Chapter 435 - Fucked-up situation (Patreon)

(We need at least 3 guides to stay alive. They won’t be able to change shifts and ergo sleep or rest, but it’s something they would be able to deal with,) Tess says.

(Wouldn’t one or two be enough?) Sophie asks.

Tess shakes her head and continues to talk through the link, (I spoke with them along with some of the others, and they said it’s impossible for a longer time. The protective enchantments seem to be special. They also refuse to have us help with controlling the ship, I think they might have something like [Geas] on them that doesn’t allow them to share the knowledge. Some of the groups said they heard rumors of guides exploding when they tried.)

(Aren’t they too cocky? We can just have Nat take over the controls after they die. Vega said he and “uncle” controlled Skyhold Bastion,) Lily joins in.

(I don’t think it’s that simple,) Sophie disagrees. (The alloy creating the metal plates, field, and inscriptions seems to be something people from the central region want to keep to themselves, even at the cost of everyone’s lives aboard.)

(Like Sophie said,) I confirm.

So far, I haven’t gotten anything from the metal plates I keep examining, nor the field. Not even with my Irises and senses. Well, maybe "nothing" isn’t the right word for it. "Nothing useful" would be more accurate.

I can now guess how it all works and see parts of it, but it’s all made by someone on a higher level than me. So nothing I could do about it.

Tess stands up and gestures at Sophie and the twins, who rise as well, (For now, we will set up a secondary web for the others to communicate, for everyone who will be protecting the guides. The guides refuse to join it, and there is nothing we can do about that, but at least their bodyguards should. Nat has also already placed anchors on some of the bodyguards so we can rush in if something happens.)

Group 4 looks up to Tess, who takes control. I notice it, but some of them seem to be relieved, being told what to do and not being responsible for the result.

(Starting now, we will try to stay together as much as possible. If we ever split, it will be into two groups only, one with me in it and the other with Nat.)

(Can’t Sophie control the guides?) Maya asks.

(I can’t. I tried, but they are protected. I could probably break through, but I don’t know how much damage it would cause. You know... they could go boom,) the mind manipulator shrugs.

(The same goes for my anchors; I can’t place them on the guides. Someone from the central region did some interesting stuff to them,) I note.

(Food!)

I shake my head, (I don’t think so.)

(What did he say?) Maya asks curiously.

(He said someone is killing the guides because they are hoarding all the best food for themselves,) I explain.

(Oh…)

(Food! Food!)

(I told you already, that’s not it.)

(Anyway,) Tess jumps back into the conversation, (we have a plan, so let’s stick to it.)

***

Another day passes, and everything goes so well. There is no trouble and not a single attempt on the life of a guide. There are stronger monsters attacking, and this time I’m forced to use a bit more mana to create bigger projectiles against the flying scarab-like monsters.

I kill one of them in a way that his corpse falls on the deck so I can examine it, and Sophie joins in as I start cutting it apart while using my eyes.

The man with the Dawnslayer class stands nearby as well, his group also on schedule.

“What?” I ask him. “I killed plenty of them, more than two groups combined, so you guys can pick up the slack for a moment while I examine it.”

He doesn’t voice any complaints and instead returns to his group.

(What do you think?) I ask Sophie as both of us squat over the corpse of the scarab.

She sighs, (I think you are right. It also explains why they use poison and body attacks instead of skills and such.)

(Yes, and all the monsters who attacked us were the same.)

(You are crazy if you try to do what I think you want to do.)

(You could do it as well,) I note.

She stares at me, blinking slowly, (Are you maybe an exhibitionist?)

(Huh, you are bothered about that part? What is there to be so shy about?)

(Whatever, I knew that you were crazy, but don’t count me in. And focus on the guides.)

(Wanna bet another one of them will die soon?)

(Why do you sound so eerily happy about it?)

(Things went way too smoothly lately, and the system is an asshole. This might even be one of the setups to weed out attendees. As for being happy, I don’t know. I just know something will screw up, so instead of being worried, I will enjoy the ride.)

(Someone could die. You, me, anyone from the group because of that.)

(No one will. I’m here.)

(You and your cocky pride. Have you heard about pride before the fall?)

(Funny you say that. I have been told that my pride will make me stronger, but once I fail, it will make sure I won’t be able to get up. Even during the 2nd floor, I was told, and I paraphrase here, that I will either go big or screw up so badly gods will shit thunder and fart storms.)

Now that I think about it, I was told the similar thing by Ruby and then later even by her master not that long ago.

Sophie pokes the scarab again, and I notice that she is smiling, (Sounds very much like something that would happen to you. Also, gods, any idea why natives on the 2nd floor talked about gods?)

(The 2nd floor was special, and the natives were more “modified” than on the other floors, I think. It’s possible they replaced the word “Rulers” with “gods” for some reason. Maybe they are even called gods outside of the tutorial. Maybe natives weren’t that restricted, and the 2nd floor is one of the oldest, and Rulers used to be called gods back then.)

(You are always curious about these kinds of things, aren’t you?)

For a moment, I think of it, and then I grab the scarab and throw it off the deck. When the corpse falls into the sand.

I turn back to Sophie, who still sits on the ground. Around us, the monsters’ attacks have already weakened.

(There used to be times when I couldn’t ask a thing, when I couldn’t go where I wanted and do what I wanted. I couldn’t be curious back then. Do you think I’m compensating for it now?)

(I don’t know.)

(I see. Well, it doesn’t matter anymore, it´s all in the past.)

***

As expected, a few hours later, another guide dies.

We get no message through the secondary web the twins and Sophie set up.

My anchors also disappear before the attack happens.

The five people guarding the guide are dead as well. The same terrified expressions, pale skin, and not a single speck of mana on their bodies.

Four guides are remaining, and still three days until we reach the place where we are heading.

The panic among the other passengers is clearly apparent, and this time groups of close to 50 are allocated to each guide. This time our group as well, and the secondary web is ditched.

***

Every group is allowed a bit of rest once in a while from guarding the guides to sleep and eat. When we get back to our shift, we will get to follow one of the guides who controls the ship. It’s something I’m excited for.

But currently, the mood in our room is different from before as everyone sits in manabloc chairs I made. I even added a circular manabloc table that is in the middle of the room.

Partially, I did it on purpose. Maybe this kind of wasteful use of mana will calm down the others, showing them I don’t consider it dangerous and I’m confident we will get through this all.

Surprisingly, it doesn’t seem to work that much. I don’t know why.

Tess opens up the conversation, (There are a few options. The most ruthless but the simplest would probably be to kill everyone aboard, as the killer is almost certainly one of the passengers. It could also force their hand.)

(Simplest…) Maya laughs wryly.

(Yes. Nat, could you do it quickly and without damaging the ship?) Tess asks, and multiple eyes turn to me.

(I think so? If I got a bit of help from Sophie to mask what I’m doing and a bit of healing from Lily, I wouldn’t even have to use that much mana.)

(That’s not what I meant!) Maya slams her hand against the chair I made. (There are close to 300 passengers on the ship. You know I would do it too if I had to. But just going and slaughtering so many people, many of them much weaker than us, just feels wrong… so wrong.)

At the end, her voice becomes weaker and weaker.

(I got it, Maya,) Tess smiles gently and for a moment grabs and squeezes her hand before letting go. (But before we think of the others, we should think of our group first. As this situation showed, we aren’t strong or skilled enough to do it the way we would like to.)

(They are fakes,) Sophie adds.

(I fucking know that,) leaning back in her chair, Maya sighs.

Izzy keeps glancing between Maya, Sophie, and Tess, clearly stressed. To that, Noodle coils a bit higher and rubs his head against her cheek.

I let go of Biscuit, who also moves to Izzy and nudges her shin with his head until she lifts him up.

(Don’t you think we will be looking for the murderer, and in the end, it will be one of the guides?) Min-Jae also joins the conversation. (Some people here have nice items, so maybe a guide decided to risk it, kill the other guides. Have the ship fail and everyone die, then somehow survive and run away with the items? Just Nat has plenty of good ones, probably worth risking getting punished by that man from the Last Rest.)

Huh, maybe Min-Jae is a bit smart.

He continues, (Or it could be a powerful monster that sneaked onto the ship. I think that ismore plausible than one of the passengers doing it. But everything could also be caused by one of the passengers.)

Dennis looks at me, (Nat, you are the highest level of us. Are there any passengers here stronger than you?)

(Nope.)

(So you can see the levels of everyone?)

(Nope, there are a few who are two question marks to me.)

Dennis looks at his brother, probably to exchange some rude message, but he doesn’t do it in the end. He knows I would sense it.

Amused, I answer, (There are a few that are more than 20 levels higher than me, so they show as question marks, but none of them is stronger than me.)

(How do you…) Dennis pauses mid-sentence as Aaron shoves his rib with his elbow.

(There are three of them. Two thylarin and one vyssari.) Seeing their expressions, I add, (Thylarin are tall, blue, with four arms. vyssari are shorties with elemental skills and scaly legs.)

(Oh…)

(Two thylarin are Manashroud Shaper and Manabreaker. The vyssari is an Ashenfoot Shaman.)

This information starts another round of conversation, and with interest, I watch as they theorize what each class should be capable of, if it’s possible for that class to cause some damage.

Some shade gets thrown at me for not sharing it earlier, to which I don’t have an answer.

The danger might be real, to me and to my group, but I already have multiple ideas on how to deal with the current situation. Even plans in case all the guides die and we have to control the ship. I know if needed I could do it. I could even power the ship on my own for a while with the amount of mana I have.

It might not look like it, but I take the task of not letting anyone from group 4 die very seriously.

I also know group 4 isn’t easy to kill. Split into two groups, there is no way for someone to kill them before I rush to help. There is even a big chance they would be able to deal with the killer before I join.

If the enemy was that powerful, there would be no need to be so covert.

So do I enjoy the mystery and watching things unfold while trying to solve it on my own? Or do I just… who am I kidding, of course I do.

I enjoy this fucked-up situation way more than I should.

***

Next Chapter