The Boiling Archipelago and the Difficult Choice

Chapter 225 The Boiling Archipelago and the Difficult Choice

The effect of offering a reward is immediate.

The once relatively calm waters of the Boers Islands were instantly ignited.

Many native wizard families and forces of the Burs Islands, who had previously been observing or merely superficially submitting, could no longer hold back.

The promise of a path to "Aikar" struck them like a thunderbolt, igniting the deepest desires within their hearts.

Countless ships belonging to different families, tribes, or pirate groups, each with its own unique style but exuding a fierce aura, set sail from the harbors of islands large and small, like a school of sharks smelling blood, eagerly surging into the waves.

Their objective was clear: to search for any clues that might be related to the two miners.

The sea became unusually "lively." When ships met, it was no longer a simple brush past each other, but a wary scrutiny and an undisguised exploration.

Some long-standing feuding factions even clashed on a small scale because they suspected each other of harboring targets. Chaos and greed spread like a plague across the archipelago.

Even more remarkably, some indigenous shamans skilled in tracking, divination, or communicating with marine life have begun to employ their unique abilities.

Some people burn specially prepared herbs, trying to glean secrets from the smoke.

Some people throw enchanted bone fragments into the sea to sense unusual energy underwater.

Some people even used domesticated seabirds or schools of fish to expand the search area.

The entire Boers Islands seemed to have transformed into a vast, bustling hunting ground.

There are only two prey.

Now, portraits of Kahn and Aji have spread throughout the ocean!

That was an image precisely drawn and mass-produced by the wizards of the Eternal Night Dynasty using fragments of memory!

Kahn's weathered, gaunt, and wary face.

Aji's face was young, yet it carried a hint of bewilderment and determination.

The description included their worn-out miner clothing and even a rough estimate of their height and build.

These portraits were scattered like snowflakes across every corner of the archipelago via fast boats, carrier pigeons, and even some short-range teleportation spells.

Not only those islands that had already submitted to the Eternal Night Dynasty, but even those island forces that maintained neutrality on the surface and were located in relatively remote areas behind Nikon Island could not resist the temptation of the holy land of power and quietly joined the fray.

In an instant, countless eyes, both openly and secretly, were searching for those two faces!

Black Reef Island, deep in the dense forest.

Erm's expression was also unusually solemn at this moment.

The runic seashell in his hand, used for receiving simple communications within the island, vibrated slightly once more.

"The message has come in."

Erm stopped in his tracks, his voice low.

"Your portraits are now all over the archipelago."

On the island—while most islanders won't willingly betray us, infiltrators from the Eternal Night Dynasty and some potentially bribed outsiders have probably already begun their operations.

Kahn's heart sank to the bottom.

His worst fears came true. Once they had a clear portrait, they were like torches in the dark, nowhere to hide.

Aji subconsciously touched his face, as if the portrait had been branded onto his skin.

An unprecedented panic gripped him; it wasn't the fear he felt when facing a powerful monster, but the fear of being ostracized by the entire world.

And the suffocating feeling of being hunted.

He felt that behind every leaf, in the shadow of every rock, might lurk a pair of greedy eyes.

After a long pause, Kahn took a deep breath, as if he had made up his mind, and said in a hoarse voice, "Lord Erm, thank you for your shelter and guidance these past few days. I think we should leave now."

Upon hearing Kahn's words, Erm's expression clearly showed signs of struggle, and the knuckles of his hand gripping the "Eye of the Tide" staff turned white from the force.

On his weathered face, reason and emotion were locked in a fierce battle.

Admittedly, Aji has now inadvertently acquired a trace of power related to the "Sleeping Temple".

That was an ancient secret he had discovered by chance during his travels through the archipelago, but which he had never been able to access!

Guan Ping holds a forgotten history, and may even determine the future fate of the entire archipelago.

As a wizard who has dedicated his life to the pursuit of knowledge and truth, even though he is now confined to an island, he still harbors an irrepressible desire to explore this secret.

Protecting Aji might just unlock this long-buried mystery.

but--

He is, after all, the guardian of Black Reef Island!

On his shoulders lay the safety of the entire island and all the islanders who trusted him!

Mochamo of the Eternal Night Dynasty has offered an irresistible bounty.

If others were to find out that it was Tarm, the guardian of Black Reef Island, who harbored two people that the Eternal Night Dynasty was willing to hunt down at all costs, what would that bring to Black Reef Island?

A catastrophe!

Oman will definitely use this as an excuse to tear up the fragile agreement and send a large army to invade.

Although Black Reef Island possesses some ancient protective forces, how can it stand against the vast Eternal Night Dynasty?

At that time, countless lives will be lost, and the homeland he has protected for decades will be destroyed.

Those simple islanders who live according to ancient traditions will be plunged into war because of his momentary choice.

He cannot bear this responsibility.

The air seemed to freeze.

Kahn looked at Erm with understanding. He had anticipated this when he suggested leaving, not wanting his former friend and current benefactor to be in such a dilemma.

Aji also held his breath. He could feel the intense turmoil in Erm's heart, the heavy pressure almost suffocating him.

"I understand your difficulties, Lord Erm—"

Kahn's voice carried deep empathy, but also a sense of desolation, as if he were preparing to face his fate alone.

He tugged at Aji's arm, signaling that he was ready to quietly retreat into the deeper shade of the trees.

The air seemed to freeze, with only the rustling of the wind through the black leaves and the faint sound of distant waves.

The sudden attack had not occurred; the forest was deathly silent, as if the previous sense of crisis was merely an illusion caused by excessive tension.

This sudden, somewhat awkward calm only made Erm's inner struggle clearer and more intense.

He looked at his old friend Kahn, who was weathered by life and ready to leave silently to bear everything, and then looked at the young man, Aji.

The antique bracelet on his wrist gleamed faintly in the dim light, and the marks on his arm seemed to resonate subtly with the pulse of the island beneath his feet.

Nobody knows they're here.

This is crucial information.

This means that Black Lagoon is currently safe and has the initiative to choose, rather than being forced into a corner.

Sending the two away to face the already turbulent and treacherous sea outside was almost a death sentence.

Moreover, they carry secrets related to the "Slumbering Temple," and if they fall into the hands of the Eternal Night Dynasty or other ambitious individuals, the consequences would be unimaginable.

This is not only watching a dear friend die, but it could also be burying a secret concerning the fate of the archipelago, or even causing an even greater disaster.

Leaving them behind also carries enormous risks.

The truth will eventually come out, and once the news leaks out, Mochamo's wrath will surely be unleashed on Black Reef Island.

But—what if it's done correctly?

If he could help Aji gain power more quickly, if he could find a way to have the best of both worlds by utilizing the ancient presence at the center of the island?

This was undoubtedly a high-stakes gamble, betting everything he was protecting.

His gaze swept over Aji's young yet resolute face again, his eyes filled with fear, but deeper within was a tenacity that had not yet been extinguished—

An ancient scent that felt familiar to him, belonging to this sea.

Protecting sometimes means taking risks to embrace change, rather than simply shutting out danger.

Erm took a deep breath, as if to expel all the hesitation and heaviness in his chest.

The struggle in his wrinkled face gradually faded, replaced by a calm and resolute determination.

He stepped forward and reached out to press down on Kahn's shoulder as he was about to turn around.

"Kahn, wait."

Kahn and Aji were both stunned and looked at him.

Erm's gaze swept across the quiet yet treacherous jungle. His voice was low but exceptionally firm: "The outside world is already a trap. If you leave now, it's like walking into one."

He looked at Aji with sharp eyes: "Moreover, the secret you hold is more important than you think."

Letting it fall into the hands of the Eternal Night Dynasty could be a disaster for the entire Boers Islands.

Finally, his gaze returned to Kahn's face, with a complex emotion: "Black Lagoon is my responsibility, but some things may transcend the boundaries of a single island."

I cannot—I cannot stand by and watch you go to your deaths, nor can I stand by and allow that power to be abused.

He paused for a moment, then made his final decision: "I know an even more secluded place, an ancient cave on the island that most of the islanders don't even know about."

It is also protected by ancient forces, which can isolate it from outside detection.

We'll go there to hide for now. In the meantime, I'll do my best to guide Aji so that he can quickly master the skills of self-preservation and concealment."

o

This decision meant that he had chosen a more difficult and dangerous path.

In the eye of the storm, they secretly sheltered these two "jinxes" and tried to turn the potential disaster into a glimmer of hope.

Looking into Erm's eyes, where there was no room for doubt, Kahn's throat bobbed, and finally, all his unspoken words condensed into a heavy "Thank you—"

Aji nodded vigorously, his heart filled with uncertainty about the future, but also with a glimmer of new hope.

"There's no time to lose, come with me."

Without further hesitation, Erm turned and led the two of them stealthily toward the unknown secret cave that might determine their fate.