Chương 80: (B2) Chapter 7 - Riding the currents

The streets were quiet as Ethan made his way back to the train station. He was back in his armor, heading toward the meeting point he and Tomas had agreed upon. After some surprisingly fruitful meditation—which Ethan was beginning to genuinely enjoy—he had come to a realization. He had time. For the first time since regressing, he actually felt it. There was no need to rush headfirst into every problem the second it appeared. Humanity wasn't about to collapse tomorrow.

He had years before things truly spiraled out of control. Years to prepare. Years to grow stronger. Years to position himself properly instead of constantly reacting. That wasn't to say he had abandoned his original plan. Far from it. If anything, the more Ethan thought about it, the more he realized someone needed to enter Northstar and gather information. It was still the most direct route to the father.

And as far as Ethan could tell, they still weren't fully aware of him or the damage he had already caused to their plans. Sure, they probably had fragments of information. But looking back on everything carefully, Ethan realized most of the people who might have truly known about him had already been dealt with. The necromancer faction had collapsed, Katara had been captured. Most of the threads connecting Ethan to the larger picture had been severed before anyone could follow them properly.

Which made him uniquely suited to slip into the guild naturally and really see what was going on from the inside. However, he knew he wasnt the greatest option for the job. His skill sets lay elsewhere. So, he would leave it for now. The thought lingered in the back of his mind as he boarded the train and took a seat near the window. Leah was nowhere in sight, and honestly, Ethan suspected that over the coming weeks they would begin seeing less and less of each other as they both pursued their own growth.

She had agreed to join Marcus and his group for dungeon runs despite Ethan questioning it initially, but once Leah made her mind up about something, there was little point arguing. Not that Ethan was overly worried anymore. They were only running low-level dungeons, and more importantly, Leah needed this. She needed space to develop without Ethan constantly hovering nearby. She needed danger. Mistakes. Situations where he wasn't there to immediately bail her out. Ethan had finally come to terms with that.

And judging by her attitude recently, it seemed Leah had as well. Besides, after their meeting, Ethan had spent part of his meditation thinking about Tilly. The name had bothered him because it felt familiar in a way he couldn't place at first. But slowly, memories had resurfaced. Not of the woman herself, but of the stories told about her later in the trials. The Ranged Hunter. That had been her moniker.

A woman who had reached absurd heights with a bow, surpassing even the resurgence of firearms humanity briefly went through once they began manufacturing them again. In fact, it had been people like Tilly who proved guns simply weren't worth pursuing long term. Not when skills existed. Not when individuals could eventually fire arrows stronger than artillery shells. So with that certainty settling his concerns somewhat, Ethan was content to leave Leah to her own path while he focused on his own growth.

Now he sat beside a complete stranger while the train shot across Nexus at several hundred miles an hour. The woman beside him had shown absolutely no interest in conversation. When Ethan had first sat down and casually greeted her, she had ignored him entirely, her attention locked onto the book in her hands. So Ethan had sat in silence. Instead, he watched the city blur past outside the windows as the towering structures of central Nexus slowly gave way to quieter suburbs, sprawling parks, and open greenery.

It still amazed him how clean everything was. There wasn't a scrap of rubbish anywhere. The streets looked untouched despite the sheer number of people constantly moving through them. It served as another reminder that magic quietly influenced almost every aspect of life. Humanity had barely scratched the surface of what the multiverse was capable of. The train gradually began slowing as it approached the end of the line.

Out the window Ethan could finally see the edge of the floating island itself, but his attention wasn't on the cliffside. It was on the ship hanging suspended in open air beyond it. A massive sailing vessel floated calmly beside the dock, held in place by thick ropes anchored to the platform extending from the island. Crew members rushed back and forth across its deck while others prepared cargo nearby. People crowded against the barriers lining the dock, openly staring at it with wonder.

Most of them had probably never seen anything like it before. The woman beside Ethan finally lowered her book slightly and looked out the window herself, a quiet breath escaping her lips.

"Awesome, isn't it?" Ethan asked. She didn't answer. Instead, she simply lifted her book back up again. Ethan snorted quietly. Must be the armor. The train came to a stop. Ethan stood from his seat. He stepped off the train and became part of the sea of people flowing toward the docks. The station was packed, travelers moving in every direction as they prepared to depart toward the countless floating islands scattered throughout the level.

Ethan followed the crowd toward the edge of Nexus where the district had clearly adapted itself around travelers. Weapon shops, armorers, supply stores, taverns, and food stalls lined the streets, all competing for the attention of those preparing to leave the city. This tale has been unlawfully lifted from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere. Eventually Ethan spotted the bar Tomas had told him about.

It sat closest to the docks themselves, practically hanging over the edge of the island. He stepped inside. And paused for a moment. The view was ridiculous. The entire side of the building overlooked open air, giving a perfect view of floating ships drifting between islands in the distance. Vast clouds rolled beneath them while smaller islands drifted lazily far below, connected only by air traffic and magic.

Ethan stood there quietly for a moment as one of the ships finally cast off from the docks, its ropes pulling free before the vessel drifted smoothly out into open sky.

"Neat, right?" Ethan turned sharply, completely unaware someone had approached him. His eyes narrowed slightly when he spotted Tomas seated casually on a stool nearby, a mug resting in one hand as he looked out across the floating docks. Ethan had walked straight past him without even noticing. That annoyed him far more than he cared to admit. He needed [Keen Sense] upgraded sooner rather than later.

It didn't matter if he could hear someone walking in the apartment above his own when people could still slip past his awareness entirely if they were skilled enough. That was the sort of weakness that eventually got people killed.

"It's something," Ethan replied. Tomas laughed lightly.

"Ha. I thought you would've been mesmerized. Most people are the first time they see it."

"It's beautiful, don't get me wrong," Ethan said as he made his way over and sat down across from him.

"I'm just aware more than most of the danger that comes with that beauty." That earned another quiet laugh from Tomas as he looked back out toward the open air.

"Good. I thought I was going to need to give you some grand speech about not underestimating the level. Refreshing not having to explain everything constantly." He took another drink before looking back toward Ethan.

"So. You've got everything you need?" Ethan nodded, keenly aware of the necklace hidden beneath his armor.

"Yeah." He had made sure of it too. After leaving Tomas previously, Ethan had spent nearly all the silver he had left filling the storage item with essentials. Food. Rope. Spare clothing. Anything he thought might prove useful. He even had his ward, journal, and Farscribe book tucked safely away inside it now. Alongside those sat the new scimitar he had purchased, waiting for him to finally test it properly.

"When's it leaving?" Ethan asked, glancing back toward the docks where the ships floated lazily against their restraints.

"You're on the midday shuttle," Tomas replied.

"Like I told you earlier, this is a challenge dungeon. You're welcome to run it solo, but I do have teams already heading there if you'd rather join up." Ethan shrugged slightly.

"I want to test some things. Easier to do that alone." He paused briefly before adding, "But thanks for the offer. Maybe next time."

"Suit yourself." Tomas leaned back slightly.

"I'm sure I don't need to remind you it's dangerous, but try not to push too deep if things feel off. People get overconfident in challenge dungeons all the time."

"Thanks for the advice," Ethan replied dryly. Before Tomas could answer, a waitress approached carrying what looked like a freshly baked pizza balanced on one arm. His stomach betrayed him instantly. That had always been one of his weaknesses. He had grown used to eating like absolute shit over the years. Most things didn't bother him anymore. He could survive on dried meat and stale bread for weeks without complaint if he had to. But pizza? Well that was dangerous.

Tomas noticed Ethan staring the moment the food was placed down and smirked knowingly.

"Well? What're you waiting for? An invitation?" Ethan snorted quietly beneath the helm, but held back. He had already made a deal with himself that he would keep his identity hidden. At least for the immediate future.

"Right, I almost forgot." Tomas said.

"Oh well, more for me."

"Bastard," Ethan muttered. Tomas laughed loudly enough to turn a few heads around the bar as they continued discussing the trip ahead. Most of it revolved around the dungeon itself. Tomas avoided outright spoilers, but he did give Ethan some general information regarding the surrounding islands, the transport routes, and how the Broken Dawns maintained access to the challenge dungeon in the first place. By the time the meal was finished, Ethan had a far better understanding of the area he was heading toward.

As Ethan rose from his seat, five others around the bar quietly stood as well. Thankfully, after being caught off guard earlier, Ethan had focused far more heavily on his surroundings. He already knew they were there. Tomas' guards, no doubt. Even someone as powerful as Tomas apparently still needed protection while operating one of the larger guilds on the level. Together they left the bar and made their way toward the docks, flanked loosely by members of the Broken Dawns.

The floating ship waited just beyond the barricade, crew members already shouting final preparations while passengers gathered nearby. Tomas stopped near the entrance leading onto the dock.

"Well," he said, "this is where we part ways." Ethan adjusted the greatsword resting across his back slightly and nodded.

"I've got other people aboard the ship if you need help," Tomas continued.

"Just make yourself known. Though honestly, I think you'll be fine."

"Thanks for setting this up," Ethan replied.

"I won't forget it." Tomas smiled faintly before turning away.

"Try not to die then. I'll see you in a few days. If I hear anything useful from the others, I'll send it through the Farscribe." Ethan gave a final nod just as the barricade lifted and the crowd began funneling onto the dock. He fell into step with them, ticket in hand. The boarding process itself moved surprisingly quickly. Within a half hour, Ethan found himself standing aboard the massive floating vessel as the thick ropes securing it to Nexus detached one by one.

The sails shifted overhead, catching invisible currents as the ship slowly pulled away from the docks. Ethan had briefly considered waiting until tomorrow before entering the dungeon. In the end, he decided against it. There was no point delaying. No time like the present and all that. Now he stood on the viewing deck among the other passengers as the ship sailed through open air.

Most people stared outward with open fascination, taking in the impossible experience of flying through the sky aboard what was essentially a wooden sailing ship. The ship moved with surprising speed, riding the air currents in a way that genuinely made it feel like they were crossing water instead of open sky. The illusion only lasted until Ethan glanced downward and saw endless air stretching beneath them alongside dozens of smaller floating islands drifting lazily below. It shattered the illusion rather quickly.

But this was better anyway. Far better.