Re: In My Bloody Hit Novel

As Chiron and Emma walked down the jetty, the scent of salt and seaweed filled the air, mingling with the distant sounds of merchants calling out their wares.

Suddenly, a figure dashed toward them.

A woman—no, a merman.

Even for Chiron, this was the first time he had seen one up close.

The few mermen he had encountered before were of gold and demi-god rank, powerful beings who had once tried to kill Manu Madayaki in the past.

But this woman was different.

Her skin had a faint pearlescent shimmer, and traces of iridescent scales ran along the sides of her neck and forearms.

Her eyes were a mesmerizing mix of deep blue and silver, mirroring the ocean's depths.

She wore flowing garments of woven kelp and silk, adorned with seashells and coral beads that tinkled softly with each movement.

Despite her otherworldly appearance, she carried a warm, welcoming smile.

With a simple wave of her webbed fingers, water rose from the air, swirling with a strange grace.

The liquid coiled and danced, weaving itself into flower-shaped rings that gently floated around Chiron's and Emma's necks.

"Welcome to our island," she said, her voice like the gentle crash of waves on a shore.

She then informed them of the island's customs—tourists were always welcome, but before they left, they were required to leave an offering at the Temple of Mustang as a sign of respect to their god.

Throughout her entire speech, neither Chiron nor Emma had uttered a single word.

Instead, Emma spoke to Chiron through their mental link.

"Master, was that what I think it was?"

Her tone held a hint of cautious curiosity.

Chiron barely reacted, his deep eyes remaining steady as he responded.

"Yes. This is how it is on these islands. Everyone here uses Elemental Energy."

Emma's curiosity deepened, prompting Chiron to explain further.

Elemental Energy was a bit similar to magic in some sense. But their similarities was in the fact that others could not learn it.

It was an innate force, something one had to be born with—it could not be taught or learned like other energy systems.

Those born with Elemental Energy had a natural affinity to a specific element—water, fire, earth, wind, lightning, or even rarer elements.

Most people were born with only one affinity, and even then, their control depended on their bloodline purity and natural talent.

However, certain noble lineages within specific tribes—especially those with deep historical roots—could inherit two elements.

These dual-element users were incredibly rare, and among them, those who could truly master both were even rarer.

As Chiron processed all of this, his gaze subtly flickered back to the merman woman, who still stood before them, smiling with expectation.

A small smirk touched his lips.

This island might have been a sanctuary, but in his eyes, it was also an opportunity.

The merman woman's eyes gleamed with excitement as she took in the blue core beast cores floating in Chiron's palm.

Regardless of location, beast cores were always a universal currency—especially among cultivators and beastfolk.

Seeing the high quality of these cores, she could not hide her delight.

Chiron smiled, his expression effortlessly charming.

Then, in a sudden motion, he wrapped an arm around Emma's waist, pulling her close.

She stiffened for a moment, unprepared for such intimacy, but soon relaxed—leaning subtly into him despite herself.

This was a first.

Usually, she was the one flirting with him, throwing advances his way.

Now, he was the one holding her so close—his warmth enveloping her.

It was just an act, of course.

Still, it affected her more than she cared to admit.

"My name is Tate," Chiron introduced himself smoothly, "and this is my wife, Varex. We're here to enjoy an exotic honeymoon."

Emma felt her face flush slightly under her veil.

She subtly turned her face away but did not move away from him—instead, she allowed herself to bask in his warmth, letting him set the scene.

Chiron turned back to the merman woman, asking for her name, which she quickly provided.

Then, he inquired about a good inn where they could spend the night.

She nodded eagerly, leading them forward.

As they walked, she mentally noted something odd—this couple had arrived for a honeymoon, yet they carried no luggage.

But she quickly dismissed her suspicions.

After all, Chiron had produced valuable beast cores from nowhere—a clear indicator that they likely possessed storage rings.

That meant one of two things:

1. They were powerful cultivators.

2. They were wealthy nobles from a royal family.

Either way, it was best to stay on their good side.

Still, her curiosity burned.

She stole a quick glance at Emma's veiled face, hoping to catch a glimpse beneath it.

Though the veil hid most of her features, she managed to see Emma's delicate lips and jawline—and what she saw made her heart skip a beat.

The beauty beneath that veil was breathtaking.

Instantly, she formed a theory—

Emma must be a runaway princess.

A royal woman fleeing from an arranged marriage with her beloved lover.

The merman woman sighed to herself.

It wouldn't be the first time such a thing happened.

Still, if she played her cards right, she might be able to profit from this encounter.

The streets of the island were unlike any mainland city.

There were no towering castles or grand palaces—instead, the structures were carved directly into coral formations and large stone reefs, giving the town a natural, organic look.

Glowing kelp lanterns powered by glowing little elementals swayed gently, illuminating the streets with a soft blue-green light.

Fountains of seawater danced magically in the air, sculpted by those with water affinity into various artistic displays.

Market stalls lined the pathways, selling rare sea treasures, enchanted shells, and freshly caught sea beasts—some of which were still alive, bound by glowing runes.

At last, they arrived at a simple-looking inn nestled between two coral-built structures.

It wasn't extravagant, but it was well-kept, with large arching windows, shell-adorned walls, and the faint scent of salted seafood wafting from within.

The signboard above the entrance read "The Silver Tide", marked with a symbol of a crashing wave.

As Chiron and Emma stepped inside, something immediately caught their attention.

A wanted poster was pinned to the wall near the entrance.

Chiron's face stared back at him from the parchment.

It was a joint commission from both the Holy Church and the Zodiac Families, stating that any information on him would bring incredible rewards.

Chiron sighed softly.

Fortunately, he had prepared for this.

Using an armament taken from a fallen demi-god during his last battle, he had altered his appearance just enough.

The armament was silver-ranked, meaning only someone of gold rank or higher would be able to see through the disguise.

As long as no gold-rankers were on this island, he was safe… for now.

But Chiron knew that for such a place to exist in peace, it definitely had at least one.

Crossing paths was inevitable. Then again, Chiron came here for a particular purpose.

According to what he remembered from the novel, the main protagonist while going around the world had met that man here.

At the time the war with the Zodiac families, holy church and other strings of power had climbed very high. High enough that even these people in this islands were affected.

The main protagonist had come to lend a hand in the war, and that was how he met that man.

He was an elf. But not just any elf. He was the father of chief Ellen. ( check Volume 1)

Chief Ellen was an half elf woman that became a chief of his former chikitsa clan.

In the initial story, she had escaped the ruin of the chilitsa clan and reunited with her father in this place.

She was the reason that the original protagonist was able to meet that man who was an elf.

And then later on they discovered that he was one of the three Keepers that had the key to the land of elves.

Unfortunately, this time around, chief Ellen had died to Chiron's schemes during tge end of the chikitsa clan.

Meaning that Chiron would have to find the Elf on his own. But that wpukd definitely not be an easy task.

It was known world wide what the Elves did a thousand years ago, and now, they were hated everywhere.

Even demons walked around freely, but Elves were deemed the arbitrator of evil.

Chiron was smart enough to know that they was no way that the elf was walking around with his identity as an elf.

Meaning that what he needed in this place was information.

If he had information, finding that man would definitely become much easier.

Chiron and Emma made it all the way to their room.

After all, in their lie, they were a couple. They definitely had to keep up the pretense. But Emma could not help but have a bit of expectation in her heart...