The silver line from Krystal's temple extended to the water, touching the surface. Everyone watched her fishing method with keen interest. Her line wiggled in the water like a worm. The ghost fishes swam towards it, and she pulled her line back in one sharp tug.
The caught fish flopped, hitting the deck as she picked it up.
Lucian extended his pointer finger to touch the fish. His finger passed through as a small spark came out of its body, making him flinch back. He stared at his finger, then at the fish, "What was that?"
"Void attack," she said, "It was trying to suck your spirit out of your body."
Lucian poked it again with his finger, and the same thing happened. Different from an astral attack that affected his physical body, this one made him feel like a part of him was being pulled out.
"..." The people on the deck stared at his repetitive poking and the fish's reaction, all wondering if their boss had lost it.
Krystal opened her mouth and brought the fish to it, biting off its head. It wasn't as gory as one would expect. The fish didn't have bones or internal organs, its body was more like a dense jelly.
She devoured the fish in ten bites, then moved to the edge again, and cast her line in the water. The way she walked was also interesting, making one wonder what her insides were made of.
She somehow succeeded in causing everyone to keep their distance. It was a talent, Lucian thought.
"How do they taste?"
"Like life," Krystal answered, her eyes on the ripples of the water.
She seemed alright despite suffering heavy injuries from her buyer. She could shut down, ignore pain, and even stop herself from feeling any emotion that might negatively affect her.
'Isn't that Celine's ability?'
Celine could numb her emotions and think clearly during tense moments, but she couldn't turn off her sensations.
They traveled further into the Varia waters, until they reached a coast at the dawn of the next day.
There were no trees on this part of the continent. The land was barren, with strange rocks jutting out of the ground.
The rocks had a teal hue to them, which made the whole landscape look otherworldly. Aurora-like lights danced on the horizon, shifting colors from green to tael, and upon closer look, it seemed like the lights were coming from the ground and not the sky.
The crew lowered the anchor, and the row boats were prepared for landing.
Lucian, Krystal, Penny, and Goblin descended first, their feet crunching on the rocky ground.
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Krystal knelt after an hour of walking, placing her hand on the ground. It took a moment before she stood up again, "The land is sick. It has never been like this."
"Is there a reason?" Lucian asked, gazing at the auroras.
"It's filled with remnants of a large battle," Krystal said, her eyes on the ground, "To heal is to regain what's lost. The Queen's gone missing, and the land feels her loss. We have no one to lead us to recovery."
Lucian glanced at Goblin. Had the queen reincarnated into someone else? His theory was getting more plausible by the second. Krystal left the Varia land in search of her, after all.
"What was the Queen like?" Lucian asked, so he could narrow down the candidates.
"Healing, motherly, protective," Krystal answered, walking ahead of them, "Her touch could bring life to the dead..."
'Could it be the heroine?'
"...and her wrath could end the world." Krystal finished.
'Or my wife?'
Lucian took off his gloves and touched the ground. The feeling of nothingness hit him immediately. He withdrew his hand, and put the glove back on. The whole land was a giant void that could consume his spirit.
They walked further inland, and a Varia village came into view. There were no guards or fences protecting the village, as if the danger of the outside world did not affect them. The houses had otherworldly shapes, like they were built from crushed irredesence pearls.
"Are the Varia people fine with foreigners in their territory?" Lucian asked, keeping an eye on the surroundings.
"Peace is encouraged, as one never knows when you will need help from strangers," Krystal said, her eyes still on the ground, "Their spirits can be used as fertilizer."
Lucian stopped, and so did everyone else. "What?"
Krystal turned around as hundreds of people walked towards them from the village. Their clothes were made out of a strange material. Flowy, with a shimmering effect. They looked similar to Krystal, pale skin and dark hair, pale eyes, and sharp features.
"Boss... they are coming closer," Goblin whispered, his hand on the hilt of his machete.
Lucian stopped Goblin from drawing his weapon, "Don't."
The Varia villagers stopped a few feet, the spheres around them were visible to the naked eye. Each had at least eight spheres floating around them, making Lucian re-evaluate his assumption about the Varia's power level.
They were all eight ranked warriors. Which meant this was a village of elites...and they were surrounded by them.
Lucian smiled, a sweat drop rolling down his forehead.
"You never learn, do you?" Penny snorted, shaking her head at him, "What were you expecting?"
"A warm welcome for saving one of their own," Lucian said, keeping his smile impact, "Ash taught me to expect the unexpected."
"..." Penny's puzzled look made Lucian want to laugh.
It was never easy to step foot in a foreign land, and Lucian had made a habit of it.
One of the Varia villagers stepped forward, his voice as androgynous as Krystal's, "Where's the Queen? Why have you brought a stranger to our land, Krystal?"
"He is not a stranger. He is ..." Krystal looked at Lucian, as if searching for the right word, "...I sense Corrupted Immortal's spirit in him."
At the mention of 'Corrupted Immortal', the spheres flared brightly as they took on images of ferocious monsters, some even with humanoid forms. The sight was terrifying, and Penny tensed, ready to bolt out of there.
"The cause of the Queen's downfall," one of the villagers hissed, his eight spheres taking on shapes of eagles, flying around him. They propelled him up, and he hovered above the ground, weaving the string from his forehead into a bow, "Shall be sealed in eternal damnation! For the crimes committed against our people!"
The spheres shot towards Lucian at an incredible speed, faster than any physical bow Lucian had seen. He threw himself behind a rock, and the arrows crashed into it, shattering it into pieces.
More and more animal spirits appeared, bears, wolves, snakes, mooses, and even human spirits. Armed with long staffs and bows. They all swarmed towards Lucian at once.