“Bossman, I’m not getting any signal!” Sergio raised his phone high, waving it through the air to get a signal.
“Of course, you won’t get any,” Niki said while sitting on top of the captain’s cab. He was studying the arrows he got with his Darkmoon Longbow. “The Wide Mana Array doesn’t cover high altitudes.”
“How am I going to read Alchemy4U Blog?” Sergio fell on his knees in defeat. Niki smiled and didn’t say anything.
Even though they were only tools to connect to the mana array, phones became an essential daily item for many. Before innovating devices that could receive information, people had to train to glean information directly from the WMA. The phone’s screens were a special crystal that could visualize mana.
“Aaa!” The archer opened her mouth to produce noises, but her voice was hoarse and unrecognizable. Sergio turned her way and then looked at Niki.
“Boss, the mute girl seems to want something.”
“Feed her.” Niki didn’t take his eyes away from the arrow. The arrow had ancient engravings, each with a different one.
“She’s shaking her head. I think it’s the opposite of feeding.” Sergio said, and Niki turned to see the archer nod. He sighed and jumped from the cab’s roof.
“Why do you have to make it so difficult?” He crouched next to the archer. “Can’t you just hold it in?”
“Boss, that’s an inhuman request.” Sergio looked from behind him. “Let’s just take her to the toilet downstairs.”
“You think? I nned on letting her do it on the deck.” Niki said sarcastically, but he saw the girl’s eyes shake. “I’m kidding.” He picked her up and opened the hatchway. “Go down there and catch her,” Niki told Sergio.
Niki threw the archer, and Sergio caught her in time. However, he fell on his rear with her in an embrace. He struggled to get up under Niki’s speechless face.
“Next time, remind me to get you some strength crystals.”
“I’d rather have Intelligence Crystals.” Sergio panted. “Why didn’t we unrestraint her upstairs, and she could get down on her own?”
“I don’t trust her. Put her on the seat.” Niki jumped down as well. “I’ll only restore your arms for you to finish your business.”
Niki struck a spot above her naval, and she could use her arms again. As soon as she did, she went on toin.
‘Why are you doing this to me?’ The archer red at him as she gestured. ‘I told you it was by mistake. Is this how you wanted to repay me?’
“I wanted to repay you until you sneaked into the ship.” Niki red at her. “I have no reason to trust you.”
‘And no reason to not trust me.’
“That’s a foolish way of thinking.” Niki shook his head. “Finish your business and knock on the door.”
‘How do I get you to trust me?’ She hurried to gesture before Niki turned to leave.
“Tell me how you sneaked into the ship.” Niki thought for a second. The archer looked at him silently and sighed.
Suddenly, her aura diminished, and her breathing, presence, and mana disappeared. Niki squinted his eyes as the girl turned almost imperceptible.
“It’s a skill?” Niki squinted his eyes. “Where did you get it from?”
A skill that could make you invisible was rare, not to mention one as good as this. Niki didn’t expect an answer, but the archer seemed determined to answer him.
‘I obtained it when I lost my voice.’ The girl gestured. ‘It was a tradeoff, I guess.’
Niki clenched his fist before rxing it. It was the same with his friend from the orphanage. He obtained a skill that manifested early and managed to leave the orphanage at that time, but it only ended up being the beginning of his nightmares.
“I’ll leave you free as long as I’m not asleep,” Niki said before turning to leave. “However, you’ll never leave my sight.”
***
Niki sat on the railings and looked at the horizon. It waste afternoon now. He nced toward the archer seated on the deck and teaching Sergio signsnguage.
“I told you to get away from her.” Niki scowled at Sergio, who simplyughed awkwardly.
“I’ve never met a mute person before, so it’s interesting,” Sergio said naively. Niki shook his head and looked at the archer, focused on writing down the words for Sergio.
They were bored up here in the sky as their ship sailed west, so Sergio asked her to teach him. Realizing something, Niki called out to her.
“What’s your name, archer?” He asked, and the archer paused writing and took out another paper. Withrge letters, she wrote down her name and how to pronounce it.
“Yuxi, pronounced as Yuksi.” Niki read with a frown. It was a name he didn’t recognize. Why was this girl so unknown to him, even though she was someone he would notice? “What’s yourst name?”
‘Woodville.’ Yuxi wrote down again. Niki didn’t say anything and tried to look through his memories. As he was gazing at the horizon, he saw a dot moving across the sky.
“Sergio.” Niki stood up. “Prepare the potions.”
“Hm? Are wending?” Sergio turned with confusion.
“No, but we’ll be going into a fight.” Niki walked to his bags and took out the enchanted bullets he had. They weren’t a lot, but they were enough to protect him.
“A battle? Against who?” Sergio stood up hurriedly and darted to his bag as he asked.
“Pirates.” Niki gripped his gun. “Let’s hope they don’t notice us, but that’s unlikely. They’ll being after us.”
“P-pirates? Isn’t this bad?” Sergio stuttered as he rushed over with his potions. Niki looked at his frightened expression and patted his shoulder.
“I’ll protect you.” He said with confidence. “Hide in the room below. Take this key. If I can’t handle them, I’ll need you to rotate the key in its hole like this: clockwise, anticlockwise, anticlockwise, clockwise, anticlockwise.”
“Would that send a rescue signal?” Sergio grabbed the key with hope, but Niki shook his head.
“It’ll start the self-destruction countdown. There are parachutes under the bunks. Take them and jump if I don’t make it.”
“How about we just surrender, boss?” Sergio seemed like he was about to cry. Niki didn’t think he was a coward but someone who valued his life.
“Don’t worry.” Niki raised his gun. “They’ll have to kill me to get to you, and there’s no way that’s happening.”