As Gerald sat on the ship's deck and meditated, his mind was at peace.

In his mind's eye, he saw himself, or a representation of his Soul. It seemed large at first glance, but he didn't really have a reference point, so he couldn't estimate its significance.

The only thing he knew for sure, was what he saw/felt. His Soul was black. Not black like the color, but black as in absence of light. It also seemed to be damaged, with many scars and corrupted-looking parts.

The best analogy was that his Soul was a dirty cloth, stitched together from thousands of small fragments. It actually made him feel sick just looking at it.

"Such filth! I guess that's why a refinement is needed…" Gerald murmured to himself. No way such a Soul could be considered powerful. Large perhaps, but nothing more.

He tried exerting pressure on it, on himself. The inner parts of the black mist-like Soul merged together, forming slightly bigger particles. He was at that time condensing the mist, moving the damaged and corrupted-looking pieces to the outside of his Soul, leaving the core in a much better, healthier state.

The process was slow and difficult, but it brought him a sense of accomplishment.

Then suddenly someone tapped him on the shoulder and disrupted his process. Like a stretched rubber after losing the force pulling it apart, his Soul jumped back towards its original appearance, though a small portion remained changed.

Opening his eyes groggily, Gerald noticed the sun has already risen, and they have arrived at a new port town.

"We have arrived at the Jade Islands, friend," a sailor responsible for waking him up said. "We will depart again in about five hours, so if you want to check out the harbor or get something to eat you are welcome to do so."

Gerald's stomach rumbled at that time, alerting him to his hungry body. He actually forgot to eat, how unusual. It seemed like Cultivation affected his sense of time quite a bit.

"Hmm, right…" he slowly replied to the man, still a bit disorientated from the entire ordeal.

"Don't be late or the ship will depart without you!" the sailor shouted after him as Gerald was already on his way.

The cargo they gathered in the Kingdom of Myrtana was getting offloaded and some new wooden crates were moved onto the ship at a quick pace.

Gerald had no interest in watching the workers do their routine job, so he went to find himself something to drink.

His head felt weird. It was like he fell asleep in a hot car in the middle of summer and was then abruptly awakened as he was cooking in his own sweat. He felt muddle-headed and dirty.

"Fuck… I hope this isn't permanent," he groaned.

Luckily, it wasn't.

A few hours later, and after downing some cool ale and having a bite to eat, he returned back to his normal state of mind. Actually, he felt even slightly better. The difference was so small he didn't even notice, he was just glad to be back feeling in his prime.

The Jade Islands were full of lush green plants, some of them reflecting the sunlight like jade. Truly a paradise for the eyes and soul.

The dormant volcano was rising in the distance, its hard rocky peak covered with a thin snow cap even in the summer heat.

Walking around the harbor, Gerald stumbled upon a market. It had all kinds of things. Jewels made of precious stones like rubies, opals, and amber. Not magical in nature, but quite pretty to look at.

Various rugs and silks were on sale as well as clothes and simple white gowns.

Above one stall was written [Apothecary], and the herbs and medicines on sale there attracted Gerald's attention.

"What is this?" he asked, pointing at a bottle.

"Oh, this? Sir, this is the best medicine for fever," the old guy manning the stall said, trying to look as inviting as possible.

"Hmm… And this? What does that one do?" Gerald continued, trying to see if anything they had here was worth getting.

"That one, oh, that's for a stomach ache. It flushes out your body and removes poisons and parasites," the man continued explaining, going so far as to quickly introduce all his concoctions and their effects.

"Don't you have anything stronger? Perhaps something like Health Potions or the like?" Gerald countered, feeling underwhelmed by the common medicines on sale.

"Oh no, sir." The man shook his head, appearing downcast, "Those herbs required to make them don't grow here, they wither and die in the summer heat. Believe me, I know, I have tried growing them."

"Not a fan of the tropical climate, huh?" Gerald commented, speaking more to himself than anything. Now that he thought about it, the Healing Roots liked shade and cool places since they grew in dense forests to the north.

"Do you have anything special? Some rare herb, or potion?" he eventually asked, deciding to get going if there was nothing else on sale.

"A rare herb?" the man thought for a bit. "Oh, is sir searching for a gift for the Young Master perhaps? He is getting married soon, after all."

"What? No!" Gerald exclaimed. "What Young Master are you even talking about?"

"Oh, the Emerald family's oldest son, of course! He is getting married to the princess of the Burronian Empire. I believe her name is Emillyinn Vell. They say she is a true beauty, a goddess in the flesh. The moon and the stars don't glow as bright as her eyes, and a single glance from her, they say, can steal your heart. Her stunning physique-"

As the man rambled on, Gerald became impatient. "I don't care about some stupid marriage! I'm just looking around for things that could help me take down a Phoenix! If you don't have anything like that, then…"

He turned around, ready to leave.

"Oh," the man said, stopping his praises for a woman he has never seen. "Oh," he repeated, this time his voice filled with mockery and disdain. "A Phoenix? Is it that time again?"

"What do you mean?"

"Oh, nothing…" The man sat down and took a handkerchief, wiping the sweat from his brow, and started fanning himself with the other hand. It wasn't even noon and the day was already so hot.

"You know something…" Gerald squinted his eyes. The man was acting stupid all of a sudden on purpose. He knew that much.

"Nothing, it's nothing. I don't want to waste your time…" The man began busying himself with his humble stall, covering it with a light cloth to make some shade.

Gerald slapped a small bag of coins on the counter and hissed, trying hard to contain his frustration. "What. Do you know. About a Phoenix?"