The Rich Cultivator-Chapter 441. Maiden in Distress

You’re probably reading this while lying on your side in bed, your device plugged in or charging. Maybe your pillow’s slightly warm on one side, and the screen’s casting a soft glow in the dark.

"Wow... How did he know?" Tyler muttered to himself.

He was indeed lying in bed, one hand behind his head and using the Ship’s Holographic tech to read the posts and Updates in NN. His room gently swayed with the rhythm of the ocean, a constant reminder that he wasn’t on solid land but drifting somewhere deep in the vast sea. The glow from the 3D hologram display illuminated his hair and the faint smirk tugging at the corner of his lips.

Though he is not using it now. He is charging his communication device. Charging the device wasn’t a problem — not when it was designed to absorb Aura naturally from the user. Some models ran on Prana instead, depending on the energy they are cultivating, but Tyler preferred the Hybrid version. Because he is a Dual (Aura and Prana) Immortal Practitioner.

"NN’s pretty annoying to connect in the sea," Tyler muttered again.

NN — short for Neural Nexus — was the go-to Northern Network for digital communication, news updates, and gossip spreading network of the North.

Usually Internet worked flawlessly across the Ixalaria Continent, where towers and floating relays dotted the sky, providing strong, consistent signal.

But out here?

In the middle of the untamed sea?

Forget it.

Signal came and went like whispers in the wind. Sometimes you were lucky, sometimes you weren’t. No one knew where or how the signal appeared — it was like a ghost ship drifting through the fog. Tyler was fairly confident that his luck stat helped a bit, especially after peeking into his own past during the particular Dream.

Just then, a translucent girl materialized beside his bed.

Serena , wearing a Bikini, laid beside Tyler.

"That’s hot..." Tyler muttered.

She is literally the ship manager now — she is in deep sleep due to poison, her Consciousness is linked directly to the ship’s core. She crossed her arms and tapped him. But it went through him.

"Tyler, stop browsing NN. I was planning to download the latest headlines and print newspapers for us to sell on the upcoming island," she said flatly. "But... that might not be possible anymore."

Tyler raised an eyebrow. "Why not?"

Serena’s eyes widened slightly. "Pirates raided the island. According to nearby echo-signatures and data fragments, the attack happened a few hours ago. They’ve already left."

"Ah..." Tyler leaned back, staring at the ceiling. "Yeah. No way there’ll be any business there now. The locals will be too busy rebuilding or mourning. They won’t have the Lydia or morale to trade. Typical."

He didn’t sound particularly sympathetic.

In fact, he sounded used to it.

The seas were cruel. During his southern trip. Tyler had seen villages razed, floating cities plundered, and once, even a giant turtle island flipped upside down. He’d fought pirates more times than he could count, and honestly, had looted a few himself — under specific, justifiable conditions, of course.

"Darla wants to help them," Serena added.

Tyler gave a small chuckle. "That’s exactly like her. The bleeding heart of the crew. If Astrid were awake, she’d be the first one out there waving her holy light around."

There was a pause.

Then Serena said. "Also... Mathilda wants to help."

Tyler blinked. "Wait. Mathilda? Did she hit her head recently?"

"She said, and I quote: ’I smell maidens in distress.’"

Tyler laughed. "Ah. That explains everything."

His tone turned nonchalant again. "Whatever. Let them do what they want. Tell them to ask the Vice-Captain for permission. If Lily approves, I have no objections. I’m going into seclusion anyway."

Serena nodded and vanished from the room, her form pixelating into the air like scattered fireflies.

"If you wanted to taste me... Come to VR world..."

Even though she left Her voice lingered.

—

Elsewhere on the ship, Serena reappeared near the dining area.

"It’s been t-ten days since the Veins Peak c-challenge... I reaaally hope this next island is p- peaceful," said Taka, the crew’s cook and ever-reliable octopus fishman. His voice carried sincerity as he used his long, flexible tentacles to place steaming plates of food across the table.

Mathilda and Darla, sitting nearby, immediately perked up when they saw Serena’s form shimmer into view.

They leaned forward, eyes brimming with hope.

Serena paused, blinked once, then gave a slow, deliberate thumbs-up.

"Hurray!" both girls exclaimed in unison, jumping to their feet like kids told they could go out and play.

But then Serena raised her hand again — this time extending her index finger and pointing toward the other side of the room.

"...Hurray?" Mathilda asked, confused.

" .. ay?" Darla echoed.

They followed the direction of Serena’s finger.

It was pointing directly at Lily Gomes, the Vice-Captain — currently seated by the window, sipping tea and reading a tattered novel titled The Forbidden Bloom between two Captains.

"Oh," they said in unison, realizing they still needed her permission.

Taka chuckled as he walked by with a tray. "T- These little girls reaaally likes c-chaos..."

The girls pouted, but knew better than to argue with chain of command — even if it was unspoken most of the time. On this ship, things worked smoothly because of that balance.

—

A few hours later, the White Pearl, their ship, approached the shores of the island in question — Verga City.

Or what remained of it.

The once-proud floating city had descended from the sky. Its levitation platforms were damaged, some shattered entirely. The edges of the city were scorched black, and thick plumes of smoke curled toward the sky like the final cries of a fallen beast. Many buildings were in ruins. Craters dotted the landscape, and collapsed towers leaned over alleyways like drunkards at dawn.

The docks were quiet. Too quiet.

No welcoming parties. No dockmasters shouting orders. No scent of grilled seafood or chatter of merchants.

Just silence, broken only by the distant wailing of wind and the cawing of circling skybirds.

The White Pearl slowly docked, its hull gleaming like a polished jewel amid the destruction.

Tyler didn’t come out.

He had already vanished into the pocket dimension of the ship, entering his private chamber for seclusion — or what he claimed was "seclusion," though most believed he was binge-watching old dramas or experimenting with new cultivation techniques he got from the dreams.

At the bow of the ship, Lily stepped forward, cloak fluttering in the breeze. Behind her, Mathilda and Darla peered eagerly over the railings, eyes scanning the wrecked city.

"Looks like we’re up," Mathilda said, her expression full of genuine kindness.

"Let’s find the maidens in distress," Mathilda added,

Lily sighed, her eyes narrowing at the devastation below.

"If you girls are serious about helping," she said calmly, "then let’s start with charity."

Updat𝒆d fr𝑜m fr𝒆ewebnove(l).com