Sunlight was already breaking through the clouds, and the sea lay calm. One by one, the sailors woke up, but something was missing…

  "Hey! I don’t like this… The captain is gone."

  "Where the hell is he?!"

  Simon frowned.

  "If he’s not on deck, I’ll check the cabin. And if he’s not there… we’re leaving."

  He strode toward the captain’s quarters. The door creaked open.

  Empty.

  Simon quickly searched the room. He yanked open the wardrobe—nothing. Hesitantly, he peeked inside the treasure chest, half-expecting to find the captain asleep after the battle… but no.

  Then, something caught his eye. A note.

  Grabbing it, he rushed back to the deck, where the crew had already gathered.

  "Alright! Listen up!" Simon raised the note. "I haven’t read it yet, but I’ll read it aloud now..."

  Simon reads:

  "I’m at sea. Keep the ship clean and do not move it. If I return and find it gone, I will make my way to shore and cut off each of your hands. And some of you… I will turn into women and sell into slavery. Watching your suffering will be my pleasure."

  Simon looked at them all.

  "Understood?"

  "Understood… but where the hell did he go?"

  "If he’s not on the ship… then he’s in the sea," Rachel muttered.

  A dead silence fell over them.

  They exchanged uneasy glances.

  No sane person—especially not a child—would dive into the water after a battle, knowing the ocean swarmed with monsters.

  Meanwhile, Adiar was already inside the ancient sunken temple.

  Dark corridors stretched before him, overgrown with moss and seaweed. Water torches flickered weakly on the walls, casting a ghostly blue glow.

  Drifting in the water were the corpses of sea creatures.

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  He had killed them without mercy.

  Adiar swam forward, heading for the main chamber—the place where artifacts and treasures were kept.

  Two final sea guardians barred his path, but Adiar dispatched them in mere seconds.

  The gates creaked open.

  Golden splendor unfolded before his eyes.

  Jewels, ancient relics, chests of gold, enchanted amulets, weapons… treasures beyond measure.

  Adiar picked up a single gold coin—and froze.

  An elf’s face was engraved upon it.

  His expression darkened.

  He tossed the coin aside, but then something in the distance caught his eye.

  A scroll.

  The moment he touched it, his vision blurred…

  "Screams. The thunder of battle. The stench of blood."

  "Faster! Reinforce the walls!"

  General Elmis stood at the heart of the besieged city, silver hair whipping in the wind, his armor smeared with blood.

  "General! Please! My friend—he’s been shot!"

  "General, we’re exhausted! Just a little rest!"

  Elmis turned to the wounded and cast a healing spell.

  "You may rest for five minutes. Then return. We cannot stop."

  "Thank you, General!"

  Elmis was the hero of the elven people. He gave his people a chance to flee, saving women and children.

  But when the last caravan departed, he knew—the battle was lost.

  "Is everyone ready?!"

  "YES!"

  Elmis gripped his sword and spoke the final command:

  "Adsei."

  *"Adsei"—a ritual. Suicide, to deny the enemy their victory.

  Not a single warrior hesitated.

  They followed their general into eternity.

  Adiar struggled to hold back tears.

  "They’re all… gone."

  Then suddenly, the temple trembled.

  It was collapsing!

  His eyes darted around for an artifact—his gaze landed on a golden bow, crafted from sacred wood.

  Snatching it, he turned to flee… but something stopped him.

  In the farthest corner of the chamber lay a body.

  An elf.

  A young woman.

  "How…?"

  Adiar surged toward her, grabbed her, and, summoning his magic, sped toward the exit.

  Debris rained from above.

  Wounds tore across his body.

  With a final burst of strength, he broke free—

  A splash.

  On the deck of the ship, drenched and bloodied, Adiar appeared.

  In his arms lay the elven woman.

  The crew instantly surrounded him.

  "Captain! You’re alive!" Rachel exhaled in relief.

  "But… who is she?!" Simon’s voice trembled with shock.

  Silence fell.

  For the first time in their lives, the crew had seen a real elf.

  Rachel hesitantly reached out a hand—

  "DO NOT TOUCH HER."

  Adiar’s voice was sharp, commanding.

  He pulled out a chest overflowing with treasure—barely able to fit into his pocket dimension.

  "Here is your reward."

  "But her… you will not lay a finger on."

  "Disobey me, and you’ll meet your god. Or your devil."

  One of the female crewmembers, Ariel, was given a direct order:

  "Take her to my cabin. Dry her off."

  "A-absolutely, Captain!"

  The crew turned to dividing the loot, but Rachel and Simon remained.

  "Speak. I know you’re staring at me."

  "Captain… where were you?!"

  "In the sea. Where else? Do you see a bar with pretty women around?"

  Rachel sighed.

  "You need rest."

  "I know. But I am not a child in need of care."

  Adiar disappeared into his cabin.

  (End of Chapter 3.)