NOVEL NEXT 41 – Mission Progress
[You have slain: Groluff, Vice-captain of The Golden Pearl]
[Your relation with The Golden Pearl has dropped to hatred.]
[You have obtained: Axe Fury.]
[Axe Fury]
Rarity: Epic
Type: Skill book
Requirements: 20 Str, axe weapon
Effect: Your damage with axes is increased by 300% for 1 minute, with a 1-day cooldown.
Description: A skill Groluff never got to use before his demise. It grants the power to cut down anything in its path.
Note: A powerful skill in the 2nd step. Since you haven't experienced obsoletion, this skill is one rarity higher in your eyes.
Genji kicked the severed arm away and walked over to a pale-faced Cobra. His steps were unsteady and two bullets were lodged into his abdomen. Black blood seeped through his fingers as he clenched the wound, trying to cover the rotting smell beneath. With each step, he winced in pain, but he carried on, refusing to be hindered by it.
"Hard battle?" Genji asked, reaching out to support him.
"Hmph. Beckman got his ass handed to him." Cobra scoffed, trying to act tough, but that only backfired and worsened his pain.
"Lay down. I'll give you some first aid." Genji didn't expose his lie and shifted the topic.
"You're a doctor?" He asked as Genji took out some tools and disinfected them with alcohol.
"You'll get good if you have to patch yourself up after every battle."
Cobra lay down and allowed Genji to rip his shirt.
"So how are you able to pull things out of nowhere? I could have sworn you weren't carrying that box when we left."
Genji didn't know how to answer that. This was the first time a native asked him about his storage function. Granted EverRealm never had a problem with him blatantly using the function, so he never considered the problem from a native's view.
"Don't worry about it. Let me take care of your wound first." Genji avoided the question and took out a pair of tweezers to pluck out the bullets. "Bear with me for this."
Genji cleaned the wound with an alcohol wipe before stitching the wound together. As he was doing so, a hissing sound came from Cobra.
"Damm that burns. Where did you learn such torture techniques?"
Genji didn't answer that. He can't exactly say he did that on purpose to distract Cobra from the spatial storage question, right? He's afraid if he did, Cobra might punch him in the face.
"Rest. I'll go look for the clue."
Genji gathered the remaining people and told them to look around. They took the abandoned shovels from the Golden Pearl pirates and scoured the island. Soon, they found a treasure chest buried in the ground. It wasn't hard since half of it was sticking out from a deep hole that was dug.
Genji sighed in relief. If they wasted any more time, they would have made a wasted trip. Genji ordered half of them to dig up the chest and the other half to continue searching the island. Hours later, Genji was sitting on the boat again, fiddling with the locked treasure chest. It turned out that this was the only noteworthy item they found.
"How is it?" Cobra walked over and checked up on Genji's progress.
"I can't figure out how to open it."
"Then hold onto it. When we get back, Captain will find a way to deal with it."
Genji nodded and stored the chest in a safe spot. Left with nothing to do, Genji returned to his training. This time, the trip lasted longer than the first time. The main reason for this delay was the lack of people. Since the crew suffered massive casualties, it had become more troublesome to man the ship.
While they could burn the stored energy to increase their speed, the idea was impractical. Unless they want to gamble with accidents, it was best to save on energy.
No one wanted to risk ending up as fish food so they allowed nature to carry them. After two weeks, they finally made it back and docked beside the main ship.
"Oh, Enigma! You're back! I've heard so much about your feats. Come. This deserves a celebration. Mates! Get the rum! We having a party tonight."
Zepher greeted him excitedly when Genji climbed onboard.
"What feat?" This greeting was so sudden that Genji had no idea what Zepher was talking about.
"Oh, you, no need to humble brag. Everyone knows about it." Zepher said in an exasperated tone and slapped him on the shoulder.
"I have no idea what you are talking about." Genji felt that there was a misunderstanding somewhere, but he still needed to understand the situation.
"Why are you still pretending? Didn't you sever one of Francis Drake's arms? That's big news! How can you be so relaxed?"
"It's only an arm. If I was a little faster, I would have gotten his head as well." Genji said, causing Zepher to punch him lightly.
"Do you hear yourself? And you say you're not bragging. For that, you need to pay. I'm not letting you sleep tonight unless you are dead drunk. Who's with me?"
"Aye!" x8
Genji smiled wryly and shook his head.
"Before we do that, I have to report to the captain."
"Go go go. You shouldn't keep him waiting."
When Genji sat down across from Vanderdecken, he received a wide smile. The captain was in a good mood, and there was more than one reason for it.
"This was on the island. It's locked, though, so do what you will."
Genji pushed the heavy chest over. Vanderdecken took it, and his smile grew wider.
"Excellent!"
"Then I won't bother you any longer. Zepher wants to start a drinking contest."
Genji walked out and received a confirmation prompt.
[You have completed Vanderdecken's Request. Vanderdecken has come to view you as a trusted aid.]
It was a drastic increase, which Genji attributed to the difficulty of the quest. After all, it was not often to win against an emperor. Then Genji shelved these thoughts and joined the party. Hours later, Genji received an unexpected surprise.
[Your party has obtained the Jewel of Nereid. Survive 3 waves of pursuit to unlock the last part of the mission.]
"I guess my teammates have made progress."
To understand how everything led to this point, we will shift to his teammates' side when they separated.
River Stream's eyelids fluttered as he regained consciousness. Feeling the coarse sands beneath him and the warm sunlight above, he quickly realized he was on a beach.
"Where am I?" He asked himself, looking around in confusion. His damp clothes were starting to dry, but he couldn't remember how he ended up in this situation. The last thing he remembered was them sailing into a storm—oh, shit! That was a Kraken!
"You're awake," a voice said from behind. Turning around, River Stream saw 7156 walking into view with a dead bird in hand.
"What happened? How did we end up here?"
"I dragged you when the ship sank and swam."
7156 took some dry twigs out and struck a match to start a fire. Then he de-feathered the bird and began cooking.
"So what happened to the others?"
7156 didn't answer and continued his preparations, giving River a bad feeling.
"No. It can't be-"
"They're alive," 7156 clarified before River could overthink the situation. "But separated."
Yet River wasn't comforted by him. Panic swelled as the reality of everything sunk in. Why was this world so dangerous? First, he started in a prison, which they almost failed to escape. Then they hijacked a ship, joined the pirates, faced a storm, encountered the Kraken, and finally, found himself on an unknown island. Could things get any worse? For god's sake, he was only 14!
"Eat." 7156 handed half the bird over, which River Stream robotically devoured.
"Follow me." Seeing River Stream finish, 7156 led him into the lush trees on the island.
"You're back," River Stream greeted 7156 as he dragged a dead boar into the cave. This cave was previously occupied by a bear, but 7156 easily disposed of it in the first week. Since then, a long time has passed. As for how long, neither of them was keeping track.
"Hmmm." 7156 hummed in response and allowed River Stream to skim the boar.
This had been their life since they found themselves on this island. 7156 would hunt while River Stream would help with the chores. Life was difficult because the creatures on the island were much stronger than their normal counterparts, but 7156 persisted. If they wanted to leave this world, they had to survive until someone completed the mission.
"I saw a boat today," 7156 said, causing River to pause his movements. Hope formed inside him, but 7156's next words instantly dashed it.
"I suspect they are pirates."
"We will be stuck here for the rest of our lives, won't we?" A mocking smile appeared on River's face when he asked that.
7156 didn't answer. He had had this thought as well. What would happen if none of the others managed to complete the mission? Thinking this, a determined look appeared in his eyes.
"You can eat first." 7156 started equipping his gear and walking out of the cave.
"Where are you going?"
"Getting our ticket out of here."
Hours later, 7156 returned, heavily injured. Multiple wounds dotted his torso as he used recovery items to keep himself alive. When he entered the cave, 7156 found a corner and weakly collapsed.
"7156!"
River Stream rushed over with some more healing consumables. Feeling 7156's weak breath, he frenziedly used everything he could to stabilize 7156's condition. 7156 opened his eyes and looked at River.
"I'll live. We now have a boat."
"That was reckless of you!"
"Better than this island."
7156 got up and popped a food pill into his mouth. Then he led River Stream out to the culled pirate boat. Looks of fear fell upon the duo as murmurs of "Tiger curse" sounded around them. River Stream had no idea what they meant, but he stuck close to 7156, afraid of being devoured by the surrounding crowd.
"Send us to the mainland," 7156 ordered before getting some rest.
"Did you hear? There's a gathering happening on Jica Island a week from now."
"You mean the one where pirates gather to sell off treasures?"
"Yeah, that one. Apparently, some precious sea pearl is going to be auctioned."
7156 tuned his ears to the drunk pirates when they mentioned a sea pearl. He still remembered the inquiry Genji made when they received this mission. The mission item was a pearl. This can't be a coincidence.
After getting nothing useful from a couple more minutes of eavesdropping, 7156 and River Stream got up from their seats and approached the duo.
"Can you tell us more about this sea pearl?" River Stream started the conversation. In the past few weeks spent with 7156, he had become familiar with his taciturn personality. 7156 rarely spoke, so most of the communication was left to River.
"Who are you? Aren't you too young for this place? Fuck off and let me drink."
The pirate slurred his speech as he waved his hand like he was swatting a fly. The pirate wasn't wrong. River Stream was severely underage, no matter how you looked at it. But this didn't matter since this place never had a drinking age law. As long as you could pay for it, no one cared about what you buy.
River Stream took out a small bag of coins and put it on the table.
"I'll pay for your drinks. Care to tell us about the sea pearl?"
After feeling its weight, a satisfied smile appeared and he started talking in a polite tone.
"Of course. The pearl is claimed to be the heart of the sea because of its beautiful blue color. It is so beautiful that nobles would pay unimaginable prices to add it to their collection. Damn nobles and their riches. If they have so much money, why don't they give some of that to us?"
They ignored the pirate's grumbling and focused on the crucial piece of information. The heart of the sea. That was what they cared about. Being both a pearl and called the heart of the sea, this had to be the mission item.
"Where did you say this event is held?"
River Stream capitalized on this moment and continued his inquiries.
"Jica Island, but if you want to attend, I can't help you. Not many know where it is. The news just appeared out of nowhere one day."
7156 exchanged a glance with River Stream and left the bar. They had found what they were looking for, so there was no point in staying. Now they just needed to figure out how to get to that island.
Count Sigmore received an invitation to attend an upcoming event one day. It was a mysterious event with an even more curious method. Out of nowhere, the invitation card showed up in his room. At first, he wasn't interested, but he heard other nobles talk about it. To save face, the count had bragged about receiving a special invitation to the event.
One thing led to another, and now he's bringing a bunch of money with him to this unknown island.
"Be careful with those! If you damage the goods, your entire life won't be enough to pay for it."
The count berated a passing sailor who was carrying a bunch of coins. The sailor rolled his eyes but tolerated the rude client nevertheless. It was a whole year's worth of pay on the line, so he was determined to do a good job.
7156 and River Stream looked at this scene and got an absurd idea.
"Do you think we can sneak onboard?" River Asked 7156, who thought for some time before pointing at a wooden crate.
"We can store the contents in our storage and hide inside."
River Stream hesitated at this idea. Doing so meant they would be separated. If something happened, he would be on his own, a terrible predicament for someone with low stats and an underdeveloped body.
While River Stream was hesitating, 7156 cleared out a crate and covered himself. Left with no choice, River Stream followed his example and prayed they wouldn't get discovered. Half an hour later, River felt a jerk from below followed by a slight shaking motion. Someone had picked up the box.
"Damm! Why is this so heavy?! What's in this thing?"
River Stream's heart started pounding as he desperately hoped the sailor wouldn't check the box, but what he heard next made him freeze.
"Maybe I should check the contents?"
River Stream began to truly panic. Would he get caught and sent to prison? Would they beat him up and dump his body at sea? Countless horrifying scenarios flashed through the teenager's mind, but reality proved that he was overthinking.
"I wouldn't risk it, bro. You know how some clients are. That's a lot of money on the line."
"Yeah, you're right."
When the ship docked, 7156 picked up River Stream and jumped off before anyone could notice them. Although they could use the normal route, the armed guards patrolling the ship discouraged 7156. They were here to search for a mission item, not to cause a commotion. Minutes later, 7156 dragged a panting River Stream to the side of the island.
*Huff huff cough cough*
"Can't you warn me before you jump?"
"Too loud."
River understood the meaning, but that didn't mean he was happy. 7156 waited for him to recover before leading him to wander the island. As they were wandering, they saw many pirates setting up stalls similar to the ones found in EverRealm, selling their loot.
Other than that, they saw many well-dressed nobles window shopping for something fancy to add to their collection. It was strange to see these bandits and rich people getting along so harmoniously, but there was no one to enforce the law here.
"7156? River Stream?"
Hearing their names, they turned around to see Ed, their former sailing partner.
"Ed? What are you doing here?" River stepped forward and asked.
"It's really you! I'm glad you survived."
River was elated to see a familiar face, but 7156 pulled him back.
"What's wrong, 7156?"
"I don't trust him."
7156 had his reasons for this. From what he could tell, Ed was subdued by force, so he might not be loyal. In such a dangerous area, who knew if he might sell them out? Understanding this, Ed took a step back to show his friendliness.
"I don't have any ulterior motives. I was just overexcited. How about we catch up as we walk?"
7156 nodded but kept himself between Ed and River Stream. He wasn't taking any chances when the mission was so close to being finished. After a while, the group decided that there was nothing interesting, and found a spot to wait until the start of the auction. Hours passed, and the red glow from the sunset washed over them.
An hour before the main event, a commotion was heard from the distance. The crowd divided, revealing a clear pathway for the celebrities of this fuss. Yet when Ed saw who the people were, a hiss of shock came out.
"Why would they be here?"
River Stream followed his gaze and saw a one-armed man wearing clothes with a golden glow and a woman who gave off an ominous feeling. Behind them, a group of armed people followed.
"Who are they?"
"Emperors," Ed replied, gulping mouthfuls of saliva.
"Emperors? As in more than one?"
"Yes. The woman at the front is Grace O'Malley, bearer of the contract curse, and the captain of The Rogue Runners. She's the one that sunk my previous fleet. The man shining in gold is Francis Drake, bearer of the golden curse."
"So what makes them so scary?"
"Although Grace is the weakest of the four, her influence is the greatest. Her powers allow her to sign a slave contract with anyone who submits to her, ensuring no one can betray her. With this power, she was able to become the authoritarian figure in the underground market. And I mean THE underground market. Anything shady is under her command."
"So exaggerated?"
"That's not the end of it. Her influence stretches across the world, and with it, a collective information network unrivaled in the sea. I suspect she's the figure behind this event."
"So what about the other guy?"
"Francis Drake, the third-ranked emperor. His ability grants him insane luck in his travels. Because of this, his crew comes across the most treasures and is the richest of the four. He's the guy you want to join if you want to get rich and stay safe while doing so."
"He's the third strongest? With only one arm?"
"Shhhhhh." Ed hushed them and confirmed that no one heard his careless statements, before answering in a lowered voice.
"Rumor has it that half a month ago, he fought a member of the Flying Dutchman who severed his arm. Since he doesn't know the figure's name, Drake has resorted to calling him Green Swordsman for the green saber that he wields in combat."
Ed looked around again before lowering his voice further.
"And I suspect this Green Swordsman is our previous captain."
River looked at Ed as if he had grown a second head.
"No way, right? I admit that Enigma is powerful, but that's an emperor we're talking about. They're the strongest people in the world. And how would he have joined the Flying Dutchman anyway?"
River instantly denied the claim since he had checked the stats of the two emperors. Both of them possessed ridiculous skills and stats in the second step, while everyone in the party was in the first step. How could anyone win with such a difference?
"That's just my speculation. After all, how many people do you know who wields a green saber?"
The logic was sound, but it went against everything he knew. River was speechless and decided to change the topic.
"How about we enter the auction site?"