Chapter 818

【 THE EDGE OF THE WORLD, THE JOURNEYS DESTINATION 】

Before them stretched a vast expanse of deep blue ocean that reached all the way to the horizon.

The sea was calm and even the waves gently lapping against the shore seemed unusually peaceful.

Unlike the coastal city of Mirovia, with its golden beaches, the shoreline here consisted of black rocks and endless stretches of ice and snow, extending for thousands of miles without end.

Not a single cloud could be seen in the sky. From the pale white above the horizon, the heavens gradually deepened into azure, before fading into the same profound blue as the sea itself.

The ocean was endless.

The horizon was endless.

Even the coastline seemed endless.

This was the end of the continent, the edge of the world.

Immediately upon their arrival, the background music of the system slowly faded away as a new bgm gradually began to play.

It was a melody the players had never heard before, sounding ethereal and melodious.

A soft female voice intertwined with whale-like calls that seemed to echo from the dawn of time, weaving together a hauntingly beautiful symphony that instinctively calmed the hearts of all who heard it.

Riding atop their dragons, the players soon left the continent behind and flew out over the sea.

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The coastline and snowy mountains gradually receded into the distance, growing smaller and smaller until they finally vanished where sea and sky met.

From that moment on, all that remained before the players was an endless expanse of deep blue.

Flying at the very front, the golden dragon Romanus raised his head and let out a long, resonant roar as its majestic cry carried across the heavens for an immeasurable distance.

Soon afterward, the young dragons following behind also lifted their heads. Beating their wings, they too bellowed with powerful roars of their own.

Their dragon cries rose and fell one after another, echoing farther and farther into the distance.

At that moment, it seemed as though the entire world contained nothing but dragons and the players riding upon their backs.

The wind howled past the players’ ears, carrying with it the unique scent of the ocean.

To their surprise, however, the sea breeze was not cold.

If anything, it was pleasantly warm.

Suddenly, the sea ahead and to one side churned violently as a towering white column of water shot into the sky, immediately drawing everyone’s attention.

A moment later, an enormous whale burst from the ocean before plunging back beneath the waves.

Massive ripples spread across the surface, capped with white foam that slowly faded away as the whale disappeared beneath the sea once more.

“That is a Giant Sea Whale.”

The golden dragon Romanus introduced it to the players.

“It is one of the more common large magical beasts found here in the Northwestern Sea, feeding primarily on schools of fish.”

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“Although the Northwestern Sea is remote, many rivers from the Extreme Northern Arctic flow into it. Those rivers pass through alpine grasslands, carrying abundant nutrients. Combined with the warm current flowing from the endless western ocean beyond the continent, the convergence of warm and cold waters creates an ideal environment for marine life.”

“I suspect… this region is home to the largest populations of ocean fish in the entire world.”

As if responding to Romanus’s explanation, the moment he finished speaking, countless dark shadows appeared beneath the surface.

An instant later, innumerable silver fish leaped into the air, creating a breathtaking rain of fish that left the players marveling in amazement.

“The giant whale is herding them,” Romanus explained.

“It is hunting.”

As soon as he finished speaking, the enormous whale breached once more, opening its colossal jaws and swallowing an enormous portion of the fleeing school in a single gulp.

The fish scattered in every direction.

The giant whale disappeared into the distance.

Gradually, the sea returned to its former tranquility, leaving behind only shimmering waves beneath the sunlight.

The players immediately lit up with excitement.

Quietly, they marked the coordinates of the area on their maps, already planning to sail here someday for deep-sea fishing expeditions.

There had to be a fortune waiting to be made here.

Romanus, completely unaware that this fish-rich region of the Northwestern Sea had already caught the attention of a group of players famous for exploiting every resource imaginable, continued speaking. Some of them had even begun contacting their guildmates remotely, making preparations for future offshore fishing operations.

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Unaware of all this, Romanus continued introducing the vast ocean before them.

“The Northwestern Sea is divided into two regions. The southern half is known as the Sea of Paradise, where we currently are. Its waters are relatively calm and are home to countless marine magical beasts.”

“Further northwest lies the second region, the Infernal Ocean.”

“The Infernal Ocean forms the heart of the Northwestern Sea. It is also where Void Storms run rampant. Everyone, stay close to me. Otherwise… you may very well be swept into one of the storms.”

“What happens if we get caught?”

Demacia asked curiously.

Romanus glanced at him.

“Then you’ll return to your Patron Deity’s Divine Kingdom, of course.”

Demacia: “…”

༺⟐༻

The Sea of Paradise occupied an immense area.

Whilst mounted atop their dragons and flying at full speed, the players traveled for an entire day and night.

At first, everyone was filled with excitement.

But as time passed, and they realized the scenery around them never really changed at all, thus boredom eventually set in.

Fortunately, the game system still allowed them to browse the internet through the background interface or watch shows whenever they had nothing else to do.

It was not until a full day later that the surroundings finally began to change.

The first change appeared in the sky.

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As they ventured deeper, dark storm clouds gradually gathered overhead, while thunder rumbled and lightning flashed across the heavens.

The entire surroundings grew noticeably darker.

The once tranquil sea became violently turbulent, and the temperature dropped sharply.

Mist began spreading across the ocean.

Soon, torrential rain poured from the heavens, while enormous spiraling funnels descended from the heavy clouds into the sea below.

They were waterspouts.

“Be careful. We’ve now entered the Infernal Ocean.”

Romanus warned.

The players immediately grew alert and closely followed the golden dragon.

As they ventured deeper, the surrounding environment grew increasingly hostile: raging winds and torrential rain, towering waves, and even visible spatial rifts in the sky and sea, which quickly vanished.

Amid the raging storms, they could vaguely make out colossal, indistinct figures roaring in fury.

Their bodies were translucent, appearing and disappearing like ghosts.

Noticing the players staring at them, Romanus explained,

“Those are the fallen Titan Giants and Mythical Dragons who perished during the Twilight War. Although they have already died a long time ago, fragments of their souls still remained behind forever, trapped within the Void Storms in this area.”

“They have completely lost all self-awareness. What remains is nothing but pure, violent lingering apparitions, something even more terrifying than the Void Storms themselves.”

“If you accidentally collide with one of them, forget surviving. You won’t even have the chance to return to the afterlife as your soul will be devoured instantly.”

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“I once heard from my elders that among these wandering souls, there are even remnants that once possessed the power of Higher Divine Power.”

“Fortunately, this hellish sea has been sealed by Her Majesty, All-Divine Mother. These terrifying thought beings cannot leave this place, nor can they inflict catastrophic harm upon the world of the living.”

“Not only that, but their power is continuously drained by the seal, nourishing the very source of the world’s existence.”

“I suppose… this can be considered a form of atonement.”

“After all, it was the Twilight War that reduced what was once a flourishing realm into what it is today.”

Romanus let out a long sigh.

Hearing the golden dragon’s explanation, the players’ expressions became noticeably more solemn.

They instinctively urged their young dragons closer to Romanus.

Following closely behind him, they carefully wove around waterspouts and storms, as though dancing upon a razor’s edge.

This journey, which demanded constant vigilance, actually made them nostalgic for the monotonous flight across the calm waters of the Sea of Paradise just a day earlier.

Fortunately, this nerve-racking voyage did not last for very long.

After approximately four hours of flight, the storm gradually began to subside.

The ghostly mythical apparitions disappeared from either side.

The lightning slowly faded from the heavens.

The raging waves gradually calmed.

Finally, they broke through a layer of clouds.

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Brilliant sunlight poured down upon them, transforming the entire world in an instant.

The sky returned to its brilliant azure.

The sea regained its calm.

The thick mist vanished completely.

A magnificent rainbow stretched diagonally across the horizon, breathtakingly beautiful.

Captivated by the dreamlike scene, the players instinctively pressed their screenshot button.

Some also turned to look behind them.

In the distance, dense mist still covered the sea as violent storms continued to rage, making it appear like an entirely different world.

On one side lay paradise.

On the other, hell.

It was as though an invisible barrier separated the two realms.

The players immediately realized that this was most likely the seal Romanus had mentioned.

Created by the Goddess herself.

Noticing their expressions, the golden dragon Romanus smiled proudly.

“So, what do you think? Quite the journey, wasn’t it?”

“Without a dragon from Dragon Island to guide the way, ordinary people would never discover the route through the Infernal Ocean.”

“And that is precisely why Dragon Island has remained isolated from the outside world. any inhabitants from the continent would have practically almost no chance of finding it.”

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“However, since I have already agreed to serve Miss Little Salty Cat for one year, if everyone ever needs to come here again, then I can continue guiding you.”

Hearing Romanus say this, the players exchanged strange looks.

They glanced at their minimap, which had already recorded Romanus’s winding route in perfect detail, as well as the official forum post that was already halfway uploaded.

After a brief moment of thought, they ultimately decided not to tell him.

From today onward, the once-secret route to Dragon Island would probably become common knowledge among the elves.

After all, once players got involved…

There was no getting rid of them.

After crossing the Infernal Ocean, the skies opened wide before them.

Flocks of seabirds soon appeared overhead, their cries immediately catching the players’ attention.

Where there were seabirds, there was land.

The next moment, a vast stretch of land emerged upon the horizon.

Faint dragon roars echoed through the sky.

Then, not far out at sea, an enormous creature suddenly burst from the water.

It possessed a long, muscular body covered in yellow-green scales, a ridged crest atop its head, and webbed feet.

It was a bronze dragon.

After surfacing for a breath, it dived beneath the waves once again, seemingly returning to its hunt.

Farther away, more and more dragons soared across the skies, playing beneath the warm sunlight.

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As the land drew closer, a lush coastline came into view.

Dense forests blanketed the island, and the concentration of magical power rivaled even that of the Elven Forest.

Looking upon the verdant land, a gentle expression flashed across Romanus’s golden eyes.

Turning back toward the players, he smiled warmly.

“My friends, welcome to the northwestern corner of the world of Seigues.”

“The final destination of this journey…”

“Dragon Island.”

༺⟐༻

Following Romanus atop their dragons, the players officially entered the vicinity of Dragon Island.

It was an enormous island.

No, calling it an island hardly seemed appropriate.

It resembled a small continent more than anything else. Even from the sky, the players could not see where it ended.

Towering mountain ranges covered the land.

Dense forests flourished everywhere.

Dragonkin magical beasts roamed freely throughout the wilderness.

Velociraptors, drakes, ceratopsians, wyverns, pterosaurs… whether the players could name them or not, every imaginable dragon species could be found here.

Even true dragons, which was an exceedingly rare sight on the continent, could frequently be seen among the forests, mountains, lakes, and valleys.

Whether they were fierce chromatic dragons or gentle metallic dragons, all could be found living here.

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These dragons, who could hardly coexist peacefully anywhere else on the mainland continent, were somehow living together harmoniously upon the same island.

The arrival of the players naturally attracted the attention of many dragons, who cast curious gazes toward them as they flew overhead.

The players soon noticed, however, that chromatic dragons and metallic dragons treated them somewhat differently.

The chromatic dragons generally looked at them with caution and reserve.

Some, upon spotting the leading golden dragon Romanus, even shouted a few provocative remarks, clearly indicating they already knew one another.

Of course, there were exceptions.

The players encountered a green dragon that had once participated in the Battle of Maple Moon Free State.

Although its expression remained cold and indifferent, it still gave the players a slight nod in greeting.

It gave off the impression of someone who appeared cold on the outside but was warm-hearted within.

Compared to the chromatic dragons, however, the metallic dragons were far friendlier.

Most regarded the players with open curiosity.

Some who were obviously acquainted with Romanus even flew over enthusiastically to greet him, asking about the identities of the newcomers.

“These are my fellow friends from the Elven Forest,” Romanus introduced.

“They have come as representatives of the Elven Forest and the Church of Life.”

“So they are guests from the Elven Forest. Welcome to Dragon Island!”

The dragons immediately understood, becoming even more welcoming.

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The players were pleasantly surprised.

They had never expected their race to be so well received among dragons.

Naturally, this was all thanks to Eve’s purification of the dragons’ bloodlines.

In a sense, the players represented Evé herself.

Since the Goddess of Life had purified the dragons’ bloodlines and helped increase their population, the dragons were deeply grateful to her.

Out of that gratitude, they naturally extended the same warmth toward the players, who were elves.

“By the way, where is the Great Elder? I’d like to bring my friends to pay a visit.”

Romanus asked the metallic dragons gathering around him.

“The Great Elder is currently in Dragon Valley, playing Gwent with Her Majesty, the Ancestral Mother.”

The metallic dragons replied.

“The Ancestral Mother? Has Her Majesty already awakened?”

Romanus’s eyes immediately brightened.

“Yes. She only awakened a few days ago.”

The dragons answered.

They were conversing in the Dragon Tongue, which the players could not understand.

Fortunately, thanks to Optimist’s diligent upbringing, Christine the little golden dragon ridden by Little Salty Cat had already learned how to speak.

As Christine listened to the dragons’ conversation, she dutifully translated everything for the players.

The Great Elder?

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The Ancestral Mother?

The players were intrigued.

Wait…

What had they just said?

Playing Gwent?!

The players wore rather colorful expressions.

At that very moment, two resounding dragon roars suddenly echoed from the island’s interior.

A majestic red dragon and a beautiful silver dragon flew into the players’ view one after the other.

“Romanus! You’re back already? Are you finished with your journey? When are we going to have another fight?”

A crisp, spirited voice rang through the air as the red dragon looked at him with eager anticipation.

The moment they saw her, Little Salty Cat and several of the veteran closed beta players lit up with surprise and delight.

“Tiberia?”

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