LGHTNOVELBOOK Chapter 76: Chapter 76
"Fight for your future with your own hands. It's a good dream."
Ethan had found his own direction for the future, though he had yet to fully grasp it. He was working hard to move forward.
As for Helena… she would need not only effort but also a bit of luck.
"I wish you success."
What else could he say? Ethan didn't know her well enough to offer advice, so he simply gave her a casual blessing. Without further words, he withdrew his hand holding the magic stone.
He noticed Marta and Eliza glancing at him with a hint of dissatisfaction when he took the magic stone back, but they quickly restrained their emotions.
It was human nature to feel a little discontent in such situations, but the fact that they could control their greed so quickly proved that they had solid moral principles.
The magic stone had initially been promised to Helena, so it was natural for them to expect it. Yet when Helena refused, they immediately accepted their captain's decision without complaint.
"This woman must hold significant authority in their eyes," Ethan thought.
Still, it was always wise to remain cautious. Even if Ethan had just demonstrated his great strength, greed could cloud judgment. Some might think Ethan, having used up his ultimate move, was now in a weakened state and take this as an opportunity to launch a sneak attack.
Only after observing for a while did Ethan lower his guard slightly, though he still kept his distance from the women.
Helena, perceptive as ever, noticed this and deliberately maintained some space between herself and Ethan, ensuring she did nothing that might cause unnecessary misunderstandings.
There was still a significant amount of death energy left on the island, but without its source, it would eventually dissipate. Ethan couldn't be sure how long the island would last or if its soil could support plant life after the energy was gone.
"That move you just used…"
As they walked through the dark passage, Helena broke the silence, perhaps uncomfortable with the oppressive quiet.
"That sword move? It doesn't have a name. I just blurted something out earlier."
"At the time, I was just caught up in the energy and felt like shouting something. It doesn't have an official name."
That technique wasn't even a proper move. It was just a crude release of gathered energy, and the resulting beam lacked stability. A significant portion of the energy had likely dissipated during the process. To sum it up, it looked flashy but wasn't as powerful as it seemed.
If not for the advantage of holy light against death energy, and if Wilson hadn't been so inexperienced in handling magic, the technique wouldn't have worked at all. For Ethan to truly develop a reliable energy-based attack like a light cannon, there were still countless issues he needed to resolve.
And setting aside other obstacles, gathering such a massive amount of energy was already a monumental challenge.
"Is that so?" Helena replied.
"Exactly."
The group fell silent again, their footsteps echoing softly in the dim passage. They walked for what felt like ages before a faint light appeared ahead.
A few more steps brought them back to the surface. Looking up at the starry sky, Ethan realized it was already night.
"We were underground for so long, and those battles took up quite a bit of time."
It had been broad daylight when they arrived on the island, and they had originally planned to leave before nightfall. Yet now, the moon hung high above them.
"We need to move quickly. The death energy on this island hasn't fully dissipated yet, and it's not safe to stay here for long." Ethan pointed at the women's injuries. "Even though I've already cleared some of the death energy from your bodies, staying here any longer could lead to further contamination. While you might not turn into undead creatures, your health will still be affected in the long run."
The women immediately abandoned any thoughts of resting on the island overnight. Marta and Eliza, in particular, were quick to comply. They still remembered the pain of almost becoming undead and had no desire to experience it again.
Ethan's warning was clear: prolonged exposure to death energy wasn't something to take lightly. While the transformation process into an undead creature was painless and often went unnoticed, the end result was horrifying. Many people didn't even realize they had turned into zombies until it was too late. The corruption of death energy could also destroy the brain, affecting intelligence and personality. Only a select few retained their self-awareness and evolved into higher-level undead.
The women weren't aware of these details, and Ethan himself only knew the theories. He'd never seen the process of death energy corruption firsthand. If he were more interested in undead magic, which wasn't exactly popular or lucrative, he might have stayed on the island to study it. But now, all he wanted was to get back to his ship, take a long, hot bath to wash away the misfortune clinging to him, and have a good sleep.
The journey back was uneventful, and the group soon reached the shoreline. With torches and flashlights in hand, they were quickly noticed by the crew aboard the ships.
Compared to Helena's Shil, Ethan's Goddess of Dawn was faster and more agile. When Arthur saw the light of the flashlight from the sea, he raised anchor and sailed toward the island, maneuvering the Goddess of Dawn closer to the shore.
Arthur wasn't afraid of making a mistake. He had spotted the flashlight, and it was far more likely to be Ethan than anyone else. Even if it wasn't, he had been keeping an eye on the island and knew he'd have enough time to turn the Goddess of Dawn around if needed.
Thanks to Arthur's quick response, it didn't take long for the Goddess of Dawn to reach the island's edge and pick up Ethan and the others.
At this time, Helena's ship was only just gaining speed and heading toward the island. It would still be a while before it arrived.
Ethan, unwilling to waste time waiting, gestured for Arthur to head back to the open sea.
"I assume you have a way to signal your crew and have them follow us. The death energy on this island will linger for quite some time. If anyone on your ship has poor resistance, they're at risk of being affected by the energy's erosion."
Helena, realizing Ethan was concerned for her crew's safety, had no reason to refuse. As for signaling her crew, it wasn't difficult. Every adventurer had secret codes with their team, and using torches to communicate was a common method.
After receiving Helena's signal, the ship began to slow. Once the Goddess of Dawn passed by and her crew confirmed that their captain was indeed on board the other ship, the Vengeful Empress turned around and picked up speed, following at a safe distance. Eventually, it anchored far enough from the island to avoid any lingering death energy.
"Thank you for your care this time, Captain Ethan of the Goddess of Dawn," Helena said, standing at the side of the ship. She offered a sincere farewell as she prepared to leave. Behind her, a rope ladder had been lowered to a small boat waiting to take her back to her ship. The Vengeful Empress and the Goddess of Dawn maintained a safe distance, so traveling by boat was still necessary.
"You're welcome. After all, it's not like I left empty-handed… Though this trip didn't really turn out as you planned," Ethan replied casually.
"No!" Helena shook her head. "At the very least, I've realized just how weak I still am. I've decided to postpone my plans to challenge the Sea of Storms."
Ethan had already guessed that Helena intended to cross the Sea of Storms and explore the ocean beyond. Otherwise, she wouldn't have been so desperate to strengthen herself.
He hadn't expected her to abandon the idea so soon after this adventure. However, he felt it was a wise decision. A team composed entirely of women, without absolute strength, was unlikely to meet a happy ending in such dangerous waters.
"Then… I wish you success in finding your path."
"Thank you for your kind wishes."
Helena nodded and descended the rope ladder to the waiting boat.
The small vessel swayed gently as it made its way to the Vengeful Empress. Sitting at the stern, Helena looked back at the smaller Goddess of Dawn. A strange feeling washed over her as she watched it. She felt like this was the last time she would ever see Ethan in these waters.
"A good man. If only there were more of them in this ocean."
Ethan, oblivious to having been metaphorically handed a "good person card," pulled up the rope ladder. While removing his equipment, he began recounting his experience on the island to Arthur.
When Arthur heard about the battles Ethan had faced, he couldn't help but feel regret for not joining him on the island.
"You don't need to dwell on it. I have a feeling there will be plenty of battles in our future, maybe even so many that you'll grow tired of them." Ethan thought back to Wilson's final words. The mention of Beckford hinted at another potential enemy, likely a powerful one.
"But… this enemy might not have anything to do with you."
According to Ethan's plan, he would be staying in the Sea of Calm for a long time to prepare. By the time he was ready to cross the Sea of Storms, Arthur might have already returned to his world to inherit his throne.
"Don't worry," Arthur said firmly. "Before then, I'll help you grow stronger as quickly as possible."
Arthur's sincerity was clear, he was someone who meant every word he said and would always act on his promises.
"I believe you will. And I'll do my best to help you too. By the way, do you remember the conversation we had about governing and developing a nation? Did you find it helpful?"
Ethan, now in the mood for conversation, felt his earlier sleepiness fade. He decided to take the opportunity to impart more of his knowledge to the future king. After all, the idea of being respected as Arthur's mentor in his later years sounded rather appealing.
"I found it interesting, but much of it was too broad to fully grasp."
"Well, that can't be helped. The books I studied from were only rough overviews, and I didn't fully understand everything myself. Honestly, you don't need to master it all. Just find people who do and let them help you…"
***
For every 100 PS = 1 extra chapter. Support me on patreon to read 20+ advanced chapters: patreon.com/Blownleaves.