episode_0018

The three of us ran to the bow of the ship and scanned the horizon.

“Hmm. If we’re going to encounter something in about 30 minutes, we should be able to see something by now, right, Rianna?”

“Is that so? For there to be something here, it must be an island or a large ship. But how do you know it’s in 30 minutes? What are you up to, anyway?”

“Just a little quirk of the goddess’s protection. I’ll tell you about it later.”

I recalled the story I heard from the elf bishop at the Goddess Church and circled around like this. In this world, women who receive protection from the goddess of this world are rare, but they do exist.

Mainly related to sexual abilities, but the [Mental Resilience] that Seoljjang gave me was ultimately a function made to play with common sense, so it wouldn’t be strange if there were similar abilities.

“I already know that. But Hazel, you have healing abilities, right? So it’s strange that there’s something else as well.”

Oh, you can’t have two at the same time. I have five of them, though. Ugh, it’s not easy to come up with false settings.

“Hahaha. What are you talking about? Since the healing ability includes mental healing, you must know about brainwashing too.”

“Ah, it’s a very broad ability. Truly amazing, Hazel.”

Peter played along.

“Haha. It’s all thanks to the grace of the goddess.”

“The goddess of love showers you with such affection, Hazel, why are you still a virgin?”

“Sister!”

“Is that so… It’s because you can’t have sex, so have some sympathy for having at least a strong power… Keungkeung!”

“Sister, shut your big mouth. Should I post it on the Adventurer Guild bulletin board?”

“That might be thrilling… Kkeuk, cough, cough, can’t breathe.”

While I was chatting with Rianna, Peter, who had been frowning at the horizon, suddenly coughed.

“Um… I thought mirages were only seen in deserts.”

“Cough, cough. Why, what do you see? Huh?”

“Rianna. Can a person float on water?”

“What on earth are you talking about… Yes, of course it’s possible.”

Perplexed by Peter’s uncertain question, Rianna suddenly answered with confidence. And she lowered the axe she had been carrying on her back and placed it next to her foot. She was ready to start a battle at any moment.

“I can see it too. A man standing on the horizon… Or is it a woman? I’m not sure.”

Seeing Rianna like that, Peter also tensed up.

The sound of the ship’s engine weakened, and at the same time, the speed decreased. Now, the man floating on the water was close enough for me to see clearly.

Not only us, but many passengers also gathered at the bow to watch the man floating on the water.

“First mate! Confirm the current location and calculate the return route quickly. Deck officer! Where is the deck officer? Send someone to the engine room and report on the situation! Don’t use communication devices! Confirm with your own eyes and come back! Combat personnel, gather on the deck! What are you waiting for, idiots! Escort the passengers to their cabins quickly!”

The tall female captain and the crew members ran around shouting from behind. It seems like the hypnosis has worn off.

“It doesn’t seem human, does it, Peter?”

“Are there humanoid creatures like that among the merfolk?”

“I don’t think so… Those aren’t horns, they look more like devil horns.”

“Do devils really exist?”

“There are records from the past. But no eyewitness accounts.”

Susan and Peter conversed nervously. The man standing on the water was wearing only pants. He had no shirt, no shoes, not even a weapon, just pants.

With a buzz cut and heavily developed muscles. Near his forehead were two long horns. Just as Rianna said, he truly looked like a demon.

His skin seemed yellow at first, but up close, it appeared slightly reddish.

“Passengers, please step back!”

The men dressed as flight attendants drew their cutlasses and gathered at the bow. They seemed to be the combat crew that the captain had mentioned earlier.

“We are high-level adventurers as well. We have no intention of disrupting the command structure, but that guy looks extremely dangerous. So, we’ll join you if necessary.”

With those words to the combat crew, Lianna stepped back with Peter. Of course, I followed behind Lianna as well.

“Here they come!”

“They’re running on the water!”

Since our group was quite far from the bow, the situation wasn’t very clear. However, not long after the combat crew shouted, a waterspout appeared at the front of the ship.

“He’s flying!”

“No, what is that, really?”

With the waterspout, a man in a sky-blue outfit floated in the air and gracefully landed on the lion-faced figurehead at the bow. Then, he walked over and descended onto the deck.

“I am Captain Grecia of the Golden Lion. Identify yourself, unauthorized boarder.”

“Is this a passenger ship? Sorry, humans.”

“Answer the question!”

The captain pointed his sword.

“Fine. Since I’m going to die anyway, I might as well satisfy your curiosity before I go.”

“I am Ratsalos, a sentinel of the Kraken tribe. I will retrieve the deity held captive on this ship and kill all of you. It’s inconvenient to leave witnesses, you see.”

At the intruder’s declaration, all the combat crew members stepped forward, aiming their weapons at the captain. The sense of pressure emanating from him was too strong to dismiss him as a mere madman.

It was like a presence, spreading out from his body’s center.

Even someone like me, ignorant of combat or war, could feel it. Those with combat experience must have felt it even more acutely.

Lianna grabbed me and started speaking urgently.

“Hazel, listen carefully. Put this in your backpack, run to the back of the ship, hide there. And if you judge that there’s a problem, tie the backpack tightly to your back and jump into the sea.”

What Lianna handed me from her bag was a fist-sized piece of wood.

Since it floats well in water, she had explained yesterday that it could be used as a substitute for a life jacket when boarding a ship in this world.

“Be careful, sis.”

“Don’t worry, we’ll run away if we have to. Run!”

I didn’t insist on staying with them. They were my escorts, and I would only be a hindrance if I stayed here, powerless.

The deck was being guided by the crew, and all the regular passengers had taken refuge in their cabins. Only a few passengers with combat abilities like Lianna and Peter were on deck.

I ran past them and towards the back.

Screams began to be heard from behind me. Hoping that the screams were mixed with those of the man who had taken off his shirt, I opened the status window.

“Hey, hey. Mind, give me some mind control. So I don’t panic no matter what shocking scenes I see in the future.”

“Wide-ranging conditions will cause overload. Can be maintained for about two hours.”

“That’s enough. Do it.”

Just like when I was threatened by Peter last time, I couldn’t do anything and hated peeing or pooping. Helplessness and humiliation were worlds apart.

Behind the pile of barrels at the stern of the deck, I hid and observed the battle unfolding in front of me.

The shirtless attacker’s fighting style was simple.

He didn’t bother blocking slashing attacks with his arms or dodging them altogether. Instead, he would strike the opponent whose stance had crumbled, knocking them out with punches.

For thrusting attacks, he would grab the weapon with his hand, neutralize the movement, then knock the opponent out with a punch. And he would throw the weapon the opponent was holding to the ground.

I felt that the way the attacker fought was so alien, even though all I knew about fighting was from romance fantasy duel scenes.

Even when the sword was swung, even when the sword was grabbed by hand, it seemed like there was no trace of his body left. It wasn’t clear from a distance, but seeing no bloodstains made it seem that way.

All the crew on the ship fell, even the tall captain fell.

This time, a large man and a small woman were fighting together. It was Rianna and Peter. Peter rushed at the man barehanded.

Peter tried to take advantage of his larger size by grabbing the man’s waist and trying to bring him down to the ground. However, instead of falling back from Peter’s tackle, the attacker seemed to be the one receiving the shock.

And then, as if handling a child, she grabbed Peter’s neck.

Taking advantage of the moment when Peter was thrown aside, Rianna aimed for the attacker’s neck and stabbed. The attacker hastily moved to avoid the attack. It was the first time I saw her without any hesitation.

Even after the failed attack, Rianna did not hesitate and distanced herself again, and Peter also quickly assumed a defensive stance.

Certainly, the two of them seemed stronger than the crew. But the intruder was much stronger.

As the standoff continued at a distance, the attacker, as if time was precious, walked steadily onto the deck.

On the deck, only Rianna and Peter stood, pondering their defeat, while the rest lay groaning on the ground.

I quietly, but quickly, approached the two.

.

.

.

“Are you two okay?”

“Hazel? I told you to hide!”

“I came to watch from hiding. What on earth is that person’s identity?”

“I don’t know. I’m frustrated. Even a dragon pretends to be hurt when hit with an axe, but what is that guy really.”

In response to my question, Rianna scratched her head in annoyance. Has Rianna really fought a dragon before?

“Should we escape to the sea, Rianna?”

Peter muttered. It felt like a desperate decision.

“It seems like that person intends to sink the entire ship once he achieves his goal. So maybe he’s just trying to subdue us without killing anyone?”

“I think so too. Seeing that he manipulated our minds to steer the ship off course, he probably plans to disguise it as an accident.”

“But that person knows we’re alive. He can walk on water. If we jump into the sea from here, he could easily subdue us, right?”

“Is there any way to save even Hazel?”

“Should we hide Hazel in the barrel?”

The two began to seriously consider hiding me in the barrel. It didn’t seem like it would work well.

I started to think calmly, more calmly than I expected. Is it because of mind control?

There seemed to be a way.

“I have a plan, you two. Listen.”