In the deep oceanic waters, a lone ship cut steadily through the endless blue.
The waves rose and fell, yet the vessel moved forward with unnatural smoothness.
The ocean was the true domain of soul beasts.
Unlike the land—the sea was a continuous hunting ground. Sea soul beasts were not only more numerous than their terrestrial counterparts, but also far more aggressive. Even fleets escorted by powerful soul masters often suffered losses.
A solitary ship like this one should have been torn apart long ago.
And yet—Not a single sea soul beast approached to attack the ship.
Captain John stepped forward onto the deck, his weathered hands clasped respectfully before his chest. His eyes, hardened by decades of storms and blood-soaked voyages, carried an unmistakable trace of awe as they settled on the golden-haired girl standing near the bow.
She stood calmly, her posture straight and elegant.
The deck swayed beneath their feet, but she did not stagger—not even slightly. It was as if the movement of the sea held no meaning to her at all.
"Lady Eve," Captain John said solemnly,
"we have entered waters where even ordinary hundred-thousand-year soul beasts do not dare to tread lightly."
He paused, choosing his words carefully.
"According to old sailors' legends… this region marks the outer boundary of the forbidden sea."
Despite his composure, his knuckles tightened slightly.
Captain John had sailed the seas for most of his life.
He had seen ships swallowed whole by colossal shadows beneath the waves. He had heard the screams of sailors dragged into the depths by unseen jaws. He knew fear—intimately.
And yet, since this voyage began, not a single sea soul beast had shown even a hint of aggression.
The absence of any attacks from the sea soul beasts itself was terrifying.
His gaze drifted once more to the girl before him.
'Is it because of her…?'
Qian Renxue turned to face him.
Her golden hair fluttered gently in the sea breeze, catching the sunlight like molten light. Her purple eyes were clear, tranquil, and unfathomably deep.
She smiled faintly.
"Your experience on the seas is truly astounding, Captain John."
The praise was light, almost casual.
And yet—.He bowed instinctively, lowering his head.
"This old man merely survives by caution, Lady Eve."
She looked past him, toward the boundless horizon.
"Any novice captain would have long since lost his bearings here," she continued calmly.
"After all, the waters beyond Sea God Island are largely uncharted."
Her tone carried neither admiration nor fear.
Captain John swallowed.
He followed her gaze and felt a chill creep into his bones.
Those waters were places where maps ended.
As he straightened, his eyes briefly flicked toward the cabin.
Cain—who appeared to be her attendant—had long since retreated inside, unable to endure the constant sway of the ship. His pale face earlier had stood in stark contrast to the girl before him.
A sheltered noblewoman?
Captain John dismissed the thought immediately.
No sheltered noble could stand in these waters—
With such composure, ease and absolute indifference to the danger beneath the waves.
As the ship continued forward, slicing through waters feared by even the strong sea soul beasts,
"You flatter me too much, Lady Eve," John said humbly.
Captain John's thoughts drifted back to an earlier moment in the voyage.
When the ship had passed near Sea God Island, the turquoise waters there had churned with powerful spiritual fluctuations. Shadows of enormous forms had briefly surfaced beneath the waves—sleek, ferocious silhouettes that inspired instinctive dread in every sailor who caught a glimpse of them.
The Demon Soul Great White Shark Clan.
Even among sea soul beasts, they were a legendary existence.
At the time, Captain John had done what any seasoned seafarer would. With reverence and caution, he had informed her:
"Lady Eve, the Demon Soul Great White Shark Clan are the guardians of Sea God Island.
It is said they were the earliest believers of the Sea God himself. For their loyalty, the Sea God granted them divine protection."
To sailors, this was common knowledge and an unspoken truth that provoking them was to court death.
Yet—The reaction he received was neither fear nor curiosity.
It was a soft chuckle.
Qian Renxue had stood at the deck then as she did now, her gaze calm as she looked toward the distant outline of Sea God Island.
"I wonder," she had said lightly,
"how long that protection actually extends."
There had been no mockery in her tone.
The words had lingered in Captain John's heart like a lingering echo, refusing to fade.
----
Snapping back to the present, Captain John finally voiced the question that had weighed on him since the voyage began.
"Lady Eve," he asked respectfully,
"may I ask why you instructed me to steer the ship into this sea region?"
He gestured vaguely toward the surrounding waters.
"This is an area where even the most ferocious sea soul beasts tread carefully.
Old sailors say that those who enter without reason… never return."
Qian Renxue turned slightly.
The sunlight reflected off her golden hair, casting faint halos of brilliance around her figure.
"Because," she replied calmly, "I wanted to meet someone."
Captain John blinked "Meet… someone?"
Confusion filled his eyes 'Meet who?'
While she spoke with Captain John, Qian Renxue's true attention had long since sunk beneath the waves.
Her purple eyes seemed unfocused, yet in truth they had pierced layers of seawater, darkness, and crushing pressure—descending toward a realm where ordinary perception could never reach.
A vast presence stirred in the deep sea abyss. Her lips curved into a faint smile.
'Found you.'
Before Captain John—or any of the sailors on deck—could react, Qian Renxue took a single step forward.