Morning sunlight entered Adrian's hotel room through the thin curtains.
He slowly opened his eyes.
For a moment he simply stared at the ceiling.
The last few days had been unexpectedly productive.
Visiting the graveyard.
Guiding wandering souls.
Creating spirit coins.
All of it had helped him digest the Spirit Master potion.
Adrian sat up and stretched slightly.
The chaotic spiritual energy inside his body felt much calmer now.
"Almost halfway digested…"
He could clearly feel the difference.
His spiritual senses had grown sharper.
Even the faintest fluctuations in spiritual energy were easier to detect.
Adrian stood up and walked toward the window.
Outside, the coastal city was already busy with morning activity.
Sailors moved along the harbor.
Merchants shouted prices.
Fishing boats slowly left the port.
Adrian watched the harbor quietly.
"…I should leave today."
Staying too long in one place wasn't a good idea.
Especially in a world filled with hidden Beyonders and mysterious organizations.
Adrian packed his small belongings and placed the four spirit coins carefully into his pocket.
Those coins might save his life someday.
After checking out of the hotel, he walked back toward the harbor.
The sea breeze felt cool against his face.
Soon he reached the quiet corner where his small ship was docked.
The wooden vessel looked exactly as he had left it.
Adrian placed his hand on the railing.
Immediately he felt the faint spiritual presence inside the ship.
The wandering soul he had bound earlier was still there.
Calm.
Silent.
Guarding the vessel.
"Good."
Adrian untied the ropes and raised the sail.
The ship slowly left the harbor and returned to the open sea.
Hours passed.
The coastline gradually became smaller in the distance.
Soon the endless waters of the Sonia Sea surrounded him once again.
The wind pushed the sail gently.
Adrian leaned against the railing and closed his eyes.
Now that he was alone again, he began quietly extending his spiritual senses.
The world around him became strangely clear.
The movement of the waves.
The distant cries of seagulls.
The faint spiritual traces drifting through the sea air.
Then suddenly—
Adrian frowned.
"…What?"
He felt something unusual.
A spiritual presence.
Not like weak normal human .
This one was stronger.
Much clearer.
Adrian immediately opened his eyes and looked toward the horizon.
In the distance, another ship slowly appeared through the fog.
A medium-sized sailing vessel.
Probably a merchant or transport ship.
Adrian narrowed his eyes.
The spiritual presence was coming from there.
"…That's not a normal spirit."
His Spirit Master senses could clearly tell the difference.
Normal humans felt spirit feel weak and unstable because of their emotions.
But this presence felt stable.
Structured.
Powerful.
Adrian's heart began beating slightly faster.
"…A Beyonder."
More specifically—
The lingering spirit aura of a Beyonder.
Someone on that ship had clearly consumed a potion and walked the Beyonder path.
Adrian immediately suppressed his spiritual senses.
Carelessness could be dangerous.
If the Beyonder on that ship had strong perception abilities, they might notice him.
He casually adjusted the direction of his sail.
His small vessel slowly moved along the sea, keeping a safe distance.
Adrian continued observing the distant ship quietly.
"Interesting…"
This was the first time he had sensed another Beyonder in this world.
And it reminded him of something important.
He was no longer alone on this mysterious path.
The ocean… the cities… the entire world…
Hidden Beyonders were everywhere.
Adrian exhaled slowly.
Then he turned his ship slightly away from the other vessel.
"No need to get close."
Right now, caution was the best choice.
But even as he sailed away…
Adrian couldn't shake the feeling that the strange spiritual aura on that ship was unusually strong for an ordinary crew member.
And deep inside his mind, a quiet thought appeared.
Perhaps the peaceful days of preparation…
Would not last much longer.