Chapter 78: A Private Island Getaway, Testing New Abilities
[Chapter 78: A Private Island Getaway, Testing New Abilities]
The next morning, the sun slowly rose over the ocean horizon, warm sunlight streaming through the bedroom window onto the large bed.
Sophie Marceau's eyelashes fluttered slightly as she opened her eyes.
Outside, the vast blue sea and the rising sun filled the view, the ocean shimmering with golden light.
She looked around and saw that Linton was not in bed. She picked up a jacket, wrapped it around herself, and got up to head outside.
...
In the villa's private swimming pool, Linton was swimming wearing just swim briefs. Spotting Sophie, he swam over to the poolside.
"Did you sleep well last night?"
"Pretty good. Maybe it's because we're in a new place. I felt a little anxious when I woke up and didn't see you."
Sophie, barefoot, walked to the edge of the pool and sat down, letting her feet dangle in the water. "The scenery here is beautiful, and the water is crystal clear. Want to come in and swim together?" he asked, reaching for her elegant hand.
"I'm not wearing a swimsuit -- I just woke up and threw on this jacket," Sophie said.
Linton smiled, "No worries. We've got this island all to ourselves, and the pool faces the ocean. No one's around."
Sophie's adventurous spirit was sparked. After a brief hesitation, her eyes gleamed mischievously. "Since no one can see us, why not go natural and skinny dip together?"
She tossed off the jacket and jumped into the water.
An expert swimmer, Sophie's graceful form glided several meters with ease.
"Well, I can't refuse," Linton replied, quickly shedding his clothes and following with a smooth freestyle swim.
Under blue skies and gentle clouds, alone in the pool, Sophie was like a beautiful mermaid, and Linton moved powerfully like a sleek tuna.
...
After swimming a few laps, they came ashore to rest. Linton wrapped one arm around her slender waist and the other around her neck, pulling her close for a tender kiss.
"Darling, we haven't tested our skills in the water yet. Want to try?" Sophie suggested, trailing kisses down his body.
...
After over an hour of passionate moments in the pool, Linton carried Sophie, thoroughly relaxed and melted, out of the water.
Back in their room, after freshening up and dressing, they headed to the dining room for breakfast.
"What's the plan for today?" Sophie asked while eating.
"Velaa Island offers golf, submarine rides for deep-sea exploration, jet skis, and yachts for ocean excursions. You pick," Linton explained.
Thinking it over, Sophie said, "Let's take the submarine and explore the underwater world. The ocean here is stunning."
"Sounds good."
They boarded a submarine from Velaa Island and headed to the nearby diving paradise, Palm Reef.
Equipped and ready, they dived beneath the waves, surrounded by vibrant coral, colorful fish, and sea turtles creating breathtaking underwater scenery that left them in awe.
...
On the return journey, Linton asked, "Any ideas for tomorrow?"
"Let's take the yacht out to sea."
Linton agreed, "Sure. I'll have the island staff prepare for a trip farther out. If we're lucky, we might see whales and dolphins. We can spend a night on the yacht and head back the day after."
Sophie nodded. "Sounds perfect. Seeing whales and dolphins would be amazing."
...
Early next morning at 9 a.m., they, along with their bodyguards, set out on the yacht from Velaa Island to their first stop at the renowned Baa Atoll.
Baa Atoll is a famous Maldives destination known for its uniquely shaped reefs and breathtaking beauty.
After enjoying the scenery, the yacht headed to the South Ari Marine Park in the afternoon.
This park is one of the best spots to observe whales and whale sharks, but unfortunately, they didn't get lucky.
Near sunset, the yacht anchored quietly at sea.
...
Under the mild sun, Linton, shirtless and wearing board shorts, lay side by side with bikini-clad Sophie on deck chairs basking in the sun.
"If I stay in the sun like this, I'm sure I'll get a lot darker on this trip," Sophie said with concern.
"You've applied plenty of sunscreen, so you'll be fine," Linton thought confidently to himself, 'Plus, with me constantly boosting your natural energy, your skin can't get any darker.'
"Hope so," Sophie said, glancing at Linton. "Want me to put some sunscreen on you?"
Linton waved it off, "No thanks. I don't mind the sun. Besides, I don't tan easily."
...
After enjoying the sunset's glow, they feasted on the freshest seafood dinner aboard the yacht, tasting a bottle of 1986 Lafite Rothschild.
After finishing the wine, Sophie's cheeks flushed slightly as she looked at the tall, handsome Linton beside her, feeling drawn to him. She threw herself into his arms and kissed him passionately.
Linton carried her into the cabin. The yacht rocked gently with the waves, making their intimacy feel different and more intense than on solid ground.
...
They enjoyed a blissful holiday on Velaa Island, free from work distractions.
Each day they dived in the sea, played golf, rode jet skis, watched sunrises and sunsets, savored various delicacies, and indulged in nightly passionate moments, completely unrestrained.
They were fully immersed in this joyous vacation, and their private time on the island felt like paradise.
Sophie, the French goddess, had regained her peak popularity after a few months away. Although not as high as Madonna's, her influence helped elevate Linton's abilities significantly.
However, advancing beyond the Radiant Core stage required resources far beyond what was needed at the Starlight Spark stage.
Last time, Sophie had directly helped Linton make progress, but now she could only help complete about a fifth of the breakthrough to the Radiant Core's second level.
Moreover, the fame energy Sophie emitted was fully absorbed by Linton within three days, so the following days only brought mental and physical pleasure.
...
Besides having fun, Linton used the nights while Sophie slept to fully test his abilities on the island.
Since reaching Radiant Core, Linton's body had undergone a complete transformation, vastly strengthening him.
Previously, living in the city, he kept his strength hidden to avoid causing a stir and barely knew his own power level, only occasionally using two subtle abilities undetectable by others.
Now, on this deserted island, he took the chance to thoroughly test himself.
After several nights of rigorous tests, Linton grew increasingly satisfied with his skills.
He could lift off the ground without aid up to 10 meters and hover for three minutes -- well beyond any ordinary expert's imagination.
His fastest ground speed was roughly 100 meters in 3 seconds. Aerial movement was slower, taking over 10 seconds to cover 100 meters and consuming much energy.
His eyesight improved drastically. By day, he could spot tiny insects 200 meters away, and on starry nights, clear sight extended to 15 meters.
Most importantly, after reaching Radiant Core, he developed a spiritual awareness -- able to see everything in a 10-meter radius from a mental plane at millimeter precision, even through thin walls.
However, using this spiritual sight drained his energy rapidly; five minutes at full power would exhaust him, requiring four hours of deep sleep to recover.
Still, it was a devastating advantage for scouting enemies when needed.
In strength, a full-force punch could shatter a 1-meter radius of reef rock into pebble-sized pieces, and even the hardest stones in his hand crushed into bits with his energy.
Without handy weapons, and as a celebrity, Linton avoided carrying guns, focusing on using objects as lethal projectiles.
He tested throwing items like playing cards and small stones infused with energy.
A normal playing card flung with full power could embed 10 meters into tree trunks or create small craters in reef rocks before shattering.
Small stones hurled similarly could penetrate deeply into rock.
In tests, finger-sized stones caused the most damage, digging half a meter into rock within 10 meters; pea-sized stones penetrated 0.4 meters.
Linton believed even hardened human bones would shatter upon impact, though his effective range was under 100 meters.
This inspired him to consider crafting a wrist bracelet made of hard, precious wood beads about pea-sized for both decoration and as weapons.
Some woods, like rosewood, are not only resilient but also help calm the mind.
He planned to research which wood would be best after returning.
*****
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