After dealing with all the beasts, Mira had reached her peak condition after breaking through. However, she still wasn't close to the 3rd Stage of the Soul Transformation Realm.
The amount of Qi needed had increased exponentially. She also had to have more insights into her soul, experience with her Dao, and an understanding of her strength.
The Soul Transformation Realm wasn't something she could rush through.
'But, getting into more high-intensity fights should help expedite that process.' Mira speculated as she returned to her room, where everyone was waiting for her.
***
The weeks passed by incredibly slowly yet monotonously.
Every day was the same. They were attacked endlessly, whether it be by storms, the ocean, or beasts.
It seemed as if everything was out to get them.
The boat had also taken significant damage during this time despite everyone's best efforts. The crew was doing their best to deal with the situation, but there was only so much they could do when a new problem arose every few hours.
To make matters worse, they haven't even made it past the second checkpoint, the Maelstrom of Shadows!
Things were so bad that the usual professional crew was starting to talk.
"We been on these waters for almost two months and ain't even halfway yet!"
"Oh, cry me a river, Dan. That just how it be on the sea."
"No it ain't dumbass! We been attacked around the clock, nonstop! What's normal about that?!"
"..."
"Damn right! I'm sick and tired of having to patch holes! At this rate, we're likely to sink before we even reach the Northern Gulf!"
"So what? We got paid. Now we have a job to do. Get over it."
"Yeah, well, the money ain't worth it. We put our lives on the line enough times already to last us a dozen trips! I think we should be compensated for our troubles!"
"Yeah!"
"Yeah! Captain! Go ask that wench for more money!"
"We 'ave families to feed too, ya know?!"
Captain Jorvik watched as all his crewmates turned toward him and couldn't help but pinch his nose. Right now, he was really wishing that sailors weren't so stupid.
However, if he were being honest, he felt the same way.
'At this rate, I'll be out of a job and a boat by the time we reach the Northern Continent!' He inwardly exclaimed as he covered the ship in his Soul Sense.
Like the crew said, there were patched-up holes everywhere. Their Spirit Stone supplies for their Qi canons were starting to run low, an amount that should've lasted them a few years.
The ballista bolts were in need of repairs as they were starting to lose their edge, and the barriers, arrays, and formations had taken quite the beating.
The cost of repairs, after everything's said and done, will cost a fortune.
'Haaa… I knew I should've retired.' Jorvik sighed. 'After this, I'm going to find a nice place to settle down, marry a good wife, have a few kids, and force them to make some grandkids.'
Just as he stopped reminiscing about his future and was about to talk to his crew, the worst situation happened.
Mira had appeared on deck.
Everyone fell silent and stared at her wide-eyed, wondering what this demonic woman was going to do. The guy who called her a "wench" was shaking in his boots.
Fortunately, Mira was too lazy to deal with a bunch of weaklings and instead dropped a spatial ring on the ground.
"This should be enough to cover the losses." She said, then disappeared like she was never there.
Captain Jorvik reached out and sucked it up into his hand, sending his Soul Sense into it.
"Holy-!" His eyes nearly bulged out of their sockets at the amount of wealth he received.
Mountains of Spirit Stones of almost all grades, all kinds of different herbs, fruits, and plants, most of which he couldn't recognize, and most importantly, hundreds of stacks of wood.
Not just any wood, either, but the remains of Mystic-Grade trees. He'd need to process them and turn them into planks, but it was enough to build him another boat, much less repair his current one!
"Back to work, lads! Yer yearly bonus'll be enough for you to retire!" He shouted to his crew.
"WOOO!"
"GO CAPTAIN!"
"I knew that chick was rich!"
Captain Jorvik turned around and continued to steer the ship. However, now, there was a slight smile on his face that wasn't there before.
Truly, with power and riches, one can do almost anything…
***
Another long week went by, but now the crew wasn't so annoyed at being attacked 24/7.
That is, until they reached a wall of darkness that stretched as far as the eye could see. The Northern Gale slowed to a cautious pace as it approached the ominous barrier.
Captain Jorvik called Mira and her companions up to the deck, and explained to them more about the Maelstrom of Shadows.
"This," he said, gesturing towards the swirling mass, "is the Maelstrom of Shadows. It's a natural phenomenon, but there ain't nothing natural about what it does."
Mira observed the wall of darkness, her eyes narrowing as she tried to penetrate its depths with her senses. "What's inside?" she asked.
"It's a vortex of sorts," Jorvik explained. "A massive whirlpool that pulls everything into it. Not sure where it comes from or where it goes, but that's not the worst part. Inside, it's said there are creatures that have never seen the light of day, horrors that lurk in the depths, waiting for travelers."
Dominique and Hana exchanged a look and couldn't help but feel a sense of morbid curiosity. While Linnea grew worried.
"We need to navigate through it," Jorvik continued, his gaze returning to the maelstrom. "There's a path, a safe route that I've traversed before. But it's narrow, and one hard nudge could send us spiraling into the abyss. Ain't no way to return after that."
Mira stepped forward, her posture confident. "Then let's not make any wrong moves."
A tick mark formed on Jorvik's head, but he nodded nonetheless. He returned to the helm, taking control of the ship with a steady hand.
As the Northern Gale entered the Maelstrom of Shadows, a heavy darkness enveloped the ship. Visibility dropped to nearly zero, the only light coming from the bioluminescent creatures that occasionally zipped by in the water.
The atmosphere on deck was tense, the crew moving quietly, their eyes straining to see through the gloom. Mira stood at the bow, her senses alert, ready to react to any threat.
The ship moved slowly, navigating through the darkness with painstaking care. The silence was oppressive, broken only by the occasional creak of the ship or the distant, eerie calls of unknown creatures.
Suddenly, a massive shape loomed out of the darkness, its eyes gleaming with a dim glow. It was a creature from the deep, its body covered in scales and spikes, its mouth filled with rows of razor-sharp teeth.
The crew reacted instantly, firing ballistae and Qi cannons at the beast. But it was swift, dodging the attacks without much issue.
Mira took out her scythe and leaped into action, but just as she swung, expecting to meet some resistance, all she met was air.
Sensing danger, she turned around and attacked again, but the creature swatted her in the back of the head, sending her spiraling toward the ship.
'Tch. What the hell is that thing?' Mira wondered as she got back into position. 'I can't feel its strength nor its presence. It feels like it's part of whatever this natural phenomenon is, yet at the same time, separate.'
Seeing it appear above the ship, preparing to attack it, Mira clicked her tongue and shot upwards to interrupt it.
'Whatever. Doesn't matter. I just need to hold it back long enough for us to leave.'
While she was facing the unknown creature, Elenei and Rhydian were also facing their own battles, yet having similar troubles. Fortunately, their eyesight and senses were top-notch, allowing them to partially navigate this darkness, unlike the rest of the crew, save for Jorvik.
The creature Mira faced was unlike any she had encountered before. It moved like a ghost, its form blurring in and out of visibility. Every strike she made seemed to pass right through it as if it was more a wraith than a beast of flesh and blood.
Elenei and Rhydian, too, met the same problem.
Below them, the crew of the Northern Gale was struggling. In the absence of visible threats, they focused on keeping the ship steady, following Jorvik's shouted commands. The old sailor's instincts and experience were the only things guiding them through this incomprehensible void.
"Port side, two degrees!" Jorvik barked, his hands gripping the wheel with white-knuckled intensity. "Keep her steady! We're almost through!"
Meanwhile, Mira switched tactics. She closed her eyes, reaching out with her senses, trying to feel the creature's Qi instead of seeing it. Slowly, she began to discern a faint outline, a ripple in the air where the beast moved.
With an annoyed grunt, she swung her scythe at the ripple, and this time it connected. The creature let out a ghastly shriek, its form becoming momentarily solid before dissipating into the darkness.
Elenei and Rhydian, taking cues from Mira, also adjusted their approach. They honed in on the subtle disturbances their foes created in the Qi around them. Gradually, they began to land hits, with each strike bringing them closer to driving the shadowy creatures away.
As the battle raged on, the Northern Gale edged closer to the end of the Maelstrom of Shadows. The darkness began to lighten, the oppressive black turning to a deep grey.
With a final, concerted effort, Mira, Elenei, and Rhydian unleashed a flurry of attacks. Almost as if they deemed it not worth the effort, the shadow creatures retreated back into the depths of the maelstrom, their eerie howls fading into silence.
With that, the light of day shone on the boat once again as they successfully passed the second checkpoint on this trip.
