Sitting in the boat, Ethan began methodically checking and organizing his equipment.

  This time, he was fully armed. He wore the armor gifted to him by Charsi, the wristbands from Isendra, and the ring from Xul. The iron rod from Diablo was secured, and Merlin's Book of Inheritance rested in its familiar pce.

  A longsword y across his p, which he pnned to strap to his waist once they reached shore.

  In addition to his melee weapons, a Beretta pistol hung at his right hip, alongside a backpack filled with ammunition, emergency supplies, and other essentials. A Remington shotgun commonly referred to as a "sprayer" was strapped to the side of the backpack, easily within reach.

  Ethan was armed to the teeth. With this full array of equipment, he felt confident that no ordinary force in the Sea of Calm could pose a threat to him.

  But this time was different. The unknown nature of the isnd ahead filled him with unease. The unknown, he knew, was often far more terrifying than a known enemy.

  He had no idea what dangers awaited, whether it was hostile creatures, an intangible threat, or obstacles that couldn't simply be solved with brute force.

  All he could do was prepare thoroughly and stay vigint.

  Speaking of preparations, Ethan noticed Helena and her crew opening a hidden compartment in their boat. They pulled out a small arsenal of weapons, raising Ethan's estimation of the captain.

  Earlier, Helena had shown up without a weapon, projecting an image of trust and openness. But seeing this now, it was clear she had been prepared all along.

  No one who survived and thrived in the Sea of Calm was a naive fool. These women weren't exceptions. They had weapons at the ready, ensuring they could respond quickly to any threat, whether it came from Ethan or the isnd itself.

  With a dull thud, the boat hit the shore.

  The isnd's structure was peculiar. The water surrounding it was deep enough to allow even a rge ship to dock directly alongside the nd without running aground. For a small boat like theirs, docking was effortless.

  The moment they touched nd, Helena leapt onto the shore. The two women who had accompanied her onto the Goddess of Dawn quickly followed, while Ethan disembarked st.

  "You two row back. Don't stay here," Helena ordered the women on the boat once everyone was on shore. Her tone was firm and left no room for argument, further proof that she was aware of the isnd's abnormality.

  "But, Captain... what if you need us to come back in a hurry?" one of them asked, clearly concerned.

  The implication was obvious. What if something went wrong, and they needed to escape quickly? Without the boat nearby, how would they flee?

  "If things get bad enough that we need to flee, this boat won't save us. It'd be no faster than swimming," Helena replied curtly, waving them off. "Row back to the main ship and stay alert. Be ready to pick us up if we signal."

  Ethan silently agreed with her reasoning. Docking the boat onshore was a risk in itself. Who knew what kind of strange forces might affect it? If they came back to find the boat deteriorated or otherwise unusable, their situation would only worsen.

  This was also why Ethan had left Arthur behind on the Goddess of Dawn. Arthur could ensure the ship stayed ready and respond quickly if anything went wrong.

  Stepping onto the isnd, Ethan didn't immediately follow the others deeper innd. Instead, he paused to take in the atmosphere, quietly observing his surroundings.

  "This energy…" he muttered under his breath. "Cold. Dead. It's everywhere. Every inch of this isnd is saturated with it."

  If this had been earlier in his journey, Ethan wouldn't have even considered coming here. He would've turned his ship around and left without a second thought.

  The kind of negative energy bnketing this isnd wasn't just a passive background force, it was invasive. Certain extreme energies actively contaminated the minds of living beings, and magic users were particurly vulnerable.

  In the past, Ethan's mental power had been too weak to resist such influence. Prolonged exposure to this environment would have inevitably tainted his mind, with dangerous and irreversible consequences.

  But his time training on Paradise Isnd had changed that. After half a year of focused training, Ethan had successfully condensed his mental power. While the total quantity of his spiritual energy hadn't grown significantly, its quality had improved drastically.

  Most notably, his mental defenses were much stronger than before. He could now actively resist external intrusions, including extreme energies like this one.

  Ethan carefully condensed his mental power, ensuring it was tightly shielded to prevent the pervasive energy from seeping in. Once confident in his defenses, he decided to test how this death-den energy might affect living organisms.

  The method was simple. Ethan made a small cut on his finger, letting a drop of blood fall onto the pitch-bck soil. Then, using his mental power, he closely monitored the reaction.

  The result came swiftly, taking less than two seconds to observe. And it was far from reassuring.

  "This entire isnd is steeped in death," Ethan stated grimly. "This energy severely harms anything living, and even the dead don't remain unaffected. We can't afford to stay here for too long."

  His actions hadn't gone unnoticed. Helena and her two subordinates had been watching him closely. When he spoke, the two women exchanged skeptical gnces.

  Helena, however, stared directly into Ethan's eyes. His gaze didn't falter, and after a moment, she chose to trust his words.

  "We'll head straight for the center of the isnd," she decided. "Whether or not we find what we're looking for, we leave immediately after."

  It was the most practical pn under the circumstances. While the magic stone they were after might not necessarily be at the isnd's center, it was the most logical pce to search. A concentrated source of energy strong enough to spread across the entire isnd was likely located there. Both Helena and Ethan shared this assumption.

  "Before we move, introductions are in order," Ethan suggested. "It'd be inconvenient not to know each other's names."

  The two women nodded and introduced themselves.

  The shorter but sturdier one was named Marta. The taller one, with broader shoulders and a more angur build, was called Eliza.

  Just by looking at them, Ethan could tell they were seasoned combatants. In contrast to Helena, whose strength was evident but tempered by softer features, Marta and Eliza had physiques that made their martial prowess clear.

  All three women carried weapons and wore some form of leather armor. Their gear caught Ethan's attention, especially since armor wasn't common among adventurers in the Sea of Calm.

  Metal armor, like the light set Ethan wore, was even rarer. Falling into the water while wearing such heavy equipment could turn a life-saving measure into a death trap.

  Helena's leather armor, for example, looked like it had barely been used, likely pulled from storage as a precaution for this specific expedition.

  As for weapons, Helena wielded twin bdes strapped to her waist. Both Marta and Eliza carried rge two-handed swords.

  Each of the women also had a small pack containing food, water, and emergency supplies. Unlike Ethan, however, they carried no firearms or ammunition, likely due to their limited avaibility in this world.

  The group began their trek into the isnd's interior, moving cautiously but steadily. While they were careful not to let their guard down, they were also conscious of the fact that lingering too long could be disastrous.

  To maintain both speed and vigince, the group split responsibilities. Ethan and Helena took the lead, each focusing on a specific direction, Ethan on the left and Helena on the right. Meanwhile, Marta and Eliza watched the rear.

  For the first hour, their caution seemed unnecessary. Nothing disturbed their journey, and the eerie silence only added to the unsettling atmosphere.

  "Maybe the isnd's negative energy is so strong that it keeps other dangers at bay," Ethan specuted aloud. He didn't rex, but he allowed himself a glimmer of optimism. If the isnd was devoid of physical threats, their task would be far simpler.

  But as the thought crossed his mind, he frowned and abruptly stopped.

  "Where did the group from earlier go?" he asked suddenly.

  His words froze the group in their tracks. The question wasn't just a rhetorical observation, it was a sobering realization.

  Helena and her subordinates exchanged uneasy gnces. Up until now, they'd convinced themselves the isnd was safe. Ethan's question shattered that illusion.

  "They didn't seem like the type to cover their tracks," Ethan continued. "We should've come across some evidence of their passage—footprints, disturbed soil, something."

  "Did anyone notice any footprints or traces along the way?" Helena asked sharply.

  Everyone looked down. The isnd's soil was dark and slightly soft, enough to leave visible footprints with every step. Their own tracks were clear behind them.

  But there were no other footprints.

  Helena's brow furrowed as she tried to recall their route. "We've been following the most direct path toward the center," she muttered. "Even if their route wasn't identical, it should've overpped with ours at some point. Unless..."

  She didn't finish the sentence. The alternative was improbable, no adventurer would bypass the isnd's center unless they had an incredibly specific reason. The consensus among explorers was always to search inward before working outward. Not only did this method maximize efficiency, but it also allowed for quicker evacuation in case the isnd suddenly sank.

  "Regardless, we need to be more cautious," Helena said firmly.

  The group's vigince heightened as they pressed on. Their pace slowed, but they finally reached the center of the isnd without incident.

  Before them stood a dark cave, exuding a powerful aura of death. The air around it was colder, and the oppressive energy seemed to thicken.

  All of them shuddered involuntarily as they stared into the bck maw of the cave.