✦ Chapter 40 – A Day on the Back of a Beast
The sound of slow, heavy steps against the ink sea had a hypnotic rhythm to it.
Puff moved lazily, his massive body swaying with each step like a living mountain. The air was oddly still. Time felt suspended.
Jio sat in silence, legs crossed, watching the ink sea roll gently below them. Havella rested with her hands behind her head, eyes closed but very much awake. Vexi, on the other hand, had not stopped moving. She kept walking back and forth along Puff's back, trying to stay busy—boredom clearly gnawing at her.
"How long's this gonna take again?" she finally asked, breaking the silence.
Laei, perched at the front like always, looked back over her shoulder. Her voice was calm, almost cheerful. "About a day. Give or take."
"A day?" Vexi groaned. "We're just gonna sit on a giant walking cloud for a full day?"
"Well," Laei tilted her head slightly. "You could jump off if you want. The sea might like you."
Vexi blinked. "...Right. Never mind."
A short laugh came from Havella.
Then Laei continued, "You should be proud, though. You passed the first test quickly. That's not normal."
"What do you mean?" Havella asked.
"You reached the end of the first realm. That means you passed the First Fairie's Trial," Laei said plainly. "Usually, people take years. Or they don't leave at all."
Vexi raised an eyebrow. "So we're ahead of the curve?"
"You could say that."
Jio looked over. "And the next realm?"
That's when Laei's smile faded slightly. She turned to face them fully, sitting down cross-legged.
"The second realm is different," she said softly. "Not a place of tombs or ancient tribes like the first. It's made of… layered realities. Stacked and warped. Like a deck of cards shuffled by chaos."
She paused before adding, "The realm of devils."
Vexi immediately frowned. "Devils? You serious?"
Laei nodded. "Dead serious. Robbery, betrayal, murder. Even worse things happen there."
Havella stiffened slightly. "And this is allowed?"
Laei nodded again. "The Second Fairie chose it. She voted to let power be shared freely—to whoever could take it."
"She voted for that?" Vexi asked, voice tight.
"Yeah," Laei said, almost with a nostalgic smile. "She looked like an airhead. All soft smiles and floating thoughts. But she handed the balance of an entire realm to devils like she was giving away sweets."
Jio stayed silent, his gaze distant.
Havella shook her head slowly. "And she's a Fairie?"
Laei's voice was steady. "A Fairie, yes. But each one rules their realm their way. This one? It's chaos. Everything runs on survival and raw cunning. If you're weak… you're food."
That silenced them.
Then, Laei continued, "That's why physical training alone won't save you anymore."
She looked at each of them.
"You need to learn more. About each other. About how your powers interact. That's how you'll survive. In this realm, knowledge isn't just power—it's protection."
Vexi crossed her arms. "That's the system?"
"For you, yes," Laei said. "The deeper your understanding, the stronger your synchronization. You'll need that. Not every enemy can be punched. Some… break you before the fight even begins."
Havella leaned back again, this time more thoughtful than relaxed.
Vexi sat down with a sigh, staring up at the endless sky above the Ink Sea. "So no rest, huh?"
Laei grinned. "You're resting right now. This is probably the safest moment you'll have for a while."
Jio looked down at the sea again, then up toward the horizon. The quiet was heavy—but none of them felt sleepy.
Not anymore.
The next realm was waiting.
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End of Chapter 40
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