Free Web NovelChapter 28: Chapter 28: Human Lure
Inside the four-man sailor’s quarters, Leo eagerly bit into the Ocular Barnacle he was holding.
Dark green blood dripped down the sides of his mouth, making him look extra creepy and Eldritch.
[Sanity -1]
[Sanity -1]
[Sanity -1]
Leo ignored the warning in his ear and stared excitedly at the signal amplifier in his system inventory. He grinned. "Kevin, you’re only ahead right now because of your supplies and rewards. Wait until my people get here. I’m gonna take everything from you, including your woman!"
Saying that, he summoned the signal amplifier and casually shoved it into a corner under his bunk.
With a loud bang, before Leo could even stand up, Amelia kicked the door open.
In his rush, Leo scrambled to his feet. But he was still weak, and just those few movements had him breathing hard.
Amelia looked at the green blood on his mouth, disgust flashing in her eyes. "Come out. The Captain wants to see you."
Leo clenched his fists slightly, but afraid Amelia would find the signal amplifier he just hid, he just nodded and followed her out of the room.
In the dining room, all the Survivors on the ship had gathered together.
Kevin leaned back in his chair, took a sip of Holy Spring, and smiled when he saw Leo walking in with Amelia. "Looks like you’ve healed up quite a bit after drinking that Holy Spring."
Leo snorted. "Just say it. What do you want from me?"
Kevin turned to look out the window and smiled. "It’s getting dark. More Eldritch Entities are coming to attack us tonight."
Hearing that, both Leo and Stephanie, who was standing next to him, looked terrified.
The events from last night still left them shaking.
Seeing Leo’s reaction, Kevin nodded in satisfaction and went on. "Since we’re all on the same ship, everyone needs to do their part."
"Stephanie already knows her job. From now on, she’s handling all the cleaning and chores on board."
"Luna, Amelia, and I are handling navigation, fighting off Eldritch attacks, and fixing any damage to the hull."
"So, Mr. Leo, what can you do? Or, what role do you plan to play in our team?"
Pressed face-to-face, Leo’s lip twitched. "Kevin, as long as you keep giving me Holy Spring, I can fight alongside you against the Eldritch Entities. You’ve seen what I can do. I doubt anyone here could beat me in a straight fight with my Arousal Talent active."
Kevin clapped his hands and smiled. "You do have some fighting power with your Talent activated. But the problem is, it seems to have big limits. I remember you could only keep it up for less than two minutes yesterday before you were completely out."
Hit right on a sore spot, Leo’s face went pale.
Then he turned to glare at Stephanie, his face full of rage and hate. "It’s all that bitch’s fault! Her Talent isn’t making vitamins. She’s only making birth control pills! This slut tricked me into swallowing three whole bottles of them, and that’s why I..."
SLAP! Before Leo could finish, Stephanie slapped him so hard he fell to the floor. "What are you talking about! You’re lying about me! I’ll rip your mouth open!" freёwebnoѵel.com
Leo’s face burned with pain.
He glared at Stephanie, his face twisted, ready to argue. But Kevin just held up a hand to stop them. "So, Leo, your hormones are all messed up from popping too many birth control pills. You can’t activate your Talent anymore. I got that right, didn’t I?"
Leo’s face turned awkward. He stammered, "Just give me enough Holy Spring. I’ll recover. I swear it!"
Kevin smiled, crouched down, and patted his shoulder. "Don’t bother. Your Talent isn’t even worth wasting Holy Spring on."
Leo panicked. "Then... then I can just help out! I’ve got plenty of strength. I can carry cargo, run errands, do whatever you need!"
Kevin shook his head. "No need. You’re overqualified for that kind of work."
Leo’s eyes narrowed. "Fine. What do you want me to do? I’ll do it."
Kevin nodded with a smile. "That’s exactly what I was hoping to hear."
He pointed out the window. "Mr. Leo, remember how we made a perfect team yesterday and lured out over thirty Eldritch Skeletons? I need you to keep doing that. Basically, I need you to lure the Eldritch onto this ship for me."
Hearing that, Leo’s face completely fell. His eyes went wide with shock, then panic, and finally rage. "Kevin, you sick bastard! You’re trying to get me killed!"
Before Leo could finish, Kevin swung a chop, knocking him out cold. "Relax. I’m not gonna let you die that fast."
He looked over at Amelia. "Tie him up tight and drag him to the bow. Hang him up. Keep him high enough so he doesn’t drop and break his neck."
Amelia grabbed a coil of rope from the corner and started dragging Leo out onto the deck.
Luna sat off to the side, completely focused on her snacks. She didn’t even blink at what was happening.
Stephanie, on the other hand, was tense as a wire. She eyed Kevin carefully.
It wasn’t until Amelia dragged Leo all the way out of the dining room that Stephanie finally stepped forward. "Captain... you said I could sleep on the bridge at night. For safety."
Kevin nodded. "Right. Luna will take you up there in a bit. But just to be safe, she’s gonna tie you up and lock the door behind you."
Stephanie looked shocked. "Wait... I’ll be alone up there?"
Kevin glanced at Stephanie, then at Luna. "Of course. Luna’s gonna be out there fighting the Eldritch."
Luna didn’t even react. But Stephanie’s jaw dropped. "Her? Fight? She only has a supply-based Talent, just like me. She’s got zero combat power. How is she supposed to fight Eldritch?"
As she said it, her mind raced. If Luna could fight the Eldritch up close, why not her?
Kevin’s words crushed those thoughts before they could take root. "Who said a supply Talent keeps you out of the fight? Last night, Luna helped me take down at least six Eldritch Skeletons."
He paused, looking straight at Stephanie with a cold smirk. "Out here on this cursed sea, you either fight the Eldritch or you run. Last night, Luna fought until dawn. You spent the whole night hiding. That’s the only reason why you’re stuck cleaning floors while she’s out there pulling her weight."
Kevin didn’t even bother looking at Stephanie’s stony face. He just told Luna to take her up to the bridge and lock the door behind them.
Night had fully fallen.
Kevin stood at the bow with Luna and Amelia, watching the crashing waves.
Behind them, Leo hung from the top of the mast, swaying back and forth in the wind.
Luna turned to him. "We’re really not gonna set an ambush?" freeweɓnovēl.coɱ
Kevin shook his head and smiled. "Nope. Leo’s our bait. The second any Eldritch board, they’ll sprint straight for the bow."
Amelia frowned. "Why?"
Kevin pointed down. "When you dragged Leo toward the bow, the barbs on the deck cut his back and left a trail. You didn’t notice at the time, but look now."
Amelia looked down, and only then realized the blood stains on the deck weren’t red, but dark green.
"How did this happen?" She instinctively covered her mouth, her face full of shock.
Kevin looked at the waves ahead and explained, "Leo ate a whole bucket of Ocular Barnacle today. With all that resentment in his heart, his Sanity must have dropped below the safe line, and he’s already affected by the Whispering Curse."
"Fortunately, the only Eldritch Entities on this ship are the Ocular Barnacle, and their Whispering Curse isn’t very strong. So the deformity happening to Leo isn’t obvious yet. It will take him at least a full night to turn completely into a monster."
"Before that, his pull on the Eldritch Entities is deadly. He’s neither a complete human nor one of the Eldritch, so the Eldritch Entities don’t need to follow the rules and can attack him directly. The current Leo is our best bait for tonight’s hunt."
As soon as he finished speaking, the ground beneath their feet tilted sharply.
Immediately followed by a loud crash, the ship that had been sailing smoothly shook violently.
