LGHTNOVELBOOK Chapter 68: Chapter 68
The small boat's progress across the waves was slow, the undulating sea making it difficult to maintain speed and direction. Ethan stood on the deck of the Goddess of Dawn, waiting patiently as the boat drew closer.
When the boat finally reached the ship, Ethan dropped the rope ladder, watching as the passengers prepared to board. He stood ready to greet them, his stance calm but cautious.
As the boat neared, the woman standing at its center raised her hands to show she was unarmed, a clear gesture of goodwill.
In response, Ethan removed the saber from his waist and handed it to Arthur, who remained on the poop deck, keeping a close watch on the visitors and their ship in the distance.
"Welcome aboard the Goddess of Dawn," Ethan said politely.
Only three people climbed aboard, while two stayed behind to guard the boat.
The leader was a tall, striking woman with rich brown hair. She stood around 1.7 meters tall, her low-heeled leather boots making her roughly the same height as Ethan. Her complexion was tanned, likely from years of life at sea, and she appeared to be around twenty-four or twenty-five years old, still young for an adventurer but in the prime of her life.
Her tight-fitting trousers emphasized her well-toned physique. She wasn't slender or delicate but radiated strength and vitality. Her body, while clearly powerful, wasn't overly muscular, maintaining a natural balance of softness and sharpness. Paired with her sharp, calculating eyes, she resembled a predatory animal, both beautiful and dangerous.
At the same time, the woman was sizing up Ethan. To her, he appeared thoroughly ordinary: a young man with a slim, unremarkable build and no particularly striking features. It was difficult to reconcile his appearance with the rumors that he had stood toe-to-toe with Brent in battle.
"Hello, Ethan of the Goddess of Dawn. I'm Helena, captain of the Vengeful Empress," the woman said, introducing herself formally.
Ethan nodded, skipping any unnecessary pleasantries like handshakes, which might come off as overly familiar in this world where vigilance was second nature. By disarming himself, he had already shown enough goodwill.
"Then, Helena of the Vengeful Empress, what brings you aboard my ship?" Ethan asked directly.
Helena seemed to appreciate his straightforwardness. As captain, she wouldn't come personally unless the matter was important, and Ethan didn't see the point of wasting time with idle conversation.
Helena's lips curled into a faint smile, her sharp eyes gleaming with respect for his pragmatism. "I want to propose a collaboration."
"Collaboration?" Ethan's mind raced with possibilities, including the most likely scenario: a temporary alliance to explore the island.
"You're planning to go ashore," Ethan guessed, his tone even.
"Yes, I plan to go ashore," she admitted.
Ethan frowned slightly. "How much do you know about this island?" he pressed.
Helena's ship had sailed straight here and waited for some time before initiating contact. Ethan couldn't believe she was acting blindly.
"Not much," Helena replied frankly. "I only know that this island is dangerous, but it also holds immense rewards."
She didn't hide her intentions and spoke openly. "If all goes well, I only want one thing. The rest will belong to you."
Her offer was generous, but Ethan remained unimpressed. He wasn't naive. The fact that Helena was willing to risk her crew and give up most of the rewards in exchange for one item raised suspicions. Whatever she was after must be worth more than everything else combined.
"I think it would be better to lay everything on the table," Ethan said coolly. "If the thing you want happens to be something we need, there's a chance this 'collaboration' could turn unpleasant."
His words made the two women standing behind Helena frown, their expressions darkening. However, Helena herself remained calm, as if she had expected such a response.
"I'm not entirely sure yet," she admitted. "I need to see it to confirm."
"Then what exactly are you looking for?" Ethan pressed.
Helena hesitated, clearly weighing whether or not to share the information. Ethan waited silently, unconcerned by the pause. He was still calculating the risks of going ashore and had no reason to rush her.
Finally, Helena made her decision. "I suspect that this island contains core-level magic stones."
"Core-level... magic stones?" Ethan echoed, his surprise evident.
This was not the answer he had expected.
Ethan was familiar with magic stones and their varying grades. Lower-quality stones were commonly used as disposable energy sources for everyday items. These were cheap and plentiful in the Sea of Calm but had limited power and durability.
Medium- and high-quality stones were more versatile, covering a broad range of uses. Some powered larger, more complex devices, like the ones aboard the Goddess of Dawn. Others, of higher quality, could be embedded into weapons or equipment to provide significant combat advantages.
For example, the infamous "Hand of Fire" earned its name from a glove embedded with a fire-attribute magic stone.
Ethan had previously learned from the database on State Island that the classification of magic stones wasn't as simple as it seemed. According to the Adventurer's Guild, magic stones were divided into several categories, with core-level magic stones occupying a unique niche.
"Core level? Are you sure?" Ethan asked, narrowing his eyes.
Helena shook her head. "I'm not entirely sure. But given the conditions on this island, I believe there's a strong possibility."
Core level wasn't a grade of magic stone but a functional distinction. Ethan had seen equipment powered by core-level magic stones at the shipyard before, so he had a basic understanding of their value and capabilities.
The so-called core-level magic stones stored and output magic power at a significantly higher level, making them ideal as stable, long-term energy sources. Their key feature was their durability and stability, making them much harder to damage compared to lower-grade stones.
Low-quality magic stones were unsuitable for such roles, which was why core-level magic stones represented a much higher quality standard in this region. In theory, finding such a magic stone in the Sea of Calm was exceedingly rare.
To put it simply, core-level magic stones were what Ethan had initially envisioned when he thought of magic stones as the cornerstone of magic stone technology. Most of the stones he had encountered so far fell short of this ideal.
The only exception was the white magic stone he currently possessed. Back when he first obtained it, he hadn't understood its significance. But after reading through the guild's records, he suspected it might be a core-level magic stone or at least a high-quality stone close to that tier.
Unfortunately, he couldn't confirm his theory. Merlin's magical expertise was so advanced, and the secrets within the Book of Inheritance so profound, that Ethan couldn't accurately assess how much the stone contributed to its power.
He wasn't inclined to believe he had been lucky enough to stumble upon such a rare treasure right away. Yet here he was, possibly faced with an actual core-level magic stone so soon after.
"The value of a core-level magic stone far exceeds most other materials. Honestly, I don't see how I benefit from this deal," Ethan said, his tone neutral.
After thinking for a moment, he added, "If you're willing to share the core-level magic stone, then we have grounds for cooperation… assuming such a magic stone actually exists."
Helena frowned.
"Well? Have you decided?" Ethan prompted calmly.
He was tempted to explore the island regardless of Helena's answer. If she refused his terms, he was prepared to go ashore alone. And if the Vengeful Empress crew still pursued the stone, it would simply come down to competition.
Helena seemed to sense this as well. It was clear she didn't want to risk conflict with Ethan, a fact that made her hesitation all the more telling. After struggling with herself for a moment, she finally made her decision.
"If it really is a core-level magic stone, I want it. But I'll compensate you with other valuable materials to make up for it. That's my final offer. If you can't accept it, we'll each go our own way and do our best."
Ethan thought it over before nodding in agreement. He wasn't particularly fixated on the magic stone itself; he had a greater need for materials. His ultimate goal was to construct a new ship uniquely suited to him. The Goddess of Dawn was fine for the Sea of Calm, but it was ill-suited for venturing into new regions, let alone the dangerous Sea of Storms.
"Alright. What's your plan?" Ethan asked.
"We'll go straight to the island. Only a few of us will go ashore," Helena replied.
Ethan raised an eyebrow. This suggested one of two things: either the island was incredibly safe, or it was extremely dangerous. Judging by the tense expressions of Helena's two subordinates, along with what he had observed of their earlier behavior, it was clearly the latter.
"What an... interesting leadership style," Ethan muttered under his breath, shaking his head. Still, he refrained from commenting further on her decisions.
"I'll come with you," Ethan said. "I'll leave my companion here on the Goddess of Dawn, and we'll use a small boat to reach the island."