Chapter 15. Explorers

Chapter 15. Explorers

"Thank you, I'll visit when I have time," Charles replied. However, as soon as he finished speaking, his expression turned sour. It had nothing to do with Elizabeth, but rather, the auditory hallucinations in his ears started ringing again.

Charles' expression contorted as he started hitting his forehead with his wrist. Each strike landed heavier than the last.

Elizabeth immediately noticed Charles' distress, and her eyes widened in surprise. "My dear Adonis, how long has it been since you had a rest?"

She reached into her chest and pulled out a green jelly-like substance, handing it over. "Eat this quickly; it can provide relief."

Charles hesitated for a moment as he looked into her eyes. He ultimately accepted the offering and swallowed it in one gulp.

A cool sensation slid down his throat, and while the murmurs in his ears remained, the irritability began to dissipate.

"Thank you, what is this?" Charles looked at Elizabeth with a much friendlier gaze.

Elizabeth let out a light chuckle. "You're welcome. I don't know what it is exactly, but I know it can alleviate the whispers of the Fhtagn god. If you need more, you can dig some from Redwood Island. Just don't consume too much; you might get addicted."

Redwood Island... Charles silently noted the new location in his mind.

The muscular man with bulging muscles from before appeared behind them without notice. He patted Charles on the right shoulder and said, "Newcomer, if the whispers of the Fhtagn god are already affecting you so much, you should have a good rest." Emerging from n0v@lbin☆, this material harbors clandestine details.

Most of Charles' guard was now gone. Although he didn't know why, he could sense the goodwill from these people. It had been a long time since he had felt such obvious kindness.

Elizabeth glanced at the staff who was still busy with the machinery. She then grabbed Charles and headed toward a nearby sofa. "Come with me; I'll tell you some things that most people don't know."

Charles was about to refuse, but the burly man wrapped his arm around Charles' shoulder and guided him forward.

"Don't be shy. As the saying goes, if you want to survive at sea, you have to make more friends," the burly man chuckled.

"If you're asking about that legendary folk song, I've heard it before. It goes something like, 'Nestled on the island in the north~ A stairway to the light, shining forth~ Eternal brilliance and...' something. Hmm, I'm sorry, I forgot the rest of the lyrics."

"That a thing of the legends. How could we possibly know about it when we are not gods."

"Mr. Newcomer, you sure have a sense of humor."

A tinge of disappointment crossed Charles' face. He had hoped that these seasoned Explorers would have some clues, but it seemed that the human inhabitants of this subterranean sea had been separated from their true homeland for far too long. Their once familiar origins had transformed into distant legends.

While everyone continued their discussions, a woman behind the counter approached with a stack of books in her hands.

With a smile, she said, "Mr. Charles, you are now a qualified Explorer. Please keep this certificate as proof. Now, let me introduce you to the details of your mission."

She opened the books in her hands. They revealed pages filled with dense text and intricate sea charts.

"For any exploration task you undertake, the Association will reimburse you for provisions, fuel, and other necessary supplies. The rewards vary based on the level of danger in each uncharted region."

Charles accepted the sea charts and carefully examined them. Along the edges of the explored areas, the uncharted dark regions were divided into several smaller sections with white lines, resembling slices of a cake. Each section was marked with a corresponding reward amount.

To Charles' surprise, scattered islands within the unexplored seas were also marked, including the island with the golden statue that he had previously visited.

A fair hand reached over and pointed at the sea, and Elizabeth's seductive and magnetic voice resonated in his ear. "Charles, as a newcomer, I advise you to spend a few years exploring the seas. Get familiar with the environment first before venturing to the islands"

Although her advice had some truth to it, Charles had a different perspective. He pointed at that golden statue island and asked, "What does this number mean?"

The island was marked with a vivid red number '4'.

The chubby man next to him chimed in, "That's the danger level. Newly discovered islands have a default danger level of 0, but every time an explorer fails to return, the danger level increases by 1. For a Level 4 island like this, it's best for a newcomer like you to stay away. Spend a couple of years exploring the sea first."

Elizabeth glanced at him and whispered into Charles' ear, "Ignore him. I think you have great potential. You can probably explore this island within a year, at most."

"I have been to this island," Charles commented nonchalantly. The room fell silent, and everyone stared wide-eyed at the young man standing before them.