WHAT NEXT? THE MOON?

Kojo sat atop the crow's nest, the wooden platform that encircled the mast of the ship, his legs dangling in the air as he read a book. The wind whipped through his hair, and the sun cast a warm glow over the pages. He was lost in the world of knowledge, devouring every word about the celestial races.

He had realized that he truly knew nothing about the world he had found himself in, even with the large amount of information he had so far. Nefaria herself said that she'd give him 'a little' information when he last asked her a question. And she dropped a large info dump on him. Even with so much to process from what she had said, it really was 'a little' information, not scratching the surface of the vast amount of data around him. In light of this, Kojo had allowed Sysia to use his various perceptions and scanning as well as any of his other abilities to gather data about the world around. Sysia, of course, took advantage to diss him, telling him how he should have done that sooner.

"( And I'm still not done with you yet.)"

"Yeah, yeah," Kojo thought, rolling his eyes.

Knowledge is power, and he needed a lot of it.

"( Oh, so now you know to do the needful.)"

"Tch."

Out of the 38 books he had copied from Vanessa two weeks ago, only a handful possessed relevant information about the celestial races. The others, though not what Kojo was looking for, discussed the life forms on the planet in general, highlighting the physical and spiritual differences that distinguished them. Kojo had learned a great deal about the various races that populated their world.

For instance, he had discovered that humans were the most populous race after the elves. The elves, it seemed, had originated from the continent of Appolonia, where they were born from the World Tree. Over time, they had spread across the planet, adapting to different environments and evolving into distinct sub-races.

Kojo's thoughts turned to Lin, who was a Light Elf. Her people had stayed near the World Tree, building a kingdom around it, Tessaloni, and were known for their adaptability. They could easily adjust to other environments and draw power from Gaia itself, making them the Swiss Army knife of elves.

As he read on, Kojo learned about the other sub-races of elves. There were the Ice Elves, who lived in the harsh, frozen landscapes of the north. The Forest Elves inhabited the Savage... well, they are Islands now, where they had developed a deep connection with nature. The Dark Elves resided in the deserts of Heliopolis in the East. And then there were the Stone Elves, who lived underground, a rarity that had led many to wonder if they truly existed.

Kojo couldn't help but wonder what elves were doing underground, anyway. It seemed like an odd place for a people known for their love of nature and the sun. But that wasn't even the most absurd information he'd learned.

As he gazed out at the horizon, Kojo spotted one of the ship's navigators, an Oceanian Elf called Loch, standing at the helm. The Oceanians were a sub-race of elves that had adapted to life underwater, developing physical characteristics such as gills on the sides of their necks, webbed fingers and feet. They had built a kingdom called Oceania, where they thrived as the wayfarers of the ocean. Elves being underwater was way more absurd than being underground. But then again, if they were the most populous and had somehow found their way underground, being underwater wasn't so strange. No, actually it was. What next, elves had somehow built a colony on the moon?

Kojo shrugged and studied the Oceanian's features. Aside from his aquatic adaptations, he looked like an ordinary elf. The Oceanians played a crucial role in guiding ships across the high seas, as they were best suited to deal with the underwater threats that lurked beneath the waves.

As Kojo closed his book, his thoughts turned to Lin once more. He couldn't help but wonder what she was doing at that moment.

Ever since his skirmish with Aldean, she had been avoiding him. No matter how he tried to explain that he had acted out of impulse and that he could only hold back to an extent, she would simply pass by him without a word.

Kojo was confused as to why she was acting this way. He had thought that they had a connection, but now it seemed like she was deliberately avoiding him. To make matters worse, the dumbass knight who had caused all this was also trying to flirt with Lin at every opportunity, all while trying to egg Kojo on into a fight. It was honestly very irritating.

As Kojo's thoughts swirled with frustration, he noticed a figure standing on the deck below. It was the Paladin, Cyrus Smoke. He was observing the ocean while casually snacking on something. Kojo muttered to himself, "There's something weird about that one as well."

"( There's something weird about everyone now.)"

"No. He's just... some way."

"( Your brain is some way.)"

"And guess who lives there?"

"( Oh?)"

"Yeah."

"( Touché)"

"Thanks."

"( Pray you're not caught lacking.)"

Kojo returned his attention to Cyrus.

He wondered if all the Saints and Paladins were like that, or if it was exclusive to only Aldean and Leo.

In his room, Leo sneezed.

Kojo sighed and jumped down from the crow's nest, deciding to clear his head.

As he landed on the deck, he exchanged pleasantries with Cyrus.

"How's your trip been so far?" Cyrus asked.

"It's alright," Kojo replied.

Cyrus offered him some of his chips. Kojo paused for a second, then reached out and took one.

"It's good."

"I heard you could cook. Think you could treat me one time?" Cyrus asked.

"Sure, if I get time."

The two stood in silence for a while, watching the ocean. Kojo was about to say something when Aldean appeared, holding a cup of water he was about to take a drink from when he noticed Kojo and Cyrus.

"Ah, perfect timing!" he exclaimed, heading towards Kojo. Both Kojo and Cyrus groaned.

He was in such a rush that he bumped into Loch and nearly fell, holding onto the wayfarer in order to steady himself and spilling water on him in the process. Kojo noticed that the places where the water touched the elf's skin turned blue. He remembered that Oceanians' skin turned blue when they came into contact with water. Suddenly, Kojo's mind was racing with questions. He quickly excused himself, saying he needed to find Lin to ask her about something.

Aldean yelled after him, "Get back here!" but Kojo ignored him. He went after Kojo, who was disappearing below deck.

Cyrus turned to look at the ocean. But instead of the calm waters he had been expecting, he saw storm clouds gathering in the distance, accompanied by the rumbling of thunder.