Standing at the bow, Ebner gazed intently into the distance, thinking that Miss Gwyn had not exaggerated—the island ahead was indeed quite "small." Spanning only about a few miles, it was barren and devoid of vegetation. Rather than calling it an island, it would be more accurate to describe it as a large rock formation.
In the vastness of the sea, such a tiny island was like a grain of sand in the desert. Without a guide, even with coordinates, Ebner doubted he'd have found it so easily.
After ordering the sailors to anchor the Aarunheim in a safe area clear of reefs, Ebner, Xio, and Miss Gwyn left the ship and set foot on the island. Guided by Miss Gwyn, they soon reached a massive rock.
Pointing to the ground where there were obvious signs of soil cover beneath the rock, Miss Gwyn said, "The cave entrance is right here. After barely escaping last time, I covered it with a mat and more dirt."
Ebner examined the area around the rock without hastily digging up the entrance. Instead, he activated his Pure White Eye, using the "scene recall" ability to investigate.
Once he was sure that no one else had visited, he moved the dirt-covered mat aside, revealing a pitch-black hole in the ground.
Miss Gwyn cast a glance at Ebner, then raised her gun with one hand, lifted a lantern with the other, and led the way into the cave. Ebner and Xio followed closely, one gripping his cane-sword and the other her revolver, prepared for any unexpected situations.
The cave sloped downward gradually, not overly steep but treacherous enough to be a hazard if someone slipped.
After passing through the narrow initial section, about a hundred meters long, Ebner's view suddenly expanded as they entered a large, naturally formed cavern.
The cavern, about four or five meters high, still sloped downward. However, except for the stone wall by the entrance, it stretched out in every direction, vanishing into the darkness without any clear end.
"Left and straight ahead lead to a few other passages, but they're dead ends. There were some creatures at the end of each, but I dealt with them last time," Miss Gwyn explained, pointing to the right as she added, "Only the right side connects to a spiraling passage that goes deeper. We only made it partway before we were attacked by the Dragon-Eyed Serpent."
What Miss Gwyn described was consistent with what Ebner had read in The Cave Adventures. Nodding, he kept his silence.
"Would you like to explore the other passages first?" Miss Gwyn, unaware of Ebner's foreknowledge, offered.
Ebner exchanged glances with Xio and shook his head with a smile. "Let's go deal with that Dragon-Eyed Serpent first." The primary reason he'd come here was to obtain the Keeper of Knowledge's main material, and everything else was secondary.
"Follow me, then. And be careful—the creature is skilled in ambushes, so it may already be watching us from the shadows!"
With that, Miss Gwyn carefully led the way to the right, holding up her lantern.
About half an hour later, the three reached the edge of the cavern. They stood before a two-meter-high, four- to five-meter-wide passage that spiraled downward, surrounded by thick stone walls.
"This passage is long and descends deep. Last time, we only traveled partway before that monster blocked our path," Miss Gwyn repeated, a hint of resentment in her voice. The closer they got to the spot where her companions had perished, the more her emotions grew turbulent.
Ebner didn't try to console her. If it had been his friend who'd fallen, he'd feel the same anger. The best way he could help her was by aiding her revenge.
This time, Ebner insisted Miss Gwyn stay behind him. She was only a Sequence 9 "Warrior" with no powerful mystical items; if ambushed, she would be hard-pressed to defend herself.
Ebner took the lead, sword-cane in hand, occasionally activating his Pure White Eye for a second or two to scan for any ambushes through "scene recall."
After another ten minutes, a chilling chant echoed in the passage:
"Lotha…"
The ghostly, eerie tone filled the passage, both hauntingly beautiful and bone-chilling, piercing the mind.
Ebner froze in place. Countless thoughts flashed chaotically through his mind as if he were an overloaded server.
Fortunately, Ebner was used to this sensation from using the Pure White Eye to analyze items and snapped back quickly, immediately reactivating his Pure White Eye.
Just then, a massive blue-green serpent's tail shot out from the shadows of the passage, hurtling toward Ebner.
Smack!
In a split second, Ebner activated the Wind Blessing in his Sea Wind Hat, creating a wind shield to block the serpent tail's strike!
The tail retracted after the failed attack, forcing the monster hiding in the shadows to finally reveal itself.
It was a massive serpent, over ten meters long, its body covered in tough scales. Molten, lava-like eyes with slitted pupils stared coldly at the three of them.
Miss Gwyn and Xio, both shaken, had regained their composure. They each held their weapons, eyeing the gigantic serpent warily.
Ebner quietly exhaled. While the initial clash appeared evenly matched, he had acted on instinct to defend, whereas the creature had attacked with all its strength, revealing a significant power gap.
"This serpent's size is intimidating, but its strength seems limited to around Sequence 7…" Ebner thought as he continued using the Pure White Eye to analyze the creature's weaknesses. Adjusting his Sea Wind Hat, he summoned dozens of wind blades around him and launched them at the serpent.
Despite its scales, the serpent's flesh couldn't withstand the slicing wind blades, which tore numerous wounds across its body. The pain drove it to rear its head, screeching in rage, its slitted eyes flashing madly.
In terms of physical defense, it was far inferior to the earthbound spirit left by Jane's father back in Saint George's district in Backlund.
Furious, the Dragon-Eyed Serpent slammed its tail wildly, sending sprays of blood, transforming the spilled blood into tendrils that lashed out like whips.
However, even with its blood under its control, it was no match for a Wind Blessed. Under Ebner's Sea Wind Hat's influence, the blood tendrils reversed, slapping back onto the serpent's own body.
At that moment, Ebner deactivated his Pure White Eye, having already pinpointed the serpent's weak spot. Condensing a sharp wind blade, he aimed it precisely at the vulnerable area on the serpent's lower neck, shattering a scale.
"Guh!" The Dragon-Eyed Serpent's pupils narrowed in shock. Its fury now replaced by terror, it began to retreat.
Ebner, seeing this, unsheathed his sword-cane and flung it into the air with a shout:
"Xio!"
"Got it!" Xio, who had been waiting for her chance, leaped up, catching the sword-cane mid-air. With Ebner's wind as a boost, she quickly reached the serpent's neck.
Dodging the last blood tendril through premonition, Xio plunged the sword-cane into the creature's weak spot!
At the moment of impact, the light in the serpent's molten eyes dimmed. Its scales began falling off layer by layer, and its once formidable body withered and collapsed in seconds.
Xio landed gracefully on the passage floor, thanks to her enhanced agility, and quickly donned a sailor's cap to hide any effects from her Ring of Premonition.
After waiting for a few moments, Ebner confirmed the serpent was truly dead. He approached carefully, extracted the creature's massive, lava-like eyes, and placed them into a pre-prepared tin box. These eyes, capable of "deciphering" others, were the creature's strongest asset. Unfortunately, the serpent itself lacked knowledge and intelligence, so it had never been able to utilize the ability fully.
"With these, I finally have everything needed for the Keeper of Knowledge potion. Once my Student of Ratiocination pathway is fully digested, I'll be ready to advance to Sequence 7!"
As Ebner silently celebrated, he heard a muffled sob behind him. Turning, he saw Miss Gwyn kneeling, her tears streaming down her face yet her expression breaking into a relieved smile.
Since the death of her companions and her solitary escape, Miss Gwyn had shown remarkable resilience. Despite the difficulties on her quest for vengeance, she had pressed forward. Now, with her enemy defeated, the mix of sorrow and joy overwhelmed her.
Ebner and Xio didn't say a word, quietly letting her release her emotions as they collected the serpent's remains. Besides the eyes, its scales and skin were valuable as well.
After a while, Miss Gwyn composed herself, wiping her tears with a small, embarrassed smile. "Sorry… I must look a mess."
"Not at all. I understand how you feel." Ebner waved her off, handing her the serpent's skin. "Here's the trophy we promised in the agreement."
While the creature had been formidable in life, its remains had shrunk considerably upon death, leaving only about two meters of skin—a far cry from its former glory.
"Thank you," Miss Gwyn murmured, taking the skin with a faint blush. Knowing how vital this material was, she couldn't decline, though she felt somewhat unworthy, having done little in the fight.
"Well, we've dealt with the serpent. How about we see where this passage leads?" Ebner suggested.
Both women nodded in agreement, and they set off again down the spiraling path.
In under ten minutes, they reached the end: a chamber with a five-meter-wide pool and a small nest beside it. The nest held scattered human belongings, likely remnants of adventurers who had met their end here.
Ebner glanced through the pile, noting mostly tattered clothing, mundane weapons, and worn backpacks.
But in the deepest part of the nest, a deep-red, jelly-like substance and a translucent, jellyfish-like material caught his eye.
"Those should be the Beyonder characteristics of Jones and Roy… Two of my former companions, one a 'Sailor' and the other a 'Hunter'… They were killed by that monster," Miss Gwyn murmured, her face solemn.
Ebner turned to her, a glint of curiosity in his eyes. "You seem well-versed in the concept of Beyonder characteristics."
After all, even a second-generation Beyonder like Xio only knew about the existence of Beyonder characteristics after meeting him.