Drift Of The Multiverse: [Marvel] [Resident Evil] [DC] [Bleach] [DB]

The Goddess of Dawn moved cautiously around the island. Out of an abundance of caution, Ethan kept the ship at a safe distance, allowing him to observe the island's general features through his telescope.

"Drop the speed a little more," he said.

The galleon crewed by female adventurers was doing the same thing. Previously, the larger ship had been ahead, while Ethan's Goddess of Dawn followed at a fixed distance. Now, both vessels circled the island carefully, keeping their distance from each other to avoid any potential conflict.

Ethan made sure not to reduce his ship's speed to match theirs entirely. Instead, he shifted the course slightly inward.

"Move a little closer to the island," he instructed.

Ethan intended to maneuver the Goddess of Dawn clockwise around the island, creeping closer with each loop to cautiously test the strange landmass.

This approach would take more time, but it offered a key advantage: if they detected anything dangerous, the Goddess of Dawn's speed and maneuverability, combined with the current course, would allow them to accelerate and flee immediately without the need for complex adjustments.

Caution was essential when dealing with the unknown.

With this approach, the Goddess of Dawn slowly closed the gap with the larger galleon and eventually overtook it, shifting from trailing behind to leading the way.

From this position, Ethan could clearly see the activity on the galleon's deck without needing a telescope, including the wary glances of the female crew.

"They know who we are," Ethan murmured.

As the Goddess of Dawn passed the galleon and created some distance, Ethan noticed the larger ship increased its speed slightly, maintaining a fixed gap while also creeping closer to the island. Their intentions were clear, they had the same plan as Ethan: keep the island at arm's length while investigating it.

The galleon's crew was cleverly letting Ethan's ship act as the pathfinder, giving them more time to react if something went wrong. From a purely strategic standpoint, it was a smart decision. With its heavier displacement and slower maneuverability, the galleon wouldn't be able to adjust course or accelerate as quickly as the Goddess of Dawn.

In a dangerous situation, Ethan's ship could likely escape unharmed, but the galleon might not have the same luck.

"Judging by how cautious they are, even with their clear advantage in firepower and numbers, they must know exactly who we are and have a good understanding of our strength," Ethan speculated.

"But if they're deliberately letting us lead, does that mean they know something about this strange island?" Arthur asked.

"Possibly," Ethan replied.

Ethan's time in the Sea of Calm had been relatively short. Despite borrowing books from the Adventurer's Guild to fill in the gaps in his knowledge, there were still countless things in this region that weren't documented, information that could only be learned through personal experience or passed down orally among adventurers.

The strength of the galleon's all-female crew was undeniable. To acquire such a ship in these treacherous waters, they must have spent considerable time sailing the Sea of Calm. It stood to reason that they would have a deeper understanding of this area, especially regarding unusual phenomena like this strange island.

Even if they hadn't personally encountered such an island before, they might have heard rumors or stories about it from other adventurers.

And even vague rumors were better than Ethan's complete lack of knowledge.

As the ships continued to circle the island, they completed three loops. Each time they got closer, the strange fluctuations emanating from the island grew stronger. For Ethan, whose sensitivity to energy as a magician was well-honed, the sensation became increasingly unsettling.

"This energy reeks of death and decay," he muttered.

Using his telescope, he studied the island more closely. There was no sign of life, no plants, no animals, nothing. Yet it didn't seem like a newly surfaced landmass.

The entire island was covered in black soil and jagged rocks. The ground looked dead, entirely unlike the vibrant, life-filled soil of other islands Ethan had explored.

"I didn't think the Sea of Calm could produce an island like this," Arthur said, clearly unsettled.

"This place… it feels like something straight out of a legend about evil," he added.

Ethan didn't respond immediately. Instead, his attention was drawn to a new ship that had appeared on the horizon. Earlier, it had been too far away to bother with, but now it was heading directly for the island. Ethan was curious to see how this newcomer would react.

"Could it be that ship that fled earlier?" Arthur asked, recalling the smaller ship that had panicked upon seeing the galleon. "Maybe they didn't want to give up on the island entirely and are trying to avoid the galleon while sneaking in to gather supplies."

It wasn't an unreasonable theory. Islands in the Sea of Calm were rare, and opportunities to resupply were few and far between. The crew of the fleeing ship might have been desperate enough to try again.

"No, the sails are different," Ethan said after a closer look through his telescope.

Arthur didn't have a telescope and could only make out that it was a clipper similar to the Goddess of Dawn. But Ethan could see the finer details. The layout of the sails on this new ship was different.

While it primarily used spinnakers like the previous ship, its auxiliary sails were configured to prioritize a balance between speed and stability. In contrast, the first ship had emphasized extreme speed above all else.

In fact, the new ship's sail configuration was closer to that of the Goddess of Dawn, which balanced speed with control, mainly because Ethan wasn't confident enough in his sailing skills to handle an overly aggressive design.

"Wait… it's not slowing down," Ethan noted with surprise.

As the new ship drew closer, Ethan had expected it to follow the same cautious approach as he and the galleon, slowing down and carefully observing the island.

Unexpectedly, the ship rushed straight toward the island, cutting across the path of Ethan's Goddess of Dawn before slowing down to dock. It finally moored beside the island, taking advantage of one of the deep-water harbors scattered along its coastline.

Ethan had already noticed a few of these harbors during his earlier observations. If he or the galleon behind him wanted to land, both ships would find suitable berths.

Such convenient harbors were unusual, as if they had been deliberately placed to make docking easy for adventurers. The thought sent a chill down Ethan's spine, making the island seem even more unsettling.

"Well, someone just volunteered to scout ahead for us," Ethan remarked dryly.

He and Arthur stopped the Goddess of Dawn, dropped anchor, and left a safe distance between their ship and the shore. Standing on the poop deck with his telescope, Ethan watched as the other ship's crew disembarked. A few individuals, armed and carrying tools, began heading into the island's interior.

Thanks to the island's barren landscape, there was nothing to block his line of sight. Ethan could clearly observe the group's movements as they ventured deeper into the island.

Whether intentional or not, the group didn't linger near the shore. Instead, they continued walking inland until they gradually disappeared from view.

"They seemed to be carrying mining tools," Arthur pointed out. One of the individuals had a pickaxe slung over their shoulder—an obvious clue.

"If they brought a pickaxe, the only thing they're likely looking for is ore," Ethan replied.

"Maybe this island is rich in minerals? That would explain why there's no vegetation here," Arthur suggested.

It made sense. Many ores were inherently toxic, hindering plant growth. If the island had an abundance of such materials, it wasn't surprising that no plants could survive there.

"Magic stone, maybe?"

Ethan and Arthur both came to the same conclusion. Magic stones were one of the most unique and valuable resources in this world.

"That energy... it reeks of death and decay. Could there be magic stones infused with undead power hidden on this island?" Ethan speculated aloud.

For now, it was only a theory. To confirm it, they would have to set foot on the island themselves. But for the moment, Ethan and Arthur simply observed. Even after a while, nothing noteworthy happened on the island.

"Wait... something's off about that ship," Ethan said suddenly, narrowing his eyes.

Arthur glanced at him. "What do you mean?"

"I don't know... It just looks different somehow," Ethan replied, frowning as he tried to pinpoint the issue.

Both men grabbed their telescopes and began scrutinizing the docked ship. At first, neither of them could identify anything specific, but Ethan's unease only grew.

After what felt like an eternity, they finally noticed it.

"The ship... it looks older," Arthur said hesitantly. "Like it's aged somehow."

Arthur wasn't entirely confident. Ships at sea naturally sustained wear and tear, and it was possible he was imagining things.

Ethan, however, was certain. "No, it's definitely aging. Look at the sails. They're starting to show signs of deterioration. I made a point of examining them earlier, and while they weren't brand new, they were intact. Now they're starting to fray."

Arthur took another look and reluctantly nodded. "You're right. But how is this happening?"

"It must be that strange energy," Ethan replied. "Those fluctuations are undoubtedly caused by powerful negative energy. It's what's giving this island its eerie properties, and it's affecting everything that comes near it, living or otherwise."

Ethan wasn't unfamiliar with such phenomena. In some worlds, powerful negative energies, like the infamous fel energy produced similar effects.

The thought made him pause. Was it really worth the risk to land on this island?

As he debated the decision, he noticed movement from the galleon behind them. The larger ship, still holding its position offshore, had launched a small boat. A group of people was rowing directly toward the Goddess of Dawn.