Seeing Kod’s dazed and incoherent state, Charles decided to ignore him and turned around, walking toward the others who stood frozen like wooden stakes. He snatched the telescope from the second mate’s hand and rapped him on the head with it. "You’re something else. You’re probably the first person in the world to use a telescope to look directly at the sun."

  "Captain, what… what is that thing?" Konor stammered, pointing at the sky.

  "The sun, obviously. What else could it be?"

  Charles shoved the telescope back into his arms and crouched down to pick up the motionless white mouse from the ground, kneading it in his hands. "Stop staring, or you’ll go blind, little mouse."

  "Mr. Charles, is that your home up there? The place with the television and computers?" Lily’s furry head popped out from between his fingers, her voice filled with excitement.

  Charles smiled, tossing her into the air and catching her as she squealed. "That’s right, little Lily. That’s my home."

  Just as Charles finished speaking, he heard a heavy thud behind him, as if something had fallen onto the sand.

  "Huh?" He turned around and saw Kod, who had been sitting on the ground, now lying face down in the sand.

  A sense of unease washed over Charles. He grabbed the mouse and rushed to Kod’s side, pulling him up. "Hey, hey, what’s wrong? What happened?"

  Kod didn’t respond. His face bore a serene smile, but he was completely still.

  Charles’ heart sank. He pressed his fingers to Kod’s nose and found no breath.

  "Thud."

  "Thud."

  "Thud."

  The sound of heavy objects hitting the sand continued behind him. Even though he was bathed in warm sunlight, Charles felt a chill run down his spine.

  He turned around and saw people in the crowd collapsing onto the sand one by one, unable to move.

  The joy in his heart vanished instantly. Charles’ lips trembled as he shouted, "Everyone, back to the ship!! Everyone, get back to the ship!! The sunlight is killing people!!"

  At Charles’ command, the crew finally noticed the strange condition of their companions. Their expressions shifted from ecstasy to confusion, then to fear.

  The crowd began to move, rushing back to the ship faster than they had come. Some stumbled and fell, and those who hit the ground never got up again.

  Deep, agile and quick, was the first to return to the deck of the Narwhal. He stood at the ship’s edge, pulling his comrades aboard one by one. After a headcount, he realized something was missing.

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  The young man looked toward the beach and saw his captain standing at the boundary between light and darkness, half of his body illuminated by the sun and the other half shrouded in the shadows of the sea.

  "Captain!! Come back!! It’s dangerous there!!" Deep shouted anxiously.

  Seeing the frantic crew on the ship, Charles signaled for them to wait. He lifted his left leg and stepped back.

  One by one, he removed his clothes until his scar-covered body was fully exposed to the blazing sunlight.

  Charles spread his arms and stood motionless under the watchful eyes of everyone. His gaze was resolute.

  He knew the most rational course of action was to return to the ship and figure out what was going on, but Charles couldn’t wait any longer. He couldn’t bear it anymore.

  If the sunlight from the surface was truly going to kill him, he’d rather die under it right now.

  One minute, two minutes, three minutes passed. Charles felt nothing but warmth on his skin. There was no sign of harm.

  Looking up at the light in the dome, Charles’ lips curled into a faint smile. He had guessed correctly. He had basked in the sunlight on the surface countless times. He refused to believe that after nine years, the sun wouldn’t recognize him.

  Charles lowered his arms and looked at the ship on the dark sea and the pairs of eyes watching him. A wave of emotion washed over him.

  Kod’s words echoed in his ears: "The Land of Light is the realm of the God of Light, a place that rejects all filth and darkness."

  He didn’t know who had come up with that, but from what he saw now, it wasn’t just vampires—humans from the sea were also rejected by the sunlight.

  "Maybe the humans of the sea have been in the dark for too long. Some things have become a part of them," Charles murmured to himself.

  After standing in the sunlight for a while, Charles gathered the bodies on the sand. After a quick count, he found that seventy-nine people had died on the beach, including Kod, one of the leaders. The loss was significant.

  Charles had wondered why the King of Sodom, knowing about this place, hadn’t sent pirates to claim this paradise. Now he understood.

  With a sigh, Charles closed Kod’s wide, lifeless eyes. He took one last look at the blinding light and turned to swim back to the Narwhal.

  As soon as Charles boarded the deck, he saw the captains of the remaining twelve exploration ships and the rest of the crew waiting for him.

  No one spoke. Their eyes, filled with a mix of emotions, were fixed on Charles.

  Wasn’t this the Land of Light? Why had so many people suddenly died? Why was Charles unaffected? What was the true purpose of their mission? Too many questions swirled in their minds.

  Taking the towel from Deep, Charles dried himself and addressed them directly. "I won’t say much else. You’ve all seen what happened. Kod wasn’t lying to you. We came here to find the Land of Light. But this island isn’t it. The true Land of Light is up there, beyond that crack in the sky."

  The murmurs of the crowd were quickly silenced as Charles continued.

  "And I’m from there. The fact that the sunlight didn’t kill me is proof."

  Charles had said these words countless times in the sea, but this was the first time no one laughed.

  "Our next goal is to find a way to get up there."

  "But the divine light of the God of Light will kill us. Why should we go up? The legends of the Church of Light are lies! That place is filled with deadly light. It’s uninhabitable!" someone objected.

  "No, no, you don’t understand. Yes, the sunlight can kill you, and that’s a challenge. But challenges can be overcome. If we can’t find a solution here, there are plenty of smart people up there who can. Even if it means wearing protective suits all day or only coming out at night, it’s still ten, a hundred, a thousand times better than this hellhole!"

  "You all know about the sinking of Shadow Island. Do you really want to live in constant fear that your island might sink next? Let me tell you something." Charles pointed at the light in the sky.

  "Up there, in the legendary Land of Light, there’s a continent larger than the entire sea. The land is incredibly fertile, and it will never sink!"