During the downtime, Paul generously treated Sol and me to two full-course meals, which were sufficient to feed a whole family and have leftovers to take home. Once we had our fill, we proceeded to the bathroom and washed our dirty and tired bodies. Once we finished our business there, Mr. Reed and Paul were waiting for us in the lounge. Paul did what I asked and called Mr. Reed, notifying him we returned way sooner than expected. Paul said that Mr. Reed dropped what he was doing over at the office and came as quickly as he could.
I guess he arrived while I was taking a refreshing shower.
Mr. Reed looked as if he had aged ten years. His eyes had dark bags underneath and had more gray streaks than usual. He also looked like he lost a few pounds. Whatever he was going through, he needed everyone’s thoughts and prayers.
“Good afternoon,” Mr. Reed said with a bright, yet strained smile. “Please, have a seat.”
“Thank you.”
Mr. Reed occupied the recliner in front of me while I settled into the one with a mini table of magazines. Sol just laid right next to my leg and shut her eyes. Paul was at the bar, doing his usual routine of polishing glasses and rearranging items.
“Since you’re here in the flesh, I presume you’ve accomplished your goal.”
“Yeah, goal’s been finished in there. Wasn’t that difficult with Sol. I’m guessing my brother and the others are still doing the stages?”
Mr. Reed nodded. “As far as I’m aware, you’re first. I would love to ask you for the specifics now, but you called me here for a reason. May I ask what’s troubling you.”
“I need transportation for South Osmen right now. I’m very close with the Grand Elder of that place, and I need to inform her of what’s happening with Cardinal Nicholas and all that.”
He studied me for a moment. “It is quite difficult to get you a means of transportation. I am guessing you want your arrival to be subtle and quick. A plane is an absolute no because of the influx of monsters dominating the skies. The only option left is the water, and even that is problematic. Pisces-folk proclaim it as their territory now.”
I chuckled and said, “Sol and I can deal with them if they dare mess with us.”
Mr. Reed rose from his chair and smiled. “I don’t doubt that. You are one of the strongest on Earth. I’m sure you can deal with all manner of creatures. Is there anything else I can do for you?”
At first, I was about to tell the man that I needed nothing else, until I glanced at the watch on his wrist. A thought then crossed my mind.
“Can you give Isaac and I our own watches?”
****
It took Mr. Reed five hours to obtain a country-crossing boat. It wasn’t large like a cruise or cargo ship or as small as a dinghy- it was just your regular yacht. The reason for that was because big ships attracted way too much attention from the creatures below and a small ship would capsize at a moment’s notice. We had to settle with one that was sturdy yet swift. From the day he gave us a ship, only a day had passed. The yacht had enough gas and provisions for a round-trip.
While leaning over the railing from the back of the yacht, I watched the waters rise periodically. Sol was inside one of the cabins, resting. She had used way too much mana from the Second Stage. Apparently, using a few portals had used up a lot of energy. But, with time and experience, she’d get used to it. Soon, she will probably be just as proficient with her warps as Solgen.
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Speaking of Solgen, it was crazy to think that Sol had the DNA and blood of an Apithien and dragons. It was only due to the Pillars that such a creature- or Chimera- was created just to enter the Labyrinth. As much as I wanted to gag and cut off my tongue, I was kind of glad that they created Sol artificially. Without them, Sol would have never existed, and we’d never meet.
With what I knew, the Grand Elder and the other Elders had the right to know of Sol’s existence. Sol was still an Apithien, and they might greet her with open arms. However, if they were to look at her with scornful eyes, then I would not know what to do in that situation. Maybe curse them out for being childish and knock some sense into them? That could work. I still remembered old man Quilon losing his cool when Isaac berated him constantly.
While I was thinking about what the Elders were up to, I heard bubbling from beneath the boat. Startled, I focused my attention on the water. Sure enough, air bubbles were forming on the surface, and a webbed hand broke through. Without warning, a multitude of webbed hands followed along, and a slew of humanoid fish-faces appeared. I cursed under my breath as I retrieved my weapon. Activating [Thought Transmission], I signaled Sol, hoping the dragon would wake up. However, I received no confirmation back. I gave up and raised my voice.
“Ah shit, it’s the Pisces-folk… Captain! We got company!”
Almost immediately did the captain inside the bridge turn the speed up a notch. The sudden speed almost threw me back, so I held onto the yacht bars with one arm. The odor of salty air grew more intense, and the sun's dangerous rays made my skin uncomfortable. In the far distance, many icebergs caught my eye. We were drawing nearer to Antarctica, and next to it were the continents of North and South Osmen.
A flicker of movement near the left side caught my attention. When I inspected the disturbance closely, my jaw had dropped. Under the surface were the Pisces-folk disgusting features brought to light. They had a lean, humanoid torso, yet their lower-half composed of a fish-tail with brilliant blue scales. They had fishlike characteristics in their upper bodies, including gills and fins. Their pupils, dark as ink, appeared both lifeless and alive, holding intelligence akin to that of dolphins. When our eyes met, it released a smile that revealed rows of sharp teeth.
When reading about the Pisces-folk in South Osmen, it was told that they are a race that existed millions of years ago. From where they originated, no one knew. They were hard to come by, as they were rare and elusive creatures. That fact alone puzzled me on why they were attacking a yacht out of nowhere. Was the Conversion responsible for this?
Most of the Pisces-folk were clutching a white javelin that had a sharp bone protruding from the tip. One of them leaped from the depths and hurled it in my direction. I sidestepped away and watched the weapon tear through the wooden floorboards.
I turned my attention to the driver and said, “Can this thing go any faster?!”
The man, while grimacing, shook his head. I looked back at the army of Pisces-folk. The yacht was going at least 70mph, yet these creatures could keep up without breaking a sweat. Considering their habitat, it was only natural.
“Of course, things won’t go smoothly.”
I summoned a mana blade and chucked it at the fish people. The hit landed and the fish person died in one yet. The other members of their group noticed the deceased member and spread out, creating a large V-shape around the vessel. More weapons made of mana materialized and were launched. Unlike the prior victim, they managed to avoid it quite effortlessly. The Pisces-folk retaliated by throwing more of their spears at the deck. One of them shattered the glass in the cockpit. The driver yelped as he ducked his head, screaming curses at the monsters.
Not long after, I heard crinkling from down under, like a knife stabbing through a can. The realization dawned on me, and I thought of the worst-case scenario. The Pisces-folk were stabbing the yacht with their spears, threatening to sink the entire ship. If I were to account for how many there were- which was in the double digits- then they would succeed in a few minutes. That was if they achieved their goal before we reached our destination, and even that wasn’t far off.
A familiar sight lurked behind the lingering ice sheets that drifted across the frigid waters; a forest under perpetual snow that few would dare enter. Although I felt a hint of relief, I chose to hide it.
“Maybe I should have taken the plane…”