Chương 82: I Don’t Want To Do This

Nobody would ever guess that just a few minutes ago, the sun had been casting its radiant light below and there had been an absence of clouds in the sky. Nobody would be able to guess that all of a sudden, dark clouds would appear out of thin air and ravage the poor sea with thunder, lightning and a heavy downpour. However, sometimes, you just have to expect the unexpected, because some things are impossible to predict.

That morning, there hadn't been a single trace of clouds as the sun climbed its way up to the top of the sky. However, in just a few hours, the tides had turned and the sky was completely covered, with a thick blanket of dark grey clouds concealing the sun and preventing it from shining its beaming rays of light down onto the sea. Where did the clouds come from? Where did the rain come from? Where did all of that thunder and lightning come from? The short answer was that it came from a person.

It came from a person who was venting their rage without speaking, a person who was freely letting all their anger out by creating a wicked, relentless storm aiming to tear everything below it into pieces. And unfortunately for Theo, Maya and Ben, they had been caught in the crosshairs of this ferocious torrential downpour. There were three ships within a hair's breadth of each other, each containing a person or a group of people.

The three of them had been stationed on the middle ship, the one that was being sandwiched in between two other ships, and they had been tasked to guard it with their lives.

"No intruder will escape this ship alive!" Theo bellowed.

"You're walking into a death trap if you do!!!" Unsurprisingly, Theo was completely drenched from head to toe; no part of his body was free from the relentless wrath of the rain. His hair was plastered onto his scalp like glue, his t-shirt and trousers, which were both not waterproof, were stuck to his body, absorbing all the water from the rain and seemingly weighing him down. His moves, however, miraculously remained unabated.

In a flash, someone from the enemy ship, one of The Leak's many traitors, appeared on the ship Theo, Ben and Maya were on, catching Ben and Maya off-guard.

"Haha! Got you now!" However, Theo didn't react belatedly and was making his way towards the intruder. In a heartbeat, he was mere inches away from the traitor, ready to unleash his signature attack. And in another heartbeat, Theo's fist effortlessly made contact with the traitor's chest, sending the traitor flying far away from the deck of the ship.

"Urk!!!!!!!!!" The traitor, unfortunate enough to be a victim of Theo's deadly punches, regurgitated, spitting out all of the mucus that had accumulated inside his bulky body. Then, once his height off the ground reached its peak, the traitor began tumbling towards the ocean, being the origin of a thunderous splash. The ocean was a magnet for his body, happily taking him in and swallowing him whole. Splash!!!!!!

"That's one down," Theo muttered, wildly shaking his head to fling water away from his hair like a dog shaking its body after a bath.

"There's probably gonna be more though."

"I guess you're a murderer now too," Ben said, walking towards Theo. He was also drenched, but since he was sporting a buzz cut, there wasn't much hair on his head that could weigh him down.

"He won't die from that. As long as he can swim towards one of the boats and climb on, he should be fine."

"He's quite fat though. Do you really think he can swim carrying all of that weight in his belly?" Theo didn't respond verbally; instead, he smirked lightly and averted his gaze from Ben to focus on Maya, who looked so carefree in the rain, her appearance almost completely juxtaposing that of Theo and Ben's. There was not even a single drop of rain which had made its way onto her body; every part of her body was dry.

Her t-shirt and jeans weren't sticking to her body, and her hair, which was as glossy as ever, was not glued to her scalp and dripping water like a waterfall. Unfortunately for her, though, with the addition of a ruthless gale, her hair flew violently in all different directions, affecting her ability to see. She was constantly putting one hand on her crown to prevent it from falling off her head. Without the wind continuously provoking her ire, she could have ended up singing and dancing elegantly in the downpour.

"I need that crown," Ben whispered to Theo.

"If that crown symbolises purity and prevents a person from getting dirty, I need it. I don't want to feel the effects of the rain. I want to stay dry even though it's raining."

"Apparently that crown is one of a kind," Theo replied.

"If you want it, you have to steal it from her."

"I'll do that any day of the week…"

"Not now. We should be on guard duty. If an enemy shows up out of the blue and ambushes you, you're as good as dead."

"Ugh…" Sure enough, it didn't take long for the truth in Theo's words to show itself, since another traitor had teleported onto the ship without even making the slightest peep, sidling up to Theo and Ben.

"You're dead! I'll make you regret ever choosing Cayman over The Leak… Ugh!!!" Before long, and perhaps in reflex, Theo kicked the traitor hurtling towards them right in the solar plexus. The sheer force exerted from the kick was enough to send the person flying, crashing into and breaking the deck's railing before colliding with the hull of the enemy ship.

There wasn't enough force remaining to tear the hull apart, however, and the traitor, who had already passed out from the impact, fell lifelessly into the sea, where he would most likely meet his inevitable end.

"And that is how you indirectly kill someone," Theo announced to an audience of just two people.

"If you really become a murderer, Theo, you might even be more ruthless than Robert," Ben added with a tinge of elation in his voice.

"We're not talking about that." As the gale worsened and the waves picked up speed, the ships that had previously been bobbing up and down began rocking ferociously, and because of the direction of the waves, the distance between them continued to shorten, bringing them dangerously close to a point where they could collide. Just remaining on the ship became a challenge, since the ships continued to veer in all different directions while rocking simultaneously.

Most of the remains of the skeleton pirates had already fallen into the sea, never to be seen again. Maya, on the point of slipping, was trying her best to maintain her balance on the ship, which was using up most of her energy unnecessarily. On several occasions, the crown on her head was just a few millimetres away from falling, which would expose her to this tumultuous thunderstorm.

"The turbulence is unbearable now," Ben said, his voice lacking its usual cheer.

"I'm struggling to stay upright. I'm going to fall!" Despite the ship rocking continuously, Theo, Ben and Maya miraculously didn't slip and fall. They could only hold their breaths as the ship continued to rock back and forth like a rocking chair, praying that they wouldn't get sucked into the endless ocean and say hello to the afterlife. The harsh wind wasn't making the situation any better; they also had to think about not being blown away.

This mission warranted fear, that was for sure, but it didn't warrant something as preposterous and ludicrous as this. Instantly, Ben started feeling a sense of resentment towards Ellie. These thoughts continued to boil ravenously in his brain as he harboured them with a passion.

"We won't fall," Theo reassured Ben in a surprisingly calm voice that didn't match the frantic situation at all.

"If the traitors can run around like hooligans on this ship, then of course we can stand upright. They're also human, aren't they?" It was almost impossible for Ben to refute those words. As soon as Theo closed his mouth, a group of traitors, around seven of them, appeared on the ship that Theo, Ben and Maya had been tasked to guard. They leapt onto the ship, no, that's not right. They teleported onto the ship and prowled around. It would make more sense if they had a mouth full of canine teeth.

"They look like wild dogs," Ben whispered to Theo while watching Maya shudder uncontrollably.

"Go. Go now," Theo responded, and in an instant, the distance between him and the traitors had closed dramatically. Ben followed suit.

"Oh, looks like we have ourselves some small fry," one of the traitors blurted out derisively.

"And that little girl over there. She's so cute. I wonder if I can marry her-" Punch! Ben's uppercut dug into the traitor's jaw, sending his head flying back. The traitor had lost all the confidence and conceit that had previously been circulating continuously around his body after being humiliated by this measly teenager. Love this novel? Read it on Royal Road to ensure the author gets credit.

"She's half your age, you son of a bitch," Ben muttered ominously, kicking the victim of his potent, propitious punch in the diaphragm. Bang!

"Ouch!!!"

"Get the fuck off our ship," Ben said, continuing to spit curses.

"I don't want to see your dirty ass here ever again." Punch! The second punch that Ben delivered went straight into the traitor's chest. The traitor coughed up blood, staining Ben's white t-shirt crimson, before falling back and hitting the floor with a sonorous thud. Ben, seeing that he was out cold, kicked the unconscious traitor into a few other traitors in the group with such force that they couldn't stand upright on the ship anymore.

One unlucky traitor had to meet his demise as he slid through the gaps in the deck's railing and fell into the vast ocean, never to be seen again. As always, on the other hand, Theo looked like he was having more fun than Ben. The traitors, none of whom carried swords, flailed their arms in the air like a bunch of deranged lunatics, hoping that they could win in a fistfight against two teenage boys.

However, they had no idea who they were dealing with, and they soon had to suffer the detrimental consequences of charging in blindly. Punch! Punch! Punch!

"Oof!"

"Argh!!!!!!!" One punch was all it took to send one of the traitors, who weighed at least a stone more than Theo, flying into the air. From where Theo stood, it looked like the traitor was on course to reach the sun. The traitor was destined to fall in the water, where he would inevitably suffer from his death throes. Maya, on the other hand, remained rooted to the spot, not moving a single inch. From the outside, it appeared as if fear had swallowed her whole as her face depicted a look of unease.

However, on the inside, she had managed to muster the strength required to activate her main skill, delving deep into the minds of the traitors.

'They're too strong!'

'We have to kill them regardless!'

'Mercy! Show us some mercy please!'

'We can't fight as well as you do!' Initially, Maya wasn't sure whether those thoughts were there to throw her off, but soon she realised that feigning such thoughts was not an easy task in itself, meaning those traitors were likely to be genuine. Although those bastards were traitors, how could Maya ruthlessly kill people who were pleading for their lives and wanting to live another day? How could she commit something so despicable to people who only dreamed of seeing the sun set and rise at least one more time?

That would be behaviour akin to The Leak. It wasn't the right thing to do, therefore, she couldn't do this.

"I don't want to do this!" Maya wailed, sympathising with the traitors.

"I don't want to be a murderer! I need to preserve my dignity!"

"Dignity, my ass!" Theo boomed as half of the remaining traitors charged in his direction.

"Is this really a situation where you should be thinking about dignity? This situation is about to imperil our lives, and you're still thinking about your dignity?"

"I don't want to be stained in someone else's blood! Do righteous murderers exist?"

"Shut up! You're going to have to kill them if you want to keep your life! What's the point in squabbling over something so futile?" Maya's mouth soon zipped shut. This was followed by a deluge of screams that presumably originated from the mouths of the traitors that had dared to cross over to the ship. Still, she didn't move an inch, making Theo and Ben bear the brunt of the attacks and making them the murderers and not her.

Soon, after what felt like an eternity of torture, Ben finished fighting the traitors that were nearest to him. He wasn't out of breath, but he was completely doused in lukewarm rainwater, which made his body shiver uncontrollably. He had killed at least three people on this ship, but he considered it self-defence - he was almost certainly going to get killed in place of the traitors if he didn't act the way he did.

"What is this life?" Ben mused quietly.

"What have I gotten myself into?" Theo continued to throw punches while Maya, with a hand covering her mouth, was leaning on the deck's railing and praying that none of the traitors decided to attack her. Seriously, what a situation. This was definitely the epitome of a precarious situation.

Daniel was holding up well. He was attracting the brunt of the traitors, leaving me with barely any to defeat. This was good news considering I was the so-called 'weakest of the group'. However, that didn't mean I wasn't drawing the attention of none of the traitors, and soon, a small mob of traitors was heading my way, gripping swords and aiming them at my head. They looked ready to let out battle cries and tear me apart as they ran forward like a group of wild barbarians.

At least I had a skill similar to Daniel's human shield. [Skill, 'Reading Bubble (advanced)', has been activated.] With this skill, I should be safe from the traitors' frenzied attacks. However, at that point, I had to learn the hard way that things don't always go your way in life and that reality can occasionally be a cruel monster wanting to stop you in your tracks. Clang!

"Holy…" Before the system could even react to what had just happened, the blue dome that had encircled me just seconds before the impact had disappeared. The rain that the dome had previously shielded me from was falling on my head again, leaving me drenched in lukewarm rain water once again. My reading bubble had broken from just one strike. With a frightened look plastered onto my previously conceited face, I stared at the traitors charging towards me.

I was rooted to the spot; even my brain couldn't compute what had just happened. I wanted to deny the reality and enter a state of denial, and I couldn't overcome the overwhelming shock that had viciously invaded my mind; I couldn't believe one hit was all it took to destroy an advanced-level dome. What level were those traitors at? Were they at the legendary level?

If that was the case, even if I decided to attack, there was no guarantee that it would be effective, since I couldn't decipher their level and I had no idea how much mana I had just lost.

"He's unarmed! Charge!"

"Argh!!!!!"

"I don't even know if I need this weapon anymore. He looks like someone who would die from just one punch." Bang! Bang! Bang! All of a sudden, the horde of people that had been chasing me was reduced to just one person who was just a few feet away from me. I got a clear view of the other traitors as Ellie's lightning strikes scorched them and turned them into nothing but burnt meat that had been sitting on the pan for too long.

The traitors that had been burnt collapsed on the ground as limp corpses, with smoke billowing up to the dark, monstrous clouds. However, I could tell that if the traitor closest to me had been struck, there would be a chance that I would have been struck as well. That meant I had no choice but to fight this guy. Well, Ellie had reduced my workload significantly, so either way, I shouldn't be complaining.

I was about to reach into my inventory for my sword, but before I could stick my hand into the system, I felt a sudden burning pain in my solar plexus. It wasn't just that either. Before I knew it, I was sent flying, with both of my shoes making contact with nothing but air. The enemy ship was forcefully being zoomed out in my vision as I was sent higher and higher in the air. I clutched my stomach. No… I thought to myself. I can't let it end here.

If I landed on the enemy ship's deck, then I would be meat ready to be placed on the grill for the adversaries. And since I was too far away from the ship that Theo, Ben and Maya were on, that meant there was only one choice left. Splash! Gurgle, gurgle, gurgle. Water seeped into my eyes, my ears and my mouth. Hastily, I pushed myself up to the surface where I could take a deep breath and clear my vision. After all, I couldn't stay in the water forever.

"One down, one more to go." Those words were disheartening, enough to completely crush someone's resolve. As water continued to enter my system, I felt my motivation drowning out to make up for the difference. It simply and freely drained out and evaporated from my brain. There were other traitors around me that were struggling in the water, and I instantly knew that there was only one place left for them in this universe.

"No," I said out loud, my voice weak and raspy.

"It can't end here." How could it end here? Why? Was this really it? Was I going to drown here and be fed to the fish on Pirate Planet? I wouldn't even get a chance to say goodbye to my mother. As I flailed on the surface, trying my best not to sink and drown, I thought about what would happen to my group if I wasn't there. Theo, Ben, Maya and Daniel would all be distraught, wallowing in their own sorrow and tears. Cayman, Ellie and Devon would probably go back to Planet Zero and ditch the rest of my friends.

Then what? The erudite reader would be wiped out from this world, someone who had failed to exact their revenge on the universe's most evil skill user association, one that was based on a completely different planet. Someone who was ancillary to the completion of missions, someone who was a true friend to others. That person would no longer exist. It would be a truly heart-wrenching fate. One that I didn't even want to imagine.

Although I wanted to suppress those nasty thoughts and put them in the dungeons of my unconscious mind, I knew that this was it. For sure. The water was deep, and I was almost lifelessly bobbing up and down, gasping for air. Even if I reached one of the ships, I would have to climb the wooden hull to get back on, which seemed impossible considering the fact that it was raining, making the surface slippery. I didn't have Daniel to save me this time.

Heck, I didn't have anyone to save me this time, since they were all on the ship, completely engulfed in their own shock. Maybe all of my actions really were just useless bravado. Maybe I would never get stronger and surpass my friends. Maybe dreams were meant to stay as dreams. Still, I continued to flop lifelessly on the surface of the water as the waves violently pushed me along.

"No, I can't let it end before it starts. This is only the very beginning. I can't let it end here. I… can't… Curse those Leak bastards! I will get revenge no matter what!" Just then, my control over my own body waned. Killing intent filled the millions of blood vessels in my body, accumulating and leaving room for nothing else; every artery, every vein, even the smallest blood vessels were doused in that beautiful, magical stuff.

My eyes slowly closed, seemingly on their own, and when I opened them again just as slowly, instead of seeing a dull, despondent shade of grey all over me, I saw yellow. Nothing but pure yellow. I knew exactly what this was. The eyes, the ones that had been present on my solo mission, were back. And they were there to help me fulfil my purpose: to take revenge on The Leak.

Cayman was about to deploy Devon when, all of a sudden, something happened that made him falter.

"What the…" Robert, the one who had shown the most determination, the most grit and the greatest resolve. Yes, that Robert had been defeated. Shamelessly kicked by one of The Leak's traitors, landing helplessly in the sea and struggling just to catch his breath. That was enough to fill Cayman's brain with hatred and enmity. But that wasn't the main attraction. Because what he was about to see made him almost vomit. There was something different about Robert. Something so unusual and… Wait a second.

"No…" Cayman muttered.

"It's the eyes."