Ash and Sonia sat on a small boat, their eyes glued to a leather-bound grimoire, a journal left behind by yet another nameless mage. Like the others they'd found, this one lacked any personal details about its owner. For convenience, Ash decided to call him "The Explorer."
Why the name? Simple. The author seemed obsessed with exploring natural wonders. This journal was essentially a travelogue of all the fascinating places he had visited in both the real world and the mystical realms.
"The Lava Caves"
"After over a year on-site, the third phase of construction is finally done. Before the next project begins, I should have time to visit the Lava Caves."
"Made it to the village closest to the Lava Caves, but the boss picked up a new contract. Sigh."
"Months later, I finally got some time off to explore the caves. I got lucky this time and hired a local guide to show me around."
"It's incredible. Rivers of lava flowing freely, flowers that release explosive pollen, and icy underground streams nestled in the heart of the heat. An amazing natural wonder!"
"I struck gold—or fire, I guess! I stumbled upon a Sapphire Flame She-Dragon. It must have escaped from the mystical realm long ago and made the caves its nest. I even got pictures! Selling the story alone paid for my next trip here."
The Explorer's journal was filled with entries like this—an endless cycle of delays, detours, and eventual triumphs. His adventures balanced the mundane reality of work with moments of poetic escape.
"He must've been a civil engineer," Sonia speculated.
Ash nodded in agreement. Spending half his life on construction sites, living job to job, and traveling solo—it all screamed "eternally single architect." Apparently, civil engineers had the same vibes no matter which world you were in.
The first half of the journal detailed real-world destinations, but the second half dove into the Sea of Knowledge, cataloging locations Ash and Sonia could barely imagine. To someone like the Explorer, even mystical realms were just another vacation spot.
"If mages enjoyed fishing, I bet some would try angling in the Sea of Knowledge," Ash joked. Though realistically, the risks far outweighed the rewards—either you caught nothing, or you attracted some eldritch nightmare that caught you.
The Sea of Knowledge was home to numerous legendary sites. Besides the "Whirlpool," the journal mentioned places like the "Waterfall of the Sea," the "Great Path," and the "Sky Bubbles." Even Sonia, with her training at Swordflower Academy, hadn't heard of some of these places. Unsurprising—unlike the Whirlpool, these sites didn't offer tangible benefits, so they weren't part of the curriculum.
Waterfall of the Sea: A massive cascade where the ocean itself plunges into a bottomless abyss.
The Great Path: A land bridge that stretches across the Sea of Knowledge.
Sky Bubbles: Enormous floating orbs that occasionally drift overhead, thinning the surrounding mist as they pass.
The Explorer had visited all three. He once leaped into the Waterfall to see what lay below and instantly perished. He trekked the Great Path until exhaustion claimed him. And he chased the Sky Bubbles in vain, their speed too great for any mage.
Reading about his adventures, Ash and Sonia couldn't help but smile at the Explorer's childlike awe for the world's mysteries.
Finally, they reached the chapter on the Golden Fish.
"The Golden Fish"
"I've scoured countless tomes, interviewed scholars, and dug into every rumor I could find about the Golden Fish. But the trail is painfully sparse. So, I turned to fiction—maybe someone who found it couldn't resist bragging and hid the truth in a story? It's worth a shot."
"Most believe the Golden Fish resides in the perilous Core Region of the Sea of Knowledge. But I disagree. The fish carries the fabled Continent of Time on its back. Wouldn't something that massive need more room than the Core can offer?"
"Of course, no one's fully explored the Core. Maybe the Sea of Knowledge is far larger than we think."
"Some claim only mages with fully formed Silver Wings can find it. Makes sense. Guess I'd better finish my thousand-mile journey first."
"I've completed my wings and even ventured into the Core, but there's no sign of the Golden Fish. Could it spend most of its time submerged, only surfacing occasionally?"
"I'll try diving beneath the sea. I died."
"Died."
"Died."
"I should probably retire... My friends keep telling me to quit the Sea of Knowledge. At my age, every death weakens my soul. Last time, I nearly suffered brain death."
"But I can't let go of the dream. Just one glimpse of the Golden Fish... I'd happily keel over the next second."
"Golden Fish, where are you?"
"I think I found it."
What the hell?!" Ash and Sonia wanted to haul the Explorer's old soul back and wring the details out of him. He finally found the fish, and that's all he wrote?! Where's the how? The where? The step-by-step guide?
"Take my last two coins and finish the story!"
"If I'm right, the Golden Fish is unimaginably huge. How can anyone even climb onto it? Thankfully, I'm a master of Earth Magic. I can stack pillars infinitely. No height's too much for me. Looks like I'll get to see it in my lifetime."
"Ten layers... fifty layers... one hundred... Damn, the foundation's cracking. I'll have to start over."
"Two hundred... three hundred... five hundred..."
"Man, I wish I could fly."
"At eight hundred layers, my tower collapsed beneath me. A fall from that height will shatter my soul. Guess the gravestone I prepared wasn't a waste after all."
"I've got regrets, sure, but at least I saw the Golden Fish before I died... Wait, I still haven't cleared out my private collection!"
And that was it. The Explorer's final entry. His last obsession. The Golden Fish was his life's endgame.
"So how'd he find it?" Sonia wondered aloud. "He spent decades searching with no luck, then suddenly... poof, there it is?"
"Maybe it appears only to old mages?" Ash speculated. "Like some end-of-life consolation prize?"
They debated but couldn't reach a conclusion. For now, the Golden Fish was out of reach—neither of them had fully developed Silver Wings yet.
The Explorer's dropped loot included three Earth Magic spirits, which could combine into a miracle. But neither Ash nor Sonia had any interest in Earth Magic. After some discussion, Ash took them, given their low resale value.
The journal itself went to Sonia—her first time consuming one of these. Ash had already absorbed three and felt it was only fair.
Absorbing the journal, Sonia couldn't hide her nerves.
"What skill did you get?" Ash teased. "Campfire cooking? Bachelor survival tips?"
Sonia's face grew odd. "It's... actually useful."
"What kind?"
"Eye Insight. By locking eyes, I can better read someone's thoughts." Sonia's voice was laced with irony. "Apparently, the Explorer met so many people and heard so many stories that he developed this skill naturally."
Ash almost fell out of the boat in frustration. This was exactly the kind of skill he needed for the prison break!