Flannan Island, part of the Hebrides off the western coast of Scotland, was an uninhabited island. However, the first thing Li Xiang saw upon arriving wasn't the island—it was a massive cruise ship.
It completely obscured the island behind it.
"What's wrong?" Max nudged Li Xiang, noticing his stare. Following Li Xiang's gaze, Max chuckled and said, "That's the *Ocean Phantom*, built by the famous Royal Caribbean cruise company. It's about 362 meters long, 72 meters tall, with a beam of 60.5 meters, and can carry up to 5,400 passengers. It's got a ballroom, a theater with an ice rink, and even a gym inside."
"Renting this must cost a fortune, right?" Li Xiang swallowed hard.
"Rent?" Elena turned to glance at him, raising an eyebrow. "This was custom-built for the Law Department. It's one of the largest cruise ships in the world."
"..."
'My poverty really limits my imagination,' Li Xiang thought to himself.
Disembarking from the yacht, he stepped onto the island.
Looking around, the island didn't seem large. In fact, from where he stood, he could already see the edges. He was positioned at the highest point of the island, and just behind the enormous cruise ship stood a dilapidated lighthouse, its weathered appearance giving the impression it had been abandoned for years.
In the distance, about a few hundred meters away, there were three larger islands, along with a smaller island that seemed shrunken, as if a part of it had been lopped off.
"Why not set up the base on the island?" Li Xiang asked as he walked alongside Elena toward the *Ocean Phantom*. Using a yacht to stage their operations felt extravagant, especially considering the island was empty. Building a base here would surely be cheaper.
"This island has issues," Elena pointed toward the lighthouse at the top of the hill and asked, "Do you know how these ruins were discovered?"
"Does it have something to do with that lighthouse?" Li Xiang asked cautiously.
"In 1899, the Scottish Lighthouse Board constructed that lighthouse on this uninhabited island to guide passing ships. Four staff members were stationed there, but on December 26th, 1900, when a supply ship arrived, the island was deserted.
Captain Joseph Moore inspected the entrance and doors, finding them closed, and the living quarters undisturbed. Nothing was damaged, but the clock on the wall had stopped. They searched the entire island but found no trace of the missing men. Strangely enough, the Lighthouse Board had received a telegraph from one of the staff that very morning, stating that something terrible had happened and that the other three had vanished."
"Sounds like a mystery on par with the Bermuda Triangle," Li Xiang mused.
"That's what people initially thought," Elena continued. "Some speculated that the last remaining staff member had murdered the others in a fit of rage and then jumped into the sea to commit suicide. Others believed it was some form of natural disaster or supernatural occurrence. However, last week, a wandering mage working for the government stumbled upon something different while reviewing old documents.
During Joseph Moore's search, he found signs of a violent storm on the western side of the island—bent iron railings torn from the concrete, and scattered stones that had been displaced. They photographed a one-ton boulder with an almost unnoticeable mark on it. The mage spotted something strange in the photograph: a small, intricate symbol made up of three spirals connected by three lines, forming a triangle. In archaeology, there's a saying: every symbol has significance. Though the wandering mage wasn't an expert in archaeology, he realized the uniqueness of the symbol. After some research, he found that the symbol dated back to between the first century BC and the sixth century AD in Scotland."
Max chimed in, "Ancient Scottish culture is peculiar because they didn't have a written language. Most of what we know comes from inscriptions on statues, coins, and the patterns on brooches, horse gear, and weapons. This lack of written records is likely why the ruins went unnoticed for over a hundred years."
Elena nodded in agreement. "The Scots, or rather the Celts, believed that gods were all around them, and they lived their lives guided by the Druids. Historians think the Druids were priests or shamans who spent their lives memorizing mythology and cultural practices to pass down to the next generation. This is why there are no written records. However, the Mage Association, which has existed for over two thousand years, has clear records showing that the Druids were, in fact, magi from the Age of Gods."
Li Xiang's jaw dropped. Was he hearing a myth or actual history?
It took him a moment to process everything before he asked, "So, according to you, these ruins are part of some Celtic myth?"
"That's right," Elena confirmed. "But with nearly 400 deities in Celtic mythology, including gods, demigods, and heroes, it's hard to determine which figure or place the ruins belong to."
Clapping her hands together, she said, "That's what we're here to find out—to identify the origin of these ruins."
Elena expertly led Li Xiang to the luxurious control room of the ship.
Inside, dozens of people were quietly working at their respective stations, focused on their monitors. Even when Li Xiang and the others entered, no one looked up.
Standing in front of a large screen that resembled a movie theater projection was Adashino Hishiri, the team leader.
The screen was divided into four quadrants. The top-left, top-right, and bottom-right screens all displayed dark, murky underwater footage. Though difficult to make out, the moving images clearly showed the sea floor, with occasional glimpses of bizarre sea creatures. Only the bottom-left screen was completely still.
"Captain," Elena called out.
Adashino turned from the screen, focusing on the trio. "The other three teams have already gone underwater this morning. You're the last team."
"We were delayed collecting data on the Celts," Elena explained.
Adashino nodded slightly before glancing at Li Xiang. Her brow furrowed. "Are you really planning to take him as part of the exploration team?"
"Li Xiang is quite proficient in basic magic. His versatile spells could be of great help to us," Elena replied.
"Let's hope so," Adashino said, though her skepticism was clear. She had previously promised Lord Barthomeloi that she wouldn't obstruct Li Xiang's personal decisions. Since this was his own request, he would bear the consequences.
Waving her hand, she instructed, "Suit up in your diving gear and begin. The suits are specially designed by the Law Department to withstand high-level magic attacks, as well as natural threats like earthquakes, volcanic eruptions, rock collisions, and underwater pressure. The air tanks have been modified to provide two hours of oxygen. Once that time is up, you'll need to resurface for a replacement."
Li Xiang nodded, taking the diving suit.
Once they were in the water, the communication system in his helmet crackled to life.
"Hello, Li Xiang. I'm Arisa Kazano, ranked fourth in the first team, codename 'Ghost Star.' I'll be your point of contact during this operation. Your codename will be 112. Report anything you find immediately."
"Understood."
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idk, i think, 鹿野亚梨纱 or arisa kazano or kana arisa, is probably an oc.