The gray waters of the Sonia Sea rolled gently beneath Adrian's small vessel.
The wind was steady, pushing the sail forward while thin mist drifted across the sea's surface.
Adrian stood quietly at the bow of the ship, watching the distant vessel he had sensed earlier.
Even from far away, he could still faintly feel the spiritual aura.
It was subtle now, but his Spirit Master senses could still detect it.
"…Definitely a Beyonder."
He leaned slightly against the railing, pretending to be an ordinary sailor while observing carefully.
The other ship was larger than his own.
Not a warship.
Probably a merchant or transport vessel.
Several figures moved across its deck, though they were too far away to clearly identify.
Adrian narrowed his eyes.
The spiritual aura he felt did not seem hostile.
But it was stronger than a normal person's presence.
Which meant someone on that ship had definitely consumed a Beyonder potion.
Adrian considered several possibilities.
"A crew member… a passenger… or maybe a guard."
In this world, Beyonders appeared in many places.
Some served noble families.
Some worked for governments.
Some wandered the world freely.
Adrian had no way of knowing which type this person was.
For now, the safest choice was distance.
He slowly adjusted the sail so his ship would pass far away from the other vessel.
The sea breeze grew slightly stronger, causing the sail to snap softly.
Minutes passed.
The two ships gradually moved closer on their separate paths.
Adrian kept his spiritual senses suppressed as much as possible.
Drawing attention would be dangerous.
Soon the other vessel became clearer through the mist.
Adrian could now see several sailors moving across the deck.
Barrels and wooden crates were stacked near the center of the ship.
A normal merchant vessel.
Then suddenly—
Adrian felt it again.
The spiritual aura.
Stronger this time.
Someone had moved closer to the edge of the other ship.
Adrian kept his expression calm but shifted his gaze slightly.
A figure stood near the railing of the distant vessel.
The person appeared to be wearing a long coat.
Even from far away, Adrian could sense the spiritual fluctuations surrounding them.
It felt stable.
Controlled.
Nothing like the chaotic ghosts he had encountered before.
Adrian quietly exhaled.
"…Definitely a Beyonder."
Fortunately, the distance between the ships remained large.
Neither vessel attempted to change course.
The two ships simply passed each other slowly across the wide ocean.
For a brief moment, the figure on the other ship seemed to glance in Adrian's direction.
Adrian looked away immediately.
He focused on adjusting the sail, pretending to be busy.
Inside, however, his mind remained alert.
After several minutes, the distance between the ships began to increase again.
The merchant vessel slowly disappeared into the gray fog of the sea.
Adrian relaxed slightly.
"…Good."
No confrontation.
No attention drawn.
Just a simple encounter.
But the meeting still left a deep impression.
Adrian leaned against the railing and looked at the empty horizon.
"This world is really full of Beyonders…"
Even out here on the open sea, far from major cities, he had already encountered one.
That meant there were probably countless more scattered throughout the world.
Secret organizations.
Hidden cults.
Government agents.
And perhaps even pirates with Beyonder powers.
Adrian crossed his arms thoughtfully.
"I need to get stronger faster."
Right now, he was only a Sequence 9 Spirit Master.
Still near the bottom of the Beyonder hierarchy.
If he encountered a hostile Beyonder, things could easily become dangerous.
Adrian glanced toward the deck where the ship's wooden boards creaked softly.
The wandering soul bound to the vessel remained quiet.
His spirit coins rested safely inside his pocket.