The blazing sun hung high in the sky, its position unwavering despite the passage of time.
The Voice of the Dawn sailed on the sea.
"Is this the way?" Jason gazed at the endless, unchanging green swamp beside him.
He turned and asked.
Sofia glanced at the map, then his surroundings, calculating their speed and time.
"If nothing unexpected happens, this should be it. Even if we stray, we won't be far."
Hearing this, Alka nodded and gently tapped the rudder.
The Voice of the Dawn slowly began to turn and approached the shore.
"All right, everyone, get ready. We're heading over."
Everyone on deck had already prepared.
Pororo jumped directly from the deck. Seeing Pororo's figure, Matlisa smiled and followed him.
"Let's go too," Alka said, and he and Sofia descended.
They boarded the Flying Swallow with the others.
They soon arrived at the swamp.
They looked down at the "land" made of vines and plants, less than a meter below the water.
"It really doesn't look any different at all," Jason said, watching.
A dark shadow enveloped the ship, and everyone looked up.
It was Ululius soaring through the air.
Ululius was now larger. With her tail, her body length had reached four meters.
Combined with her outstretched wingspan, she already possessed the intimidating presence of a giant dragon.
"Sigh!" Jason sighed, watching the crystal dragon soar freely through the sky.
The larger the body, the more it could eat.
While crystal dragons don't exclusively feed on crystal, they primarily consume a variety of foods, including meat.
But it must be supplemented with various gemstones to grow properly.
With such a large body, even if it were eaten as a snack, the consumption would be terrifying.
The crystals Jason had purchased were almost completely consumed.
Hearing Jason sigh, Alka patted him on the shoulder.
"Keep going."
After Sofia determined the direction, they began to move forward.
...
A few more days passed, slowly advancing across the endless swamp.
"How long will it take?" Jason couldn't help but ask.
"If we're not going the wrong way, it shouldn't take more than a day," Alka said uncertainly.
Hearing this, Juanlu asked, "What if we're going the wrong way?"
"Well... I can't guarantee that."
As the others on the boat chatted, Simon's voice reached them. "Be careful, there's someone in the distance."
Hearing this, everyone instantly became alert.
"Local soldiers," Simon said, confirming the stranger's ID.
The men in the distance, from the weapons they held to the saddle-fishing mounts they rode, looked exactly like the ones they had seen before at Emerald Fortress and Floating Ball Island.
Hearing this, everyone's vigilance eased slightly, remaining at a minimum.
After a while, the soldiers seemed to have spotted them.
They all drew their weapons and, from a few hundred meters away from Alka and the others, shouted at them, "Who are you? Outsiders are not welcome here. Leave!"
Their voices were harsh and filled with hostility.
It seemed as if they would attack them at any moment if they didn't leave.
Also, the sharp blades of the tridents in the soldiers' hands had begun to gleam.
This meant they were ready to attack Alka and the others at any moment, and this wasn't a threat or a joke.
Seeing this, Alka flipped his hand.
A flower-like object, carved from some precious gem, appeared in his hand.
It exuded a fresh floral fragrance and drifted in the air.
The decorative flower also emitted a faint glow.
At the sight of the flower, the patrolling soldiers in the distance immediately sheathed their weapons and swam over.
After approaching, the captain who had spoken earlier quickly dismounted from his unusual climbing fish.
After taking a quick look at Alka and the others' attire and the group, he bowed deeply.
"I'm sorry to have offended you, friends."
"Excuse me, are you heading to the Fragrance of Fragrant Aroma?"
From the captain's respectful attitude, it was clear he knew Alka and the others. "Yes, we are indeed heading to the Land of Fragrance," Alka nodded.
Hearing this, the captain looked up and smiled, saying, "If you don't mind, we'll lead you all there."
"Of course, if it's not too much trouble."
"No, no, no trouble," the captain said quickly with a smile.
Then he waved to the soldiers behind him.
They quickly rode over on their Crawling Fish.
Behind the Crawling Fish, a chain made of water appeared, connecting to the bow of the Flying Swallow.
The patrol consisted of six people in total.
Including the captain, the six of them used their remaining mounts to tow the Flying Swallow forward rapidly.
With the six Crawling Fish pulling, their speed increased significantly.
Although the Flying Swallow had an incredible speed, it was hampered by the unique environment of this place. The Flying Swallow could only function as a normal small boat.
"You seem to recognize us?" Jason asked, approaching the captain of the soldiers who had spoken to them earlier.
"Of course, thank you very much for your help. The Emerald Fortress has already sent us the details of your assistance."
It was just as they had expected.
And so, everyone chatted as they moved forward.
The speed increased significantly.
Soon, more people began to come and go.
Most of them resembled merchants.
They used larger, long, giant sea fish, like the ones Madru had used before, as camels. They towed large, concave wooden planks to transport goods.
These water carriages ply the swamp.
Alka watched this scene, puzzled.
Isn't this too much? It wasn't just the cargo carriers; there were also ordinary civilians of all kinds, as well as some people riding in water carriages in clearly more expensive clothing. And they were all heading in the same direction.
"Why is it so bustling here?" Jason asked, somewhat puzzled.
This place hadn't even seen the so-called Fragrance Land yet, and already there were so many people.
"Don't you know? The Bloom Festival is coming soon, our biggest annual festival.
Everyone's preparing for it."
Hearing this, everyone nodded in understanding.
Although they had previously learned about this festival from the Emerald Fortress, they hadn't expected it to be so grand.
Even before they saw the city, they could smell a fresh, elegant floral fragrance from afar.
The moment it reached their noses, it relaxed them.
"What a nice smell!" Julia couldn't help but exclaim as she sat on the boat.
"Yes, that's the scent of the flowers emanating from the fragrance of the scent," the captain of the soldiers said with a smile.
A deep sense of pride could be heard in his words.
As the fragrance grew, it became increasingly fresh and elegant.
It also grew stronger and stronger.
Finally, everyone had laid eyes on the so-called Land of Fragrance.
A single, enormous flower, soaring into the sky, captured their attention.
It was at least twenty or thirty meters tall.
Its jade-green stem and leaves, and its tightly closed buds of pale pink, white, and a hint of blue, were awe-inspiring.
The sheer size of the flower had a profound impact on Alka and the others.
From afar, the entire edge of the island was covered in a variety of flowers, large and small.
The gigantic flowers even replaced the island's trees.
As they drew closer, they could see the enormity of the central flower.
"What's that flower?" Jason couldn't help but ask.
The enormous flower was so conspicuous that it was hard not to raise doubts in Alka and the others.
"That's the symbol of the flower fairy, the Flower of Heaven," the captain of the soldiers said with a reverent expression.
The symbol of the flower fairy.
Could it be that this is the method the flower fairy uses to revive the dead?
Alka looked at the flower and couldn't help but wonder.
But wouldn't that be a bit too blatant?
After all, it was the resurrection of a god.
If he so blatantly displayed his resurrection methods...
Were they really not afraid of enemies?
Forget it, why think about it?
Alka pushed these thoughts out of his head. He wasn't doing anything.
It was better to stay out of the gods' business. He and the others were just small fry.
He thought silently.
With the help of the captain, they docked the boat on the island.
"Do you need me to send you a guide?" the captain asked.
"Of course, that would be great."
The captain smiled and waved to the soldiers behind him.
A young soldier hurried over and nodded at the captain's instructions.
Then he approached Alka and the others.
"Greetings, sirs.
My name is Lasemi. I will be leading you on a tour of the city. If you have any questions or would like to know anything, please feel free to ask me. I grew up here."
Hearing this, everyone nodded.
"Sirs, why don't we find a place to rest first?" Lasemi suggested.
Alka nodded: "No problem."
The group walked across the island.
Every house here looked just like the ones they'd seen in the Emerald Fortress.
They blended seamlessly into nature.
The only difference was that this island lacked large trees; each house was a giant flower.
Flowers of all colors blossomed here.
The crowd was practically filled with curiosity, their heads constantly turning to look around.
They observed the island's surroundings, the buildings, and even the inhabitants.
The inhabitants, in turn, gazed at them with curiosity.
It's important to remember that this place is very exclusive; outsiders are rarely seen.
And every outsider who made it to the island was worthy of respect.
At the very least, they had to be members of the Church of Our Lady.
Mainly, it was because Baloro's enormous shark-like form was so striking that it could be seen from afar.
Then there were the things hanging on Alka and the others, and the long line of tiny figures following behind them.
A little girl, wearing a garland and holding a wand shaped like a flower, looked at Pororo Shark.
She pointed the flower at him.
Pororo saw that the little girl didn't seem afraid of him.
He suddenly opened his bloody mouth, revealing sharp teeth, and let out a terrifying roar.
"Roar!"
"Ahhhh!"
Pororo's sudden change startled the little girl, who screamed and ran away.
"Hahahaha!" Pororo laughed heartily at this.
Mathesha, standing nearby, blushed slightly at the glances from the surrounding residents.
Two left hands quickly grabbed Pororo's arms and dragged him away.
Her two right hands were still slapping his left: "What are you doing? You're acting like a child."
"Haha, don't you think it's hilarious?"
Looking at Pororo's joy, Matlisa shook her head helplessly.
Hurriedly pulling Pororo along, she followed Alka and the others.
"There are two places to stay in the Land of Fragrance. Would you all like to share a large house?"
Hearing Lasemi's words, Alka nodded.
"If possible, the large house would be even better."
"No problem, please come this way."
Take Alka and the others around a slight turn and they saw a large field of various giant flowers huddled together in the distance.
They could see many merchants gathered there.
"The Flower Forest, the best place to stay in the Land of Fragrance," Lasemi said.
Then they squeezed into the crowd and entered the flower house.
Soon, he dragged a girl out.
"Sister, these are distinguished guests, friends of the Flower People. Prepare rooms for them. The church will pay."
The girl, who had been dragged out with some discontent, instantly lost her discontent upon hearing this.
She quickly approached Alka and the others with a smile.
"Dear guests, prepare..."
"We'll take the best area of our home, the interlaced flower forest," Rasemi said directly from the side.
His sister turned and frowned at him, then glanced at the number of Alka and the others.
Especially at the long line of people following behind them.
She forced herself not to turn her head and look at that place.
Nodding.
"No problem, guests, follow me."
With that, he led everyone through the gate and into the flower forest at the back.
Vast clumps of flowers, each a room.
Deeper and deeper, they saw more than a dozen flowers nestled close together, tightly intertwined.
The rooms seemed connected.
"This is our largest guest room. There are 12 rooms in total, which can be either separate or connected."
With that, he led Alka and the others inside.
The scent of flowers in each room was unique.
"We're very satisfied with this place. Thank the gardener for me," Alka said, turning to Rasemi and the others with a smile.
Then he said to Rasemi, "You go and do your own thing. We might need to rest here for a while. We'll explore on our own later. Please lead the way."
"It's my honor to lead you gentlemen. I won't bother you anymore."
With that, Rasemi left with a smile.
"How on earth is this done? This is incredible!" Simon walked through the rooms, exclaiming in amazement.
It wasn't just Simon; everyone else was wandering around, touching this and that.
They were filled with curiosity about the rooms.
After all, this was a room made of flowers; they had no idea how it was done.
It was a first-time experience for them, and it was incredibly shocking.
The walls were like flower petals; not only did they look like flower petals, but they felt like flower petals to the touch.
Yet they were as solid as walls.
The light in the center of the hall was provided entirely by the stamens at the top.
Each The stamens that sprouted illuminated the surroundings like electric lights.
"Are stools also flowers? How bizarre."
Pororo said curiously, sitting on a petal; he was still a little unaccustomed to it.
Alka sat on a sofa made of several long petals and surveyed the surroundings.
"What are you thinking about?"
"I'm thinking about the creature that has transformed this island, and the giant flower in its center.
How long do you think it will take for this deity known as the Flower Fairy to revive?"
Everyone's interest piqued at this.
"I think it'll take a long time. After all, it's a god," Pororo said after a moment's thought.
"I also think that the wonders of this island aren't enough to demonstrate the power of the gods, right?
And if I were to truly retell it, the previous war wouldn't have been so difficult."
After hearing Jason's words, Alka said, "Is it possible that the impending resurrection has attracted monsters from the borderlands of life and death to attack the Land of the Spirits in the past few decades?"
Thinking about it, it's indeed possible, and the likelihood is high.
Of course, these are just speculations.
"I also think resurrection isn't far off. The Mother is also providing assistance, isn't it? Remember what the dwarf said earlier?
The two most powerful gods here are the Mother and the Sea God."
Simon retorted from the side.
"Yes, even the most powerful gods, even those known throughout the astral plane, cannot completely repair and piece together the entire world."
Julia suddenly spoke, her thoughts unclear.
This sentence plunged the entire hall into silence.
The road ahead is long and arduous.