Chapter 12 - Sometimes it's good to calm down and talk
“You are a What?!”
Kazue had screamed in surprise at everything Adam had been explaining, starting with the basics of his condition and abilities. Perhaps another person might have been more cautious about revealing their cards to someone who, for all practical purposes, was a stranger. However, in this case, the lack of interpersonal knowledge worked in the boy's favor. In his mind, there was no disadvantage in doing so, and it could only aid in any potential future collaboration, provided the previous mistake did not repeat itself. It was the logical thing to do.
“A demi-lich, yes, at least in theory, the only difference I’ve managed to confirm was my inability to sleep and my resistance to mental attacks and skills.”
“But then why were you unconscious? Wasn’t that kind of being asleep?”
It was a valid question. It had happened twice to be exact, however, those times, instead of dreaming of something, he had experienced a place of absolute darkness along with... No, now was not the time to recall that.
“I don’t think that was akin to being asleep or even dreaming, but there are a lot of things I still don’t know… Unfortunately, I didn’t even finish the books about the liches, if only I had had more time.”
While he lamented, Kazue had relaxed a bit more and sat down with her legs crossed.
"You really love studying, don't you? I can't even finish a single book that isn't a manga. I can't even imagine the idea of reading... How many did you say you bought? Eight? My god."
The comment struck him as quite curious, especially since he didn't understand the aversion some people had to reading.
"Yes, I like studying. After all, it's the only thing I do every day. It's necessary to reach the goal I've set for myself. Someday, I'll be a doctor and researcher."
"Just because you do it daily doesn't mean you like it. Don’t you do anything else? Surf the internet, play online games, watch anime, read manga? Don’t you get tired of doing the same thing?"
Adam pondered for a moment. Her words certainly had some logic to them. After all, what did it mean to like something? Studying, reading, and researching on his own were all he had ever known in his life, and truthfully, he didn't feel like he was missing out on anything. Everyone around him constantly emphasized how important it was and how proud they were that he was meeting all their expectations.
“I guess so, but truth be told, I don’t understand the appeal of all those things you just mentioned, it seems like a waste of time to be honest.”
"Hey, you're going to take that back right now!"
To the boy's surprise, who had only spoken his mind, Kazue jumped to her feet and stuck her head between the bars of the cell toward his direction, visibly upset by what she had just heard.
"None of that is a waste of time; it's a lifestyle, MY lifestyle. With all that, you can live a thousand adventures, take part in great feats, and meet people of all kinds and origins! It's better than anything you can do in the real world."
"But it's still fake, isn't it?"
“Hey!!”
The conversation was going nowhere, and for a moment, it seemed like the girl might even have bitten him if he had gotten close enough.
"Okay, okay, I take it back—it’s just not for me. Now, let me continue, please."
Deciding to stop circling a pointless argument, Adam continued with his remaining explanation, detailing the treasure he had managed to buy and its effects. To his surprise, this captivated the girl, who now looked at him with eyes full of excitement, despite having wanted to strangle him just moments before.
“Well that explains why it didn’t affect you, but it’s such a bummer that you can’t use any of the other cool abilities due to not having Cursed Energy… Maybe if you kill some bad guys and absorb their souls like an actual lich?”
“Please, don’t joke about that, besides, as I said before, I don’t even know how a real lich, or demi-lich, should be… But that should be it, there are many things I still have to try.”
After that, there was a pause followed by an awkward silence, which had to be broken precisely because of the uneasy calm that had settled over.
“Wait, why isn't there any guard watching the cells?”
The girl looked at him after the question and simply shrugged before answering.
“I don’t know, there were three of them initially, but after they took Li they also left, but why does that matter? We can't get out of here anyway."
Curious. Could something have happened on the ship? For a moment, Adam pondered the possibility that they had been attacked by another mechanical sea beast, but that didn't add up. If that were the case, the ship wouldn't have remained stable for so long. Still, these were only conjectures, and the girl's words were right—they couldn't do anything on their own at the moment except wait.
“So… Have you seen a good anime lately?”
With not much else to talk about, Kazue asked, trying to lighten the mood a bit.
“No, I told you already, I don’t know anything about that, I just don’t see the appeal, nor that I have time to waste watching cartoons.”
“Hell, dude, at least talk about one that you have seen when you were a kid or something.”
Still insisting on the topic, Adam couldn't help but sigh before responding. After all, he felt it was a conversation that wouldn't lead anywhere, but it would at least help pass the time.
“I have never seen any, period.”
“Wait, what?”
Quickly changing her tone and pressing her face against the bars again, the girl continued asking questions, as if she couldn't believe what she had heard.
"Have you honestly never seen one in your entire life?"
“No.”
“Have you at least played a videogame before?”
“No.”
“A manga or comic at least? You like to read, right?”
“No, I have only read some classical stories in books for reports, but that’s all, they were okay, I guess.”
“I just can’t believe you.”
The back-and-forth dialogue was very one-sided, but it was clear that the boy's curiosity had been piqued. Could so many seemingly worthless things be that important to someone else?
“Then let me ask you, why are those so important to you?”
Trying to shift the topic of conversation, he wanted to hear the perspective of someone who truly seemed to appreciate those activities. However, he didn't expect his question to hang in the air for a moment, and it wasn't until he turned completely to look at the girl that he noticed she was on the verge of tears.
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“I-It’s not like… T-Those are my only… No, it’s the only thing that ma-makes me…”
She couldn't seem to connect her thoughts properly, and although it was clear he had touched on a sensitive topic, Adam couldn't fathom that this was due to some kind of trauma or bad experience. After all, he didn't think it was possible to use something external as a means of escape... Sadly, while the boy was quite intelligent and knowledgeable about many things, there were even more that he was just plain ignorant, and basic psychology was something he had never really studied.
“Want to talk about it?”
He said with a slight but gentle smile, remembering that many times when he had been stuck in his studies, it had been none other than his mother who, despite being busy, had always responded lovingly, telling him that this was the basics before trying to calm someone down.
“Eh?! No… I- I guess we could…”
With such a sudden change in atmosphere, Kazue blushed in surprise, trying to gather her thoughts better but still feeling confused. However, her confusion was such that she seriously considered speaking up, telling him a bit about her life and why she preferred a thousand times to be in this new world rather than thinking about going back to hers. But this didn't last long; before she could say anything else, a burst of shouts and laughter could be heard loudly even through the closed door.
“What was that?”
Adam jumped up, worried about what might be happening outside the prisoners' cabin. However, as he strained to listen for any other noises from outside, a loud bang on the door suddenly echoed. It had been forcefully kicked open by two men who had just entered.
“Hey, hey! Wake up you dogs! You are needed on the deck right now”
One of them, a medium-height man completely bald and shirtless, revealing numerous scars on his chest, said. The other was stout with a leather vest and a bushy beard, and he forcefully opened the gates to let them out.
“On the double, let’s go!”
While they were not released from their handcuffs, both youths managed to exit the makeshift dungeon into a small corridor leading outside. Upon opening the final door, sunlight hit them directly in the face, causing them to squint and turn away until their eyes adjusted to the brightness. They could hear that throughout their walk, the screams and laughter had grown louder and louder, reaching a point where they seemed to be coming from beside them. It was then that they finally halted their march.
When they finally managed to open their eyes, they were met with a surprise larger than any they could have imagined. They found themselves in the front row of a circle formed by pirates who were laughing and shouting. In the center stood Drake, on guard before a man even taller than him with prominent muscles, wearing nothing but a bandana and a pair of shorts. The blonde boy looked far from well; his face was covered in bruises, his nose bleeding, and his uniform jacket was completely torn apart.
“Begin!”
Another pirate nearby exclaimed, firing into the air with one of those strange mechanical pistols. Immediately, the muscular man lunged towards the boy, shouting and reaching out his arms to grab him. However, the boy was quicker. With a swift sidestep, he evaded the man's grasp, taking advantage of the momentary closeness to deliver a hard punch straight to his face. The punch produced a sharp, metallic sound.
The pirate lost his balance and staggered, but he quickly regained his composure almost as fast as he had advanced, spitting blood to the side and grinning broadly.
“Now that hurt you stupid dog!”
His words and open mouth revealed his teeth were golden, clearly metallic. However, the blonde man had taken the brunt of the damage, with his knuckles now completely bloodied under his brass knuckles. Yet, he showed no signs of pain.
“You’re fucking weird Hahahahaha!”
Once again, the man lunged for his prey in the same manner as before, and just as Drake had evaded him earlier, he sidestepped to avoid the attack. However, this time his opponent was prepared. Instead of continuing past him, the man extended his arm to the side where Drake would evade, successfully catching the boy's left arm.
“You won’t fool me twice, you stupid dog!”
The pirate laughed, squeezing with all his might and twisting Drake as much as he could in his grip, dragging him closer with the intent to subdue him completely and break every bone. But before this could happen, as they were still one or two steps away, Drake violently swung his right arm and used his reach to place his open palm directly above the man's bald head.
“I know.”
In a swift motion, Drake used the force of the momentum to push the pirate's head downward, while simultaneously delivering a powerful upward knee strike with his left leg directly to the jaw. Regardless of how tough his opponent was or how hard his teeth might have been, the impact struck at his center of gravity and affected his brain due to the rebound effect, instantly knocking him unconscious as he fell face-first to the ground.
*HUFF PUFF*
Finally free but heavily panting, the boy tried to move the arm that had been held, managing to slowly lift it and clench his fist, now visibly wincing in pain. It seemed that some muscles had torn during the violent struggle he had endured.
“And the challenger proves victorious yet again! With an impressive nine-streak record!”
Wait, they had just announced he had been fighting against eight more opponents so far? And for what reason? None of this made sense. It was then that they were shoved again, forced into the arena, and made to kneel for a moment. It was only then that Adam saw the same man who had knocked him out at the beginning of the story, sitting in a large chair above the circle of people. He also saw the other three members of the group, similarly handcuffed and kneeling.
“Here are the other two as per our agreement, but remember, you still have to defeat one more opponent if you want us to spare their lives.”
The announcer said, noticeably excited by the unfolding events, pointing to one end where a massive hulk of a man pushed through the other pirates. He finally revealed himself as the last opponent to defeat—a towering figure easily over two and a half meters tall with a belly larger than a beach ball and enormously thick arms. It was almost a mystery how his legs could support such weight.
Despite his appearance, he demonstrated compensating strength as he instantly lifted a huge piece of metal he had been dragging—a mechanical serrated sword. He ignited it for a bit and wielded it around his body with surprising mastery and agility, contradicting his size and bulk.
“Aaaand here he comes! It's Giiiiiirthblade!”
That situation didn't look good at all. That pirate was nothing short of a monster, and the blonde guy could barely move one of his arms, not to mention how injured and tired he was. Was there anything Adam could do to help?
He didn't know how, but the fact that Drake was sacrificing himself to this extent for the others was inconceivable. After all, from what they had said, Drake might have been able to negotiate much more easily for his own life without going through so much for the rest.
And yet, there he was, at the edge of his strength and showing no signs of giving up.
By pushing, they brought the boy and girl alongside the others, leaving them at the mercy of the impending spectacle, only to witness their companion ultimately killed by that mass of flesh and muscle. But before it began, and without much thought, Adam shouted at the top of his lungs.
“Waaait!”
Not everyone heard him, but being close to the captain was enough for him and the referee to turn and look at Adam with curiosity. What did this poor bastard want?
“The fight is not fair! The opponent has an actual weapon.”
To be honest, it was a pretty big risk to say those things, but it was the only thing that occurred to him at the moment.
“HA! What are you talking about, bastard?! This is a fight, there are no rules!”
The announcer simply scoffed as if he had heard something foolish, and he was about to announce the start of the fight when a deep voice cut through above all others, so powerful that it silenced all the other crew members.
“It’s okay, the boy can have another weapon of his choice.”
It was the captain who, for some reason, had accepted such an absurd request, making it clear that they had indeed considered Drake's brass knuckles as a weapon from the beginning. However, now they were in a dilemma about what to do, and even the blonde man looked completely bewildered by what had just happened.
“Think Adam, think, what can I offer him?”
He thought, but nothing he could come up with would be sufficient. Even if he lent him the page from the Necronomicon he had, it wouldn't help at all because it would also end up affecting him.
But then, to everyone's surprise, Mr. Li stood up and raised his voice.
"I have a weapon he can use, I just need to have my hands free."
No one moved or did anything initially, but after a slight gesture from the captain, one of the pirates nearby obeyed and removed the mechanical restraints with a small key. The key emitted some steam before opening and falling violently to the ground.
“Oof, okay kid, I hope you are ready”
After rubbing his wrists and giving one final warning, Li materialized his spellbook between his fingers and made it glow brightly.
”[PHYSICA NAGURU]”
[Skill: Physica Naguru Lv1] [You have seen the skill twice, data is being collected] [Low-level buff that exponentially increases the physical abilities and attack skills of the target]
Then, an aura resembling fire emerged from his book and moved toward Drake, enveloping his body and giving him a rather peculiar appearance. Adam remembered having seen it before—the same spell that had allowed Teo to deal with very powerful ghosts in the previous story. Perhaps there was a chance after all.