I woke up early and went downstairs after taking a shower. Carol was already there, enjoying breakfast with Malii. I joined them at the table.

"This is delicious!" Carol exclaimed, showing me the bowl she had ordered.

I decided to get the same.

"So, do you have a plan?" she asked eagerly.

"Well, I spoke with Calexa, and I have a potential idea. However, it will depend on finding a fisherman willing to help us. Once we locate Kage's ship, we'll board it at night," I explained.

Both Carol and Malii looked at me with surprise.

"But we can't be out at night," Carol pointed out. "Patate mentioned it's dangerous."

"That's true," I acknowledged. "But only if you're near the spawning Crystal. Our main concern will be the Goblin-Orc hybrids and the Oxanes, as they'll be stronger. However, for other creatures, there won't be much of a difference. Additionally--"

"Oxanes are already insane!" Carol interrupted.

"I know, I know," I reassured her. "But the whole point is that they won't be expecting us. We'll rest during the day and launch our attack in the middle of the night when their defenses are minimal, and most of them are deeply asleep. With a bit of luck, we can get in and out before they realize."

"I'm not sure if you're aware," Carol said between bites of her breakfast, "but so far, luck hasn't been on our side."

"If we're prepared, we'll be fine," I replied confidently.

Malii scratched his chin as he looked at me, then chimed in :

"Nighttime is a good idea. The Crystal won't appear in the air, so you should be safe. And I agree that they won't be expecting an assault, especially coming from Revivals."

I nodded in agreement.

The waiter brought me a bowl of food that resembled oatmeal or Chinese congee, mixed with fruits and a delightful sweetness. Carol was right, it was truly delicious.

"But there are two things we'll need," I continued. "First, we need to find a fisherman who's willing to fly us there and wait for our return. Second, we must locate Kage's camp."

"Fishermen won't want to fly at night," Malii commented.

"We'll offer them a generous sum of gold," Carol interjected.

I looked at her, surprised, and said :

"Since when are you okay with spending money?"

"Well, you still owe me 500, but aside from that, I'm starting to like your crazy plans," she replied with a mischievous grin.

Suddenly, her expression turned more serious, and she continued :

"To be honest, yesterday's battle was tough. When Bawa hit me on the head the second time I thought I was done. It made me realize that we needed to level up. It pushed me beyond what I thought I was capable of. When we fought the small goblins in the noob area, I felt invincible, like the strongest woman in the world. But since we arrived here, even an average Watoo poses a difficult challenge. I want to reclaim that feeling of strength. I want to get it back."

I looked at her with surprise. I had experienced a similar sentiment, and it made me feel less alone in this place, in this "adventure." We all had our ups and downs, and once again, I felt incredibly fortunate to have her by my side.

Carol awkwardly laughed, breaking the silence, and took a big spoonful of her creamy breakfast. I followed suit.

"Do you think this Keres could be your killer?" Carol suddenly dropped.

"His killer?" Malii asked, bewildered.

She did it again, I thought.

We all fell into a heavy silence, deliberately avoiding eye contact.

"What do you mean, his killer?" Malii inquired, looking back and forth between Carol and me.

"I meant..." Carol struggled to find an explanation.

"It's okay," I interjected. "Listen, Malii, we need to explain something to you, but you mustn't share this information."

Over the next 30 minutes, Carol and I elaborated on why Revivals were in this world. We talked about the Guides, the mysterious voice that prevented us from moving, and everything else we could think of. We made sure to avoid mentioning NPCs or the uncertainty of what was real or not. Talking about that could be too much and devastating for his mental health, this wasn't the right time for that discussion.

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Malii sat there, his hand on his head, elbows resting on the table, staring downward.

"I can't..." he muttered. "I can't believe this. You're dead? And... have you seen anyone from our world in your world, doing the same thing?"

"No," I replied simply.

"So, you're dead but alive. Revivals didn't come here willingly. They were forced. And..."

He looked up at us and continued.

"Simon, if this woman is your killer, she'll try to do it again so she can return to your world. You can't be part of this attack. It's a trap, I'm certain."

I nodded in agreement.

"The fact that we know it's a trap already gives us an advantage," I said.

"Those stats you mentioned," Malii went on. "Can your gear actually help you raise them, making you stronger rather than just providing better protection?"

"Correct," Carol confirmed.

We remained silent for a moment. Then, with a profound look, Malii said in an almost ceremonial tone :

"I will never utter a word of this to anyone. You have my word. I thank you for trusting me with this information."

We smiled at him.

"Nobody would believe you anyway," Carol laughed.

As we finished our breakfast, Tabi approached us with a wide smile on his face.

"Good morning, my friends," he greeted. "I have excellent news for you. I know where Kage's ship is, and I also know where he's headed next."

We looked at him in surprise.

"That was quick!" I exclaimed.

Malii inquired ;

"Can we trust this information?"

Tabi nodded confidently.

"Yes, I received it from a friend of mine - a merchant who sometimes trades with bandits. He spotted Kage's ship and knows its intended destination."

"Now, all we need is to find a fisherman who can take us to the floating camp at night," I said, leaning back in my chair.

"At night?!" Tabi exclaimed, taken aback.

"Yes," I confirmed. "We plan to launch our attack under the cover of darkness and go stealth as much as possible."

Tabi remained silent for a moment, then responded :

"Boarding the ship at night will undoubtedly catch them off guard. However, I have to be honest with you. Finding a fisherman willing to fly you during the night will be extremely challenging."

"Or expensive," Malii added.

"Yes, perhaps if you offer a substantial sum of gold, you might find someone willing," Tabi explained. "But even then, it won't be easy. I'll need to ask around and see if I have any leads. As Malii mentioned, it's going to be costly."

Curious, Carol asked :

"Do you have any idea how much it might cost?"

"I'm not certain yet. I'll need to gather more information. How much can you afford?" Tabi replied.

"I have 2388 Gold," Carol revealed.

"Wow!" I exclaimed. "That's quite a fortune! Where did you manage to find all that gold?"

"The Oxanes had a stash. How about you?" Carol asked me.

"I have 1094 Gold," I replied.

"And don't forget, you still owe me 500," Carol reminded me, flashing a playful smile.

Tabi chimed in :

"That's a decent amount, but I can't guarantee if it will be sufficient. I'll ask around and see what I can find. We need to make the arrangements tonight, as we only know where Kage will be tonight."

"We also need to stock up on health patches and bolts," I added.

"Alright, let's meet back here around lunchtime, and we can discuss our progress then," Tabi suggested.

We all nodded in agreement.

We went to purchase some additional health patches and bolts for my crossbow and then took some rest until lunchtime.

Upon entering the motel, we noticed Tabi, Malii, and another Watoo engaged in a discussion at a nearby table. We joined them.

"I'd like to introduce you to Uabo, a formidable fisherman. He's willing to take you tonight," Tabi announced.

The Watoo appeared relatively young, wearing a vibrant yellow coverall that accentuated his muscular build, although not as imposing as Bawa's size.

"I can fly you there and wait for you, but it's risky. I require payment in advance," Uabo stated.

"Half in advance," Carol suggested.

Uabo shook his head in disagreement.

"No, if I were to die there, my family would need the money. You're planning to board Kage's ship, which means there's a good chance of death. Maybe for me as well, so I want the money upfront," he firmly responded.

Carol and I exchanged glances, but before we could respond, Malii spoke up :

"What if we give all the money to your wife upon boarding?"

Uabo pondered for a moment, then finally agreed.

"Deal."

Curious about the cost, I inquired :

"And how much will it cost us?"

"I'll transport you there and wait until you're finished or dead. I want 3000 gold," the fisherman replied.

"Are you out of your mind!" Carol shouted in shock.

Uabo remained serious, countering :

"I could ask you the same. You're the one who wants to board Kage's ship."

A brief silence fell upon us.

"We'll depart one hour after nightfall, and it'll take another two hours to reach Kage's ship," Uabo explained.

Carol turned to Tabi and Malii, seeking their opinion :

"Do you trust this guy."

"I trust him," Tabi affirmed.

Carol and I shared a nod, signaling our decision.

"Deal," I confirmed.

We shook hands, and Uabo left the motel.

"We should rest now. I want to catch some sleep before the long night ahead," I suggested.

"I want to come with you," Malii suddenly interjected.

"That's out of the question," I swiftly responded.

"I can be of assistance."

"It's too dangerous, and you need to keep the Gem safe in case our mission fails."

"Danalii is both my Priestess and my friend."

"Malii," Carol interjected with a no-nonsense tone. "Listen up. You tagging along will only make things worse. If shit hits the fan and we're caught in a fight, we won't be able to keep you safe. It's too dangerous, we don't know what we will come across."

She then smiled, softening her previous straight talk.

She was changing. She actually did care.

Malii remained silent for a moment, then reached under his clothes and dropped a small leather pouch onto the table.

"Take this," he said. "Consider it a gift."

I opened the pouch, finding a Knowledge Stone inside.

"Are you sure about this?" I asked.

"Yes," he affirmed.

I used FOCUS on the stone ;

"Knowledge Stone of Kali's Anger; Category I.

Allows you to learn the Kali's Anger spell if requirements are met.

Requirements:

Intelligence: 15 Strength: 25"

I glanced at Carol.

"You should learn it. My Intelligence isn't high enough anyway," she said.

I nodded, then carefully removed the covering moss to reveal the triggering word.

"Kalika," I pronounced.

The Stone vanished, and a new spell appeared in my spell wheel:

"Kali's Anger; Category I

Temporarily renders the caster invulnerable to physical and magical attacks, tripling their strength for the duration. Upon consuming the spell, 35 damage is dealt to the caster Vitality.

Duration: 30 seconds.

Cost: 20 Mana."

"Wow!" I exclaimed. "This is truly powerful."

I looked at Malii, expressing my gratitude for his generous gift.

"Please come back alive, and save her," he pleaded.

I nodded in acknowledgment.

With our plans set, Carol and I decided to rest until the scheduled departure time, making our way to our room