At the break of dawn, the roaring drone of engines drifted in from the sea as a colossal passenger liner approached the coastal city, slowly docking at a corner of the city pier amidst the churning whitecaps.

A flood of nobles and tourists disembarked from the vessel. Whether journeying for leisure, returning home, engaged in business, or for other matters, every single person had reached their destination. Every single one... save one.

Half an hour later, when the last straggler had stepped off the gangplank, a young sailor working aboard the liner let out a soft sigh. After finishing the necessary chores at hand, he made his way to the liner's upper deck. There, facing the gentle morning breeze, a tall, slender young woman stood with both hands resting on the railing, her back to the ship, gazing out over the distant horizon.

"Miss, are you not coming ashore?" The young sailor stared at the woman's silhouette, momentarily lost in thought, before speaking with deep respect.

The woman appeared not to have heard, or perhaps chose to ignore him, continuing to stand there silently, fixed on the distant view. The young sailor displayed no frustration at this; instead, he took up a position several meters behind her, like a steadfast attendant, his undisguised adoration evident as he watched the figure that seemed utterly merged with the world around her.

After a long stretch of silence, the woman finally spoke, her voice a low, resonant melody: "When this ship sets sail for the ocean again, please allow me to take another voyage." It was a deep, magnetic sound, capable of drawing one entirely in. Though phrased as a request, it carried an undeniable weight that suggested resistance was futile.

"Uh, another trip?" The young sailor seemed momentarily stunned, responding purely on instinct.

"What is it? Does that cause you trouble?" Only then did the woman turn, offering a placid smile.

As she turned, the sea wind caught her flowing, pale green hair, making it dance in the air like an elemental spirit. Her exquisitely refined features outlined a naturally inherent mystique. Her dazzling golden eyes seemed like the dawn breaking through darkness—distinct and vivid beyond measure.

With a slender, delicate frame and skin as pure as driven snow, the maiden appeared no older than sixteen or seventeen, yet her eyes concealed a weariness suggesting centuries of experience. This unique blend of maturity and freshness only heightened her allure, radiating an aura of breathtaking enchantment.

A single glance was enough to completely immobilize the young sailor; the sheer, heart-stopping beauty left him utterly speechless.

When this young woman had magically appeared on the ship over ten days prior, her kingly dignity, siren-like charisma, and angelic visage had already captivated everyone aboard. Regardless of age or gender, every heart was filled with reverence and awe for her.

Yet, no one dared to voice this burgeoning admiration, for her enigmatic aura made her presence feel like a midnight dream—a dream that would vanish with the morning bell, leaving behind an unreality that inspired deep apprehension in all who witnessed it.

Furthermore, her unfathomable wisdom, which suggested she perceived and controlled all things, ruthlessly suppressed the infatuation of the more arrogant young nobles.

"What is it? Does my remaining on the ship cause you distress?" The woman’s incredible voice reached him again, snapping the young sailor back to attention. Even he, usually bold enough to trade suggestive remarks with the womenfolk, felt shame for his momentary lapse. He dared not meet her gaze, or even look directly at her face, hastily waving his hands. "No, no, how could it? Miss, it is our honor to have you remain on board, it’s just..."

Hesitating briefly, the young sailor finally summoned the courage to lift his head, glancing at the woman before him, and asked with genuine curiosity, "It’s just... don't you have anywhere you wish to go?"

In the ten-plus days since she boarded, the ship had docked at several ports, yet the young woman had never once stepped onto the land. Like her mysterious aura, her actions were utterly inscrutable. This perplexed everyone who knew of her existence, yet filled every sailor with silent hope—how wonderful it would be if she remained on this vessel forever.

"Somewhere I wish to go?" The maiden turned back to gaze at the distant ocean, her deep voice seeming to echo from the ethereal void. "I have no particular destination in mind, no clear goal. If it truly troubles you, I will disembark shortly."

"No, no, no!" The young sailor flailed his hands as if startled, instantly regretting the question he had posed. "We welcome you staying aboard, of course. I only asked because I worried the ship might be too dull for you. My apologies."

"Is that so?" The woman offered no confirmation, her tone betraying neither pleasure nor anger, perhaps complete indifference. After a brief pause, she murmured in a voice barely audible to others, "Dullness is far better than loneliness."

The heavy atmosphere pressed down on the young sailor, increasing his tension tenfold. While being near the object of his adoration was his greatest fantasy, the stifling pressure was becoming unbearable. He took a moment to compose himself and asked, "Um... Miss, what would you care for at lunchtime? Perhaps pizza again?"

"The pizza here is quite good," the woman nodded. Perhaps the quality of the pizza was one reason she lingered aboard, she thought with a wry inner smile.

"Very well, I shall bring some up for you when it is time for lunch," the young sailor replied respectfully... A goddess who enjoyed pizza—only then did he imagine she might transform into an ordinary young woman.

After speaking, the sailor left the deck. With the woman out of his sight, the crushing pressure he felt immediately dissipated. In that moment, he began to dimly understand why so many adored her, yet no one dared express it in her presence, because...

She was a Goddess, not to be profaned.

She was a Witch, not to be touched.

She was a Sovereign, not to be defied.

She, the beautiful and mysterious maiden, was nevertheless utterly captivating.

On the deck, the maiden—who was at once Goddess, Witch, and Queen—stared blankly at the distant sky, a faint thread of solitude woven into her bright, pale gold eyes. She spoke softly, as if to herself, "Snow, why is it white?"

Lin Luo was in a dreadful mood upon waking. Last night, he had finally cornered the proud and prickly Rin in an ideal situation, only to have it violently derailed, letting a perfectly cooked duck slip through his grasp. What drove him madder was that although he chased after the culprit, the meddling thief had vanished without a trace.

In his prime, with his perception domain active and a single use of Instant Movement, he could track that scoundrel down no matter how far they fled to the ends of the earth. But having lost the power to create rules, not only was Instant Movement gone, but his perception domain was severely hampered. Chasing on foot was simply impossible.

Even if his brute strength held an overwhelming advantage in this world, some things simply could not be achieved by force alone.

Helpless, Lin Luo finally settled for another cold shower before curling up with a pillow to sleep... While he hadn't entirely discarded the idea of a midnight raid on Young Miss Rin, given her haughty nature, a surprise attack might yield good results. However, after the previous night's incident, before she was truly prepared, a midnight assault would likely result in him being blasted out by her powered-up barrage.

Emerging from his room after his morning ablutions, Lin Luo saw Young Miss Rin's door slightly ajar. The girl, whose twin ponytails were now a tangled mess, stood yawning at the threshold, her eyes blurry with sleep.

Lin Luo suspected Young Miss Rin hadn't slept well; he could see faint panda eyes beneath hers. The fact that she suffered insomnia last night was completely out of character for the demonic Rin.

"Hmph," Rin clearly noticed Lin Luo too. The instant their gazes locked, the girl’s hazy consciousness snapped into focus. A blush flared across her face, but she quickly masked it with an air of nonchalance, letting out a proud, cold snort before marching into the bathroom without looking back.

"...What was that supposed to mean?" Lin Luo was genuinely confused.

Shaking his head, Lin Luo turned to knock on Lei's door. The girl must have been sleeping soundly, as there was no response after several knocks. He finally resorted to pushing the door open, finding Lei half-sitting on her bed, rubbing her heavy, sleepy eyes—apparently just waking up as well.

"Lin Luo? Is it morning already?" the girl mumbled drowsily.

Lin Luo stepped forward. "Yes, we should get ready to leave soon."

"Oh," Lei nodded, her still-unfocused gaze sweeping the room before she looked up at Lin Luo. "Where are my clothes?"

That's a question you should ask yourself, he thought.

Still, seeing Lei's dazed expression, Lin Luo decided it was better to just handle it himself. He found Lei's clothes on the bedside cabinet and helped her dress them. Only then did they leave the room... Lin Luo felt he was rapidly developing the instincts of a male nanny.

Next came breakfast. Since both Lei and Rin were unfamiliar with this world, and Lin Luo himself lacked a clear understanding of this chaotic setting, he took the opportunity during the meal to inquire about a few things from the proprietress.

"You plan to leave this city and head to the continent," the proprietress mused after hearing Lin Luo's plans, then added warmly, "If that's the case, I highly recommend traveling by sea."

"Sea travel? Don't you have airplanes in this world? Air travel should be faster," Rin asked, puzzled.

"While that’s true, planes have many inconveniences, and their safety index is too low. If a plane suddenly runs out of fuel, it’s disastrous. But ships are different; even if they run dry mid-voyage, you won't fall to your death," the proprietress said with a smile that did little to lighten the chilling words.

To Lin Luo’s dismay, Young Miss Rin nodded in agreement. "That makes sense. Since someone arrived here, he's become quite useless. If a plane crashed, it would indeed be a near-death experience."

"Because I can't fly, I'm useless," Lei cut to the chase.

"..." Lin Luo thought their combined knack for acerbic remarks was improving daily.

"And furthermore..." Hearing their comments, the proprietress grew even more enthusiastic. "You are very lucky. During this season, continental passenger liners frequently arrive at this city. This morning, a *-class luxury liner docked at the eastern port. Do you know what a *-class luxury liner entails...?"

Once on this topic, the proprietress seemed incapable of stopping, relentlessly describing the splendor of *-class luxury liners and the myriad benefits of sea travel. Initially, Lin Luo's group listened with interest, but half an hour later, after they had finished their breakfast and morning tea, the proprietress showed no sign of stopping, seemingly ready to continue her long lecture.

"Alright, alright! Proprietress, we'll take the boat, we'll take the boat!" To avoid further 'instruction,' Lin Luo quickly agreed, fearing that at this rate, the discourse might never end.

However, he could not deny that he was swayed. He knew from reading comics that the passenger ships in the Weapon Race World were exceptionally luxurious; some were virtual floating palaces. Since he had traveled to this world, he couldn't miss the experience, especially since he had never taken a luxury liner in his entire life.

"Then, when does that ship depart?" Lin Luo inquired.

"Well, generally between two and four in the afternoon. I haven't taken one in ages, so I can't recall precisely, but if you arrive at the port before two, you’ll definitely make it," the proprietress replied.

"Two o'clock..." Rin glanced at the wall clock. "It's nine now, so we have five hours. Right, Proprietress, how long does it take to walk to the eastern port?"

"Less than an hour on foot, as my shop is already located in the eastern part of the city," the proprietress chuckled, seeming quite proud.

"If that's the case, we have plenty of time; we can even take a nap," Rin yawned, clearly tempted to return to bed—understandable, given her insomnia the previous night.

But the proprietress's next words shattered Young Miss Rin's pleasant dream. She shook her head and offered a warning: "I really advise you not to do that."

"Why?" Rin looked instantly confused, and even Lin Luo regarded her with slight surprise. Only Lei remained calm, idly playing with a yo-yo on the table.

"You must be from a rather remote place?" the proprietress asked instead of answering directly.

"...Yes, I suppose so." Another world—that certainly counted as remote from this one.

"No wonder you’re unfamiliar with many things," the proprietress sighed, her expression turning serious. "Boarding a ship bound for the continent is quite complicated. It requires processing numerous procedures, big and small; you can't just decide to sail on a whim."

"Can't we just bribe our way through with money?" Lin Luo asked instinctively.

"Uh..." The proprietress was momentarily speechless. "Well, if you have a substantial amount of money, then of course, that can be an option."

"Then there's no problem," Lin Luo breathed a sigh of relief. He hadn't brought much else, but he had hundreds of gold bars.

"While sufficient money can certainly get you aboard, money isn't omnipotent. If you lack certain necessary paperwork, you might encounter considerable trouble in some areas."

Lin Luo conceded the point. While money made the world go 'round, paying someone off only to have annoying people continue to harass you was frustrating. Of course, forceful entry with martial power was an option, but that might invite unforeseen complications... Like the analogy of Accelerator: striking down a restaurant waiter could result in a global missile strike, which would be far from worth it.

"So, what should we do?"

"Use this time to go process the paperwork. If you have your identification, the process is quite fast."

"Identification?" Lin Luo and Rin exchanged startled glances. None of them—the interlopers—possessed any form of official ID.

"You... you don't even have IDs, do you?" The proprietress looked stunned.

Both nodded without hesitation.

"Ah~ That really is..." The proprietress was speechless again. "If you lack identification, processing everything becomes much harder. Getting an ID isn't something that can be done quickly, either. And if you miss today's ship, the next one won't be for at least seven days."

"Then let's get a forged document," Lin Luo suggested.

"I don't know anyone who deals in that sort of thing," the proprietress shot him a sharp look. "I can’t help you with official IDs, but if you’re willing to spend money, I can find a way to handle some of the necessary preliminary procedures for you before two this afternoon."

"Money is not an issue," Lin Luo declared grandly, flipping his wrist to reveal two more gold diamonds suddenly appearing in his palm. "Is this enough?"

"..." The proprietress stared for a full three seconds before saying, "You certainly know how to spend money."

After a brief consultation, Lin Luo handed the two gold diamonds over to the proprietress, who agreed to help them secure the necessary documentation.

Around noon, the proprietress returned carrying a thick stack of files. As she handed the documents to Lin Luo, she shook her head in amazement. "Now I truly understand the power of wealth. I thought handling this would be difficult, but the moment I placed several million G in front of them, those previously aloof officials immediately became courteous. There wasn't the slightest obstruction, truly..."

"It can't be helped. In any world, money reigns supreme."

"That is true," the proprietress agreed.

"Proprietress, thank you for your help. It is time for us to depart now," Lin Luo said with a smile, thanking her before turning to leave.

"Wait, you still have a lot of money left from what I gave you."

"Consider it our payment for your efforts. Without your assistance, we wouldn't be this relaxed," Lin Luo replied, waving a hand over his shoulder as he led the two girls toward the eastern port.