Chapter 546 Reaching the Fifth Island, The Island Kingdom

"SHIT!" the leader shouted in panic.

His group immediately prepared to retreat, recognizing the creature before them.

"It’s the worst one of them all! The [Fish Guardian]!"

The monster laughed as it watched their reactions.

"So you have heard of me? Then that means you know about your impending deaths—"

SLASH!

The [Fish Guardian] proceeded to get one-shotted.

Leon’s sword flashed through the air, and the massive fish was cut apart before it could react, its enormous body falling from the air.

"Let’s just go," Leon groaned while checking the items dropped by the boss.

With its death, the exit portal appeared at the other end of the chamber, allowing everyone to finally leave the dungeon and reach the fifth island.

The players could only stare at the portal with blank expressions.

They had spent years gathering hundreds of people because they believed it would be nearly impossible to overcome.

Yet Leon had killed it with a single strike. He turned toward the players and smiled.

"Good job. You can reach the fifth island now. Don’t do anything crazy, and don’t listen to anything the gods say, or I’ll kill you myself."

The leader stared at him, seemingly unsure how to respond, while the others remained silent.

"T-Thank you!" they all said in unison while bowing deeply, "Y-You saved us!"

Leon simply waved at them before turning around and stepping through the exit portal with the girls.

Fwoosh!

Their surroundings blurred for several seconds before they appeared somewhere else, this time standing on a grassy field.

Unlike the damp caverns they had just left behind, the new environment was peaceful and bright.

Ding!

[Welcome to the "Island Kingdom"]

[You have reached the "Final Island", a paradise for the strong and those who want to prepare for the Eternal Battlefield.]

[The God of Souls, God of the Sea and God of Light may bless those who follow their way for a long time, though it is only for the worthy.]

As soon as Leon read the final notification, his expression turned ice cold.

He stared at the message for a moment, particularly the part about the three gods blessing those who followed their ways.

Then he spoke, "Yeah, seems like a lot of people on this island have to go."

The [Island Kingdom] was even larger than [Ashenreach City] on the second island, and its size was perhaps comparable to the [Imperial Kingdom] of Higher Domain #1.

Its enormous territory stretched across the landscape, with countless buildings, wide streets, and towering structures visible in every direction.

Leon, Celeste, Emilia, and Violet had appeared directly inside the kingdom, without passing through any gates or checkpoints.

Instead, they found themselves in a large square surrounded by several buildings, where a few players and natives were already waiting.

The moment the newcomers appeared, several people approached them with bright smiles.

"It’s not often that we see players arrive here!" one of the natives exclaimed cheerfully. "The fourth island is truly dangerous, so most of the time, we don’t have much to do. It’s always nice to welcome newcomers!"

However, before he could continue, the surrounding space suddenly began to fluctuate.

Fwoosh! Fwoosh!

Hundreds of players started appearing in the square one after another, filling the previously quiet area with people.

They were the players Leon and the girls had helped escape the [Abyssal Tide Caverns], and after finally reaching the fifth island, they had arrived together.

"HOLY SHIT!" The native who had been speaking to Leon stared at the newcomers in disbelief. "This is the biggest batch we’ve ever seen! Quick, call everybody!"

He immediately shouted at his companions, who hurried away to inform the other natives.

While they were busy welcoming the new arrivals, Leon noticed something strange about the people gathered around them.

Almost everyone in the square was wearing a robe decorated with a different symbol, and the symbols seemed to represent three distinct groups.

One robe displayed a glowing heart, another had a radiant sun surrounded by golden rays, and the third bore the image of a small wave.

Leon glanced at the native who had been speaking to him and pointed toward the heart symbol on his robe.

"This. What is it?"

"Oh, that?" The man smiled as he looked down at his clothing. "It’s the symbol of the God of Souls’ faction in this kingdom. Basically, there are three factions here: the followers of the God of Souls, the God of Light, and the God of the Sea. Each has its own followers and leader."

"...Is everyone in this kingdom a follower?" Leon asked, his expression remaining neutral.

"Heavens no!" The native shook his head. "As the message said when you arrived, only those who have followed the orders of our glorious gods for a long time are allowed to join their factions."

"That means only a fraction of the population belongs to them, and most of those people live in their respective buildings, which are governed by their leaders. Each leader has received a powerful blessing from their god, so they’re not people you should take lightly."

The native pointed toward the distant buildings, and Leon followed his gesture.

The tallest structures in the kingdom stood in three separate corners of the city, each displaying one of the symbols he had noticed earlier.

Their enormous size made them stand out from the surrounding buildings, and the banners hanging from their rooftops left little doubt about the factions they represented.

"Hm."

Emilia, Celeste, and Violet immediately noticed the atmosphere around Leon changing.

Although his expression remained calm, the pressure surrounding him gradually increased, making the three girls realize that he was becoming increasingly irritated.

They knew him well enough to recognize that particular feeling, and they understood that someone was probably going to die soon.

Leon turned his attention back toward the native.

"And..." he asked, "do you know anything about the [Heretic Village]?"

The man immediately stiffened.

His cheerful expression became noticeably more awkward, and he hesitated before answering.

"Um... not really. All we know is that the most worthy people are sent there by boat after gaining enough prestige. Those who reach it supposedly become incredibly powerful, and the [Heretic King] himself has received the blessings of all three gods."

’All three?’ Leon thought with a grim expression, ’This might be a difficult opponent.’

"Alright, thank you very much," Leon replied with a smile.

The native relaxed slightly, apparently believing that the conversation had gone well.

"No problem! If you wish to join our faction, which I HIGHLY recommend, you simply need to follow the rules and then visit our building to—"

SLASH!

There was no mercy for the servants, no matter how good they seemed.