To get a clear view of the floating isnd of Vensalor, they needed a high vantage point, which could only be found at the watchtower perched on the cliffs at the edge of the city. The tower was primarily used to monitor the coastline, making it the perfect spot.

  Noct walked alongside Lily through the bustling streets of Deadbay City, his eyes constantly wandering. Every corner of this pce fascinated him. The city was vibrant, alive, and breathtakingly beautiful.

  Lily, on the other hand, kept gncing back at him with an odd expression, but eventually, she just sighed—as if she had given up trying to understand him.

  After some time, they arrived at the hillside near the coast, where a small watchtower stood at the cliff’s edge. Two guards sat nearby, casually keeping watch over the area.

  As Lily approached, they immediately stood up.

  "Hi, Lil. Don’t see you around here often. Need something?"

  Noct could tell instantly—they didn’t even acknowledge his presence.

  Not surprising.

  Lily wasn’t just anyone in this city. She was a prodigy—already at Level 24, a Gaia Guardian. People expected her to rise quickly, and some even believed she would one day become the next Knight Commander.

  Meanwhile, Noct?

  It was like he didn’t even exist in their memories.

  "Hi, I just… uhm… want to check the ocean view from the top."

  One of the guards tilted his head. "Is this for a mission? Well, the tower’s always open for you."

  Lily nodded and stepped forward.

  Noct followed—only for one of the guards to block his path.

  "You stay here. This isn’t a pce just anyone can enter."

  Noct clenched his jaw. He already didn’t like this guy.

  Lily turned back, visibly annoyed.

  "Let him come. He’s my brother."

  The guards exchanged gnces. "But Lily, you know this isn’t an open area."

  "I have my father’s permission. I’ll take responsibility."

  One of the guards finally looked at Noct—really looked at him—for the first time.

  The expression on his face?

  Disdain.

  For a second, Noct had the urge to punch that look right off his face.

  But before he could react, the guards stepped aside, begrudgingly allowing him through.

  The watchtower itself was a small stone structure, mostly consisting of a narrow spiral staircase that led up to an open-air ptform.

  Once they reached the top, Noct exhaled, finally able to take in the vast horizon.

  He turned to Lily, smirking.

  "You’re surprisingly useful, my sister," he teased.

  Lily rolled her eyes. "You better be quick. Father wouldn’t be happy if he found out we came here without permission."

  Noct chuckled, already looking toward the ocean and the skies beyond.

  Lily leaned against the railing, arms crossed as she gazed into the distance. “This isn’t your first time seeing it, Brother.”

  Her voice was calm, but there was a knowing edge to it. Noct didn’t respond immediately, choosing instead to wait. The clouds above the ocean were still thick, rolling zily across the sky, but he knew—the isnd should be visible soon.

  Then, just as expected, the mist parted slightly, revealing a small floating ndmass on the horizon.

  It was distant, barely more than a silhouette against the sky, but Noct knew exactly what it was.

  The Kingdom of Vensalor.

  One of the most significant locations in his story.

  The floating kingdom ruled by the Forest Elves.

  It was one of the most beautiful pces he had ever written, yet all Noct could think about was how temporary it was.

  Because he knew the future.

  Dissidia Kingdom would fall first, overrun by demons. And after that—Vensalor would be next.

  Noct let out a slow breath.

  The elves in this world weren’t just one race. They were divided into several subspecies—Forest Elves, High Elves, and Dark Elves. Each had their own unique strengths and roles, but among them, the strongest were always the High Elves, who ruled the Central Continent with their vast magical empire.

  The ruler of Vensalor, however, was a different kind of powerhouse.

  He was a 9th Stage Gaia Mystic.

  A practically godlike existence—not just in his own kingdom, but across the entire world.

  And yet, even he would not be able to stop what was coming.

  Because in the second volume of his novel, a great war would break out.

  A devastating conflict between the Forest Elves of Vensalor and the Demon race was inevitable.

  Yes—Vensalor would be destroyed.

  But it wouldn’t start there.

  It would start here.

  The Dissidia Kingdom would burn first.

  That was always the pn.

  The demons needed a way to reach Vensalor, and the closest access point was through this kingdom.

  Noct’s hands clenched slightly as he stared at the floating isnd.

  The story he had written was brutal.

  Both kingdoms would be destroyed.

  Their people sughtered, their cities razed to the ground.

  Dissidia would be the first to fall, transformed into the demons’ staging ground. Their foothold. Their primary base of operations.

  By the time the war reached Vensalor, the elves would already be struggling to hold their ground.

  And in the end—

  The floating isnd would fall.

  Noct exhaled slowly, shaking his head. How much longer until it all started?

  But that wasn’t his only concern.

  After speaking with Lily, he had confirmed something important.

  At this point in the timeline, Theo, the original protagonist, should already be a teenager.

  Which meant…

  He had regressed first.

  And that was bad news.

  Noct had no idea how far Theo had come. Had he already started gathering allies? Unlocking hidden resources? Maniputing events? How much had he already changed?

  Yet, as Noct pieced together more information, one thing stood out.

  Nothing significant had changed in the timeline.

  At least, not yet.

  The story was still unfolding exactly as he had written it.

  Which meant Theo hadn’t acted—or at least, not in any way that disrupted the major events.

  But why?

  Was he waiting? Pnning?

  Or was he already moving in ways Noct couldn’t see yet?

  And more importantly—how powerful was Theo now?

  And… Damn it—Noct was still only Level 11!

  He was practically trash at this stage. If war broke out now, he’d be one of the first to die.

  Even if the timeline followed the original story, the war would only happen for another five years.

  And yet… Five years wasn’t a long time.

  What could he possibly achieve in such a short period?

  First—he needed to awaken his relic.

  And for that, he required an area rich in Fire Elemental energy—something he couldn’t find in this city. Not even within this kingdom.

  He turned to Lily. "You have an expedition to the Gaia Rifts soon, don’t you?"

  Lily blinked, looking at him in confusion. "Huh?"

  Gaia Rifts.

  In other stories, they might have been called dungeons, but here, they were fragments of a world beyond this one—unstable realms that connected directly to the main world.

  Each Rift contained monsters, challenges, or trials that had to be cleared before they colpsed. If left unchecked, the Rift would break open, unleashing its contents into the world.

  A disaster waiting to happen.

  Lily narrowed her eyes. "Brother, you just advanced to Gaia Apprentice. You do realize what kind of power you’d need to even think about stepping into a Gaia Rift, right?"

  Noct smirked. "Yeah, sure… I’m not that clueless."

  Then, with absolute certainty, he added—"I’m coming with you."

  Lily stared at him like he had lost his mind. "What?"