In the dim room, Thea stared at Haizan and Ethan with a storm of emotions.
From the moment Haizan had appeared, she’d been worried he’d do something to Ethan behind her back.
Trolls had always viewed humans with more malice than kindness. Trollkind was a naturally supernatural race. Humans weren’t.
And now humans ruled the Endless Sea. That only sharpened troll resentment into jealousy and contempt.
While Thea had been trapped in a monastery cell, digesting her ancestor’s power, she’d worried constantly.
Haizan’s rank dwarfed Ethan’s. If Haizan wanted to break their contract, or use some troll method to cripple Ethan, he could.
So the moment she stabilized, she’d rushed out—only relaxing when she found Ethan alive and intact.
She’d even praised Haizan in her head. Loyal. Reliable. No overstepping.
But tonight, after Delanna’s talk of godheads—
Haizan had told Ethan to prepare.
Not her.
Thea’s first reaction had been fury.
Lightning clarity.
Haizan hadn’t betrayed her.
He was still loyal.
He’d simply shifted his understanding of who mattered most.
Not the dragon princess.
The one the dragon princess had chosen.
Thea’s mouth went dry.
She forced her voice even. “Haizan. Explain.”
Haizan didn’t flinch. He bowed, deeply, like a soldier acknowledging a fact of nature.
“Your Highness,” he said, “your bloodline already carries what others would kill for. A godhead would elevate a human beyond all rivals. If you intend to claim the Endless Sea… then the human is the key.”
Thea’s eyes widened, then narrowed.
Ethan, standing between two ancient species, felt the air shift around him.
He decided to stop this from becoming a civil war in his rented house.
He turned back to Delanna.
“Where did your clan take the godhead?” he asked. “And the other half… is it still beneath this land?”
Moonlight filtered through thin cloud.
Delanna looked pleased by the direction of the question.
“You’re right,” she said. “The remaining half is still beneath this land. Beneath Storm Island.”
A chill ran down Ethan’s spine. Half a godhead buried under the island he stood on.
“Then tell us where your clan took the other portion,” Ethan said.
Delanna’s smile turned playful. “And why should I help you?”
Haizan’s voice snapped. “Merfolk—remember your position.”
Delanna didn’t look frightened. She looked entertained.
Ethan lifted one hand, halting Haizan’s warriors before the room erupted again.
He said, simply, “I understood your story. I followed your breadcrumbs. I killed the Gargoyle Mother.”
He held Delanna’s gaze. “You owe me.”
Delanna’s lashes fluttered. She laughed softly. “Fair enough.”
She tilted her head, suddenly fragile. “But I’m tired. Don’t be angry.”
Her eyes flicked toward Haizan. “She tortured me for so long. You weren’t even born when it started. I’m… weak.”
Thea looked ready to freeze the room.
Ethan ignored the performance. “Sleep, then. We’ll talk tomorrow.”
Delanna’s smile returned—satisfied. “How thoughtful.”
Ethan had her moved to a separate room, under watch. Then he retreated to his own bedroom, shut the door, and opened the System interface.
Two new tasks sat waiting.
The first was a Hunter advancement task.
[SYSTEM]
Hunter Advancement Task:
– Find and obtain the Fate Chart
Task Hint:
– The previous owner left it in the deep sea, in a merfolk library forgotten by history.
– Legends say starlight will guide you to its location.
Reward:
– Advance one tier beyond your current Hunter rank.
A merfolk library.
Delanna might be more useful than she wanted them to believe.
Ethan moved to the second task.
[SYSTEM]
Task:
– Replace Storm Island Governor Panglos Fell and become the island’s true ruler.
Reward:
– Fish the Storm Island that belongs to you.
– You will obtain: a Fragment of the Creator
– You will obtain: one Truth of the World
“A Fragment of the Creator,” Ethan murmured.
Not one of the Seven.
Was the “Creator” the System? And whose “world truth” would he be shown?
His thoughts were still colliding when a soft knock touched his door.
Ethan paused, then unlatched it.
Delanna stood outside.
She’d shifted fully into human form and wore a long dress.
Ethan recognized it after a second.
It was Thea’s.
“The Black Dragon princess is so considerate,” Delanna said with a breathy laugh, hands smoothing the tight waistline. On Thea, the dress would have hung easily. On Delanna’s fuller figure, it strained.
“So she sent you to me?” Ethan asked.
“Oh, please,” Delanna giggled. “As if.”
Her expression sharpened, just a fraction.
“When they were there, I couldn’t say certain things.”
She paused, watching his face. Ethan gave her nothing.
Delanna’s smile faltered, then steadied into something quieter.
“I know you’re from another world,” she said.
“And I know your god.”
—