Soon, the others were up too. Gwen stretched like a cat and looked around. "Still foggy?"
"Thicker than before," Mu Qing said softly, eyes scanning the horizon.
Malaika was already checking her gear, though not out of worry—just habit. "Still no spirit beasts around. Too quiet."
Lan Xue stepped beside Max. "So... do we go?"
Max nodded. "Let's not wait too long. I don't want to lose what little visibility we have."
They lowered a small spiritwood plank from the ship to the rocky shore. No fanfare, no grand entry—just a simple landing.
As they stepped onto Mistshade Isle, the fog curled around their ankles like lazy smoke. The air was cool and smelled faintly of salt and wet stone. Everything was hushed, like the island itself was holding its breath.
No ruins. No welcome signs. Just nature—untouched and strangely clean.
They walked carefully, following a natural path that wound between stones and low hills. Every now and then, one of them would stop, turn their head, as if they heard something... but there was never anything there.
"It's weird," Rize muttered. "Feels like we're being watched. But I don't sense anyone."
"Maybe the island's just old," Gwen said, kicking a loose pebble. "Old places have that kind of feeling."
Max didn't say anything. He kept walking, eyes alert but calm.
Eventually, they reached a small clearing surrounded by stones arranged in a rough circle. At the center, a short, weathered pillar stood, covered in moss and faint carvings. Spirit energy lingered in the air—weak, fading, but not hostile.
Mu Qing stepped closer, running her fingers gently over the stone. "This isn't just random. Someone placed this here. A long time ago."
Lan Xue knelt beside a patch of strange flowers growing nearby. "Nothing dangerous... just old. Forgotten."
Max looked around the clearing, then up at the gray sky barely visible through the fog. "So far, it's just an island. No curses. No monsters."
Rize smirked. "Kinda peaceful, actually."
Malaika sheathed her blade with a shrug. "Guess not every stop has to be a battle."
They sat in the clearing for a while, eating a quiet breakfast from their packs. The fog still hadn't lifted, but somehow, it didn't feel as heavy anymore. The island wasn't welcoming exactly—but it wasn't threatening either.
Just quiet.
With Unique Topography.
Over the next few weeks, their voyage continued—quiet, calm, and slow.
They didn't face pirates again. No storms, no sea beasts rising from the depths, no forgotten ruins bursting with traps. Just the sea, and the endless horizon.
Each island they visited had its own charm. Some were covered in green hills and strange flowers. Others were rocky, with tidepools and sun-bleached stones. A few had ruins, but nothing dangerous—just old, mossy stones and carvings no one could read anymore.
Sometimes they found signs of spirit beasts—footprints, nests, the distant sound of wings—but none ever approached the ship. It was as if the ship's quiet energy gently told the world: we're just passing through.
And so the world let them pass.
The group slowly settled into a rhythm.
Rize spent her mornings watching the sunrise and sketching little maps of the islands they stopped at.
Gwen took to napping on deck, always managing to find the warmest spot.
Malaika sparred with herself in the evenings, keeping her skills sharp, though her blades never left their sheath for long.
Lan Xue collected sea glass and rare herbs. She pressed them in books, smiling quietly as her little collection grew.
Mu Qing sat with Max often, talking little but always near. She liked the silence—no pressure, no battles, just the soft sound of waves.
And Max… he stood at the helm, steering calmly. Not seeking anything. Just watching, guiding, thinking.
Eventually, the fogs and islands grew fewer. The air changed. The sea no longer stretched forever. In the far distance, the outlines of mountains rose once more.
The Douluo Continent was near.
One early morning, as mist still clung to the water, Max called them together.
"This is the last stretch," he said. "By sunset, we'll be back."
No one cheered. No one sighed.
They all just stood there for a moment, looking back at the sea behind them.
"So that's it," Rize said softly. "We didn't fight monsters. Didn't discover lost temples."
"No," Max replied. "But we saw the sea."
"And that was enough," Lan Xue said with a smile.
Gwen raised a hand lazily. "Next time, let's pick a route with better snacks."
Malaika gave a small laugh. "Or maybe worse luck. So we do get to fight something."
Mu Qing simply looked out over the waves. "I liked this."
They returned to the continent quietly, the glowing ship lowering its sails for the first time in weeks. As they stepped onto solid ground, the world around them seemed louder, heavier. Busier.
The sea faded behind them.
But something had changed—not in the world, but in them.
They had expected danger, drama, and challenges. Instead, they'd found space to breathe. To think. To simply be.
And sometimes, that was the kind of journey you needed most.
When the ship finally reached the familiar shores of the Douluo Continent, it was just past noon. The sun was high, the docks busy with merchants, Spirit Masters, and travelers moving about their lives. It felt louder than the sea. Heavier. More awake.
Max and the others quietly stepped off the ship, blending back into the world as if they'd never left.
News reached them quickly—Ghidorah Academy had won this year's Continental Spirit Master Competition. A surprise to many. They weren't well known before, but their rise had been fast and overwhelming. The whole continent was talking about them now.
Still, none of that seemed to matter much at the moment.
Max had vanished into the city crowd for a bit, separating from the rest of the group. Just for a while. He needed to breathe. To think. Only Gwen, Rize, and Malaika eventually caught up with him, finding him leaning quietly against a tree near a small hillside, looking out at the street.
"You disappeared fast," Rize said, nudging him.
"Didn't even say goodbye to the ship," Gwen added.
"It's anchored safely," Max replied, smiling faintly. "I'll call it when we need it again."
***
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