816: Mere Merchant
What was the meaning of this? Why did the statue crumble before him? Karyk couldn't shake the feeling that he had missed something. It was as if that statue had a trace of a will that didn't want to be touched by him.
As he stepped out of the dilapidated temple, the shaking ceased, leaving behind a trail of destruction. The island was now engulfed in an eerie silence, broken only by the sound of crashing waves against the rocky shore.
Karyk knew that he couldn't stay on this desolate island forever. The only thing on this barren Island was the temple and even that was destroyed now.
"I wonder where in Elzeria am I?" he muttered, walking back to the shore.
He needed to find his way back to Elzeria, back to the land about which he wanted to know more. But how to navigate through the territory, he wasn't sure.
Gazing out at the vast sea that surrounded him, Karyk felt trouble brewing. He could fly away from this island, but he wasn't sure how far away Elzeria was. In a world where elements were scarce, wasting his strength without even knowing the right direction or the distance felt like a headache.
He wondered if he should go back to the Central World and find another portal to enter Elzeria from. However in the end, he dropped the idea as he noticed that the Spatial passage back had already closed.
With the Spatial turmoil, the location of the tunnel kept changing. He wasn't even sure where it was connecting to right now.
"Just my luck."
With no other choice, he could only see one option. That was to guess a random direction to fly and hope for the best.
As he prepared to leave, he changed his physical characteristics. The first thing he changed was to change his eye color so none could recognise him as an outsider. Next, he wore a mask that only revealed his eyes and nothing else.
As for physical characteristics, he didn't change much since Elzerians looked mostly identical to humans when it came to physicality.
Once prepared, he started rising in the air and chose a direction in which the statue had been facing before being destroyed. Although he didn't know where the mainland was, he had a feeling that if the people of the mainland had created this statue, they would've made it back towards them.
Although it was just a theory, this was the only thing he had at the moment.
With each passing moment, Karyk's uncertainty grew. The wind whipped against his face as he soared through the sky, his mind racing with countless questions. What awaited him in Elzeria? Why did the statue crumble before him? And most importantly, what was the meaning behind it all?
As he ventured deeper into the vast expanse of the ocean, Karyk couldn't help but feel a sense of familiarity.
The waves crashed below him, their relentless power a stark reminder of the dangers of the sea.
Days turned into nights, and nights into days, as Karyk continued his journey. The sun beat down upon him, its rays casting a warm glow on the endless horizon. He flew tirelessly, his determination unwavering. Despite flying straight for seven days, Karyk hadn't noticed any signs of land.
Let alone the mainland, he hadn't even seen any other small island where he could wait and rest. Just as he was starting to wonder if he chose the wrong direction, he noticed something in the distance.
Even with his gaze, he could barely see clearly. However, far away from him, he saw something that looked like a ship, floating on the water.
As he moved further, he noticed that it wasn't just one ship. Instead, there was an entire fleet
The fleet had surrounded what appeared like a bigger ship, making them appear like pirates.
Karyk's curiosity piqued as he watched the scene unfold before him. Pirates were a rare sight, even in his own world. However, he hadn't expected to find pirates even in this place.
Pirates known for their ruthless nature and thirst for treasure were a regular sight in lower worlds, but to find them here was surprising.
However, it also made him happy. For there to be ships in this place, it meant he wasn't far from the land. An even more important thing was that he now had someone that could give him the right directions and more information about this world.
Aliac had given him something that he could use to inform Aliac's informant near the forest area. Unfortunately, that method was useless since he wasn't anywhere near the forest. He could only rely on these people.
Even if there were helpers of Aliac in this world, Karyk couldn't trust them.
Hesitant but intrigued, Karyk approached the fleet cautiously, keeping his distance so as not to arouse suspicion. As he got closer, he noticed the distinct markings of rising waves on the ships, indicating their group.
Karyk simply observed the battles, trying to understand the entire situation.
The ship that had been surrounded by the Pirate Ships was much larger and looked very expensive. However, it also looked to be the most damaged, clearly affected by the previous battles.
On the deck of the Main Ship, a group of people dressed in luxurious attire stood, surrounded by the Pirates who were already on the ship.
"Good decision! If you had chosen to fight further, you would've been dead by now!" The Pirate Captain laughed, clapping the leader of the group on the shoulder. "I like wise people who know when to surrender!"
"Now tell me, where is it?" he further asked.
"Where is what?" The well dressed man asked in return, revealing his confusion.
"Don't test my patience!" the Pirate Captain frowned, his sword moving closer to the man's throat, almost cutting it. "Do you think we don't know what you people were transporting to the mainland? Tell me where you're hiding it."
"I have no idea what you're talking about. We are mere merchants, carrying ordinary goods."
