CH30

After speaking, Helag picked up the space ring and examined it for a while.

A space ring is a special enchanted item with varying internal sizes. The one Helag held had the space of a ten-square-meter room.

"Deep Blue, scan for any abnormalities," Helag said, taking precautions and having Deep Blue scan the ring.

[No abnormalities detected.]

With Deep Blue's confirmation, Helag felt relieved and put on the space ring. "As expected of the princess of Seville, truly wealthy."

"I only have two," Lilian said, rolling her eyes.

"Deep Blue, scan Lilian's body data. Cancel the scan immediately if any resistance is detected," Helag commanded. He had always been cautious and never dared to use Deep Blue's scan on wizards like Dino.

Lilian was just a first-class apprentice, so he thought it was worth a try. The red-haired boy hadn't detected Deep Blue's scan before.

[Lilian Stuart: Strength 3.1, Agility 3.2, Constitution 3.7, Spirit 7.6]

Helag's eyes widened at the data. Lilian's stats far exceeded his own; he couldn't even beat her in a physical fight.

A Spirit of 7.6 was especially terrifying, comparable to a second-class apprentice.

"Deep Blue, show my data."

[Helag Merlin: Strength 2.1, Agility 1.7, Constitution 2.9, Spirit 4.6, Magic 100%]

Seeing this, Helag realized he still had a long way to go and needed to work harder.

"What's wrong?" Lilian asked, noticing Helag's dazed expression.

"Nothing, just spacing out," Helag replied, noting that she hadn't noticed Deep Blue's scan.

"Maybe I should try scanning Dino…"

After some thought, Helag decided against it. He had a gut feeling that even if Dino couldn't detect Deep Blue, he would sense that Helag was "watching" him.

***

Late at night, Helag lay in bed under the comfortable swan velvet blanket. In his mind, two and a half stars shone brightly, with the third star nearly solidified.

Since learning the meditation technique, he hadn't slept. Even lying in bed, he continued to meditate.

Seeing Lilian's Spirit level had intensified Helag's sense of urgency.

He meditated all night, only realizing it was the next day when the ship started moving.

The ship sailed away from the port, leaving Swan City behind.

According to Lilian, the journey to the Karag Continent would take three months if everything went smoothly. But if they encountered any problems, it could take six months to a year.

During this time, they would stay on the ship, with occasional stops for supplies, offering brief opportunities to go ashore.

For half a month, the ship sailed through the vast ocean.

Helag maintained a routine of eating, sleeping, and meditating. His focused meditation had nearly solidified his third star.

The eleven wizard apprentices maintained a delicate peace, with no one causing trouble.

Fegar seemed to have been warned by Dino and behaved himself.

After meditating in seclusion for half a month without seeing the sun, Helag felt stifled in the cabin. The sea had been calm recently, so he decided to go up on deck for some fresh air.

As he opened his door, Lilian also stepped out, wearing a fitted dress.

"I'm going to the deck for some air. It's been too stuffy," Helag said.

"I'll come too," Lilian replied.

On the deck, sailors fished off the side, while others lay sprawled out, snoring loudly.

Dino stood at the bow with a telescope, glancing at Helag and Lilian before resuming his watch.

He had told the apprentices to avoid the deck to prevent accidents, as his task was to bring new blood to the wizard organizations. The more, the better.

So, he preferred that none of the apprentices died.

Helag found a quiet spot by the railing, enjoying the sea breeze.

The ocean stretched endlessly, with no land in sight.

He looked down at the beautiful light blue water, watching the waves crash against the ship.

Lilian stood beside him, her golden hair blowing in the wind, giving Helag the illusion of being on a romantic vacation with a girlfriend.

"Both of you, get back to the cabin! Something's coming!" Dino suddenly shouted from the bow.

Without hesitation, Helag grabbed Lilian's hand and ran for the cabin.

He trusted Dino's judgment. If something could alarm an official wizard, it had to be serious.

Lilian was initially confused but quickly caught on and ran faster.

Roar!

A massive shadow covered the ship, and a powerful pressure forced everyone on the deck to the ground.

Helag and Lilian were also pinned to the deck by the overwhelming presence. Helag tried to get up several times but failed.

They clung to each other, finding a small measure of comfort in their shared predicament.

Helag strained to see what was causing the commotion.

A dragon.

A gigantic black dragon soared in the sky, so enormous that Helag couldn't see its full form.

The dragon spoke in an incomprehensible language.

Lilian listened carefully and said, "Dragon language! It's speaking dragon language."

"Can you understand it?" Helag asked.

"No, I can only make out some syllables," Lilian replied.

Dino stood at the bow, speaking to the dragon in a similar language.

The dragon responded, but its meaning was unclear.

Dino waved his hand, and a pile of gold, pearls, and gems appeared on the deck, enough treasure to drive ordinary people mad.

The black dragon descended slightly, causing a storm to whip up, spraying seawater onto the deck.

Helag and Lilian were drenched. Lilian's thin dress became almost transparent, revealing her figure to Helag.

The oppressive aura forced them to lie face-to-face.

Lilian glanced down and blushed. "Close your eyes!"

Helag obediently closed his eyes, but couldn't hide his amused smile, which made Lilian fume.

"Big… big…" was all Helag could think.

The black dragon opened its mouth and swallowed all the treasure.

It spoke again, sounding dissatisfied.

Dino's hand glowed, and a staff over a meter long appeared. He looked up at the dragon without saying a word.

The dragon, wary, flew higher, circled for a while, then flew away.