CHAPTER 487: 487. SPLIT UP

Inside a Flying Boat, that can carry four people.

"So... are we not taking the ship? Since they’re supposed to be posing as a merchant group?" Myrtle asked, her voice low but edged with curiosity.

Her appearance had already shifted. Her once blue skin now glowed with a sun-kissed tan, and she wore an outfit so revealing it seemed to taunt danger itself. Every movement accentuated her curves, a deliberate play on distraction— yet her eyes carried a cautious sharpness.

Beside her, Zuzia had altered her own form. Instead of lava veined wings and demonic horns, she just had a normal black wings and horns and her frame was slimmer, younger, as if she had shed years in an instant. The aura of raw power still lingered around her, though cloaked beneath the illusion of inexperience.

And then there was Tyler. Red scales shimmered faintly across his arms, climbing to his shoulders and neck. His eyes glowed faintly like molten embers.

And the last two members are Mana who is floating on Tyler’s shoulder and Lanny, the new girl who joined the Crew.

Mode Dragon

He is no longer the sly phantom, but something closer to a Dragonian warrior.

"Don’t worry about the ship," Tyler muttered. His voice carried the rumble of restrained draconic power. "We had to make sure no one was watching us. So..."

He let the words hang.

The three of them had already slipped away under layers of concealment arrays. But even with such tricks, there was no certainty. The sea was vast, and eyes could be hidden anywhere. Better to separate first, let the ship draw attention while they took another path.

Only... the ship itself had not simply sailed away.

The Shadow Pearl sank gracefully into its own shadow, vanishing from the surface like a ghost swallowed by ink. For an outside observer, it was gone— yet its shadow drifted, moving along the same route Tyler had chosen.

Above the thick blanket of clouds, the hidden observer twitched in disbelief. His voice cracked with awe.

"They really took another route... Master was right... Master is always right!"

The excitement on his face lasted only seconds before turning to horror.

Because something happened he had not expected.

The drifting shadow of the Phantom ship approached a lone, jagged boulder rising from the sea. As it touched, the darkness clung to the rock’s shadow.

And then... nothing.

No shadow came out from the shadow. As it entered a portal, it vanished.

The man’s hands tightened on the strange, buttonless controller he held, his helmet reflecting the faint light of distant stars. His voice trembled.

"N-no way... Where did it go?"

Panic flickered in his eyes. At once, he sent out dozens of glowing red skulls, scattering them like hunting hounds across the waves. They dove into the waters, spread across the horizon, and crawled up other rocks. They swirled like vultures, probing every dark corner they could find.

But there was nothing.

The sea only showed him drifting adventurers’ boats, merchant ships flying neutral flags, and the occasional glowing fish darting below the surface.

One vessel in particular caught his eye —a luxurious ship, hull gleaming, with White Pearl etched proudly into its side. It drifted peacefully, a jewel on the water, carrying nothing suspicious.

The man ground his teeth. "Where the hell did the Shadow Pearl go? All I see are some random White and Brown Pearls! Damn phantoms..."

His frustration boiled over. He jammed the invisible buttons on his controller.

Instantly, a swarm of red skulls surged downward, biting into the lone boulder that had swallowed the shadow. Their neon maws tore through stone like paper, crunching until the boulder shattered into dust. In seconds, the jagged peak became nothing but a flat patch of rock and foam.

The boulder was gone. Its shadow erased.

But still... nothing. No ship. No trace.

The man froze, eyes narrowing inside his helmet.

"Looks like these Phantoms are really–," he clenched his jaw. "Maybe they really are the best at hiding. Fine... I’ll wait and look for few more days. Anyways I can tell the boss I already completed the mission."

He lowered his controller, but his mind raced. He would linger here for days if he had to, scanning every shadow, every ripple of the sea. Master Red Dragon’s orders have already been completed.

---

Somewhere on a floating island, a girl with black and white hair sat quietly in front of a small hut. She leaned against a wooden post, her calm eyes admiring the flowers swaying in the gentle breeze. The vibrant colors painted the scene with serenity, a rare moment of peace in a chaotic world.

From inside the hut, a young girl drifted out in ghostly form, her feet never touching the ground. She covered her eyes with one hand as though embarrassed.

"Moeko, if you don’t like it, then don’t watch," the black-and-white-haired girl said with a soft chuckle.

"B-but Big Sister Veronica, I’m curious!" Moeko protested, puffing her cheeks. "I wanted to do that with Hero Big Brother when he visits us!"

Veronica’s face twitched slightly at the innocent yet bold statement. Her lips pressed together, suppressing the heavy truth she didn’t want to say—that the chance of meeting him again was slim, maybe even impossible. Years had already passed, and even she had begun to doubt. Yet she could not crush the little ghost’s hope.

The hut’s door creaked open again, and this time a woman stepped out—completely unclothed. Her presence was commanding, exuding both seduction and danger. With a graceful flick of her hand, the flowers blooming across the land uprooted themselves and swirled through the air. Petals and stems wove together into a shimmering gown that draped over her body, elegant and intoxicating at once.

Behind her, several handsome young men emerged from the hut. They staggered weakly, each one with the distinct traits of draconic lineage—horns, tails, even wings. Their perfect physiques would have turned heads anywhere, but their faces were pale, their steps unsteady. They clutched at discarded garments to cover themselves, shame written in their expressions as they quietly walked away. The woman didn’t spare them a glance.

Instead, her eyes gleamed as she turned to Veronica. A smile curved her lips.

"My dear student," she purred, "what is life if you cannot enjoy it? Why deny yourself the pleasures right in front of you?" She let her fingers trail lazily through the air as if painting temptation itself. "How about I invite some fresh, inexperienced younglings? You can play with them to your heart’s content."

Veronica’s cheeks burned crimson. She quickly shook her head, her two-tone hair swaying with the motion. "No, Teacher. I... I don’t want that." Her voice trembled but carried conviction. Even without her past memories, she knew this much—she didn’t want to live like her teacher, indulging without restraint.

Moeko, still floating nearby, puffed her cheeks further and declared with pride, "Don’t! Big Sister Veronica will give her body only to my Big Brother Hero!"

"Shut up! It’s not like that!" Veronica snapped, her embarrassment reaching its peak.

The teacher’s laughter rang like silver bells, sultry and amused. "Oh? Hero brother?" She tilted her head, her crimson eyes narrowing with intrigue. "The one who avenged you and your family, little ghost?"

Moeko nodded vigorously, her spectral hair bouncing as she did.

The woman licked her lips slowly, a dangerous glimmer flashing in her gaze. "Mmm... I wonder what kind of young man he is. If he truly avenged you, then he must be strong. Handsome, too, perhaps?" Her voice dripped with playful malice. "I do hope I get to meet him someday."

Veronica stiffened, her heart skipping. She remembered the familiar young man who said that he avenged Moeko because "Her Cream Buns were Tasty."

She couldn’t help but curl her lips.

Moeko, on the other hand, looked dreamy, her eyes sparkling. "Of course he’s handsome! And kind! Big Brother Hero will definitely come visit us!"

Veronica sighed, reaching out to pat the ghost girl’s head, though her hand passed faintly through. "You’re too hopeful..." she whispered.

The teacher let out a low chuckle and shook her head. In the next instant, her form shimmered and expanded, scales rippling into existence as she transformed into a majestic green dragon. With a powerful beat of her wings, she soared into the sky, leaving a sharp gust of wind in her wake.

Moeko wobbled in the air, nearly losing her balance from the sudden blast.

"Hmph! If she was just going to transform, then why bother wearing the flowers as clothes in the first place?" Moeko pouted, crossing her arms.

"To avoid being naked when she changes back," Veronica muttered under her breath, her expression flat.

Fate often listened to the whispers of hope, no matter how faint.

What they didn’t know was that very same person— the Hero, the one who had brought justice for Moeko and her family— was already riding a flying Boat and his course, unknowingly, was set straight toward the floating islands where Veronica, Moeko, and the Sexy Green Dragon teacher awaited.

┉┈ ◈ ◉ ◈ ┈┉

End of Volume 6

The Northern Waters