Chương 154: Chapter 153 - Pangea (XXXII)

"Ayu is what?!" Chiara's eyes went wide, her usual composure cracking for a moment.

"Yeah, she's learning English," Lukas said casually, scratching his head.

"She asked me yesterday to start teaching her through the neural network."

"But… all of a sudden?" Chiara blinked, her mind already running calculations.

"Well, I mean, with our current brain capabilities, it should be relatively easy. And it's true she's the only one of us six who doesn't speak it. It could improve communication, and—" Lukas chuckled, cutting her off.

"I don't think it's for us specifically. She said she wanted to start with all the bad words. The rest was optional." Chiara's brow furrowed, staring at him with confusion.

"Bad words? Why would…?" Then it hit her. Wait… Lukas leaned back, his grin widening.

"I gotta say, Chiara, you're not exactly sharp when it comes to people, are you?" Chiara shot him a glare, her voice cool.

"Save it for someone who cares. But you think they met? Something happened?"

"I'd bet my favorite nap spot they did. And from the looks of it?" Lukas smirked mischievously.

"It went well." Chiara's gaze softened, her shoulders dropping slightly as she sighed. A flicker of guilt passed through her expression, fleeting but there.

"Good," she murmured, her voice barely audible. They both stayed silent for a moment, Lukas gazing out at the sea in the distance.

"Did she say when she's coming back? Last time I asked, she just said she'd be busy for a while and not to worry," Chiara asked, her sharp gaze fixed on Lukas. Lukas leaned back slightly, his usual relaxed demeanor unshaken.

"She said she's staying in the Isles to grind a few more octopus. Plans to head back after that," he casually replied. Chiara rolled her eyes.

"She knows there's a chance a new boss could appear in eight hours, right?"

"She does," Lukas said, meeting her gaze without a hint of fluster.

"But, to be fair, she's not wrong. Even if the boss shows up, it's not like it won't wait. Grinding beforehand could actually work in her favor." His tone remained soft, but there was a weight behind his words.

"Honestly, I think it's a good move." Chiara frowned, crossing her arms.

"And put everyone else at risk? We don't even know which zone the boss will appear in or what kind of event it'll trigger. For all we know, it could be something entirely unexpected. Sure, grinding sounds good on paper, but we have to be ready to react—especially if it creates a stampede or some other mess we get caught in." Lukas tilted his head, his calm smile unwavering.

"True. But I'm pretty sure the second boss won't show up in the Isles. If anything, staying there and pushing our progress a bit more might've been worth considering."

"The risk isn't worth the benefit, Lukas," Chiara shot back, her tone clipped but rational.

"Risk?" Lukas's gaze softened, his voice steady.

"I thought we agreed we'd need to take more risks moving forward." He paused, letting the weight of his words settle.

"Look at Alonso. Look at Ayu. I think the difference is pretty clear, don't you?" He leaned back slightly, giving her some space as his eyes drifted to the climbers in the camp, busy packing up in case another giant crab stampede repeated itself.

"Well… risks have to be taken, but we can't afford to lose our lives. Too much is at play," Chiara said, her tone softening.

"Afford to lose our lives?" Lukas echoed, his voice calm but pointed, letting the words linger.

"Reminds me of someone who lost his because of that." Chiara froze, her eyes widening slightly. The implication hit her immediately. She didn't need him to elaborate. It was all too clear who he meant. The silence stretched, lingering several seconds, until finally, Chiara's head shot up, her gaze locking with his.

"Do you think I'm a good leader, Lukas?"

"No," Lukas replied without hesitation. Her eyes widened, a flash of surprise crossing her face before she sighed, her shoulders sagging.

"Do you want to be the leader?"

"No," Lukas said, chuckling softly. Chiara narrowed her eyes at him, her lips pressing into a thin line. After a moment, she shook her head and looked away, her tone completely shifting.

"I don't want to be a leader. I suck at it, and I have no talent for this. So why the hell am I in this position?"

"Things work in odd ways," Lukas said, his tone carrying a playful edge.

"Leadership often falls to those who don't seek it."

"Oh, enough of your philosophical talks," Chiara snapped, waving her hand dismissively.

"What about Imani? He'd be a good choice, right?"

"I'm sure you already spoke to him," Lukas said with a grin, "and his answer was probably a more 'polite' no." Chiara groaned, burying her face in her hands.

"How do you even…," she sighed heavily.

"But who then? Arjun? He has the drive, but he's too rash and clearly doesn't like Alonso. You and Imani don't want it. Ayu… well, she's too independent. She'd probably laugh in my face if I asked her. Wang? He's good with words, but he's not trusted by Siddharth's faction and is far too cunning." She threw her hands up in exasperation.

"Then who the hell?" Lukas leaned back, grinning at her.

"Seems you're in quite the dilemma, dear leader."

"Oh, shut up!" Chiara snapped, glaring at him.

"Might as well tell everyone I'm resigning, leave you as my successor, and run away to live in peace in a far corner of the swamp."

"Sounds like a good plan," Lukas said lightly.

"Do you have space in the cabin for two?" Chiara couldn't help but laugh, shaking her head at his audacity. She took a deep breath and sat down on a fallen log, her expression softening.

"You know, back when I was in the lab during my PhD, it was easier to escape responsibility."

"Oh?" Lukas raised an eyebrow, leaning forward slightly.

"Do tell." Chiara smirked faintly, her gaze distant as she recalled the memory.

"There was this one time I was supposed to present on a study that had gone absolutely nowhere. Everyone expected something revolutionary—because of course, I'm me. But I knew it wasn't going to fly. The data was a mess, the results were inconclusive, and the whole thing reeked of failure." Her smirk grew, a mischievous gleam in her eyes.

"So, I hatched a plan. The night before, I sent an email to the team, saying I'd assigned sections of the presentation to three of my labmates, citing their 'unique expertise' in each area. I made it sound like I was being considerate, giving them a chance to shine." If you discover this tale on Amazon, be aware that it has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road. Please report it. Lukas blinked, a grin tugging at his lips.

"You didn't."

"Oh, I absolutely did," Chiara said, her tone unapologetic.

"I made sure each of them thought the other two were handling the key points. Then I stayed 'late' in the lab, conveniently avoiding all calls and messages, claiming I was finalizing 'critical details.' The next morning? Boom. I feigned surprise when no one was ready, then graciously volunteered to 'assist' with the Q&A while they scrambled to wing it." She leaned back, crossing her arms with a smug look.

"The presentation bombed, obviously, but I managed to spin it as a 'team learning opportunity.' My supervisor was too impressed with my 'collaborative approach' to notice I'd thrown them all under the bus." Lukas let out a low whistle, shaking his head.

"Naughty." Her laughter softened as her gaze dropped to the ground.

"Back then, it was all just games. The worst that could happen was a few pissed-off labmates or a stern talking-to from my supervisor. But now…" Her voice trailed off, her smirk fading.

"Now you're afraid," Lukas said, his tone losing its usual laziness, replaced by something sharper, more deliberate.

"You feel the weight of the world on your shoulders. You've been rambling all this time about the so-called good of humanity, Chiara. And yeah, I get it. It's noble. It's logical. But come on—it's getting old. You're running this group like it's a war council, and honestly? It's killing the morale." Chiara stayed quiet, her jaw tightening as she stared at the ground. Lukas leaned back slightly, the faintest smirk tugging at his lips.

"It's funny, though," he added.

"Because the one guy who arguably does have the fate of humanity on his back? He's probably in the Isles right now, having a blast and giving zero fucks about any of this."

"Alonso?" Chiara's brow furrowed for a moment before the hint of a smile tugged at her lips.

"Maybe we should just make him the leader." Lukas froze, staring at her in disbelief, and then nearly toppled over as laughter burst out of him. Chiara couldn't hold back either, the absurdity of her own suggestion breaking through her composure. Their laughter echoed through the camp, cutting through the tension like a breath of fresh air. I stare at the countdown Houston had made sure to display in big, bold numerals above my status screen.

05: 36: 21 Less than six hours remain until the 14-day mark since I exited the waiting room and this trial began. Seven days since the king lobster, and, according to Houston's hypothesis, the first of seven bosses appeared. Well, if I make a dash now from here to the Arthropod region, most likely the stage for the next event, I should barely make it in time. Not that I really need to be there exactly at the start; I'm sure the so-called climbers will do little against whatever shows up.

Maybe just run away like last time. Suddenly, my heart skips a beat. Will she be there? No. Now is not the time. Focus on the fight. There'll be plenty of time for that after. I leave my backpack in the cave—no point lugging it all the way. I strap on my fixed mask, and grab my sword. All set. A quick glance at my status screen to confirm everything. Status Screen Stage 1 - 5. 661% Wave control Personal Output: 3. 03 SU Assisted Bonus (at 83% Merging Rate): 1. 48 SU Bonus from Helmet: 35% Total Output: 6.

09 SU Magnetization Efficiency: 94% Overdrive Max Output: 87% Physical Combat Swordsmanship: 0. 91 SU Footwork: 0. 89 SU Wave/Body Synchronization: 92% Physical Condition (using 1% as 1. 000 reference): 1. 628 Notable Equipment Sword: Indestructible(?) Weight increases with stage progress. EM conductivity (1. 0) King Lobster Gauntlets: Indestructible(?) Weight increases with stage progress. EM conductivity (2. 0) Looks good. I seal the cave with the big boulder. Not that it really serves any purpose apparently…

but leaving it wide open feels odd. With that done, I start rushing through the cliffs, keeping clear of the water to save time dodging those annoying octopuses. The scenery on the way? Breathtaking. Truth be told, I could never get enough of it. Especially not after that moment. Damn, those lips, those— Shit. Focus! Now's the time for adrenaline. Fury. Come on, get in the zone!... Those sculpted thighs… Goddammit! I shake my head and look ahead, scanning the horizon—and then freeze mid-step. My heart lurches.

There she is. Ayu. Fighting an octopus in the lake below. It's breathtaking... Wait—what the hell?! I stop abruptly, blinking hard behind my mask. My hand instinctively moves to pull it off so I can rub my eyes. Am I seeing things? Is this some twisted hallucination from abstinence under extremely enticing conditions? No. It's her. It's really her. She never left? Well, I've been sticking to the deeper parts of the region for training, far from this spot, but… it makes sense I guess.

She's pushing stage progress too, right? But then… why's she hunting alone? And where are the other climbers? I lean forward from my vantage point, my eyes narrowing as something catches my attention. The way she's fighting… this… It's unreal. No, impossible. The level of control, the fluidity, the precision—it's like she can see the future. Every move the octopus makes, every lunge and swipe, she counters before it even fully forms. She's not reacting; she's pre-acting.

What the hell kind of combat awareness is this? Is this some kind of grandmaster realm? Did Ayu hit a breakthrough in her martial arts? But even then, a leap this massive… it shouldn't be possible… right? For a moment, I can't take my eyes off her. Sure, part of me knows why, but beyond that—the way she's fighting is poetry in motion. It's simply beautiful. And then she moves in for the kill. Her sword arcs through the air, gleaming in the sunlight before it tears through the octopus's thrashing form.

A tentacle flies off, spiraling through the air as dark blood sprays out in a wide arc, catching the light like tiny shimmering rubies. Her hair whips around, damp and clinging to her skin, streaked with water and blood as she moves—wild, untamed. Each swing of her blade sends more gore splattering across the rocks, the water, the air. The octopus's screeches echo, but she doesn't flinch.

The blood pools at her feet, streaking her legs as she leaps, spins, and drives her sword deep into its head with a final, decisive strike. The beast twitches once and goes still, its mutilated body sinking into the crimson-stained lake. It's art. But as I stand there, still dazzled by the sight, I see her head suddenly shift. She looks at me. Shit.