taking in the scene before them. They could see six large islands. They were located closely to each other, almost looking like a single landmass from afar. Six Demons Island consisted of one central island surrounded by five smaller ones, whereas the central island was by far the most conspicuous due to the massive mountain rising from it.
Suddenly Quickstep squinted her eyes. Staring at the islands she asked with a puzzled face:
"Did that mountain just shake or am I hallucinating?"
"No... I saw it too."
"Me as well..."
"I don't have a good feeling about this..."
Suddenly the entire ship became uneasy. Everyone had a foreboding feeling. The waves began to increase. The wind picked up.
A moment later the water rolled back towards the island. But instead of pouring onto the shore, it began to rise towards the sky.
"We're so done..."
Lenn's chest tightened as he fell to his butt, staring ahead in disbelief. Meanwhile Fortune immediately switched her tone:
"Dear viewers. Gigantic waves are forming in front of us. Are we heading for our doom? Or could a hero suddenly appear in our times of need?"
Towards the end Fortune had to shout as the massive tsunami began moving unnaturally, rolling towards the small ships, roaring like an enraged god.
The soldiers fell to their knees in despair. Many began to pray for a miracle.
Suddenly a conspicuous snapping could be heard. Scholar Fang closed the fan in his hand. With a smug face and protruding chest, he took a step forward and pointed his fan towards the wave.
"Part!"
Upon his command a magic circle immediately formed in the air. It was brimming with mana as it shot towards the wave. The magic circle, deceptively small, collided with the massive wave. A vast force erupted, blasting a tunnel in the wave, wide enough for a ship to pass through.
A moment later the wave was already upon them. Everyone froze watching the spectacular sight. The water stormed left and right, roaring past the ship. A light drizzle fell on everyone, but they didn't even notice it.
A few seconds later the horror had already passed. Cheers resounded on the ship. The sailors embraced each other while looking toward Scholar Feng with worshipful eyes.
The young man fanned himself with a smile on his face. But inwardly he felt quite awkward. No one knew that he tried to open a gap white enough for all three ships to pass through and failed. Now the other two were swept away by the waves, their fates unknown.
Right now, everyone was still reeling in the joy of surviving but soon reality would set in. Knowing this, the scholar walked away and hid in his cabin.
"Huh, who could've thought that guy is actually so capable?"
"I know, right? I thought we were doomed."
"He's not so bad after all."
Liam and his friends were amazed by what just happened. They continued talking until the ship finally arrived at its destination.
The Graceful Swan docked on a small harbour with a single pier. The soldiers took the lead in getting off the ship, forming a protective formation.
A moment later Scholar Feng came out of his cabin with a composed expression, leaving the ship. Liam and his friends followed close behind him as their quest finally updated.
[
[Step one: Board the Graceful Swan and reach Jailed God Island]
[Step two: Follow Scholar Feng during the negotiation]
With their new instructions the group didn't do anything for now. They walked behind Scholar Feng, curiously scanning the surroundings.
The harbour belonged to a small town. It appeared neither poor nor rich with houses made from wood. The people walking around mostly looked like fishers, wearing rough clothes but looking well fed.
However, there was one group of people who looked different. They wore dark cloaks with hoods, which threw a shade on their pale faces. Their eyes staring at the delegation were anything but friendly. The names floating above their heads identified them as cultists of the jailed god.
The soldiers all were on alert as they passed by these people in black cloaks. The further they walked, the more of the cultists appeared.
A short while later the delegation left the town. It ended right at the foot of the mountain. Following the path, they wandered up the mountain, finding small temples and altars on both sides of the road.
It didn't take too long until they arrived in front of the biggest temple. Massive pillars held a black roof, their smooth surface painted with images of frightening giants.
In front of the temple stood a dozen people in black. One of them blocked the entrance, speaking loudly:
"Halt! Our holy temple won't be desecrated by dynasty soldiers."
Scholar Feng remained calm, having already expected this. He nodded at the commander of the soldiers, who led his troop to stand further away, their formation subtly surrounding the temple.
Next the scholar smiled at Liam's group.
"Let's go."
The players were surprised for a moment. The soldiers were blocked outside. Could they, armed adventurers, get inside? Everyone glanced at Liam. Seeing him walking behind Scholar Feng, they shrugged their shoulders and followed as well.
But it only took a moment for the cultist in the lead to recognize the problem as well. He stopped the scholar again, asking angrily:
"Scholar, what are you doing? Who are these people?"
"Respected friend, these people are adventurers. You shouldn't bar their entry into your holy temple, right?"
The cultist was puzzled for a moment. He stuck his head together with his colleagues. After a moment he turned back with a defeated look, saying:
"Our god indeed holds adventurers in high esteem. You may pass."