Chapter 2

Leah's demeanor mirrored my own unease, but she masked it by engrossing herself in her crystal. I observed her eyes scanning the invisible text before her, and when she glanced across the room, I realized she was checking the stats of the other survivors.

Curiosity got the better of me as well. Although I questioned the ethics of checking information on someone without their consent, I saw no harm in it. Besides, it would be valuable information, and who's to say they hadn't already done the same to me?

First, I checked the girl at the table who also busied herself with her crystal. She had black hair and light freckles dusting her cheeks. She had barely looked up since we came in, so I wondered if she had made any discoveries with it.

Name: Hope

Adventurer - level 3

HP: 190/220

Then, I checked the two men on the benches.

Name: Chris

Adventurer - level 2

HP: 160/160

Name: John

Adventurer - level 2

HP: 200/200

So far, everyone at level 2 had 160 HP, but for some reason, the big guy, John, had 200. Chris kind of looked like a jock; young, clean-shaven with with short blond hair.

Next, I cautiously checked the redhead, though her intense aura made me hesitant to draw her attention. As I read her stats, I was instantly impressed.

Name: Tsarina

Adventurer - level 6

HP: 450/450

Level 6? Had she been doing this longer than the rest of us, or did she wake up below deck just as Leah and I had? How many of those lizards, Leviathan Spawns, had she killed?

A particularly loud sob from the girl in the corner reminded me of her presence. I glanced her way and tapped my crystal.

Name: Alura

Adventurer - level 1

HP: 30/130

Only 30 HP. I would have offered her some healing berries if I had any left. The fact she was only level 1 made me wonder how she survived without defeating enough lizards to level up.

Leah suddenly stood. It seemed she could no longer sit there in silence. “Excuse me! Does anyone here know… well… what all of this is?”

“That's a rather open-ended question, isn't it?” the redhead, Tsarina, said. “Well, this is a boat, for one.”

“I mean…” Leah's eyes dropped. “My friend and I have no memories before waking up below deck. I guess… what I'm asking, is it the same for everyone else here?”

The girl in the corner sobbed louder, hugging her knees tighter. I couldn't help but pity her.

Tsarina’s lips pressed into a thin line, and without a word, she averted her gaze back out the window.

“Yeah,” Chris said, “John and I were just talking about that. It's the same for us too.”

Hope looked up, her wide eyes glancing around like a cautious squirrel before answering. “Same here.”

Leah seemed to want to say more, perhaps hoping for answers, but she understood it was pointless, at least for now. She sat back down, staring at the crystal on her wrist. “Maybe these can…” It was a half-finished thought, but I knew what she was thinking. These crystals might be able to answer some questions for us. I remembered our discovery before the attack: that stats were different for people who seemed to know more about this world.

I glanced across the room at the door we had entered from, noticing the man in the white robe standing guard outside. I tapped my crystal.

Malakai

HP: 5623/6050

“Hey, check this out,” I said, nodding toward him.

Leah tapped her crystal and looked his way. “Huh, he has way more HP than the rest of us, but he doesn't even have a level.”

I caught Tsarina watching us from the corner of her eye. She hesitantly looked at her crystal, her fingers hovering over it. Finally, she tapped it and recoiled with a gasp. “What!? What the hell is this?” Her body pivoted as though she were trying to look around the text.

“You haven't used it yet?” I asked. “Just think about dismissing the text, and it will disappear.”

Her initial confusion subsided, and she regained her composure. “I wasn't sure what it was, but...”

“Something I've noticed,” John said as he stood. His size was even more apparent now that he was standing. If he were to make the claim he was part bear, I would probably believe him. “People like us have an extra piece of information attached. That is, those of us who seem to have lost our memories.”

“Yeah, we noticed that too,” I said. “What do you think it means?”

He rubbed his goatee and echoed my thoughts. “It's hard to say, but I suspect these crystals may be key to solving this mystery.”

Tsarina returned her attention to the window, her eyes scanning the ship as she tapped her crystal with a newfound curiosity.

“What do you see?” I asked, approaching her. She remained silent, her attention focused on the battle unfolding outside. I examined a large lizard engaged in combat with two heavily armored men.

Leviathan Spawn

Monster - level 15

HP: ????/????

Weakness: ????

Next, I focused on one of the men in armor.

George

HP: 3275/6030

You could be reading stolen content. Head to the original site for the genuine story.

Then, I noticed a girl in peasant clothes identical to ours, her dark hair cascading over her shoulders as she hurried up the stairs. Her fair skin contrasted with her darker features, her expression fierce and determined.

Name: Rin

Adventurer - level 1

HP: 110/130

“She’s about to be attacked,” Tsarina said.

“What do you-?” My question was cut short as a Leviathan Spawn leaped over the railing, blocking the girl's path. She raised her sword, her small frame wielding the weapon with surprising grace as she faced the monstrous creature.

“Whenever someone comes up the stairs, one of those monsters attacks,” Tsarina explained.

The Leviathan Spawn struck first, springing into action as its gaping maw snapped forward, clamping down on Rin's arm. She gritted her teeth, suppressing a scream as she struggled to break free. Pushing her sword forward, she knocked it off as it hit the steps and scurried up a few paces.

Instead of seizing the opportunity to counter, Rin's eyes darted behind herself, perhaps considering a retreat as her arm was bleeding badly. The hesitation cost her as the lizard advanced again, its tail whipping out. The scaled spines slashed her leg, tearing through her pants and wounding her shin, forcing her to one knee.

Name: Rin

Adventurer - level 1

HP: 70/130

“She needs help!” I said, rushing for the door without thinking. I yanked the handle, but it was locked. I pushed, pulled, and pounded, shouting to the man outside. “Hey you! There's someone on the stairs! She needs help!”

“It's pointless,” Tsarina's voice came from behind me. “He won't open the door.”

I could see him standing there stock-still as if he could not hear me at all. I hurried back to the window where I saw Rin struggling to her feet. She regained her foot, then screamed, swinging her sword at the Leviathan Spawn, managing to strike its eye and force it to retreat with a hiss, but the beast soon advanced again, striking at her. Its claws raked across her stomach, making her stumble back. She managed to catch herself on the railing to avoid tumbling down the steps.

Name: Rin

Adventurer - level 1

HP: 35/130

Her struggle to maintain her grip on the sword evident. From what I could tell, another hit might just finish her off.

Rin's eyes darted between her hand and the monster, and I realized she was holding a handful of berries. However, her expression seemed unsure, trying to make a quick decision.

“JUST EAT THEM!” I yelled, pounding the window in desperation. I don’t know if my voice reached her or if she came to a decision herself, but she crammed the berries into her mouth, chewing and swallowing as fast as she could. I checked her stats, relief washing over me as her HP steadily climbed back to 130.

The Leviathan Spawn continued its assault, striking her leg with its tail once more. She stumbled but quickly regained her footing, thrusting her sword forward with a ferocious battle cry. Her scream persisted as she drove the sword deep into the creature's face. It hissed and writhed before collapsing.

She froze with her sword embedded in its lifeless form, breathing heavily. Then, as she removed the now blood-soaked blade, a golden aura pulsed around her body.

Name: Rin

Adventurer - level 2

HP: 120/160

“She made it,” Leah exhaled in relief. I felt grateful as well, having witnessed all the death I could stand for one day.

I watched as the robed man opened the door for her. “This way, you'll be safe in here!” His words were not only the same as those he had said to Leah and I, but his tone and delivery were identical, as though he was playing back a recording. I hadn't paid close attention to the details, but I suspected that even his movements of holding the door would have been the same.

The thought of slipping out of the door while it was open crossed my mind, but Rin came inside, and it was shut again before I could fully form the thought. Besides, we did indeed seem to be safer in here.

Rin let her sword slide out of her hands as she fell to her knees, gasping for breath. She looked up at us with an accusatory glint in her eyes. “What the hell is going on here!?” she demanded, speaking to no one in particular.

“We are all as clueless as you, unfortunately,” John said as he tapped his crystal. “So, your name is Rin?”

She looked at him suspiciously as she stood. “Yes, that’s right.”

“Well, Rin, I hate to ask a favor upon just meeting, but I see you have some berries left.” John nodded toward Alura, still crying in the corner. “She seems like she could use some. The rest of us used ours already.”

Rin stepped back, closing her fist around the berries and hiding them at her side. Perhaps since she had not had to listen to Alura's sobbing, her sympathies had not had time to be played on. Or, it could be that she narrowly escaped with her life and was thinking only of her own survival. I don’t think I could fault her for that.

“We seem to be safe in here,” I said and pointed out the window. “It looks like those monsters are almost defeated too. There are only a few left.”

Rin shook her head, still protecting the berries at her side.

“It's alright, I've got extra,” Tsarina said, then reached into her pocket as she approached Alura. I caught a brief glimpse of a handful of berries, as she took out only a few, leaving the rest hidden. “So, your name is Alura?” she asked the girl. Alura lifted her tear and blood-stained face and nodded. “Take these.”

Alura hesitantly accepted them. As she chewed, the wounds visible through her torn clothing began to mend. Color returned to her cheeks, and her trembling subsided.

“Th-thank you…” Alura stuttered, swallowing. “I'm sorry, I really thought I was going to die.”

“It's alright,” Tsarina assured her with surprising warmth in her voice. “I don't know what to expect next, but I believe there's safety in a group.” She scanned the cabin. “If we all agree to watch out for each other, I'll share my berries. I have enough to heal all of us if necessary.”

“If I might point out the obvious,” John said. “You do seem to be an outlier among us. Why is it that your level is so much higher?”

Tsarina shrugged. “I assume it's because I've killed more of those Leviathan Spawns. I nearly died myself, but when I realized the berries could instantly heal my injuries, I started collecting them from those killed by the monsters. I fought whatever got in my way and healed when I became injured. Eventually, I made it up here.”

Cheers from the lower deck drew us all back to the window. Blood stained the entire ship, but no more Leviathan Spawns remained alive. The combatants raised their swords in victory, though the celebration felt hollow to me. For every monster corpse, there were at least two that were human.

In the distance, I saw a massive tail weaving through the waves as it traveled away from the ship. I tapped my crystal.

Leviathan’s Tail

Great Beast’s Tail - level 240

HP: ??????/??????

Weakness: ??????

The door opened as the white-robed man stepped in. “Adventurers! The battle has been won! The ship has suffered heavy damage, and many lives were lost, but we triumphed over the vile forces brought upon us!”

I stared at him, his jovial attitude not fitting the mood at all. “Hey! What the hell was that earlier? I was trying to leave the room to help Rin, and you flat-out ignored me!”

He looked at me with a smile. “We will make port shortly. You now have free roam of the ship until we arrive.” He responded as if he did not hear a word I said. After bowing, he turned and left, leaving the door open. I looked back amongst everyone else, wondering if they were as weirded out by this as I was.

“This may seem in poor taste,” Tsarina said, grabbing her sword and walking for the door. “But I’m going to spend the remaining time on this boat looting corpses. You are all welcome to join me.”

“Are you kidding me?” I said. “I get doing it while you’re trying to survive… but now?”

“It is not that I do not understand your hesitation,” Tsarina replied. “However, what I am sure of is those Leviathan Spawns are nothing compared to some of the other monsters that might exist in this world. You checked the Leviathan’s tail as well, did you not?”

I did, it was level 240, and it was only the tail of a much larger creature. If I had an opportunity to check its head's stats, I wonder what I may have found.

“These crystals are embedded into our flesh,” Tsarina continued, “Meaning we can not take them off. Furthermore, why were there weapon racks in our sleeping quarters? It does not seem this attack was entirely random; they expected it.”

She let those words hang in the air, and having that fact pointed out seemed to give the room a collective sense of unease. She continued her speech: “I don’t know what we are doing here, but I don’t believe we are done fighting once we reach the city. I have a feeling this is just the beginning. So, excuse me for seizing every advantage I can.”

With those words, she turned to leave, but a small voice spoke up. “Um, I-I’ll help you,” Alura said timidly, approaching Tsarina. “I… all I could do is run, I’m sorry if I’m not very strong, but I’ll help in any way I can.”

Tsarina smiled at her. “You’ll have to toughen up, but do what you can for now.” Alura blushed and bowed her head. “The rest of you can feel free to join me in looting or not, I won’t hold it against you personally, but my focus in this world is going to be on survival.” With that, she left the room, Alura following behind.

Rin watched them go, clutched her berries, then looked back at the rest of us before leaving as well.

“Well,” Chris started. “While I don’t know if her idea will have much use, it seems to have gotten her this far. She’s at a higher level than any of us and is certainly intuitive.” He looked at his crystal. “I don’t know what all of this is… but I’m going with her.” With that, he left.

John shook his head. “Disrespecting the dead will bring bad luck. I won't have any part of it.”

“Yeah. I’m with you there,” Hope agreed. “She might be right, but we don’t know anything yet. I’m going to wait until we make it to the city. Maybe we’ll get more answers.”

Leah clenched her fist; she seemed torn. “Zel, what do you think we should do?”

I wasn’t sure. We almost died out there, but I could barely stand to look at another dead body, let alone run my hands through their pockets. Besides, it seems those healing berries are not exactly considered rare.

“I think Hope has the right idea,” I said. “Let's wait for now. Once we make it to the city, I’m sure we’ll be able to find more answers than are available to us right now.”