Chapter 27- The Ghost(3)
The lady held a calm gaze as she stared at the lifeless figure before her, seemingly lost in deep thoughts. Her reverie was interrupted by a tap on her shoulder, causing her to snap back to reality.
Murmurs began to ripple through the surrounding crowd.
"What the fuck is this? Another hallway has vanished, and where the fuck is the captain?"
"I have friends in Hallway 5. Ahhh!"
"Did someone mention Hallway 5? Aren't those two individuals from there? I have seen them lurking around."
"Those two… You are right! How did they escape unscathed?"
Gradually, the focus of the murmurs shifted from the vanished hallway to the remaining survivors. The attention of the crowd settled upon two silent figures huddled in a distant corner of the hall.
Feeling the heat of attention, Calen forced a smile, "Hey, why does it feel like they are staring at us?"
"Because they are, you dumbass!" Ren hissed. She felt the encroaching tense atmosphere and reached for her ray gun.
Calen swallowed hard. "Quick question, are we from Hallway 5?"
Ren replied, "I don't know. I wasn't checking when I bought the tickets. But it would appear that we are."
A large group from the crowd with menacing glints in their eyes approached Ren and Calen. Ren could sense a supernatural air around them. She quickly understood they weren't regular nobodies. They were most likely Acolytes or Initiates.
The male leader of the group broke the silence, saying, "Howdy fellas? Would you mind explaining how you escaped Hallway 5? We all saw how frantic you were when you came in. I think you know something, don't you?"
The others from the group displayed menacing glares as they brandished short blades concealed within their garments.
Calen rolled his eyes and sighed. "Great. Why does everyone have weapons?"
"Tell us now or you will get the end of this blade!" One particular man threatened.
The male leader raised his hand to shush him and fixated on Calen and Ren, saying with a grim expression, "Surely, you don't plan on keeping this secret all to yourself. You have one minute to tell me now or I will kill you and your friend."
As his aura intensified, the blade in his hand ignited a fiery red hue. He took a step closer, swinging the burning sword with deadly intent.
However, in an effortless display of composure, Calen skillfully evaded the attack. Instantly, Ren pressed her raygun against the man's forehead. The muzzle of the raygun spread a chilling energy onto the man.
His eyes trembled as his life flashed before him.
As the other members of the group ran toward the male leader, Ren issued a chilling threat, "Take another step forward, and I will stuff your mouth with his brain."
She persisted, her voice dripping with ruthlessness. "I dare you. Do it. I'm itching to blast this imbecile. He talks too much shit."
Quietly, Calen appeared at the side of the male leader, snatching the flaming blade from his grip. The flames quickly extinguished.
Calen mused. "Interesting. So, it's not the blade itself, but your own ability. Most likely, a spell. But I guess it's not as fast as a gun since you haven't dared to attack her."
The man winced, his bravado fading. "Let's not do this. I was just acting earlier."
Calen ignored the man's words and brought the blade menacingly close to the man's neck.
A twisted smiled crept across his face as visions of the man's blood appeared in his head. "It's also not as fast as my hand."
With deliberate precision, Calen drew a shallow gash on the man's neck. His grin widened in sadistic pleasure as the man's anguish filled the air.
He slowly looked at everyone in the hall and sighed. A thought seemed to hit him.
Calen discarded the blade, kicking it aside. He nodded at Ren, gesturing for her to drop the gun. The moment she did, the male leader and his men seized the opportunity to flee. They left the hall in an instant.
The young lady from before walked forward. "Good riddance. They have been a nuisance to the stability of the hall for so long. Thank you for putting fear in them."
Ren and Calen exchanged glances, their expressions wary. They had the same thought, apprehensive about the lady's nature.
The young lady didn't think too much about their attitude and said, "Where are my manners? I'm Sky. You know, I would have intervened if those callous men took it too far."
"Thankfully, they didn't, right?" Ren quipped.
"Right…" Sky acknowledged, seemingly oblivious to Ren's hostile attitude.
Calen smiled. "Thank you for your hospitality, but we will be taking our leave."
The previous encounter made him realize the hall had become a hot-zone. While outwardly secure, the volatile behaviour of those present made it unpredictable. The littlest spark could ignite a devastating clash.
Calen had no desire to be ensnared in the ensuing chaos.
Sky spoke with a deliberate slowness, "Ahh… that's a problem. You still haven't told us how you escaped the ghost."
Ren smiled. "We were just fortunate."
"That's all right. We can be fortunate together." Sky murmured, matching Calen's smile.
Calen glanced sideways, spotting five individuals blocking the entrance of the hall.
"Very well. I was reminded of my generosity not too long ago. So, why don't we rub our fortune together?" He wryly smiled and took a seat at the corner of the hall with Ren.
Calen and Ren couldn't help but think why it was taking Reve so long to return.
Where the hell was Reve?
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Two hours had passed since Reve left the room.
After a harrowing thirty minutes of aimless wandering, he finally stumbled upon the elusive wheelhouse. The thought of giving up and deeming this endeavour a failure crossed his mind, but now his determination surged.
Contrary to his initial assumptions, the wheelhouse was nestled deep within the bowels of the ship, far from the bustling docks. It wasn't until he found an old map by the side of an inactive hall did he find his way to the path that led to the forbidden lower level.
'It is heavily guarded.' Reve observed from his hiding spot behind a wall.
'They are normies. It seems the rumours are true. Captain Havoc changes most of his crew roster after every one or two trips.'
Two men stood guard at the entrance of the wheelhouse while five others patrolled the area.
'Seven in total,' Reve noted, rapidly calculating his options.
He had to be smart about this. While he could unleash a devastating assault, he would risk alerting the others in the wheelhouse.
'I can't kill them. That would be too drastic and ruthless. But I reckon they won't let me have a one-on-one conversation with the captain. Wait, I can do that!'
A wicked grin crept upon Reve's face as an idea formed in his mind.
He snapped his fingers, creating a sharp sound that captured the attention of the patrolling guard. Like mice strung on a trap, they followed the sound, unwittingly approaching the small enclosure where Reve lay in wait.
Swiftly, Reve descended from the ceiling, striking the guards with precise, concussive blows that rendered them unconscious. He silently chanted [Morai], before rushing towards the two static guards, knocking them out before they could alert those inside.
'I still got it.' Reve nodded.
Ever since he acquired telekinesis from drinking the prima, his technical abilities went up a notch. Sadly, telekinesis wasn't the sort of ability that directly increased his combat ability, being limited to manipulating objects rather than living beings. However, he had learned to use the ability creatively.
'It is all about being innovative.'
Reve slowly pushed open the door to the wheelhouse. As the gap widened, he slipped inside and closed the door silently behind him.
Suddenly, a series of ominous clicks pierced the air, causing him to swiftly shift his focus forward.
A chilling cold gripped his heart as he beheld tens of men aiming their guns directly at him. Some wielded rayguns, their muzzles glowing ominously, poised to unleash death upon him.
"Ahh, fuckery…" Reve squeezed his face.
Amidst the dangerous array of armed individuals, Captain Havoc sat upon a weathered wooden chair at the front.
His voice resonated with a composed tone. "I have wall cameras installed in case of situations like this. We have been watching your every move, young sir. "