Not long after, a startled cry came from the yacht stranded on the island's shore:
"Oh no, I forgot to bring fresh water for washing up!"
About half an hour later, fully geared up and dressed meticulously, Hathaway finally stepped off the yacht. She slung her pack over her shoulder and cautiously but curiously set foot on the island's soft sands.
---
Reaching into her pack, she pulled out the square-shaped detector. Holding it carefully, she looked up at the sun, gauging her direction with a quick gesture of her fingers. Once oriented, she glanced back down at the detector's screen. The nearest glowing dot was dead center on the grid, practically overlapping with the three dots corresponding to the pearls she already carried.
Beep-beep. Hathaway pressed a side button, zooming out the map. The grid expanded, and the glowing dots on the screen spread apart from the cluster at the center.
Turning on the spot, she adjusted her direction until she faced the ocean.
"Huh?"
To her surprise, the detector showed that the ball on the island was moving.
"Could it have been swallowed by some animal? Am I supposed to cut it out of their stomach…? Ew, that's so gross just thinking about it!"
Her expression twisted in discomfort, Hathaway rubbed her hands together and gave herself a pep talk. She had made it this far — there was no turning back now.
Reversing her baseball cap and securing it in place, she gripped her tools in one hand and the detector in the other. Her boots left faint prints in the soft sand as she cautiously approached the edge of the forest ahead.
Hathaway wasn't a stranger to solo adventures, so the jungle didn't faze her much.
"Hmm, surprisingly, this forest isn't that hard to navigate…" she muttered, brushing her hair back into place. She peered at the dense foliage ahead with a raised eyebrow.
As a young woman, Hathaway's physical stamina and strength weren't exactly extraordinary, but the forest turned out to be less dangerous than it seemed at first glance. She encountered very few poisonous insects or aggressive animals. All the survival tools she had packed remained untouched.
The truth? Nearly all the island's once-ferocious beasts had already been devoured by a certain individual and a peculiar bird. Even the nearby sea's fish — large and small — had either been eaten or driven away.
Using her tools, Hathaway cut through a thicket blocking her path. She glanced down at her detector, observing the electromagnetic response of the moving pearl.
Frowning slightly, she raised an eyebrow.
"Why does it feel like... this thing is heading straight for me?"
Hathaway stroked her chin thoughtfully, her mind racing with possibilities.
Just then, a faint rustling sound reached her ears.
"Something's coming... voices? Humans!"
She swiftly ducked behind a dense bush, her camouflage gear blending seamlessly with the surroundings. Before disembarking, she had donned the camouflage outfit she had prepared in advance, even wrapping her pack in a matching cover. Unless someone looked closely, spotting her would be nearly impossible.
Parting the foliage slightly, she peered toward the source of the voices.
Emerging from the dense forest were four ragged men and an equally disheveled woman. The men ranged in age — one appeared to be in his forties, the youngest nearing thirty. The woman, likely in her late twenties or early thirties, looked older, perhaps due to prolonged use of harsh cosmetics.
All five appeared haggard and malnourished, their faces pale with a sickly hue.
At a glance, Hathaway instinctively felt they weren't good people. She crouched lower behind the bush, slowing her breathing to avoid detection.
Since childhood, Hathaway had possessed an innate ability — an almost supernatural intuition. She could discern a person's true nature with a single glance: whether they harbored goodwill or malice, whether they were sincere or deceitful. This gift, combined with her natural intelligence, had made her a seasoned traveler who rarely fell into danger.
The group before her gave off an unmistakably sinister vibe. Hathaway recalled the street thug's words about the "island that only villains can enter" and silently acknowledged the truth of it. Without her clever trick, she likely wouldn't have been able to pilot her yacht onto the island.
Still... judging by their sorry state, this Ghost Island didn't seem too kind to its guests, either.
"How many days have we been wandering this forest now? How far have we gone? Why can't we see the damn shore yet?" a hoarse and irritable voice broke the silence.
Hathaway's eyes narrowed. "Days? Wandering? Given the size of the forest, they shouldn't be lost for this long... Could it be that the strange magnetic field in the surrounding sea also affects this island?"
"Don't even start! This is all your fault! Look at us, eating bark and leaves for days now!" a younger-sounding man snapped angrily, likely the one in his thirties.
"Hey, I only came because they said there's some immortal or divine bird on this island! I figured if only bad people are allowed here, the so-called deity must not be all that virtuous either. Maybe we could've gotten lucky!" another man retorted with a heavy sigh.
"Lucky? You're dreaming! You're a damn idiot for dragging us here! Goddammit, I'm so mad… Hey, woman, come over here and relieve me!"
"Relieve you? Are you insane? Do you want to kill me? After days of eating bark, where would I even find the strength? Go to hell, you bastard… Let's just find a way out of here before I get so hungry I carve off your manhood and roast it!"
"I'll—"
Hathaway listened with a growing look of disgust, but before the quarrel could escalate, the man's voice abruptly stopped.
"Wait, something's not right. Is someone nearby?" he growled.
"Someone?" The woman's eyes lit up with sudden interest.
"Don't be an idiot, Dog, are you sure you smelled someone?" one of the men asked.
"You think I don't know my own damn nose? There's a fresh scent around here!" the man, apparently nicknamed Dog, snapped back, sniffing the air like a bloodhound.
"Could someone else have landed on the island?" The group exchanged glances, their eyes gleaming with predatory intent.
"If they made it here, they can't be much better than us. Chop them up and eat them! Damn it, how long has it been since we had a proper meal?"
Hathaway froze, her wide eyes fixed on the group. She dared not move, Any sound might draw their attention.
"Please, please, just leave... Don't see me, don't see me..."
But things did not go as Hathaway wished. The footsteps drew nearer, closing in on the bush where she hid.
Closer. Closer still.
Realizing she couldn't remain concealed, Hathaway reluctantly stepped out from her hiding place. The group of four men and one woman was now only a few steps away.
"Well, well, didn't expect such a pretty little thing!" One of the men's eyes lit up with excitement. The disheveled woman glanced coldly at them and sneered, her voice dripping with malice. "Tender skin like hers... must taste delicious roasted."
"Eat her? Are you stupid? Let's have some fun first!"
"Look at her pack — she's probably carrying all sorts of goodies."
"Stay back!" Hathaway's voice was steady as she pulled an object from her bag — a device shaped unmistakably like a gun. Though she feigned calmness, the beast-like aura radiating from the group made her heart pound. These weren't just people; they were predators in human skin. She couldn't let them get any closer.
"A gun?" The sight of her weapon only made the group chuckle. None showed the slightest hint of fear. The eldest man, his gaunt face still carrying an air of ferocity, stepped forward. "You have any idea how many idiots I've killed who thought a gun could protect them?"
They advanced, step by step.
Hathaway retreated, step by step, until her back pressed against a large tree. She had nowhere left to go.
"Don't resist. This is fate — yours and ours!" The group laughed cruelly, their true, monstrous nature laid bare.
Beep, beep, beep.
The screen of the rectangular device in Hathaway's bag lit up. The glowing dot that had been approaching her was now directly overlapping the three dots representing her location.
"Caw—!"
A piercing cry split the air, sharp and shrill like a blade slicing down from above. The trees swayed lightly from the sheer force of the sound.
The group froze in shock, heads snapping upward.
A flash of fiery red descended from the sky, its massive wings spread wide as it dived.
"It's that!" Hathaway pressed against the tree, her eyes widening in recognition. The fiery blur she had glimpsed over the jungle before landing on the island — it wasn't her imagination. It was real.
"A bird?!" The group barely had time to react. The fiery phoenix swooped low, skimming the ground as it streaked between them like a bolt of red lightning.
Slash!
A metallic slicing sound rang out. In an instant, all four men and the woman stood frozen, eyes wide with disbelief, their bodies severed cleanly at the waist.
Before blood could even splatter, the phoenix turned, opening its beak to unleash a searing beam of energy. The blazing ki blast engulfed the group, vaporizing them completely.
The heatwave ripped Hathaway's cap off, sending her golden hair flying wildly in the wind. She stood motionless, staring in stunned silence at the majestic crimson bird above her. "Is this the divine bird from the legends of this island?"
The phoenix let out a soft, disdainful trill as if scoffing at the now-vanquished threats. Its glowing eyes shifted, locking onto Hathaway. With a graceful flap of its wings, it descended, landing lightly on the ground before her.
Hathaway tensed, watching the enormous bird approach. Even standing on the ground, it was tall enough to reach her thighs. As it stepped closer, something caught her attention — a necklace dangling around its neck. And attached to the necklace...
A glimmering orange orb with four red stars.
"The Four-Star Ball!"
The phoenix stopped in front of her, tilting its head curiously. Then, to her astonishment, it leaned forward, rubbing its head affectionately against her leg like a tame, loyal pet.