Sophie Alstreim let out a secretive sigh as she turned to look at the sea's shocking waves. It was almost as if it was reflecting the thoughts in her mind.

Surely, he did need help against King Beast Stage Magical Beasts, but that wasn't the point.

Wasn't this rate of growth in cultivation too terrific? It was almost as if he was nearing the Dragon Queen in terms of physical prowess.

According to the available information, Alchemist Davis was under a hundred years old, and the Dragon Queen was below two hundred years old. If this was true, then an outrageous thought filled her mind.

'It's almost as if they were equals...?'

And this King-Tier Dark-Winged Twilight Wolf kept calling him master... Wasn't she supposed to be Dragon Queen's Magical Beast Mount?

Either Nadia should be calling him master because she belongs to him, or...

Another outrageous thought popped up in her mind.

That Alchemist Davis and the Dragon Queen possessed an extremely intimate relationship, equaling that of husband and wife. This way, it is possible for Nadia to call them both Master and Mistress.

'What's going on...?' Sophie Alstreim didn't know how to perceive Davis anymore as her purple eyes trembled.

The territory she was entering was completely out of her status that she shook her head and cast her concentration in navigating the sea route.

Soon, they crossed the second, third, and fourth islands without encountering Peak-Level Lord Beast Stage Magical Beasts.

Sophie Alstreim was confidently steering the flying boat as her blonde hair shook along with the wind, making her appear extremely beautiful to the eyes of the watchful Davis.

"You..." He suddenly spoke, "You said that you didn't need the help of anyone to become stronger, but then, why are you borrowing my help?"

Sophie Alstreim's expression froze.

"That was a lie, right?"

Sophie Alstreim stared at him for a second before she heavily nodded her head, "Yes, to tell the truth, I have come here without telling anyone, but once they notice my disappearance after a day or two, they should be able to track me down with the clues I've intentionally left in the path I've traversed. This way, even if I get stranded or was cornered by a powerful magical beast, I should be at least able to hold out a day or two until help arrives..."

"Oh... You are quite intelligent for someone who got ambushed easily by those armadillos..."

"That was... something unavoidable..." Sophie Alstreim pouted.

"And then, how were you planning on avoiding these Peak-Level Lord Beast Stage Magical Beasts from devouring you..." Davis laughed.

"That..." Sophie Alstreim turned her head away in shame as she uttered, "With the Peak-Level King Grade Defensive Formation embedded in this construct..."

Davis laughed again, "Hahaha! How many attacks could it hold it out against those strong magical beasts? One, ten, hundred?"

"However, I haven't seen you leaving clues from the time you're with me? Does that mean you trust me?"

Sophie Alstreim giggled, "I trust Alchemist Davis more than anyone could think..."

"Mhmm..." Davis's voice trailed off, "How lucky that you're with a person whom you could leave your back to with no worries."

Sophie Alstreim smiled, not commenting as she took a step forward and walked. Her smile then faded, replaced with a wry expression, 'If only I can leave my all to you, I would be more satisfied...'

Just when they passed by the fifth island, entering a bit deeper into the Hundred Devil Thunder Archipelago...

*Bzzz!~*

*Boom!~*

Davis's expression changed.

A lightning bolt struck the ship out of nowhere, causing the implemented defensive formation to break!

"Oh, no! The weather changed!" Sophie Alstreim just shouted when another lightning bolt practically descended on her as if targeting her for her impudence.

Davis simultaneously appeared above her, his fist reaching towards the heavens!

*Boom!~*

The lightning bolt struck his fist as a rumble rang out, causing the lightning bolt to dissipate while Davis landed beside Sophie Alstreim, unharmed.

Davis checked that nothing happened to Sophie Alstreim while she dumbfoundedly looked at him. Then, he looked around and noticed that the weather had instantly and abnormally changed, making him a bit angered.

Numerous lightning bolts struck around them, some descending on the sea, some almost hitting their flying boat before it fell on the sea.

The first lightning that struck them was at the very peak of the seventh stage, while the second one was at just the starting point of the seventh stage. Even though they were the same, the immensity was completely off the charts that the first lightning bolt instantly broke the defensive formation.

*Boom!~* A lightning bolt hit the back of the flying boat, causing smoke to come out from the scorched surface. Apparently, it appeared to be weaker than the first two lightning bolts since it was unable to shatter that part of the flying boat.

"Sophie, steer the boat out of here! Quick!" Davis gave a command, causing her to quickly come out of her reverie.

She controlled the flying boat, not bothered about the falling lightning bolts that could possibly exterminate her in a single shot!

"Nadia, protect the flying boat!"

"Yes!" Nadia appeared on the deck from nowhere and lifted her hands....

A translucent dark barrier covered the top of the flying boat.

Davis stayed beside Sophie Alstreim, wanting to protect her in case a bolt of strong lightning comes from the side. Although unlikely, there was nothing wrong with being prepared.

*Boom!~*

*Boom!~*

*Boom!~*

*Boom!~*

The number of lightning bolts hitting the dark translucent barrier increased as Sophie Alstreim drove in a path where she could see there were no lightning falling down like here.

While she did her best, the lightning bolts struck them without mercy, but due to Nadia's powerful dark energy, she took it all and stood without breaking a sweat.

However, Davis narrowed his eyes.

*Boom!~*

An unusually thick lightning bolt hit the dark barrier, but nothing happened to Nadia's darkness barrier. It wasn't even shaken by it.

Davis frowned nevertheless. The situation was increasingly getting worse, with powerful bolts of the eighth stage already falling on them. He looked at the path they were traveling in and saw that Sophie was taking them in the correct direction.

"Nadia, continue to endure..."

Nadia giggled as she turned to look at him, "Master, these lightning bolts are nothing in front of my power."

"Nadia is awesome..." Davis smiled back, but his smile faded soon after.

Indeed, Nadia didn't need to worry about the lightning bolts breaking the darkness barrier she held, but Davis was more worried about the elemental weakness.

Darkness was weak against Lightning. This elemental weakness came from the fact that lightning was yang in nature, and darkness was in yin in nature. Nadia could endure these lightning bolts with no problem, but what if it increased in intensity and power?

Wouldn't she find it difficult?

Suddenly the tiny boat shook!

Davis belatedly noticed it, but a lightning bolt had struck the boat, breaking its lower frame!

Nadia's expression changed. Anger filled her expression before her face fell, "Master, I-"

"That's fine... It ricocheted off another lightning bolt... It can't be helped." He stopped her from apologizing as it wasn't her fault.

He had thought that something like this 'might' happen, so he was aware that it was his fault instead.

Moreover, Nadia was continuously expending energy as in terms of space, she wasn't stationary but moving along with the flying boat, meaning that she had to spend more energy to maintain the barrier at the same place. It was normal that she decided to defend only the top so that she could not expend wasteful energy.

That lightning bolt was a special case where two lightning bolts collided, and one ricocheted off of it towards their direction, magically hitting the lower frame. However, the flying boat was still able to fly as the lightning bolt that seemed to have hit them from the side had weakened from the initial impact of colliding with another lightning bolt.

Nadia moved her other hand the next moment when a horizontal translucent darkness barrier suddenly covered the flying boat. It was weaker than the one held above by her other hand, but it was more than enough to defend against these ricocheted and weakened lightning bolts.

*Boom!~*

*Boom!~*

*Boom!~*

Lightning struck all the sides of the barrier as they headed further.

As expected, the lightning bolts' density became far greater than the norm, causing more lightning bolts to hit each other, which in turn caused them to travel in infinite directions!

It was no longer the skies that they should be wary about!

Furthermore...

"Da- Davis! What should I do? I see no escape path!!!" Sophie Alstreim panicked as she turned around, her face becoming full of worry.

Right now, she felt miserable. It was her route that made them encounter danger. If anything happened to Davis, she felt that she would never be able to forgive herself.

The thundershower was just that outrageous enough to terrify her!

Davis looked around as well. Their surrounding was full of lightning sea flashing their eyes white, and if nature kept this up, he was afraid that they would be possibly be subjected to lightning bolts that were at the peak of the eighth stage.

There was no telling what would happen at that time. Nadia could possibly end up injured...

Nearby, he abruptly saw the silhouette of an island. Hopefully, it was not subjected to this outrageous and merciless barrage of a thundershower like the one they were in!

Davis didn't hesitate anymore. He directly grabbed Sophie Alstreim's wrist and jumped off the flying ship.

"Wha- What!?" Sophie Alstreim screamed as she fell into the sea of lightning along with Davis!