After going into the sea, I met the witch.

"You know what happened next, so I won't go into details."

"That's roughly the intelligence."

After listening to Qingling's story, Ryan frowned, his mind racing.

Saint-Ferrari underground rift... Black-robed figures... Underground labyrinth... Some kind of ritual...

The emergence of new intelligence filled in a gap in his information. Ryan knew that everything that had happened on the island recently was subtly related, but he still lacked a crucial clue to connect the events.

The only thing that can be confirmed at present is that these black-robed people are definitely not simple characters. Their eerie black spirituality makes people instinctively feel disgusted, and they have a cult-like feel to them. And these people gathered in the "St. Phile's Underground Rift Valley" can't possibly be anything good.

correct!

Suddenly, a brilliant idea struck Ryan.

According to Qingling, apart from the new entrance she accidentally discovered, the original entrance was only controlled by the Libra Holy Church and the Saint Tos royal family.

This means that the organization of the black-robed men was able to enter the "Saint-Fele Underground Rift Valley" because it must be related to the Libra Church or the royal family of Saint-Toss.

The theft of the sacred relic prevented the "divine ritual" from proceeding properly, thus making it impossible to completely seal the underground labyrinth. These black-robed figures had already arrived at the labyrinth's entrance before the "Day of Abundant Stars"...

These factors combined led Ryan to conclude that the theft of the "relic" was by no means accidental.

But what's the point of doing this?

As extraordinary forces, both the Libra Holy Church and the Saint Tos royal family act based on their own interests and cannot act arbitrarily.

The underground labyrinth has existed for so many years; if there were any real interests involved, the two supernatural forces should have acted long ago, instead of waiting until now.

Unless, some kind of "unexpected event" occurs?

"call……"

Ryan let out a long sigh. He preferred to solve the problem directly with force rather than engage in this kind of brain-teasing thinking.

Fortunately, he wasn't from the Kingdom of Saint Tos, and to be honest, he wasn't too concerned about the situation here. If things really got out of hand, he could just pack up and leave.

Tomorrow is the "Day of Abundant Stars," and the undercurrents surging beneath the surface will surely erupt then.

All he needed to do was protect himself, Freya, and Cecilia while maximizing his own gains.

Of course, to be honest, it's a bit of a stretch for him to think of doing this with his current strength; he needs to further improve his abilities.

With that thought in mind, Ryan stopped thinking about it and turned to walk out the door.

"The payment has been settled, and we are even. If you need any help in the future, feel free to contact me. Of course, you'll need to prepare payment."

"This is an abandoned village outside the city of Santos. I have cleaned away all the mess on you. You can leave on your own after you recover."

Watching Zifeng's figure disappear into the night outside the door, Qingling pursed her lips and said nothing.

However, in her heart, Zifeng seemed increasingly mysterious.

"Who exactly is he?"

The assassin couldn't help but wonder.

……

After parting ways with Qingling, Ryan took a longer route to make sure no one was following him before returning to the beach.

As soon as he returned, he saw Freya sitting on a large rock by the sea, her light blue skirt fluttering in the sea breeze.

The soft moonlight spread across the sea and also created a hazy band of light around the girl.

"What happened?" Freyne asked, her eyes filled with worry.

She knew that Ryan's purpose in going to Saint Tos City was merely to retrieve the entrusted weapon, so she wouldn't rush back just before midnight.

There must have been some twists and turns in the process.

“I did run into some trouble.” Ryan didn’t hide anything, nor did he need to. He recounted his experiences that evening to Freya.

“The man in black robes… a strange black spiritual force…” The witch frowned slightly, but quickly relaxed: “Next time I encounter these people, I’ll try to stall them and send a signal so I can go check it out.”

"Do you know who they are?" Ryan asked curiously.

“I don’t know, but your description sounds strangely familiar. Perhaps it’s mentioned in a book I’ve read before. If I could experience it myself, I might be able to recall it,” Freyne said softly.

“Alright.” Ryan nodded. “It’s getting late, Captain, you should get some rest. Tomorrow is the ‘Day of Abundant Stars,’ and who knows what big changes might happen on the island.”

“You too.” Freyne nodded, her fluffy hat swaying slightly. “…Thank you for your hard work these past few days.”

"No, I should say that you've been working hard ever since we met."

"Why bother with all this?" Ryan waved his hand casually and turned to walk towards his little cave. "Goodnight, Captain."

"Good night, sweet dreams." The girl's voice mingled with the sea breeze and spilled out in the moonlight.

Back in the cave.

Ryan saw the grilled fish, still steaming slightly, placed on a wooden stand on the ground. Because the griller's technique was still a bit clumsy, one side of the fish was slightly charred.

Is it Frey...?

Ryan smiled knowingly and picked up the grilled fish, chewing it in large bites.

...There was too much salt, and the roasting temperature was a bit too high, so it can only be said to be barely passable.

But Ryan ate with great relish.

After eating, he did some light exercise and then lay down on the stone bed.

It's past midnight, time to begin a new chapter in my travels.

……

In the heart of Santos stands a magnificent royal palace.

The carved beams and painted rafters, with their glazed tiles, reflected neon lights under the moonlight, making them exceptionally beautiful.

Inside the Princess's palace.

Princess Water Drop sat quietly in the study, with a quietly burning glass candle beside her.

She held a quill pen and wrote quietly on the desk.

In the empty study, the only sounds were the swinging of the brass grandfather clock in the corner and the soft scratching of the pen on the paper.

The windows were wide open, letting the moonlight, like water, flow in freely.

A small, jet-black cat, taking advantage of the moonlight, leaped onto the windowsill and lightly approached Princess Waterdrop's desk.

"What brings you here, little witch?"

"You hesitated?"

Princess Waterdrop stopped writing with her quill, raised her head slightly, and gazed at the visiting "little black cat" with a faint smile in her blue-gold eyes that seemed to encompass the ocean.

Perched on the desk, the little black cat raised its paw and gently licked itself. It spoke in a human voice. If Ryan could hear it, he would know that the owner of the voice was none other than the Beast Witch, Meloye, with whom he had once crossed paths.

"If I had hesitated, I wouldn't have persisted until now."

A cold voice rang out: "I just want to confirm with you one more time—is what we've done, at such a high price, really worth it?"

“Of course.” The smile in Princess Waterdrop’s eyes faded, and her expression became deep. “I am 100% confident.”

"That's good then." The little black cat gazed deeply at the stunningly beautiful woman before her, and in a daze, it seemed as if time had turned back to several months ago, when she had just arrived on the island.

……

The light and shadow vary.

When Ryan opened his eyes, he was already on a bamboo raft in the "Land of Travel".

The silvery horn, a symbol of "bravery," hung at the very top of the mast, pressing down on the bronze trophies below.

Ryan smiled slightly, walked to the campfire, and selected teleportation.

As the sparks spread, he arrived at the [Campfire Point - Gap in the Giant Tree] and, as usual, checked on the [Fire Dragon Egg].

【47:52:25】

Only about two more days until they hatch!

Ryan perked up.

The little life hatched from this fire dragon egg is no ordinary creature. Born with a Crimson Evolution, it is far superior to its parents. Its growth rate will not be inferior to that of Big Silver, and it may even surpass Big Silver.

After confirming that the [Fire Dragon Egg] was safe, Ryan teleported to [Campfire Point - Corruption Outpost].

The familiar stench of decay filled his nostrils once more. Ryan got up and left the campfire. This time, he didn't go straight for the [High-Rank Bloodclaw Dragon].

After successfully defeating the [upper-rank] unicorn and obtaining the certificate, he hasn't gone to find the "reclusive dragonman" yet.

This guy has quite a few good things on him.

Speaking of this, we have to mention the "Living Glass Bead".

This item can be added during forging to create additional special skills related to "life".

He mixed this item with the materials from the [High Rank] Unicorn Dragon and gave it to the Golden Hammer Master. He doesn't know what kind of special skills it will eventually generate.

I'm kind of looking forward to it.

Following the route he remembered, Ryan meandered through the underground caverns for some time before finally arriving near the cavern where the "Hidden Dragonman" was located.

Before even entering, Ryan spotted a "spirit deer" grazing in the grass beside the passage.

The little guy has two horns, one long and one short. The shorter one is obviously a recent growth.

"It's you?"

Ryan smiled as he recognized the little fellow who had dropped the [Spirit Deer Antler] after being startled.

Upon meeting again, the spirit deer did not flee in fear. Instead, it curiously examined Ryan, seemingly because of the deal with the reclusive dragonman, Ryan's "reputation" among the spirit deer had spread widely without his knowledge.

After patting the little guy's head, Ryan turned and walked into the cave.

The familiar tree came into view. Ryan drew the Greatsword Crimson Horn from his back, planted it in the ground, and then shouted loudly at the empty cliff face:

"I have defeated the Desert Knight and obtained the Crimson Horn, a testament to my bravery!"

"Hidden dragon, please show yourself."

After a while, as Ryan's voice boomed, the figure of the reclusive dragonman slowly emerged from the cave entrance on the cliff.

"...Hunter...it's been a long time..."