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Azure Bay.
A sprawling modern city on the southeastern edge of the continent.
Its prime location beside the Endless Ocean had turned it into the largest port city in the south.
With countless industries built around marine resources, the city had become extremely prosperous. Even across the entire continent, it ranked among the very best.
Now that the world had fully entered the information age, the momentum created by wealth and commerce had reached an astonishing level.
From one sector to the next, the growth spread outward like a rolling wave.
And tourism was one of the biggest beneficiaries.
Blue Crystal Marine Park.
It was a major tourist destination built at enormous cost by the city government to attract visitors from all across the continent.
Its vast scale, state-of-the-art facilities, and meticulous service had made it the largest and most famous marine-themed park on the continent.
Its popularity was almost unbelievable. During peak travel season, even the most basic day pass often had to be booked two months in advance.
At the moment, it was still only early spring, nowhere near the height of the summer rush.
Even so, plenty of visitors had already come to enjoy the park.
Hannah was one of them.
She had only recently graduated from college and was just beginning adult life. She had finally escaped the pressure of school, only to be confronted by a new wave of worries about work, marriage, and the future.
It left her feeling drained.
Maybe she was running from it.
Maybe she just needed to breathe.
Either way, worn down and restless, Hannah had chosen to travel alone, crossing more than half the continent to come here and clear her head.
It was the first time she had ever gone somewhere this far from home by herself.
Yet strangely, when she stepped off the plane, she did not feel the loneliness or helplessness that travel essays always loved to describe.
What she felt instead was excitement.
And freedom.
Good food. Shopping. New sights. Local culture.
Traveling alone let her move entirely at her own pace, and that freedom relaxed both her body and her mind.
The bright morning sun fell across her bare face, and a lazy sense of comfort settled deep inside her.
She narrowed her eyes, took a sip of hot coffee, and let its bitterness and warmth spread through her mouth.
"So what should I do today?"
Hannah had not planned her trip in advance. She was simply going wherever her mood took her.
If she felt like doing nothing at all, she was the type who could happily spend an entire day sprawled across the hotel bed.
"Tonight at seven, a special performance troupe from Alder Grove will appear at Blue Crystal Marine Park..."
Suddenly, the news playing on the nearby television caught her attention.
"Oh?"
"The marine park?"
A spark lit up in her eyes, and she immediately pulled out her phone and searched for information about it.
"The biggest marine park in the world?"
"Ninety-nine percent positive reviews?"
"That can't be real..."
She stared at the screen and raised her brows in surprise.
Come to think of it, she had never actually visited a marine park before.
"Then that's where I'm going today."
She made the decision immediately.
After finishing the last of her bread in a few quick bites, she tied her long hair into a neat ponytail, changed into something loose and comfortable, and headed out.
Two hours later, Hannah stood at the entrance of Blue Crystal Marine Park, eyes bright with excitement. Shielding her face from the sunlight with one hand, she rose onto her toes and peered inside.
"It really is huge..."
From where she stood, all she could see was a broad road stretching straight ahead until it vanished into the distance.
Shops of every kind lined both sides, and the air was filled with the lively sound of people coming and going.
If not for the huge crystal-carved words Blue Crystal standing before her, she might have thought she had arrived at some newly opened shopping district rather than a marine park.
Still, she was not especially surprised.
She had already looked into the details on the way over.
Compared with traditional aquariums, Blue Crystal was more like an open natural park.
Almost everything inside was designed to preserve the feel of nature in its rawest form, with very little artificial interference.
Because of that, visitors were expected to prepare things like umbrellas, trash bags, and snacks before going in.
That was why the roadside shops had been built there in the first place.
"Excuse me. Are you Hannah?"
A cautious voice spoke from beside her.
She turned and saw a young man in a yellow cap and a staff uniform marked with the park's name.
"Finally."
"Yes, that's me."
She was not confused. She already knew this was the guide assigned to her for the day.
"Sorry I'm a little late."
"I'm the guide assigned to you by the park. You can call me Aaron."
Hannah smiled and nodded.
"That's fine."
Seeing that she did not seem upset, Aaron visibly relaxed and moved straight into guide mode.
"Please follow me."
He led her past the main entrance and toward a quieter area with fewer people.
"This is...?"
Hannah stared in surprise.
Before her stood a row of small vehicles with a sleek, futuristic design.
Their silver-gray bodies were made from an unfamiliar metal-like material that reflected the sunlight with a soft glow.
Their streamlined shape looked almost like sports cars, hinting at incredible speed.
The dark glass windows revealed nothing inside.
And although they were smaller than ordinary cars, they somehow gave off a strange sense of security.
As if enjoying her surprise, Aaron smiled and began to explain
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~Support with 200 PowerStones = 1 Bonus Chapter
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