The Rich Cultivator
Chapter 194. Leaving

Chapter 194: 194. Leaving

Author notes: [ "I missed posting a Chapter again yesterday, so I will upload two Chapters today."]

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Chapter 194 : Leaving

The thunderstorm raged on, relentless in its fury, as heavy rain fell across the sea and drenched the Triangle Islands. Thick, dark clouds blotted out the sun, casting a gloomy pall over the islands and halting all activity. Ships that once bustled in the harbor of Whiteford City were docked, their crews forced to stay ashore. The newly built city buzzed with activity indoors, but the weather made further construction impossible. Tyler’s crew, along with the locals, hunkered down to wait out the storm.

"It’s raining cats and dogs out here," Tyler muttered, looking at the strom. He sighed, knowing that their journey would be delayed for an unknown period.

Beside him stood Hawk, unfazed by the downpour. She pointed to her wristwatch, a sleek, advanced piece of technology that seemed out of place in the storm-soaked setting. "Well, if you want, I can bring you to the academy using my portable waypoint." Hawk’s voice was casual, though there was a hint of mischief in her tone.

Tyler glanced at the watch, considering the offer for a moment. "No thanks," he replied, his voice as steady as ever. "I want to join with my friends. Is there any specific time we need to be at the academy?"

Hawk tilted her head slightly, thinking. "Yeah, you’ve got time. There are still six months until the next semester starts," she said.

"Six months, huh?" Tyler mused aloud. "Is there an age limit for joining?"

Hawk didn’t answer right away. Tyler turned to look at her and immediately regretted it.

She wasn’t listening anymore. Her eyes had turned into heart shapes, her lips parted slightly, and a thin line of drool trickled down her chin. She mumbled under her breath, "Age doesn’t matter... who would judge if we kept it to ourselves..."

Cough Tyler cleared his throat, snapping Hawk out of her daze.

Hawk wiped the drool from her chin, her face flushing as she realized what had happened. She coughed in an attempt to regain her composure. "Age doesn’t matter," she repeated more clearly this time. "The academy cares about achievements, money, and more money. That’s it."

Tyler chuckled softly but didn’t push the subject. Instead, his gaze returned to the storm. They were both standing out in the rain, though neither of them seemed particularly bothered by it. Hawk, in particular, held an Air Umbrella, a marvel of technology. It didn’t look like an umbrella in the traditional sense—more like a flashlight, really—but it generated a jet of fast-moving air that pushed the rain away from them in all directions. Not a drop touched them.

"Not a bad piece of tech," Tyler said with a grin, eyeing the device with interest.

Hawk smirked. "You really came with me to gather herbs in the rain," she said with a teasing tone. "You’re not worried that my Big Sis will eat you?"

Tyler chuckled again, a playful glint in his eyes. "Actually, I’m hoping she will," he said, his voice lowering just slightly. "I wouldn’t mind getting eaten by Big Sis."

For a moment, Hawk froze. Her brain seemed to short-circuit, and a small trickle of blood began to leak from her nose. She quickly wiped it away, her face turning red. "H-Hey!" she stammered, taking a step back.

Tyler stepped forward, oblivious to the effect he was having. He moved closer because he didn’t want to get wet, but to Hawk, the gesture felt much more intimate.

"Huh... wait... I’m not ready yet..." Hawk mumbled under her breath, her thoughts running wild.

Tyler blinked, confused by her behavior. He glanced behind her and pointed. "Isn’t that the herb you were looking for?"

Hawk snapped out of her flustered state, turning quickly to where Tyler was pointing. Sure enough, there was the rare herb she had been searching for: Rain Dew Spores. They were small, delicate-looking plants that only grew during heavy rainstorms. Their rarity came from the fact that they only appeared in such conditions and vanished soon after.

"Y-Yeah, that’s the one!" Hawk said, still trying to regain her composure. She quickly scanned the herb with her wristwatch, causing the plant to disappear and get stored in the device.

"With that, my task is done," she said with a satisfied nod, finally regaining control of her emotions.

"So you came all the way here just to get this?" Tyler asked, eyeing the spot where the plant had been.

"Yeah, it’s a rare one. Needed it for a project," Hawk explained. "Now that I’ve got it, I guess I’ll be leaving."

Tyler folded his arms, his expression thoughtful. "I don’t think I can join the academy for the upcoming semester," he said.

Hawk raised an eyebrow. "Why not?"

Tyler scratched his chin. "According to Lily, it’ll take us nearly a year to reach the Ixalaria Continent by ship. I’m not exactly familiar with traveling between continents, but that’s what she told me."

"Ixalaria Continent is where most of the academies are." Hawk nodded. "It’s one of the few actual continents in this world. Most people in the south don’t even know they exist beyond the islands." She paused, then added, "But you don’t have to wait a year. You could reach Ixalaria quickly by using the teleportation array at Cedar Island. But you can’t bring your whole ship through the array, only yourself and a few others."

Tyler frowned. "Teleportation, huh? That’s useful. But leaving the ship behind would be tricky. I have to think about it."

Hawk shrugged. "It’s up to you. But the option’s there."

Tyler nodded slowly, considering the idea. "Just as I said before, I’ll think about it. For now, I’ll wait until the storm passes. Then I’ll head to Cedar Island."

With a final nod, Hawk gave him a quick peck on the cheek, her lips brushing his skin before he could react. "See you around," she said with a wink, her voice back to its teasing self. She tapped her wristwatch, activating the portable waypoint.

A shimmering portal appeared before her, and her hoverboard floated up beside her. With a wave, she stepped through the portal and disappeared, leaving Tyler standing alone in the rain as the portal closed behind her.

Tyler suddenly looked at his hand. He is pretty sure he saw his hand turning into water before turned back normal.