The day was here. Departure.
Jack was completely invisible. Floating above. He watched the twenty-two people milling about the Calmcoast docks. Twenty-two characters heading into the unknown. Each with their own goals.
He floated closer. His spectral senses were ready. It was time to size up the players.
He activated his [System Sight Mode: Aura Detection]. The world shimmered. He could now see the aura of the people there.
Each person radiating a unique glow. Most were pale yellow. The color of ordinary humans. Much weaker than him.
But seven actually blazed with a stronger glow. Darker yellow to reddish orange. Similar to stronger energy level compared to him. The mark of the touched. The transcendent beings.
None of them was registered as red though. The 'extremely dangerous' sign on his internal threat meter. It was good. He wasn't looking for a goddamn boss fight right now.
First, the obvious two. Amaranth White and Lucca Rowmore. Their auras pulsed with raw, untamed energy. Primal Sorcerers, alright. Jack had already known their necessary information.
He scanned the others. Focusing his senses. And retrieving knowledge from his mental archives. He had been learning a lot in Ironpile Town, after all. Mystic Arts, especially.
And now, he felt the same vibe with what he had learned. The old professor, Dr. Nathanael Crafton, was glowing with that subtle, familiar patterns. A fellow Mystic Scholar. No doubt.
And nearby, there was his young student, Chloe Chase. The vibe of her aura mirrored the professor's. Though fainter. Less refined. Mystic Scholar Apprentice, probably.
Jack shifted his attention to one of the armed guards, Uthred Payton. He stood stiffly near the gangplank. He was using a kind of artifact to hide the features of his aura. But the artifact was not that good.
It didn't work for Jack, at least. He could still sense the taste of Faith Force from him. Not a disgusting one like those from the Cult of Purity. Or the strict and unforgiving one like those from the Church of Justice.
His aura was a little similar to the latter though. This guy should be a Divine Acolyte. Either from the Church of Redemption or the Church of Prosperity.
Leon Drake was a different story. The self-proclaimed treasure-hunting archeologist was a master of concealment. His aura was subtle. Expertly veiled.
Jack could tell he was powerful. But the source of his power remained a mystery. This Drake guy was truly good at hiding his power.
And then there was Jasmine Moonlake. The plump, unassuming cook. From the color of the aura, she was the strongest here. But, she also concealed the source of her power.
Her way of concealing the aura was crude and bizarre. It wasn't like Leon Drake's subtle concealment. But it worked. In Jack's senses, her power was a mess. Something too tangled to be identified.
Just to be sure, Jack changed his vision mode into [System Sight Mode: Karma Detection]. The auras shifted, reflecting their karma. The impacts these people had to their surroundings.
As expected, most of them were simply grey. Amaranth and Dr. Crafton had quite lighter color. Almost white. They had quite positive karma. It was probably due to their job. A herbalist and a university professor. Healing and teaching.
But Jasmine Moonlake... her karma aura was very dark. Very close to black. It almost made his spectral skin crawl. She was bad news. It seemed that this expedition would not be peaceful.
...
The boarding began. Luggage, crates, and twenty-two souls moved onto the ship. The one that would take them to their destination.
Jack followed. A silent observer. An invisible ghost.
Their vessel was a huge galleass. Its name could be seen on its hull. The 'Rhythmic Oars'. A hybrid ship with both sails and oars. Very different with other sailing ship in the harbor.
The girl, Chloe, seemed to be curious about this too. She cornered the professor while the ship was about to sail.
"Why a galleass, Dr. Crafton? This seems... well, old-fashioned."
Dr. Crafton adjusted his spectacles. "Ah, astute observation, Miss Chase. There are some reasons for this, of course. Do you remember our destination?"
Chloe nodded. "Tideless Island."
"Well, the waters around Tideless Island are notoriously still." The old professor explained calmly. "Do you remember the original name of the island?"
"Pulo Tanpowangin," Chloe answered confidently.
"Correct." Dr. Crafton nodded. "Pulo Tanpowangin was its original name. It was from Ancient Nagaean language. 'Windless Island' is a more accurate translation, you see. A standard sailing ship without oars would be useless to get there."
"Why don't we use a steamship?"
"Well, the Calmcoast authorities, bless their hearts, have a rather... strict aversion to steam-powered vessels within their harbor." The professor explained.
Invisible Jack nodded. It made sense. Calmcoast people frowned upon steam-powered anything. They believed those machines ruined the beauty of their town. They didn't even have any train station there.
...
The "Rhythmic Oars" groaned as it pulled away from the dock. Calmcoast faded into the distance.
Jack used the time to practice [Mysterious Control]. He was stealthily honing his ability to manipulate the environment. Subtle. Unseen. Each twitch of a rope, each flicker of a lamp, brought him closer to mastering his powers.
He also kept an eye on the ship crew and the expedition members. He had time. Four days at sea. Four days of watching. And learning.
He soon discovered another transcendent among them. The captain of the ship, Captain Gullaw. He was also a Mystic Scholar. He was even more powerful than Jasmine Moonlake.
The ship finally reached its destination. Tideless Island. Or rather, Pulo Tanpowangin, the Windless Island.
The sea was eerily calm around it. No waves crashed against the shore. No wind rustled the palm trees. Just a glassy stillness.
The captain brought the ship to shore.
"We'll return in a week with supplies," Captain Gullaw announced. "Best of luck in your endeavors."
They unloaded the equipment and set up camp a little bit further from the shore. The ship left. Now, they were alone in the island. For at least a week.
...
Next morning. The expedition members traveled to their first destination. The ruined Temple of the Unknown God.
The trek to the temple was uneventful. The island was lush, green, and eerily silent. The air was fresh despite the lack of wind. And heavy with humidity.
The temple itself stood on a low rise. It was half-swallowed by the jungle. Just like a forgotten bone, covered by weeds. Strange symbols were carved into the remaining pillars.
Its ruined architecture was alien. It was a jumble of angles and curves that defied logic. Black stone blocks could be seen, slick with moss.
These stone blocks formed walls that seemed to lean in on themselves. Vines snaked across those crumbling walls.
Ancient hieroglyphs could be seen on the visible parts of the stone. They seemed writhing like captured serpents. It was so unlike anything Jack had ever seen.
Dr. Crafton was practically vibrating with excitement, already sketching in his notebook. Leon Drake followed close behind with gleaming eyes. Chloe, and the other students, also looked around with excited eyes.
Amaranth and Lucca muttered unclear incantations. Sensing the residual magic clinging to the stones. Uthred Payton stood guard. Constantly scanning the perimeter.
Jack watched them all. His spectral form blending seamlessly with the air. Something was off. It wasn't just Jasmine's dark aura. There was a current of something else running beneath the surface. Something he couldn't quite grasp.
The team started setting up camp near the ruins.
Jack decided to shadow Jasmine. This chubby cook was the riskiest element in this expedition after all. He watched as she efficiently set up her cooking station. Humming a tuneless melody.
She moved with a surprising grace for someone her size. He floated closer. Trying to get a read on her.
He activated his [System Sight Mode: Karma Detection]. The cook's aura was still very dark. Very troublesome.
He then saw her smile. It was definitely not a benign smile. It was as if she knew that chaos would come. And she would enjoy seeing the world burn because of it.
Jack felt uncomfortable. For him, her smile was not just the sign of evil. It was a sign of a great disaster.
That night, around a crackling fire, Dr. Crafton began to lecture. "The Temple of the Unknown God... a misnomer, of course. We have reason to believe that this structure was not dedicated to a singular deity, but rather... a collective. A pantheon of beings, who perhaps even have different systematic categorization from any known religions of this era."
Leon Drake chimed in. "There are traces of various cultures here. The architecture was very similar to that of Ancient Nagaean civilization. But it was mixed with symbols I've only seen in ancient texts from the Elder Trentree civilization."
Dr. Crafton nodded. "I've noticed some elements of Ancient Bhumee too. The indications of the multiple cultures are indeed very strong."
Jack listened. Quite impressed. Interesting theory. But, these scholars didn't seem to realize the threat.
Jasmine Moonlake was stirring a pot of stew near the fire. And the aroma of whatever she was making was starting to make him uneasy.
Suddenly, Uthred Payton stiffened. He drew his double-barreled pistol and sword. The steel was glinting in the firelight.
Jack saw Amaranth, Lucca, and Leon Drake were also reaching for their weapons.
The others immediately looked at the bodyguard. "What's wrong, Uthred?"
But Payton stood and looked at one direction. Full of vigilance. "Danger is coming. Corrupted beings."
Before anyone could respond, the jungle erupted.
Figures poured from the trees. Their eyes glowing red in the darkness. They were human, or at least, they had been.
Now, their bodies were pale, twisted and contorted. Their limbs elongated and unnatural. They moved with a jerky, unsettling gaits.