The ocean was dark.
Only the moon illuminated the endless sea.
Lin Chen stood on the deck of the Sea Fortress while studying the two Diamond Chest clues.
The first clue said:
The Diamond Chest sleeps beneath the sky where land and sea meet.
The second clue said:
The treasure sleeps where the three tides become one.
Neither clue made much sense by itself.
But Lin Chen knew the final clue would reveal everything.
A notification suddenly appeared.
Team Chat
[Su Yao] : I found it.
Lin Chen immediately became alert.
[Lin Chen] : The third clue?
[Su Yao] : Maybe.
[Lin Chen] : Maybe again?
[Su Yao] : You'll understand soon.
[Lin Chen] : Explain.
A few moments passed.
Then another message arrived.
[Su Yao] : The signal is moving.
Lin Chen frowned.
[Lin Chen] : Treasure clues don't move.
[Su Yao] : That's why I'm confused.
[Su Yao] : But the signal is definitely moving.
For the first time, even Su Yao sounded uncertain.
Her Treasure Goddess Talent had never made mistakes before.
If the signal was moving, there could only be two possibilities.
Either a powerful monster was carrying the clue...
Or an entire island was moving.
The second possibility sounded ridiculous.
Yet this game constantly broke common sense.
[Lin Chen] : Send the direction.
[Su Yao] : East.
[Su Yao] : Very far east.
Without hesitation, Lin Chen ordered the Sea Fortress forward.
The hunt continued.
...
The journey lasted almost an entire day.
During that time, Lin Chen continuously upgraded the fortress.
Using Monster Cores collected from previous battles, he successfully improved the Core Radar.
Core Radar Upgraded
Detection Range Increased
Treasure Detection Improved
Monster Detection Improved
The upgraded radar immediately became more effective.
New signals appeared throughout the surrounding ocean.
Small islands.
Monster groups.
Resource zones.
Everything became easier to locate.
Lin Chen finally understood why Monster Cores were valuable.
They weren't merely crafting materials.
They were the foundation of future technology.
As evening approached, the radar suddenly reacted.
Beep.
Beep.
Beep.
The signal intensity rapidly increased.
Lin Chen looked toward the horizon.
Then he froze.
Something enormous appeared in the distance.
At first he thought it was a mountain.
Then he realized the truth.
It was moving.
The entire object was moving.
His eyes widened.
An island.
A gigantic island.
And it was drifting across the ocean.
Unknown Moving Island Detected
Lin Chen finally understood Su Yao's confusion.
The signal wasn't moving.
The island itself was moving.
The sight was breathtaking.
The island was several kilometers long.
Forests covered most of its surface.
Huge cliffs rose along the edges.
Even from a distance, it dwarfed every island Lin Chen had seen.
A Team Chat notification appeared.
[Su Yao] : See it?
[Lin Chen] : Yes.
[Su Yao] : The third clue is there.
[Lin Chen] : Are you certain?
[Su Yao] : One hundred percent.
Lin Chen smiled.
The final clue was finally within reach.
...
The Sea Fortress slowly approached the island.
As it got closer, another warning appeared on the radar.
Danger Detected
Rare Boss Monster Nearby
Lin Chen's expression became serious.
A Rare Boss.
This was his first encounter with such a creature.
The radar displayed an enormous life signal.
The creature's energy far surpassed Elite Monsters.
Before he could investigate further—
ROOOOOOAR!!
A deafening roar echoed throughout the island.
The ocean itself trembled.
Birds scattered into the sky.
Trees shook violently.
Then a giant creature emerged from the forest.
Its appearance resembled a tiger.
However, it was over twenty meters long.
Silver fur covered its body.
Blue lightning surrounded its claws.
Its eyes glowed like burning stars.
Stormfang Tiger
Level: 30
Rare Boss
Lin Chen immediately understood.
This monster was far stronger than anything he had previously fought.
Fortunately, the creature remained on the island.
It showed no interest in attacking the fortress.
At least for now.
Lin Chen decided not to act recklessly.
The final clue was more important.
After carefully landing near the shoreline, he entered the island.
The atmosphere immediately felt different.
Powerful monster auras existed everywhere.
Any ordinary player would likely die within minutes.
Yet Lin Chen continued forward calmly.
Several lower-level monsters attempted to attack him.
None survived more than a few seconds.
The Thunder Spear effortlessly eliminated them.
Hours passed.
Eventually, he reached the center of the island.
A massive stone altar stood there.
Ancient runes covered every surface.
The moment Lin Chen stepped forward, the altar activated.
Golden light erupted into the sky.
A familiar notification appeared.
Diamond Chest Clue #3 Obtained
Clue Progress: 3/3
Success.
The final clue had been acquired.
The three clues immediately merged.
New words appeared before Lin Chen.
Diamond Chest Location Revealed
The Three-Tide Sea
Coordinates Unlocked
A map appeared.
For the first time, the exact location of the Diamond Chest was revealed.
Lin Chen smiled.
After so much effort, he finally had the answer.
Then—
ROOOOOOOAR!!
A furious roar shook the island.
Lin Chen turned around instantly.
The Stormfang Tiger had arrived.
Its enormous body emerged from the forest.
Its glowing eyes locked onto him.
The Rare Boss had noticed the intruder.
Lightning crackled around its claws.
The ground trembled beneath its steps.
Lin Chen gripped the Thunder Spear.
The atmosphere became tense.
Neither side moved.
Both were evaluating the other.
After several seconds, the tiger unexpectedly turned away.
It disappeared back into the forest.
Lin Chen released a breath.
A battle wasn't necessary today.
The objective had already been completed.
The Diamond Chest's location was now known.
There was no reason to risk everything against a Level 30 Rare Boss.
Not yet.
...
Meanwhile, Regional Chat suddenly exploded.
[Player 712] : Did everyone get that notification?
[Player 881] : New event?
[Player 445] : Finally!
A world announcement appeared before every survivor.
World Event Announced
Monster Tide
Begins in 7 Days
Survive the invasion to earn rewards.
The entire region fell into chaos.
A monster tide.
No explanation was given.
But nobody doubted its danger.
Lin Chen looked at the announcement thoughtfully.
Seven days.
The timing couldn't be worse.
The Diamond Chest.
The Rare Boss.
The Monster Tide.
Everything was happening at once.
Still, a smile appeared on his face.
Challenges meant opportunities.
And opportunities meant rewards.
The stronger the danger, the greater the treasure.
Looking toward the distant horizon, Lin Chen memorized the coordinates of the Diamond Chest.
Soon, he would claim it.
And when that happened...
His strength would reach a completely new level.