Lukey was sleeping soundly in his bed, blissfully ignoring the signs of light pouring through his window. He would have stayed there all day if he could, but he was unfortunately shaken awake by something beside him.

  “Wake up, son; you’re going to be late!”

  It was still dim outside; the morning light hadn’t even reached over the horizon when he was forced awake. His mother was right beside his bed, pushing him back and forth as he slowly opened his eyes. His body was still in pain from last night, so the last thing he wanted was for his wounds to open again.

  “Wounds … hurt … stop … please.”

  Lukey let out a groan as he forced his body to move despite the numerous aches and pains that coated his body.

  “You said you were joining me in the town. You need to get up early if you want to leave with me,” Leah said.

  Lukey gave a final disgruntled mumble before getting out of bed and getting dressed. Looking around, he discovered that his mother had prepared new clothes for him to go into town in. Digging into the pile of folded clothes on his bed revealed a green linen shirt and open vest. Beneath were long pants, finer than most villagers' clothes, and sandals with soles that looked to be made of a soft bark.

  Lukey, like most of the villagers, often walked barefoot around the island. It was harder to swim when you had to worry about heavy boots holding you back, and sandals just fell off in the water. This outfit was fancy, or at least better than what he usually wore.

  “I had it made for you for your birthday, but seeing as you’re going to frequent town from now on, I wanted to make sure you looked nice,” Leah said.

  Lukey was surprised at first, then excitedly put it on. It wasn’t at the level of something like what his mother wore, but it was far better than nothing. Many of the foreigners wore much fancier clothes than what was available on the island; at the very least he could show up without looking like some sort of bumpkin.

  The young man finished getting dressed, then couldn’t help looking down at himself. He could already imagine walking proudly through Tranquil Waters. He didn’t bother with his fishing equipment, as he didn’t have the materials to fix anything, nor did he want to carry all that around. Satisfied with how he looked, he took some fruit from a bowl, tied his hair, and left the house with his mother.

  ...

  Tranquil Waters was located on the southernmost part of the island, surrounded by beaches. This allowed the islanders to start constructing ports that allowed ships to come from either side of the town. It was a place where any ship could come and rest until they were ready to set sail, and it was kept far enough away from the villages to avoid the sailors becoming a nuisance.

  If there is one thing the emperor and his predecessor were good at, it was seizing opportunity. Rather than telling the people from the continents that they weren’t welcome or simply accepting whatever gifts they gave, the last emperor negotiated deals that benefited both sides.

  The first time was when Thousand Acre wanted a base on the island to investigate local plant life. The emperor agreed but told them they had to limit their control on the island to their guild building.

  The second time was with Dragon’s Lance; they wanted a place to dock their ships and stage their operations against sea monsters. Caldoon was in control at this time and agreed to build a base; however, the base would be owned by the island, and the guild would have to pay a yearly offering to keep their guild building.

  This was Caldoon’s plan to earn money for the island to trade with: to let the guilds own land so long as they pay a tax for it. Ships are charged a docking fee and rent for the space they use as well. Visitors to the island wouldn’t be charged, but you can’t own property without permission from the emperor.

  As for the possibility of anyone using force? That was extremely unlikely. Almost everyone that came to the island was below level two hundred forty. People above that threshold already probably had good positions within their homelands and wouldn’t bother coming to the island unless they were traveling. Caldoon could single-handedly destroy any ship that approached the island, so it was in the guilds’ best interests to play nice if they wanted to benefit from this venture.

  Lukey and Leah approached the town as the sun began to shine over the eastern horizon, displaying the half-finished town in morning light. Before them was an arch that served as the boundary between the town and the outside. It was made of white stone that was mined on the island and stuck together using an alchemical adhesive. The white stone gave off a lax feeling that meshed well with the nearby ocean.

  Inside the town, he could see construction going on all over. Inns, bars, bakeries, restaurants, and even some small parks were being built. It seems that Caldoon had the idea that this would be some sort of vacation town where people would come for enjoyment. He wasn’t wrong, as many sailors wanted to come and spend money after many months at sea.

  Few ships, however, sailed the Abyssal Ocean to begin with. It was usually exploratory vessels and delegations from countries. This was why the progress of the town was so slow, as it took significant time and risk just to reach the island. This little island lacked the ability to attract talent that would be necessary to build a town.

  There were, however, some interesting individuals that were fine with the risk, and they already had their own niches carved throughout the town.

  Lukey and Leah walked along the white pavement as they passed the many buildings constructed with white-painted wood and blue accents. They eventually reached one of the parks as Lukey took in the sights. Within the park there were patches of pink, orange, and yellow flowers, slowly being illuminated by the morning sun, highlighting Leah’s handiwork.

  “Alright, I need to meet with my team,” Leah said. “I don’t know where the emperor is, but he should be around town, so why don’t you walk around and look for him?”

  “Alright, I guess I should get acquainted with this place, I suppose,” Lukey said.

  Just like that they parted ways, with Leah going to do work in the park and Lukey exploring Tranquil Waters.

  ...

  Lukey never saw any reason to explore this place; after all, it was still an empty, unfinished dream of the emperor. Many people from the villages saw it as a waste of time as well but kept quiet and obeyed the emperor since he was protecting them.

  The town of Tranquil Waters, most days, was largely empty. Only when a ship arrived was there any amount of activity here. The people came, spent their money, and sailed off after staying for a week. On rare occasions, some people stayed behind and tried to start a life here. People with classes often crossed the ocean in search of new opportunities, so many thought it was safer to stay on the island rather than continue the journey. It was one of those individuals that Lukey planned on visiting right now.

  This book was originally published on Royal Road. Check it out there for the real experience.

  The weaver was of particular interest to Lukey after he began seeing what the person could make. Apparently, they could make dresses and clothes from just about any flexible material. It didn’t have the level of protection armor would, but for the average person, that wasn’t necessary.

  Lukey stopped in front of a building with a colorful sign that displayed an island flower and a dress. The sign read “Ginny’s Island Apparel,” and it sat above a storefront that showed a large variety of clothing. Dresses that were woven from flower petals, leaves, and other organic materials were displayed behind a piece of glass.

  Lukey stepped inside the store and looked around. The walls, floorboards, and desk were all made of polished wood, with the same white and blue coloring the outside buildings had. It was a sizable place filled with the dresses displayed outside in different colors and even some clothing that wasn’t shown. There was even a section for men, but it was noticeably smaller than the rest of the selection.

  “Welcome to Ginny’s Island Apparel, sir! How can I be of service?”

  The person who greeted him was a tall woman with green, plantlike skin. She had loose, vinelike hair that reached her shoulders and a large, sunset-orange flower that sprouted from the left side of her head. She wore a long dress that looked to seem to be made from orange petals and sandals that seem to have been made from tree bark. The final thing of note was her black sclera and orange irises.

  [??? (Tropical Weaver) Lv. 94]

  Lukey was taken aback by her appearance, as he didn’t expect to be greeted by a plant person when he came to the town today. He stayed quiet as he tried to recall his lessons and remembered that this person was either a luxe or a leshy. Leshys lived in forests, whereas luxe lived in jungles. Judging by her appearance, he guessed the latter.

  “Hello, my name is Lukey,” he unsteadily said. “I was visiting Tranquil Waters when I heard that there is a weaver in town that could make all kinds of cloths. I’m guessing that’s you?”

  Her eyes seemed to sparkle as she registered Lukey’s statement.

  “That is correct! I’m Ginevra, or Ginny if you prefer. If I may ask, how did you hear about me?”

  “I saw the work you did for my mom. She’s the botanist creating many of the flowers you see around the town. Do you mind if I look around?”

  “Oh, you’re that woman’s son? She brought me a ton of different materials to work with; I can’t thank her enough! Please feel free to look around.”

  Lukey strode over to the men’s section of the shop and saw what she had for sale. The men’s clothing largely consisted of long, flowing trousers and loose-fitting, button-down shirts, all of which were in a variety of eye-searing colors. Lukey was somewhat put off by the display and tried to ask Ginny if she had anything else without being rude.

  “Um… This is a bit impractical for me. Are there any clothes for someone who dives frequently?”

  Ginny let out a deep sigh before speaking.

  “No, I don’t have anything that can survive saltwater; it destroys the plant matter the clothes are made from,” she said. “The only thing I could make is a bodysuit made from those waxy jungle leaves, but those are so thick they’re impractical to use.”

  Lukey thought about that; most of the island was covered in saltwater rivers and lakes that lead into the ocean. It was impossible to navigate the island without being able to swim. The clothing many islanders used wasn't waterproof, but it was easily made and effectively disposable. What was the point of fancy clothing if it couldn't survive a trip in the water?

  While Lukey was lost in thought, he ended up speaking out loud without realizing it.

  “If none of this can survive saltwater, then how are you selling anything?”

  It was only after Lukey saw Ginny taken aback that he realized his mistake.

  “Ah, I apologize. I didn’t mean to be rude!” Lukey quickly said.

  Ginny let out an exaggerated sigh, then responded.

  “It’s okay. Honestly, you’re right, I’m not selling anything. The people from Thousand Acre like my clothes, but the villagers all think they’re utterly impractical. Very few people visit my shop regularly.”

  Lukey felt sorry for the woman. It was easy to see why no one came. The clothes were eye-catching, but if they couldn’t survive being around water, how were you supposed to wear them around the island? Lukey tried to comfort her as he asked her more questions to get her mind off the subject.

  “If I may ask, what brought you to the island?” He asked.

  Ginny looked up, then tilted her head to the side as she recalled what brought her here.

  “Well, I’m originally from the Novus continent,” Ginny said. “After I completed my training in Emerald Expanse, I took a boat to try and go to the Vetus continent to see the Leshy homeland. My boat stopped on the island, and I was so enamored with the local plant life that I decided to continue pursuing my craft here.”

  “Emerald Expanse?” Lukey asked.

  He had never gotten to hear about the many places outside of the island, so he was always curious about what the world outside was like. Now there was a person here who could tell him what it was like, and he wouldn’t miss the opportunity.

  “The homeland of us Luxe. It’s named that because the jungle is so dense, the tops of the trees are nothing but a thick green. No light reaches below the treetops, so we build our homes in the trunks of the trees near the top. It’s a lot like your island’s jungle, except a lot bigger.”

  “And fish? Are there any dangerous fish to catch?” Lukey excitedly asked.

  “Oh, absolutely. There are hunters that visit the lower levels of the jungle to hunt monsters. There’s a dangerous fish, called an Arapaima, that’s ten feet long and eats anyone that gets close to the rivers. There are many carnivorous fish and lizards, including small fish that are known to drink blood.”

  Lukey was getting increasingly invested in listening to the plant woman’s stories. Everything she described was something he wanted to see with his own eyes. He wanted to listen more but stopped himself as he remembered the reason he came to town to begin with.

  “I apologize, Ginny, but I have a meeting with someone in town today. I appreciate you taking the time to tell me about your homeland,” Lukey said before heading to the door.

  “Oh, it’s perfectly fine. It’s always nice to tell someone about home. Please, don’t hesitate to stop by again,” Ginny said with a wave.

  “I won’t. Also, I’ll try to look into anything good for waterproofing that can be found on the island!”

  Once Lukey ran out the door, he started making his way through Tranquil Waters.

  ...

  Lukey looked everywhere around town for the emperor but turned up short. The town wasn’t that big yet; it was only a single district so far and didn’t stretch that far into the mainland. Eventually, Lukey decided to head towards the docks and see if any ships had arrived.

  It was there that he finally found the person he was looking for, along with some strange characters.

  Caldoon was there, greeting what looked like a giant insect person. This individual had arrived with dozens of others on a red-colored ship with bones built into its construction. The massive bones seemed to function as accents, with what looked like a large bird skull as the figurehead. This looked like a trading ship, yet it was constructed to strike fear into whoever looked at it. Whatever territory it belonged to, they meant business.

  Lukey looked around and glanced at each of the passengers' titles, then noticed something that elated him.

  Many of these people had a wide variety of classes. A blacksmith, a leatherworker, a builder, an alchemist, and even a chef—these were people that this newly established town needed. In addition, there were a significant number of classless people who looked like they would operate the inns and bars.

  Lukey raised an eyebrow, however, when he looked at the person Caldoon was talking to. This individual was as tall as the emperor, with sleek black chitinous plates covering his entire body, making it look like a set of armor. His face had two large eyes with hundreds of lenses and antennae that seemed to constantly search their surroundings. His mouth had a set of small mandibles, and his arms and legs each seemed to end in two fingers and toes.

  [??? (Advanced Chitinshaper) Lv. 128]

  The other classes he heard of. Alchemists brew concoctions using anything with chemical properties, a leatherworker tanned the hides of beasts and cut them to make leather armor, and a chef cooked food. Not once in his lessons had he ever heard of a chitinshaper. Already, Lukey was curious enough to talk to the giant ant man, but before he could, Caldoon noticed him.

  “Lukey! Glad you’re here! I was just finishing up some business!”

  Caldoon was yelling at the top of his lungs to Lukey, while the ant man began walking past Lukey towards the town. Lukey was tempted to talk to him but focused on his job as he approached Caldoon.

  “You said you would meet me in town,” Lukey said.

  “I know I did, but a ship finally arrived from Vetus with people willing to stay in Tranquil Waters,” Caldoon said with a wide grin on his face. “For years, people said I was crazy, but it’s finally happening!”

  Caldoon then walked off, beckoning Lukey to follow him.

  “Come, Lukey! Big changes are happening, and we need to be part of them!”