Dawn had not yet broken, and the starlight was fading.
On the edge of a cliff.
Ian stood in the morning wind, his dark gray long robe whipping about him.
He took one last look in the direction of the Shadow Moon Tower.
"Let’s go."
"GAA!"
Perched on his shoulder, Gaga let out a clear cry and leaped off.
The moment it landed, its body swelled massively against the wind!
Its dark feathers shimmered with an iridescent, mystical luster. Its wings unfurled like the night sky, instantly reaching a span of over fifteen meters and casting a massive shadow on the ground.
But this was not the end.
A ghostly light flickered in Gaga’s eyes, and a low growl rumbled in its throat.
Ever since it had digested the Eternal Shadow Fragments from the Star Spirit Race ruins, its Primordial Transformation had been unleashed once more!
"GAA!"
A suppressed, low cry.
Gaga’s wings expanded again!
Twenty meters, thirty meters, forty meters!
Finally, a pair of gigantic wings that blotted out the sky unfolded completely. Their span reached a staggering forty meters, the edges of the feathers shimmering with a dark luster that seemed to devour the light.
A fierce wind erupted!
Loose stones on the cliff’s edge were swept up, and the branches of the Moonlight Forest swayed wildly.
Gaga raised its enormous head, its mismatched eyes glinting with a cold, proud light in the dawn.
It was at the peak of a Tier One Extraordinary Creature!
Only a final bloodline transformation separated it from Tier Two.
Ian tapped his toes lightly and landed steadily on Gaga’s broad back.
The texture was no longer feathery, but more like some kind of cold, metal scale armor. Each scale contained terrifying Shadow Energy.
"To the port."
"GAA!"
Gaga let out a long cry that could pierce the clouds and shatter stone, then gave a powerful flap of its wings.
BOOM!
A shockwave exploded outward, instantly shattering the rock at the cliff’s edge.
Despite its massive body, it displayed incredible agility and speed, shooting forward in an instant like a black arrow released from its bowstring.
The clouds were torn apart with ease as mountains and rivers receded rapidly below.
A gale howled past his ears, but the faint golden Crystalization Force Field around Ian had already deployed, blocking all wind pressure.
’This speed...’
’It’s nearly twice as fast as me flying on my own.’
The speed of a Level Two Wizard was already fast, but with Gaga going all out, it was nearly subsonic.
"Not bad," Ian said, gently stroking Gaga’s neck.
"Of course!" Gaga’s voice came through clearly over the wind, full of pride.
"I’m super strong now, you know!"
It paused, then asked in a low voice, "Ian, are we really not coming back?"
Ian was silent for a moment.
"Maybe a long time from now."
His voice was faint, lost in the wind.
Gaga asked no more questions and focused on flying.
It knew Ian’s personality.
Once he made a decision, he never looked back.
「Half a day later.」
The westernmost edge of the Anoroya Continent, along the coast of the Endless Sea.
On the horizon, a majestic port city appeared.
Wert, the "Anchor of the Long Voyage."
The city walls were over a hundred meters tall, built entirely of dark gray deep-sea rock and inscribed with countless Protective Runes.
Dozens of Wizard Airships of various sizes were moored in the port, their hulls gleaming with lights of energy in all colors.
The most conspicuous sight was the giant, three-hundred-meter-tall lighthouse in the center of the harbor.
A ten-meter-diameter, deep blue Crystal floated at its apex, emitting stable spatial anchoring waves to guide long-voyage vessels.
"We’re here," Gaga said as it lowered its altitude.
Ian stood on its back, looking down.
The port was bustling with people, with Wizards in robes of every color coming and going.
Most bore the insignias of Outer Island factions he didn’t recognize.
Their auras were mixed and powerful.
He could sense the auras of seven or eight Level Two Crystalized Wizards alone.
"Gaga, land outside the city," Ian instructed.
"Understood."
Gaga folded its wings, its enormous body diving toward a deserted mountain forest outside the city.
The moment it landed, its body shrank rapidly, reverting to a fist-sized black Raven that settled on Ian’s shoulder.
Ian, in turn, raised his right hand and swiped his fingers gently across his face.
His muscles and bones made soft popping sounds.
The contours of his cheeks changed, his nose bridge grew higher, the corners of his eyes lengthened, and his skin tone darkened slightly.
Three seconds later, the Mirror Technique revealed the unfamiliar, ordinary face of a middle-aged Warlock.
He wore a dark gray long robe, and his aura remained at the Initial Stage of Level Two Crystalization.
Not too high, not too low—just the right level to be "somewhat powerful but not too conspicuous."
"Let’s go."
He strode toward the city gate.
The inside of Velt Port was even more prosperous than it appeared from the outside.
The streets were lined with all sorts of shops selling Potions, materials, Witchcraft Tools, and there was even a slave market.
The cries of vendors, the sounds of haggling, and the low conversations between Wizards mingled together, creating a unique port symphony.
The air was filled with the stench of the sea, the aroma of Potions, and the fluctuations of various kinds of Magic Power.
Ian’s objective was clear.
He walked along the main street for ten minutes before stopping in front of a three-story stone building.
A huge, silver-blue sail badge hung over the building’s lintel.
The Giant Sail Trade Alliance.
It was the largest cross-sea trade organization on the East Coast, rumored to be backed by a major power from the Central Continent, specializing in the shipping routes between the East Coast and the Central Continent.
Ian pushed the door open and entered.
The hall was spacious and bright, with Light Curtains on the walls displaying various routes and timetables.
Seven or eight Wizards were at the counter making inquiries, most of them Level One Wizards with stable auras.
Ian walked straight toward the VIP reception area at the far end.
Just as he reached the edge of the area, a High Level Apprentice in a silver-blue uniform hurried over, a professional smile on his face.
"Lord Wizard, how may I help you?"
"I want to buy a ticket," Ian said flatly. "For an airship to the Central Continent."
The Apprentice’s smile didn’t waver. "Do you have an appointment or a prior reservation, sir?"