Chapter 1
My eyes fluttered open to a rhythmic lullaby of waves against a creaking hull. Where was I? How did I end up here?
Disoriented, I scanned my surroundings. It appeared to be a sleeping quarter below deck. I observed others waking up; some stretched leisurely while others seemed to share my bewilderment.
Everyone wore the same coarse brown fabric with frayed edges. Glancing down, I confirmed that I, too, was dressed in the shabby attire. The only variation in the outfit amongst the passengers was that the girls had a deeper V at the neck, showing a hint of collarbone.
“Hey, you awake too?” A voice beside me broke the silence. I turned to see a man dressed the same, grinning amiably at me.
“Yeah, I am,” I responded, my head still swimming in confusion.
“We should be there soon.” He gestured towards the window between our beds. Far in the distance, I could see hazy land crowned by the silhouette of a castle towering high above a city. “I can't wait to see what kind of place this is! I've been dreaming of this journey my whole life.”
I nodded, unsure of what to say. I could not recall anything prior to waking up that would explain what I was doing here.
“Where exactly are we going again?”
The man chuckled. “The seasickness got you bad, huh? We're on our way to Goliath. The monster attacks have escalated, so the guild’s welcoming anyone who wants to join the fight! All you have to do is select a class when you reach level 5. Didn't you know that when you signed up for this voyage?”
“I signed up for this voyage?” I echoed, my bewilderment only growing. “Wait… Class? Level 5?”
“Don’t worry. I hear guild vets tend to show us newbies the ropes. Oh, here,” he fished an herb from his pocket and handed it to me. “This’ll help the seasickness. You can check your phage crystal for your current status. Just tap it and focus on what you want, and it should do the rest.” He lifted his left arm, revealing a blue crystal embedded just below his wrist. I glanced down and found an identical crystal on my own arm. “Anyway, I'm heading up-deck for some grub. Good luck!”
Well, I can’t say that helped me feel any less disoriented. I glanced around at the other passengers, noting that everyone had crystals on their arms. Once again, I was stricken by how some seemed to think this was all completely natural and normal.
So, just tap the crystal and think about what I want, huh? Might as well.
I tapped the crystal and thought, status.
Instantly, blue text materialized before my eyes. Turning my head, the text remained over my field of vision.
Name: Zelik
Adventurer - level 1
HP: 130/130
Condition: Seasickness
After reading the information, I wondered how to dispel the floating text. However, as soon as the thought crossed my mind, the text vanished.
I eyed the herb still in my hand, then popped it into my mouth. It was minty, like toothpaste. By the time I finished chewing and swallowed, my head cleared. Though still confused, I felt markedly better.
I tapped the crystal again to see my ‘condition’ changed from 'seasickness' to ‘healthy.’
“Excuse me,” a soft voice chimed next to me. I turned to see a girl around my age. A light blush crept through her tanned cheeks, framed by chestnut-brown hair that was elegantly twined into a thick braid cascading down her back. She wore the same peasant attire as the rest of us, her slender figure accentuated by the V-shaped collar, revealing a sliver of a white undershirt that contrasted with her sun-kissed skin.
“Yes?” I asked.
“Sorry, I just overheard your conversation. You don't know what we're doing here either?”
I shook my head. “No, I have no idea how I got on this boat… actually… just about the only thing I remember is my name.”
Her emerald-green eyes lowered, her expression thoughtful. She tapped the phage crystal on her arm and looked at me, her eyes widening in astonishment.
“So, your name is Zelik?”
“Oh, yeah, how did you know?”
“Sorry, I used you as a guinea pig. I’m trying to see what else this crystal can do. Um, I’m sorry if that’s bad etiquette.” Her fingers fidgeted together. “M-my name is Leah.”
Since she had already done it to me, I figured there was no harm in reciprocating. I tapped my crystal and thought, 'check stats.'
Name: Leah
Adventurer - level 1
HP: 130/130
“It doesn’t show condition when you use it on someone else,” I observed.
“Seems that way…” Leah said, her gaze sweeping across the ship. She tapped her crystal and focused on someone―it was difficult to determine who in the crowded space. “Take a look at this. Check that guy over there, walking towards the stairs.”
I spotted him and checked his stats.
Derek
HP: 100/100
“All it gave is a name and HP.”
“Yeah,” she said. She started tapping her crystal repeatedly, examining person after person. “It seems the ones like you and me who are confused about all of this have adventurer level 1 listed. The rest of them, the ones acting like this is all normal; it's just their name and HP. Also, their HP is lower.”
“So what do you think is going on here? Were we kidnapped or something?”
“I don’t know; it might have something to do with these contracts we supposedly signed.” She shook her head. “I just wish I could remember something! I’ve got nothing but blanks.”
“Honestly, it's a relief to know I'm not the only one,” I admitted. “What do you say we look around? Maybe we can find some answers.”
Leah seemed ready to agree, but suddenly a loud thump vibrated throughout the hull. The entire ship lurched, and I stumbled, barely catching myself on a nearby beam. Leah lost her footing as well, falling right into my arms. As soon as she regained her balance, she hastily broke away, a deep blush creeping up her neck as she turtled into her shoulders. Her flustered expression was undeniably cute, but I did not have time to dwell on it. The hull shook once more, but this time we both managed to stay upright, better prepared for the sudden movement.
“What's going on?” Leah asked, her eyes wide with alarm.
A murmuring came through the room, which was soon cut by shouts above deck. Some passengers cautiously approached the stairs as someone came running down in a hurry.
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“Leviathan!” he screamed, bringing all eyes to him as he ripped away a leather tarp near the stairway, revealing a rack of swords. “All hands on deck! We're under attack! Grab a weapon!” He snatched a sword himself and raced back up the stairs.
Neither Leah nor I were particularly eager to follow the sudden command. After all, for all we knew, we had just been kidnapped, and now we were supposed to take up arms and fight a... fight a what, exactly? The word “Leviathan” meant nothing to me.
The hull shook again, this time accompanied by a deafening crash as the bulkhead splintered apart behind us and sprayed us with shards of wooden debris. I looked to see an enormous scaly claw withdrawing from the hole it had just punched through. Smaller claws then gripped the hole's edges and pulled up three reptilian faces that began to force their way inside. They looked like blue-scaled alligators, but their sly toothy snouts and observant eyes spoke to a high, predatory intelligence.
[https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/645ab878f954d31e09039dee/1a8fed87-c422-400a-a5a1-9c03e5aca7d1/leviathanspawns-0002.png?content-type=image%2Fpng]
One of the creatures slipped through easily, landing on the floor and fixing its cold gaze on a terrified adventurer. The other two hissed and snapped at each other, fighting to force their way through the small opening. The adventurer backed away, and as I shouted, “Run!” the lizard-like creature pounced.
It pinned him down and sank its teeth into his neck. Blood splattered the walls as his screams were abruptly silenced. His lifeless body lay still, and the creature's chilling eyes focused on me, its maw dripping with blood.
“Come on!” Leah cried, grabbing my arm. After a short hesitation, I sprinted towards the stairs alongside her and the remaining passengers. Once Leah was confident that I had snapped back to my senses, she released my arm. As we neared the weapon rack, she snatched up a sword. In my peripheral vision, I saw another unfortunate adventurer meeting a gruesome end.
With a sword now in my trembling hands, I turned around, gripping the hilt tightly. Two corpses lay on the ground, and a third was being viciously mauled. Other adventurers pushed past us in a mad dash, ignoring the weapons rack as they ran up the stairs unarmed.
“Out of the way!” a voice boomed behind me. “These creatures are too strong for newbies!”
A burly man clad in steel armor pushed past Leah and me, standing confidently with his weapon as he faced the monstrous creatures. “Head up-deck and find a way to help!” With that commanding order, he lunged forward, his sword slashing at one of the beasts.
“Come on!” Leah urged, and I turned to follow her up the stairs, my legs moving of their own accord.
At the top of the dimly lit stairwell, daylight streamed in. Had there been a closet or some other hiding spot, I would have gladly opted for it. As we emerged onto the deck, I gaped in horror at a colossal tail slithering across the length of the ship like a serpent before disappearing into the ocean. The creature it belonged to must have been larger than the ship itself!
“You two,” called a man wearing leather armor, “Fight your way to the upper cabins. You'll be safe once you get there!” He pointed us up a stairwell, then turned, lifting his sword as five smaller lizard-like creatures scurried across the deck – about the size of dogs instead of alligators. Beyond them, chaos reigned over the ship as men and women in proper armor battled lizards of varying size. Scattered across the deck were many corpses wearing the same shabby clothing as Leah and I.
The leather-clad warrior swung his sword, decapitating one of the creatures. Another sank its teeth into his leg, but he kicked it off and plunged his sword into its body.
I locked eyes with a lizard as it suddenly jumped at me. I reflexively swung my sword in defense and closed my eyes mid-swing, praying for a lucky hit.
An impact resonated through my weapon, but the success was short-lived as searing pain erupted from my wrist. I screamed in agony, stumbling backward and dropping my sword as I hit the ground. The lizard had latched onto my arm, its teeth digging into my flesh, its claws swiping at my body as it pinned me down.
I desperately tried to shake it off, using my free hand to pry at its jaw. Just as my strength began to wane, I heard Leah's battle cry. She brought her sword down on the creature, distracting its grip from my arm.
As she reached down to help me up, my eyes caught the sight of another lizard leaping towards her. “Look out!” I yelled, but it was too late. The creature knocked Leah off her feet, its teeth sinking into her back. I reached for the sword, pain shooting through my arm as I realized it was broken.
Leah struggled, trying to shake off the creature and screaming in agony. I stumbled toward them and attacked with a clumsy one-handed swing. My blade sliced the creature's side, forcing it to release Leah, but its open jaws hissed at me―murderous intent blazing in its reptilian eyes.
Thankfully, the leather-clad fighter finished his remaining foes and turned as he drove his sword through the creature's head before it could attack. “You're injured. Take these healing berries,” he said, pushing them into my hand. “Now, up the stairs!”
“Th-thank you!” I stammered, reaching down to help Leah up. She seemed barely able to walk, her sword hanging weakly at her side as she leaned on my shoulder for support, and we climbed the stairs together. A quick glance at her status revealed her severely depleted health.
Name: Leah
Adventurer - Level 1
HP: 30/130
I slowed down, checking to see if anything was pursuing us. “Here, try these.”
She took some of the berries, popping them into her mouth as I did the same. They tasted sweet and juicy.
I watched as Leah's HP stat changed, the numbers spinning as she chewed until they reached 130 again. As I swallowed my own berries, the pain in my arm vanished, and I saw that the wound had completely healed.
We pressed on while the leather-clad man below engaged a new wave of lizards, securing our rear. But the respite was short-lived; another lizard appeared at the top of the stairs, barring our path. Leah and I steadied our swords, standing side by side on the large stairway.
“We have to fight it,” she declared.
Swallowing hard, my pulse quickened as I tapped the crystal to assess our foe.
Leviathan Spawn
Monster - Level 3
HP: ???/???
Weakness: ????
The lizard skittered down the stairs, closing in on us. I regretted not saving some berries for later, but the thought of enduring another wound was horrifying, whether it could be easily healed or not.
With a sudden lunge, it opened its jaws wide. I swung my weapon, grazing the top of its head, but its claw swiped at my stomach, tearing my clothes and drawing blood. Leah slashed at it, striking its side. The creature scurried backward and reassumed its stance further up the stairs, now sporting two fresh injuries. My stomach ached, but I could still fight.
Name: Zelik
Adventurer - Level 1
HP: 100/130
Condition: Healthy
It hissed, lunging again, this time at Leah. She pulled back, but the lizard bit her arm before hitting the floor. As it tried to scurry away, I stepped forward and slashed at it, landing a clean hit across its spiny back. It writhed and hissed for a moment before falling limp.
Leah and I exchanged wary glances, cautiously approaching the motionless lizard. I nudged it with the tip of my blade, testing for any reaction. Nothing. Relief washed over us as we realized the lizard was truly dead.
Just as we began to relax, a golden glow enveloped us. The warm light seeped into our very cores, leaving us feeling invigorated and somehow stronger. We stared at each other, mystified.
“Did you... feel that?” Leah asked hesitantly.
“I did,” I confirmed, equally puzzled as I tapped my crystal.
Name: Zelik
Adventurer - Level 2
HP: 100/160
Condition: Healthy
Name: Leah
Adventurer - Level 2
HP: 110/160
“I guess… we just leveled up?” I said.
A smirk touched the corner of Leah’s lips. “Well, isn't that something? But does it actually make a difference, or is it just for show?”
“No idea. We’ll have to figure it out later, though.”
We reached the top of the stairs where a man in a white robe, holding a staff, called to us as he held a door open. “This way, you'll be safe in here!”
We exchanged glances, relief evident on Leah's face, and I was sure it also showed on mine. Inside the cabin, our reprieve was short-lived, however. We were met by a disheartening scene. Other survivors, all dressed in the same tattered peasants' garb, gave us fleeting glances. The confined space had a suffocating atmosphere, a sense of hopelessness hanging in the air.
In one corner of the room, a young woman huddled with her legs drawn to her chest, crying into her knees. Two men sat on a bench, one of them quite large and sporting a goatee, the other had short blond hair and a chiseled jaw. Their faces were pale and wide with shock.
Another girl with dark hair sat at a table, her fingers absentmindedly fiddling with the crystal on her wrist. Her gaze seemed distant, as though she was trying to make sense of the events that had transpired.
Lastly, at the far end of the room was a woman with fiery red hair tied in a ponytail, exuding an air of composure that set her apart from the rest. She stood near a small, grimy window, her arms folded defiantly across her chest. Her ice-blue eyes briefly met mine with chilling intensity before returning her gaze to the chaos outside.
Leah and I took a moment to catch our breath and then found a place to sit. “We made it,” Leah whispered, and I nodded in agreement. We both looked around the room, wondering what to do next. It was clear that everyone here had been through their share of horrors.
I considered asking if they knew why we were all here, but I had a feeling we were all in the same boat – no pun intended.