Free Web NovelChapter 3: Chapter 3: Dual Talent
Boom!
A bolt of lightning struck!
The Eldritch’s power spread across the land.
The whole world seemed to freeze!
Kevin felt dizzy. Then everything went black.
No idea how long passed...
Clang!
A sharp pain hit his back. His cloudy mind snapped awake.
He opened his eyes. Above him were sails, blown taut by the wind. Below him were wooden planks, creaking under his weight.
He took a deep breath. A foul, salty stench hit his nose. It made him cough.
He pushed himself up. He looked at the old wooden ship. The deck was covered in black stains and thick clusters of barnacles.
The surrounding water wasn’t blue. It was a thick, deep black, like ink.
Far ahead, a thick black fog wall was slowly creeping toward the ship.
Twisted shapes churned inside the fog. It was like something huge was squirming and roaring...
"The Eldritch is here." Kevin touched his backpack. His heart settled.
On this damn cursed sea, the biggest threat wasn’t the monsters. It was the lack of food and fresh water.
Thanks to his past life, Kevin knew how to survive here.
But if he had clean supplies, who would eat monster flesh?
He turned his head toward the ship’s railing.
Thick barnacles covered the rails. Their shells were dark purple. Between the cracks, bloodshot eyes turned slowly.
Ocular Barnacle.
A common monster on this sea.
They looked creepy. They tasted worse. Slimy. Stinking. A foul smell you couldn’t wash off.
Yet, they were a main protein source for humans. One of the few monsters you could actually eat.
Of course, eating monsters had side effects.
The biggest one was losing your mind. freewebnovel.cσ๓
In his past life, Kevin saw people eat too many. They started talking to the air. Then they went mad and jumped into the sea.
Even so, people ate them to survive.
Back then, Kevin raised half a ship’s worth of them at the stern.
When food was scarce, they saved lives.
Now, Kevin patted his tactical pack. It was full of ration bars, ham, sandwiches, and instant noodles.
With real food, he wouldn’t eat those disgusting monsters.
Clang!
Clang!
...
More heavy thuds hit the deck.
"What the hell is this place? I was just standing at the church entrance!" A familiar voice echoed.
Kevin followed the sound. Several figures had appeared on the deck.
The first to get up was a tall woman. Long brown hair. Tan skin... It was Luna. The model guide who toured with him.
Right after that, another figure dropped down.
She had short blonde hair. Tall. Wearing a dark blue police uniform.
She found her footing. Frowned at her phone. Mumbled under her breath. "Damn it. No signal anywhere. We’ve probably been kidnapped out of the country."
Another voice spoke from behind the officer. "Damn it! I just came out to relax. How did I get stuck with this?"
Kevin’s gaze cut through the crowd. It landed on the speaking girl.
He knew that face too well.
Stephanie. Bella’s own sister.
In his past life, she helped cover for Joseph and Bella. They worked together to fool him.
Every time Kevin grew suspicious, Stephanie stepped in. She smoothed things over. Her innocent face worked every time. She wiped his doubts away.
At the thought, Kevin clenched his fists.
Just as Kevin almost gave in to his urge for revenge, a young man with curly hair got up on the deck.
He walked over to Stephanie. Patting her shoulder, he said. "Relax. I have a tracking device from my family. Bodyguards will find us soon."
Hearing his words, Stephanie stopped panicking. Her emotions settled down.
She hooked her arm around his. Acting sweet, she said. "Leo. You have to keep me safe."
Leo.
Hearing the name, Kevin actually calmed down.
Leo. Joseph’s closest friend.
In the past life, Joseph and Bella teamed up to kill him. Leo was part of it.
Kevin took a deep breath. His eyes swept past Leo and Stephanie. He scanned the rest of the ship.
But the ship was empty. Just him and these four people.
Seeing this, a hint of regret crossed Kevin’s face. "Just the five of us?"
It seemed his trip to the Vatican changed the timing. He wasn’t on the same ship as Joseph and Bella.
Still, Stephanie and Leo ended up on his ship. That made it easier. He’d settle his past life debt with them first.
While Kevin watched them closely, they noticed him too.
Luna recognized Kevin first. She stepped forward to greet him. But Stephanie bumped past her, almost knocking her over. "Kevin? What are you doing here? Shouldn’t you be in New York with my sister?"
Stephanie stared at him. A playful smile broke out on her face. "Kevin. You’re stalking me?"
She brushed her hair back. Her voice dripped with satisfaction. "Even if my figure and looks are a bit hotter than my sister’s... I’d never accept you. I don’t waste time on poor guys like you!"
Leo stepped up. He blocked Stephanie’s path. He squared his shoulders and spoke seriously. "Kid. Stay away from Stephanie. She’s out of your league."
Leo paused. He added one more thing. "And listen to me. Bella belongs to Joseph. If you know what’s good for you, you’ll walk away from her."
"Stupid."
Kevin looked at the two lunatics.
He lifted his foot.
He kicked them.
Once each.
Cleanly.
He sent them crashing to the deck.
Stephanie hit the deck hard.
She clutched her stomach.
Pain brought tears to her eyes.
She looked up.
Glaring at Kevin, she screamed.
"You dare hit me! I’ll make my sister dump you! I swear I will! Even if you kneel and beg later, it won’t save you!"
Leo’s face turned red.
He struggled up from the deck.
Pointing at Kevin, he yelled.
"Just you wait! When my bodyguards arrive, I’ll have them break your arms! I’ll ruin you!"
"Idiots."
Kevin didn’t even look back.
He walked straight toward the bow.
The female officer stepped up to Kevin.
She held out her hand.
"I’m Amelia. Vatican patrol. Badge number 9527." freēwēbnovel.com
"I noticed you first. You got here before us. Can you tell me where the hell we are?"
Kevin glanced at Amelia.
His voice was cold.
"You’ll find out soon."
His words hadn’t even faded.
A cold voice blasted into everyone’s ears.
[Welcome to the Horror Sailing Survival Game.]
[You will struggle to survive here. Do whatever it takes. Stay alive.]
[The sea is free. But life is limited. Follow the survival rules.]
[Rule 1: Keep your sanity. Beware the night. Beware the fog.]
[Rule 2: Sail at full speed. Don’t let the black fog catch you. Or you die.]
[Rule 3: Do not jump overboard to swim. You die.]
[Rule 4: Use your unique talents. They are the only way to survive this damn world.]
The voice cut out.
The deck fell into silence.
Then it spoke again.
[Rules broadcast complete. Starting Survivor talent awakening...]
[Scanning talent anchors nearby...]
[Survivor Name: Kevin]
[Survivor Location: Vatican, St. Peter’s Basilica]
[High-value anchor detected. Papal Throne.]
[Description: Religious relic. Historical heritage. Faith focus. Divine substance. Unique. Unreplicable. Value: Incalculable.]
[High-value anchor detected. Lance of Longinus.]
[Description: Mythic relic. Religious treasure. Historical heritage. Faith focus. Divine substance. Unique. Unreplicable. Value: Incalculable.]
...
[Comparing anchor values. Will use the highest value to awaken Survivor talent...]
[Comparison failed. Cannot calculate exact values. Attempting special sync...]
[Running special sync...]
[Sync successful. Initiating dual talent awakening...]
