The Marine Kingdom was an entirely different world!
I expanded my perception with God Wolf Eye, stretching my senses as far as they would go. Only then did I see the true scale of this place.
Lush greenery blanketed most of the land, rolling hills and mountains rising in the distance like gentle waves frozen in time. It was vast—almost as large as Gihon itself.
If real estate developers saw this untouched paradise, they'd probably start drooling.
Above us, impossibly high in the sky, a membrane shimmered—a translucent dome of pure water.
The entire kingdom was encased in a gigantic, spherical ocean.
Yet, despite being underwater, the lighting was perfect. Either magic was at work, or sunlight was somehow filtering through the watery barrier, casting a soft, natural glow across the landscape.
A thick forest stood not far from where we arrived, deep emerald trees swaying gently despite the absence of wind. Lakes, glistening like polished sapphires, dotted the terrain, reflecting the strange, aquatic sky above.
"This place is wonderful…" I said.
"Yes. It's all so surreal—I was shocked myself." Levi placed a hand on her cheek, her expression visibly stunned.
"You mean when you first obtained this ability?" I asked.
"No. I mean right now. This place used to be nothing but water. It wasn't this vast, and it definitely didn't have air."
I frowned. "So… did your ability upgrade or something?"
I mean, even my Shadow Wolf Summon evolved into Specter Wolf Summon recently. Maybe something similar happened to her?
Levi hummed, her fingers grazing her lips thoughtfully. "I believe this is a response to the covenant between myself and my Master."
Huh. That could make sense.
But I needed a second opinion.
Platform!
{You called, Master.}
Yes. Explain this realm to me.
{Understood. This is the Marine Kingdom—a realm originally composed entirely of water, and a Special Gift of Leviathan, now known as Levina.}
...Platform.
Didn't you think I already knew that?
{You asked me to explain the realm, and I did… Master.}
Why are you sound angry?!
I'm the one supposed to be mad here!
Ugh, whatever. I'm not talking to you anymore!
{Likewise.}
…Hmph.
…Eh?
Platform… I'm sorry.
If she decided to shut me out, my lazy existence wouldn't survive.
A gentle breeze rolled through the landscape, cool and refreshing.
Wait.
A breeze?
In a world that was supposed to be submerged in water?
There were too many mysteries surrounding this place. If it weren't for Pluto's accursed Pact of Suicide, I'd have spent my days here, happily hiding from reality.
But for now, we had exploring to do.
We moved toward the massive forest nearby, eager to take in our surroundings firsthand. The trees were absurdly large—the smallest of them easily towering twenty feet high, their trunks four feet thick at least. Their roots twisted and intertwined like veins of marble, their intricate patterns almost too perfect to be natural.
It was as if the forest itself had been designed.
I plucked a strange fruit from one of the branches—about the size of a human head—and took a careful bite.
It was… fairly sweet.
Okay, no. this was too delicious!
I'd eaten fruits from both Gihon and Asgard, and none of them tasted quite like this.
After verifying that it wasn't poisonous, I handed some to Alicia.
She took one bite—then immediately began stuffing herself.
…Heh. Cute.
I reached out and patted her head, and she grinned at me, cheeks full like a chipmunk.
As we continued forward, we spotted small, mythical-looking creatures darting between the trees. They were beautiful, but rare—almost like the forest itself was keeping them hidden.
Eventually, we emerged from the forest's embrace.
I looked up.
The sky was still as strange as ever. Light flooded the land naturally, yet… I couldn't find the sun.
There wasn't really any sunlight in Asgard, but that place was whack—physical laws barely functioned there.
…Which made me think.
Was the Marine Kingdom the same?
A realm where the laws of nature didn't quite work as expected?
I tucked that thought away for later.
For now, we had seen enough.
"Alright, let's get back to the surface," I said, stretching.
"As you will, Master Raven."
Levi bowed, then by her will, summoned a ripple in the air. And just like that, we left Coastelle behind.
Yes, I renamed it.
Marine Kingdom was too long, and Coastelle sounded better.
Levi and Alicia both agreed—or maybe they were just pretending to like it because I came up with it.
Either way, it was sticking.
*
The moment we stepped out of the ripple gate, I noticed something off.
Pison was dark.
Night had already fallen.
Wait. What?!
I can't believe it; does time run differently in there?!
{No, you just spent that much time eating strange fruits.}
…Whoa, you say that like something bad is going to happen for eating it!
Alicia yawned, drawing my attention.
Ah, Of course.
I, and definitely Levi, could go without sleep for long periods of time, but Alicia couldn't.
"Alright, nap time," I announced, clapping my hands together.
"Splendid!" Levi beamed. "I shall find something for you to rest your head on, Master Raven."
Now that's more like it. That's a great servant!
"Thanks," I said, then added, "Make sure Alicia has something too."
The moment I said it, Levi's expression shifted—her gaze wandered elsewhere, her smile faltering into something melancholic.
…What was that about?
I wondered when this rivalry of theirs even began.
But hold on.
Why were we about to sleep out here, in the middle of Pison's vast wilderness… When we could sleep in Coastelle's vast wilderness instead?
"Hey, Levi, can't we just rest at Coastelle?"
It was far more comfortable there—softer grasses, a refreshing breeze.
Though, I couldn't shake the feeling that something about sleeping under a night sky in Pison would feel different. Maybe it was the sense of time passing, the natural rhythm of things.
Either way, Levi opened the ripple gate once more.
Tsk. I really needed to learn how to do this myself soon. I felt like I was bothering her, even if she didn't seem to mind.
Stepping through the gate, I froze.
Darkness.