Sunfall

On the other side,Alice struggled forward, supporting Black—though they’d evaded the assassins,the sea dragons were relentless.

Without the Dragon-Slaying Guards to hold them back,their numbers swelled by the second.

With Little Jinzi at her side,

Alice fought desperately toward the cabin door.

But just as they neared it—a Green-Ringed Sea Dragon erupted from the surrounding waves,blocking their path.

And it was Level 50!

Alice’s face paled.

She knew this breed was exceptionally dangerous—and of all times, it had to appear now.

Its scales shimmered with an eerie teal-green hue,but far more terrifying were the emerald stripes coiling its body.

When those stripes lit up,it meant the dragon was charging an attack—one comparable to a high-tier divine skill.

“ROAR!”

The Green-Ringed Sea Dragon opened its maw,revealing rows of jagged teeth,and spat a glob of foul-smelling, toxic green sludge at them!

“Watch out!”

Black, though weak, summoned every ounce of strengthto shove Alice aside.

She stumbled out of the way just in time.

The sludge struck the wall—and instantly corroded a gaping, smoldering hole through solid steel.

“Your Highness… don’t worry about me,”

Black gasped, clutching his bleeding abdomen,forcing himself to stay conscious.

He stared at the massive dragon before them.

He knew—it wasn’t attacking them randomly.

If it craved human flesh, there were plenty of corpses nearby.

Why chase them?

Its true target was Little Jinzi.

As a superior draconic species,

Little Jinzi’s presence terrified lower-tier sea dragons.

But this Green-Ringed Sea Dragon?

It was higher-leveled—and in its eyes, an upper-tier wyvern like Little Jinziwas nothing but delicious prey.

Consuming it would drastically boost its power—possibly even trigger an evolution.

Such was the nature of dragons:hierarchical, bloodline-obsessed…yet fiercely ambitious.

Imperial records even told of one of the Twelve Dragon Kings—a low-tier dragon who rose to supremacy by devouring countless upper-tier sea dragons.

As the old saying went:

“Must dragon kings be born of noble blood?”

Little Jinzi stood no chance.

But Black would never let it be devoured.

Time was running out—Alice had to escape first.

Little Jinzi stepped forward,unleashing its dragon at the Green-Ringed Sea Dragon.

But this time,it barely worked—the beast stiffened for a split second, then recovered instantly.

It exhaled a blast of corrosive breath—which only left a shallow scratch on Little Jinzi’s scales.

Then, with a whip-like motion,its massive tail slammed into the wyvern’s chest.

Little Jinzi shrieked in pain,hurled backward,crashing to the deck—scales torn, blood trickling from its mouth,unable to rise.

“No way!”

Alice bit her lip until it bled.

Black had taken a near-fatal wound to save her—how could she possibly abandon him?

The Dragon-Slaying Guards had just sacrificed themselves to buy her time—and that already weighed on her like guilt made flesh.

Was she really so useless as a princess?

No matter the cost—she would get Black to safety.

Her eyes hardened.

From her chest, she pulled out a golden arcane scroll.

Intricate runes coiled across its surface,interlacing into a radiant sun motif at its center.

Black’s heart skipped a beat—he recognized it instantly:a high-tier offensive scroll,likely packing Transcendent-class power.

“Your Highness! If that scroll backfires, you’ll suffer severe backlash!”

But Alice ignored his warning.

This was her strongest scroll—her ultimate trump card.

She knew its power… and its price.

But she no longer cared.

Biting her fingertip, she smeared blood onto the scroll—then ripped it open.

“Solar Cataclysm!”

Light erupted like a newborn star.

Two colossal rune circles materialized above the Green-Ringed Sea Dragon’s head,spinning violently.

The first circle contracted instantly,transforming into twelve golden chains that speared into the dragon’s body.

The beast howled—its cannon-resistant scales pierced like paper.

The moment the chains snapped taut,blood erupted from Alice’s right arm, tearing through her skin.

The second circle condensed into a massive crimson sun,pulsing with apocalyptic energy.

The overload made blood seep from Alice’s ears and nose—yet her trembling, bloodied finger remained steadily pointed at her target.

The crimson sun plummeted.

No explosion. No shockwave.

The Green-Ringed Sea Dragon simply shattered—like a water balloon under unbearable pressure—bursting into a mist of crimson gore.

Green dragon blood rained down like a fine drizzle,drenching Alice and Black in viscous gore.

Thick droplets slid down Alice’s crimson hair,trailing over her pale neck.

Only after confirming the dragon’s deathdid she collapse to her knees,coughing up a mouthful of blood.

Ignoring her own condition,she dragged Black to his feet and staggered into the ship’s interior.

Not a second was wasted—she knew the assassins could appear at any moment.

Following the captain’s directions from memory,she half-carried, half-dragged Blackinto a hidden chamber deep in the lower hull.

The location was exquisitely concealed—without the captain’s prior warning,she’d never have found it even with divine aid.

The entrance was a thick iron door.

Alice braced her shoulder against it,gritting her teeth as she forced it shut.

Then, fumbling in the dark,she found a hidden switch and pressed it.

A soft white light flared—then seeped into the iron door, vanishing without a trace.

“This is a high-tier concealment spell,”she explained, seeing the worry still etched on Black’s pale face.

“Every safe room is equipped with one.

Once activated, it blocks all external perception.

Combined with how hidden this place is…they’ll never find us. You can rest easy.”

“I see,” Black murmured.He’d heard of these safe rooms—every royal vessel had them.

Only the captain and top officers knew their locations.

In case of ship capture, they served as last-resort shelters.

The game had the same mechanic—safe rooms were impossible to detect.

The chamber was small and sealed,but it shut out all chaos and danger from the outside world.

Inside, the setup was minimal:a thin blanket, a wooden crate,and a faintly glowing crystal stone embedded in the wall.

Its light was dim—casting the room in perpetual twilight.

“Ah…!”

Now that silence settled,the pain in Black’s abdomen flared tenfold.

Alice immediately helped him lie down on the blanket,her hands gentle despite her own trembling exhaustion.