The waters east of Caelumbre were calm—unnaturally so.
Five colossal steam-powered warships tore through the mist-veiled Eastern Sea, their hulls reinforced with enchanted steel, cannons protruding like the fangs of sleeping beasts. Smokestacks hissed beneath brooding skies, releasing black plumes into the air like warning signals to whatever lay ahead.
These weren't vessels of diplomacy.
These were meant to wage war.
Without Silas Crowhurst's authority, not even the Adventurer's Guild could have mustered this level of might. And yet here they were—charged toward the unknown.
Each ship bore the mark of the Eye of Veritas, whose agents paced the decks with quiet purpose. Dressed in long obsidian coats with brass-plated gloves and high-collared uniforms beneath crested top hats, they resembled judges more than soldiers—executioners with discipline carved into their bones.
Above, the clouds churned slowly.
But it wasn't a storm.
It was something worse.
The Ruin.
Aiyana stood near the stern, fingers brushing the revolver at her hip as the wind tugged at her coat. The salty air filled her lungs, and behind her, the kingdom of Caelumbre shrank with each passing wave.
"I'm really out of the Kingdom…" she whispered, her voice vanishing in the wind. "And more than that… I'm at sea."
Her heart thudded with quiet exhilaration.
The thrill of adventure—of true unknowns—burned in her chest like an ember flickering back to life.
Near the center deck, her team gathered.
Vincent stood with arms folded, blade resting against his shoulder, muttering about formation spacing. Melina twirled her fingers lazily, conjuring sparks of harmless light. Yuna, still as stone, whispered a prayer with her eyes shut. At the edge, Elvan grinned and gave Aiyana an exaggerated thumbs-up.
"We're really doing this," he chuckled. "It feels like a stage play… except no one's acting."
Aiyana turned and met their gazes. They were smiling.
Warmth bloomed in her chest—however brief.
Then came nightfall—and with it, the fog.
It didn't roll in. It bloomed.
Like a silent explosion, it spread from the ocean's depths, blanketing the fleet in opaque silver. Moonlight faltered. Visibility dropped to meters.
Then came the voice.
"We are approaching the Eastern Sea Continent!" shouted a commanding voice from the bridge. "Stay vigilant!"
Captain Evangelo Yukev stood atop the upper deck. Tall. Imposing. His coat was tailored black, embroidered in emerald threads that shimmered subtly when the fog shifted. Brass-rimmed spectacles rested on his nose, lenses glowing faintly green.
Floating chains of metal curled behind him, shifting like living things.
"He was with Silas…" Aiyana murmured, tightening her grip on her revolver. "He's a Breaker."
Then the world fell silent.
The water ceased to move. No birds. No waves. No sea creatures. Just the ship creaking beneath their boots.
Too quiet.
Rain started—soft, then heavier. Still, there was no threat. No enemies. No cries.
"Where are the creatures?" Yukev murmured. "The Ruin should be crawling with them by now…"
Adventurers began casting minor light magic. Lanterns flickered to life. Mist coiled over the decks like fingers made of smoke.
Aiyana's breath came faster. Vincent adjusted his grip. Even Elvan had gone quiet.
Something was wrong.
Then the bell rang.
DONG.
A deep, sonorous chime that did not belong to any ship echoed across the sea.
Aiyana cried out and clutched her head.
A pulse.
A heartbeat.
Then a face—veiled and smiling—bloomed in her mind.
The same Entity. Nearer. Watching.
BOOM!
A sudden gust struck the ships. Lanterns shattered. People staggered.
Captain Yukev's eyes flared green as he shouted, "The Ruin! A DEATH AURA IS POURING FROM ITS CORE!"
"WE'RE ENTERING THE EASTERN CENTER! BRACE YOURSELVES!"
Then came the screams.
The fog exploded with psychic pressure.
Adventurers dropped to their knees, clutching their heads, muttering nonsense. Eyes turned white. Some wept. Others clawed at their own faces.
"HELP THEM!" Yukev roared. "Stabilization glyphs, NOW!"
Healers and scribes moved fast—casting glyphs, stabilizing mana surges, suppressing psychic attacks. Virelle, pale but composed, documented while working—a true scribe until the end.
Vincent's voice was hoarse, "They're losing their minds. What is this Ruin?"
Aiyana reeled.
Another DONG.
Another wave of pain.
Then came the shriek—a low, echoing sound like a wolf caught in a hurricane.
Aiyana spun and fired.
BANG.
"AYIANA?!" Elvan shouted. "You almost shot me!"
But the smoke cleared—and an "adventurer" clutched his chest, then started laughing.
Too wide. Too hollow.
His mouth split unnaturally. His eyes rolled. Skin peeled.
A gurgled howl followed as he lunged—before another adventurer gunned him down.
The corpse disintegrated into black mist.
"PHANTOM!"
Captain Yukev shouted, "THE RUIN IS USING ILLUSIONS—INFILTRATORS! ANYONE COULD BE COMPROMISED!"
Panic overtook the fleet.
Trust collapsed. Adventurers eyed each other like strangers.
Aiyana kept her revolver high, jaw clenched.
"You saw it again, didn't you?" Vincent asked. She didn't answer.
But she didn't need to.
Another DONG.
More screams. More blood.
She gritted her teeth. It hurts more than the Nightcrawler attack…
Vincent stepped forward, calm in the chaos.
"Aiyana. You're the only one who can feel it. Tell us where they are. We'll do the rest."
She looked up. Vincent. Yuna. Melina. Yuvkev. Even Elvan, smiling like this was a dream come true.
They trusted her—completely.
She smiled through the pain. "Alright."
She stood tall and raised her revolver.
"Let's do this."
"LET'S GO!!" the team shouted, weapons drawn.
The battle turned into madness.
Phantoms tore through illusions. Adventurers fought each other, unsure who was real. But some truths began to emerge—
Aiyana pointed.
"There!!"
Vincent darted forward. His sword cleaved through the fog—schlkt!
A disguised adventurer screamed as their body twisted into monstrous form before dissolving into smoke.
He spun and flung blood from his blade, already sprinting toward the next.
"AT THAT SIDE!!" Aiyana screamed.
Yuvkev roared and charged. His massive fists slammed into a disguised Phantom, sending it flying overboard. Another lunged at him—he grabbed it mid-air and crushed its ribcage with a single blow.
He grinned, unbothered. "Next!"
Melina swept a gloved hand through the air—massive illusionary hands erupted from glowing sigils and grabbed three Phantoms by their necks. She smirked. "Caught you."
Yuna moved like smoke—her blade sliced through throats before bodies could even shift into their true forms. Her precision was terrifying.
The tide turned.
Even the Eye of Veritas fought alongside them—glyphs lighting up, steel ringing, spells exploding like stars through fog.
⸻
Then came Elvan.
He approached a Phantom, chanting something that sounded impressive—until he shouted:
"MAGIC SUPER KICK!"
There was no spell.
Just a solid jab to the jaw.
The Phantom's head snapped back, and it hit the deck like a sack of meat.
Everyone stared.
Vincent laughed. "Okay… got to hand it to you."
Even Melina giggled. Yuna cracked a smile. Yuvkev gave a thumbs-up.
Elvan laughed maniacally, scribbling into his book. "Muahaha! Documented!"
⸻
Aiyana turned and saw three Phantoms charging.
She fired. Bang. Bang. Bang. All three fell, writhing as their disguises melted.
She muttered to herself, "Elara… thank you for the extra bullets. Two left. Fifteen more in my pouch."
She smiled despite the horror. "I'll thank her when I get home."
She took a breath—then the sea exploded.
A massive monster rose from the deep—tentacled, serpentine, eyes glowing with ruinous magic. It moved with the force of an avalanche, waves crashing against the ships.
It turned toward Aiyana.
Her breath caught.
Then—SLASH!
A blinding arc of light cut through the sky.
The monster howled—its head severed in a single strike.
It crashed into the sea, dead before it even fully emerged.
Atop the deck, chains gleaming, stood Captain Yukev, his top hat blown off, his brass gloves steaming.
His eyes pulsed green, and his aura rippled like shattered glass.
He looked toward Aiyana and nodded once.
Then—without a word—he leapt from the deck, running into the fog, into the next threat.
The battle wasn't over.
The ships pushed forward—
their hulls groaning against the relentless fury of the Eastern Sea. Thunder rolled above as jagged waves crashed violently against their sides, spraying seawater into the air like broken glass. The sails strained against the wind, and the sky itself seemed to shudder.
Above it all, the looming shadow of the Unknown Ruin pierced the horizon, half-swallowed by mist, half-rising like a tombstone over the world.
And still… they pressed on.
Steel-clad adventurers gripped the rails. The scribes clutched their ink-soaked journals as the storm howled like something ancient and alive.
Chapter 14 has Ended