It’s been a more than a month since Tyler Crew left the New Rose Kingdom.
Tyler stood at the bow of the ship, gazing out at the horizon. His eyes widened as the sight of several islands ca into view. Each one was distinct, yet eerily similar, forming a chain of land masses that dotted the ocean like giant stepping stones. The sun hung low in the sky, casting a golden glow over the water, reflecting the triangular shape of the islands.
"Is that... a bunch of islands?" Mathilda asked, leaning over the railing beside him.
Lily nodded, standing nearby, arms folded across her chest as she studied the formation. "Yep. Those are the Triangle Islands."
"Triangle Islands?" Tyler repeated, raising an eyebrow. "Is there a reason for that na?"
Lily turned, her sharp eyes glittering with a hint of amusent. "The islands are shaped like triangles. There are a total of twenty, according to the old maps."
"Twenty?" Mathilda whistled, her gaze shifting back to the horizon. "That’s a lot."
Tyler’s eyes traced the outline of each island in the distance, now clearly visible. True to their na, every island was shaped like a perfect triangle, with sharp edges and jagged coastlines. They all seed uniform in size, stretching out into the distance in neat rows.
"We’re docking at that one," Tyler said, pointing to one of the islands slightly larger than the others. Its coastline appeared less jagged, offering a more welcoming place to anchor.
As they approached, Lily continued, "Each island is identical because, according to legend, an ancient warrior split a massive landmass into twenty islands using nothing but his sword."
Tyler glanced at her, intrigued. "That must have been so sword."
Lily smirked. "It was more than just a sword. The warrior was said to be one of the most powerful in his era, capable of splitting not just land, but even the sky. His attack left the islands in a perfect triangular shape, and as the years passed, the islands slowly drifted apart from each other."
"The sa attack created all of this?" Mathilda asked in awe. "And now they’re just... floating apart?"
Lily nodded. "Pretty much. The islands were once connected, but over ti, natural forces caused them to drift. Now, they look like they were always ant to be separate."
As the ship drew closer to the shore, the full scale of the island beca apparent. The entire place was lined with stone houses, their roofs slanted and angular, mimicking the island’s shape. The architecture was ancient, with each house built from the sa gray stone.
As soon as the ship docked, a crowd gathered at the shore. The sight of a foreign ship arriving seed to stir excitent among the islanders, their faces lighting up with curiosity and interest. Tyler’s sharp eyes scanned the gathering, his instincts telling him to remain cautious.
"Stay alert, everyone," Tyler muttered under his breath.
The crew silently nodded in agreent. It’s the rules of the sea. Never trust strangers. But also never aband strangers. But Tyler had already thought ahead.
"Tuman," Tyler called out, catching the attention of the man standing at the ready. Tuman, the son of the forr captain of the White Crown Army and now the chief guard of the White rchant Group, stepped forward. His sharp features and disciplined posture made him stand out even among warriors.
"Yes, Captain?" Tuman asked, his hand resting on the hilt of his sword.
"Get with Situ and bring out the goods to sell. We’ll start by making it clear we’re rchants," Tyler ordered. He then added, "But don’t let your guard down. We don’t know what to expect here."
Tuman nodded, his face serious as he turned to carry out the task. Situ, the ship’s steward, followed closely behind, organizing the goods with precision. Despite their casual deanor, one is veteran in combat and could spring into action at any sign of trouble. And another is the one who manages the servants in the ship.
"Darla, You take incharge." Tyler said, pointing toward one of the chief cooks, who blinked in surprise.
"?" Darla responded, her eyes widening as she looked down at Tyler’s small hands pointing her way.
"We all look like kids now," Tyler explained, glancing over at the rest of the crew. Their children appearance is due to accident happened in the Labyrinth. That’s what everyone thinks. It could be a disadvantage of kids acts like rchants. "People on this island might not take us seriously if we they know that kids are the head of this group. So, yeah... I’m putting you in charge of the negotiations. You’ve got this."
Darla’s expression shifted to one of determination. "I won’t let you down, Captain."
Tyler smirked. "Good. Now go show them how it’s done."
As Darla readied herself for the task, Tyler glanced around, noticing soone was missing. "Where’s Mana?"
Lily, standing beside him, sighed and shook her head. "Mana took Zuzia and left, said sothing about fishing."
Tyler raised an eyebrow but shrugged. "Alright, let her have her fun."
anwhile, in the open sea, Mana rode atop Zuzia, who was soaring above the water like a black streak across the sky. Below them, a massive fish lurked, eyeing a smaller fish as its prey. Just as it was about to strike, Zuzia’s jaws snapped shut around the larger fish, pulling it from the water.
"Good girl!" Mana cheered, patting Zuzia’s massive head. "You’ve definitely improved."
Zuzia let out a satisfied growl, her wings beating rhythmically as she circled back, ready to continue their hunt.
Back on the island, Tyler’s group moved through the stone streets, their guards following a few paces behind. Even though they could easily handle themselves, Tyler had instructed them to bring a small squad of guards just in case. It was better to appear cautious than to invite unnecessary trouble.
"You girls can go and look around. Also, find out what’s special here. See if we can trade with them," Tyler said.
Lily and the others nodded, leaving with the guards. Tyler went off separately.
Astrid, however, stayed behind on the ship. She wasn’t in the mood for sightseeing, her mind too preoccupied with the recent events. Despite the invitation, she preferred to remain in the quiet space of her quarters, gathering her thoughts.
As Tyler ventured further into the island, he noticed a small jungle ahead. The dense trees and vegetation provided a sharp contrast to the stony buildings by the shore.
Swoosh.
Suddenly, sothing flew behind him. Tyler stopped and turned around, scanning the area but didn’t see anyone. What he didn’t realize was that sothing had flown right back into his blind spot, moving with such speed it seed to vanish whenever he tried to locate it.
He turned again, but the flying object mirrored his movents, staying just out of sight.
"Hmmm... déjà vu," Tyler murmured, feeling a presence behind him.
He spun around, but again, there was no one in sight. Tyler had been in situations like this before—he knew the person had to be behind him. Turning again, he finally caught sight of a goggle-wearing face right in front of him.
"Ahhh!" The person in goggles, hovering in mid-air, let out a startled cry.
Tyler remained unfazed, keeping a neutral expression despite the unexpected encounter. However, his eyes couldn’t help but focus on the hoverboard beneath her feet. It was sleek, futuristic. This is the technology that Tyler was eager to learn.
"Ahhh... That was awkward. Hi, you can call Hawk... So it’s ’Hawkward.’ Hahaha..." the girl joked, her beautiful voice laughing at her own pun as if she found herself endlessly amusing.
Tyler shook his head. This girl said the exact sa thing the last ti they t. It was like she hadn’t changed at all.
It was the sa girl he had encountered at the Kun Peng Ruins.
She was dressed in an outfit that still seed out of place, even in this world. Her half-sized T-shirt-like top paired with a short leather jacket gave her a rebellious, futuristic vibe. Her shorts left much of her toned thighs exposed, giving her an appearance both bold and confident. A glowing light-blue energy shield surrounded her body, protecting her from the elents and possible attacks. Hovering on a board with thrusters, she carried a strange gun that was connected by a tube to a high-tech backpack.
"You look familiar... Have we t before?" Hawk asked, leaning in closer to Tyler, her face barely inches away. He could feel her warm breath against his skin, making him a little uneasy.
"You’re so cute... Big sister has so candy. Wanna co with ?" she teased, her voice growing quicker, as if excited by the interaction.
Tyler recognized that expression—it was the sa perverted look Mathilda got whenever she spotted a pretty girl she liked. The resemblance in their behavior was uncanny, and it only made him sigh internally, wondering how he managed to attract yet another strange woman.
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