Meredith’s hand was still in a plaster cast, hanging around her neck as she stood by the ship’s railing, gazing dreamily at the waves below.
The East South Sea Domain was in eternal spring, far warmer than Aran could ever be.
She wore only light clothing, so magnificent that the third button of her shirt could barely stay fastened. In the humid weather, her sweat made the shirt slightly transparent, revealing the black bra underneath.
The deck was full of pirates, all dumbstruck by the sight, some already starting to set up camp. If it weren’t for the fact that she could swing a hundred-pound axe and use arcane magic, they would have been overwhelmed and knocked over like bowling pins.
Meredith paid no mind to their stares. ʀᴇᴀᴅ ʟᴀᴛᴇsᴛ ᴄʜᴀᴘᴛᴇʀs ᴀᴛ novｅlfire.net
In just over a week, she would see Goria, before the end of the year.
A smile involuntarily spread across her face.
Due to the inconvenience of bathing at sea, Lu stood by her ear, helping her tidy her somewhat messy hair.
She had rushed back in a frantic escape, and her injuries had not healed well; it wasn’t until she was on the ship that she could truly rest.
Gawain, leaning on his crutches, was searching the ship for his brother, trying to prevent him from mingling and playing cards with the pirates.
"I just saw Liszt go down there; he’s already entered the door."
Rein also had bandages around his chest and was smoking, preparing for a special operation.
The second round of the kidney sorrow war was about to begin.
"Damn it, it’s too sneaky, running away while the guys are playing cards. We have to break in."
Mika’s face twisted in frustration; recently, he had been busy tending to the injured crew and applying plaster casts to those with fractures, leaving no time to focus on anything else.
Meredith was tough as nails; no one could move her until her moral integrity was broken.
"Damn, has Mo Yutong fallen victim just like that?"
Shadi, too, had his hand in plaster, extinguished his cigarette single-handedly, wishing for a more intellectual figure to spice things up. The harem group, though each was high-quality, lacked highly educated members.
Meredith was speechless; her "Jeda" had long sensed it—the intermediary brought back from the train was also an insider.
In this circle, there was an ecosystem.
At the top of this ecosystem was the smart, long-haired T.
However, Meredith’s thoughts were solely on Goria; although they hadn’t had a clergy-sanctioned wedding, they had lived together for nearly half a year and were truly husband and wife.
"You guys have no chance."
Meredith revealed the truth to the group; when these pirates had nothing else to do, they all acted like fools.
Lu, by her ear, saw nothing strange about it; there were too many female adventurers.
After all, straight women were influenced by traditional concepts; they wouldn’t come out to live life-threatening lives if they could find a man to take care of them, and even get free services.
Upon hearing this, the three men all scowled. Damn it, they had stirred up a hornet’s nest in their female contacts list.
Claude, acting as the responsible boatswain despite his injuries, had almost single-handedly cleared two train carriages of Magic Puppets and was now mostly recovered.
He didn’t know whether to follow Liszt’s suggestion for a lavish wedding celebration or to keep things simple; it was a special period. Although money was available, to settle and live securely, one needed to rise to the top, otherwise it was hard to ensure safety, making it a difficult decision.
"Girl, big brother has something to tell you, brace yourself."
Rein figured they were nearing Heaven Port and needed to give her a heads up, having shared life and death experiences together; once they reached the island, it might turn into a White Album situation, which nobody wanted.
Meredith’s expression turned grave. Could it be that something had happened to Goria?
She turned around, her tone serious.
"Goria has gotten together with another woman, it’s been over two months now."
Rein revealed the truth directly, wondering how Liszt would cope during the New Year—a complete chaotic scene, a tangled mess, leaving everyone flustered.
"Well done, good job."
Mika had already seen Hell.
Inside Mo Yutong’s room.
She didn’t have anything to hide; after all, she hadn’t done anything guilt-inducing. "If you think there are flaws or vulnerabilities, feel free to look."
Mo Yutong didn’t have the good fortune or judgment of Sharon, who toughly decided not to abandon a powerful female sand bandit.
After dispersing from the big prison, she was alone for a long time, unable to communicate and without anyone to rely on.
On her smuggled journey from the Northern Realm to the Western Continent, disaster struck predictably, encountering ill-intentioned fiends.
The Northern Realm was vast, extending far beyond just the big prison.
It housed locals and Beastmen; legends told of untouchable forbidden zones further in the Extreme North, where an ancient mysterious nation still existed.
Eighteen hundred years ago, a great plague erupted, and with the existence of the Miracle of Suffering, the world entered its darkest and most despairing century.
People had given up on this world, hoping to create an isolated place to shelter survivors unaffected by plague or the miracle.
An unnamed mysterious woman, drawing inspiration from her homeland, sketched a vast oil painting depicting that world.
This vast oil painting, harboring a world within, was rumored to be located in a castle in the Extreme North.
In that secluded area, an ideal world existed.
Countless enthusiastic and idealistic historians and explorers risked their lives to reach it, but all vanished without a trace.
Mo Yutong continued, explaining that she was rescued from those thugs by an Honorable-level Adventure Group heading towards the Extreme North forbidden zone.
They were all fervent warriors; not only did they save her, but since she couldn’t speak the language, one of the members took her to the Western Continent and taught her how to speak.
And with Mo Yutong’s linguistic talent, mastering eleven languages, it took just over a month for her everyday conversation to flow smoothly.
But the situation quickly deteriorated again.
The organization known as Miracle of Suffering was also after this world within the painting, seemingly possessing something vital to them, while also eliminating competitors—no one else could reach it before them.
This was the secret Mo Yutong knew; most of those seeking the world within the painting were intercepted and killed by the Miracle of Suffering on the way.
Even in their homeland, the Miracle of Suffering covertly obliterated anyone attempting to reach the world within the painting.
Mo Yutong and the team member who escorted her were targeted; the team member brutally murdered, while she, due to her inexplicable uniqueness, was chosen as the Holy Daughter, merely a vessel.
She was reluctant to mention this period; her account was brief and hurried.
Two years later, she escaped.
"After that, you know the rest. Mu Ran was hunting our classmates; I was found too, but he didn’t kill me. He turned me, William, and those two you killed into allies. Once you reach our destination, you could write to Pedan and see if my story checks out."
Mo Yutong backed away, shrinking into the corner of the bed, terrified that Liszt’s beastly nature might emerge as he drew closer and closer, nearly reaching the bed, staring intently.
Meanwhile, Liszt found the story damn interesting—about the singer, about the world within the painting; he was clueless about it.
Later, he’d need to ask Fen; that top scholar knew a lot.
"Those people? The Honorable-level Adventure Group, has there been any news of their return?"
Liszt pondered; if this painted world truly existed, wouldn’t it make a perfect base? An incredibly improbable one—akin to a mobile fortress, harboring the painting on his person, endlessly deploying troops by millions, no logistics to consider, a complete ecological chain within it.
It was equivalent to ascending the realm of the Primordial Saint, the universe flowing within him.
With a mere thought, the Heavenly Dao would shift, infinite and boundless, creating or destroying, merging or scattering, invincible and free from causality, existing beyond the material world.
What could possibly resist him, then?
Even those of Sacrificial Tao Realm would shatter like fools.
Explode with a single punch!