"Wake up, James… It looks like that's land over there." Liam took his binoculars and peered into the distance.
Sitting up on the water, James yawned after his sleep, stretched, and replied:
"At last, we'll get some proper sleep."
The whole night, they had been taking turns dragging each other along the water. Though they had recovered much in terms of morale, sleep was not very comfortable. They kept waking up because of seawater splashing into their noses. Finding an island for shelter now was the best stroke of luck they could hope for. Aside from sleep, they also needed a boat and some other supplies if they wanted to make the long journey to the mainland.
"It looks like the sun is rising, and the flying monsters will disappear... But to be safe, we should wait here a bit longer until they're completely gone." Liam glanced cautiously at the sky.
This was the least Liam could do to survive. Flying monsters often kept an eye on places with land and the surrounding areas. If they moved forward now and got caught in their sight, both he and James would have a hard time escaping.
After waiting until the sun had risen, they finally felt safe enough to head toward the island.
"I think we should stay on this island as little as possible... It looks murky and gloomy, making me think it's not very safe," James said, squinting as he looked at the island from afar.
"Alright... Let's head there first, and then we'll figure it out," Liam replied.
In fact, what James was thinking was exactly what Liam had been considering. Any place that was dark and wild was bound to hold unpleasant things. But now, both he and James had no better choice.
As they got closer, they saw a large island stretching about 10 kilometers, with dense trees everywhere. The sky around it was dark due to the heavy clouds that had gathered, blocking out most of the light. It seemed like this place would be difficult for anyone to live in—at least that's what they predicted. Or maybe they were just being overly cautious.
"It looks like there are people living here," Liam squinted. What caught his attention was the sight of two figures on the beach of the island.
"Let's hope the locals here aren't cannibals..." James sighed. But as they got closer, he added, "Are they hugging?"
Liam sighed as they approached. The two figures were people they had already encountered before.
"It's the ones who were with us in the cave," Liam shrugged.
Running into them was unexpected for Liam, but it wasn't all that surprising. If they had survived and found their way out of the cave, they'd naturally seek a suitable place to shelter. Now, Liam could only hope no conflict would break out, as he had a bad feeling about the people he had once saved. He regretted helping them, but thanks to them, he had also gained quite a bit of good stuff. They were the motivation that kept him pushing toward the treasure, even though things hadn't gone exactly as planned.
"It's that blonde guy..." James said angrily as he recognized the two figures. Without hesitation, he sprinted toward them, sword in hand. His emotions were clear—who wouldn't be angry after being tricked by someone, almost becoming monster food, while that person escaped safely?
"Die, you bastard!" The skinny man wielded a large axe and slammed it into the ground. Brown energy flowed from him into the ground through the axe, causing sharp stone pillars to rise up and shoot through the air at high speed. But they were easily shattered by a sharp gust of wind, sending shards of stone flying everywhere.
"Calm down, my friend... Let's sit and talk it over," the blonde man with narrow eyes smiled, holding his sword forward. His tone was ambiguous, leaving it unclear whether he was mocking the skinny man's weakness or genuinely trying to make peace.
Suddenly, a shout from the beach echoed over, making the two who were fighting pause.
"You bastard!" James yelled, holding a flaming sword in his hand.
"Hahaha... Well done, brother! Come here and help me take care of this scumbag!" The skinny man cheered, clearly delighted to be reunited with his allies from the cave. It was obvious they were on his side.
Seeing the situation, the blonde man couldn't help but frown. If James and the skinny man teamed up, there was no way he could handle both.
"Damn..."
He clicked his tongue and frowned, then without hesitation, dashed deeper into the island's forest.
"Stop, you coward!" The skinny man and James immediately chased after him.
At that moment, Liam shouted from the beach:
"Wait!"
James stopped, while the skinny man continued the pursuit. James trusted Liam, knowing his actions were usually wiser. Meanwhile, the skinny man was too enraged to care, and he had no reason to follow Liam's orders. In this situation, only those who could keep a clear head would understand what should take priority.
"Aren't you angry at him?" James asked, frowning as he watched Liam, who was calmly walking from the beach.
Liam sighed, speaking calmly,
"Of course… But this isn't our priority right now. It's not worth wasting our energy. Besides, that blonde guy is clever and cunning. If we're not careful, we'll end up getting badly hurt."
These were Liam's thoughts ever since the blonde had awakened the monster to make his escape. Just now, when James arrived, the blonde immediately realized the situation was no longer in his favor, so he ran into the forest to use the terrain to his advantage. If Liam hadn't called James back, they could have walked straight into an ambush and been dragged into unnecessary trouble.
"So, we're just going to let him go like that?" James asked, exhausted. He sheathed his sword back into his ring and sank down onto the beach.
"For now, let's just find a place to rest. I'm too tired… As for him… If we cross paths again, he definitely won't be getting away." Liam's voice was soft, but his sharp gaze was fixed on the forest.
One thing was certain: if they met him again and showed mercy, they would likely be taken advantage of a second time. It was best to show strength, like flint—tough and unyielding. If anyone dared to cross them, they'd be sure to get burned. That guy would have to face the consequences of his foolish actions.