The Rich Cultivator
Chapter 447. Another One

Chapter 447: 447. Another One

The island already looked battered—like it had been through several disasters in one. Trees were either uprooted or broken in half, their leaves scattered like confetti. Houses lay in ruins, their roofs caved in and walls cracked or completely collapsed. Even public facilities—fountains, resting huts, transport stations—were reduced to nothing more than rubble and splinters.

Tyler hovered in the sky, his expression calm but eyes sharp. "A Sea Beast Wave usually happens for a few reasons," he explained, watching the chaos below. "They might be attracted to something on the island... or maybe they’ve been tainted by something, driving them mad. Another possibility is that they’re running from a greater predator... or perhaps they’re being controlled. Honestly, it’s not easy to pinpoint the exact cause." He glanced down. "When a Sea Beast Wave shows up, the best option is usually just to avoid it entirely."

Lily floated beside him, arms crossed, her eyes locked on the swarming sea beasts below. "Yeah, we know that," she replied. "Looks like most of the people here took that ’good option.’ Only a few weaklings seem to have gotten stuck on the island."

A ripple appeared on the surface of the ground below, and Mana rose from it like a spirit phasing through the earth. "There are broken arrays and a shattered core beneath the island," she said without preamble. Her fingers were glowing faintly, having just finished scanning the land.

Tyler narrowed his eyes. "That means the Levitation Array’s been damaged. No wonder the island crashed down." He paused and turned to Lily. "This place is beyond saving now. Quick, can you still sense that person from your race?"

Lily’s expression dimmed slightly as she shook her head. "They sensed me too, I think. They’ve hidden their presence... completely concealed themselves."

"Hmm..." Tyler rubbed his chin. "Looks like they don’t want you finding them."

"So?" Lily raised an eyebrow.

Tyler shrugged. "Should we leave, or do you want to search?"

Lily didn’t hesitate. "Let’s search for survivors. Since we are Merchants who are making a good reputation, we can’t let them die here."

Tyler nodded. "Alright. Split up— we cover more ground that way."

The trio scattered across the ruined island, soaring through the air in different directions. Tyler flew straight toward the remnants of what used to be a tall tower. It was now a broken stump of stone and metal, with only its lower floors intact. Despite the destruction, Tyler sensed lingering fluctuations— an indication that something— or someone— was still inside.

Using his divine sense, he scanned the ruins and detected few life signatures. Beneath the rubble, protected by a faltering array, were men, women, and children of various races— beastkin, humans.

"Help has arrived," Tyler’s voice echoed gently into their minds through voice transmission. "We’re traveling merchants passing by. The island is flooding. Come out quickly —we’re getting everyone off this place."

The survivors, startled but relieved, began to move. The protective array around them flickered weakly as they crawled through debris and broken stone.

Elsewhere, Mana emerged again through the cracked pavement of what had once been a plaza. Her eyes glowed as she walked toward another pocket of trapped survivors. Without wasting time on explanation, she waved her hand, and with a gentle hum, the entire group vanished— stored safely inside her pocket dimension. She barely paused before diving into the ground once again, continuing her silent rescue mission.

Meanwhile, Lily followed her instincts.

She darted across a half-collapsed bridge, weaving through falling debris and leaping over rising water levels. Her focus was fixed on the last place she had sensed her kin —someone of her race, hidden but definitely there. Her heart pounded with mixed emotions.

After her brother’s death, she had believed she was the last of her kind. The thought that someone else from her race might still be alive stirred something deep inside her.

Eventually, Lily arrived at what used to be a grand garden. It was protected by a still-active array that shimmered faintly in the air like heat waves. The garden had once been a place of beauty, filled with rare flowers and carefully tended trees, but now it was in chaos. Many of the plants had broken or been ripped apart due to the violent shaking of the island.

Still, Lily noticed something off.

She walked slowly through the ruined garden, her sharp eyes scanning the area. One particular spot caught her attention. The plants there looked unnaturally disturbed —not crushed by debris or storm, but rather... manipulated.

She knelt beside a small patch of overturned soil and reached out, running her fingers through the earth.

"Someone dug something out recently," Lily muttered.

A voice answered from behind her—neutral, calm, and oddly emotionless. It was hard to tell whether it belonged to a male or female.

"How did you figure that out?"

Lily didn’t turn immediately. She kept staring at the ground, as if piecing together a puzzle. "This garden is protected by an advanced array. It’s designed to shield against natural disasters—earthquakes included. Which means..." she stood slowly, brushing dirt off her hands, "...this damage wasn’t from the quake. Someone broke through the array, dug something out, and then ruined the rest of the garden to make it look like it was just another casualty of the island’s collapse."

She finally turned, her gaze sharp. "And that someone... is you."

Standing a few paces away was a figure cloaked in brown. Their entire body was hidden beneath the thick garment, and not even their face was visible. No aura leaked from them. No sound of breath. No movement beyond the slight flutter of the cloak.

The figure tilted their head slightly. "You are clever."

"...But I’m pretty confused," Lily said, tilting her head slightly, her brows furrowed. "Why did you do it? It’s not like anyone on this island would even care if you stole something."

She narrowed her eyes. "Also... you’re hiding your aura. That makes me wonder—what if you’re the person I’ve been searching for? Someone who didn’t want to be found. Someone deliberately avoiding me. That’s why you did all this... isn’t it?"

Lily’s eyes narrowed. "Who are you? Why are you hiding your identity from one of your own race?"

The figure didn’t reply. Instead, they turned slightly, as if preparing to walk away.

Lily stepped forward. "I’m not letting you go until I get answers."

For a moment, silence stretched between them —tense and heavy. Then the figure sighed softly, "As expected of m- Lily... Yeah. I panicked. I didn’t want to see you. I absolutely didn’t want to meet you. Because I don’t remember meeting you, which means I already altering something—"

The cloaked figure’s tone turned grim. "Thats good... But the person I wanted to meet is not you."

Lily’s eyes sharpened. She didn’t wait another second. In one swift motion, she drew her whip and lashed out.

Crack!

But it didn’t land.

Another whip, just as fast, struck hers mid-air with perfect precision. The impact reverberated with force, and before Lily could regain her stance, the figure yanked her forward using the whip’s momentum.

A hand grabbed her face.

Lily gasped. Her instincts flared in alarm.

The hand... was soft. Feminine.

"A girl’s hand..." she whispered.

"I can’t let you keep guessing everything," the cloaked figure muttered coldly.

An arc of electricity suddenly sparked from the girl’s fingertips. It surged directly into Lily’s head.

Zzzzzztt!

Lily’s body trembled violently before going limp. Her eyes rolled back, and she collapsed unconscious on the ground.

The girl dropped the whip, stepped over Lily, and turned around calmly.

Mana appeared silently behind her, eyes glowing with ethereal light, ready to possess the girl’s body from behind.

But the cloaked girl didn’t flinch.

"Heh... not today," she said with a smirk.

With a quick snap of her fingers, she conjured a compact sphere of pure lightning in her palm. She spun it once before slamming it into the ground. The sphere exploded outward and formed a glowing electric prison that trapped Mana inside.

Mana extended her hand to push through the crackling barrier.

Zzztt!

"Ah—!" she winced, retracting her hand in pain. "Mana... can’t get out. Mana can’t see anything outside too."

The girl didn’t even look back.

"Now... the final one," she muttered.

Just then, Tyler landed in front of her with a soft thud, his coat fluttering as he looked around. He first noticed Lily lying unconscious, then turned to the glowing orb containing Mana.

His expression hardened.

Still, he didn’t move recklessly.

"Hello there," Tyler said, voice calm but firm. "Mind giving me my companions back?"

As he spoke, he silently activated his divine sense, scanning the cloaked girl thoroughly.

A flicker of shock crossed his face.

"Tsk... yeah," the girl said, her tone annoyed. "I forgot you had the divine sense of a Loose Immortal by now."

Tyler’s voice turned low. "Who... are you?"

His eyes narrowed. "How is this possible?"

Without a word, the girl reached up, grabbed her hood, and pulled it back.

Her face was obscured by a Phantom Mask, but her form was unmistakable now. She wore a tight, black, temptress-style dress that shimmered with dark charm and elegance.

"Temptress?"