Red Sun

"The Southern Sea Sun Palace," Lucifer muttered, his verdant eyes narrowing as he leaned against the boat's rail, the spray of salt water misting his face.

I couldn't blame him.

The view before us demanded silence, as though the scene itself would shatter if words were spoken carelessly.

The palace wasn't merely a stronghold. It was a colossal island, home to millions, sprawling across thousands of square kilometers—a size that made even Isle of Azure Breeze seem quaint by comparison. Yet, for all its grandeur, it was but a speck compared to the territories ruled by the great superpowers. The Slatemark Empire alone spread its dominion across lands as vast as Africa from my past life, though its power rested on a complex web of vassals and alliances.

This island was different. It stood alone, unbroken by time or tide, governed directly by the Southern Sea Sun Palace itself. For centuries, it had been an enigma, a quiet corner of the world that neither bent nor broke beneath the rise of the Heavenly Demon or the wars that reshaped continents. Its isolation was a defiance, a statement.

And now, that defiance had turned into vulnerability. My heart thumped against my ribs as I considered the gravity of it all. This island—this fortress of legend—had fallen to vampires and the Red Chalice Cult. The sheer audacity of such a conquest was staggering. True, the Cult had the power to pull off such a feat. But even they rarely made such bold moves in a world bristling with satellites and the all-seeing eyes of modern technology. 

But the Southern Sea Sun Palace wasn't like the rest of the world. It existed outside the realm of surveillance, hidden not by mere shadows but by something far more profound.

I tilted my head back, and there it was: the colossal orb hanging above the island, visible even from miles away. It burned like a fragment of the sun itself—a testament to the island's name and its power.

This was the Red Sun, the Legendary-grade artifact that served as the heart of the Southern Sea Sun Palace. It wasn't tethered to an individual, as such artifacts often were, but to the bloodline of the Palace's rulers. It had illuminated this land for centuries, untamed and unmatched.

Now, that light stood in the hands of darkness.

"If they have a Legendary-grade artifact, why aren't they stronger?" Ian asked, tilting his head, his golden eyes sharp with curiosity.

"Because none of the Lords can wield it properly," I replied, my voice calm but tinged with the weight of history.

There was a time, long ago, when the Lords of the Southern Sea Sun Palace stood tall, wielding the Red Sun with a ferocity that rivaled even the Viserions. Back then, the artifact's brilliance was matched by their strength, and their might carved legends across the seas. But those days had faded like the echo of a once-proud roar. The current Lords—though bonded to the artifact by bloodline—lacked the worthiness that the Red Sun demanded.

"It's not enough to inherit power," I continued, "you have to earn it. The Red Sun bonds to their blood, not their souls. Without that true connection, it won't yield its full potential."

That was the tragedy of the Southern Sea Sun Palace. What was once a bastion of strength had been reduced to mediocrity, surpassed even by the Gu family as their influence waned.

"Of course, that doesn't mean they're weak," Nero interjected, his gaze fixed on the shimmering orb that dominated the horizon. The Legendary-grade artifact pulsed faintly, as if alive. "Underestimating them would be foolish."

We nodded, the unspoken weight of his words pressing on us like the heavy air before a storm. Some of the students aboard the ship had allowed themselves a sense of safety, lulled by the presence of the Martial King. But I knew better. 

The Martial King wasn't here to save us at the first sign of danger. He would step in only if he had to. And with the looming shadow of the Red Chalice Cult, the stakes had never been higher.

"I'm going to talk to Master Li," I said, stepping away from the group. My feet found their way across the deck with purpose as I sought the Lightning Dragon of Mount Hua.

"Arthur!" Master Li greeted me warmly, his face lighting up as he broke off his conversation with Seraphina, his niece. She turned, her usual poised smile softening as she smiled warmly. 

"It's been a while, Master," I replied, bowing lightly in respect.

"Indeed it has," he said, his eyes narrowing in appraisal as they swept over me. The look of casual familiarity quickly gave way to something else entirely—shock.

"Arthur, tell me," he began, his voice tinged with suspicion, "did you stumble across some artifact that bends time while you were in the Isolation Chamber last year?"

I smiled faintly, letting his question hang in the air. "Of course not, Master."

"Then how the hell is this possible?" he muttered under his breath, his gaze still fixed on me as though trying to unravel a puzzle. "I knew you defeated Drake Namgung when you were at the first stage of Integration. And I saw you go toe-to-toe with Jack Blazespout at Integration rank. But this? This is absurd."

It was absurd, I knew that much. My power now was beyond reason, beyond what anyone could reasonably expect of me.

'Of course it is,' came Luna's voice in my mind, a ripple of amusement coloring her tone. 'No one could hold back their shock once they sense the ridiculous level you've reached.'

She wasn't wrong. For those who had undergone the second body metamorphosis—Immortal-rankers and above—there was a deeper way of sensing power, a sharp clarity that escaped those at lower ranks. 

Master Li's reaction was telling. He saw what only Nero among the professors had sensed. My current strength wasn't just unusual—it was impossible.

But that was what it took to save this world.

As the three of us chatted, I noticed Master Li's eyes darting between me and Seraphina, his gaze far too animated for casual conversation. I shot her a glance, silently asking if she'd let anything slip. Her stoic expression remained unbroken, which was as good as a denial. Seraphina wasn't one to crack easily, after all.

"You can just ask, Master," I said at last, breaking the growing tension.

He didn't need a second invitation. "So, what's going on between you two?" Li asked, grinning like a child who'd found the cookie jar unguarded.

Both Seraphina and I froze, caught off guard by his sudden directness. Her hand slipped into mine almost reflexively, her cheeks tinged with a soft blush.

"Well," I said, clearing my throat, "we're dating now."

Master Li's grin widened, his face lighting up as if he'd just discovered the secret to eternal youth. "I knew it!" he exclaimed, practically bouncing on his heels. "I knew you'd win, Sera!"

"There's no 'winning' here," I corrected, though his enthusiasm was hard to temper. "I'm dating all three."

Li froze mid-celebration, his expression shifting from triumph to sheer disbelief. His jaw slackened, and he stared at me as though I'd just confessed to stealing the sun from the heavens. "A-all three?" he stammered, blinking rapidly.

I nodded, calmly meeting his incredulous gaze. He turned to Seraphina for confirmation, his eyes silently pleading for this to be some elaborate joke. When she nodded with her usual serene composure, he looked back at me, visibly struggling to reconcile the situation.

Then, as though struck by divine revelation, Master Li stepped closer, grasping my shoulders with both hands. His grip was firm, his expression deadly serious.

"Arthur," he said in a low voice, his words weighted with dramatic urgency. "Are you… trying to take over the world?"

"What?" I asked, completely thrown off.

"No, no, it all makes sense now!" he continued, retreating a step as his hands flew to his temples in mock revelation. "Your strength—ridiculous for a seventeen-year-old! Dating three princesses—and not just any princesses, but three from three of the seven superpowers of the world! It's a strategy, isn't it? You're consolidating power. You're trying to take over the world!"

"Master, I—" 

He waved me off, already lost in his own thoughts. "I knew it! The Martial King has been training you, hasn't he? Of course, he has! He's preparing you for conquest!"

"I'm not taking over the world," I said, exasperated, though I could feel Seraphina's hand tighten on mine, likely to suppress her laughter.

Master Li shot me a conspiratorial grin. "Right, right. That's exactly what someone trying to take over the world would say." 

And with that, he leaned back, hands on his hips, clearly proud of the grand narrative he'd spun for himself. I sighed. There was no reasoning with him now.