Aetherdeep, a realm of floating islands adrift in the endless sky.
Long ago, it had been a single, boundless land—until the gods of the sea and the heavens clashed in a war that shattered the earth. The aftermath left the world splintered, fragments of land suspended in the air like drifting continents. This fractured skyworld became known as Aetherdeep.
Atop the largest of these floating fragments stood the Aetherdeep Grand Academy, an ancient citadel of knowledge and power. Here, students studied diligently until their sixteenth year—when they would awaken their personal Systems, the source of all strength in this world.
The academy boasted diverse disciplines: Beast Tamers, Scholars, Craftsmen, Channelers, Warriors, and more. But none of those paths mattered to Ray. His world revolved solely around the Fourth-Tier classroom and the crumbling dorm room that barely passed as a place to live.
Ray pushed open the door to his dorm, blood trickling down his face.
"Man, what happened to you?" asked Sam—his only real friend, the one person who hadn't abandoned him over the last four years.
"Nothing," Ray muttered, stepping inside. He barely glanced at Sam as he rummaged through a mountain of cluttered belongings stacked like garbage in his room. "Where is it…? I remember putting it here somewhere…"
Sam stood up, stomach round and shirt awkwardly riding up. In his hand was a wooden staff made from whistled wood, topped with a ring-shaped crest and a single embedded red gem. He raised it and tapped it gently on the ground. "Swift Healing—activate."
A soft glow radiated from the staff, and Ray's head wounds began to close—slowly, but steadily. Ray didn't even flinch. He kept digging through the mess with frantic hands.
"What are you looking for?" Sam asked, letting out a sigh as he sat back down on the bed.
"The money… the one my mom gave me last month. I know I put it here…"
Sam leaned his staff against the wall. "Didn't you give all of it to Alex last time?"
Ray froze.
"Ah… that…"
Flashes of that day returned—the brutal fists, the beast Alex summoned, and how close he came to dying.
"I almost forgot…" Ray groaned and dropped onto the bed, clutching his head. "Damn it. I can't ask her for more. She barely scrapes together enough for my living as it is…"
Clink.
A small sound rang above his head.
Ray looked up. "You?"
Sam stood there, holding out a cloth pouch tied with string—its contents jingling softly with the weight of coins.
"Take it," Sam said.
Ray sat up sharply. "But… that's what your mom sends for your food and travel. How will you survive without it?"
Sam scratched the back of his neck and looked away. "I'll head over to Glintmark Hall, take a few beginner quests. I'll manage. You can take it."
Ray lunged forward and hugged him tight. "You're the best, buddy. What would I even do without you?"
Sam chuckled, patting Ray's back. "Alright, alright. Just don't get blood all over me."
Ray let go and sat back down, still cradling the money pouch. "Thanks, Sam. Really."
"But why do you need the money so bad?" Sam asked, adjusting his half-untucked shirt as he flopped back onto the bed.
"I'm going on a mission," Ray said, a spark flickering in his eyes as he slipped the pouch into his bag.
"A mission?" Sam sat bolt upright, eyes wide. "You don't even have a System yet! The Mission Halls won't assign anything to someone like you. What are you talking about?"
"That's why…" Ray zipped up his bag and stood, wiping the dried blood from his forehead. "That's why I'm going with the pirates."
Sam stared at him, stunned. "Are you insane? That's illegal! What if the ISA finds out? And even if they didn't, they'd never take a guy without a System on board!"
Ray waved him off, already heading toward the door. "If the professors ask where I am, just tell them I'm sick. Not like they care enough to come check."
"Wait—how long will you be gone?"
Ray glanced back over his shoulder, a bittersweet smile on his face. "I'll be back soon. Don't worry."
But Ray knew it was a lie. A white lie, at best. Because he wasn't just skipping town.
He was going to the Void Sea.
A place no one returned from.
Even S-Rank warriors and master beast tamers avoided that cursed stretch of water. A forbidden region beyond the known world—rumored to be where the sky bled into the abyss.
Ray arrived at the lowest-floating island, the one closest to the endless sea. It served as a harbor, where ships bobbed gently on the ocean's surface, their sails swaying in the wind.
He walked past dozens of vessels—merchant ships, adventurer skiffs, smugglers' boats—his eyes scanning for one mark.
And then, he saw it.
A massive, obsidian-black ship, anchored at the far end of the port. A tattered sail hung from its mast, bearing a single, unmistakable emblem:
A skull, grinning wide with hollow sockets.
Carved beneath it, in ancient letters, were two words:
"The Forgotten."
Ray's breath hitched. "The Forgotten…?"
He took slow steps across the creaking dock bridge, his voice hushed with awe. "The greatest pirate ship in history… They say it hunted leviathans, devoured sea monsters, and sank rival fleets like they were paper boats…"
His gaze locked on the skull emblem. "The hell…"
A thunderous voice boomed behind him.
"Yeah, The Hell is right—but you should back off before Rabbit eats your brain."
Ray didn't turn. "Why would I be afraid of a rabbit?"
Snarl.
A hot blast of air and saltwater hit him from behind.
Ray glanced over his shoulder—and froze.
Standing there was a hulking panda, but not any normal creature. It was stone-skinned, with molten cracks glowing like magma, fire blazing from its eyes, and jagged armor plating its limbs.
Ray gave a crooked grin, part fear, part fascination. "So this monster's Rabbit, huh—?"
Growl.
Another wave of steam burst out from its mouth.
"He doesn't like being called a monster," said a deep, amused voice.
Ray turned fully now to face a towering man, dark-skinned with braided hair tied in a long ponytail. He wore patchwork pirate leathers, and strapped to his back was a massive blade—one that looked heavier than a full-grown ox.
"Who…?" Ray blinked. "You're not—"
Before he could finish, another man approached, shorter than the first but built like a walking fortress. He carried a colossal wooden crate slung casually over one shoulder.
"Robin, stop chatting with kids and get back to loading."
Robin waved him off. "Just shooing away a brat."
Ray's jaw dropped. "Wait—you… You're Robin?! The Robin who cut down a Sea Serpent with a single strike of the Blackborn Sword?!"
Robin's eyes flicked toward him. "Huh. You're annoying—but at least you've got taste."
Ray pointed at the other man. "Then that must mean—you're Jack! The greatest beast tamer of S-Rank"
"Yeah, yeah," Jack grunted, rolling his shoulders. "We're very busy. Go fanboy somewhere else."
Ray's heart raced with excitement. "Woooaaaahhh—"
Before Ray could say another word, Robin grabbed him by the collar and spun him around.
"Listen, kid. I'm flattered you know my name, but we've got work to do. Supplies to load. So kindly—shove off."
Ray turned back around, desperation breaking through his awe. "Wait—please! I came all the way here for this. I need to go with you. I need to get to the Void Sea."
At that, the dock seemed to fall silent.
Jack paused mid-step. Robin's smirk disappeared.
And then, a voice, smooth and sharp as a dagger's edge, rang out from the ship.
"You want to be fish food for the Celestial Whales that badly, kid?"
Ray turned his gaze upward.
Perched on the edge of the ship's railing was a woman with crimson hair and a silver dagger dancing between her fingers. She lounged there like a bored cat, legs swinging idly. Her boots were muddy, her cloak patched, but her eyes glimmered with the thrill of danger.
"You're talking about the Void Sea like it's some place for sightseeing," she continued. "Even S-Class captains don't come back from that place."
"I know," Ray said quietly. "That's why I have to go."
Robin narrowed his eyes. "You serious? You do realize what you're saying, right? That sea's not a joke. It doesn't just kill people—it erases them. No graves. No stories. Just nothing."
Ray took a step forward, hands clenched. "I know. But I'm going anyway."
Silence stretched between them.
Then, Jack grunted and turned back to his crate. "Let the sea chew him up. If he's dumb enough to walk into the jaws of death, let him."
Robin sighed. "We're not running a charity, kid. Why would we take you aboard?"
Ray didn't answer right away. His crimson eyes locked on Robin's, and for a moment, there was something strange in them—something heavy, hidden deep.
"Because I don't have anywhere else to go."
****
Meanwhile...
Far above the floating islands of Aetherdeep, in a circular, crystal-lit chamber filled with hundreds of glowing screens, a massive hologram flickered into life. The chamber was silent save for the hum of arcane machines and the tapping of white-robed figures working at terminals.
The hologram took the shape of a enormous man—towering, cloaked in radiance so intense that even his shadow seemed to burn.
Everyone stood.
"Master." Their voices rose in unison, trembling with reverence.
The holographic figure's voice thundered through the chamber.
"HAVE YOU LOCATED CODE-X?"
A man in a white robe edged with gold stepped forward, bowing low. "Apologies, Master. We still have no precise location—but the signature is still within Aetherdeep. I believe—"
"ENOUGH."
The voice cracked like lightning. Every worker flinched. The golden-robed man dropped to his knees, eyes wide.
"GIVE ME EXCUSES AGAIN, AND I WILL FEED YOU TO VALOR'S MOUTH."
A collective shudder rippled through the room.
The kneeling man pressed his forehead to the floor. "N-Next time… I will have something concrete to show you…"
The hologram flickered. "YOU BETTER."
Then it vanished.
Silence reigned for a heartbeat.
Then the golden-robed man rose, face twisted with fury, whispering under his breath:
"I'll burn the whole damn island to find that code…"