Echoes of the Past, Promises of the Future

The ship’s hold was damp and putrid, permeated by an overpowering, nauseating stench of the sea.

Saranya pinched her nose, fumbling forward until her hand found Talia’s shoulder.

Startled by the sudden touch, Talia flinched violently, her breath catching in her throat.

After a moment, the female sailor recovered, her voice rising in a playful taunt directed at Saranya.

“What’s wrong, scaredy-cat? Afraid of the dark?”

Talia’s bravado, however, seemed merely a facade, an attempt to conceal her own unease.

“Get lost… I was afraid you’d get lost.”

Saranya lowered her voice, and after their playful exchange, she gave Talia’s shoulder a firm squeeze as a mock punishment.

Maintaining contact in pairs, the four adventurers descended the narrow, steep wooden stairs at the entrance, slowly advancing deeper into the ship’s hold.

Drip.

Drip.

Above their heads, murky drops of water seeped through the ship’s hull from an unknown source, falling beside them with a monotonous, hollow thud.

Drip.

Drip.

Drip.

What made it truly unnerving was the complete lack of rhythm; sometimes a long silence would pass before a single drop, while at other times, a rapid succession of drips would relentlessly fray their nerves.

The handrail of the stairs was coated in a layer of viscous grime, cold and slippery to the touch.

Saranya had the unsettling sensation that she wasn’t caressing wood, but rather a greedy, enormous tongue. The far end of her vision, drawing ever closer, was damp and gloomy, like the cavernous stomach of a monster.

‘She was merely fresh prey, actively feeding herself to the colossal beast beneath.’

Hastily, Saranya ripped her thoughts away from the unsettling delusion, her palms slick with sweat from the fright.

She drew a shaky, deep breath and tightened her grip on Talia’s shoulder.

“Hey… don’t wipe your sweat on my clothes…”

“Hush!”

Talia’s retort was instantly cut short by Saranya’s sharp command.

The female sailor half-turned in confusion, about to speak, when Saranya swiftly clapped a hand over her mouth.

“Mmph mph—”

Saranya’s ears twitched.

Beyond Talia’s muffled struggles, she distinctly heard a wet, sloshing footstep.

She glanced behind her, confirming the two sailors at the rear were still in place, yet the sound lingered in the air.

Splosh, splosh…

“Torches…”

Saranya pushed Talia aside, taking the lead herself, and whispered a command to those behind her.

“It’s too dark. Get some torches.”

At this, one sailor at the rear reacted as if granted a great reprieve, seizing the excuse to escape.

They immediately bolted, sprinting wildly back towards the outside.

Saranya sighed softly, then turned back to face forward, lowering her stance.

A flash of icy blue arcane light flickered in her eyes as the Spellbreaker’s insight gradually unfurled before her.

Her vision remained shrouded by darkness, so she chose not to scan the distance, but rather to look down at her feet.

There, directly ahead on the ground, lay a pair of faint, purplish footprints, faintly glowing with arcane energy.

“A demon.”

As if to echo her words, the metallic wolf head on her shoulder suddenly grew hot, emitting a silvery glow.

Her rear shoulder dipped, this time as Talia pressed a hand onto it.

The female sailor’s expression was serious as she leaned in, whispering a promise into Saranya’s ear.

“I’ll follow your lead.”

Just then, Saranya’s hairs stood on end, and a stinging sensation, like countless needles, pricked her exposed skin.

Something was coming!

Without hesitation, Saranya raised her hand and fired a wrist-mounted bolt from her alchemical gauntlet.

The sharp projectile tore through the air, piercing something unseen.

A muted, deflating groan followed, and to their surprise, the sound receded, moving further and further away from them.

“Charge!”

Saranya brandished her sword and sprinted forward, with Talia and the remaining sailor scrambling to keep pace.

“Cabin to the right!!”

“That helps immensely!”

Talia was intimately familiar with Bloodsail vessels, and her timely warning proved crucial.

Without a second thought, Saranya swiftly turned right, holding her longsword horizontally across her chest.

With a clang, her blade intercepted an attack from the darkness.

“Hwooooaaaaahhh—”

That roar… whatever was attacking them, it certainly wasn’t human.

Saranya uttered an incantation, and three exceedingly fine ice shards materialized, aimed at the head, chest, and abdomen, then shot horizontally with blistering speed towards the source of the shriek.

Another piercing shriek erupted, but Saranya lunged forward, twisting her longsword to thrust it out in a key-like piercing strike from her chest.

The long shriek abruptly ceased.

The sword’s tip first pierced through something, then plunged with a dull thud into the damp ship planks.

In the claustrophobic hold, it was pitch black, with only the anxious breaths of the three remaining individuals audible.

“Everyone inside, and the last brother in remember to close the cabin door.”

After giving her orders, Saranya’s foot nudged something.

“Tsk.”

She bent down, picked up an oil lamp, and cradled it in her hands, giving it a shake.

“A good find…”

The lamp was almost full of oil.

She clicked the oil lamp alight, and a vertical, orange-yellow flame sprang up, illuminating Talia’s taut expression nearby.

Perhaps the sudden brightness was too jarring; upon seeing Saranya’s face clearly, Talia’s beautiful pupils subtly contracted.

She swallowed hard, staring blankly at Saranya for a long moment.

Saranya furrowed her brow slightly.

“What’s wrong?”

“N-nothing…”

Talia, as if waking from a dream, blinked at her, feigning composure.

“Do you do this kind of thing often?”

“What do you mean?”

Saranya lifted the lamp and turned to search for the creature she had just killed.

“Adventuring.”

Talia spoke the two words softly, standing shoulder-to-shoulder with her, providing cover.

Saranya didn’t reply, instead squatting down on the ground without a word.

“Found it.”

She gazed at a pool of dark purple blood, with several ice shards still floating on its surface, glimmering faintly with a cold light under the lamp’s glow.

“It’s a Corrupted One. Humans or animals contaminated by demonic plague transform into these monsters.”

“After they die, their bodies are so severely damaged that they dissolve into this kind of fluid.”

“You really are skilled, aren’t you? No wonder they call you ‘Ranger Haia’…'”

“Mhm.”

Saranya didn’t wish to delve into that topic, so she merely gave a noncommittal hum.

She slowly sat against the wall, placing the oil lamp beside her.

“I’m not sure if we’ve alerted any other demons yet. Let’s rest here for a bit before heading out again.”

“Heh-ho!”

Talia plunged her scimitar into the ground, then plopped down beside Saranya.

Her beautiful amber eyes blinked inquisitively, as if determined to pry into Saranya’s past.

“Is this what you used to do?”

…

‘Yes, exploration, warfare—Saranya was certainly adept at these things. She was a warrior, a legion commander, the supreme leader of an entire imperial legion… at least, she used to be.’

‘She excelled in battle, having wielded her sword and shed blood for her beliefs and ideals, though the outcome had been far from glorious.’

Saranya’s gaze dimmed.

“I don’t want to talk about it.”

‘All the paths she had walked before led to dead ends. Her efforts, and the comrades who had fought alongside her, now amounted to nothing.’

‘How could she possibly speak of such things?’

“Oh, oh.”

Talia was somewhat thick-skinned, yet she wasn’t foolish; seeing Saranya’s clear reluctance, she immediately shifted the subject.

“So… where are you from? Where’s your hometown? You have such vibrant blue eyes, you’re as beautiful as an elf…”

“Hometown… elf…”

Saranya murmured, her voice trembling slightly.

Her desolate homeland in the Northern Reaches, Kaelan’s twisted, frenzied face—they flashed sequentially through her mind.

Unfortunately, the female sailor, utterly oblivious to Saranya’s past, had once again stumbled upon a sensitive topic.

“No… I’m not… don’t ask…”

After being rebuffed twice by Saranya, the female sailor felt a momentary awkwardness, but still offered her a warm smile.

“Seriously, Haia.”

“Hm?”

“Are you still short on people over there?”

“Eh?”

Talia reached out and flicked Saranya’s armguard, her fingernail striking the metal with a clear, pleasant chime.

“I’m thinking about it… leaving the Bloodsail Alliance. I’ve worked for Borok long enough…”

“It’s too dull on the ship, I want to see what life is like on land…”

…

“Why aren’t you saying anything, my good friend! My dear sister! My lovely Haia…”

“You’re incredibly capable, please, you simply must consider me, alright? I’ve already made up my mind: this is my final voyage.”

“Once we sort out this mess, once this ship safely returns to Vero, I’ll join you. What do you say?!”