《The Legacy of a Pirate》


 Chapter 1 The Reincarnation of a Pirate

    -----Unknown Desert


    A man covered in blood continuously dragged himself across the burning hot desert despite his life-threatening injuries. The scorching heat was at an all-time high and sweat streamed down his face like a never-ending fountain.


    The man willed his body to move despite it wanting to quit on him countless times during the past several hours.


    He needed to find a place to recover and fast!


    "--Damn.. you...just you wait till I get back!" The man shouted as he clenched his fist so strongly that immense pain shot throughout his body.


    The pain, however, only lasted for a moment as the man was too blinded by rage to care.


    "They will see...They will all see!... Hahaha!" The man laughed as he slowly stood up on his feet despite his battered body.


    His almost lifeless eyes suddenly glowed with an unnatural light that almost looked like a rainbow. The colors collided continuously and swirled like a whirlpool as his pupils were nowhere to be found.


    The sand underneath him started to disappear as he released an invisible pressure in the form of killing intent.


    "I''ll rip every single one of those backstabbing bastards into PIECES!! "


    His killing intent was so strong that giant worm-like creatures the size of small mountains surfaced from the sands and immediately died under the pressure.


    One look at these worms and one could tell that these were fierce predators that no one wished to encounter. However, the wounded man managed to kill these beasts with his killing intent alone!


    The unknown man was obviously someone of great strength and importance. However, no matter how hard he wished to settle things, one look at the man and one could tell he didn''t have much time left.


    The man started to cough violently as blood expelled from his mouth. His injuries were just too terrible!


    "I have to keep moving...I won''t give up! You hear me you god damn bastards! I won''t let you win!...I''m going to slaughter you with these very hands! Just you wai-"


    All of a sudden his strength left his body, and he immediately fell onto the burning sand. His life was beginning to drift away even though he wished to continue!


    (I can''t feel anymore...Is this all I can do?... All I can achieve?.¡­damn bas..tards¡­)


    His eyes slowly closed as if he was entering deep sleep and then finally he breathed his last.


    The unknown man died alone in a desert where his body eventually turned to dust as years passed. The unknown man''s soul traveled to the afterlife to be reincarnated as a simple person, but sometimes fate can be even crueler then he could ever imagined.


    Fate was not done with this man and instead he was reincarnated as a baby on a planet called Delfar.


    Traveling by sea was the most popular choice as the planet was nearly 70 percent water. The seemingly peaceful planet was on the verge of being torn apart by three factions. The strongest being the Imperial Army, and the Revolution Army being close behind. However, even though the third faction happened to be the weakest, it was the most resourceful.


    The Brotherhood...


    Of Pirates!!


    The boy who was reincarnated with the unknown man''s soul grew up to be a pirate. Ian Zeilaster was the name of the boy and was now 15 years old. He was incredibly fit for his age, and what he lacked in strength was made up with agility.


    Ian had jet-black hair and crystal-clear blue eyes as beautiful as the ocean. Ian lived his life unhindered by the past of his soul. However, soon that will all change as the hands of fate start to move.


    Ian''s POV-----


    An amazing view of the vast ocean entered my eyes as I climbed up into the crow''s nest of a massive pirate ship. The rays of the radiant sun above me felt relaxing as a gentle breeze brushed up against me. Sounds of countless birds could be heard as they flew along with the giant sails of the ship as if they were guiding us to our next destination.


    The ship I was sailing in is one of the most famous pirate ships in all of Delfar. Although, I never heard the captain name the large vessel. The ship flew a gigantic red flag with a picture of a majestic lion''s head with an axe behind it. The sight of the image could make any average person shake in fear. However, for me, it filled me with great pride.


    An important task was to be done from up here, but as soon as I caught a glimpse of the view, everything seemed to slow down. Thousands of unknown images started to form inside of my mind, and it felt as if my soul was being ripped out.This story is posted elsewhere by the author. Help them out by reading the authentic version.


    "Oi! Wake up! This is no time to daydream! What do you see up there?!" The sound of a familiar voice snapped me out of my daydream.


    "Ugh...What''s wrong with me?...." I softly muttered as I gripped my head in pain, but miraculously it only lasted for a few seconds. Once my head was clear I quickly check my surroundings with a telescope that I pulled out from the pouch located behind my lower back.


    And almost immediately I could see a ship made of iron in the distance. The massive ship moved without the power of wind, and instead, it moved with an unknown power source. The ship looked like an impenetrable fortress on water, and it drew closer to us by the minute.


    The vessel belonged to the Imperial Army. A group of people that believed that they should rule the entire world, and would do anything to accomplish their goal. Thousands of lives are thrown away each year just so they could satisfy their greed, and without the Revolution Army around it could be worse.


    I belong to a group of pirates called The Axe Lions and we make a living by plundering Imperial ships and selling the merchandise back home. It''s a dangerous job, but I became accustomed to it a long time ago.


    (I wonder why it isn''t flying a flag¡­I have a bad feeling about this but, we are capable of fleeing if it comes down to it! )


    A burly bronze-skinned man with a giant two-handed axe mounted on his back quickly came into my view once I glanced down from the crow''s nest. His long red hair looked as full as a lion''s mane, and his green eyes seemed to be filled to the brim with confidence. The gave off the aura of a leader that made people notice him right away.


    The man wore bright red clothing fit for a gentleman, but despite being made for bigger people, his mighty muscles were barely contained by the elegant looking fabric. The mere sight of his hulking body in the tight-fitting clothing could send a person into a state of fear.


    "Hey, You brat! Hurry up and tell me what you saw! What kind of Imperial ship are we working with?!"The man shouted with a huge grin on his face.


    Liam was the name of the man, and he was the captain of the Axe Lion pirates. Liam is also the man that raised me, and I consider him to be my father. However, I was told by him that he didn''t deserve that title.


    Liam had told me about how my birth parents were extraordinary, but he offered no more details about them. I wondered about it for a long time and even caused several incidents. However, now it doesn''t bother me at all as I am more than satisfied already.


    "Oi, Captain Liam! The ship I saw was gigantic. It might be a type-4 Imperial ship! It could-"


    "A type-4? This might be our lucky break!!" Liam shouted as he ran toward the ship''s bow.


    "I haven''t finished what I was going to say!'' I shouted, but Liam was already in another world.


    "I guess. I have to go down..." I gently sighed as I tugged on the crimson scarf wrapped around my neck. I then placed the telescope back in the pouch, and suddenly jump out of the crow''s nest!


    The airtime only lasted several seconds, and I landed perfectly onto the deck as if I practiced it hundreds of times.


    "I always love doing that." I smilingly said as I moved with incredible speed to meet up with Liam at the ship''s bow. I slowly walked beside Liam as he stood at the ship''s bow. The man was near twice my size, but I was never intimidated by Liam''s size even when I was a kid.


    (When I was a kid? I...who?¡­what am I saying?!)


    "Uuuggh!!" A slight headache came over me as I gripped the side of my head. The pain was even worse than before, and it nearly caused me to pass out.


    "Are you alright boy?" Liam asked as he placed his large hand on my shoulder, nearly knocking me down with his casual strength.


    The pain immediately went away soon after, and after that, I started to feel a bit strange as if I was becoming a different person almost.


    "Yeah, everything is just fine," I said before I laughed a bit. My body seemed to undergo a change after the headache, and an unusual strength started to spread throughout my body.


    ( What is this?...I''ll worry about that later. It''s time to earn our keep!)


    Seeing how I was fine Liam turned his attention to the sea in front of him.


    "I wasn''t sure what kind of fleet it was in, they aren''t flying a flag anywhere. It feels like it could be a trap." I said with concern.


    "It doesn''t matter if it is a trap, the Axe Lions will always come out on top. Now then. All hands on deck! Prepare for battle!!"Liam roared into the air as he grabbed the giant two-handed axe and raised it into the air with just one hand.


    "Aye, captain! " All the pirates on the ship shouted in unison as they moved faster, readying the magic cannons that were mounted onto the sides of the ship.


    Meanwhile on the Imperial Ship Galen-----


    "Captain I''m picking up a nearby ship on the radar," an armored Imperial soldier said as he looked up from his station in the bridge of the ship.


    "I know..."A beautiful lady dressed in a royal blue uniform answered coldly.


    The signature uniform of higher-ranking officers in the army couldn''t hide the curves of her alluring mature body. The woman was known to have risen through the ranks of the Imperial Army in the least amount of time. All of the people underneath her thought it was strange and thought maybe she bought her way in? But one day they realized, they were wrong!


    In one incident a soldier decided not to follow her commands to the very last detail.


    "I''m sorry ma''am it won''t happen again. Hehehe." The soldier said as he smiled.


    *BAM!*


    The poor guy didn''t even have the chance to scream as he was kicked in the chest by the woman. A look of disbelief was on the soldier''s face as he died from the swift attack and fell onto the deck of the ship.


    The woman didn''t even glance at the corpse as she said, "Clean this up."


    The soldiers underneath her never doubted her again and followed her commands without fail! That strong cold woman was named Alexis.


    She gradually rose from her captain''s chair and grabbed hold of the microphone that was connected to all the speakers on the Imperial ship.


    "This is your captain speaking. And all of you. Ready for battle! Show those damn pirates that the Alexis squad of the Imperial Army isn''t to be trifled with!"Her loud voice could be heard throughout the massive iron ship.


    "Yes, Captain!!"


    The Imperial soldiers immediately worked twice as fast to prepare to engage with the enemy. Alexis then placed the microphone down and proceeded to walk out from the bridge.


    Her footsteps could be heard because of her signature metal boots being made out of one of the heaviest materials in the world.


    *Clang! Clang! Clang!*


    The Imperial soldiers knew that noise and swiftly made way for Alexis as she walked towards the bow of the ship. Her long jet-black hair flowed in the wind as her brown eyes glared in the direction of the pirate ship in the distance.


    "Liam¡­you will not escape me this time! You will answer for your crimes after all these years!" Killing intent was released from her body as she clenched her fists. Her face exhibited a variety of emotions, but the fury was the most dominant one on her flawless, beautiful face.

 Chapter 2 Battle at Sea!

    The crewmates on the ship quickly moved to prepare for the battle with the Imperial Army.


    Every single one of them wore a fearless smile on their face as their thirst for battle increased. The majority of the Axe Lions happen to be battle junkies due to our fearless captain.


    (Sometimes I wish we could use our brains more, and not solve everything by force...)


    It was a nice thought, but I readied myself nonetheless as we steadily closed in on the enemy.


    *BOOM! Splash!*


    A deafening crash of a cannonball slammed into the ocean only several feet away from the ship. The impact created a massive pillar of ocean water and judging by the size of it the Imperial Army seemed to be using different cannons than usual.


    "That''s a bit concerning. However...We won''t back down!"


    The battle has officially commenced!


    "--Oh, we have a feisty one. We aren''t even in range yet, and they are already shooting at us." Liam moistened his lips as his hunger for battle flared up. For several minutes, countless cannonballs rained down only to miss by several feet each time. The Imperial''s either had terrible aim or we had incredible luck.


    We were now less than 100 ft away from the Imperial Army ship and distance rapidly decreased by the minute.


    "Alright listen up boy! I''m going to join the boarding team as usual, and you are--"Liam wrapped his arm around my neck and explained the plan in full detail.


    "Wait...we are actually going to use this plan, and not just charge in recklessly?" I curiously asked after Liam was done explaining.


    "What?" Liam looked at me surprised. "Do you think that I just charge in all the time?" Liam replied as his face showed a serious expression.


    Despite his hulking mass, Liam is definitely a smart man. However, most of the time he only has one thing on his mind, and that is charging at his enemies head-on. The chances of him going through with the plane are close to zero.


    "You don''t exactly have a good track record..." I sighed as I shrugged my shoulders.


    "Hmm...You know what, you are right." Liam stroked his beard. "We are going to ram into their ship. FAY SET US UP!!"Liam roared with a wide grin on his face.


    My eyes immediately widen from shock, "What? W-wait! NO! ARE YOU OUT OF YOUR MIND?! THAT IS TERRIBLE IDEA!"


    Despite my words, the ship seemed to move even faster as if it was a sentient being. A single flash of red light instantly appeared and formed a dome-shaped shield that covered the entire ship.


    "Damn it, Fay! Why do you listen to this clown of a captain?! Are you out of your mind?!"I shouted as I flailed my arms around.


    "Gahahaha! Your reaction is priceless! "Liam loudly laughed as he pointed at me with tears filling his eyes..


    The Imperial ship was now close enough that I could see the soldiers covered in silver armor prepare to fight us. Suddenly, another flash of red light appeared beside me in the form of a small sphere.


    The sphere dispersed in a matter of seconds and a tiny human-like being with four beautiful wings that flapped to keep it afloat.


    The being was the little fairy named Fay.


    Fay was a Dalvian, a race of fairies that are known for their impenetrable magic shields that they create with their mana.


    Dalvians are also known to stay on their planet, but Fay seems to be an odd one out. The story behind it seems to be a bit complicated as she always avoids the questions about it.The author''s narrative has been misappropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon.


    "I had tooo!~ He is the captain!" Fay happily shouted as she flew beside me.


    "Besides, this way we will be up close and personal!" Fay clenched her tiny little fists as she manically laughed.


    "Why is everyone so--"


    *BOOOOM! CREEEEEK!*


    The Axe Lion''s ship smashed into the Imperial ship that made a terrible sound. It was as if two metal objects scrapped against each other.


    The barrier did its job perfectly, and the impact couldn''t be felt at all, but for the people on the Imperial ship, it was another story.


    Meanwhile on the Imperial Ship Galen-----


    Alexis gave the order to her soldiers to fire countless cannonballs, but all of them seemed to miss only slightly off from the target earlier.


    Alexis was losing her patience, and then she finally exploded into an uncontrollable rage after being rammed by the Axe Lions''s pirate ship.


    "Magic Dispersion shells now! I want that barrier down!"Alexis yelled as she wanted nothing more, but to murder Liam in cold blood and take back what belonged to her.


    However, the Axe Lions attacked first!


    "Gahahahaha! Let them have it, boys!"


    *Boom!... Boom!¡­ BoomBoom!*


    Liam''s voice could be heard just moments before the cannonballs crashed into the Imperial ship with lightning speed.


    The cannons were finally being used!


    Alexis was always the one to execute patience at all times, but what she wanted was in front of her eyes!


    "Aaaaah!!" Alexis yelled as she instantly jumped into the air and knocked one of the cannonballs that were about to hit with her right foot, sending the cannonball back with even more horrifying speed!


    The cannonball slammed against the barrier of the Axe Lion''s ship, causing the barrier to disperse due to taking too much force.


    The Imperial soldiers on the ship were just about to load the Magic Dispersion shells, but they stopped once they realized the barrier was gone.


    "Liam!" Alexis shouted as she landed back on her feet, the Imperial ship shaking slightly from the weight of her boots.


    Ian''s POV----


    "Son of a¡­" Liam''s expression changed quite quickly when he noticed the woman who amazingly sent one of the cannonballs back with just the strength of her foot.


    "Captain, who is she?!" I ask as I drew my main-weapon, which was a slightly long silver gun that had a blade that could extend from it to also use it as a sword.


    "Listen, boy, I need you to get back to bridge alright," Liam said as he placed one of his hands onto my shoulders, staring at my face with a gaze I have never seen from Liam before.


    (What''s wrong with this picture¡­The captain isn''t like his usual self...)


    "Captain, what is-"


    "LIAM DON''T YOU DARE!" A shout that could send any normal person into a state of fright as the sound of a fast-approaching object entered my ears.


    It was that lady!


    *CLANG!*


    The harsh sound ringing in my ears as of Liam''s axe and the lady''s metal boot collided. Intense shockwaves came from the impact, and it was enough to send me flying back onto the deck of the ship. However, I didn''t stay down for long and immediately jumped back up onto my feet and aimed my gun at the lady.


    "Get a move on boy!" Liam shouted again as he instantly moved in my line of fire as if he knew I was about to take the shot.


    "Captain what are you doing?! I can help you! " I shouted as I tried to find another opening, but Liam''s hulking body wasn''t making it easy.


    "Shut up! Do as I say and get to the bridge!" Liam roared at me as the brief clash between the two quickly turned into a fast-paced battle right before my very eyes.


    *Clink! Clink! DING!*


    "Oi, Alexis how about we call it quits here. It would be for the best!"Liam roared during the high-intensity fight. He was trying to get one hit on her to send her back, but she was fast as he was strong.


    She''d never give him a chance!


    "Hmph! Quit playing the fool! You know I won''t do that!" Alexis spat with disgust as she continued to fight toe-to-toe with Liam.


    "Oh, but I really insist! Haah!!"Liam flexed his muscles once instantly ripping his shirt and his overcoat into shreds as the air around him changed.


    Liam glanced back at me as he continued to keep the fierce lady busy, "Boy! Like I said get back to bridge now. Fay will tell you what I was going to say!"


    The scene before me was becoming even more intense, and I wanted to stay and help Liam. However, I nodded my head and ran with the fastest speed possible towards the bridge of the ship.


    (I''m not sure what''s going on¡­but the situation seems more complicated now. I hope whatever is in the bridge will help us out!)


    The sounds of fighting became even louder as I continued to run, and I grew curious as to what was happening. So, I decided looked back, and I instantly noticed that countless Imperial soldiers were boarding the ship!


    The thought of turning around and helping entered my head, though I decided against it after I saw the Axe Lion crew members putting up a fight.


    "Let them have it!" One of the crew members shouted.


    "Kick these sorry asses off our ship!" Another one shouted


    "I''ll castrate all these damn Imperials!" One of the female crew members shouted as she wielded her scimitar.


    All of the surrounding men felt the need to squeeze their legs together, including me after that comment.


    "Haha! It seems like I just need to focus on the task at hand! Simple as that!" I laughed as I continued to run towards the bridge, dodging any Imperial that was in the way with a grin on my face.


    "Let''s do this!"

 Chapter 3 Booster Activated?

    "I didn''t think it would be time for that already!" Fay''s voice could be heard close to my ear as she flew beside me.


    "Time for what?" I asked as I finally made my way to the bridge. The entrance to the bridge was being blocked by wooden planks nailed into the nearby walls. The place was blocked off by the captain years ago.


    (I remember desperately trying to get in here as a kid! My ass was busted countless times!)


    "Just hurry!" Fay shouted as she yanked on the collar of my shirt with her tiny hands.


    "Knock it down already! We don''t have much time!"


    "You haven''t answered my question!" I yelled as I raised my right foot into the air, and dropped kicked the planks into pieces.


    *Woosh!*


    A gust of wind went through and out came a cloud of dust.


    "Cough¡­cough¡­cough...Well, at least it doesn''t smell in here." I started to dust myself off before I walk into the bridge. (This place gives me a weird feeling, but a good one¡­)


    "Fay, what was I supposed to do?"


    "You need to look for the command console," Fay answered as she sat on top of my head.


    "Oi, what console? I don''t see anything?"I walked passed the bridge entrance and suddenly it was sealed shut by an automatic door, leaving us locked in.


    "Well...Fay help me look around." I slowly proceeded forward, looking around the bridge using Tio as a form of light. (Hmm¡­There''s a lot of junk here¡­but this place¡­)


    After a few moments, I would see a flash of light in front of me, "Hm? Fay shine brighter just for a moment."


    "Alright!" Fay nodded as she willed her magic to create an even brighter light around her.


    "Woah..." I gasped as I see something that looked like the command console Fay was talking about, but it seemed a bit creepy. I took an even closer look at it, and besides seeing an image of a skull embedded underneath a glass panel, I didn''t see anything else.


    "Fay, I don''t see anything that looks important here. Are you sure this is what I''m looking for?" I asked as I looked up at the little fairy.


    "Yes! I''m sure of it!"


    (But I don''t see how I''m supposed to use this...I¡­)


    The glass panel suddenly lit up as I place my hand onto it. I could feel something coursing through me as I looked down at skull lighting up with a blue hue to it. I immediately start to see different things flash in front of my eyes.


    Vivid images of different places or things I have never seen before entered my mind. I instantly became engrossed these unfamiliar images. My eyes immediately began to change colors from vivid red all the way to pitch black. It was as if my eyes couldn''t decide which color fitted best.


    (This¡­) I felt as if I was becoming another person at that very moment. Soon a robotic voice started to come from the console.Stolen from its original source, this story is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.


    "Bzzzt¡­Booting up¡­30%¡­Bzzzt 48%¡­.60%¡­80%¡­89%¡­ 100%...Bzzzzzt! Captain identity¡­confirmed!"


    Meanwhile Outside----


    "I''m getting really tired. I really think we should call it quits! Gahahaha!"


    Liam fought Alexis this entire time without any of them gaining an advantage over the other. Both of them were very strong, and if any average person were to be caught up in their battle, they would only be disintegrated into dust! Alexis met each one of Liam''s blow with her feet that were protected by her metal boots.


    *Clink! CLANG! Ding!*


    Alexis scowled with disdain, "Liam just hand over the boy! You know you can''t protect him forever!"


    The two were fighting tooth and nail on the deck of the Imperial ship! There was no way to tell when it was going to end!


    "Gahahahaha! You should know better! I''ll protect him till my last breath!" Liam shouted at the top of his lungs.


    "Haha, chance!"


    Liam finally found an opening he was waiting for!


    Liam instantly flexed his arm muscles, and gripped the handle of his two-handed axe with both of his hands, "Burning Lion''s¡­BARRAGE!!" He shouted as he swung his axe forward in an instant!


    The strike would send a strong wave of power from which fire blazed. The attack looked like a burning majestic lion about to pounce on its prey, and it crashed into Alexis when she least expected it!


    *BOOOOOM!*


    A massive explosion soon followed after the attack collided with Alexis. Unsuspecting Imperial soldiers nearby died without anything to bring back to their graves!


    "Oi!, you aren''t dead are ya?" Liam asked as he glanced at the massive cloud of the smoke present on the Imperial ship.


    "Damn you Liam!" Alexis shouted as blood started to drip from her beautiful lips. She managed to withstand the attack, but the impact caused her insides to be damaged.


    "I''m sorry..."Liam softly muttered before he took advantage of Alexis being injured. He swung his axe again toward the ocean with all his might and caused the Axe Lion''s ship to move back far away from the Imperial ship.


    "All up to you now boy!"Liam said as he glanced back at the bridge.


    "You aren''t getting away! Guh!"Alexis instantly fell onto one knee as the damage was more then she had realized.


    "Commander!" Several Imperial soldiers rushed to Alexis and helped her back up on her feet.


    "I think we will!...Go get some rest love," Liam whispered as he leaped back onto the Axe Lion''s ship.


    "Liam..." There was a complicated expression on Alexis'' face as she helplessly watched him leave.


    "Everyone buckle down and kick those sorry Imperials off this ship!" Liam roared as he walked around on the deck with his signature wide grin.


    "Yes, captain!"


    The crew members dumped the fallen Imperials off the deck. Once everything was clear, each of them would tie their bodies down to the ship with rope as if they were preparing for a terrible storm.


    Meanwhile back in the bridge/Ian''s POV----


    The image behind the panel rapidly appeared on the back of my hand, glowing with white light. The picture on my hand looked slightly different than the one behind the panel. There were five circles around the skull, and only one of them glowed blue.


    "Viewing mechanism activated!" The robotic voice said as I could finally see what was happening outside the bridge. Windows I didn''t know existed suddenly opened, letting in the natural light of the sun. After that moment I could feel a strong power welling inside of me that felt so familiar.


    "There is nothing that I can''t conquer the world is mine! Hahahahaha!" I shouted as I felt as if I could conquer anything standing in my way. The rush of power was controlling all of my senses, and I didn''t even notice that Fay sneaked beside me


    "Boop..." Fay smiled up at me innocently as she pressed down on a button on the console. The sound snapped me out of my daze, and my eyes returned to normal.


    "Ship''s energy is low. Now using Captain''s energy...The booster has been activated!" The robotic voice said


    "What is that?!" I asked as I frantically try to remove my hand from the console, but it wouldn''t budge an inch.


    Blue light particles started to surround the ship as the strength in my body slowly begins to fade. The particles instantly gathered behind the ship, and within moments it was a gigantic sphere almost the height of the ship itself.


    "I want that ship taken down now! Aagh!" Alexis said as she tried her best move, but the pain stopped her from even moving an inch. The damage done to her body was quite extensive.


    The Imperial soldiers around Alexis could only watch along with her as the ship instantly turned into a blur. The blue particles had dispersed as a wave, pushing the ship across the sea at insane speeds.


    The ship traveled unhindered across the Revian Ocean at that very moment!


    "Aaaahhhhhhh! Someone stop this thing!!" I screamed as I grabbed onto the console, hanging on for my dear life!

 Chapter 4 Home

    "How do we stop this damn thing?!" I shouted at the top of my lungs as the ship zoomed across the ocean with no signs of stopping.


    The ship generated massive waves behind it, and if one was to be caught in them, then they would ultimately be washed away.


    "Woohoo!" Fay acted as if this was some kind of ride as she flailed her tiny arms into the air, the speed didn''t affect her at all.


    "Ugh..." I groaned as I was beginning to feel sick, but then Fay pressed another button. And immediately I detected signs of the ship slowing down.


    "The booster has been deactivated..." The robotic voice said as the ship finally came to a slow halt.


    "Why didn''t you do that earlier...?"I asked as I slowly sank to the floor.


    "Wasn''t it fun though?!" Fay shouted with a smile on her adorable face.


    "You little-"


    The automatic door suddenly opened, and Liam was standing in front of the entrance.


    "Gahahaha! Boy, what are you doing on the floor?"Liam laughed at my miserable state as he stepped forward to help me back up onto my feet.


    Once I gathered my bearings, I then rapid-fire questions at Liam. All of this happened in a matter of hours, and I needed to know what was going on here!


    "What was that just now?! What''s this on my hand?!"I yelled as I pointed to the skull marking that was still on the back of my right hand.


    "--And who was that woman?! I saw that you actually went easier on her! Captain! Answer my questions!"


    "Woah Woah Woah! Slow down with the questions boy!" Liam laughed as he placed his hand onto my shoulder to try to calm me down.


    "You will get your answers later. But, in the meantime, we need to make it back to base."


    "But Captain!"


    "Ian, just listen to me..." Liam softly said with a stern look in his eyes.


    "Fine..."I softly sighed as I nodded my head unwillingly. I then proceeded to walk out the bridge as I contemplated everything that happened recently.


    (He only says my name when something is wrong...sigh...but that power...)


    I clenched my fist tightly to see if I could feel that strange power at all but no such luck.


    Liam''s POV----


    I waited till he was out of sight to talk with Fay, "Fay did he..?"


    "Yes...I had no choice but to press the booster before he really went overboard. I don''t think he is ready for that kind of power yet."Fay said as she knew what I was going to ask. She flew over to the side of my head.Unauthorized use: this story is on Amazon without permission from the author. Report any sightings.


    "I know...but I didn''t think they would find us this early! Damn it! And they sent her! Out all the people...I hope I didn''t hurt her too badly" I sighed


    "Once they know that she failed to catch him, they will send out more. We need to push the plan further ahead....Go keep an eye on Ian for a little while."


    "Aye sir!~" Fay answered as she quickly flies out of the bridge to catch up Ian.


    I then looked up at the ceiling with fury in my eyes, "I know you are watching...And I know you think everyone and everything will dance to your special tune. But just you wait...you will pay for what you have done!"


    I gritted my teeth as rage welled inside, clenching my first until they started to hurt. After a moment I then returned to my usual demeanor.


    I glanced down at my shirtless body, and ripped pants, "Gahahaha...Oh, I need new clothes!"


    Ian''s POV------


    "Hey, brat why don''t ya help us clean up the ship!"


    I looked toward the sound of the voice to find a mop coming at me!


    I caught the mop one-handed as I glare at the culprit, "Help? You just want to go slack off again!"


    A short brown haired man who was the equivalent to an uncle for me named Derek. He was the first mate on the ship, but he rarely ever did his duties. The captain never reprimanded him for his actions, and I always found it quite strange.


    Derek pushed his glasses up onto his face as he smiled at me, "I''m not slacking off. I just need to do something more important than physical activity. I mean look at me, I wouldn''t be much help anyway."


    I admit I always wondered how someone so weak-looking could be the first mate, but no one here treated him with anything less than respect.


    "Now, get to work," Derek said as he laughed.


    I groaned as I watched Derek walk off towards the quarterdeck of the ship. The cleaning of the ship isn''t bad, but the little fairy who stayed by my side was a problem!


    "Hey! Ian, look you missed a spot!"


    "Hey! Ian, what did you think about that boost from earlier!?"


    "Hey! Ian, I''m hungry let''s go eat!"


    "Hey! Ian..."


    Several hours went by just like that, and I kept myself busy the entire time by helping other crew members clean up different parts of the ship, but I found it quite hard to concentrate with Tio being around me. A moment later I would finally take a break up in the crow''s nest.


    "It really isn''t going to go away." I sighed as I held my hand up in the air, staring at the mark.


    "Nope, it''s there for life so get used it!" Fay chirped as she pumped her tiny fist into the air.


    (Ugh...this annoying little...She has been bothering me all day! )


    I knew Fay was keeping watch over me for some reason, but I didn''t give it much thought at the moment.


    "Fay when are you going back to Captain? I''m sure he needs you" I asked as I glared intensely at the little fairy.


    "I''m b-bothering y-you?" Fay started to form tears in her eyes as she looked at me like an abandoned puppy.


    (Damn! Those tears are so fake! Why is she being so clingy today?!)


    "No, you aren''t bothering me at all.." I sighed


    "Yaay! I''ll keep hanging out with you then."


    Fay hugged my cheek with her little arms before she flew up to the top of my head and sat down on top of it. I stared across the ocean in deep thought for a moment. The sun was about to set in the horizon and image combined with the smell of the ocean soothed all my worries away.


    "I hope this isn''t going to be an everyday thing, Fay," I said as I leaned over in the crow''s nest


    "Hmm..it might be an everyday thing. You just don''t know~"


    "Damn it...Can''t you-!"


    The sound of a horn cuts the conversation short, and soon an island came into my view. The island was pretty large, stretching 40 miles long and wide. I could see different sized buildings standing on the stretch of land, and lights were illuminating the entire place.


    The ship slowly came up to the docks, and the sounds of a busy city entered my ears. The familiar sound brought upon a smile on my face as my eyes slightly widen from excitement.


    "The moving pirate city, Aldine... We are finally home."

 Chapter 5 Pirate City Aldine

    "Allllright you dogs! Today didn''t turn out the way it was supposed to..." Liam said as he frowns slightly. "But we still have our haul from earlier last week! I want that stuff unloaded quickly, so we can have some fun! Gahahaha!"


    "Aye captain!"


    The crew members cheered as they quickly got to work after Liam roared his orders.


    Once we docked at the port, the crew members worked fast to move merchandise off the ship.


    I breathed the nice familiar air of my home and started to make my way out of the crow''s nest.


    The official name of the entire place is called Pirate City Aldine. The city is formed by pirates who banded together to make a living together. Amazingly, the island the city sits on is able to move across the ocean as if it was alive. The constant movement of the island keeps the city safe from the Imperials as the ocean was quite massive.


    The ones that frequently leave the city have to use a unique compass to lead them back. Otherwise good luck you aren''t coming back home.


    In the city, there is an organization of pirates, but it isn''t at all what most people think.


    The organization is called the Brotherhood, but we are far from being beloved brothers. We are more like acquaintances that only look for a benefit from the other and when they can''t? Well...


    I helped move our merchandise once I was down on the deck. However, after an hour of work I suddenly remembered something important.


    "Oi, Captain I''m taking off! I promised someone that I would visit once I made it back to Aldine! I''ll meet you guys at the base!" I shouted as I sped off towards the city.


    "Sigh...That boy is going off to see that girl again at the hospital. And at this hour?"Liam shrugged his shoulders before he continued to order his crew around as they made their way to the Axe Lion''s base of operations.


    A few of the residents would say hello to me as I was a familiar face around these parts of the city.


    The city of Aldine wasn''t just a place for pirates, but a place for normal people who couldn''t handle being under the Imperial''s rule. The city has numerous businesses, schools for kids, and even laws to keep it all in order. However, there are sometimes where pirates act as if they are above the law here.


    They are after all pirates...


    "I-I paid you guys already for the month! I don''t have anything else at the moment!"


    I stopped by an incident nearby where two rough-looking pirates surrounded a frightened chubby looking man in front of his store.


    "Eh? I don''t remember receiving money from you yet...Did you receive money from him?"One of the pirates asked the other with a snicker.If you stumble upon this narrative on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen from Royal Road. Please report it.


    "No, I haven''t received anything and to think we have been protecting your store for years. And you accuse us of already receiving our pay? Who do you think you are?!"The pirate grabbed the chubby man by the neck, slamming him into the door of the chubby man''s store.


    "Agh!"The chubby man groaned in pain from the impact. It sounded as if something was broken.


    The surrounding people quickly dispersed as they didn''t want to get involved with the pirates.


    "I-I swear that I paid...I-I even have the proof!"The man struggled to reach into his pocket, pulling out a slip of paper. However, the pirate holding him would smack it out of his hand. The paper slowly fell to the ground, and the pirate stepped on it ruthlessly.


    "Oh... you should really hold onto those things better...So about that pay... let''s talk inside shall wee?"The two pirates laughed at the chubby man''s misery as they were about to enter the store. However, I immediately took action, and pulled out my gun, aiming it at the leg of the pirate holding the chubby man.


    *BANG!*


    "Ahhhhhhh!!!" The pirate immediately dropped the chubby man as he screamed in pain. He fell onto the ground while holding his leg. Blood quickly formed a small pool under him as he tightly held his leg.


    (Why do I feel so angry about this!?..... I just don''t like their faces that''s all!)


    I gradually walked over and picked up the paper, looking at its contents, "Oi, it says the man paid..." I scowled as my eyes instantly turned multicolored.


    One of the things here in Aldine is that when pirates do business with ordinary citizens, there is a need for physical proof. The Brotherhood came up with that idea as one of the ways to keep other lowly pirates in their places.


    (I can''t even call these guys pirates they are just two stupid thugs just waiting to get killed!)


    I aimed my gun at the other pirate''s head, and his hands instantly went up into the air. I could see the sweat pouring from his forehead.


    "A-alright kid..it was just a joke. We weren''t going to do anything to man here hone-"


    I placed the muzzle against the pirate''s head and pushed him backward slightly.


    "One more word...and I''ll kill you right now!" I shouted before I looked down at the chubby beside me.


    "Old man."


    "Y-yes?"The chubby man answered as he continued to shiver from fear. The multicolored eyes on the boy were sending him danger signals one after the other.


    "You are under our care now. The Axe Lion''s will gladly take the position of protecting this store."


    "Ah! R-really?!" The chubby man asked as he crawled over to me, despite the pain he was in.


    I slightly nodded before I reached into my pocket, and pulled out an emblem of the Axe Lion''s flag.


    I handed the emblem over to the chubby man with a flick. "Keep that and visit our place tomorrow to set it up. We won''t take payment until next month."


    "Ahhh..." The chubby man held the emblem as if it was gold and realized how lucky he is to have met this young boy. The Axe Lions! One of four major powers of the Brotherhood!


    "Now just go get yourself checked out when you can."


    "Yes, savior!" I definitely will! Thank you so much!"The chubby man nodded his head gratefully as he slowly made his way into his store with a smile on his face. Once he was out of sight, I would focus on these two pirates in front of me.


    "Oi, you...pick your friend up!" I shouted as waved my gun towards the fallen pirate.


    "Y-yes!!" The pirate screeched in terror as he quickly helped the other one who was still bleeding up onto his feet.


    "Now get out of here before I really kill you!" I shouted as I released my killing intent. The two pirates screamed in terror as they quickly disappeared from my sight.


    I slowly placed my gun back into my holster and glanced at my hand. It was shaking!


    (I don''t understand...) I grabbed my shaking hand tightly as sweat started to drip from my brow.


    "Why do I feel so...."


    That was the last words I muttered before I passed out in the middle of the street.

 Chapter 6 Typical Day Part 1

    "Ugh..." I gradually opened my eyes and discovered that I was in bed. I rose from the bed slightly and glanced cautiously around the room.


    "I''m in the hospital?"


    I quickly noticed I was in the hospital because of how the plain the room looked, and from the visible window to the right of me, I could instantly see the "Aldin''s South Hospital" on a sign outside.


    I immediately gripped my hair, "Shit!... It''s already morning. I wasted the entire night by being asleep! I-!"


    "Mmm..."


    I heard a groan beside me and realized someone was sleeping on my leg!


    "Who is--"


    "Ellie?"


    On my leg was a golden-haired girl sleeping soundly on my leg was undoubtedly the person I was supposed to meet. Ellie, a girl who was born with a peculiar disease that prevented her from walking, and even magic couldn''t heal her legs. She has been cooped up here in the hospital most of her life, and her flawless white skin was a result.


    Her parents? Well, they could never be found after a particular incident.


    I could feel Ellie wake up after she detected movement underneath her. Her sleepy face was quite adorable as she stared at me blankly for a moment with her unusual red eyes.


    "Ah! You''re awake!"Ellie snapped out of her daze and leaned over to hug me with all the strength she could muster.


    "Someone brought you in after you had passed out...and I happened to see you being checked in...last night. And I was so worried... and...and." Ellie started to whimper quietly as her entire body shivered.


    "Look, I''m just fine Ellie!" I flailed my arms in the air as I didn''t know what to do to comfort Ellie. I gave her biggest smile I could muster and flexed my right arm muscles just like a certain someone.


    "Haha! I''m a fierce pirate from the famous Axe Lions. Once you think we are down, we just get right back up! We won''t ever quit!"


    Ellie looked at me dumbfounded before she quickly pulled away from me and gripped the wheels of her wheelchair.


    "Hmph! Idiot!" Ellie shouted as she proceeded to wheel herself out of the room.


    "W-wait! Ellie!"I jumped out of the bed and quickly caught up Ellie, grabbing the handles of the wheelchair.Enjoying the story? Show your support by reading it on the official site.


    "What did I say?!"


    I began pushing her forward down the hallway like it was normal, and despite Ellie''s foul mood, she would let me push her wheelchair without a fight.


    "Don''t talk to me right now! Just take me out!" Ellie yelled as she crossed her arms.


    I sighed as I wheeled Ellie to the front counter and signed to take her out. The people that work here all know me, so taking Ellie out wasn''t a problem as long as she was brought back before the appropriate time.


    (I gotta find a way to maybe cheer her up...I wonder if I take her there...)


    I slowly wheeled Ellie out of the hospital and was met with a nearly blinding light from the sun until my eyes adjusted. The daytime on Aldine was absolutely beautiful, and you wouldn''t expect this place to be run by pirates.


    "How about we go for something to eat first?"


    "Hmph!" Ellie merely turns her nose up as she closed her eyes.


    "I''ll take that as a yes...Haha..."I laughed awkwardly as I wheeled Ellie through the city.


    The city was always busy with people during the daytime, and one would think how a place run by pirates be so peaceful. I asked that question so many times along with others, but nothing would come to mind.


    Finally, after a little bit of walking, a food stand could be seen just ahead. An old man with grey hair was all smiles as he tended to his customers.


    "Ah! Good afternoon, you two hungry?" The old man asked with a warm smile.


    "Hello, Mr.Vaughn!" Ellie showed her most stunning smile to the man at the food stall.


    Mr. Vaughn was just a typical old-man who sets up his stall in the same place every morning, grilling food for little gold as a hobby he says.


    What a strange old man...


    "So, what will it be today for you guys?" Mr.Vaughn asked as he simultaneously worked on other customer orders.


    "I''ll just have the usual. What about you Ellie?" I asked. However, Ellie flat out ignored my existence and ordered something for herself.


    "Alright! Hold tight! I''ll get it done in a jiffy!" The man laughed as he began to cook our orders, and the smell of it could make anyone drool from hunger.


    A few moments later the man had our orders finished and wrapped in a special casing that kept the food warm while making it easy to eat on the go.


    "Now, you two should make up after you fill your stomachs! I may be old, but I can still clearly see something is going on here. Besides you two little lovebirds sh-"


    "HAHAHA! I GUESS WE SHOULD BE GOING NOW RIGHT IAN?"Ellie asked as she stared daggers at me, and I could only nod in fear for my life. I immediately pushed her wheelchair toward the busy street.


    We continued to move through the city for several minutes before Ellie decided to speak up.


    "Ian, I want to go to our usual place while we eat...Is that ok?"Ellie asked as she glanced up at me. She finally calmed down enough to speak to me again after several minutes of leaving the food stall.


    "Oh...yeah sure! We could go there today" I answered swiftly with a smile.


    "Great!"Ellie showed the most beautiful smile as she stared at me. I could feel the heat rise within my cheek as an unknown feeling comes over me.


    "Well...let''s go!" I immediately pushed Ellie towards our destination. I heard Ellie giggle for some apparent reason as we made our way to one of the highest points on Aldine.


    The place was a grassy hill with a singular tree promptly placed on top of it. I didn''t quite remember when this place became special to Ellie, but for some reason, her mood would always improve when we reached this area. I parked her wheelchair against the tree.


    "Help me out!"Ellie raised her arms above her head as she held her food tightly in one hand. I quickly assisted her out of her wheelchair, and held her close. Her red eyes were staring into mine as if she was expecting something.


    Seeing Ellie''s face up close made me feel some kind of tightness in my chest. The distinct feeling was something new to me and if I knew how to act on this feeling then maybe...

 Chapter 7 Typical Day Part 2

    I quickly cleared my throat as I forced that feeling away and simply smiled at Ellie.


    Ellie frowned for a moment before returning to her usual demeanor.


    (I wonder if she was disappointed?...)


    I then helped her to the tree, so that she could lean onto it for support.


    "The picnic blanket is in my bag," Ellie said as she pats the tall tree as she looked at it with fondness.


    I then reached into the bag she always keeps on the back of her wheelchair, and pulled out the picnic blanket, spreading it out on the grass.


    I gradually helped her sit down on the blanket before joining her. The food was still warm from the casing, and it looked as amazing as it smelled. The food was some simple street vendor food, but Mr.Vaughn really knew how to cook.


    "So, aren''t you going to tell me about your travels this time?" Ellie asked suddenly.


    "-Oh yeah that''s right...Hmm, where do I start?"


    "From the beginning of course. We have a while." Ellie said as she smiled.


    "Hahaha...right." I scratched the back of my head nervously before I started to tell Ellie about my travels.


    An hour later I finished my story, and I begin telling her about how I got the mark on my right hand.


    Ellie would immediately snatch my hand to examining the mark closely."I thought you were starting to get tattoos, but thank goodness you aren''t..."


    "Ugh..." I began to feel the heat rush to my cheeks once more as Ellie gripped my hand.


    (They are so warm...Wait!) I shook my head to snap out of my daze and slowly slid my hand out of her grasp.


    "I''ll have to eventually ask the captain about it. If he doesn''t give me the answers, then I''ll just force him to answer my questions." I said with resolve as I clenched my fists. However, despite the seriousness of the matter, Ellie would laugh at me.


    "W-what?" I asked as I stared at her confusingly. (How was that funny?!)


    "Oh, nothing. I''m just visualizing you trying to beat Captain Liam, but I don''t see it turning out too well. You look too weak compared to him."Ellie continued to laugh at me while I can only silently agree.


    (But did she have to laugh so loud about it?!)


    Several moments later we would finally clean up and leave the hill. I could see Ellie constantly looking back as we made our way back into the main city. The day was still young so we decided to check a variety of different places.The narrative has been taken without permission. Report any sightings.


    I was having a lot of fun until someone familiar suddenly appeared.


    "C-captain..." I acknowledged Liam who was precisely standing in front me with the broadest grin you could ever imagine was planted on his face.


    "So, this is where you are boy Gahahaha!" Liam approached us and wrapped his arm around my neck.


    The surrounding people gazed at him in awe as I heard people talk about him.


    "It''s Captain Liam! I want muscles like that!"


    "The captain of the Axe Lions?! I want to be his disciple!"


    "Oh wow he''s so...manly~ isn''t he single?"


    I admit that the last one I heard embarrassed me. However, there was no change in Liam''s demeanor as he was completely focused on me.


    "So...I didn''t catch you at the base last night boy. Care to tell me what happened."Liam''s lips slowly rose into a gentle smile, but I could feel the hairs on the back on my neck stand up after seeing this smile.


    "I-I uh... S-so what happened was..." I couldn''t come up with a story to tell Liam, and I didn''t want to tell him the truth.


    "It''s because of me sir! I told him to sleep with me!"Ellie said as she sternly looked up at Liam with her left fist clenched tightly. (What did she just say?!!!)


    "You? Asked Ian to sleep with you? Liam started to show a different kind of smile, and finally, Ellie would comprehend the words she just muttered after a few moments of silence.


    The people around us started talking again after Ellie made the comment.


    "Oh, she is so bold!"


    "They look a bit young..."


    "I never thought someone could shout such things in the daytime."


    "Ah! I mean! No, that''s not what I meant!!!" Ellie''s face instantly turned rosy red as she placed her hands over her eyes. I even found myself blushing after what she just said.


    "Gahahaha!! Young people are definitely fearless!"Liam''s arm tightened around my neck as he continued to laugh for a good minute.


    (It hurts!)


    "Ah, I''m ashamed to disturb you two. However, I request that you hand over Ian to me. Will you?"


    "W-why are you asking me.....D-do what you want," Ellie responded as she tried to hide her blushing face with her hand.


    I sighed as I eventually take Ellie back to the hospital along with Liam.


    "I''ll see you later Ellie"


    "Yeah...come visit me again soon," Ellie said with a smile, but I could clearly hear a bit of disappointed behind her cheery voice.


    Once we were out of the hospital, Liam immediately dashed down the street without a single word.


    "C-captain!!" I shouted as I dashed right after him. I''m barely able to keep up with his speed, but I quickly noticed that I felt faster than I ever was before. I found myself saying "Sorry" and "Excuse me" as we ran throughout the city.


    ( This is incredible!... Wait..Where is the captain going?!!)


    Liam who was still in front of me suddenly leaped on top of a tall neighboring building before continuing to dash away from me.


    "Wait! Captain! What did you need me for?"I shouted as I started to get a little ticked off by Liam not communicating with me.


    (That bastard won''t get away from me!)


    My eyes instantly turned multi-colored as I experienced the power from yesterday surface within my body. I immediately bent my knees before I used all the strength in my lower body to jump high into the air. However, trying to land on a building nearly 50 feet tall after jumping over 100 feet into the air was hard. The new heights forced me to lose concentration, and I started to flail my arms in the air


    "Ahhh!!!"I screamed as I closed my eyes. "Why did I think that this was a good idea-"


    "Guh!!"I groaned as I felt myself being snatched in the air by the scruff of my neck, and before I knew it I was back on the ground safely.


    "W-what?"I gradually opened my eyes and looked up to see Captain looking at me with concern.


    "I suppose that earns you a passing grade. I''ll tell you all you need to know later. Let''s go back to the base." Liam said as he lets go of my neck and started to walk off again.


    I immediately dusted myself off before joining him on our way back to base.


    (Finally...I need to know...what this power is..But..)

 Chapter 8 Its Not Fair

    It wouldn''t take long for us to reach the base, and I was greeted with a familiar view. The Axe Lion''s base, the place considered my home besides the ship. (Author Note: I should really give its name.)


    The base was an enormous building built to handle at over hundreds of people and several accommodations that made the place seem more like a bar than a base. The smell of alcohol and smoke was lingering in the air as I entered after Liam.


    "Oh, well there you are kid!" The source of the voice was Derek as he came over to me, wrapping his arm around my neck.


    (What''s with them putting arms around my neck!)


    "So, I heard you slept with a girl. I guess I can''t consider you a kid."Derek said as he immediately started to laugh at me.


    "Yeah! Tell us the details!"


    "Was it incredible?"


    "How long did you last?!"


    Other crew members added on to Derek''s comment and I could feel my cheeks heat up as I shoved Derek away.


    "Can it! It wasn''t like that at all! And how did you know?!"I glared at everyone and especially Derek as he held his hands in the air, snickering at me.


    "News just travels fast to my ears is all. I guess I can still consider you a kid."Derek laughed as he placed his hand on top of my head and ruffled my hair. I immediately smack his hand away and adjusted my hair before I raise my fist in the air.


    "Whoa, hold on kid. I''m just messing around with ya. Anyways weren''t you following the Captain. He''s gone to his office already"Derek pointed out that Liam had already left me behind.


    "You! I''ll deal with you later!"I stormed off in anger towards Liam''s office.


    The office wasn''t genuinely an office, but a training room built for Liam specifically to keep his power contained when he trains. I never saw Liam train because he made it forbidden to go in unless he permits you and only Derek was ever given permission.


    (I was always told that his power is really extreme, and it leaks out whenever he trains causing destruction around him....but that doesn''t make any sense..)


    I get rid of the thought before opening the door of the office, and I was met with heat that seemed to be coming from Liam who was sitting down on a training mat wearing his casual clothes that exposed his impressive arm muscles.


    "Take a seat, Ian," Liam said as he looked at me solemnly. The air started feeling heavy as I take a seat in front of him.


    "Have you ever wondered where magic comes from?"Liam asked as I looked at him confusingly.This text was taken from Royal Road. Help the author by reading the original version there.


    "It comes from mana that''s invisible to the naked eye and so far people don''t know where mana comes from. It''s common knowledge. A lot of things that we use today is running with magic. Although, I never been able to use magic," I answered bitterly with a slight frown. (He''s not going to lecture me is he?..)


    "Have you ever thought that was unusual? How some people can use magic and some can''t?"Liam asked.


    "No, I never wondered about that..."I said as I was started to seriously think about it, but nothing would come into my mind.


    "Of course no one normal would do so and they would just blame it on their genes for not having the talent to do so. Did you know that I also can''t use magic?."Liam slowly rose to his feet as he turned his back to me.


    "Huh?... Wait you don''t!?" I suddenly stood up as I stared at Liam in shock.


    "How?"


    "It''s essentially a new type of power that we call soul force. Where we are essentially forcing our bodies...Our souls to use mana. It is quite similar to magic, but depending on how much you use it could mean...death" Liam solemnly said.


    "Death?" I started to feel as if I knew how death felt like even though I''m still alive.


    (Weird...)


    "Ian...Being able to use magic may seem to be based on luck, but we couldn''t be even more wrong. There are powers at play that I couldn''t even begin to explain to you. If...I" I could sense that Liam started to release his killing intent as he stopped mid-sentence, but he would quickly return to his former demeanor.


    "Captain Xander...have you heard of that name before?"Liam asked as he turned to look at me.


    "Uh...No, I haven''t... I never heard of that name before. Is he someone famous? If he was then there should have been something about him..."I pondered deeply for a moment but still couldn''t think of the name.


    "I suppose it''s a good thing that no one knows him. The knowledge of him is actually forbidden, and if you have anything remotely dealing with him then it means death...or worse. Do you wish to know? It''s important to what''s happening to you right now," Liam said with a solemn face.


    "Well, I guess it''s too late for you to decide because I already told you his name! Gahahahaha!"Liam held his stomach as I looked at him dumbfounded.


    (How is this funny?! This is my life here!)


    I quickly regain my composure, "Captain! I earnestly wish to know more about him. If he has something to do with what''s happening to me now then I need to know."I would sternly stare at Liam as I clenched my right fist tightly.


    "That''s my boy! Gahahaha!"Liam placed his hands onto my shoulders as he acknowledged the kind of man I have become.


    "Captain Xander was, in fact, my captain. Without him...I would under no circumstances be the capable person who I am today. Captain Xander was a special man, but he was also unable to use magic growing up. However, he eventually was able to due to certain reasons...Ian what I''m about to tell you has to stay between us. You can''t tell this to anyone!"Liam grasped my shoulders tightly and shakes me back and forth slightly.


    "I understand captain! I will not tell this to anyone! ", I stood firm as I nodded my head slightly.


    "Good...now dodge this! "Liam roared as I felt something hit my chest, and before I knew it I was slammed against the training room''s wall, groaning loudly in pain.


    "Y-you didn''t give me the chance to fight back...Cough...cough."I said as I slowly started to get up, leaning against the wall in pain. (Something is definitely broken...)


    "Gahahaha! You are absolutely right. It''s unfair for me to ask you to dodge right at that moment. I should have waited for you to assume a fighting position."Liam said right before he would immediately disappear in front of my eyes and I felt another hit against my chest.


    "GAhhh!!!"I stared at Liam in disbelief as a mighty wave of pain forces me onto the ground, falling onto my side as I clutched my chest.


    "GET UP BOY! I ASKED YOU TO DODGE MY ATTACKS!"Liam released his killing intent at me as he looked down at me.


    "I-I... can''t, "I painfully muttered as I started to crawl away from Liam. (I-I don''t understand what is going on!.... It hurts so much...I don''t see the point of this!... It''s not fa-.)


    "You are right. It isn''t fair. What those "people" are doing precisely is not fair!"Liam roared again as if he knew what I was thinking and what happened after that would be ingrained into my brain for the rest of my life.

 Chapter 9 A True Man

    Liam''s POV-----


    "You will have to deal with the unfairness of the world head-on if you want to live! Fate will catch up with you, and it wants nothing more than to tear you into pieces!" I sighed bitterly afterward as I shook my head.


    (I must speed up the process. What I''m doing now will prepare him for what''s going to happen in the future¡­But...)


    I could only grit my teeth in anger as I looked at the boy on the floor.


    (It''s just, not fair! For this boy to bear the mark of- shit...)


    I suddenly fall to my knees as a vicious pain shoots throughout my body.


    (Why is it starting so early?!)


    Ian''s POV----


    "C-captain!!!" I rapidly jump onto my feet, despite the pain I was in. I quickly reached for his arms to help him up.


    "D-don''t touch me!!"Liam shouted at me a second too late, and my hands immediately felt as if they touched scalding hot metal.


    "AAAAAAHH!!" I gritted my teeth with tears in my eyes, trying my best to forget about the pain. My hands were screaming at me, but Liam''s situation was even more serious! I could tell his pain was intensifying from watching him, and I witnessed the sweat that came from his body instantly evaporated.


    "C-captain what do I do?!" I flailed my arms into the air as I started to feel as if I was in an oven, sweat dripping from my brow.


    "C-captain Xander¡­struggled all his life for his dreams and h-he constantly paid the price. However, he stood by ideals...he fought against fate with people gathered across the universe! He saved countless worlds, and he also destroyed countless worlds...Haha...Cough¡­cough!"Liam''s body uncontrollably trembled for a moment as blood started to come out from his mouth.


    "Captain that''s enough! Tell me what I have to do!" I could feel tears drip from my eyes as I became terrified. (I never saw Liam in pain before! Never! What can I do?)


    "Derek¡­Derek has been with you for the longest maybe he can help!" I made a dash for the door.


    "B-boy! Do not! Open that door!¡­"Liam roared with an intensity that could make even seasoned warriors faint from fright. I abruptly stopped and turned around in shock.


    "T-this pain¡­no one can help me Haha¡­and besides, I''m not gonna die! Not until I kill those bastards for ruining my life!"Liam struggled to get up on his feet


    It was painful to see the one I think of as father this way. I wanted to help him, but I remembered that I couldn''t even touch him!


    "Ian¡­the world you know is much more vast then you can even imagine¡­do you see that? the button over there to your left."I looked over and instantly see that there was really a singular button on the left wall.


    "I want you to witness something, go over and press the¡­b-button¡­cough..."Liam coughed up even more blood as I ran over to the button, pressing it without a second thought.


    "Force field activated." A robotic voice said from an unknown source.


    I become momentarily blinded by a light, and when I could see again there was some kind of wall made out of blue particles.


    "What is this?" I asked as I would punch it only to find out that it didn''t budge at all.


    "F-force field... Slightly¡­different than Fay''s magic shield¡­Ian¡­Captain Xander was the type of man I earnestly strive to be¡­Gahaha!"


    "He would face¡­everything like a true man! He may be dead now so you will never able to meet him! So, use me as your ideal! Know that even though the world is unfair you must always be strong to force fate to bend to your will!"The narrative has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the infringement.


    "B-become a real¡­ man who bows down to no one!"Liam started to flex his muscles, ripping his clothing off as glowing red markings started to appear all over his body.


    "Watch as Galius Liam Kasar, a man from planet Erios bends fate to his will!!! Gahahahaha!"The veins on Liam''s body started to bulge as I could see a menacing red aura appear around him.


    "Captain!! Damn it!" I banged on the force field with all my might, but nothing would happen.


    (Where is that power when I desire it! I don''t understand!)


    I could only watch as Liam started to scream hysterically. The red aura suddenly turned into a fire that consumed Liam completely.


    (Captain!)


    The tears endlessly fall from my eyes as so stared forward not daring to blink for even a moment once I recalled that Liam wanted me to witness this! He is not going to die!


    I wiped my tears away with one quick swipe just as I started hearing a familiar laugh.


    "That''s good! I didn''t raise you to be a crybaby! Gahahaha! A man¡­That''s what you should¡­be" The fire that consumed him would instantly disappear and it left Liam on the ground, smoke coming off his body.


    "Force field deactivated," The robotic voice said as the force field disappeared and I immediately made a dash for Liam. I would bend down on one knee beside him, grabbing his hand tightly despite feeling my skin burn again, it wasn''t as bad as it was earlier.


    "I''ll be a true man! I''ll be even more of a man than that Captain Xander!" I said with conviction in my voice as my eyes turned multi-colored. I could feel the familiar power once more coursing through my body, restoring me back to my normal state.


    "Gahahaha!.."Liam would look up at me with a huge grin on his face, gripping my hand tightly.


    "Good¡­now beat it...I need to rest" Liam said as he immediately fainted, letting go my hand.


    I bite down on my bottom lip before nodding silently. I stood there for a moment before I started to feel an unknown presence in the room, and indescribable rage took over my mind as I look towards the ceiling.


    "You bastard that''s observing us! You better keep your neck clean because I am coming for your head! Just wait!" I pointed at the ceiling as I felt my power overflow from my body, instantly attacking the unseen entity like a predator hunting for its meal!


    ??? Kingdom------


    "That little bastard!" The man coughed up a bit of blood from that attack.


    He slammed his fist against the golden throne he was sitting in. He naturally wanted to see how the "mistake" was doing, and just as he exerted his powers to spy on the boy, he was attacked!


    The man was absolutely elegant with his short golden hair and eyes that glowed brilliantly with an unusual green light. He would wipe the blood from his lips as he stormed out of the throne room.


    The man was met with a beautiful mature woman outside standing guard and despite her age, she could still turn cities upside down. She was quite the dignified woman with her crimson hair tied up neatly into a ponytail, her green eyes were like swords that could unsheathe at any moment!


    She was wearing the same uniform as Alexis but with slight variations. She would respectfully salute to the man that came out of throne room.


    "You need to advise your men that they need to hurry up and capture that boy! His power is rising by the moment! If the people above me know that I couldn''t capture him then!-"


    The woman cut him off mid-sentence as she spoke, "I already sent "him" to finish the job, your Excellency. I already knew that Alexis was going to fail and report back to me. I''ll then get rid of her along with that treacherous Galius!"The woman released her killing intent only for a moment. The man who was undoubtedly her superior was even afraid for his life!


    "G-good! I want that boy handed over to me, so we can fix that little mistake of ours. We can not let such a being exist! That Captain Xander is causing us problems even in death!"The man threw a fit of rage before the woman, not caring about his image in front of her.


    "I assure you that "he" will get it done." The woman answered the man before he headed back to his throne room.


    "You will rue the day you went against me...Brother.."


    Ian''s POV----


    Its been one week since the incident, and Liam told me everything he could about what is happening to me. I would finally know how much is at stake here, but I still felt as if something was missing.


    One of the things Liam told me is that his training room was essentially built with materials from his home planet. The materials on his home planet are naturally fire-resistant, and he comes into the room to release his energy without damaging his surroundings outside. Liam had told me that he was actually cursed by "them" to constantly bear the pain of being on fire. The people from his planet have an affinity to fire, but even he could only bear the pain for so long before an incident from earlier happens.


    The most significant thing he told me is that I was found as a baby on this planet he escaped to. He had discovered me in a basket floating in the ocean on a typical day of a pirate. Liam had already created the Axe Lions and seeing their captain jumping out into the ocean freaked them out.


    The first thing that Liam noticed about me was the mark on my right hand, and when he took a closer look at me he said I looked just like Captain Xander! Liam thought that he was given a second chance, and decided to raise me like son.


    Liam was telling me about a lot of things about his home planet and several others he has visited. He would also tell me how people could leave through the visible sky and travel through what he called space. But the only thing that really ran through my mind was.


    "Holy shit! Who left me in the ocean?!"

 Chapter 10 They All Know?!

    It was just another bright sunny day in Aldine, and the Axe Lions were about to leave on another hunt. I was a bit skeptical of going because of what happened with that last encounter with the Imperials, but Liam would argue with me.


    "A true man never hides from danger!!"Liam flexed his muscles as he laughed.


    "Yeah! Where is your fighting spirit?! We only need to crush our enemies!"Fay shouted as she laughed madly with her adorable voice.


    "But, charging in head-on isn''t always the best way!"I said in response as I was talking to Liam while we loaded the ship with supplies along with the other Axe Lion crew members.


    "That''s the way my captain always did it, and he always succeeded! Gahahaha!"Liam pounded his broad chest with his fist before continuing with the work.


    "Yeah! Now move those boxes faster! You need bulk up like Captain Liam here! So you can crush your enemies with just your fist alone!"Fay''s eyes seemed to sparkle as she praised Liam for his physique.


    (But...I don''t want muscles like that...)


    I honestly admired the man Captain Xander because he was able to come out on top despite being dealt a bad hand in life. Liam explained to me that the man was an orphan just like me, and ever since he was young he had a sense for an adventure like no other.


    The man was simply addicted to adventure.


    He would even have one particular incident where he sneaked into the women''s side of a bathing house when he was a kid. Apparently, he wanted to know what they looked like without clothes.


    The incident caused him to have a public beating, and he was labeled as a pervert. I still don''t understand what was going through his head, but I couldn''t help but admire his will to venture where no one has gone before.


    Liam also explained to me that Xander was again unable to use magic, but for some reason along with their adventures he picked up abilities that allowed him to use something similar to magic.


    "The Eyes of Enzo?" I curiously asked after Liam had told me the name Xander used for his abilities.


    "Yes, Captain told me that those eyes allowed him to use the elements as if it was his own without invoking incantations! But...he would only gain the power after being blessed by beings called the Overlords."


    "The Overlords have complete control over their respective element, and for some reason, they were able to allow him control over their elements after passing special tests. I was never able to see what kind of tests...However, I do remember he kept on mentioning that he wished he didn''t know the truth about his power. As to what that truth is...I have absolutely no clue, but I know where it might be."Liam said as he placed the last box of supplies into the bay of the ship. (Author Note: I really need a name it''s going to be the main form of transport for a good while, and calling it just the ship feels insulting to me.)


    "Where?"I asked as jumped off the ship onto the nearby dock. Liam ordered a few of his crew members around for a few moments before joining me on the dock.


    "On the planet Xeltan, the place where his ship the Arleria was brought down. Gahahaha! If anything is left from the debris then possibly his journal was left there...Watch over the ship Fay!."Liam said as he waved at Fay.Stolen from its rightful place, this narrative is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.


    "Aye, sir!" Fay saluted cheerfully. However, once the two was out of sight, she was anything but cheerful. "Why do I have to stay?!" She inwardly shouted.


    Liam and I leisurely walked through the city as our destination was our home base.


    "I also have another question. You keep talking about space this or that, but how exactly does one get into space from here? As far as I know, I don''t know anyone leaving through the sky, "I said as I placed my arms behind my head as we walked.


    "Gahahaha! I''m afraid to tell you that we already have the way into space!"Liam said with a grin.


    "We do? What is it? I don''t remember having something that could fly-"


    "THE SHIP?!"I stopped in the middle of the street and shouted loud enough to catch the attention of the people around me. I would quickly apologize before continuing to walk with Liam as he explained even more.


    "Gahahaha! It is that ship exactly although it is the smallest ship out of Captain Xander''s fleet used to escape."


    "The smallest?!" (That massive ship is the smallest?!)


    "Gahaha!...But even though we have the ship. We can''t make it to space at the moment."Liam said as we finally arrived at our home base.


    "Why not?"


    " The damn thing is nearly 40 years old, and without the proper maintenance it would surely lack the energy to break through this planet''s atmosphere." Liam sighed.


    "Really? Would the booster be enough to breakthrough? If we angled it right?"I asked as I ponder on the subject.


    "It could, but do you realize that you tend to get weak soon after using your power?"Liam said as he placed his hand onto my shoulder.


    "Why does my power have to deal with the b..?... Oh, "I remembered that I felt especially drained after I had used my power, and ended up passing out for an entire night.


    "Exactly...The power you wield is still in its infant stage, and you can''t quite control it. In fact, I''m guessing you are only able to invoke the primary power of the eyes which is a slight strength boost."Liam solemnly said as I started to frown quite a bit.


    (I mean...I only recently learned about this power...It''s natural for me not to be able to master it...But still...)


    I clenched my right fist tightly for a moment before asking, "But you already have another way into space right?"


    "I have. A feasible solution and I know "it" isn''t going to like it. But we have to try."Liam scratched the back of his head as he sighed.


    "What''s the solution?"I asked as we made our way to the bar inside of the base. We would order food to eat before we continued our conversation.


    "Well,...I know one of the Overlords is here on this planet."Liam said as he started to dig into the towering pile of food brought before both of us.


    "WHAT?! ONE IS HERE?!"I shouted just as I did before, and caught the glares of the surrounding crew members.


    "Oi, Why are being so loud?" Derek would show up beside me and order a couple of food dishes as well.


    "Hmph! None of your business Derek!"I shouted before I started eating a little of the food in front of me.


    "It was just about the Overlord being on this planet, and having something to deal with Captain Xander''s power," Liam said between mouthfuls of food.


    "CAPTAIN, I THOUGHT PEOPLE AREN''T SUPPOSED TO KNOW?!" I stared dumbfounded at how Liam could just say the forbidden name just like that!


    "Oh, alright so I naturally take it that we are heading to that place?" Derek asked as he also started to eat heartily while casually making conversation with Liam.


    "Yup! We need to make our way across the other two oceans before making our way to Mira''s Ocean. Are you going to finish that?"Liam asked after he finished off his own plate. However, he swiped mine before I could even answer the question.


    "CAPTAIN?!"I slammed my hands against the bar table.


    "Pipe down kid...You are making my ears ring. The whole crew knows about Captain Xander."Derek sighed as he rubbed his ear.


    "THEY ALL KNOW?!"I stood up in shock and turned around to see that all the surrounding members were casually nodding.


    "Damn it, kid, stop shouting so much I''m trying to enjoy my meal!"Derek pointed at me with his fork.


    I stared at everyone in shock for quite a while, and they all nodded to confirm what Derek said.


    I then felt a rage building inside of me before I glared at Liam.


    "It slipped out. It''s my bad. Gahahahaha!"Liam merely shrugged his shoulders before continuing to eat.


    (A name that will cause innocent people to experience pains worse than death...and it just slipped out? )


    "WHAT THE HELL?!" I shouted again in anguish.


    That memorable night continued in that fashion. However, I wonder if it really was such a good idea to let them know...

 Chapter 11 A Special Day

    Today was the day before we left Aldine for an extended period. I wasn''t sure how long this extraordinary journey was going to take. Liam left the base saying he had to make a report to the Brotherhood, and I wanted to go with him.


    "No way!" Liam adamantly refuses before dashing away.


    I sighed deeply before deciding to make the most of the time I had left in the city. And I decided to go to the hospital to chat with Ellie about the journey I was about to take.


    I knocked on the door of Ellie''s private room before entering. She was laying down on her bed with a journal in her hand, carefully writing in it.


    "Hey, Ellie."I smiled as I took a seat in the nearby chair.


    "I-Ian!" Ellie hastily hid her journal underneath her as she noticed my arrival.


    "You...seem a bit different for some reason."Ellie examined my face with her crimson eyes, and I instantly felt the heat rise in my cheeks.


    "It may be because of all of the things I learned recently. I learned about my powers...Although apparently, I can''t wield it correctly yet...Haha...But hey that journal..."I said as I started to reach towards the area she concealed it in.


    "If you try touching that journal, I will bite your arm off!!"Ellie gnashed her teeth as she became protective over her private journal.


    "Alright, I won''t look at it. I promise, "I said as I raised my hands into the air, leaning back into the chair as I started laughing.


    "So, what did you want to tell me?"


    "Why do you think I have something to tell you?


    "Mm...Because I just felt it for some apparent reason. Is there something you wanted to tell me?


    "Well, Liam is hauling us out on the sea again. We are leaving tomorrow."


    "Oh yeah? About a week or two?"


    "Well no, it could be longer then that...se-"


    "Three weeks? You guys must be going really far out."


    "N-no I mean it is going to be several...years?" I said as I shrugged my shoulders unsure of how long it will take.


    "Oh..." Ellie paused for a moment and looked down in disappointment. Her eyes then widen after she processed what I had said."YEARS?! WHERE ARE YOU GUYS GOING?!"Ellie instantly reached over and grabbed the collar of my shirt with all her strength.


    "Um..."I scratched my head as I try thinking of a way to answer her without spilling too much information.


    "Tell me NOW IAN!"Ellie shook me back and forth as she glared at me. (Oh...Geez maybe I shouldn''t have told her like always and just left this time...No, that wouldn''t have been good. )


    A nurse suddenly stormed into Ellie''s room with a fierce scowl on her face.


    "Could you guys be quiet? This is a hospital! We have other patients who require their rest! Hmph! "The nurse slammed the door behind her as she left.


    We both blush with shame.


    Ellie sighed softly, calming down a little before gazing into my eyes, searching for an answer.


    After a moment of silence, tears started to form in the corner of her eyes as she whimpered softly.


    (S-she is crying?! Shit!)


    "Ellie...I want to be able to tell you everything, but this time I can''t say. I can only tell you that it has something to do with the unusual power that I have."I shake my head as I stood up, and carefully wrapped my arms around Ellie.


    Ellie''s POV-----------


    The pleasant feeling of his arms around me made me feel safe, but the tears continued to fall down my cheeks as I thought about not seeing him for years.


    (I-I just want to know everything about him so that maybe...) I grasped his shirt, holding onto it even more tightly as if it was going to make him stay. I started crying out softly as I placed my face against his chest.


    "E-Ellie?"Ian tries to force me away, but I refused to let go of him.


    Time seemed to slow down for me as I cried, but soon I would pull away from him, wiping my eyes with the sleeves of my shirt. I then gaze up into his crystal-clear blue eyes.


    "C-can you take me to the usual place today?" I asked as if Ian was a person who always said no to me, but he would always grant my requests whenever he could.


    "O-of course I can," Ian answered as he smiled a bit weakly.


    Ian immediately helped me into my wheelchair that was parked nearby and soon we were out in the streets of Aldine. The feeling of the gentle wind against my face always seemed to soothe me. It would take a little bit longer to get the usual place as I saw Ian possessed something on his mind.If you discover this narrative on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen. Please report the violation.


    Once we were on the grassy hill with the solitary tree, my mood became a lot better in an instant. I always enjoyed this place because I could feel the wind wrapping around my body, imparting me with strength. I would still find it strange how I felt invigorated by the wind, but this unique place also possessed another reason why I treasure it so much.


    Five years ago-----------------


    A more adolescent version of Ellie was quite the prankster as a kid. She had become an orphan not too long ago and cheered herself up by playing pranks on the kids who played nearby. Ellie was quite despised by the local kids in the area from all of her elaborate pranks. They could never capture her because of her nimble feet that propelled her as if she was the wind itself!


    One particular day I decided to cover the playground equipment with near-invisible slippery oil. I didn''t have to wait for a long time before my first two victims arrived on the scene. I would quickly find a hiding spot before they reached the playground.


    I observed the two boys I usually pull pranks on slip and fall constantly all over the playground as they naturally wondered what was going on.


    "Hahahaha! You guys look like idiots slipping everywhere!"I slipped out of my hiding spot, holding my stomach while I laughed at the miserable state the boys.


    "Y-you! Again?!"


    "L-Let''s get her!"


    The two boys started to chase me all over the neighborhood, but they had no chance of catching up to my speed!


    "W-we... are going to get you, Ellie!!"One kid screamed as he was starting to feel faint after running around so much.


    "Idiot! No one catches me! You might as well give up! Hahahaha!"I enjoyed the feeling of the wind flowing through my hair as I ran throughout the familiar streets. I wasn''t even breaking a sweat as I dodged the countless people walking around in the bustling city.


    The lively chase would finally end on top of a grassy hill where a solitary tree stood.


    "W-we...got...you now!!" One of the boys shouted as he gasped for air.


    "Really? I just thought you guys needed a break! I could have left you guys behind at any time!"I would smirk as I leaned against the tree with her arms crossed triumphantly.


    (No one can catch me even in 50 years! I...huh??)


    I instantly lose all feeling in my legs, and immediately fell to my knees.


    "Huh...?"


    "It looks like...Ellie here gets tired just like the rest of us."


    "Yeah, thankfully you were so gracious in giving us a little break."


    The two boys laughed as they closed in on me with intentions of obtaining their revenge. The two naturally had enough of the little girl who has made a fool out of them and countless others!


    "S-stay back! I''m warning you!"I shivered in fear as I tried lifting myself up from the ground with the help of the tree.


    "No one is going to stop us!"


    "We are going to beat you up!"


    The two boys grabbed hold of me, pulling on my hair as I screamed hysterically. (I regret doing all of those pranks!)


    "Hey...you guys are disturbing my nap!"The voice of an adolescent boy could be heard above them in the tree!


    "Huh? Gaaah!!!" One of the kids instantly found themselves tumbling down the hill in pain after the black-haired boy kicked their face.


    "W-what did you just do?!" The other kid lets go of my hair and throw a punch at the boy who jumped out of the tree. The boy looked quite handsome in my eyes as he easily dodged the boy''s fist and tripped him with his leg.


    "Ahhhhh!!" The boy tumbles down the grassy hill the same way the other one did


    "W-we will get you two back! Just you wait for Ellie!!"The two boys fled the scene as quickly as their feet could carry them. The two weren''t fighters, but they could clearly tell they stood no chance against the boy who appeared.


    "T-thank-you..."I softly said as I felt my heart beating fiercely in my chest while I gazed at the boy. The boy was nearly covered in bandages, but it didn''t seem like he was in pain at all.


    "Can you stand?"The boy said as he looked at me indifferently with his beautiful blue eyes and at the moment I realized I was in love...


    "I...I can''t feel my legs at all..."The feeling of love was quickly replaced with the sense of loss as I remembered I couldn''t move my legs at all. Tears started to fall down my cheeks as I cried out.


    "I c-can''t walk *hiccup*...m-my legs."I continued crying as the loss of feeling in my legs reminds of my parents who also went missing strangely. (H-how am I going to live now...)


    "Huh?" I suddenly stopped crying as I felt myself being picked up into the air. The boy started carrying me down the hill in his arms with little effort.


    "I''ll take you to the hospital."The boy softly said. I started to feel my heartbeat faster once again as I gripped the boy''s shirt tightly.


    The boy showed no signs of exhaustion as he carried me to the hospital. The feeling of being carried reminded me how my parents used to carry me, and soon I would fall asleep in his arms.


    The next moment I found myself in a hospital bed, "Where...am I?"


    I looked around the room, and immediately everything that happened to me yesterday started pouring into my mind.


    "My feet..." I muttered as I tried to wiggle my toes, but still, they wouldn''t move an inch. I began crying from the loss.


    (What do I have left if I can''t run anymore?! Mom! Papa!)


    "What''s wrong?!" A nurse asked as she dashed into the room and earnestly tried to calm me down with no luck at all.


    But suddenly the boy who saved me strolled into the room.


    "Hey, you still can''t walk?" The boy asked as he walked to my bedside.


    "N-no..."I said timidly as I quickly wiped the tears away from my face. (I can''t keep crying in front of him!)


    The nurse sighed with relief as I showed signs of calming down.


    "Just call for me if you need anything, Ok?" The nurse said with a smile as there was an odd glint in her eyes. I could have sworn I heard snickering as she left the room.


    "Oh...Well, I talked to my Captain yesterday, and he said you could stay here to receive treatment until your legs get better."The boy said as he showed a brilliant smile which further deepened my feelings for him.


    "C-captain?" I asked as I stared at him. The boy started to flex his non-existent muscles.


    "Yeah! I''m a fierce pirate under the famous Captain Liam of the Axe Lions. Can''t you see these mighty muscles?" The boy asked as he grinned.


    "What?..." I stared at the boy blankly before I started to laugh at him while clutching my stomach.


    "What''s so funny?!"The boy gnashed his teeth in anger as he clenched his fists, "I really am a pirate! Ian Zielaster! Don''t you forget it!"


    I continued laughing at the boy until some tears formed in my eyes which made the boy even angrier. Finally, after a few moments, I then stop to gaze at the boy.


    "Ok, Ian Zielaster fierce pirate of the mighty sea. My name is Elisa Anvindr, but just call me Ellie."I showed the boy the perfect smile I could ever make as I held my hand out to him.


    "Ugh..." The boy groaned in mild annoyance, but he ultimately grabbed my hand.


    Present Time/Ellie''s POV---------


    Although I still can''t use my legs at all, the next several years was absolute bliss after I really had come to know more about Ian.


    I looked up at Ian who was trying so hard to cheer me up with some casual jokes. A smile slowly formed on my lips.


    We would stay on top of that hill for a while before we walked back down into the city. My mind had become quite clear as Ian finally wheeled me back into the hospital after several hours. We waved goodbye to each other as he left to go back to his home.


    Once he was out of sight, I then clench my fist tightly.


    (If he thinks he can leave me here for several years by myself...Then he should think again! You won''t get rid of me, Ian!)

 Chapter 12 Hold On...What!?

    Ian''s POV-----


    Today was the day!


    The Axe Lions were busy at work as they prepared the ship to leave on their journey. The ocean was shining beautifully because of the radiant sun in the sky.


    The perfect day for an adventure!


    I ran down the dock where our ship was anchored at, hopping onto the deck with one tremendous leap. My body seemed to be getting stronger by the day because of my awakened power. However, my thoughts started to seem a bit unusual as well. It started feeling as if someone else was in my head.


    "Useless.....I would have already..."


    "Huh...?"I heard another voice inside my head, and before I could ponder on it, I could hear Liam shouting.


    "Gahahahah! Put your backs into it! I want this ship ready to go soon!"


    I shook my head as I returned to my usual demeanor, "Alright let''s get this over with!" I rolled up the sleeves of my shirt and started to help the other crew members with their grunt work.


    Despite the work, not one of the crew members had a frown on their face. They were all bonafide adventures before pirates, and the smell of an extraordinary adventure was strong in the air.


    Soon the anchor was pulled up from the sea, and Liam could be heard again, "Alright! Hoist the sails!" The crew members rushed to pull the sails up, and within an instant the sails picked up the wind, propelling the ship forward. At long last, we were off!


    While everyone enthusiastically cheered as we left the dock I could only feel melancholy as I watched Aldine gradually receding into the distance. Ellie was indeed the sole friend my age, everyone else I knew was older than me.


    "We will be back before you know it boy," Liam said as he came behind me, placing his hand on top my shoulder.


    "Yeah, so I don''t want to hear any sort of crying from you!" Derek strolled beside me as he ruffled my hair.


    "Ugh..Get off of me!" I could only groan in mild annoyance, but I indeed cheered up a little.


    "Gahahaha! Alright, go do your job lookout!" Liam casually slapped my back which naturally caused me to groan in pain before I started the vertical climb up into the crow''s nest. It always felt a bit cold up there, but the warming rays of the sun always counteracted it out unless it was cloudy.


    "Ian!" Fay had flown up to the crow''s nest and landed on top of my head to sit down.


    "What is now Fay?" I took out my telescope to look farther into the distance. (Ocean...more ocean...Nothing really to see at the moment.)


    "Oh, nothing I just came to see how my most favorite person in the entire world is doing!" Fay smiled as she kicked her feet up into the air while I felt her small hand pat my head.


    "Captain told you to stick with me again didn''t he?"I asked as I put my telescope away as I leaned my back against the crow''s nest.Ensure your favorite authors get the support they deserve. Read this novel on Royal Road.


    "Well, of course not! You are my dear friend! How could you think so lowly of me? Hmph!" Fay promptly turned her nose upwards as she pouted.


    (Why is she lying again?)


    I cleared my throat before speaking with my most proper voice, "How silly of me. I didn''t mean to offend the most adorable ship fairy, Fay. I humbly apologize for what I said to you. I realize that you are an important friend of mine and should treat you as such."


    "Ah?!...N-no it''s OK...I accept your apology..."


    "Hahaha...." I shook my head as I decided to jump out of the crow''s nest with Fay grabbing hold of my hair. (She is really taking this sticking to me thing seriously...) I sighed as I looked back towards the direction of Aldine.


    "....We are going to be back before you know it just like the captain said."Fay thoughtfully said as she flew to the side of my head, hugging my cheek.


    I simply nodded as I walked to Liam''s private cabin to give him a report. The room was purely made to be an office where Liam talks with Derek about their plans. The place didn''t really have anything interesting in it besides the Map of the entire planet of Delfar posted on the wall. I walked into the room where Liam and Derek were discussing the specific details of our journey.


    "I don''t know Captain. At this rate, I think we may come across Zelran Ocean during the feeding frenzy. Do we absolutely need to commence his journey now?"Derek said as he sat on the sturdy table with Delfar''s calendar in his hand.


    "I wanted to give him more time, but "they" aren''t giving me any time. We have to cross it to get to our destination, and time is simply against us."Liam gently sighed as he leaned back in his chair. The chair definitely had to be made out of material from his homeland to take all that weight without breaking.


    "Captain," I said as I stepped forward toward the desk.


    "Ah, boy was there anything interesting at the moment?"Liam slightly grinned as he stood up from his chair.


    "Nope. It was just more ocean, but is it really time for that season again?" I asked as I pondered for a moment.


    "Yeah, it is. We had local sailors come in a couple of months ago to Aldine and informed us about the waters in Zelran becoming colder. The time is a bit late than usual which may make the Qualze more hostile."Derek groaned in annoyance as he placed the calendar down.


    "If those dirty fish even think about sinking their teeth into this ship...then I''ll pulverize them!"Fay instantly flew into the air as she clenched her little fists. Despite the threat, we all naturally thought it was pretty adorable coming from the 1-foot tall fairy.


    The Zelran Ocean was only the 3rd biggest out of the four, and it served as the gateway to the more grandeur oceans. The place is home to one of the notorious species known on this planet. The Qualze, a unique species of enormous blue-skinned fish that is territorial and typically hunts in the packs.


    Several times a year the topmost layer of the ocean is known to become extremely cold. The Qualze can only endure the extreme cold of the mighty deep, but once the top layer becomes colder. The vicious fish is known to instantly rush to top to feed on the creatures living above hence the feeding frenzy. The most dangerous thing about the Qualze is they are naturally able to use water magic without the incantations humans typically have to use.


    "Oh! I just forgot we received a recruit who will be joining us on this journey."Liam suddenly said as he walked out from behind his table.


    "New recruit? How come I didn''t see anyone new at all?"I stared wonderingly at Liam as we walked to the cabin across from Liam''s private cabin. Liam would knock on the door of that cabin.


    "Come in!"


    "Ellie?!..." I shouted at the top of my lungs. My heart was pounding in my chest as I opened the door instantly. The familiar person behind the door was indeed the person I was missing the most.


    Ellie simply smiled at me as she wheeled herself out of the cabin and into the hallway.


    "Ellie Anvindr reporting for duty Captain!" Ellie as she saluted Liam before looking at me with a delighted grin. I could feel the hair on the back of my neck stand up.


    "I may be unable to use my legs, but I promise I won''t let you down!" Ellie continued.


    I immediately looked to Liam who instantly avoided my gaze. I then turned my head back to the girl who has known me almost my whole life. The girl who also couldn''t walk.


    That same girl who is precisely on a ship, where we are sailing into one of the most hazardous areas on the planet!!


    "WHAT IS GOING ON HERE?!"

 Chapter 13 Ocean Travel Part 1

    "Easy there, kid. We tried refusing her, but she gave us too many reasons to let her join."Derek merely shrugged his shoulders.


    "What reasons?!"I shouted as I immediately grabbed Derek by his shirt collar, pushing him against the hallway wall.


    "I-Ian!"Fay instantly tugged on my red scarf desperately trying to pry me off of Derek.


    "Woah! If I didn''t know any better I would think you were in love with her." Derek simply laughed despite the situation he was in.


    My cheeks instantly turned vivid red, "I-Its not like that! Sh-."


    Liam simply seized me from the scruff of my neck, "Gahahaha! Alright, now break it up."


    "We did refuse her when she decided to join, but seeing how she was adamant about joining us. We couldn''t refuse her."Liam sighed as he placed me in front of Ellie who was looking at me anxiously.


    "But...sh-.."I stood there dumbfounded as I started feeling a gentle breeze brush against my face.


    "Wind..?" My eyes slightly widened as I placed my hands in front of my face to make sure it was real.


    "Yes, I can control the wind somewhat...I can make a strong gust of wind or a gentle breeze, but something like flying is impossible..."Ellie sighed as the wind stopped being produced.


    "I started being able to do simple things with it after I had lost the feeling in my legs. I kept it hidden because I noticed how unusual my magic was compared to everyone around me. But...I didn''t want to be left behind!"Ellie clenched her fist tightly as she looked earnestly at me.


    "Ellie...But still she..." I gripped my hair as I thought about the difficulty of Ellie being on this ship.


    "Don''t you understand kid? She isn''t from this planet," Derek said as he lightly tapped my head.


    "W-what?"My eyes bulged again as I stared at Derek.


    "Didn''t the captain tell you? If the person is capable of using magic, then the magic the person can use is based on the strongest element of the planet they are born on! There are no exceptions to this."


    "Eh...I don''t think I remember him saying something like that..."I placed my hand on my chin as I pondered everything Liam has told me the past month.


    "Gahahaha! Actually, I don''t think I told him...I forgot!"Liam scratched the back of his head in shame.


    "Oh geez...What would you do without me?"Derek shook his head as he continued, "Anyways since she is clearly from another planet. She would naturally have a more significant chance of finding what happened to her parents coming with us."This text was taken from Royal Road. Help the author by reading the original version there.


    Derek pondered for a moment before continuing, "I also told her that I didn''t think the answers she wants will be in Aldine. I''ve examined the incident and there are simply too many holes in the disappearance of her parents."


    Ellie nodded before looking at Ian resolutely, "So, please let me join you on your journey. I promise I won''t get in your way or anything! I need to find what happened to them and if need to be a pirate then so be it!"


    "That''s the spirit girl!" Liam laughed as he placed his hand onto Ellie''s head, patting it gently before looking at me, "So? What do you think boy? Can she stay with us on the ship?"


    (You are the captain! Why are you asking me?!!..... Sigh..)


    I nodded reluctantly despite my inner turmoil, "You can stay on the ship, but stay close where I can see you."


    Ellie immediately blushed as she slightly nodded her head, "Nn.."


    "Are you sure you guys aren''t in love?"Derek teased as a delighted grin formed on his face.


    "Shut up!" I immediately stormed off towards the upper deck as Fay and Ellie followed after me.


    "Captain are you sure it was a brilliant idea to allow her to join. She is already using the laws of the wind instead of actual magic. "Derek folded his arms as he looked at Liam seriously.


    "I know...That means she is also related to "them" just as Ian is. Gahahahaha! That just makes this journey a bit more interesting!"Liam''s eyes seemed to burn like raging flames as he thought about the future.


    "Jeez, Captain.."Derek groaned as he got back to his work.


    I started to act as a tour guide for Ellie after we had reached the upper deck. It was a bit challenging with Ellie being in a wheelchair, but I desperately tried my best to show her everything.


    The countless days in the Revian Ocean were uneventful, but the ship was finally reaching the Zelran Ocean. As we drew nearer to the ocean I could feel the temperature drop almost immediately. and everyone would hastily dress heavily in winter clothing. Hours later I started to feel the effects of the harsh cold


    "Damn...It''s never been this cold before during this season."Derek complained as he stroked his arms to keep warm. Almost the entire crew was gathered on the main deck where a bonfire blazed to keep them warm.


    The temperature was dropping by the minute and their other source of heat was blocked by thick gray clouds that covered every inch of the sky. The only way for the crew members to get warm was to create a fire on the ship. The bonfire was covered with Fay''s magic shield to prevent it from burning down the ship.


    "Ah...Ahh-choo!!"I shivered uncontrollably as I stretched my hands towards the burning flame.


    "Maybe you should visit the infirmary to receive some medicine, Ian?" Ellie patted my shoulder gently as she handed me a cup of hot chocolate


    "I-I don''t need medicine. I''m not getting sick ok!" I adamantly denied the dreadful state I was in as I sipped the hot chocolate. The hot liquid made the cold a bit more bearable. However, I was still depressed.


    (Damn it...how can I already become sick?)


    "A true man knows when to admit things, boy...Like how I enjoy this type of weather! Gahahaha!" Liam was the only person to wear just his pants in this frigid weather. He puffed out his exposed broad chest as he flexed his mighty muscles. The cold was actually quite pleasant for him, and it made the crew envy his muscled body.


    "Y-Yeah, It doesn''t b-bother me at all either!" Fay shivered as she hovered really close to the bonfire.


    The Zelran Ocean is always typically chilly, but during the feeding frenzy, the water becomes unusually colder to the point that it freezes in most areas. The ocean is about 15 million square miles, and crossing it will take days if not weeks.


    "Captain! I see movement in the water ahead! It''s the Qualze!"The crew member who took over Ian''s place shouted from the crow''s nest.


    "Gahaha! Prepare for battle!"Liam roared as he rushed toward the bow of the ship.


    The crew members could only groan in agony as they willed their bodies to work in the cold.


    "Aye, Captain!"

 Chapter 14 Ocean Travel Part 2

    *Hissss! Hisss! Hissss!*


    In the distance, I could hear loud hissing noises and with closer inspection, it was a definitely Qualze with their signature yellow fins sticking out from the water.


    I instantly took out my telescope to get a more proper look, "I count three so far Captain!"


    These fish have been known to get as big as a grown man, and their blue skin is so thick that standard projectiles wouldn''t think of injuring it greatly.


    "Gahaha! A scouting team huh? That''s too bad. Boy, you handle these."Liam''s excited mood died down almost instantly as he realized the fight would be too easy for him.


    "What?!" I nearly drop the telescope after hearing Liam''s words.


    "Ahh-choo!! .....Ugh...I-I haven''t dealt with them before only heard of them.." I felt my body become physically weaker.


    "C-captain! Ian is in no position to be moving! He is extremely ill!"Ellie said as she grabbed my hand.


    "Oho~ Someone is already denying my orders even though they just joined my crew!"Liam bared his teeth as he released a bit of his killing intent.


    "Eep..."Ellie shrinks back behind me as she avoided Liam''s intense gaze.


    "Ian! I want you to understand. At times you have to act even when you are at your weakest. If you can''t even fight with a simple cold...then don''t expect to survive very long!" Liam crossed his arms as he glared at me.


    (Captain is being serious which means that I need to become serious as well!)


    "Aye, Captain! I''ll dispose of them!" I promptly returned Liam''s gaze with confidence brimming from eyes as I turned back towards the incoming threat!


    "Ian....please be careful.." Ellie tugged gently on my sleeve as she bit down on her lip.


    "Hah! I''m a fierce pirate I-" I instantly sneezed again before I finished my sentence.


    (Well, now that was just uncool..)


    I groaned softly as I withdrew my gun-blade from its holster, pressing the button that extends the blade.


    "Ugh...Fay...come with me!"


    "Alright! I haven''t seen you do battle in a while!"Fay flew on top of my head as I leaped off of the ship without hesitation.


    "Ian!" Ellie became wide-eyed as she watched me jump off of the ship, and before she could act she would see me running on water!


    "Huh? How is he doing that?"Ellie looked to Liam for answers.


    "Gahaha! He''s not the one doing that! That''s the work of Fay of course!"Liam puffed out his chest as if he was the one causing the phenomenon before them.


    "You probably haven''t heard of Dalvian before right?" Derek walked beside Ellie as he continued rubbing his arms.


    "No, I haven''t. What exactly are Dalvians?"Ellie asked as she looked up at Derek confusingly.


    "Well, on this planet. Fay is one of a kind, but on her planet Dalvia there are hundreds of thousands of them. The planet Dalvia is popularly known to be filled with lush forests that are just about as big as our oceans. They are typically known for their affinity with plants. Anyways, the race is also gifted with a unique ability that allows them to make shields made out of magic without incantations."Derek explained.The author''s content has been appropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon.


    "But...that doesn''t explain how he is running on water," Ellie said.


    "Well, Fay is a bit more gifted than the others. She can instantly cast miniature magic shields underneath Ian''s feet which enables him to run on water. However, she has to stay focused, or Ian will take a nice dip in cold water."Derek sighed gently.


    "Oh!" Ellie smiled as she clasped her hands together. Her excitement quickly dwindled as she worried about Ian''s safety. The entire crew would simply watch as Ian entered his first battle with the Qualze.


    I groaned in agony as I commanded my body forward across the glacial water, pushing myself to my limits.


    *Hisss!!*


    One of the Qualze suddenly leaped at me from several feet away, revealing its gruesome face with rows of razor-sharp teeth in its mouth. I instantly raised my gun-blade in front of my face taking the brunt of the impact.


    *Bang!*


    "Guh!!" My arms started to sting as I was forced backward quite a bit.


    (Shit! I''m sicker than what I thought I was!)


    I instantly threw the Qualze to the side to deal with the other two coming at me. I dashed forward as I started to shoot at the other two only causing minor wounds, but it would definitely capture their attention.


    *HISSSS HISSSSS!!*


    The other two Qualze leaped at me, but I instantly dodge to the side. I then rapidly moved my feet to lead the pack farther away once I knew all of them had their attention on me.


    "Hah...I don''t know how I''m going to do this in my state!" I ran with all my might to gain some more distance, but outrunning a predatory fish on water? That''s impossible!


    "Should we go back?"Fay caressed my head gently as she became concerned.


    "O-of course not!" I grit my teeth as I instantly turned around. My eyes became multi-colored within that instant. One of the Qualze that I dealt with earlier leaped at me again with even more force, but with my mysterious power circulating throughout my body. I cleaved it entirely in half!


    Its bleeding flesh slowly sank into the deep cold ocean.


    "Alright Now two more! If you were the Captain, you would already be back on the ship right now!"Fay said with a smug smile.


    "I''m not the captain! I''m the lookout!" I groaned as I started feeling a bit drained after that one attack. However, I was given a task and I plan on finishing it.


    A fight with my life on the line would commence!


    Slash! Dodge! Slash! Dodge! Repeat! I willed my weakened body to fight with the Qualze head-on! It seemed I was only making them angrier as I left their bodies riddled with shallow sword wounds.


    I started breathing heavily as the frigid air started to become more apparent to me


    The two Qualze started overlaying their bodies with abundant water as they leaped at me like a speeding bullet!


    "Move it''s their magic!"Fay shrieked as she pulled on my hair.


    Before I could even think about dodging the two Qualze were upon me, and I could merely hold my weapon up in front of me as a shield.


    *HISSSSS!!!* *HISSSS!!!!*


    "Gaah!" I groaned in incredible pain as I could feel something breaking in my arms as I blocked the impact of both of the Qualze. I could only stand my ground for a few moments before I was blasted off into the air.


    "Ahhh!!" I screamed for what felt like centuries as flew through the air. Luckily or not I found myself landing on a considerably large piece of ice, gritting my teeth tightly as I endured the pain.


    "...Shit..."


    Meanwhile on the ship-------


    "I-Ian!" Ellie shouted hysterically as she foolishly tried to jump off of the ship, forgetting she was in a wheelchair.


    "Do not move any further girl!"Liam released a bit of his killing intent as he seized the back of Ellie''s wheelchair. He would hold her back with little effort.


    "BUT IAN NEEDS HELP!"Ellie shouted as she instantly turned her head and glared at Liam. She unconsciously released her own killing intent as her golden hair started to move unnaturally. The wind started forming around her body.


    "She...."Liam was stunned momentarily from the actions of this foolish girl. It would seem as if Ian was her reverse scale, something that could never be touched!


    "Look, Ellie, you need to calm down. The boy isn''t finished yet, and besides, I''ve been prepared to help him if things become grave." Liam said soothingly.


    Ellie immediately started to calm down and looked across the ocean. She was still quite worried about Ian.


    "If only my legs...weren''t..."Ellie said under breath as she trembled slightly.


    Ian''s POV--------


    "Ian! Come on get up! They are coming back!"Fay had already flown off of my head to escape the impact and was now tugging on my scarf.


    I struggled to get up as something was definitely broken again. I would use the blade part of my gun as a crutch. I then started to cough uncontrollably, my body becoming even weaker after taking damage.


    "So weak..."


    "Huh?..." I started to hear that voice again inside my head.


    "How can you be so weak? I''ll never be able to avenge them at this rate!"The voice said again.


    "Avenge? Wh-."I Immediately lost all consciousness as my body started to release overwhelming killing intent!


    My body wasn''t my own anymore!

 Chapter 15 Ocean Travel Part 3

    It felt as if my body wasn''t my own anymore.


    (What''s going on?!)


    "I-Ian?" Fay was genuinely frightened by the amount of killing intent released from my body, but she continued to stay beside me.


    *HISSSS! HISSSS!*


    The last two Qualze were infuriated at the strange human that injured their bodies.


    The two started using their signature magic again, but with even more power. They simultaneously leaped into the air as their magic propelled them forward.


    It was as if they were shot out of a cannon! They were determined to kill the human before them.


    Fay shouted, "Ian, you need to get out of the way!"


    (I can''t! My body won''t move!!)


    I persistently tried my hardest to gain control over my body, but it felt like I was just hauling water from the ocean with a cup, hoping to water an entire forest. I could only watch in horror as the two Qualze were about to collide with my me with their large mouths agape.


    *HIIIIIIIIISSSS!! HISSSSSSSSSS!*


    But suddenly in that split moment before the potential impact, my body started to move as if it was instinct.


    Shifting my body backward as I tightly gripped the handle of my gun-blade. My eyes turned especially fierce as I flicked my hand, slicing through their magic coating their bodies simultaneously.


    But it didn''t stop there as I would also completely slice through their firm skin as if were paper, hacking them into halves.


    "You did it, Ian!" Fay cheered enthusiastically after witnessing the apparent death of the last two Qualze. Their bodies wiggled around frantically.


    "Ian?"Fay said after a moment of silence.


    My body continued moving towards the dead Qualzes, despite my wishes.


    I continuously slashed the corpses with my weapon until they were nothing more but tiny pieces. Each slash would splatter blood onto my clothes or on my face. I looked as if I was a crazy murderer.


    I stood there as I solemnly gazed at the bloody mess below me. Fay could only look in horror at the inhuman display of power.


    "....Too weak...Power...I demand more power!! I can''t avenge! Too weak! Can''t avenge them!" I gripped my hair tightly with both my hands, screaming at the top of my lungs as I was in immense pain.


    (This pain...This anger...Where is it coming from!?....)


    "Ian! Snap out of it!"Fay flew extremely close to my face as she gently placed her hand on my cheek.


    "Ah!" Fay screamed as I immediately smacked her away from my face. I suddenly fell onto my knees with tears streaming down my face as strange but oddly familiar images flashed through my head.


    (Ahhggh!. These images...! Can''t...take it!...)


    "G-get...OUT OF MY HEAD!!" I roared as every inch of my body screamed in agony until I suddenly lost all feeling in the body, falling down onto the ice.


    I fainted.


    Meanwhile on the ship-----


    "C-captain!?"Ellie started to freak out after witnessing Ian fall down suddenly, but she retained enough proper sense not to try to jump out of the ship this time.


    "I know!"Liam immediately leaped out of the ship, and the second he touched the water, he would leap again. He maintained this pattern until he was on the land of ice where Ian was passed out.


    "C-captain! H-he! *hiccup*."Fay was found next to Ian trying to wake him up, tears dripping down her miserable face as she was scared for Ian.Stolen content warning: this content belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences.


    Liam took Ian into his arms and quickly made it back to the ship along with Fay. Ian was instantly rushed to the infirmary where he was carefully cleaned and cared for by the ship''s doctor.


    The entire crew was stunned to hear about what happened as Fay relayed the information to them. Ian was now in an extremely deep sleep, and no matter what they tried he wouldn''t budge an inch.


    Days quickly turned to weeks, and they were virtually out of Zelran Ocean. The entire crew faced several battles with the fearsome Qualze, but they were mainly obliterated by Liam who was surprisingly in an awful mood.


    Ian''s POV----------


    "Hoo....." I opened my eyes as I finally awaken from my deep sleep. I felt terribly exhausted even after resting for so long. I had stared blankly at the wooden walls before I noticed I was in the infirmary of the ship.


    I instantly start seeing the familiar setup of a standard doctor''s office, but it was a bit of a mess as our healer was known to be a slob of sorts.


    "Ian!" Ellie shouted as she noticed I was awake. She was wheeled into the infirmary by Derek with Fay flying close behind.


    Ellie leaped out of her wheelchair once she was close enough, hugging my neck with all her strength.


    "Wuu...Wuu...Idiot! So stupid!"Ellie instantly had tears streaming down on her face as a variety of complex emotions hit her at once.


    "Ian!" Fay had also flown over to my head and hugged my cheek as she sobbed loudly.


    "Ah geez..."Derek sighed, but anyone could tell he was also worried about Ian.


    "You guys...How long was I out for?"I gazed at Derek as he was the only one not bawling their eyes out.


    "You were out for almost two weeks kid. We tried everything to get you to wake up, but nothing ever worked.


    (What happened to me....?)


    I pondered for a moment, but then I noticed Ellie had bandages concealing her hands!


    I then leaned over and noticed there were even more bandages covering her body.


    "What the.....Where did these come from, Ellie!?" My eyes narrowed as I unconsciously gripped Ellie''s arms, but she would jerk them away in pain while she avoided my gaze.


    "I...um..."Ellie started to fidget quite a bit before Derek spoke up for her.


    "For the past two weeks, you were out she has been taking lessons from the captain. We tried stopping her, but she wouldn''t take a no for an answer. You wouldn''t believe the look on the captain''s face."


    "Training from the captain?" I instantly remembered as a kid undergoing his hellish training. I would then sigh as I gently wrapped my arms around Ellie, pulling her close.


    "Why are you doing that kind of training? You don''t need to do it. I''ll be able to protect you no problem," I said gently.


    Ellie''s cheeks lit up bright red as I never hugged her under my own volition before.


    "Y-your wrong...I do need it. I realized that after you were out for two weeks that I depended on you too much.." Ellie sighed as she lightly pushed me away.


    "Also, you treat me as if I''m a child. If you haven''t noticed, but I''m older than YOU. I don''t need you hovering over me all the time." Ellie gazed affectionately into my eyes.


    It would take me several moments to get what Ellie was telling me, but then I realized after all of those years of being her friend, she was right.


    "You are right..I''ll stop hovering over you, Ellie," I said as a grin formed upon my face.


    "En..." Ellie nodded as she wiped her tears away before hugging me once more.


    "I don''t want to ruin the moment. So, I''m just going to go. I''ll inform the captain that you are awake."Derek laughed as he walked out of the infirmary.


    "What about me?"Fay had flown in front of my face as she sniffled.


    "If anything you should stop hovering around me so much."


    "What!? No way! I''m even going to stick with you even more now! That means off of the ship too!"Fay declared as she pumped her tiny, little fist into the air.


    "Ah....damn it.." I fall back into the bed as I closed my eyes.


    (Those images in my head seemed so familiar....but now I can''t even think of them..)


    "Hmm..."


    "What is it, Ian?" Ellie asked.


    "Oh, nothing I just-."My stomach would begin to growl as if it was a hungry beast. I blushed with shame as I haven''t eaten anything for two weeks.


    Ellie and Fay immediately started to laugh at me after the noise quieted down.


    (Curse you stomach...)


    It would take a few more days for me to recover and return to my normal routine. Once I was better, I would start to help Ellie with her training along with Liam.


    Ellie was quite diligent with the training, despite her handicap. She also decided to pick up light-weight chakrams as her primary weapon of choice. It seems like her power over wind helps her with fighting.


    I found myself becoming even more injured helping Ellie train than fighting the Qualze weeks ago.


    "I swear those things possess a mind of their own.."I sat down in front of the bonfire on the main deck of the ship as I stroked my head that was bandaged. I was hit in the head with the chakrams from earlier training sessions. I was lucky the ones Ellie trained with didn''t have sharp edges.


    "I''m so sorry Ian...I just can''t seem to get it quite right. It''s a bit harder when I have to constantly control the wind to use those weapons..." Ellie sighed as she became disheartened.


    "Gahaha! It''s going to be just fine. You''ll master it before you know it! You know you are actually more talented than Ian was when he was a kid." Liam''s mood definitely improved after he found out that I was awake.


    He practically bawled his eyes out after he came rushing into the infirmary that day. The entire crew knows Liam consider me to be his son and being unable to help his son made him feel quite useless.


    "Ok, maybe I had a few slight accidents." I said before I corrected myself, "Ok a lot of accidents."


    Ellie''s mood rapidly turned for the better.


    It was night time, but the majority of the crew were hard at work. We were in fact about to leave the frigid waters of Zelran, but this is where it typically gets dangerous.


    The next day we would fight for our lives, but then we would finally climb over the hardest part of this journey. I had thought about using the booster again, but I was genuinely scared of using this mysterious power inside of me.


    (What is it doing to me actually?..)

 Chapter 16 Abnormal Queen

    <hr>


    The next day started just like any other day, and I couldn''t wait to get out of Zelran Ocean. The entire crew was, of course, up early managing the ship as I decided to make my way up to the crow''s nest.


    The frigid air felt even worse up here, but the job of a lookout always had to be done no matter the weather.


    I used my telescope to see farther across the ocean, and I could tell that we were almost out because there seemed to be less ice around. The Zelran Ocean was quite weird how the temperature here can just plummet suddenly for a time. It''s almost as if the world was being controlled in a way.


    "Just less ice and more water." I sighed, "I kind of feel like Delfar is pretty boring after hearing about other planets and me-" A sudden gust of wind passed over sending chills throughout my body.


    "Ugh....so cold! Was that the planet''s way of telling me to shut up?" I shook my head at the thought.


    I took another look across the ocean, but still, nothing unusual was happening.


    "Hey! You see anything?"Fay asked as she flew up to me and landed on top of my head.


    "No, I don''t see anything. Although I kind of having this bad feeling something is about to happen." I frowned slightly.


    "Mmm...I kind of feel that too."


    "Really?" I place my telescope down as I looked up at her.


    "No, I''m just kidding~, "Fay said before she started to laugh delightedly.


    I groaned in annoyance as I took one last look through the telescope.


    "Hm..?.... It''s more Qualze!" I shouted at the top of my lungs so that everyone on the ship could hear me. I had spotted yellow fins sticking out of the ocean several hundred feet away to the left of us.


    "Again?.... Wait, why am I complaining?"Derek said after he had heard about the approaching Qualze.


    "Prepare for battle!"Derek commanded sternly.


    Liam was taking a rest to stabilize himself because the curse started to flare up a bit. He couldn''t have another episode or he would be out for a while.


    "Aye, Sir!" The crew members worked rapidly as they aimed the magic cannons at the incoming Qualze.


    I shouted again, "Derek! I counted about 100 it has to be the leading pack. The queen might be somewhere!"


    "Damn. I knew a previous couple of days went too smoothly! We need to thin them down as we escape!"


    Once they were in position Derek would give the order, "Fire!".


    *Boom! Boom! Boom!*


    The cannonballs whistled through the air as several of them would hit the oncoming Qualze. The hit obliterated them on impact, leaving only smoke behind. The cannonballs were made out of sturdy unique material, and being shot out of a magic cannon made them quite lethal.


    The remaining Qualze became angry as they all started to use their magic.


    But it was different this time!


    The abundant water around them instantly formed into considerably large spheres above their heads, and they launched them as if they were a cannon!


    Derek''s eyes bulged as he shouted, "Fay! Shield now!"


    Fay flew into the air instantly, "Aye, sir!"Fay closed her eyes and concentrated for a moment as a red flash of light appeared around the ship. Her magic shield now protected the ship.If you spot this tale on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation.


    *Booom! Boom! Boom!*


    The spheres of water hit just like a cannon, but with even more force. It would move the ship slightly to the side even though the magic shield protected it.


    "Guh..."Fay groaned as sweat started to appear on her brow.


    "Fay? How many of those can you take?"I gazed up at her with worry.


    "N-not much I''m afraid...these Qualze are stronger than the others!"Fay frowned as she closed her eyes again to focus her magic, strengthening the shield.


    "Shit...Derek! Fay can''t take too many more of those!"I jumped out of the crow''s nest and onto the main deck before running to Derek.


    "Take evasive maneuvers! Ellie, use your wind to move us while Fay is focusing on the shield!"


    "Aye, sir!" Ellie wheeled herself onto the quarter-deck and closed her eyes to focus. She willed the wind to push the sails, causing the ship to move even faster. However, it wasn''t quite fast enough as the Qualze were still closing in.


    Derek groaned, "We won''t be able to outrun the Qualze at this rate." He then turns to me, "Maybe you should get to the bridge and-."


    I realized what Derek was trying to get me to do and I immediately blurted out, "No way!"


    (There is no way I could use that power again...no way!)


    I became frightened at the thought as I closed my eyes. Derek could see I was afraid, but instead of reprimanding me he would suggest another plan.


    "Ian..." Ellie caught a glimpse at my vulnerable side, but she decided to focus on her task than to try to comfort me.


    "Listen up! Our captain is still resting. So, we need to at least hold them off for a bit. I say at least another hour before the captain is awake. Reload those cannons now!"


    Despite being one of the weakest pirates, Derek never shrank away from his duties as the first mate. The crew had no trouble listening to him, despite his slightly off-putting character as slight know it all.


    The crew members rushed to reload the cannons with the remaining Qualze fast approaching.


    *HISSSSS!!*


    Several of the Qualze started to cover their bodies with water and leaped into the air.


    They were going to ram the ship!


    "Fire!" Derek said as another round of cannonballs shot out, exploding on impact. The explosions would seize some of the Qualze, but some were lucky enough to get through!


    *Crash!*


    The Qualze slammed right into Fay''s shield with so much force that ship even started to tip to the other side slightly. Once they realize nothing was happening, they would repeatedly slam into the magic shield to shatter it.


    Fay screamed as she struggled desperately to keep her magic shield up. However, despite her size, she was also someone quite strong!


    "....T-Thorn Festival!" Fay''s sparkling eyes became fierce as every piece of wood on the outside of the ship turned vivid red. In the next instant giant horrifying thorns thrust out, impaling the Qualze that were attacking the ship. The thorns then retracted into the ship, causing the Qualze to sink into the ocean.


    Instant death!


    A moment of silence would commence. The crew knew Fay was a magic user, but besides using her shield she never used anything else in front of them.


    "Holy shit! They got fucked!"A random crew member would break the silence as everyone was quite shocked by the display.


    I looked up to see if Fay was fairing well, but I would see the little fairy falling from the sky.


    "Fay!'' I quickly climbed up the ladder leading to the crow''s nest and jumped off halfway to catch Fay midair.


    I immediately fell onto the deck, but the pain of the impact was only minuscule.


    "Fay are you alright?!" I shouted as I looked at the weakened fairy in my hands. Derek instantly rushed to my side to check on her as well.


    "I... don''t like using that magic..."Fay muttered as she immediately fainted. The shield that was protecting the ship instantly disappeared along with the little fairy''s consciousness.


    "Fay?! Fay! Wh-" I shouted before I was smacked in the head by Derek


    "Shut it, kid! She is just resting! Take her away to the infirmary!"Derek sternly said as he glared at me.


    I gritted my teeth as I nodded slightly before getting up on my feet being extremely careful with Fay in my hands.


    "I can''t...go on..." Ellie said as her face was drenched with perspiration. She immediately lost control over her wind and the speed of the ship decreased. Ellie wasn''t used to using her powers on that large of a scale, and she quickly ended up exhausted.


    Derek clenched his fist as he tried to come up with another plan, "Shit we only have about 30 minutes before the captain wakes u-"


    *Rumble!*


    The ocean started to shake as if it was angry. All of the living Qualze quickly stopped chasing the ship and turned around to look at the source of the rumbling.


    *HISSSSSSSSRRRAAAA!!*


    A large amount of ocean water sprayed into the air in the distance as a giant blue-skinned fish almost twice the size of the ship revealed itself!


    "Holy shit it''s my ex-wife!"The same member who spoke out earlier shouted. The monster was really ugly


    "Not the time man!"The member next to him shouted as he looked at him in disbelief. "What is he? An idiot?" He thought.


    "No really They lo-!"


    "Shut up!" Derek glared at the two members who were talking, and they immediately shut their mouths.


    "Is that the queen?! How the hell is it so big?!" I stared gloomily at the Qualze Queen and it looked even more ghastly than an average Qualze. Its exposed teeth were as large as an adult male and I lost count how many there were. The cruel eyes of the queen were frightening to look at, and the entire crew could feel its bloodlust several hundred feet away


    *HISSSSSSRAAAAAAA!!*


    I groaned in agony as the noise of the queen was deafening and fear started to sink into my body.


    We didn''t stand a chance!

 Chapter 17 Forbidden Weapon

    "Derek! What do we do!?" I shouted as I looked at Derek with genuine fear in my eyes.


    "We just need to hold on until the captain is awake!" Derek answered as his brows furrowed.


    "It seems we have no choice now....Get the particle cannon! Now!"


    The entire crew became wide-eyed after that order.


    "Are you sure about that, sir?" The chief gunner asked. Gideon was his name, and he was one of the first people to join the crew. Gideon wore the standard outfit for the Axe Lions, but what made him stand out was his weird magnifying goggles on top of his head. He was also a bit old, but that didn''t stop him from doing what he loved.


    Blowing things up!


    Derek nodded, "Yes, I''m certain! Now hurry up! We need it to hold back the queen at least for 30 more minutes!"


    "Aye, sir!"Gideon laughed happily as he rapidly moved his old body down into the lower deck like a monkey. Anyone could tell that he was really excited.


    He quickly made his way to the gun deck which was forbidden to go-to for the longest time. The entrance was blocked off with wood, but he quickly took it down with a nearby sledgehammer.


    "Alright, time to see what this old girl can do. And hopefully, it doesn''t blow us up." Gideon laughed again as he slid into a metallic chair.


    A massive cannon made out of an unusual material was attached to chair through a console. The cannon looked as if it didn''t belong on this ship, and yet there it was slightly covered in dust.


    He reached for his goggles and pulled them over his eyes as he gripped the controls. The large hatch obstructing the view of the cannon opened soon after.


    *HISSSSSHRAAAAAA!*


    The queen was on the move!


    The remaining Qualze swam with all their might to avoid being accidentally eaten by the massive fish as it liked to keep its mouth open.


    *Wooom Woom Woooom!*


    Light particles started to gather in front of the cannon as it made an unusual deafening noise.


    The queen had been only minutes away before it jumped high into the air with its large mouth agape. It felt like I was looking right into the eyes of death. The terrifying scene would probably send an average person into a state of shock.


    I unconsciously closed my eyes and covered the weakened Fay with my body even though I knew it was useless. I could hear everyone hold their breath during those few moments.


    Derek stared right at the queen without shrinking back and yelled, "Fire!"


    I opened my eyes to see a blue pillar of dazzling light that collided with the Qualze Queen! The entire ship moved several miles back just from the force of the cannon!


    *HISSSSSHRRAAAAA!!!*


    The queen roared in great pain as it was sent flying several hundred miles away and crashed into the ocean.You could be reading stolen content. Head to Royal Road for the genuine story.


    I couldn''t believe my eyes on what happened, and I would look at Ellie who showed the same dumbfounded look I had on my face.


    (We always had something that powerful on the ship?!)


    I looked to Derek for answers, and he would merely shrug his shoulders.


    "It''s just a relic of the past. I guess it is still able to function."Derek placed his hand onto my shoulder, "Ian, I need you to take Fay back down to the infirmary!"


    I realized I still had Fay in my hands. The little fairy was sleeping with a bit of difficulty, and I could only shake my head at how forgetful I was.


    I willed my legs to move and started my way down into the lower deck to drop off Fay in the infirmary. Once I secured Fay into bed, I asked the doctor to take care of her before making my way back up to the main deck.


    "Hmm...I really want to see that particle cannon..." I said as curiosity got the best of me and rushed to the gun deck.


    I made my way into the gun deck which was already cleared of the debris blocking the entrance, and I immediately see Gideon sitting down in a chair.


    "Oi, Gideon is that the particle cannon!" My eyes seemed to sparkle as I looked at the strange object, and the gunner Gideon simply laughed.


    "Yup and I''m the only one with enough clearance to use it in its current state. It''s falling apart!"Gideon said as I took a closer look at the cannon. The cannon did seem to have much wear and tear issues.


    I placed my hand on the cannon, and it felt hot to touch although it wasn''t hot enough for me to yelp in pain. I realized that I had a slight fire-resistance after that incident with Liam. I suddenly started having images flash through my head as I stood there silently with my eyes wide opened.


    "Are you crazy?! Get your hand off of that!"Gideon''s yelling snapped me out of my daze.


    I rubbed my head a little, "Ah...sorry I was just thinking a little."


    Gideon noticed that I was fine, and he shook his head. He then directed his attention back to the ocean.


    I could hear Derek shouting above, "I need people to go down to the lower deck to row the boat!" The ship started to slow down considerably as the wind began to blow in another direction.


    "Aye, sir!" The crew would split up into two groups. One scrambled for the lower deck to move the oars. The other group rushed to lower the sails to get rid of drag. Once the oars entered the water, the members used all of their strength to move forward. The ship steadily moved forward.


    "But isn''t the queen dead?" I asked Gideon after I heard all of the commotions.


    (Shouldn''t we just wait for Ellie finish resting?")


    "Pffft! Hahaha! Hell no! That ugly bitch is still alive!"Gideon gripped the controls even tighter as he grinned.


    *HIISSSSSSHRRRAAAAAA!!!*


    The queen resurfaced from the ocean, and it glared in the direction of the ship with their glowing eyes. How dare they injure me?! Its bloodlust became heightened as gallons of water started to surround its massive body. Gideon would also begin to charge the cannon for another shot.


    The queen hissed loudly as it leaped into the air, and its power of water propelled it forward at insane speeds.


    "Aren''t you going to shoot it?!" I shouted as my eyes bulged from how fast the queen was coming towards us.


    "Shut up! I know what I''m doing! I''m just waiting for the order!"Gideon barked as he licked his lips in anticipation.


    Several intense moments later, the queen was about 100 feet away, and Derek still hasn''t ordered Gideon to shoot. I could feel sweat started to drip from my brow and before I could say anything.


    Derek shouted again."Fire!"


    *BOOOOOOM!*


    The particle cannon shot out its pillar of light, and it collided with the queen. It instantly became a test of power as neither side showed signs of giving up!


    But ultimately the queen would lose the power exchange. The massive fish crashed into the water again hundreds of miles away from the ship.


    The queen was becoming infuriated that she couldn''t destroy her prey. That pillar of light! After the queen resurfaced, it instead started to charge it''s water cannon magic. The sphere of water was almost the size of its own body!


    Before Gideon could charge another shot, he noticed the cannon started to spark, "SHIT!"He shrieked as he sprung into action, jumping out of the chair.


    "Kid! Shoot those bolts off on the floor! NOW!"


    I took out my gun-blade without question and shot the bolts Gideon was talking about that kept the cannon in place. He then quickly gave the chair a good kick, and out the hatch, it went. The cannon sank instantly into the ocean due to its weight.


    Several moments later after sinking into the ocean.


    *BOOM!*


    The particle cannon exploded with enough force to propel the ship off course with minor damage.


    "That was the only one this obsolete ship has..." Gideon sighed as he gripped his grey hair.


    My heart started to beat uncontrollably I didn''t see any way out of this, and I thought about using that power again.


    (But...I don''t want to use it! It''s too...much.)


    I gritted my teeth as I became angry at how weak I became after that incident.


    "I''ll...go to-"


    "Gahahaha!!"

 Chapter 18 The Tampered Ship!

    The mood of everyone on the ship instantly brightened once they heard Liam''s signature laugh. Even I could feel confidence welling inside of my body. However, I started wondering when will I be able to have that effect on people by just being around.


    (Sigh...I really need to become stronger...somehow)


    I clenched my fist tightly as I nodded at Gideon which he promptly returned before we rushed back up onto the main deck. The crew members were gathered near the bow of the ship where Liam was standing with his arms crossed.


    "Ian!"Ellie called me over to her after she had noticed my return.


    "Hmm?" I walked over to her to see what she wanted, and she would immediately grasp my hand.


    "Are you ok?" Ellie seriously asked as she stared up into my eyes. I could feel my cheeks heat up as I try moving my hand away.


    "Hahaha...What do you mean? Of course, I''m ok. There isn''t a scratch on me!" I averted my eyes.


    "Ian...Seriously..."Ellie''s tone softened as she was genuinely worried for me.


    "I''m...fine really. Thanks...for worrying about me."I slightly smiled as I looked straight at her.


    "But-"


    "Gahahaha! Boy! I know you are up here. Come to where I am!"Liam had cut Ellie off mid-sentence with his calling for me. I would then use more strength to pull my hand away.


    "I got to go. Get some more rest ok?"I jumped off of the quarterdeck and made my way across the main deck, avoiding the crew members that were in the way. I would then overhear Liam talking with Derek.


    "The queen is definitely more monstrous then what I remember, but if I''m right. It''s not my place to finish her off."


    "But Captain! The kid isn''t ready! After what happened he..."Derek thought about the scene Fay described to him and others. He was deeply concerned about the kid''s wellbeing despite getting on their nerves all the time.


    "I know what happened, but I can''t do as you say! This is his battle!"Liam stood firm with his decision.


    My body felt like it was thrown into the glacial waters as I knew what Liam was suggesting immediately after hearing his voice.


    (He wants me to fight that alone?! No way No way NO WAY!)


    I felt my body unconsciously shrink back.


    "Ian.."


    Liam appeared in front of me just as I was about to run, and I instantly became like a statue.


    "Ian, were you thinking about running away? You?"Liam glared at me as he released a bit of his killing intent which frightened me out of my frightened state.


    (Me?...I''m even running away now?...I)


    "Ian, answer me!"Liam was losing his patience as he grabbed the collar of my shirt, hoisting me up into the air.


    I averted my eyes away, and Liam would immediately get his answer from my silence.


    "I''m disappointed in you...I thought you were going to be a true man, but your nothing but a coward."Liam flung me down onto the floor of the ship without care. I gritted my teeth as I became sickened with myself.


    *HISSSSHRAAA!!!*


    The queen finished up charging its magic, and the ball of water was massive! It was about the size of a mini mountain!


    All of Liam''s veins seemed to bulge as he completely released his killing intent. He was definitely outraged, he had thought he prepared the boy better than this!


    The massive ball of water was then released from the queen, and it instantly flew through the air faster than any standard cannonball despite its size.


    Liam suddenly jumped in the air as he shouted, "Burning...Lion''s Roar!!"


    A bright red aura appeared around Liam''s body as he flexed his muscles. He would then roar almost as loud as the Queen Qualze. Vast quantities of fire released from his mouth.


    The collision of the flame and the massive water ball generated enormous amounts of steam that made it hard to see. Several moments later the water ball was absolutely gone! Liam overpowered it with his strength alone!


    I stood there stunned at the scene as I knew Liam was strong, but not that strong.Find this and other great novels on the author''s preferred platform. Support original creators!


    (And yet...I''m here laying on the floor like some...coward!)


    "Hahaha! That''s our captain!"


    "No one can defeat him!


    The entire crew cheered for their capable captain, but he wasn''t happy at all as he landed back onto the ship. Liam gradually made his way back to where I was laying on the floor.


    "Get up on your damn feet boy!"


    "Yes, captain!" I nodded my head as I stood up on my feet.


    "You must know there is nothing wrong with being afraid...But shrinking back when you knew you could do something...That I can''t forgive! Clench your teeth boy!" Liam barred his teeth as he instantly sent a punch to my face right after I clenched my jaw shut.


    I groaned in pain as I was sent flying into the front of the bridge. Liam had definitely held back, but it still hurt so much. I slid down onto my bottom as I held my right cheek which stung from the impact The mood of the ship quickly plummeted again.


    "Ian!" Ellie shrieked as she wheeled herself over to me and placed her hands onto my arm.


    "W-what are you doing?!" Ellie shifted her gaze at Liam who was walking over to me.


    "Get up boy!"Liam merely ignored Ellie''s question as his eyes stared right into mine.


    "Didn''t you hear m-"Ellie had shut her mouth as Liam released his unrestrained killing intent. She would bite her bottom lip as she became quite terrified of the man before her. I would then shrug away from Ellie''s hand, and stood up onto my feet.


    I stared right back into Liam''s eyes as I could feel myself gradually returning to my usual self.


    "What are you!?


    "A man!"


    "You haven''t been acting like that at all... So what are you?!"


    "A fierce pirate from the famous Axe Lions! I never shrink away from my duties! I will fight until I breathe my last! A true man!"I shouted at the top of my lungs as I could feel confidence brimming from my body. I placed my hand against my head as I saluted Liam.


    ".....Gahahaha! That''s my boy!"Liam began to laugh as he gripped his stomach. The crew members laughed merrily along with him as they all looked at the young boy in front of them.


    "Ian...I have to say it doesn''t get any easier than this. But I promise you...you''ll get through this."Liam placed both his hands onto my shoulders as he frowned slightly.


    "We will be here with you every step of the way. So don''t lose hope so quickly and constantly strive to be a true man!"Liam grinned as his grip tightened on my shoulders.


    "I...I won''t let you down, Captain!" I clenched my fist tightly as I smiled at Liam.


    "Oi, everyone I need you to strap yourselves down again. Assist the young lady too!" Liam laughed as he pointed at Ellie, who would blush from embarrassment. She honestly looked like Ian''s longtime lover just now, but of course, everyone thought they really were!


    "Aye, Captain!" The crew hastily executed what Liam commanded.


    I instantly moved my feet towards the entrance of the bridge, and the door would open right before I entered.


    "It still completely looks the same..." I haven''t been in here for months because I never felt the need to come back. I looked at the familiar console with the skull marking behind the glass panel. I then placed my hand upon it without hesitation! My eyes were becoming multi-colored as blue light filled the room for a moment.


    "Bzzzt...Captain key confirmed! System startup!"The familiar robotic voice said.


    "Power...I demand power!"I could hear the voice inside of my head again as it tried to take over my body.


    I gritted my teeth and fought back with every possible ounce of strength in my body!


    "Shut the hell up! This is my body! I determine my fate!"The power within me flared as my eyes became especially bright. The voice quickly quieted down soon after.


    "Viewing system activated! Controls are now available!"The robotic voice said as the windows opened, letting me see the outside. The first thing I could see was the queen was covering its body with massive amounts of water again. It was going to try to ram us!


    "Controls!" I shouted as blue particles formed the shape of a wheel in front of my very eyes.


    "That...." I placed my hand onto it and was surprised to see it was solid. I nodded my head as I put both my hands onto the wheel, but before I could achieve anything the wheel moved by itself!


    The ship turned directly towards the Qualze Queen!


    "Captain! What is he doing?! We don''t have anything on this ship that can kill the queen!"Derek shouted as he strapped himself to the side of the ship with a rope.


    "Gahahahaha! That is where you are mistaken!"


    "What!?" Both Ellie and Derek said.


    "Although this ship was only used as an escape vessel, the creator of the ship actually deemed it as a failure!"


    "Why was it deemed as a failure?"Ellie asked as she was finally strapped down beside Derek.


    "Gahahahaha! Because the ship was tampered with by my Captain!" Liam puffed out his chest as felt pride whenever he spoke about Captain Xander.


    The two stood there in disbelief as Liam carefully explained everything about the tampering. And their only thought was how dumb could his captain be?!


    "Danger! Large amounts of magic aimed at the ship are detected! Energy low...Now using the captain''s energy...Activating Skull Rush!"


    "Huh?" I didn''t know what that meant, but I could feel my power being drained through the console.


    "Guh...What''s happening?!"I could feel myself becoming more weaker than the last time. I could then see large amounts of the familiar blue particles gathering in front of the ship until it formed into something like a battering ram with a giant blue skull used as the head.


    In the presence of dangerous magic being aimed at the ship, the ship will automatically turn towards that danger and crush it without fail! The booster started charging up by itself.


    *HISSSSHRRA!!!*


    The queen leaped into the air after charging her attack, and she instantly flew through the air at insane speeds! The ship then flew forward at the same time as if it was a speeding bullet, heading directly towards the Qualze Queen!


    "Gahahahaha! I missed this familiar feeling!" Liam stood there right at the bow of the ship without being strapped down at all, and even at the extreme speeds, his body didn''t budge an inch.


    Suddenly the two powers collided with each other, and for a brief instant, the world froze for me.


    I started to realize that my life was definitely not going to be easy anymore, but it''s definitely going to be one hell of a ride!


    My strength was returning to my body as I smiled from ear to ear. After being connected to the ship again, I somehow knew what this ship was called!


    "Go! Gaultier! Crush that ugly bastard!"


    *HISSSSSSSHR-!!!*


    The brief collision swiftly ended with the ship''s battering ram crushing the magic around the queen. After the magic was gone, the queen was instantly smashed into pieces by the battering ram, leaving its pieces to sink into the ocean.


    The ship continued to fly for sometime before I could finally see it.


    The bright, familiar sun that has always brought light into Delfar and the familiar sight of the glittering ocean entered my eyes.


    I sighed in relief as my eyes returned to normal, "Finally Out!!"

 Chapter 19 The Grand Escape?

    *BOOOM SPLASH!!*


    The Gaultier crashed into the ocean after losing the power of the booster. The entire crew was quite exhausted from all of that excitement, and having to strap themselves down with just rope is heart-wrenching. Although they would never know until later that they never had to do that in the first place, but that is a story for another time.


    "Gahahaha! What a rush! Hmm....it reminds me of the good ol'' days."Liam said.


    "Your good ol'' days are starting to scare me just a bit, captain," Derek said as he sighed, unwrapping the rope that was holding him to the ship. Ellie immediately nodded in agreement with Derek.


    "Oh, come on! Once the boy learns how to harness the power inside of him, we will be able to experience even more blood-boiling moments like earlier! Look forward to it! Gahahahaha!"Liam was absolutely fascinated with battle, and that is something you would find at his very core if you took him apart.


    "Can someone help me to where Ian is, I want to see if he is ok," Ellie said as she glanced at the bridge behind her.


    "Well, of course! We have to see the man of the hour!"Liam grabbed the handles of Ellie''s wheelchair and pushed her towards the bridge while Derek decided to follow them.


    "Ugh...I feel like I was run over...twice."I immediately fell to the floor after I realized we landed safely onto the ocean, closing my eyes to rest a bit.


    The automatic door of the bridge instantly opened.


    "Ian!" Ellie was the first one to speak as she saw Ian on the floor. She would take over her wheelchair and wheeled herself over to me.


    "Don''t shout...I''m fine. I just feel a little drained that''s all."I opened my eyes to see Ellie leaning over in her wheelchair to get a better look at me.


    "Are you sure?" Ellie said as she apparently didn''t believe me one bit.


    "I''m sure!" I smiled as I slowly sat up.


    "The man of the hour! The fierce pirate of the boundless seas! Ian Zeilaster!"Liam laughed as he grabbed me by the shoulders, hoisting me up onto my feet.


    "Captain...I got a question."I asked as I looked thoughtfully at Liam.


    "Hmm? What is it?" Liam asked as he raised an eyebrow. "Could it be something important?" He thought.


    "This ship... Isn''t it better to just replace it?"I asked as Derek and Ellie furiously nodded.


    "WHAT?! NO WAY! This ship has been around for over 40 years, and it is still strong! How could you ever think about replacing it?!" Liam shouted.


    "Well, because...It just did what it wanted to! This ship can get us killed!"I flailed my arms into the air.


    ".....Boy, it seems like I haven''t hit you hard enough earlier!"Liam said as he grinned, pulling his arm back.


    Derek hastily placed his hand on Liam''s shoulder, "Woah! Captain, he was just joking! Anyways shouldn''t we be talking about our next plan of action? I know we are low on supplies, but we need to be able to find a place we can safely resupply. The Gayle Ocean is mostly the Imperial''s territory."Derek awkwardly laughed before he glared at me.This story originates from Royal Road. Ensure the author gets the support they deserve by reading it there.


    (Am I right, though?!)


    "You are right..."Liam sighed as he lets go of me, and honestly, I was quite scared of being punched again.


    (Thank you, Derek!)


    "Let''s go get ourselves something to eat first, and we will talk about it." Liam walked out of the bridge with his mighty shoulders slumped over. "How could no one understand the ways of my dear captain?" He thought.


    "Hehehe..." Ellie giggled as she had never seen Liam so sad before and neither have I


    I couldn''t help but burst out laughing after thinking about it more.


    "He...He looked like a dog...Who was just told it couldn''t go outside! Hahaha!" I said as Ellie laughed along with me.


    "Come on you two. Let''s go join the captain before he really gets sad."Derek said as it seemed he was the sensible one, but inwardly he was laughing up a storm.


    The group naturally made it to the mess hall where the food was brought over to them after being prepared by the cook. The mess hall rapidly became a battle of wits as the food was stolen from each other and soon it became an all-out brawl!


    "Hahaha!! That''s how we should be hot-blooded!"Liam grinned as he pounded his broad chest with his fist. Liam wanted to fight too, but strangely the crew members would completely avoid him once he tried. (Author Note: Haha strangely~)


    Ellie was frightened at the scene of various kinds of food being thrown around as men and women of the crew were fighting, "C-captain! Aren''t you going to stop this? Ian?!"She saw me about to get into it with Gideon.


    "HEY, YOU! THAT WAS MY STEAK!"I pointed at Gideon who snatched my piece of steak when I wasn''t looking, but I typically happened to see him just after he devoured it!


    "Hah! Serves you right if you let little ol'' me take it!"Gideon laughed as he gave me the finger.


    "AHH! COME HERE, YOU OLD BASTARD!" I tackled him to the floor as we tumbled around, punching each other.


    "Is that all you got? I don''t feel anything from your weak punching!"Gideon was a strong guy, despite his age, and he had no shame fighting with a 16-year old kid!


    "Ian stop!!" Ellie was about to use her power over the wind to break the fight up.


    Derek placed his hand onto Ellie''s shoulder, "Hahaha! Stop right there, kid! And besides, just look at them for a moment."


    Ellie paused for a moment to look at their faces, and she could see both of them maintained smiles on their faces as they fought. In fact, she could see everyone having smiles on their faces.


    "Why are they smiling? Doesn''t it hurt?"Ellie asked as she looked up at Derek.


    "The Axe Lions is definitely one group of weirdos. It was because of our captain. He essentially gave meaning to all of our lives despite being useless. We became...a family of..."Derek stopped as he noticed he had food missing from his plate and looked to see a crew member stuffing his face with his food!


    "HEY! YOU DARE STEAL FROM ME?!"


    "You looked away from your food! You should know better!"


    "YOU!!"


    Derek tackled the crew member and down they went just like everyone else in the mess hall.


    "A family huh?" Ellie became sentimental for a moment as she thought about her parents. She would grip the sides of her wheelchair as she gritted her teeth.


    "Hey let''s get out of here!" I brushed my self off after dealing with Gideon and saw that Ellie wasn''t eating at all.


    (She must be finished. If I stay any longer, I''m going to burst from anger! Curse that old man!)


    Ellie would show the most brilliant smile as she looked up at me.


    "En...Let''s go!"She nodded her head as I took the handles of her wheelchair into my hand, quickly wheeling her out of the mess hall.


    (She doesn''t know I''m also doing this for her own safety! Our cook is-)


    "WHO IS WASTING ALL MY FOOD?!" The voice of a purple-haired woman penetrated everyone''s ears as they immediately stopped fighting. The attractive woman was releasing killing intent as she held a spatula in her right hand. Vivian was the name of the woman. She was an accomplished fighter before joining the Axe Lions, and she even came close to Liam regarding raw strength.


    Vivian decided to become the cook because she enjoyed doing it, but seeing her food being thrown around like it was nothing. She couldn''t tolerate such a thing!


    "Shit! RUN!"The entire crew scrambled for the exit.


    "IF YOU ALL TAKE ONE MORE STEP WITHOUT EATING ALL THIS FOOD. ILL STRANGLE YA!"Vivian flexed her arm muscles. She was not one to be messed with despite being a beauty with fair skin.


    "Eep.."Liam would even shrink back in front of this woman, and he was, in fact, the primary cause of this fight!


    "Captain...You have to lead by example~" Vivian smiled as she glared fiercely at Liam with her blue eyes.


    "Gahaha..."


    Luckily Ellie and I were far away to know what happened next.

 Chapter 20 Strange Feeling

    The next day Liam called Ellie and me along with Derek to his office to talk about our plan of action. We were supposed to do it yesterday, but our cook wouldn''t let anyone leave the mess hall until it was cleaned. I heard this time was quite terrible and from the looks on the faces of the crew. I knew that I made a smart decision of leaving early!


    "We are about to be close to Renhart it seems." Liam groaned as he held his stomach. The man was forced to consume the majority of the food last night and of course, he felt ill.


    "The merchant city huh? I think there is a place not far from there where we can drop anchor. We could then send a small group to get supplies."Derek added as he leaned over against the wall. Even though he was the first mate, he would also take the role as an adviser to Liam.


    "Hmm...but who to pick to enter that city?"Liam continued to groan as he laid his chin on the table.


    The door suddenly opened, and Vivian strolled inside with a smile on her face. I couldn''t help but be slightly frightened because of it.


    "I, of course, have to go. I can''t let anyone else choose my ingredients. That''s fine right captain?" Vivian said with a smile.


    "Y-yeah, that''s fine!" Liam nodded his head furiously as he would shrink back. "Curse that woman! One day I''ll take care of her!" He thought.


    Although that the day will never come.


    "That''s one. Who else?"Derek asked.


    "I''m going too." I raised my hand, "I love the ocean and all, but I kinda want to stretch my land legs."


    "I''m also going with them!" Ellie quickly added on. If she could use her legs, she probably would have leaped into the air. She wasn''t letting Ian out of her sight for one moment.


    "Alright. Vivian, you are in charge. Make sure those two don''t get into any sort of trouble. You know what happens in Renhart."Liam solemnly said as he tossed a small silver cube towards Vivian, and she would catch it with her left hand placing it into a pouch attached to the side of her hip.


    "Of course I know. If any of those bastards try anything then...I''ll just crush them! Simple as that."Vivian clenched her fist tightly as she smiled with confidence.


    Suddenly a knock was heard on the door.


    "Come in," Liam said.


    A crew member opened the door and saluted Liam.


    "We are now coming up on Felaasi Forest captain."


    "Gahahaha! Alright!" Liam slammed his hands down onto the table, "Go, drop anchor a little far from the shore. You three go change into some different clothes. We don''t need you exposing us in Renhart."


    "Yes, Captain!" The crew member quickly disappeared.


    "That''s it! Let''s go kiddo!"Vivian grabbed hold of Ellie''s wheelchair and rapidly pushed her out of the office.


    "W-wait! Waaah!"Ellie shrieked at how fast she was moving down the hall.


    "H-hey!" I looked out of the cabin and saw that the two were already gone.


    (What''s the big rush?!)


    I shrugged as I walked to my personal room to get a change of clothes.


    Meanwhile back in the office----


    "Sigh...Captain are you sure about just sending those three? I mean Vivian can be responsible, but we all know the reason why she is going to Renhart. We are limited on time."Derek rubbed the nape of his neck as he glanced at Liam.


    "Gahahaha! Of course, I know why she wanted to go! I''m prepared. I won''t let that woman have her way! Uzo!"Liam stood up from his chair suddenly as he focused his eyes in front of him.


    "Yes, captain?"Did you know this text is from a different site? Read the official version to support the creator.


    A short white-haired man suddenly appeared in the office dressed in complete black clothing. He would keep his body straight as he gazed at Liam with his amber-colored eyes. His hand firmly gripped the hilt of his simple blade that strapped to his lower back. Uzo was a man that always followed the captain''s instructions without fail. One strange thing about him was that he didn''t have any sort of presence, and if you didn''t focus, you probably wouldn''t know that he was there in front of you.


    "I want you to follow them from the shadows and keep them in check. You know what to do if anything goes south. " Liam placed his hand on Uzo''s shoulder.


    "You can count on me, captain!"Uzo had saluted Liam just before he disappeared.


    "For once I see you are using your brain."Derek shrugged his shoulders as he snickered.


    "Gahahaha! I think we should have a training session. You are looking a bit weak recently."Liam smiled at Derek as he cracked his knuckles, releasing a bit of his killing intent.


    "Hahaha..."Derek could only smile grimly. "Damn! Me and my big mouth!" He thought as he was dragged away.


    Ian''s POV----


    I decided on a simple black shirt with blue pants. I would also throw on a bright blue jacket that kept a few essential objects.


    (I should probably leave my weapon behind...)


    I glanced at the gun-blade on my bed. The weapon has never left my side since I was young.


    "Although, I hate to do it, but I think I''ll have to leave it behind. Can''t risk it since it has Axe Lion''s Emblem engraved into it." I sighed as I stepped out of my room, and walked up to the main deck.


    My eyes widened a bit as the breathtaking scenery of a lush forest entered my eyes.


    The country of Averel.


    Although, the part I was looking at was called the Felaasi Forest. The forest wasn''t anything special besides its massive trees that flourished across the land.


    The ship had dropped anchor at a place a bit far away from the shore just in case they have to escape.


    I looked around for a moment before spotting Vivian and Ellie waiting for me on the small boat that was attached to the Gaultier by rope.


    "Hurry up already! We need to get there quick!" Vivian shouted as she noticed me.


    The woman might be one of the fiercest women on the planet, but her beauty was enough to make it worth the risk to court her. Vivian was just wearing regular clothes that were tailored to fit her size. One of the things that stood out was the rugged blue shorts that exposed her incredibly long legs. I could notice quite a few of the crew members couldn''t keep their eyes off them.


    I stepped into the small boat, and the surrounding crew members would slowly let the boat down by a pulley system until it touches the water. Once we were all clear, we rapidly untied the rope from the tiny boat.


    "Cough..."Ellie cleared her throat as she gazed up at me, her cheeks turning slightly red.


    "What is it?" I furrowed my brow as I glanced at her.


    "Don''t you have anything to say?"Ellie asked smilingly. She wanted Ian to say something about the way she looked.


    I glanced at her and noticed the simple yellow dress that matched her petite body. I had to admit that it made her look quite adorable, but I wasn''t sure what she was hinting at and could only shrug my shoulders as I didn''t know what to say.


    " Hmph!..."Ellie turned her nose upwards as she crossed her arms. "Idiot! Not even going to compliment me?" She thought.


    "Alright Let-"


    "HEY! YOU WERE JUST GOING TO LEAVE ME WITHOUT CHECKING IF I WAS OK!?"The little fairy Fay shouted as she instantly flew onto my head and started wailing on me with her tiny fists.


    "F-Fay we checked on you this morning, and you were still sleeping!"I quickly grabbed the fairy with my right hand. I then caressed her face gently with my cheek as I was actually relieved that she was doing better.


    Fay smiled happily for a moment before hastily replacing it with a frown, "Hmph! You still should have waited! I told you that you aren''t going to go anywhere without me!!"


    Fay puffed her cheeks out as she crossed her little arms. She was mad they were about to leave her, but she was also happy to see that Ian cared about her.


    "I don''t think it''s such a brilliant idea of you coming with us to Renhart, Fay." Vivian brought her face close to Fay''s.


    "Why not?" Fay tilted her head to the side.


    "Renhart is definitely the city of merchants...If they see a cute little fairy like you flying around, they might try to capture you and sell you seeing how you are the only one on the planet."Vivian solemnly said.


    "Capture me? Sell me?"A fierce glint flashed in her eyes, "Just watch and see what happens if they try! I''ll just need to crush them with my overwhelming strength! Look at my muscles!"


    I watched Fay flex her non-existent muscles. The scene would have probably sent a person into a state of shock from cuteness. However, after the incident with the Qualze, I realized how strong Fay actually was. But I still wondered why she never used that magic before.


    "She could hide in my bag?"Ellie suggested as she pointed to a little bag strapped to the back of her wheelchair.


    Fay flew into the bag as Ellie unfastened it, and wiggled around inside of it to get comfortable.


    "Yeah, I could stay in here. There isn''t much in here besides this journal..."


    "DON''T read that!" Ellie''s face became flushed with brilliant red as she flailed her arms into the air.


    "Oh...Ok, I won''t read it!"Fay said. " I''m going to read it anyways~ " She thought as she chuckled softly.


    "Ok! Let''s just head over to the shore already!"Vivian sat down in the boat as she grabbed hold of the oars. She flexed her muscles before starting to row the boat. The boat suddenly moved as fast as a running horse on land!


    "Ahhh!" Ellie and I screamed in unison as we fell into the boat from the sudden increase in speed.


    "H-Hey! Careful out there!" Fay shouted hysterically from within the bag.


    (What is wrong with this lady?!)


    I managed to look up at Vivian''s face she rowed the boat towards grassy shore, and I could instantly see the drool dripping down the side of her lips.


    I started to have a strange feeling that thieves are going to be the last thing I''m worried about on this resupply trip.

 Chapter 21Fruit Craze

    "Ugh..Finally.." I groaned as the boat finally stopped at the shore.


    "...Warn us next time before you do something like that!" I hopped out just as Vivian was towing the boat onto land.


    "Warn you for what?"Vivian tilted her head.


    "Eh for going too fast?" Ellie said as I helped her out of the boat and back into her wheelchair.


    "If we are talking concerning raw strength then Vivian just about matches with the captain!" Fay poked her little head out of Ellie''s bag.


    "Huh?" Ellie instantly became dumbfounded as she stared Vivian''s splendid figure. "How come she isn''t a hulking mass of muscle like the captain?!" She thought.


    I started pushing Ellie across the grass after Vivian found a large bush to hide our boat.


    Our journey through the Felaasi Forest began!


    I was glad that Ellie''s wheelchair was replaced with a more heavy duty one thanks to one of our crew members who was good with tools. It made it easier to push her through the forest.


    "Oh~~" Ellie stared in awe as we got a closer look at the gigantic trees. The wood maintained an unusual purplish color to it, but the mature leaves were perfectly green.


    "These types of trees only grow here in this country, and they grow to be at least 70 feet tall," Vivian said as we continued walking through the forest.


    I had to admit that the trees were quite big, and because of the sheer number of them, the light of the sun wasn''t able to travel inside that well. The rich forest possessed some kind of mystical effect as the sounds of various creatures going about their daily lives entered my ears. Vivian continued to talk about the forest, but I was too busy taking in the scenery.


    "Huh?" I stopped suddenly to scan our surroundings carefully.


    "What''s wrong?" Ellie looked up at me.


    "Are we there already?"Fay asked from within the bag.


    "No...But It felt like someone was watching us, but now the feeling is gone."I furrowed my brows as I continued to look, but still, I couldn''t sense it at all now.


    "I think it''s just your imagination. Let''s keep moving! We have no time to waste!"Vivian shouted as she took the lead.


    "Hmm... Ok then.." I slightly frowned before I continued to push Ellie.


    Uzo slowly appeared from smoke once he noticed the four were farther away.


    "The boy is getting stronger...In more ways than one. No one should be able to sense me..."Uzo pondered for a moment before he slowly disappears once and continued to follow the four silently.


    The journey took us six hours of continuous walking to finally see a human-made pathway.


    "Finally...I didn''t think the forest was that big."I sighed as I started to slow my pace, leaning on Ellie''s wheelchair a bit.


    I suddenly felt a gentle breeze against my face and knew that it was Ellie''s work.


    "Thanks..."


    "No problem!"Stolen from Royal Road, this story should be reported if encountered on Amazon.


    After several more minutes of walking down the well-worn path, I could finally see the gradual clearing of the forest.


    "Faster! We are practically there!"Vivian snatched Ellie''s wheelchair from me and pushed her through the clearing.


    "Hey!" I rapidly moved my feet to keep up.


    "Guh..." I suddenly stopped as I was forced to put my hand over my eyes from the sudden burst of light after exiting the clearing.


    Once my eyes adequately adjusted, I could finally see a large grassy meadow that stretched several miles downward, and if I looked even further, I started to see a city.


    The prosperous city looked as if it wasn''t a part of the land. The surroundings gave off this all natural feeling, but it was ruined by the massive city. Bright lights of the city started to turn on as the sun finally sets in the horizon.


    "Renhart..." I was taken aback from the scenery and wondered how thieves could thrive in a beautiful place like this.


    "Ahhh!" The shriek of Ellie brought me out of my daze, and I continued running after the crazy woman.


    "Vivian! Slow down!"I ran with all my might, but only managed to keep up with her heels.


    Vivian glanced back at me, "No way! We are almost there! We have to get there before they sell out!"


    "Sell out of what?!" I exclaimed.


    "Renhart is known for its merchants, but it''s more known for something else! The Chinmoy fruit!"Vivian answered.


    "Eh?" I slowed down for just a moment as I thought about it.


    "I''ll explain it once we are there!" Vivian picked up her speed even more. She didn''t stop for a single moment as she pushed Ellie across the several hills laid out in our path. The woman rapidly left me in her dust.


    "PLEASE STOOOOOOP!"Ellie and Fay yelled at the top of their lungs.


    The four of us finally made it to Renhart, and the city actually looked quite beautiful close-up despite not mixing in with the surroundings.


    The city was just getting prepared for its nightlife, and local merchants could still be found outside their stores trying to sell their goods.


    "These people are definitely dedicated..." I mumbled under my breath. I then noticed an extraordinarily towering building in the middle of the city that had even more dazzling lights shining from its windows.


    "Here!" Before I could study it more, Vivian would hand me Ellie''s wheelchair again. Ellie sighed in relief once she was free. That woman is shaving years off my life, she thought.


    "Ugh...I don''t think I can stay in that bag anymore..."Fay was quite dizzy from all of the movement earlier.


    "Here...just fly in."I leaned over slightly over the bag as I cautiously opened my jacket, there was a pocket big enough for Fay to hide.


    "Ah perfect!"


    Once she flew into my pocket, I would look up to see Vivian gone from my sight.


    "Where did she go?" I asked.


    "Well..." Ellie pointed forward as I discover Vivian hysterically asking each store owner if they had any fruit left.


    "I don''t have any!"One merchant said.


    "I''m all out sorry!"Another merchant replied.


    "Please ask someone else!" A merchant rapidly closed down his stall and escaped.


    Vivian was quickly losing her patience, and she promptly got into it with this one last merchant owner that denied her.


    "No! I don''t have any at all! I wouldn''t sell them to you anyways!"


    "I can clearly smell them coming from your store! You have to give me some! Please!"Vivian grabbed hold of the merchant''s shirt, gripping it tightly as she pleaded.


    "I-I don''t have any! Now, go away before I call for the guards!"The merchant swatted her hands away before walking into his store. He would then slam the door behind him.


    "Ahhhh!!!" Vivian screamed as the muscles in arms started to tense up. She naturally wanted to tear this store down and merely take what she wanted! However, Vivian rapidly calmed herself and slid down onto her bottom, huddling her knees close to her chest


    "What''s so special about this Chinmoy fruit?" Ellie asked wonderingly as I pushed her over to Vivian''s side.


    "It''s a special fruit only found in this area. I had happened to come across it when my mother baked a pie with it. It was the most delicious thing I had ever tasted!"


    Vivian had sighed before she continued talking, " I wanted to bake with it too and share it with everyone on the ship...If I knew where to obtain it, I could get it myself!" Vivian clenched her fist tightly.


    "....But they wouldn''t tell me that either..." Vivian hid her face underneath her arms.


    "How come they aren''t selling them to you?" I asked as I looked back to see all the merchants avoiding my gaze once they noticed I was associated with Vivian.


    "I''m not so sure...But let''s just find an inn to rest. We will shop for supplies in the morning..."Vivian slowly stood up on her feet and dusted herself off before walking down the street with her head slumped over.


    "Hmm...I never saw Vivian this sad before."I slightly frowned as I became concerned about the woman. She had always been a headstrong and quite cheerful lady.


    "I have..." Fay spoke up with a hint of sadness in her voice.


    "I''ll talk once we are in an inn. I don''t think this is the place to have a long talk."


    Once we were settled down in an inn, Fay would tell us a story she heard from the captain about Vivian.


    I could only stare at the little fairy in shock.

 Chapter 22 Vivians Story

    Once we were settled down in a local inn, Ellie had entered my room to hear the story about Vivian.


    "Hmm, where to start..."Fay flew out of my jacket as I sat down on the bed. Ellie would wheel herself over to my side after carefully closing the door.


    "Well, you probably don''t know this at all, but Vivian came from the Imperial City Xalphor."


    "That place?!" I gazed up at Fay with my widening eyes.


    "En.."Fay nodded as she landed on the top of my head before continuing, "Xalphor can''t even be called a proper city. It''s more like a military camp where the Imperials control every inch of the place."


    "One of the things about them is how they take kids from their families and mold them to be perfect soldiers. The children are then forced through inhumane training that results in the majority of them dying."Fay sighed sorrowfully.


    "So, Vivian was one of the child soldiers they were training?"Ellie typically asked.


    "Yup and one of the best actually. She always had her abnormal signature strength and will from a young age. Vivian was groomed to be the perfect soldier, and she was even put into a proper unit before the age of 12. She was always fighting on the front lines against the Resistance, and the people that see her fight called her the Oni. Vivian was the perfect killing machine until a particular incident..."


    Thirteen years in the past-----


    Heavy rain drenched the broad grassy plains as the distinct smell of death lingered in the air. The Imperials and the Resistance were locked into a brutal battle which took place just over 1,000 miles from the city of Xalphor. A moderate-sized unit of the Imperial Army was sent to an area where their scouts said the Resistance was setting up a possible base. But unfortunately, it was a trap!


    "Fall back! Those bastards were able to ambush us!"An imperial commander said as he witnessed the unforgettable scene of the Resistance assaulting them on their vulnerable flank, catching them unaware. His soldiers were dropping left and right.


    "Commander! Vivian is still fighting on the front lines! Shouldn''t we pull her out?"A soldier yelled.


    "Bah! Let that demon girl be the distraction! We can replace someone like her at any time! Curse these hills!"The commander groaned as he simply didn''t care for the child. His safety came first!


    The commander was one of the people who secured their way into the Imperial Army with money. The Imperial''s handed out a lot of advantages to the people that supported their cause of dominating the world. One of them being absolute power in the domains the Imperials control. Of course, the Imperials still control the areas from the shadows.


    The small group of Imperial soldiers naturally followed the commander to escape through a nearby forest with unusual purple trees.


    The adolescent purple-haired girl, Vivian could be found in front of the retreating army, slaying any foes that got in her way. The Resistance was able to ambush them, and Vivian was tasked by the commander to let him retreat first before leaving. Vivian would overpower the Resistance soldiers with just her little hands after she had lost her weapon. Vivian was trained to endure and to always listen to her commanding officer no matter what.


    She planned to complete this task without fail!


    Her youthful body rapidly became drenched in her own blood as bullets entered her flesh. Vivian was absolutely a wicked demon on the battlefield, and they even started to wonder if she was immortal.Stolen from its original source, this story is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.


    Vivian restrained a soldier onto the ground and sent punch after punch against his face until ultimately his death.


    "AHHHHH!"Vivian screamed with all her might as she became completely swept up into the fierce battle.


    *BANG!*


    She might have noticed the killing shot if adrenaline didn''t elevate her. A sniper executed the shot when he had a chance and down she went, soaking the grass in her own blood. The battle immediately became one-sided after the defeat of the girl.


    "Oh...I''m dying."Vivian thought while she laid there on the grass, her unique constitution kept her alive for the moment, despite all the blood seeping out of her wounds. Vivian started to think about her entire life and wondered if it all her effort was worth it. But she quickly obtained her answer as no one came to recover her.


    Was she ever important to them? She thought as uncontrollable tears streamed down her battered face.


    "I don''t want to die..."Vivian softly mumbled as she became terrified the more she loses her consciousness.


    "Poor child..." A soothing angelic voice entered the little girl''s ears and looked to discover a beautiful tall woman standing over her. Vivian''s vision had already started failing, and she couldn''t completely see the woman.


    Vivian struggled desperately to escape, but her body didn''t respond.


    "It''s ok...I won''t hurt you at all...Let''s get you home..."The woman carefully cradled the purple-haired girl into her arms.


    "It''s..warm."Vivian thought as she finally passed out.


    Present Time/Ian''s POV----


    "How did she live?!" Ellie hysterically shouted as she was on the edge of her chair. She became too invested in the story.


    "Quiet down!" A guy in the neighboring room complained. Damn, I''m trying to sleep here!


    "How did she...Live?"Ellie blushed with shame as she was reprimanded for her loud voice.


    "The captain said Vivian''s mom miraculously saved her and took her far away from Xalphor."Fay flew onto the decent bed as she yawned sleepily.


    "I think I''ll sleep now."Fay closed her little eyes and fell asleep immediately.


    "What happens next! How did she learn to cook? Was it really her mom? What''s her mom doing on the battlefield What...!?"Ellie gripped her hair as thousands of questions swirled around inside of her head.


    "Shut up!!" The guy next door banged on the wall, and even that didn''t manage to wake Fay from her sleep.


    "Eep...I guess I''ll return to my room..."Ellie frowned as she started to wheel herself out of the room. I really want to know how it ended!


    "Ellie?"I stood up from the bed.


    "Hm? What is it, Ian?"


    "That fruit...we have to get it somehow." I clenched my fist tightly as I gazed sternly at Ellie. I could see the love and hope in Vivian''s eyes as she spoke about her mom. I could feel something inside me start to churn.


    (Vivian has always been a type of big sister to me! Well, despite her violent outbursts...But still!)


    "En...Come to think of it. Isn''t this the place where the battle took place?"Ellie tilted her head to the side as she pondered.


    I became stunned at the realization.


    "We are standing right in the middle of it!!!" I unknowingly shouted.


    "@#$!#$#@" The guy next door shouted something intangible as he banged on the wall even harder.


    The next day we start our shopping for supplies, and to get our hands on the Chinmoy fruit!


    Meanwhile in the building in the middle of Renhart-------


    *Crunch! Crunch! Crunch!*


    The harsh noise sounded as if metal was crushed by a grinder.


    But no! It was someone eating in the elegant dining room!


    A massive potbellied man sat alone at the large table eating Chinmoy fruit. One had to know that the shell of the red fruit is almost like steel, and the man was pulverizing them with his teeth!


    "More! Bring me more!"The man''s entire body seemed to jiggle as he slammed his hands onto the dining table. The seemingly wealthy man finished his 20th large plate of the fruit, and he simply wasn''t full at all.


    "S-sir! We are all out!"The butler shrank back in fear as he covered his face with the serving plate.


    "OUT?! HOW CAN WE BE OUT?! WHO IS STEALING MY FRUIT?!"The massive man stood up from his chair and glared at the butler. The man''s saliva and the juices of the Chinmoy fruit could be found all over his face. It was such a terrifying thing to look at! And one would have to marvel how his clothes are all staying on him with his balloon-like body.


    "N-no one sir! No one! T-Tomorrow is the day we stea...I mean buy all the fruit in the city!"


    "Oh...is it that time already?" The man asked eagerly and the butler quickly nodded.


    "Hahahaha! Silly me! Hahahaha!"The man''s entire body jiggled as he laughed for a moment before his eyes became especially fierce. The butler became even more afraid.


    "I''m kind of hoping some will fight back this time. I think I can stand to lose a little weight!"

 Chapter 23 Solve it with Fists!

    The next day we woke up early to go shopping for supplies, but we decided to break away from Vivian. We wanted to do a little bit of snooping around for the fruit.


    "Hmm? You want to split up? I guess that''s fine. Just meet me at the Inn before dark," Vivian sighed as she was still depressed from yesterday''s incident.


    "Alright! Let''s go, Ellie."I started to push Ellie towards the busiest area of the city as I smiled with confidence.


    (We are going to get our hands on that fruit! No matter what!)


    "So, where exactly are we going to start looking for the Chinmoy fruit?"Ellie looked up at me curiously.


    "I don''t think we will get a peep out of the merchants around here. Although if I were Vivian, I would have already made them cough up the fruit! Try to keep me away from what I want? Hmph! I''ll just bash your face in with my fists!"Fay clenched her fist as she spoke from within my jacket.


    "F-Fay you are a bit loud...Quiet down alright?"Once I whispered into my jacket, the surrounding city people started to give me weird looks.


    I began to hear a conversation between two men.


    "Is that young man alright?"


    "I don''t know...Although he isn''t as crazy as Sir Tolbert...that bastard."


    "Sssh! Don''t say anything about the man!"


    "But it''s true!! He is ruining this city, and you know it! Even using thieves to extort even more from us!"


    "..."The man didn''t have anything else to say after that comment because he knew it was true! "That man is simply a demon in human skin! Why can''t we do anything?!" He thought as he clenched his fists in anger.


    "Sir Tolbert? I wonder who that is?"Ellie tilted her head to the side.


    "I''m not sure, but I don''t think we should meet the guy...Now about that fruit. Let''s go ask random people about it and see what they say."


    "If they don''t say anything then thrash them a couple of times!"Fay yelled.


    "Ssssh! Fay!"I shouted into my jacket. I started getting even more weird looks from the city people.


    "Hahaha...." I awkwardly laugh as I wheeled Ellie away.


    The three of us started investigating around the city. Renhart is definitely a beautiful city, and it had many things to offer. I used what little money I had to purchase a few things, but we never stopped asking about the fruit. After hours of being rejected, I started to feel disheartened. All of the city people we talked to about the fruit wouldn''t speak up at all.


    "Why is everyone so secretive about the fruit? I don''t understand." I sighed wistfully as I leaned against a wall of a shop.


    "We should just beat it out of them!"Fay shouted gleefully.


    "No! We can''t do that!"


    "But..."


    "Just no!"


    "Aw..."Fay pouted.


    "Hey...Don''t people usually get information from a bar?"Ellie asked.


    "Yeah...why?"I furrowed my brows.


    "How about going to that bar over there?"Ellie pointed to a run-down bar that seemed as if it was going to fall apart at any moment. Although people could be found entering the establishment one after another. So, It couldn''t be that bad.


    "Lucky Lady? I guess it wouldn''t hurt to check. I think we are low on our options now..."


    "I really think knocking a few teeth out wo..."


    "We ARE NOT BEATING UP PEOPLE!" I cut Fay off mid-sentence as I became a bit annoyed at the little fairy repeating herself.


    "Wuu...Y-you don''t need to shout at me *hiccup*"Fay started to sob in my pocket, and I would quickly try to soothe her.


    "W-wait. Don''t cry ok? We just can''t go around beating up everyone we want to..." I suddenly stopped once I felt an unusual feeling of eyes observing me. I looked up from my jacket to see people just staring at me in awe. Is that guy mental?


    "Oh...You see...Hah!" I rapidly pushed Ellie into the run-down bar, Luck Lady. We were met with a heavy smell of alcohol and smoke. I was surprised that the inside actually looked better than the outside. There were quite a few rough-looking characters drinking in the bar, but the most they would do is just glance at us.


    "I don''t really like the smell..."Ellie complained. She wasn''t quite used to the intense smell yet, but I simply didn''t mind it after growing with a bunch of pirates.


    "Let''s grab a seat."I gradually pushed Ellie between one of the bar stools at the counter and sat in the one next to her. I quickly noticed a middle-aged man with disheveled clothes sitting across from me. One can tell the clothes weren''t cheap, but the man was so drunk that he didn''t even care about his current appearance.


    "I think you had a bit too much to drink already Mr. Butler."The grey-haired bartender said as he reached for the man''s glass.Support creative writers by reading their stories on Royal Road, not stolen versions.


    The man would snatch the glass before the bartender did, "A-another! G-gimme another!"


    "Ha...Look you can''t be doing this to yourself."The grey-haired bartender sighed as he gazed at the man. He knew all too well what this skinny butler went through.


    "I-I just need to forget about that fat bastard! I simply can''t stand the abuse anymore...I hope he just dies... "The man slammed his head against the counter as he sighed.


    "You really don''t mean that." The grey-haired bartender crossed his arms.


    The man suddenly stood up with his face completely red, "Y-yes! I do! I hope that bastard chokes on the Chinmoy fruit today! G-gimmie another!"The man sat back down.


    "Please...not so loud. You are disturbing the other guests...Kids? Are you old enough to be drinking?"The grey-haired bartender noticed Ellie and me just listening in on the conversation.


    "Uh no...We didn''t come here to drink."I gently shook my head.


    "Then you can''t be in here. You have to order something. I have juice here too if you want?"The grey-haired bartender said with a smile. The man was a gentle soul, despite his rugged looks. He had scars running up both of his brawny arms, and he also seemed to have lost his left eye as the empty socket was covered with an eye patch.


    "I''ll have that. Bring two please." I said politely.


    "Coming right up!" The grey-haired bartender smiled as he grabbed two glasses and placed them on the counter. He would then grab a large bottle of red juice to fill the glass up.


    "Here you go, kids." The grey-haired bartender smiled as he walked away to deal with other customers.


    "So...do you know about the reason the Chinmoy fruit can''t be sold?" I took the chance to ask the drunken man beside me, hoping he had a looser lip because of his state of mind.


    "H-huh? Do I Know? KNOW?! O-of course I know why! It''s because of that fat p-piece of shit Sir Tolbert." The man was becoming infuriated the more he thought about it.


    "Who is Sir Tolbert?"Ellie asked as she took a sip of the juice in front of her, and she started to feel a warmth inside of her body. " Huh This...is good," She thought as she continued to drink the juice with delight.


    The man began to speak, "A v-valuable dog of the Imperials...he was kicked out of the army about 10 or so years ago because of an incident. BUT because he had money! The Imperials let him go without any punishment T-that bastard...That man took over our dear town! W-we-"


    The man suddenly stopped talking and fell onto his back.


    He passed out from alcohol.


    "Sigh...I knew this would happen..." The grey-haired bartender returned as he motioned a few of his workers to drag the man to one of their spare beds. This place was really caring.


    "I suppose I should continue his story...Don''t want a bunch of kids getting into trouble over some fruit."The old bartender grabbed a stool behind the counter and sat in front of us.


    "This town used to be quite small...Nothing like what it is today, but if I had to pick which version was better then...I would prefer us to be small. This town came to be soon after a terrible battle took place just right on the outskirts of the city..."


    The grey-haired bartender would tell us how the founders of this town were actually soldiers who died here and brought back to life by a mysterious woman.


    (Brought back to life how?)


    The people brought back to life were blessed by the mysterious woman. He told us how the Chinmoy fruit also came into existence around the same time. The fruit was especially delicious and gave a feeling of warmth. Although the fruit can only be obtained by the people who were blessed, the amount received is dependent on the person. The blessing can even be passed down by genes.


    "The man Sir Tolbert is actually addicted to this fruit, and every month he comes to collect them from all the sources of the fruit. He essentially purchases them with the smallest amount possible... It''s practically stealing. If you don''t have the requested amount, then he settles with something else. Complete annihilation of your shop. He pays the thieves around here good money to do so..."


    "Annihilation? Thieves?" Ellie asked as she placed her empty glass down.


    "...He destroys your shop and all your goods. He even bans you from even doing business at all...He is just abusing power from those damn Imperials!"The grey-haired bartender clenched his fists as he bit down on his bottom lip in frustration.


    "How can you stand something like this?"


    "What?"


    "How can you let someone just come in and walk all over you? You should fight back!" I could feel my blood boiling as I stood up from my seat. My eyes were unconsciously becoming multi-colored as I started releasing a bit of killing intent.


    "Are you an idiot kid? Of course, we thought about it! But look at us."The man waved his hand. I turned around and noticed everyone in the bar has at least lost a limb or had terrible scars all over their bodies. These people looked as if they went through a war.


    The grey-haired bartender stood up almost immediately after I did, "That man is simply a demon! He made a public example out of all of us! We are banned from getting any treatment afterward forcing us to be deterrents to anyone willing to fight back. If we touched Sir Tolbert in any way then...all you would get is pain!!! And suffering..."The old bartender sat back down and sighed sorrowfully, placing his arms onto the counter.


    "Did...something else happen to you?"Ellie asked with concern as she placed her hand on top of the old bartender''s arm.


    "I had...a daughter once. She was beautiful and sweet just like you...She had a big dream of traveling the world and handing out the Chinmoy fruit." The grey-haired bartender said.


    "Her reasoning was that the entire world should share this feeling...This feeling of warmth and joy...The people with the blessing became merchants to spread the fruit across the world. Our little town grew into what it is today because of the fruit.."The grey-haired bartender began to shiver as tears started to form in the corner of his eyes.


    "What.....What happened to her?"Ellie asked sympathetically.


    "...Gone...Taken by Sir Tolbert years ago..."Tears started to fall uncontrollably from the grey-haired bartender''s eyes as he thought about his adorable dear daughter.


    "H-how...HOW COULD YOU JUST LIVE WITH YOURSELF WHEN SOMEONE TAKES YOUR OWN FLESH AND BLOOD!" I shouted as I slammed my fist into the counter causing it to cave in slightly.


    (I noticed that sometimes I''m not in control of my emotions, but this time I don''t care!)


    "You should be fighting for her like a true man! She probably misses you, and you...You are just wasting away in this dirty bar of yours!"


    "You don''t understand how Sir Tolbert is! And how dare you come in and judge me you little snot-nosed brat!" The grey-haired man slammed his fists against the bar table.


    "...Coward...Tch!..I''m out of here!!" I madly dashed out of the bar towards the building in the middle of the city. I glared at it as a burning rage came over me.


    "Ian!" Ellie shouted before bowing to the grey-haired bartender to apologize, and she wheeled herself out of the bar. She used the power of the wind to speed up.


    (I know this is stupid for various reasons...but I can''t stand it! I''m going to kill that bastard if it''s the last thing I do!)


    I ran faster and faster with all my might down the streets. I started getting a glimpse of a massive man standing upon a decorative stage. The faces on the merchants revealed everything except happiness as they stood around with large carriages of Chinmoy fruit.


    "Hahahahaha! Welcome my lovely merchants! Welcome to the 145th! Tolbert Auction! Where I am the only buyer of course, but still let''s all have a grand time!"The massive man laughed delightedly as his entire body jiggled. The man was simply a freak of nature!


    "What are you doing?"Fay asked as she poked her head out of my jacket.


    "I''m about to beat the living shit out of someone!"My eyes became especially fierce as people started to avoid me from the amount of killing intent I released.


    A smug smile appeared on Fay''s face, "Hah! I knew that beating someone up was the best way!" She clasped her hands together delightedly.

 Chapter 24 Confrontation!

    I pointed at the massive man, " Hey! You pig bastard!"


    Everyone around me seemed to freeze in terror after seeing a young boy calling Sir Tolbert fat. "Are you crazy?!" They all thought.


    "Hahahahaha! Oh, for a minute there I thought you were calling me fat," Tolbert smiled warmly, but if you were looking at it, you would instantly experience a chill up your spine. "Who does that brat think he is?!" He thought.


    I reached for my weapon, but I quickly remembered I left it back on the ship.


    "Shit...Just when I really needed it." I groaned. "-You are the one I''m talking to fatso! You are going to pay for what you did!"


    "What? I haven''t done anything wrong at all. What are you accusing me of?" Tolbert asked as a smug smile appeared on his face.


    "You!-"


    "Honestly, I don''t have time to play with a child...Get out here, boys!" Tolbert shouted as man and women dressed in loose-fitting black clothes came pouring out of his mansion. Each of them was heavily armed as they smiled menacingly.


    "Eh? you called us out for this boss?" A large man laughingly said as he stepped out in front of the 50 other people dressed in black.


    "I don''t have time to deal with him. Just get him out of here. Kill or torture him. I don''t care." Tolbert waved his hand as if he was shooing them away.


    "Hahaha well, you do pay us. So, I guess I have to earn my keep." The man said as he pulled his large bastard sword out if its sheath, holding it with just one hand. "I''m sorry kid it''s just business! Surround him!" He barked as a group of people in black slowly started to circle me.


    "Alright now let''s get back to business. Now, who should go first? Oh, I know! Why don''t you go, Mr.Devin?" Tolbert asked as he completely forgot about my existence. He seemed to be having the time if his life.


    "Grrr...I hate that guy even more now!" I said as I gnashed my teeth.


    "These must be the thieves the guy was talking about!" Fay declared as she flew out of my jacket, and onto my head.


    The thieves were a bit stunned from the sudden appearance of Fay, but it only lasted for a moment.


    "Let''s get this over with!" I said as I raised my arms in front of my face.


    I knew some simple hand-to-hand combat to take care of simple people.


    (I just need to keep focused and-)


    *Bang!*


    A single bullet scratched my cheek, drawing blood, and all of my planning went out the window.


    Fay didn''t even have time to raise a shield for me, "I''m s-sorry Ian I was-"


    I didn''t even bother to listen to Fay''s excuse before I leaped at the thief who shot at me, "Die!" I shouted as I knocked the thief down with a fierce tackle, sending both of us flying quite a distance until we landed on the ground


    I heard something break as the man coughed up blood and immediately fainted afterward.


    I got back onto my feet as quick as possible, but the remaining thieves were quick on their feet, enclosing me into a circle again.


    I held my fists up in front of my face again, "Come at me you filthy bastards!" I said as one unlucky thief was sent flying from the force of my punch, and crashed headfirst into the yard.


    The thief showed no signs of movement.


    I have never been the one to kill easily, but for some reason, my blood was boiling.


    I wanted to make them suffer.


    I wanted to kill them!


    The feeling felt a bit familiar. However, I still thought it strange.


    (Could something be-)


    "Damn you! What are guys doing! Kill him!" The leader of the thieves shouted.


    "Come and try it!!"I shouted as my multi-colored eyes brightened, and I completely forgot about my earlier thought.


    I repeatedly dodged all of the incoming thieves attacks at the last possible second. Bullets weren''t even an issue now that Fay was protecting me with her magic shield. I entirely focused on fighting and sent every one of them flying with one right hook!


    Some were lucky to end up with only broken bones, and the others never moved again.


    "Grr! Get out of the way! I''ll handle this!" The leader shouted as he charged me with his bastard sword.


    I reacted quickly and grabbed a sword from the ground, blocking the attack with ease.


    "You''re good for just a stinking brat! I would have given you a position in my group. But, unfortunately, you will have to die now!"


    "I''d rather die than join a bunch of weaklings anyway!!" I said, and the large man became even more anger. We exchanged sword blows one after other. Each one of them stronger than the last.Love what you''re reading? Discover and support the author on the platform they originally published on.


    "Fay! Do it!"


    "Alright!" Fay shouted as she erected a shield in front of me, blocking the oncoming attack from the thief leader.


    "What!-"


    "It''s over!" I said as the split second after the attack was blocked, I moved with the fastest speed possible and sliced him half.


    The thief leader didn''t even have time to scream.


    "R-run. We got to get out of here!" One of the merchants screamed as they all cleared out of the area as fast as possible, leaving their carriages behind.


    "Hmm? He''s stronger than I originally thought.." Tolbert quietly said as he pulled a small black box out from his pocket, and pressed down on the red button on top of it.


    Fay was a bit disturbed about how easily I ended people''s lives now. "Something is definitely changing him, and I don''t like it.." She thought as she frowned at the scene.


    "Who''s next!?" I shouted as I stared at the remaining thieves, and they immediately took off, running while screaming, " Monster!"


    "Ugh...Useless trash...No matter. Guards! Attack the boy!" Tolbert shouted at the top of his lungs.


    "It''s your turn no-" I suddenly felt all the hairs on my skin stand up.


    I couldn''t see anything, but something was coming!


    A spear was thrown at me with an incredible speed!


    (Shit! I can''t dodge this! Hopefully Fay can take this!)


    *Clang!*


    I sighed in relief as the spear had collided with Fay''s magic shield. The sheer power behind it forced me to dig in in my heels to avoid being blown away.


    I then knocked it away with the sword in my hand, and it harmlessly fell to the ground.


    I gasped for air as sweat started to drip from my forehead.


    (What the hell was that?!)


    "Are you ok Ian?!"Fay was a bit surprised by the sudden attack but luckily her shield was able to take it. "That attack nearly broke the shield!"


    "Grrr..Where did it come from?" I asked, but I didn''t have to wait long to get my answer.


    Imperial soldiers poured out of Tolbert''s mansion until the stage was blocked off in front of me. The entire group of Imperial soldiers was in full-body armor, and each of them carried a long menacing spear.


    "Something isn''t right here!" I groaned as I glanced at the new enemies. I could feel my strength slowly slipping away, but I willed myself to hold on as I gripped the sword in my hand tighter.


    "Ohohoho! You were able to block the attack. What is that little thing?"Tolbert expected the boy to be skewered by his guard''s spear, but he didn''t expect that little creature being able to protect the boy.


    "Kill the brat and capture that little fairy ALIVE!" Tolbert shouted as the Imperial soldiers all attacked me at once.


    I made the split decision to jump into the air to gain distance.


    "Shit!" I shouted as the Imperial soldiers followed me within seconds.


    (They are moving way to fast! Why do they feel so-)


    Ellie arrived on the scene with her chakrams drawn, "Ian! I''m here!"


    "Ellie! Stay back!" I urged, but it was too late!


    The soldiers before me moved as if they were starving wolves, their sharp spears already closing in on Ellie!


    I tumbled onto the ground and immediately started moving towards Ellie.


    (Faster! I need to go faster!)


    *Woooosh*


    I covered my eyes with my arm as a strong gust of wind appeared out of the nowhere. I was almost blown away if not for plunging the sword into the ground and using it as an anchor.


    "Ellie!?" I screamed as I opened my eyes once the wind was gone.


    *Crash!*


    The soldiers were sent flying into the wall of the mansion behind us, demolishing a large part of it.


    Ellie used her powers to blow them all away the last second!


    "Ian, are you OK?!" Ellie rapidly wheeled herself over to me.


    (She is getting a bit stronger...)


    "Yeah...I''m alright but..."I looked back at Tolbert, who seemed to be contemplating something.


    "Oh, something else I haven''t seen at all...Maybe if I turn both that little thing and the girl...I''ll get even more benefits..."Tolbert mumbled under his breath.


    "It''s over Tolbert!" I started walking towards the decorative stage.


    "You act as if I still did something wrong. If anything, I should arrest you for the destruction of property! MY property!"Tolbert entire body started to shake in anger.


    I pointed at Tolbert, "You are simply a despicable tyrant that needs to be put down! You are causing the merchants to suffer for your own selfish needs!"


    Tolbert froze for a moment before smiling, "Huh?... Hahahahaha!"Tolbert maniacally laughed as he held his round stomach, his entire body jiggling as if it was jello.


    "What?"


    "Oh... I haven''t had such a good laugh in so long! Tell me now how do I make them suffer when I buy all their goods? The city is doing so much better because of me!" Tolbert shouted as he patted his belly.


    "Buy?! You still call it that! I heard about you from an old bartender!"


    "Bartender?....OH! Baron?! Hahahaha! Perfect! I now have a reason to end his pathetic life! And here I wanted him to suffer more." Tolbert sighed as he rubbed his forehead.


    I leaped into the air and dived at Tolbert with my right foot extended, "You won''t get the chance!"


    *Boing!*


    An unusual sound was heard instantly after my foot connected with Tolbert''s chest. I was then pushed back with the equivalent amount of force I put into the kick.


    "What the!" I somersaulted backward back onto my feet as my eyes returned to normal. Once I was back on the ground, I gazed up at him curiously.


    "I guess all of that fat isn''t for nothing," Fay said.


    Tolbert looked at the footprint left in the middle of his chest, "Now look what you did! Your dirty footprint is on my expensive clothes! Guards!"


    "Huh?"


    The soldiers that crashed through the wall earlier poured out of the gaping hole with damage that would usually make someone immobile. I quickly noticed that some were missing heads, and wires were poking out of the neck area.


    "They aren''t alive?! I knew something was off!" I shouted as I moved in front of Ellie.


    "That makes sense. Normal soldiers wouldn''t be able to be this strong!" Fay said.


    "Ian we need to get out of here!" Ellie said as she tugged on the back of my jacket.


    "I know but I-"


    "Tch...I''m going to have to send them back to be repaired, but after they kill you!" Tolbert shouted.


    The unusual soldiers moved in for an attack as if nothing was wrong with them.


    "Ellie can you do another one of those from earlier?!" I hurriedly asked.


    "I can try!"


    "Good! On Three! One! Two! Thr-" Suddenly I witness someone flash in front of me, and the soldiers were sent flying into the unknown or obliterated into pieces within moments.


    Tolbert shouted in anger, "WHO?!" His eyes turning red as he saw a stunning purple-haired woman in front of the stage with a huge smile on her face.


    "There you three are!" Vivian turned around and acted as if Tolbert wasn''t there.


    "And It''s over! Vivian is the winner!" Fay smiled as she instantly flew over to Vivian.


    "Vivian!" Ellie became ecstatic that Vivian arrived. She wasn''t used to real combat yet. That last-minute usage of her powers earlier was quite draining.


    I walked over to Vivian, "How did you know about us being here?"I smiled.


    "Mmm...An old man was asking for help in the marketplace saying that two kids were in danger, and my gut told me it was you two."Vivian smiled as she gripped my shoulder with enough force to cause pain.


    "O-ow! OW! OK! STOP PLEASE! I''M SORRY!"I shrieked as I gripped Vivian''s hand.


    "Hmm...Good enough." Vivian slowly lets go of my shoulder, and I rubbed it to soothe the pain.


    (Damn, Gorilla!) I glared defiantly at her for a moment, but she also glared back at me. I rapidly turned my eyes toward the ground.


    Tolbert was quickly becoming annoyed at how all of these people are ruining his amusement! "But that woman...Why does she seem familiar?" He thought as he stroked his chin.


    "...Vivian Dufort...Lieutenant Vivian Dufort!! You are alive?!" Tolbert became wide-eyed as he gazed at the woman before him. She was a spitting image!

 Chapter 25 It Was For A Reason

    Vivian''s POV------


    I turned around to look at the massive pot-bellied man and became stunned after discovering who he was.


    "Commander...Tolbert?"I furrowed my brows as images of the past flash through my mind. But there was never any happy memories during my time in the Imperial Army. I started to frown as I released killing intent toward Tolbert.


    Tolbert suddenly points his finger at me, "I can''t believe this! You were alive all this time and you never came back! I was kicked out of the army because of you!... Well, I suppose this life suits me better."


    Tolbert didn''t blink one bit after feeling the killing intent, "So, I should actually thank you instead, but now I really need to capture you all..."


    "Capture?..." I asked as my muscles started to tense up, my killing intent increasing every second the disgusting man talked.


    "Yes, of course, I''m thinking of turning in you all in. I''m sure the Imperials will give me even more benefits for my effort. You might have to experience cruel experiments..."


    "But think of it! I could rule this entire country or maybe this entire world! I may have to rough you up a bit, but how heavenly would that be?! Me! Dominating the entire world!"Tolbert started to laugh maniacally.


    "I desire everything to be in my grasp! I simply do not care what I must do! It all has to be mine!" Tolbert thought as he continued to laugh.


    "Aaah!!"I instantly leaped toward Tolbert with blinding speed as I pulled my right arm back, and smashed my fist against his face with all the strength I could muster!


    *Crash!!!*


    Tolbert was instantly sent flying into his mansion behind him, demolishing even more of the structure. The entire foundation was brought to ruins from the impact.


    "Hmph..!" I slowly walked in front of the decorative stage after landing on my feet and placed my hands underneath it.


    I gritted my teeth as I start lifting the stage into the air, "Take this shitty stage along with you!" My muscles tense even more as instantly send the stage flying into Tolbert''s mansion.


    The grand stage whistled through the air before it slammed right into the same spot Tolbert crashed in.


    *Boom!!!*


    The people of Renhart became stunned as they looked fearfully at the destruction. The mansion couldn''t even be called one anymore, and it simply looked like rubble from an ancient temple. The power of that young lady is overwhelming!


    "V-Vivian?"Ian asked as he stared wide-eyed at the violent scene. "I know I said I was going to kill him, but that is just overkill!" He thought as he scratched his head in disbelief.


    I dust my hands off as I started to walk away from the scene, "Let''s get out of here."


    "Oh, Chinmoy fruit!"I immediately stopped when I noticed the bright red fruit in considerable amounts in carriages. I walked over to one carriage and picked up one Chinmoy fruit.Support the creativity of authors by visiting the original site for this novel and more.


    "This weight..."My body starts to tremble as tears begin to form in my eyes once my hand feels the familiar texture of the fruit.


    One would notice that the carriages were reinforced to carry a large amount of these fruits because just one by itself weighed like a healthy newborn baby!


    "This really is it...Mom..."I started to feel warm as pleasant memories flash through my mind, tears dripping down my face.


    Thirteen years in the past----------


    "Ah!..."I found myself in a bed in an unfamiliar room after I woke up. It was quite dull, but at the same time, it felt warm. One would see that it was well looked after as warmth radiated from every corner of the room.


    After I had looked around the room, I noticed that I was bandaged entirely from head to toe.


    "Huh....?" I started pulling them off to reveal my slightly tanned skin underneath. I studied my body and saw all the wounds I suffered from the battle were gone.


    "...The battle!!" I stood up onto my feet and instantly made my way to the door. However as soon as I reached for the handle, it opened.


    There standing in the doorway was the most beautiful woman I have ever seen. Her blue eyes shined like crystal gems, and her cyan colored hair looked like smooth honey dripped over her slender shoulders. Her fair skin didn''t have a single flaw and despite wearing a simple blue dress, no one could deny she was stunning.


    "Oh...You are awake and...naked."The beautiful cyan-haired woman giggled. I rapidly covered my body as I blushed in shame. I didn''t quite understand why I was embarrassed by this.


    I glared at the woman with my finger pointed at her, "What kind of magic did you use on me!-"


    My face was immediately hit by something soft, and I noticed that it was clothes, "Huh?"


    "What are these for?" I asked as I stared at the woman.


    The woman placed her hand on top of my head, and rubbed it gently, "Put these on and come to eat ok?"The woman said with a smile.


    I unconsciously nodded as I looked up at her and witnessed the most enchanting smile I have ever seen in my life.


    "Good...now go on."The woman continued to smile before she left my sight. I had many chances to eliminate her, but my body simply didn''t listen. I felt something from the woman as her hand was on my head.


    "She....cares for me?" I asked myself as my body started to shiver from the realization.


    Meanwhile in the present/Ian''s POV-------


    I was dumbfounded at the woman who had genuine tears dripping from her face.


    (Vivian is...Crying!?)


    "Maybe we should take some after saving the town! I''m sure the merchants wouldn''t mind at all." I smilingly said as I placed my hand on Vivian''s shoulder.


    "You think so?" Vivian smiled as she started wiping her tears away.


    "YOU IDIOTS! WHAT HAVE YOU DONE?!!"


    I immediately noticed it was the old bartender shouting as he dashed toward me.


    "Old man.....Baron? I think that''s what Tolbert said. I''m sorry we forgot to-"My sentence was cut short by a smack to the right side of my face.


    "Ian!" Ellie shouted as she was stunned by the scene. Why is the old man hitting him?!


    Fay instantly flew in front of me, "What''s the big idea old man! Don''t make me crush you!"


    I held my reddened cheek, "What was that for?!"I roared as my eyes turned multi-colored.


    Baron pointed at Vivian, "Y-you! I thought you were just going to take the two far away from here! But you do this instead! Do you have any idea.....DO YOU HAVE ANY IDEA WHAT YOU HAVE DONE?!"


    "Yeah! WE SAVED THIS TOWN!" I clenched my fists as I glared ferociously at Baron.


    (This ungrateful old bastard!!)


    "No...you don''t understand...Tolbert....he...he has changed."Baron gripped the collar of my jacket with trembling hands as tears started streaming down his face. He was scared for the young people in front of him and for this city. "That man is literally a demon!" He shouted


    "Huh.." I immediately calm down as I study the change in the man''s face.


    "What do you mean he has changed? Other than being fat..."Vivian nudged me away from Baron as she stood in front of me.


    "After...He tasted the Chinmoy fruit for the first time...I remember it clearly...Look I don''t have time to tell you, but you need to get far away from here!"Baron shifted around Vivian and grabbed my hand, pulling me towards the exit.


    "YOU BITCH!!"


    I could feel my entire body tremble in fear after I heard the creepy distorted voice. I slowly look behind me to see the most haunting thing I have ever seen in my life.

 Chapter 26 Never Insult Her

    Every part of my body was screaming for me to run, but my feet were locked in place.


    Large amounts of black liquid slowly crept out of the rubble of Tolbert''s mansion. And in an instant, it transformed into a sludge that stood over 40 feet tall. The mud started to detach in the middle, forming a mouth, and 100''s of teeth instantly formed.


    The teeth weren''t long, but each of them looked as if they could crush anything into dust once it entered its mouth. Once it had a mouth, it started to smile as two giant red eyes appeared on top.


    The eyes shifted all over its disgusting body. The revolting scene could send anyone over the edge.


    I couldn''t believe my eyes after the giant mass of black sludge appeared, but despite the distortion of its voice it indeed was Tolbert!


    "Ugh.."I immediately cover my mouth and nose as the smell of sewage protruded from Tolbert''s body. My eyes even started to water, and I looked around to see that I wasn''t the only one suffering.


    "Cough....cough...Baron....what is he?"I asked as I turned to look at the old man.


    "Cough...I don''t even know anymore! But after he ate the fruit, he started to gain weight in a matter of days!...until he was his previous form..." Baron said as he placed his hand over his eye-patch.


    "I''ll have you experience tenfold the pain you dealt me!!!" Tolbert shouted as numerous lumps of sludge started to project from his body as if they were bullets.


    "Fay!"I shouted.


    "On it!"


    Fay instantly flew in front of the entire group and used her power to form a shield big enough to surround all of us. Her face rapidly became drenched with sweat as the sludge bombarded the shield causing her considerable discomfort.


    "What should we do?!" I asked as I turned to Vivian.


    "I''ll..."


    "AHHHH!!!"


    A scream that could even awaken the dead would cut Vivian off before she could answer. I look back to see an unlucky merchant getting struck by the sludge with enough force to knock him off his feet.


    "G-get it off! GET IT OFF OF ME!!!" The merchant shouted in terror as his entire body was swallowed by the sludge, leaving only a pool of blood on the ground.


    "Run!"


    The citizens of Renhart started to scream in terror after the scene as they tried to escape. However, the sludge managed to catch even more of them. No one was spared from the dreadful fate, not even the carriages of the Chinmoy fruit.


    "Hahahaha! Oops! Clumsy me. All that fruit wasted... Oh well, I''ll just get more!!"Tolbert increased the amount of sludge he was shooting as if he held an infinite amount.


    Even more innocent citizens became pools of blood before my very eyes.


    "Hah..." My breathing quickly became erratic as my entire body started to tremble. The chaotic scene brought back the images I''ve seen when I first went out of control.


    "No..."My eyes instantly turn multi-colored as I fell to my knees.


    "NOOO!! Ahhhhhhh!!!!" I screamed in pain as I unconsciously start to release killing intent.


    (Not again! Not again! NOT AGAIN!!!)


    "Boy! What are you doing?!" Baron placed his hand onto my back, but It was knocked away by my hand with enough force to send him flying across the ground.


    "Ian what''s wrong?!"Ellie exclaimed as she was about to touch me.


    "Don''t! He''s doing it again! Something like this happened several days ago!"Fay said while glancing back as she continued to focus on the shield.


    "But...he" Ellie halted the advance of her hand, but she became extremely concerned for the boy.


    "Stop! Stop! Please Stop!!"The images became even more intense and vivid that I even started to slam my head against the ground with enough force to draw blood.


    "Stop? Me? Hahahaha I''ll stop when I WANT TO!!!".Tolbert shouted.


    "POWER! I DEMAND POWER!!" I shouted as I instantly stood up and dashed madly toward Tolbert.


    "Oh? Coming straight for me? Are you an idiot?!"Tolbert instantly stretched both of its arms towards me as if they were made out of flubber.


    "Ian!" Ellie was the first to react as she gripped her chakrams tightly before throwing them into the air. She willed her power over the wind to spin the chakrams at insane speeds. The speed was enough to form a twister in front of her, blocking the oncoming sludge.If you come across this story on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen from Royal Road. Please report it.


    "Fay protect Baron!" Vivian instantly leaped out of the shield, tackling me onto the ground.


    "Wake up, Ian! Wake up!"Vivian started to shake me, but I continued to squirm underneath her as my killing intent spreads out.


    "Power-"


    Vivian raised her right hand, "Snap out of it!!" She smacked my cheek with enough force to rouse me from my unusual state. "What is wrong with you?!"


    "I don''t..." I couldn''t remember anything anymore, but tears started to fall from my eyes as I gazed up at Vivian.


    "Hahahaha! Oh my, this is simply entertaining! But, unfortunately...I need to end this here!!"Tolbert''s eyes exposed a deadly glint as he started to use even more of his sludge, overpowering Ellie in an instant.


    "Ahh!" Ellie was blown out of her wheelchair from the force of her own wind.


    "Ellie!" My eyes instantly turned multi-colored again as I slid out from underneath Vivian to catch Ellie. However, Vivian acted before me and caught Ellie in mid-air.


    "T-thank you..." Ellie sighed in relief as she was immediately brought back to her wheelchair.


    Vivian pushed Ellie behind me in her wheelchair before she stands in front of us, "Ian just stand behind me and watch me crush this bastard again!"


    "I''ll make sure that you stay dead this time!" Vivian clenched her fists tightly as she started to get a bit more serious. The ground beneath her feet began cracking under the pressure of her increasing strength.


    "Hmm...I noticed I killed quite a few merchants who were my main suppliers.....Maybe I should track down that cyan-haired bitch to bless more people to get fruit. Maybe the Imperials know something about it." Tolbert said as he talked to himself despite the situation he was in currently.


    "Huh?.." Vivian instantly thought of the only person they have seen with cyan-colored hair.


    Thirteen years in the past/Vivian''s POV-------


    I found myself putting on the new clothes in the fastest amount of time, rushing out of the door.


    "What am I doing?" I sighed as I made my way down the small hallway, and immediately I start smelling something delicious.


    "Oh..." My stomach growled as I got closer to the source of the smell. I turned to the right at the end of the hallway, and I would see a variety of food on an ordinary wooden table. The cyan-haired woman was in the process of laying tableware down.


    "Oh, There you are! Come have a seat."The woman smiled as I cautiously moved over to the table. I observed my surroundings and noticed everything was just like the room from earlier.


    Simple but cozy.


    I still didn''t quite understand why I was ignoring all my training of being in an unfamiliar area. However, the woman before me made me at ease.


    I gazed upon the different kinds of vibrant food as my nose was hit with a combination of lovely smells. The presentation was also simple, but I could already feel saliva dripping from lips..


    "Go on. You can eat,"The woman said as I nodded.


    I gulped a mouthful of air as I grabbed a fork, digging it into a piece of steak, lifting the entire thing to my mouth to eat. The gorgeous woman laughed at the way I grabbed the steak, but I disregard her as I take a small bite.


    "Mm..."


    The cooked meat had been so juicy and tender that it simply disappeared before I even realized. The flavor of the steak was a bit smoky, and it hid a nice kick of spiciness underneath although I tasted something else just from that little bit.


    It was care. The main thing I tasted from the small bite was care!


    "Ah..."Tears started to fall from my eyes uncontrollably as I could feel the amount of care the woman put into it. I began to eat more and more of the steak until nothing was left as I continued crying.


    I reached for the other food to experience even more of this feeling welling inside of me. In no time at all, I would clear the entire table as if I never ate before. After I had finished, the woman brought me a single slice of pie on a plate.


    "What''s this?" I asked as a gazed at the pie. The sight of alone stirred my appetite.


    "Oh, It''s a pie I made with the Chinmoy fruit. I grow them outside."The woman pointed to the right side of me where there was a moderate sized window on the wall. I peered outside to see several tall trees bearing unique looking red fruit, and one thing that I also noticed was that parts of the tree were purple.


    I have had long since calm down from earlier as I turn my attention back to the pie. I believed I made a fool of myself in front of the woman earlier, but she only gently caressed my head which helped me stopped crying.


    (I won''t cry this time!)


    "Here it goes..." I slowly took a bite of the pie, and the effect from eating the food earlier was even stronger. I started feeling warmth spread throughout my body as I was choking back my tears. I felt as if I was bathing in the gentle rays of the warm sun.


    Eventually, my inner emotions started showing as I began crying again.


    I instantly turned towards the woman, "Wuu.....W-why... are you so nice to me?"


    The woman showed a complicated smile as she wrapped her arms around me.


    "It''s all my fault. I wasn''t strong enough to protect...."She cut herself off mid-sentence as her arms tightened around me and I even felt her tremble for just a moment.


    I immediately wrapped my arms back around her to tell her that it''s okay even though I didn''t quite understand what she meant.


    "Would you like to stay here with me?" The woman asked as she nudged me away gently, her hands clasping onto my shoulders.


    "Stay?"


    "Mhm....with me here. I promise you will never have to experience such pain ever again. I''ll protect you. Wouldn''t that be nice?"


    I suddenly blurted out, "Mom..I.."


    My cheeks instantly turn bright red as I became embarrassed. I already had a mother, but the cyan-haired woman felt more like a proper mother than my own just after several hours of interacting with her.


    "Hehe..It''s ok you can call me mom."The woman smiled with a warmth that was even more effective than the pie I just ate.


    "Mom..I''ll stay!" I hugged the woman tightly again as I felt as if I was flying. Today was the day that I felt the most emotion that I have ever felt in my 12 years of life.


    The woman started to think as she glanced down at the little girl hugging her chest so tightly. "Oh, please forgive me, Vivian..." She thought as a single tear fell from her eye.


    Meanwhile in the present/Vivian''s POV------


    Many things started to make sense, but also a few other questions formed in my head.


    (However, one thing is for sure, that piece of shit insulted my mom!)


    "How dare you...." I mumbled under my breath.


    "No way I''m fighting too!!"Ian stood firmly beside me. He was angry at himself for being so useless and wanted to prove to himself that he wasn''t by standing his ground.


    "LISTEN TO ME YOU BRAT! THIS IS MY FIGHT", I snapped as my eyes were glinting with a fierceness that made Ian stand back. The ground beneath me started to cave in as I became even angrier.


    Ian silently gazed at Vivian before walking back to Ellie. His back was drenched in sweat from the scare.


    I nodded my head as Ian was out of the way and turned back towards Tolbert,"YOU ARE GOING TO DIE!" I shouted at the top of my lungs as the air around me seemed to tremble in fear from the amount of power I was generating.


    "FIST OF THE RAGING TORRENT!!"

 Chapter 27 Unexpected!

    Vivian''s POV-----


    I moved as if I was a blur, only reappearing when I was directly in front of Tolbert. I clenched my right fist as tight as I could and released all my stored power into a fierce uppercut!


    "WHAT?!" Tolbert didn''t even have time to react as his body was being lifted into the air by an incredible force of power.


    "GO TO HELL!!" I increased the power I was using until countless blue particles appeared, forming a pillar of light that completely engulfed Tolbert''s body.


    The beautiful sight made the people of Renhart stop and gaze upon it in awe. The light could even be seen by people hundreds of miles away!


    "EEEEEAAAAAAH!!!"


    I could only hear a distorted scream of Tolbert as pieces of him scattered all over the rubble of his mansion.


    Before long the pillar of dazzling light disappeared just like it appeared.


    I stood there completely still as I gazed up at the clear sapphire sky. My right arm became utterly numb after that attack and would simply hang at my side as if it was broken. I start to wonder why I haven''t seen my mother for over five years now. One day she just left me alone in that house and never returned.


    No note or signs of a violent struggle.


    Nothing was found even after months of searching.


    "Mom...Where are you now?" I softly mumbled as I instantly lose all feeling in my body, and started to fall backward.


    "Vivian!" Ian shouted just as he dashed over to me catching me right before I hit the ground.


    Ian''s POV-------


    The woman I held in my arms looked so fragile for a moment as I quickly come to a conclusion of what power she was using.


    "Soul force...you use soul force don''t you, Vivian?" I studied her move just now and quickly realized that it wasn''t magic.


    (So she can''t use magic either?)


    "Hahaha. I don''t experience anything like the captain does if that is what you are wondering. I learned how to use it from my mom. She told me that I have a special physique that can take the strain if I practice but...I usually only cook. So..."


    "Oh, that makes a little more sense. Who was your mom exactly?" I curiously asked


    Tears began to form in Vivian''s eyes as she spoke, "To be completely honest with you...I''m, not sure. She taught me how to cook...How to take care of myself...and how to love. Then she disappeared..."


    "Your mom really sounds like an amazing woman. I''m sure she is still out there," Ellie said as she placed a hand on Vivian''s shoulder.


    "Yeah! Maybe we could meet her someday!"Fay added in as she flew onto my head, pumping her little arms into the air.


    Vivian smiled, "Hah...I would really love to introduce h..."


    "Oh, such a touching scene...I feel like I could cry...Hahahahah!!"


    I instantly froze as I heard the familiar distorted voice in front of us.


    It was Tolbert again! He was still alive!


    He gathered all his pieces together while we were talking to Vivian.


    Tolbert stood in front of us as if the critical damage from earlier didn''t happen at all.


    "How are you!-" I barely had time to mutter one sentence before I found myself being swallowed by Tolbert along with the others.


    I struggled as I started to suffocate inside and soon everything turned black.


    "Now to deal with you, Baron!" Tolbert shouted as he turned towards the old man.


    "Ah!"Baron shrieked as he fell backward onto his bottom, and stared at the terrifying Tolbert.


    "Wait...WAIT I have to know what you have done with my daughter first!"


    "Your daughter? You had one?..." Tolbert asked as he thought for a moment.


    "Oooh! Now I remember! You did have a daughter! Hahaha! What do you think happened to your daughter?"Tolbert sneered with a smile.


    "Y-you ate her BASTAAARD??!" Tears instantly started to fall down Baron''s cheeks as he stood up. He couldn''t believe it that she was gone. Ah! How dare he?! How dare he do such a thing to my lovely Sera!!!


    Baron pulled out a small pistol out from underneath the vest he always wore and pointed it at Tolbert.


    "A gun? Are you going to kill me with that? Go ahead and try!!" Tolbert laughed with a wide grin that exposed all of his teeth.


    *Bang! Bang! Bang! Bang!*


    Baron fired the pistol until he emptied gun chamber. However, he continued pulling the trigger as he didn''t even notice he was out.


    "Aaaaaaah! My daughter! Give her back!!" Baron shouted as he continued to pull the trigger of the gun, but of course, it was still empty.


    "Hmm...This is getting boring now. I''ll just finish you off!!!-"


    "N-no..."Tolbert stared wide-eyed at the old man in front of him as he felt his life slipping away at that very moment.


    "T-those bullets?" Tolbert''s said as his last words before his body was dissected into pieces, completely obliterating his core. (Author Note: He essentially is a slime.) He had no chance of regenerating ever again.This story originates from Royal Road. Ensure the author gets the support they deserve by reading it there.


    We found ourselves gasping for air on the ground after the sudden disappearance of Tolbert. as we coughed uncontrollably.


    "Cough....cough..cough W-what happened? Ugh, this is so sick!" I fought the urge to vomit, as I slowly stood up onto my feet.


    "I-I did it?.." Baron said as he was quite skeptical because it was only an old pistol he kept from his army days. Nothing special about it and yet Tolbert died for real this time.


    "Sera.," Baron muttered as he dropped the pistol onto the ground fell to his knees. Tears continued to flow from his eyes as he started to wail like a baby. He finally had closure, but still, he had lost his daughter.


    I looked around after regaining my senses and immediately felt someone else was here.


    "That feeling again..."


    "Cough...I smell so baaad!!" Ellie complained as she crawled over to her wheelchair that was nearby, hoisting her self into it.


    "Uzo?" Vivian said just as I caught a glimpse of an unfamiliar man dressed in completely black hoisting Vivian onto his back.


    "Who?!" I was about to leap at the man until I saw a giant golden Axe Lion symbol embroidered onto the unfamiliar man''s jacket.


    "Uzo?" I said as I glanced at the man.


    (I don''t remember seeing him on the boat..and I know everybody there..)


    "We need to leave now," Uzo said coldly.


    "Huh?" I wiped off as much sludge as I could off my body as I walk over to him.


    "We! Need- to-leave-now!"Uzo shouted as he started to get annoyed after repeating himself. He even began to release a bit of his killing intent.


    "Who do you think you are?!" My eyes turn multi-colored as I was about to raise my hand.


    "Stop! Do as he says. Uzo outranks you and me, Ian."Vivian weakly said.


    "Really?" I looked over to Fay who was shaking off the disgusting sludge that was covering her wings.


    "Yup... she is right. " Fay was finally able to fly again, and she flew over to my head to try to hide away from Uzo. "Why did you send him captain?!" She thought as she spat with disgust.


    "But why do we need to go?" Ellie asked as she wheeled herself over to me.


    "No time just go!" Uzo started running as if he was the wind itself. He didn''t seem hindered at all even though he was carrying Vivian on his back.


    "H-hey! Ellie let''s go!" I shouted as I placed my hands on the handles of Ellie''s wheelchair and started to push her forward.


    "I''m sorry old man. If we have a chance...Then we will come to visit you!"


    "W-wait!" Baron snapped out of his state as he sees us run past him.


    "Ow!" Baron suddenly found himself rubbing his cheek in pain. Although it only hurt for a moment. "What stung me?" He thought as he looked around for a bug.


    "That''s for hitting Ian earlier! Bleh!" Fay said as she stuck out her little tongue. She had struck his face with her little foot before catching up with us.


    "I didn''t think you were the type to hold grudges," I said with a smile.


    "Well, I didn''t think you were the type to be completely useless!" Fay said right before she slid into the inner pocket of my jacket.


    "What the..." I became wide-eyed as I continued to run. Fay was never the type to be mean to anyone. She was a violent little fairy, but she always was friendly.


    (Does it have something to do with that guy Uzo?)


    "Ian. We aren''t catching up to that guy! He is going to fast!"Ellie pointed forward just as I see Uzo getting farther and farther away.


    I was already going as fast as I could, and I knew if I exerted my powers one more time then I''ll pass out.


    "Get in my lap..., "Ellie softly said as she broke my train of thought.


    "Huh?"


    "I said get in my lap!!" Ellie shouted as her cheeks started to turn red. I can''t believe I''m about to do this!


    "Oh...Haha."


    "Ian! Now!"


    "F-fine!" I groaned as I stopped pushing Ellie and walked in front of her. I could only stare at her face blankly as my cheeks rapidly heated.


    (Am I really about to do this?)


    "Ian, I can barely see them now!" Ellie shouted as she looked ahead.


    I grit my teeth as I gradually slide into Ellie''s lap as if she was a chair.


    "Not like that! Sideways!"Ellie''s face turned completely red as I looked back at her.


    "But...That''s a princess carry?" I said before I laughed awkwardly.


    Ellie started to growl at me threateningly before I quickly turned sideways, wrapping my arms around Ellie''s neck.


    "Good...Hold tight. " Ellie started to focus as she started to use her power over the wind to move us forward.


    I quickly figured out what she wanted to do, "W-wait you-"


    *Woooooooossh!!!*


    Ellie used her powers at maximum in an instant, propelling us forward at insane speeds. I could barely open my eyes from how fast we were going down the streets of Renhart.


    It was like a simplified version of the booster on the Gaultier!


    "What''s happening!!!" Fay screamed from my pocket.


    "Ahhh!"


    "What was that?!"


    "Eeep!"


    (Author note: Rolling around at the speed of sound!..I''ll stop...) Anyone seeing us coming would jump out of the way before they were hit. I found myself apologizing to all the people that received minor injuries because of this reckless action.


    "Ellie, I see them!" I laughed as I finally caught a glimpse of Uzo and Vivian. We were coming up on them fast!


    "..."


    "Ellie?" I look up to see that Ellie was passed out. She seemed to have overexerted herself as she was still quite tired from earlier.


    "Shit she was the driver!!!" I screamed as I started to panic.


    Our incredible momentum didn''t stop at all even with Ellie passed out. Soon we ended up passing Uzo and Vivian.


    "Ahhhh!"


    "Ian?" Vivian furrowed her brows as she witnesses the boy screaming his head off as they were about to exit the city.


    "Wait! The hills!"Vivian shouted a second too late as she caught a glimpse of a flying wheelchair.


    I was momentarily stunned as we were now airborne for what felt like an eternity. The wind flowing through my hair actually felt quite nice.


    Soon after that moment. I fainted.


    Hours later-------


    "Ohh..."I slowly rose from a bed, rubbing my eyes as I looked around the room.


    "Huh...My room?..."I jumped out of my bed to find out that I was half-naked. I rapidly put on my usual clothes before heading out. I would see Ellie coming out of her cabin with the same look I had on my face.


    "What happened?"Ellie asked as she rubbed her eyes.


    "I''m not sure..." I yawned as I started to stretch my arms.


    "Ah, I was just about to come to wake you two up." I looked to see Derek walking down the hallway with his usual smirk on his face. Fay was also flying close behind.


    "So, we are on the ship..."


    "Yep, and it''s night time already," Fay smiled as she flew to the usual spot on my head.


    "Well, you seem better now?" I looked up at Fay.


    "Let''s not talk about that~," Fay said as she leaked murderous intent for a moment.


    "Uh...Noted."


    "Right let''s go talk in the mess hall. The captain is waiting for you."Derek laughed as he walked off towards the mess hall.


    "What''s so funny...?" I scratched the back of my head.


    "Fay, what happened to us?"Ellie asked.


    "Well..."


    Fay told us the complete story. Apparently, I jumped out of the wheelchair midway down and took Ellie into my arms before the wheelchair smashed into the ground. Uzo was able to carry all three of us back to the Gaultier where we were cleaned up and put into bed.


    "I must have used my powers and immediately passed out without knowing..." I pondered for a moment and had a vague feeling of that happening.


    "So, that''s why I''m in my old wheelchair now..." Ellie sighed a bit as she had genuinely liked the new wheelchair she had.


    "But...who cleaned me?" Ellie suddenly asked as she blushed.


    "Don''t worry about it. We had a girl do it! Also, our repair guy said he would have a new and improved one in a couple of days!"Fay said as she showed a thumbs up.


    "Phew!... But who was that Uzo guy really? I know I''m new and all...But there was nothing mentioned about him?" Ellie asked as she rubbed her chin.


    Fay''s mood immediately darkened after she heard the name, "Uzo....he.."


    "Is none of your business," Uzo said as he suddenly appeared beside Ellie.


    "Eeek!" Ellie jumped slightly from the sudden appearance of Uzo.


    "You.." Uzo gradually walked over to me.


    "What?" I slowly back up as Uzo gazed at me while inadvertently releasing his killing intent.


    But suddenly Uzo lowered his head in front of me, "You...How did you get so intimate with the goddess?"


    "Huh?" I stared at him dumbfounded as Fay started to groan in annoyance.


    Uzo looked up at me solemnly, "Don''t be stupid. I''m naturally talking about the goddess on top of your head!"


    "Huh..."


    (What is this guy''s problem!)

 Chapter 28 Make A Wish

    I stared at Uzo dumbfounded for quite sometime before Fay told me just to disregard him. And I didn''t argue at all with that suggestion. Apparently, Uzo deemed Fay the most adorable thing he ever set eyes on and called her goddess ever since their first meeting.


    (I guess you really can''t judge a character from just the surface..)


    "G-goddess wait!" Uzo said as quickly followed us as we moved towards the mess hall.


    Fay frowned as she crossed her arms, "Hmmph! Just go ahead and disappear from my sight already!"


    "Ah...Yes...Goddess..."Uzo sighed sorrowfully, but not before he glared at me.


    (What did I do?!)


    We would ultimately make it to the mess hall, and everyone else was already eating their fill.


    "I guess Vivian should be better now..." I said as I looked around with a smile on my face. The usual scene brought happiness to my soul


    "But...How did we get supplies? I don''t remember seeing Vivian bringing anything back?"Ellie asked as she looked up at me.


    "Ah...you didn''t know what that tiny cube was? The one that captain gave to her before we left? (Author Note: Chapter 20)


    "Ah? What is that used for?"Ellie asked just as Vivian spotted us three entering the mess hall.


    Vivian overheard the conversation as she walked over, "It''s something a controlled space that we can place items into and pull them out later. We call it the Toerana cube."


    Vivian''s right arm was bandaged up, but other than that she was quite chipper after all the happenings today. She was even well enough to cook for the crew with several of her helpers sufficiently.


    Vivian pulled the little silver cube out of her pouch and gently tapped it twice with her finger.


    *Zzzii*


    The specific section Vivian tapped opened like a sliding door, and instantly a 3-D view of a small galaxy appeared.


    "Woah...."Ellie''s eyes brighten as she looks at the small spinning galaxy. The small galaxy spun in circles as several different colored stars all merged like a perfect picture. It was quite a sight.


    Vivian gradually places her hand through the galaxy, and her hand disappeared for a moment.


    "Watch closely," Vivian said as she gradually pulled her arm back, and in her hand was now a red fruit. Once she pulled the fruit out, the cube instantly closed. Vivian brightly smiled as she held the fruit in her hand.


    "Chinmoy fruit?!"Ellie asked excitedly.


    "Yes! Uzo was able to swipe a few for me..."Vivian was smiling from ear to ear as tears formed in the corner of her eyes.


    (Huh so he is actually nice?)


    "I''m happy for you Vivian. I''ll expect a delicious pie?"I asked with a smile.


    Vivian hastily wiped her tears away, "You can count on it!"


    "How much does that cube hold anyways?" Ellie asked.


    "Well, this particular one can typically hold around...I say 300 pounds, but we have the old edition...Captain says that there are better ones, but they are only manufactured in the planet Levene. It''s a super-advanced planet compared to the surrounding ones, and they are constantly pushing out new technology."Vivian said


    "Maybe the people there can fix this ship. Preferably the ship''s system." I cheekily said.


    "Gahahaha! I heard that! Do you want a beating now or later, boy?"Liam said as he appeared in front of me, cracking his knuckles as he smirked.The author''s tale has been misappropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon.


    "Haha..." I shrank back in fear.


    Liam suddenly laughed as he placed his arms around me, "Jokes aside. I heard what happened from Vivian. I knew you were a hot-blooded warrior! Gahahaha!"


    (I wasn''t really trying to...)


    I could only smile as Liam continued to laugh. "Oh...Ian. I''m not quite sure what''s going on with you.." Liam thought as he glanced at me. He was genuinely happy that I started to act like his captain, but he suppressed his real worries behind his laughter. Vivian told him how Ian was in the bizarre state once again, but it seemed even more intense. Liam made a mental note of it before returning to the main task at hand.


    Soon we were all eating happily at a table as we talked about random topics. I could sense someone''s eyes on me from time to time, but now it wasn''t even a mystery as I knew it was Uzo.


    (How long is he going to stare?)


    I sighed as I continued to eat before Liam started talking about our next obstacle before making it into Myra''s Ocean.


    "So, we will soon be in Imperial territory. Our destination is Myra''s ocean and of course, it''s guarded by the Imperials with their city near it."


    Liam held up two fingers in the air, "Two weeks we need to reach Myra''s Ocean so that Ian can meet the Overlord of this planet."


    Derek pulled out a map, pointing to a specific spot on it."I came up with a plan for us to sneak past the Imperial''s using an abandoned cave. There is a flowing river deep enough to let the ship past through but..."


    I examined the map and saw how the cave leads straight towards Myra''s Ocean.


    However...


    "Arin''s Cave...That''s almost over 100 miles long...Why was it abandoned?"I asked.


    Derek smiled wryly, "Well...It recently was infested with...Zersiks..."


    Suddenly everyone in the mess hall became silent and stared at Derek.


    I immediately stand up from my seat, "Are you kidding me?! Fuck...Do you want us to die?!"


    "I even know that you don''t mess with Zersiks..." Ellie said as her body trembled slightly in fear.


    Zersiks were nocturnal creatures, and due to their nature, they were known to torture their prey before devouring their flesh. A wild species of spiders that were about the size of a horse with little rows of formidable teeth that cut like knives. Always run when you see a glimpse of these green-eyed arachnids because there were sure to be several others close behind.


    Fay pumped her fist into the air, "It''s just a few spiders! You have captain and me to protect you."


    "Gahahaha! What''s a measly spider going to do when you have overwhelming strength?"Liam said as he pounded his broad chest with his fist. His warrior spirit was burning for another fight.


    "In fact, we are already headed there. No turning back now!"


    (Is there a way to relinquish my powers? I suddenly don''t want this responsibility anymore!!)


    We continued talking about it through the night.


    Meanwhile in the outskirts of the Imperial city Xalphor------


    A group of the Imperial army stood attention out in the vast open plains just outside their industrial city. Each typical soldier held a portable lamp powered by magic to see their surroundings as they were waiting for a particular person to arrive.


    Alexis displayed a complicated expression on her face as she looked up at the beautiful night sky. The visible stars were dazzling, and the way they were arranged looks as if they were part of a painting.


    The cold breeze kept Alexis alert as they were tasked to greet a superior who should be landing on this planet soon.


    "Captain. I see it."One soldier said as he spotted a dazzling blue shooting star with his telescope shooting through the sky. If one didn''t know any better, then they would be making a wish. However, the Imperials knew all to well that it wasn''t a star, but a space pod. And it seemed to be headed directly for them!


    Alexis nodded knowingly as she sighed softly. She then turned to the right side of her where a young brown-haired girl stood. She looked to be 14, but she exerted the aura of a veteran soldier from her petite body.


    The girl was wearing a thin black Imperial uniform with a rapier strapped to her hip. If the girl were wearing regular clothes, then one would think that she was a doll as her greenish eyes showed no signs of emotion.


    "....Sera you will be the one to attend our superior. Do not disappoint me."Alexis said solemnly.


    "Yes...Captain."Sera nodded just as the pod slammed into the surface of the planet just several miles away from them!


    *Boooom!*


    The pod instantly made a deep hole in the ground as the grass surrounding it was set ablaze.


    The silvery pod was big enough for one person, and it was painstakingly built for speed. The person could cut the amount of time to reach a faraway planet in half while being in cold sleep through space.


    (A\N: Last time on Dragon Ball Z! The Saiyans...Nevermind)


    The hatch gradually opened and out came a giant of a man. The short crimson-haired man stood at 7 ft tall with muscles that had long achieved the state of perfection. Years and years of fierce battle forged those incredible muscles.


    The extraordinary man was wearing a bright red Imperial uniform but with slight variations. His arm sleeves were ripped clean off, and the man didn''t even bother to button up the shirt, exposing a scary-looking scar that stretched across his mighty chest.


    "Alois..." Alexis mumbled underneath her breath as she clenched her fist.


    The man named as Alois casually walked through the fire that was caused by the impact, and suddenly the flames disappeared.


    "Magic..." One soldier said with envy as his knees started to buckle.


    The Imperial soldiers who have been through hundreds of battles couldn''t help but shiver in terror as they felt the unbelievable killing intent coming off of the man.


    Alois finally reached the group after several moments. He looked straight at Alexis with his cold green eyes. Several moments of silence had ensued before he asked with a composed face, "Where is my brother?"

 Chapter 29 A Contest

    Today started as a typical day. One where the sun was shining gloriously and a refreshing gentle breeze tickled my nose with the scent of the salty ocean.


    I was performing my regular job as a lookout, and currently, after hours of being up there, nothing was happening.


    I sighed softly, "Oh, man. How far is it to Arin''s cave again? I really want to get there already."


    "Mmm, ~ Derek said it''s going to be at least a week if nothing happens!"Fay answered as she was sitting on the edge of the crow''s nest. I started to get used to having her around all the time that I even started talking to her without looking. It seemed that Fay was going to be around me forever.


    (Damn it...)


    "I''m actually hoping something happens." I groaned as I looked through my telescope once more and all I could see was the boundless ocean. We were traveling the Gayle Ocean, the supposed territory of the Imperials. However, we haven''t come across a single Imperial battleship.


    (Odd...)


    Once I established that there was nothing else to see I then leaned back against the side of the crow''s nest, and closed my eyes to relax.


    (Mmm...Well, I suppose days like these have their own charm..)


    However, my relaxation time was cut short.


    "Drop Anchor!!!" Liam shouted, and instantly several crew members worked to drop the anchor while we were in the middle of the ocean.


    "Hm?" I had opened my eyes before I decided to jump out of the crow''s nest with Fay flying close behind.


    I landed right in front of Liam, "What is it, captain? Why did we stop?"


    "I figured after a long day of being in the crow''s nest. You would want to stretch your limbs a bit. So, I decided to hold a contest for the crew!"Liam said as he pounded his chest.


    "A contest? Captain no offense, but we are in the middle of Imperial territory. " Derek chimed in as he walked over to us.


    "Right we n-.."


    Fay clenched her fists as she flew on top of my head, "A contest of strength and will?! Fists against fists. Crushing your opponents under your feet as they beg for mercy! Count me in!"Fay''s eyes seemed to shine with a ferocious light.


    "Really? I''m not sure if you will be able to," I said as I looked up at Fay.


    Fay puffed out her cheeks as she instantly flew in front of my face, "No way! Of course, I can join the contest!"


    "And I say no you can''t!"


    "Yes, I can!"


    "NO, YOU CAN''T!"


    "YES, I CAN!!!"


    "Wait, why am I arguing with you?!"


    Liam clapped his hands together, signaling us to calm down, "Gahahaha! It''s not a fighting contest!"


    "It''s not?" Fay and I asked at the same time.


    "Nope! It''s a fishing contest!"


    "Huh?" I stared at Liam as he grinned.


    Liam explained to us that around this area lives a species of fish called the Ofiira Fish. The fish are hard to catch as they seem to break ordinary fishing lines because of their mighty jaws.


    "Aww...I was hoping for a fighting contest..."Fay pouted as she laid down on my head.


    "Gahahaha! Trust me! It''s going to be fun. These fish are built tough. Also, there is a prize waiting for the person with the heaviest fish!"


    "Prize?!"Fay''s eyes lit up like a firecracker.


    "It''s a secret! But I promise you that it will be worth it!"Liam pounded his chest with confidence.


    "What''s this about a fishing contest?" Ellie asked as she happened to overhear the conversation when she was pushed up to the main deck by Vivian.


    "Oh...We are around that area. I would love frying some of those fish. They become really tender and juicy if prepared right. I think we have some spices on the ship I can work with."Vivian said.


    "Gahaha! Yes, that would be amazing, but they would need to catch them first!" Liam shouted.


    "Alright! You heard the man! Fishing contest! Bring out the poles!"Derek yelled.


    The crew members scrambled for the fishing poles as if their very lives depended on it, but still...


    "Derek, what happened to it not being a great idea to stop?" I asked.


    "What idea? I didn''t say anything."Derek started to whistle as he walked away, but I quickly grabbed him by his shirt before he could escape.


    "Let me go kid! I need to catch as many fish as I can!"Derek struggled to get away, but I have always been physically stronger than him.


    "Derek! Tell the captain this isn''t a good idea!"


    (I can''t just stop here...I need to get stronger! If an Overlord can make me stronger then...I need to get to Myra''s Ocean as soon as possible!)


    "I don''t know. I''m kind of hoping for the fishing contest I would love to eat them!"Ellie smiled.


    "Huh?" I looked over at Ellie as I continued holding onto Derek who was still trying to get away.


    "Yeah, I mean...Haven''t you had Ofiira fish before? It''s supposedly the best fish you could eat on this planet, but seeing how it is hard to catch them...It''s not eaten very often."


    "Oooohooo...." I looked back towards Derek with a smirk on my face, "I see...You just want to fill your stomach!"


    Derek slumped over in shame.


    I then glared at Liam, "And you captain! You are only using the fishing contest to make it sound more righteous then satisfying your hunger!"Ensure your favorite authors get the support they deserve. Read this novel on the original website.


    "Gahahaha!....That...is uh...."Liam sighed as he looked down, but it only took several seconds for him to become excited again.


    "BUT still there is a prize for the winner with the most caught fish! I''ll have you know that eating this fish comes second when compared to the prize!"


    "Come on Ian. Let''s do the contest. It will be fun" Ellie said as everyone around me seemed to look at me with sparkling eyes.


    (Well...I did say I wanted something to happen...But...I)


    "Yeah! Listen to your lo...Ah!! WHAT THE HELL KID!" Derek shouted as I threw him down onto the deck. He then rubbed his slightly red face in pain.


    I sighed as I shrugged my shoulders, "Fine...Let''s do this..."


    "Hurray!" Everyone shouted


    A few minutes later everyone was geared up to fish, and we all selected various spots to stand at on the ship. However, the most important question comes to mind...


    "How do we catch them if they break normal lines?" I asked.


    Liam raised one of the fishing poles into the air and started to pull on the line, "Gahaha! Well, if you look closely at your fishing line. You can tell it is made out of a more durable-"


    *Snap*


    "Ma...terial..." Liam actually snapped the fishing line in half with his casual strength!


    "..." Liam rapidly became disheartened after he had severed the fishing line. He was looking forward to fishing too, and the lines weren''t easily made.


    "If the fish are weaker than you then it should be fine," Derek said as he noticed the fishing line break only couple seconds after Liam pulled on it.


    "....Gahahaha! Right! Alright, let''s get this fishing contest underway! Ready...GO!"


    The entire crew cheered as they flung their lures into the calm ocean with various kinds of bait that they thought would attract the fish. Liam mentioned something about stretching my limbs, but you really only move when you hook a fish!


    Two hours would go by without a single bite, and few of the crew members called it quits before returning to their normal duties. But one was a bit more determined to catch the fish...


    "Come on fish! Grab the line!!" Fay said as she stood on top of my head. She wasn''t big enough to hold a fishing pole, so she decided to team up with me.


    "Fay..if anything you are making the fish go away!"


    "But its already been two hours!"


    "Yeah...AND YOU have BEEN SCREAMING THE SAME THING FOR TWO HOURS!"I gritted my teeth in anger as I was rapidly losing my patience.


    (Saying yes to this contest was a mistake! We should be heading towards Arin''s Cave. NOT wasting our time!)


    "Oh...I"m sorry," Fay said as her eyes began to tear up slightly.


    "YOU! APOLOGIZE!"Uzo suddenly appeared in front of me with the end of his sword pointed at my neck.


    "You...Why don''t you just get that out my face?"My eyes instantly turned multi-colored as I glared at Uzo.


    "Apologize!"Uzo glared back while he started to release a bit of his killing intent.


    "W-wait Ian..."Fay said as she flew in front of me.


    "And...I said get that...OUT OF MY FACE!!!"I instantly tackled Uzo down onto the deck without any regard to his blade, immediately dropping my fishing pole onto the wooden floor. The sudden tackle forced Uzo to drop his sword, and we started throwing punches at each other as we rolled across the deck.


    *Bam!*


    Uzo managed to deliver a good punch to my face which drew blood, and I was momentarily stunned by the hit. Once I realized what happened, I started to become furious!


    "Damn you!" My multi-colored eyes brighten as I released my killing intent.


    "Apologize to the goddess, useless brat!" Uzo shouted as he struggled to break free from my grasp.


    "Ian stop!!"


    "Go to hell!!" I ignored Ellie as I raised my arm to send a punch toward Uzo''s face, but I was instead sent flying towards the mainmast.


    Uzo used his powerful feet to knock me off.


    *Thud!*


    "Ugh!...Bastard!!" I groaned in considerable pain as my back slammed into the thick wooden pillar. However, it didn''t keep me down for long as I would leap at Uzo who was already back on his feet.


    "Di-" I was suddenly stopped mid-leap by Liam. He caught hold of the collar of my shirt and held on tight.


    "..Take your hands off of me!!"I madly struggled to get out of his grip, but his grip wouldn''t loosen up at all.


    "Grr...TAKE YOU-"


    "IAN!"


    I suddenly stopped struggling with a single shout of my name. I looked back at Liam whose face was filled with rage, and his killing intent spreads throughout the entire ship, making everyone freeze in fear.


    "...Captain.."I instantly return to normal as I looked down in shame.


    "Uzo....I''ll talk to you later..."Liam glared at Uzo with a ferociousness that made his knees buckle in fear


    "Yes...Captain.." Uzo muttered as he quickly disappeared into the unknown.


    "Everyone return to your normal duties! The contest is over!"Liam said solemnly, and although people were upset, none would disagree to his orders.


    "Ian..." Liam rapidly calmed down as he looked at the boy. Even though he praised the boy for being hot-blooded yesterday, he witnessed first hand what the "Eyes of Enzo" has done to him. Is there something wrong with the power his captain wielded, and he simply didn''t know about it?


    "I''m sorry captain....I...Hm?"I instantly noticed that the reel on the fishing pole I dropped started to move!


    Liam loosened his grip enough for me to get away and I dashed over to the pole. I immediately grabbed hold of the handle before it was pulled overboard, and pulled up on it with all my might!


    "You got a bite!"Fay said cheerfully.


    "It''s so heavy!!"I struggled to pull the fish closer to the ship, but it looked like the line wasn''t breaking. I still had a chance!


    "Come on!"Fay cheered for me as she forgot about my outburst from earlier.


    Several minutes rapidly went by as sweat started to appear on my brow from concentrating.


    "You can do it, Ian!" Ellie said as she pumped her arms into the air.


    "I''ll cook the best pieces of it for you if you catch it!" Vivian shouted.


    "You can do it, kid!" Derek said as he was practically drooling with anticipation. He wasn''t a glutton, but this fish was the Ofiira fish!


    My eyes instantly turned multi-colored once again as I use every bit of strength to pull the fish out of the water!


    *Swish!*


    My eyes widened as I saw the beast of a fish flapping wildly in the air. The fish was over 7ft long, and its entire body was covered with bright red scales! The jaw looked especially ferocious, and one might lose a finger or two just from a single snap of it!


    "No wonder normal lines don''t work...And what did this guy eat?!" I could tell from the tension of the line...It had to be over 1,000 pounds!


    "I''m not sure...but let''s eat it!!"Derek said as he was already thinking with his stomach. (A/N Oh how the mighty have fallen...Even an intellectual will bow before delicious food.)


    *Snap!*


    The fishing pole started to crack from the sheer weight of the fish, and I could already see it falling back into the ocean!


    "Oh no, you don''t!" Liam said as he instantly grabbed the fish with a single hand and threw it onto the deck.


    The fish madly flapped its body to escape until...


    "Oh wow...look how strong you are..."Vivian giggled as she slid her finger across the fish''s scales. Her eyes burned with the will to cook, releasing a pressure that was similar to killing intent. The fish instantly stopped moving under the pressure.


    It knew that it has truly been caught...


    After the incident, Liam would call for the contest to continue, and everyone was more than happy to fish again. It seemed everyone was hyped up and wanted to catch their own giant fish! And soon several of the members found success in catching the Ofiira fish.


    Bright redfish were flapping on the deck one after the other until finally, Liam called for the contest to end. Once everything was cleaned up, everyone would make their way toward the mess hall for dinner while Vivian was hard at work cooking.


    "Gahahaha! So, the contest was a success! I hope everyone was able to have fun...because I will now announce the winner!"Liam said as he stood in the middle of the mess hall. Everyone was quite curious about the prize.


    "The winner is...of course, IAN!"Liam shouted just as everyone started to clap their hands and cheer for me who slowly gets up from their seat.


    "Congrats Ian!" Ellie said as she patted my arm. She wasn''t able to catch anything, but being able to do something like this was a joy in itself.


    "Food...Bring me the food..."Derek said as he held forks in both of his hands. He was starting to look like a deranged person.


    (Is it really that serious?)


    I shook my head as I looked at Liam, "What did I win?"The way he talked about the prize made it seem like it was something amazing!


    But...


    "You win...A week-long training session with yours truly!! Gahahahaha!" Liam laughed as she puffed out his chest.


    Everyone in the hall became dumbfounded as they stared at their captain. A moment of silence ensued until Liam spoke up.


    "What? Isn''t that great? Training with me! Fists against Fists!" Liam started to flex his muscles, but even then no one else spoke up.


    "Wait! Do I get that too?! I was on the same team!"Fay shouted as she flew around my head.


    I only stared at the captain blankly even after Vivian brought out the food.


    "Here we go-"


    "Wait! Derek! STOOOOP!!"Vivian hysterically shouted as Derek dived straight into the food like a madman, devouring every piece of the Ofiira fish that touched his hands!


    I sighed softly, "This is going to be a long week..."


    The week was indeed long filled with lots of laughter and fighting. I wished that those kinds of days continued forever, but all good things must come to an end. And traveling through the massive sea cave was the start of it all...

 Chapter 30 One...Two...Six?

    "Wow..." I found myself already at the bow of the ship, staring at the entrance of Arin''s Cave as we dropped anchor in front of it.


    It looked beautiful.


    The cave was naturally made by the constant waves hitting against a mountain until it passed through into Myra''s Ocean. The walls of the cave were pleasing to the eye with bright blue and purple colors mixed together. However, despite its beauty, I could feel something dangerous coming from the cave.


    "Zersiks..." I mumbled underneath my breath. My body started to tense up a little as I thought about the terrible creatures. The Qualze couldn''t even hold a candle to those monsters. I clenched my fists as I stared down at my feet.


    (We need to get there but...are we going to make it?..)


    "We''ll make it through no problem!" Fay snapped me out of my funk as she pumped her little fists into the air while she stood on top of my head.


    "Haha...Yeah, We will make it through. Although...It''s not going to be easy.." I softly sighed as I scratched the back of my head.


    "Ian!"


    *Zzzzuu*


    I turned to look behind me and spotted Ellie moving towards me in her new motorized wheelchair. Our repair guy was able to put together a more capable wheelchair. Her eyes lit up when she found out the wheelchair was equipped to climb or descend from stairs.


    She could now move around the ship without any help.


    Although I was happy for her, I sort of felt as if I lost something.


    "What?" I asked.


    "The captain sent me to get you. He wants us to meet in his office." Ellie smilingly said


    "Alright, let''s see what he wants." I started to walk towards Liam''s office but not without looking at the cave once again.


    We arrived in Liam''s office where he was already talking to Derek.


    "So, you think we will be able to make it through? " Liam asked solemnly. He knew of the dangers but as the captain, he had to be absolutely sure that this is the best option.


    "It''s the only way captain. The only other way is directly through the heart of Imperial territory. And you know how that will turn out.." Derek sighed as he crossed his arms.


    Derek continued, "I actually knew we were going to go through here. So I came up with a plan and I also bought several hundred flares guns. It should buy us time to make it if used sparingly. "


    "Hmm...their eyes are sensitive to bright light...Good, go inform the crew about your plan. Let me talk to these two." Liam said as he stood up from his chair.


    "Aye captain. " Derek started to walk out but not without patting my shoulder, " Be strong kid."


    "Huh?" I turned my head, but Derek was already out of the office.


    "Ian...Ellie...Fay.." Liam said as he stood firmly in front of us. The usual demeanor of Liam wasn''t present at all as he gazed upon us with concern.This book''s true home is on another platform. Check it out there for the real experience.


    "What''s wrong captain?" I asked


    "Yeah, where''s your warrior spir-" Fay said


    "....Fay not now..." Liam softly sighed as he crossed his arms, "You three are important to Derek''s plan, but you have to promise me to stay vigilant. The place we are going is dangerous and you three will be the ones that will safely bring us through. Can you do that for me?"


    "I''ll do my absolute best to follow the plan. I owe a lot to you guys and I don''t know how I will ever repay it..." Ellie said while sinking into deep thought. She wanted to be more useful to the crew. Ellie knew she was already at a disadvantage before joining but...


    Ellie suddenly gazed up at the boy standing next to her for a split second, and one could tell that she had a strong affection for the boy.


    "Huh? Repay it? No one here owes anyone. We just look out for each other that''s all. We are a family" I smiled as I patted Ellie''s shoulder.


    "Nn.." Ellie smiled back as she nodded.


    Liam had noticed Ellie''s gaze even though it was just a second, and what he saw brought a smile to his face.


    Fay flew off from my head, and lands on Liam''s shoulder, "Don''t worry so much captain! You can count on us! But especially me!" Fay brightly smiled as she flexed her non-existent muscles.


    (Despite how annoying she is sometimes. I can safely admit that she is indeed cute. Maybe Uzo was on to something?.... Nah)


    "Gahahaha! You are absolutely right!. Let me explain the plan to you."


    The plan Liam explained to us sounded simple enough, but in reality, we all knew how hard it was going to be. Apparently, we are tasked with keeping the Zersiks off of the ship while we traveled through the cave.


    About 30 minutes passed before Liam finished explaining. I found out that the Gaultier has a few options for protection despite being tampered with by Captain Xander.


    (I guess the guy wasn''t a complete idiot after all...But how to access them?)


    "Raise the anchor!" Liam roared as we exited his office. The anchor was rapidly pulled up and we were now on our way.


    The sound of running water was the only thing that could be distinctively heard as we entered the cave. It gradually got harder to see as we traveled deeper inside until finally pitch-black darkness.


    No one panicked at all as they were told to be quiet and Derek informed the crew to turn on the lamps that hung on the sides of the ship.


    The light of the lamps was enough to see everything on the ship, but they weren''t bright enough to light the entire cave. Although the bulbs weren''t bright enough to see everything, I was able to tell that the cave was bigger than what I thought it was.


    "Was.. this all naturally made?" I asked as I looked all around. The cave was massive of course, but there was no way that it could have been made with just the waves of ocean water.


    It looked as if was built artificially by a person.


    There were stalactites and stalagmites all around us, but no matter where I looked. It all seemed even. It was as if someone came through and personally arranged everything to their liking.


    "Yeah, I noticed it too," Ellie said as she studied everything closely just as I have.


    "Don''t worry about it too much and just focus," Derek said as he held a portable lamp. One could tell that he was a bit nervous as he walked back and forth across the deck


    An hour worth of traveling passed in a blink of an eye and Vivian walked onto the main deck. She immediately found Derek who was still pacing back and forth.


    "Is it finished?" Derek asked.


    "Yes, it is finished...But are you sure we need it?" Vivian asked.


    "This was my idea and so we have to make it through without any losses...absolutely none..." Derek''s eyes seem to show complicated emotions, but he quickly recovered in a matter of moments.


    *TapTapTap...TapTapTap...TapTapTap..*


    The hair on the back of my neck instantly rose as I tried to see where the noise was coming from.


    "Where.."


    "Ian..." I felt Ellie''s body shiver as she wrapped her arm around mine. She was staring at the ceiling in fear.


    I immediately look up to see four pairs of glowing green eyes and then another couple.


    And another...Another...


    The menacing green eyes multiplied in a matter of moments until there were at least six sets of four eyes locked onto the ship.


    *Booom!*


    Six Zersiks landed on top of the shield Fay had already projected. I could see them more clearly once they were closer. Each one of them was about the size of a horse with dark purple skin. Their eight legs looked like sharp sickles, tough enough to pierce anything they wished.


    *Screech!*


    The horrifying noise the Zersiks made echoed through the cave and it signified that they were excited. Finally after so long.. Prey that they can play with!

 Chapter 31 Out of the Water!

    The Zersiks started to pound on the magic shield crazily with their powerful front legs. However, their actions didn''t yield any kind of results.


    "Is everyone in position?" Liam asked as several crewmen aimed their flare guns at the Zersiks.


    "Ready captain!" The crewman answered.


    Liam nodded slightly, "Right! Fay lose the shield in three...two...one!"


    The shield suddenly disappeared, and the Zersiks were now free-falling. (A/N: And I''m free! Free fallin''! I wonder if anyone knows that song?)


    The crewman pulled the triggers of their guns, instantly sending balls of light into the air.


    *Scree!!*


    The nocturnal creatures were momentarily stunned by the blinding light, leaving them defenseless.


    "Now!" Liam shouted as several other crewmen armed with spears instantly stabbed towards their hearts located in their abdomens. These seasoned fighters were able to pierce the Zersiks hearts while they were still mid-air.


    *Screeeeee....!*


    Each of them struggled violently before ultimately dying, and their bodies were disposed of in a controlled manner as if it was natural.


    "Too easy!"Fay said with a smile as she pumped her fists into the air.


    The entire process only took several minutes, and I couldn''t help but admire the planning involved. I looked for the one responsible for the plan and noticed Derek was the only one who wasn''t happy.


    "Derek?"


    "Not now kid. Just keep an eye out. There is bound to be more."Derek quickly disappeared into the lower deck.


    "What was that all about?" Ellie asked with concern.


    I shrugged my shoulders before looking up at the ceiling, thinking for a moment.


    (Hmm...What would put Derek on edge like that? Usually, he is always carefree....)


    I spent the next few hours thinking of the reasons, but nothing came to mind. We would meet Zersiks one after the other, but we quickly dispatched them as we continued traveling deeper into the cave. I even joined in on the fight as Ellie used her powers to move our sails. Fay was usually the one to control the ship, but she put her entire attention on the magic shield.


    Using the booster was out because unfortunately, I can only go straight, and the path wasn''t exactly one way.


    For a while, we didn''t meet Zersiks anymore and decided to take a slight break on the main deck.


    The cave really did look as if it was human-made and I honestly started wondering why exactly it was made. It just all looked too perfect.


    "An escape route?...No, it doesn''t seem rushed at all."


    "Maybe it was made for quick access to the Gayle Ocean?" Ellie asked.


    "No, it couldn''t be. I looked at the map, and this route is more out of the way than the official way to Myra''s Ocean."


    "Hmm...It really does make you think a bit. Although I do know the name Arin." Vivian said gently.


    "Tell us!" Fay said as she flew on to Vivian''s head.


    "Well, I believe it has to deal with a war that happened 40 years ago."


    "A war? He must have been pretty memorable for something to be named after him." I said.


    Vivian nodded, "Mhm...I''m not quite sure about all the details, but my mom spoke about him several times."


    Vivian sighed as she started recalling the memory, " Arin Branimir, a man who was forced into the fighting once his village was under siege by the Imperials. He was a peaceful man, but he was blessed with unnatural strength."


    "Arin was also one of the strongest mages of that time. My mom praised him to no ends. I could go on but...long story short. He doesn''t have a good ending...And his entire village was eradicated after his death."Vivian became saddened as she thought about her mom telling the story. She vividly remembered her mom actually cried that day.


    Vivian never thought it was possible as she always saw her mom with a great big smile on her face.


    The atmosphere was quite grim after Vivian had told us about Arin.Support creative writers by reading their stories on Royal Road, not stolen versions.


    "Phew...That was a downer. " I sighed as I leaned back against the mainmast.


    "So, what? Does that mean that this tunnel is some kind of monument for Arin?"Ellie asked.


    "A monument? Don''t ya think it''s a bit too much?"


    I learned a bit later how close to the truth Ellie was...


    *Booooom!*


    I instantly turn towards the noise as a crewman screamed his head off.


    "Holy shit! Yeah...That''s my heart..."The crewman said as he clenched his chest. A single Zersik attacked the shield from the side, hoping to catch the unsuspecting crewman, but luckily Fay had her shield on at all times.


    It took a minute for him to calm down as the Zersik crazily pounded the shield.


    "Captain...come look at this," the crewman said.


    "Hmm?"


    Liam slowly walked over to get a closer look at this Zersik noticed it looked a bit different from the others. It for starters was a bit smaller than a normal-sized one, and this one color scheme was off.


    "It looks... familiar...But.."


    "Huh?" I decided to look at the Zersik too. It was mostly purple, but each of its legs was a vivid red. I studied it a bit more as I crossed my arms, and suddenly it stopped moving.


    The Zersik stared at me in silence with its strange yellow eyes. Its eyes seemed to be looking at something on my hand...


    "Wait a minute!"


    *SCREEE!!*


    The Zersik instantly jumped off and disappeared into the darkness.


    "Was it scared of you?"Fay asked.


    Vivian furrowed her brows, "It didn''t look like it was scared...as if.."


    "It was confirming something..." Liam said solemnly.


    I slightly frowned as I turned to Liam, "What was it confirming?"


    "I''m not sure...It-"


    *BOOOOM! SCREEEEE*


    My eyes instantly widened as hundreds of Zersiks landed on top of the shield. I quickly noticed they also had red-colored limbs, but how many they had differed from each other. The Zersiks started slamming their entire bodies against the shield crazily as some were even smashing their legs into a bloody mess to get through.


    "What''s happening?!" Ellie shouted in horror as she stared at the violent scene.


    "C-captain!"Fay shouted as her brow became drenched in sweat. In small groups, she could manage the shield, but with so many attacking at once she couldn''t last for long.


    "Captain we only have a few flare guns left! There is too many!"One crewman shouted.


    Liam grabbed his two-handed axe, twirling it around with one hand before slamming the handle down against the deck, "Gahahaha! Well, I suppose I get to stretch my limbs now! Everyone draw your weapons! We are going to fight our way out of here!"


    "Aye captain!"


    Fay landed on my head to rest as the shield suddenly disappeared, and hundreds of Zersiks came rushing onto the ship all at once.


    The eyes of Liam became fierce as he gripped his axe tightly. A red aura instantly covered his body as he released his killing intent.


    "Burning...Lion''s.." Liam raised his axe overhead and instantly sent waves of power with a flick of his wrist."Barrrage!"The waves burst into flames and turned into a majestic lion before slamming into the Zersiks above.


    *SCREEEEEE!*


    The Zersiks were set ablaze as they screeched in pain, instantly dying as their bodies were blown away while burning into ashes. However, many soon took their place, but each time they were obliterated by Liam.


    I noticed Vivian crushing the spiders with her bare hands. One would think she should be scared of things like spiders, but Vivian wasn''t your typical woman. She dealt with way worse before! And even when parts of her body were covered in spider blood, she continued fighting!


    Vivian suddenly lifted one into the air with her left hand, and started sending punch after punch towards its face, "Stupid! Spiders! Die! Die! Die!" The Zersik long stopped moving as its face was now nothing but a bloody mess.


    "A-ah...V-vivian?"I said with a shaky voice.


    Vivian turned to me with a frightening scowl on her face, "What?!"


    I shrank back in fear."It''s dead already..."


    "I know that! AAAAAH!!"Vivian slammed the corpse against a nearby Zersik, hurling it off towards the unknown along with the corpse.


    *SCREEEE!!!*


    I sweated bullets as I watched Vivian fight so brutally. And now I wasn''t so sure about her being scared of spiders...


    "We will handle this up here. You two get to the bridge with Ian!"Liam roared as he continued killing one Zersik after the other with a single slash of his axe.


    "Y-yes, captain!"


    I snapped out of my daze and madly dashed towards the bridge with Ellie following close behind.


    "Alright fight till you drop!" Everyone one on deck roared with their weapons drawn and started killing spiders at a more accelerated rate as they climbed onto the ship.


    I drew my gun-blade out and started unloading bullets into every Zersik that blocked my way.


    "Ellie?!" I turned to look to see if Ellie was still following me.


    "Ian don''t stop!"Fay warned me a bit too late before I was suddenly swept off my feet, falling onto something soft.


    "Huh?" I was stunned to see Ellie''s face close to mine as we stared into each other''s eyes for a moment.


    "...Ian! Get off of me!"Ellie shouted as her entire face turned crimson.


    "O-oh I''m sorry..." I hastily climb off of her as I started running again.


    "What were you doing?!" Ellie was behind me once again, her face was still red from just a second ago.


    "I''m sorry! I didn''t know you were right behind me!"


    "Hmph!"


    I sighed gently as we finally make it the bridge. I ran over to the console once we were in, slamming my hand on it as my eyes turned multicolored.


    "Captain key confirmed!... Bzzt system startup!"The robotic voice said as the symbol on my hand started to glow.


    "Ok...protection...where is it.." I swiped through numerous options on the console screen, and a lot of it didn''t make sense. I was drained of my power both times I used the ship, and both times I wasn''t in complete control. So I never had time to learn about this ship properly.


    "Skull Rush?...No...Luminous wings? No...Drill?...Fay! Help me out!"I shouted in frustration as Fay flew off my head to look at the console.


    Fay looked at all the options and started to get a bit dizzy, "Uh...try...Um.."


    A loud beeping noise sounded off before the robotic voice spoke, "Warning! A large entity detected! Activ-"


    "Huh?"


    *BOOOOM!*


    Suddenly something slammed into the ship from the side. The tremendous force was enough to catapult the Gaultier out of the water.


    The vessel was big enough to hold over a hundred people, and something forced it out of the water with a single push!


    The ship crashed into the ground hard, pieces of it flying off whichever way as skidded across the rocky surface.


    I could hear screams all around me, but I was knocked off the console before I could react, bashing my head against the sidewall of the bridge.


    "Ugh.." I groaned in pain as blood started to drip from my head. I found myself on the floor.


    "Ellie...Fay.." I muttered, but there was no response from the two.


    "What...hit..us..."I said before I suddenly passed out from the damage.


    The only thing I could fairly remember was being carried off the ship in warm hands.

 Chapter 32 Underground City

    "Oh..." I groaned as I slowly open my eyes after being out for quite a while.


    "Ow!" I held my head in pain and noticed that it was wrapped in some cloth that was incredibly soft to touch. It felt expensive and was soaked in a bit of my blood.


    "Where?.." I observed my surroundings and noticed that I was able to perfectly see because there was some kind of luminescent rock hanging from the ceiling. It looked like I was still in the cave, but I couldn''t hear running water at all.


    (How far away am I?..)


    "... Wait! Ellie?! Fay?! Fuck! The ship!" I shouted as I suddenly stood up after realizing what happened. However, I immediately fell and slammed my face into the ground.


    "Ugh...What the hell...?" I rolled over onto my back to see that I was actually in some kind of hammock, but it looked a bit odd.


    "Spiderwebs?...Zersiks?!..." I shouted as I quickly unwrapped the cloth wrapped around my head, and looked at it. "Is this made from Zersiks too?"


    "We do not like that name." A cold feminine voice said.


    "Huh?"I instantly look toward the sound of the voice.


    A tall pale-skin woman with her arms crossed in front of her ample chest was standing in front of the opening of the cave. She stood over 6ft tall, and her body was on the slim side. The woman''s beautiful black eyes were like gems, and her short hair was snow white.


    The woman was incredibly stunning, and any normal guy would fall in love right away.


    However, her entire lower half was that of a spider!


    "Who are you?!" I immediately roll towards the back of the cave and leaped nimbly onto my feet. My eyes quickly turned multicolored as I get ready to fight the unusual creature.


    "Calm yourself great one. I am not here to harm you." The woman soothingly said as she stepped closer.


    "Great one?... Tell me where we are?! And what about the ship?!" I shouted as I clenched my fists tightly.


    "My name is-"


    "How are you Zersiks able to reach this kind of form?!" I shouted again as I gradually released my killing intent.


    "My name is Malka...And We! Are not! Zersiks!" Malka shouted as she bared her fangs, and her black eyes immediately turned a menacing yellow.


    I suddenly felt as if I was suffocating under the pressure of the woman''s killing intent. However, I quickly disregard it as something inside of me wanted to tear her limb from limb ruthlessly. My eyes started to glow even brighter as I was about to leap at the woman.


    (Wait! Remember the training with Liam those two weeks...Just calm down Ian..)


    Sweat began to drip from my forehead as I forced myself to calm down.


    "Ok...I understand." I said as I gasped for air.


    Malka quickly calmed herself as well as her eyes returned to normal, "Do not forget it..."


    I gently sighed in relief as I carefully wiped my forehead, "So, to begin. Where exactly are we? Besides being in your home."


    "You are in our underground city called Labeki."If you encounter this story on Amazon, note that it''s taken without permission from the author. Report it.


    "City?" I immediately ran passed the woman toward the exit of the small cave, and instantly my eyes were met with a dazzling light.


    I shielded my eyes until they adjusted to the light, "It is a city..."


    All around me were people just like Malka going about their daily lives in this massive dome cave. Pathways were leading to smaller caves just like the one I left all around with the people using them as homes or businesses. The caves were all using the same luminescent rock found in Malka''s house as a light source.


    "Is all of this is under Arin''s cave? It looks like a typical city....minus the legs of a Zersik on everyone I see..."


    I quickly noticed the people around me started to give threatening glares after I had said that word.


    Malka groaned in anger, "Please, stop saying that name. I also urge you not to say it when are around my grandfather."


    "Why do you guys hate the name Z-?" I suddenly shut my mouth before I could repeat the word, but Malka understood what I was asking.


    "It''s a long story. I''ll explain it as we walk." Malka sighed as she began to tell the story about her people called the Sixirara. The Sixirara was once a powerful race that lived on a faraway planet.


    Malka continued to say that her race was defeated by the Imperials and taken in as slaves. They were then sent off to this planet to test a drug that the Imperials are making to increase the amount of magic a person can use. However, the result was the death of thousands of her people, and the ones that survived turned into what we call the Zersiks.


    "We were known for our durable silk and our famous Silk arts. We use magic to control the silk, and can create various things with it.."


    Malka points to a massive rock formation hanging from the ceiling, "That is an example. They aren''t rocks, but our silk that is hardened by magic. Our magic then controls the light. My Grandfather created that one in particular."


    "Woah..." The massive rock formation hanging from the ceiling was at least ten-thousand feet in the air. It looked like a group of massive stalactites that merged together to form a structure that lit up the entire place with its green light.


    Malka continued to speak with difficulty, "The drug was a failure as it didn''t make us stronger, but it turned us into cruel uncontrollable monsters."


    "I see...But if that is the case then why didn''t the Imperials get rid of all of you guys. That would be logical after they learned the drug failed."


    "My Grandfather was able to launch an escape from the facility they were locked in. He took the small remaining people we had left and hidden us underground. We then lived here for the past 40 years."


    "My grandfather is a mighty man, and without him, none of this would be possible." Malka passionately said as her eyes filled with pride.


    We had continued walking for another 15 minutes before we reached a large open road. The road was made out of the same luminescent hardened silk from earlier that lead up towards the next secFayn of the cave.


    "Where does this lead to?" I said as I see several Sixirara''s coming down and moving up the road simultaneously. Each of them would give me an odd look as if I was abnormal.


    (Well, come to think of it. I am abnormal compared to them...)


    "The middle section, we have to pass through there to get to the upper secFayn where my grandfather lives."


    "Is your grandfather important here?"


    "Yes, he is the leader of our people and the one that wishes to see you the most."


    "Is that why you kidnapped me?" I sarcastically asked.


    Malka quickly became silent and started to walk up the road with ease with her eight spider legs. However, I knew right away that these roads weren''t meant for human travel.


    "Is there another way up there?" I shouted as I looked around for a possible way, but it seemed like this was the only way to the next section of the cave.


    "Forgive me great one. I forgot that you do not have legs like ours " --Malka stretches her hand toward me-- "Here, grab on and hold onto my back."


    "Ah.." I glanced uneasily at Malka and then at the road. The massive road was at least half a mile long, and the positioning made it impossible for humans to walk up on.


    (I''ll have to hold onto her for so long... Could I just jump?...No, I couldn''t)


    I sighed as I slowly took Malka''s hand, and she immediately lifted me onto her back. I then wrapped my arms around her waist, holding on tight as she quickly started climbing up the rod once again.


    It didn''t take as long as I thought it would, but it didn''t make it any less awkward for me to hold on to her back. I received so many stares and giggles from passing Sixiraras.


    (Guh...so humiliating...Wait are they laughing at me?)


    The middle section seemed even more lively with more businesses, and the appearance of what looked like Sixirara guards was seen roaming around.


    The guards were considerably larger than Malka, and their upper bodies were covered in plated armor. All of them seemed to be using a shield and a long spear made out of their hardened silk that gave off a faint greenish light.


    "You know your people are so accepting. If I saw a human in here. I would-"


    "Halt human! You should not be here!" A Sixirara guard shouted as he pointed his spear at my neck.


    (Yeah a lot like that...)

 Chapter 33 Takeover

    "You-"


    Malka suddenly moved in front of me and knocked the spear away with one hand. Her eyes then flashed yellow as she glared at the guard, releasing her murderous intent.


    I glanced at the guard once again, and immediately my instincts told me that he was extremely dangerous. Ever since I awakened my power, I could somewhat gauge people''s strength if I focused enough.


    The tall Sixarian guard had a giant scar across his face and black hair tied in a traditional ponytail. He started to release murderous intent as he glared back at Malka with his cold black eyes.


    The Sixarians citizens started to avoid us once they felt danger and watched the scene from a safe distance.


    (And this guy is just a regular guard? How did that happen?)


    I would brush the thought away and would prepare myself to attack him if he made any sudden moves.


    Malka wanted nothing more than to knock the guard down to size, but her grandfather gave her a task. She then withdrew her murderous intent, letting out a soft sigh before she spoke. "Stand down. This is an important guest that my grandfather wishes to meet. You know how my grandfather doesn''t like to wait¡­ Chaka.." She said with a slight smirk on her face.


    "Grr...Malka." The guard known as Chaka, gritted his teeth while tightening his grip on his spear. He thought about ending the Sixarian woman''s life at that very moment but managed to remain calm while thinking of the consequences. "...I''ll let him pass, but just make sure he doesn''t do anything out of line, or I''ll be back!" Chaka shouted as he glared at me as if I was his mortal enemy. He then walked without a sound and continued his duties.


    I could feel my hand itching to punch his face in, but I remembered my training to keep calm.


    I watched the Sixarian until he was out of sight, "Ah...What was that about?" I asked as I glanced at Malka.


    Malka glanced downward for a moment and shook her head slightly, "It''s nothing you need to worry about. Let''s continue on our way to my grandfather."


    "Uh..right." I nodded slightly.


    We started walking through what looked like the city square. Hundreds of Sixarians were around socializing and doing different activities with smiles on their faces.


    (Hmm.. life must be pretty good down here despite their circumstances)


    My eyes were drawn to every little detail of the city until the delicious smell of meat being cooked suddenly tickled my nose. I immediately looked around for the source, and finally, I noticed a Sixarian grilling some kind of weird bug creature with giant eyes at his stall.


    "Ugh...What is that?" I asked with a hint of disgust.


    "Hmm? Oh, one of the many delicacies found around Labeki. A grilled three-eyed beetle. Would you like to try one? The eyeballs are really-"


    "Ah, no...I don''t think I could." I said timidly, waving my hand in front of my face.


    (I''m hungry but not that hungry...)


    We continued to walk as Malka talked about the various activities done in the city. I could see that she was proud of her people from the way she spoke as there was a slight smile on her face.


    She typically wouldn''t talk this much, but a strange feeling inside of me was making me excited to see new things. I found myself asking questions upon questions when anything caught my eye.


    I would have believed that this was an ordinary city, but seeing people with the lower half of a spider told me otherwise.


    (I wonder how Vivian would react?)


    "I still can''t believe there is a whole city down here... it''s amazing.'' I said while playing with a strange Sixarian toy that Malka bought me after I begged.


    "After the first generation of Sixarians had escaped their captors, they stumbled upon the cave above ground. They then unanimously decided to dig underground to make a temporary home."


    "Temporary?"


    "We were only supposed to be here until we could find a way back to our planet. But... We have yet to find a way... until now." Malka said while gazing at me. Her eyes looked incredibly sad, but underneath it all was hope.


    "..." I nodded slightly as I didn''t know what to say after that.


    (I barely know about my powers, and she expects me to save an entire race?)


    "We should hurry. We should have been meeting my grandfather by now. I didn''t know you were so interested in our city." Malka awkwardly smiled at my silence and continued to lead me through the city.


    "Haha... My bad." I said. "But you know-"


    Three small Sixarian children suddenly came up to me with innocent smiles on their faces as they bombarded me with questions.


    The Sixarian girl tugged on my pants, "Hey, mister! Are you a human?"


    "Yeah, are you?! Are you?! You look like one! You only have two legs!" The Sixarian boy asked as he jumped up and down, his excitement apparent.


    "We were told that all humans are bad... But you don''t seem bad? Are the grownups lying?" The other boy Sixarian asked as he tugged on my pants as well.


    "Hahaha... I am human?" I said with a bit of uncertainty. "And I like to be counted as a good one." I smiled while glancing at Malka, who looked a bit annoyed as they kept her from completing her task.


    "Ahhhh~" The three children looked at me in awe before they nodded and smiled at each other.


    "Hey, mister! Do you want to play with us?" The Sixarian girl asked, looking at me expectantly.


    "Yeah! Yeah! Play with us! You have to!~" The Sixarian boy said while grabbing my arm.


    "It will be really fun! We need a fourth person!" The other Sixarian boy said as he grabbed my other arm.


    "I uh..." I glanced at Malka.


    Malka suddenly snatched me away from the children. "We don''t have time to play your little games. Now run along," She icily said


    The three small children immediately jumped from fright once they noticed Malka.


    "Ah! It''s the mean old lady! Run guys!" The Sixarian girl shouted, running away as quickly as they appeared.


    "Bleh! You are always no fun Malka! That''s why you don''t have a mama or daddy!" The Sixarian boy said while sticking out his tongue. He then ran away with the other boy.


    "Well... That was... harsh. Malka look you-"


    Malka raised her hand to silence me, "It''s alright. I do not mind it all." She said softly. She looked fine on the outside, but underneath that beautiful face, I knew she was hurting.


    "Malk-"


    I quickly noticed more eyes were on us as we continued to walk through the crowd. I even felt faint killing intent coming from several directions.


    " Just ignore it for now. They will not do anything to us out in the open." Malka said with confidence as she started to walk ahead.


    I gave one last look around before following Malka outside of the city.


    *******


    At that time, in an alleyway. Three guards gathered after watching Malka and Ian walk out of the city.


    "How can the chief allow her to live?! I would have ended her life a long time ago if it was up to me!" The massive Sixarian guard said as the ground beneath him started to crack under the pressure of his legs. He unknowingly snapped his spear in two from gripping it too hard, making him even angrier. "Damn it!"


    The other guard, who was quite small compared to the other two, suddenly spoke up. "...Despite the circumstances, she is still related to him without a doubt. We must listen to him even if we don''t like some of his decisions."


    The small Sixarian guard placed his hand on the angry Sixarian guard''s shoulder, "Also Brother Mandla, you must calm yourself, we do not need to make a scene."


    The guard known as Mandla knocked the hand away, "How can you stay calm Ganya?! When that thing still BREATHES?! Just how can we allow it?! It''s bad enough that we were slaves and now that thing...exists!! I''m tired of living underground, and that thing is a constant reminder of our failure!" Mandla shouted with rage.


    "Brothers do not worry." The third guard said as he looked at his brothers in arms. Ian would immediately notice who this guard was as he was the guard that stopped him earlier.


    "There will be a day when we will purge the filth that stains our great race. And then we will make our enemies pay! I Chaka put my life on it!" His black eyes flashed green as he touched the giant scar on his face. There was a hint of pain in his eyes, but the thirst for revenge was even stronger.This text was taken from Royal Road. Help the author by reading the original version there.


    **********


    I was walking with Malka for what seemed like hours, and I could feel my stomach starting to make a fuss.


    (Shut-up stomach!)


    "Are we there yet? How far do we plan on going?" I complained while rubbing my stomach in anguish.


    (Ugh Hungr- No, this isn''t the time to think about food! Ellie and the others may still be in danger.)


    "It''s just up ahead great one. Do you see that? That is our destination." Malka said as she pointed straight ahead.


    "Hm?...Woah.." My eyes widen as I unconsciously hold my mouth open.


    It was a massive temple!


    The majestic temple looked like a piece of art that was carved into the cave. The enormous structure seemed to radiate an unusual power that caused the hair on the back of my neck to stick up.


    (Weird...)


    The structure was built up high almost 50 ft above me with a lengthy stretch of the stairs that lead up to it. The stairs were guarded by fierce-looking Sixarian''s who immediately released murderous intent as they locked eyes with Malka.


    One of the guards stepped forward, "The human may pass, but you can not Malka," he bluntly said as he gripped his spear.


    "Huh?" I looked at the guard and then at Malka. She looked like she was about to cry despite her almost expressionless face.


    "Can I ask that she comes with me? She''s the only one that I trust at the moment." I said with a smile as I glanced at Malka.


    "Ah..." Malka''s eyes seemed to brighten for just a split second. She was happy to hear the word "trust."


    "Tch...I''m afraid not. You-"


    "Let them through. I will grant the great one this request." A loud booming voice suddenly said.


    I glanced in the direction of the voice and expected to see someone. However, there was no one in sight, but I did have a feeling that someone was watching us.


    (Weird...is it coming from the temple?)


    I looked up at the magnificent temple, and the feeling of being watched became even stronger.


    "Grr...Understood." The guard groaned as he got back in position and made room for the two of us to pass.


    (I really don''t know why they hate her so much. What exactly happened?)


    I shook my head slightly and started to walk up the stairs with Malka following close behind. She seemed to become happier the closer we got to the temple.


    It took several minutes for us to reach the top of the stairs, and we were then greeted by even more guards that lead us inside the temple. I could tell that these guards were also angry with Malka entering, but they also heard the voice of their leader.


    The temple had no light except for the glowing green pillars that I assumed were also made by the Silk Arts. The sight was breathtaking as each of these pillars was gigantic with strange symbols inscribed into them. The mysterious symbols seemed to come alive as we walked by.


    I immediately sensed another presence through these pillars, but it wasn''t hostile, so I didn''t react to it.


    (How strange...)


    "What do those symbols mean?" I asked Malka as I pointed at the glowing pillars.


    "It-"


    "It''s best that you keep your mouth shut." One of the guards said as he continued to lead us deeper into the temple.


    I instantly activated my eyes of enzo and attempted to attack the guard. However, I was stopped by a single hand. (A/N: I realized that saying eyes turn multi-colored was weird. SO! it will be this now because it is the name of the eyes.)


    "It''s alright. You don''t need to get angry for my sake." Malka softly said with a fierce glint in her eyes. It seemed that she was angry as well.


    We continued to walk deeper into the temple, and I started to wonder when it was going to end.


    And then I met him, the person who wanted to meet me so severely that they needed to kidnap me. I was glad that Malka nursed me back to health, but I clearly understood that I was brought here against my will. However, I began to become a bit intrigued by the Sixarian''s and thought it was strange for Malka to refer to me as the "great one."


    (I need to know what this is all about. If they know something about me then maybe...)


    The old Sixarian man was sitting down on an intricate-looking throne with a huge smile on his aged face, slowly rising to his feet once we were near. The Sixarian looked quite frail compared to the others, but something told me that he was abnormally strong.


    "Ah, we meet at last! My humble name is Kosan. I am the leader of this tribe of Sixarian''s. May I ask for your name?" He said as he motioned his hand to dismiss the guards.


    "My name is Ian, and I want to ask so many questions, but first... Why did you kidnap me?" I solemnly said while looking straight into Kosan''s glowing green eyes.


    Malka wanted to say something, but she was stopped by Kosan.


    "I had no other choice but to as we require your help, great one."


    "... And why am I being called the great one? I''m not exactly great.." I said, glancing uneasily at the tattoo on my hand until suddenly my stomach makes a noise. "Ah.."


    I could feel the heat in my face rising as I looked around, hoping no one would hear my stomach.


    "I will explain everything, but you must be a bit hungry," Kosan said.


    (Damn it!)


    Kosan smiled at me before he started to walk towards the supposed dining room.


    I quickly became excited once I followed him along with Malka as I hoped that the food looked normal enough to eat. I didn''t know how much longer I could go on without eating as I needed to consume a lot more food. My powers strangely increased my appetite once I became a bit more familiar with it, but it was something I didn''t worry over.


    (Please be normal food!)


    "And here we are," Kosan said, pushing open a double-sided door.


    The smell of cooked food entered my nose, and I immediately dashed right by Kosan into the dining room.


    "Yes!! Normal!" I shouted as I stared at the large oval table being piled high with food. Several Sixarians that I assume were servants were putting a variety of food on the table with smiles on their faces once they saw Kosan.


    "You may leave us now," Kosan said.


    The servants bowed before they swiftly left the room, leaving us by ourselves.


    I immediately sat down in an odd-looking chair that I assumed was made for Sixarians as their lower bodies were that of a spider.


    "Some of this... and some of these! Oh, that too! " I started to grab anything that smelled and looked great. I would generally wait for everyone to sit down, but all of my manners went straight out the window with the way my stomach was acting.


    Malka sighed and shook her head as she watched me eat like a starving child. "My image of him has been thoroughly crushed. He is supposed to be our savior?" She thought.


    "Ah... I suppose he was fairly hungry?" Kosan said with an awkward laugh while gazing at Malka as he was thinking the same thing. His gaze then softens as he gets a good look at his now-grown granddaughter. "She''s grown so much since I''ve last seen her. She looks so much like her mother." He thought.


    "Grandfather... I-"


    "Malka, my granddaughter... I am happy to see you once again. I wish you would rely on me more and live with me... You are all that I have left, you know?" Kosan said while patting Malka''s head.


    Malka was saddened by those words, and avoided Kosan''s gaze, "I know but... The elders and-"


    "Those old fools? I''d like to see them try to put a hand on my granddaughter!" Kosan said with a frown, his eyes glowing with more intensity.


    Malka quickly wiped away the tears that formed in her eyes before looking at her grandfather, "... Hehe, you haven''t changed a bit grandfather," Malka said with a warm smile, her arms wrapping around Kosan to hug him.


    "Me? Change? I''ll be the same until the day I die!" Kosan said with a huge grin on his face, pulling his granddaughter into a tighter hug. "Anyways let''s join our guest before he finishes all the food. I''m quite hungry too."


    Malka pulled away from Kosan and looked at me strangely, "It''s weird that he is eating a three-eyed beetle now when he showed disgust when I offered it earlier."


    *Ding*


    I dropped my fork as I overheard what Malka said, and I immediately felt like throwing up. I then looked down at the meat, and it indeed looked a little strange, but I was too hungry to notice.


    "No... I was that hungry..." I muttered softly, hanging my head down with regret.


    I was depressed for a moment, but then I continued to eat as I was still hungry. Malka and Kosan soon joined me and ate in silence.


    The atmosphere was harmonious, despite the silence, but I knew once I was full, I would need to get serious.


    An hour later, I finally finished eating, patting my full stomach with satisfaction. I then closed my eyes to adjust to the right mindset before standing up from the table.


    "Kosan..."


    "Very well great one," Kosan said with a nod, standing up from his chair. "Follow me. I must show you my daughter''s room."


    "Mother...?" Malka muttered as she looked surprised. She knew about the savior from her grandfather, but she didn''t realize that her mother had an importance to the supposed prophecy.


    Kosan lead us even deeper inside the temple until we arrived at a particular room. Kosan slowly opened the door and stepped back.


    I instantly felt a chill throughout my spine as I peered through the dark room, my eyes of enzo activating on its own.


    The skull tattoo on my left hand started to glow faintly as strange symbols appeared, illuminating the room with its green light.


    "Grandfather...? What is going on?" Malka asked while stepping back. She felt massive amounts of mana pouring from the room, but oddly enough it was being transferred to the boy.


    "He''s... going to talk to your mother." Kosan softly said as a single tear fell from his eye. Feeling the familiar mana of his daughter once again brought joy to his face.


    "My mother?! But she''s dead!" Malka shouted in disbelief.


    "Yes and no...It''s too complicated to explain."


    "But-"


    All of a sudden, the light of the room disappeared, and immediately I felt weak. "Not ag-" I blacked out and fell onto the ground.


    I soon found myself in a dream surrounded by darkness and unable to move a single muscle. I was surprisingly calm and found it strange that I knew that I was in a dream.


    "Why am I dreaming?.."


    "I''m sorry for the inconvenience, but this was the only way to talk to you, Ian." A soft ethereal voice said.


    "Wait...who said that? And how do you know my name?" I asked


    A beautiful Sixarian woman covered in green light suddenly appeared in front of my eyes. She looked like a spitting image of Malka except she was more mature. She warmly smiled as she looked at me with a gaze that seemed to expose all of my secrets.


    "I know your name because I took a peek into the future. Although, I wish we could have met with better circumstances." She said with a sigh before she looked directly into my eyes. "My name is Basirah, daughter of Kosan and keeper of the prophecy," Basirah said proudly.


    "What do you want from me?" I asked with a hint of annoyance although I didn''t know why I was annoyed by her.


    "I stand here before you to ask you to help my people in their time of need. You see we-"


    "Need? I looked around the city down here, and you guys don''t look like you need anything. I just want to get back to my crew..." My previous calm manner quickly began to fade as I continued to speak. "I only followed along because the odds are stacked against me down here. I have a strange power, yes, but that doesn''t mean I''ll parade around like a hero and help anyone in NEED! Now if you would please point me to the direction out of here, then that would be GREAT!!"


    I didn''t know why, but I was suddenly getting angry as memories that clearly weren''t mine started to flood my head. However, this time it wasn''t as painful. It seemed that in this place, I was closer to whoever else was sharing my body. I always knew something was wrong with me since the incident with Tolbert, but I tried to forget about it.


    "Ian you-"


    "DON''T talk to me like you know ME! You don''t know what I''ve been through, and the people that I lost because I wanted to help others. People like you... People like..."


    (Wait...S-stop! This is my body!... Stay out of this!!)


    "Ian, you need to calm yourself and listen to me. " Basirah said as she placed her hands on my cheeks.


    "No... You need to get out of my HEAD!!" I shouted at the top of my lungs, releasing a strange pressure so strong that it forced Basirah away from me. I quickly noticed that I could move again, and dashed towards the stunned Basirah


    "What are you d-doing?!" Basirah shouted as I grabbed her by the neck and lifted her into the air in one swift motion. " Ian! Please put me down!"


    "..."


    "Ian! P-please!" Basirah shouted as she struggled to move from my grasp, but unfortunately, it would only tighten. "S-stop... Ian..." She sounded like she was having trouble breathing, but that was not the case as she didn''t need to breathe. Basirah was made up of mana that kept her alive all of these years, but oddly the boy was draining that same mana at a devastating rate.


    "My name isn''t Ian! My name is Xander! Captain Xand-!"


    (What are you doing?!)


    "No! Get out! This is my body now, and I will have my revenge! If I absorb her mana, then I''ll be a step closer to recovering!"


    (No! I won''t let you take an innocent life!)


    "Innocent?! These people kidnapped you so they could guilt trip you into helping them! They are the ones who attacked the ship! They don''t deserve to be saved! I''ll eradicate them all for tricking us... No... Me!!"


    "Starting with you!!"


    ____________________________________________


    Ian: Finally! We can continue the story! I don''t know why, but it felt like years! I''m ready to get back to the ship. Continue my journey! It''s going to be great!


    Author: Actually, it has been a year...


    Ian: What?! What about the Axe Lions!? Ellie?! Fay!?


    Author: Yeah... Think they are all dead because I waited too long.


    Ian: WHAT?! YOU BASTARD! IM GOING TO KILL YOU!!!


    Author: Wait!...y-you can''t break the 4th wall like that! Chill!! It''s just a joke! A jo-


    Next Chapter: Freedom At Any Cost