Ats wiped the sweat from his brow after a long day of interaining. His body was exhausted, and he decided it was time to rest and recover before the evening’s discussion. To clear his mind and recharge, he headed toward the Luminaria Grove.

  Even though it was night, the area around the magical tree remained untouched by artificial lighting. The faint glow emanating from the tree itself provided an illumination.

  Approag the small isnd encircled by the flowing stream, Ats waded into the cool water, letting it rise to his knees. Closing his eyes, he allowed the tree’s soothing magical aura to ease his fatigue and lighten his exhaustion.

  Scooping the water with his hands, he spshed it over his fad hair, the ess refreshing him instantly. The faintly sweet taste of the water lingered on his lips, invigorating him further. Sitting dowhe stream, he pted fully submerging himself to embrace the water’s rejuvenating effects.

  “My Lord…”

  A familiar voiterrupted his thoughts.

  Turning his head, Ats saw Mira approag, her rabbit ears twitg slightly. Her expression was bright, her smile wide as she hurried over to him.

  “Hi, My Lord,” she greeted cheerfully.

  “Hi, Mira,” Ats replied.

  By now, Ats had grown aced to Mira’s almost overwhelming ess, so he could maintain his posure when she was around. Still, prolonged eye tact with her enting expression had a way of softening his focus if he wasn’t careful.

  Mira sat beside him, pg a wooden basket filled with fresh carrots on her p.

  “My Lord… after a hard day of trainiing carrots will definitely give you energy again,” she said with a smile.

  “Sure, I like carrots,” Ats replied with a chuckle, taking one from the basket.

  He bit into it, the crisp snap of the carrot eg iillness. Its sweetness and ch were almost addictive, and Ats realized that he had developed a genuine fondness for carrots. They were quickly being a staple in his diet. He even found himself w if he might sprout rabbit ears someday, given his growing obsession.

  “My Lord…”

  “Yes?”

  “Let me…” Mira reached out aly touched Ats’s forehead and cheek. “This... soot and sweat,” she said, ughing lightly. “You’ve been training so hard, My Lord.”

  Ats couldn’t help but ugh at her gesture, amused by her pyful .

  After taking a brief journey into her past some time ago, Ats began to see Mira in a slightly different light. The cheerful, ever-optimistic girl whhtehe mood wherever she went turned out to have a history no one could have expected.

  Mira was brilliant. It was evident in how she had transformed the isnd into the lush, beautiful haven it was now. Her over-the-top obsession with carrots aside, she had created a banced enviro with areas for rexation, gathering, and dedicated spaces for farming.

  Despite her carefree and bubbly demeanor, Mira had a unique way of leading the workers who assisted her. They bored from dawn to dusk, yet none of them ever seemed exhausted. Instead, they pleted their tasks with ughter and smiles.

  Ats often wondered if this was how Mira had led her floating isnd in her own world.

  And then there was the st battle. Mira had joihe offensive ford revealed a pletely different side of herself. In bat, she dispyed a ferocity that rivaled even Manna’s infamous brutality. It was a stark trast to her usual demeanor, as though she entered airely different state whetlefield called for it.

  “Hah!” Ats ughed to himself, the memory of her fighting style fshing through his mind.

  Mira was full of surprises, and it was those ued facets of her personality that made her all the more fasating.

  “Mira…”

  “Huh? Yes, My Lord?” she respoilting her head.

  “Is there a pce you’d like to visit in this world? I’ve aken you down to the Lower Lands before.”

  “Woah…” Mira’s eyes widened as her mouth formed a surprised smile.

  She nodded rapidly. “My Lord… I want to go to the beach!”

  “The beach?”

  “Yes!” she said eagerly, her ears twitg as she tinued nodding eically.

  “The beach…” he murmured.

  As luck would have it, the quest he had received to unlock a new skill from his empest Warden css involved heading to a coastal area.

  [Quest 1: "The Crushing Tide"]

  [Objective: Train to trol and manipute rge waves he coastal area, direg and breaking tidal forces without losing bance.]

  [Location: Coastal cliffs or a waterlogged training ground.]

  [Challenge:]

  [- Redirect the force of ining waves.]

  [- Break multiple tidal surges using precise spear strikes infused with water energy.]

  The quest clearly required a coastal area with massive waves to meet its challenge requirements. While this might theoretically be possible on a floating isnd, Ats doubted that lower-ranked isnds had any locations that could provide such ditions.

  If they were to desd to the Lower Lands, it might take some time to locate the perfect spot. However, as luck would have it, their floating isnd was currently positioned he coastal regions of the desert ti below. Some of those beaches might have exactly the kind e waves he needed for the quest.

  “Let me discuss it with Edrik and the others. If it’s feasible, I’ll take everyone for a trip to the beach,” Ats said with a grin.

  Before he could react, she threw herself at him, ing her arms around him tightly and rog him bad forth with enthusiasm.

  “Thank you, My Lord!”

  Ats chuckled softly as she hugged him.

  After a moment, they both stood and began walking back toward the area where more of the isnd’s residents were rexing and hanging out for the evening.

  As night fell, the ter of the isnd grew lively. Music pyed in the background, people danced, and some sang along. Meanwhile, on the quieter sides of the isnd, those who preferred solitude found their peace.

  In the bustling middle area, most residents gathered around a rge bohe aroma of roasted meat and various dishes filled the air.

  These nightly gatherings were a cherished tradition—moments for everyoo unwind and streheir bonds as a unity.

  Ats’s gaze wandered, nding on part of Team Aether gathered he fire. Among them, Milo sat alone on a wooden log a bit away from the main group. While others huddled closer to the fire, Milo performed simple magic tricks, inviting bursts of ughter from the crowd.

  Despite their delight, Milo seemed a little awkward, grinning sheepishly every time his tricks brought amusement.

  Seeing this, Ats decided to join them for a bit and mingle. As he approached, a few members of the group noticed him.

  “My Lord, join us! Milo has a new magic trick,” someone called out.

  Ats smiled and made his way over, taking a seat on the same log as Milo.

  But the sudden shift to the wooden log startled Milo, causing him to fumble his deck of cards. The cards scattered everywhere as his bance gave way, aumbled backward off the log.

  “Whoa!”

  “HEAH!” Several people shouted in arm, leaping to their feet and dropping their food in panic at the sight.