Walker Of The Worlds

Chapter 3299: The Wait For Morning

It seemed clear that he had returned directly from outside, probably after walking through the sea mist.

His sharp golden amber eyes gleamed faintly in the glow of the chandelier.

"Ah, there he is," Daoist Chu said. "Our fearless organizer has returned."

Elyon gave a small grin as he took a seat beside the table. "I have good news and bad news," he announced.

Cattaleya stretched her arms and said, "Let’s start with the bad news first. It makes the good part feel better."

Elyon nodded. "The bad news is that the Shanan Clan’s ancestral island already surfaced last month."

Lin Mu’s brows furrowed slightly. "So we are late?"

Elyon’s grin widened a little. "No. That’s actually the good news. We are not too late yet. The island has not submerged again. We still have about a week before it sinks beneath the sea."

Meng Bai blinked. "It submerges again?"

"Yes," Elyon confirmed. "That’s why the mission exists in the first place. The island only surfaces for a short period every century. The clan uses that time to perform their ancestral rites."

Daoist Chu tapped his fingers on the coral table. "So we still have a week. That’s not a lot of time, considering how far they probably are. Where exactly is the clan located?"

Elyon’s tone grew serious. "Quite far. They live on the western reaches of the Ninth Sea, almost at the edge of the world’s habitable region. To reach them, we’ll need to take a local teleportation array to one of the nearby continents first. From there, we’ll have to fly to the island where the clan lives. After that, we escort them to their ancestral land."

Lin Mu nodded thoughtfully. "How soon can we leave using the teleportation array?"

"I already checked us in," Elyon replied. "We can depart first thing in the morning."

Meng Bai tilted his head. "Why not go now? Don’t they operate at night?"

Elyon chuckled softly. "Not here. This world isn’t as wealthy or technologically advanced as some others. They can’t afford to keep their arrays running continuously. It’s not only about the immortal stones required but also the maintenance."

He leaned forward, his sharp fangs catching the light faintly. "The arrays here are old. Using them repeatedly can destabilize their structure. So they shut them down at night for maintenance and recalibration."

Lin Mu rested his chin on his hand. "I suppose they wouldn’t let outsiders help with that maintenance either? If they do, Daoist Chu and I can help fix it sooner."

Elyon shook his head. "Not a chance. Even if we had the qualifications, they wouldn’t risk letting strangers near the core formations. These people are cautious. And frankly, I can’t blame them."

Daoist Chu nodded in agreement. "Understandable. One wrong calibration and they could end up sending someone into the void."

The group shared a brief moment of quiet acknowledgment.

"Well," Lin Mu said at last, "it seems we have no choice but to wait until morning."

Since none of them felt particularly tired, they decided to stay up and enjoy the evening. The innkeeper soon brought them a meal, and to everyone’s surprise, the food was exceptional.

The dishes were made almost entirely from ingredients harvested from the sea.

There were platters of shellfish marinated in spirit vinegar, bowls of sea greens cooked with crushed coral salt, and slices of pale-blue fish that shimmered faintly with spiritual energy. Even the vegetables were sea-grown, cultivated from aquatic plants that thrived in shallow reefs.

"This is delicious," Meng Bai said with his mouth half full.

Cattaleya nodded, chewing thoughtfully. "It’s different, but good. The texture’s light, and the seasoning’s strange, but I like it."

Daoist Chu chuckled. "The salt here must have Ocean Dao traces. Everything tastes rich yet balanced."

Lin Mu smiled faintly, enjoying the quiet warmth of their group. The clinking of coral plates and the low hum of sea wind filled the silence between them.

When the meal began to settle, Lin Mu turned his attention back to Elyon. "Tell us more about this clan we’re supposed to help. The Shanhu Coral Clan, right?"

Elyon nodded. "Yes. They’re one of the oldest clans in this world. Older than most kingdoms, in fact. Some records suggest they might even predate the formation of the Nine Seas’ political system."

Daoist Chu raised a brow. "Old, but still needing escorts?"

Elyon sighed softly. "They used to be powerful. Very powerful, according to what little history remains. But over the millenniums, their influence faded. The mission file doesn’t say why. There are no records of major wars or disasters that affected them specifically."

Cattaleya tilted her chair back slightly. "So they just... weakened?"

"Apparently," Elyon replied. "The locals I asked today didn’t know much either. Their clan lives on the far side of the world. To most people here, they’re just an obscure family with a strange ancestral tradition."

Lin Mu tapped the table softly. "So we’ll have to learn more once we meet them."

"Exactly," Elyon said. "Whatever the truth is, we’ll see it for ourselves soon enough."

The group spent the next few hours talking idly.

The sound of distant waves and the rhythmic hum of the sea accompanied their conversation. Occasionally, a flying sea beast would pass near the windows, its luminous body glowing briefly before vanishing into the night.

It was peaceful here.

By the time the coral chandelier dimmed slightly, signaling the inn’s midnight hour, the group finally decided to rest. They would depart at dawn.

Lin Mu lingered a moment longer, standing by the window. The ocean stretched endlessly beneath the moonlight, silver and calm. He could feel the faint pulse of life beneath the waters — countless creatures moving through the depths, silent and unseen.

"The Nine Seas World..." he murmured softly. "There’s more to this place than meets the eye."

And with that quiet thought, Lin Mu turned away from the glowing horizon and returned to his room, ready to face whatever awaited them in the morning.