Free Web NovelChapter 8: Chapter 8: The Gun Decides
Stephanie stepped inside next. Her eyes swept across the helm, taking in the plush sofa, the orderly desk, and the panoramic porthole view that offered the best sightlines on the entire vessel. The perks of captaincy instantly hooked her.
Fixing Kevin with a sharp stare, she added a quiet threat. "My sister Bella always follows my lead. You don’t want me to convince her to call off our arrangement, do you? Hand over the captain’s authority, and I’ll help you reconcile with her."
She didn’t stop there. "As for your little fling with that Italian model, I can turn a blind eye. Keep it quiet for you. So? What do you say?"
Kevin’s lips curled into a cold smirk.
But before he could even draw breath, Amelia stepped forward, blocking Stephanie and Leo. "We’re a team!" she declared, her voice ringing with conviction. "The captain should be chosen through a democratic election, not bartered through private deals!"
Kevin looked at the three of them, a mocking smile playing on his face. "You’re all giving me conflicting advice. Which one should I listen to?"
The three exchanged glances, then turned back to him in unison: "Me!"
Kevin raised an eyebrow. "And why should I?"
His blunt rejection left them frozen.
The rules echoing in their minds reminded them of the danger. They couldn’t afford to push Kevin too hard. If they triggered a rule violation, he could easily use his captain’s authority to expel-or worse-them. No one wanted to be thrown overboard.
Amelia took a step forward, her expression hardening. "Kevin, we’re likely facing a survival crisis soon."
"A captain is responsible for every Survivor on this ship."
"Can you guarantee we’ll make it through the next crisis alive?"
"If you can prove you have the capability, I’ll be the first to support you as captain."
"If not, I hope you’ll hand over the authority."
"We want the strong to hold the reins of our lives."
Leo nodded in agreement, pride radiating from him. "Exactly! I’m the only one on this ship with a combat talent. I’m the strongest. The captain’s seat belongs to me."
"Hand over the authority, and I’ll ensure you survive whatever’s coming."
"Right," Stephanie chimed in, stepping forward. "Kevin, yield the captaincy to Leo, and I’ll guarantee you a bottle of vitamins every week."
She knew Amelia wouldn’t back her, so aligning with Leo made sense. Leo was pursuing her anyway. She could easily manipulate him through emotional dependency, indirectly controlling the captain’s authority without ever holding the title herself.
The thought gave her a quiet thrill. She even tossed Kevin a flirtatious wink. "What are you waiting for, Kevin?"
Kevin didn’t answer right away.
In truth, he hadn’t been listening to a word they said.
Beneath the desk, Luna knelt devoutly between his legs, her voice reduced to a whisper meant only for him, as she relentlessly programmed her own mind.
I am Master Kevin’s servant. My body, my soul, belong only to him.
"I must obey Master Kevin. He is the man I love most. I will be utterly loyal to him!"
"Everything I am belongs to Master Kevin... I only listen to Master Kevin..."
Just as Luna drowned herself in these phrases, the affinity number above her head began climbing at an alarming rate.
[Affinity +5]
[Affinity +5]
[Affinity +5]
While Kevin’s attention lingered on the trembling figure beneath his desk, Amelia’s trio grew increasingly impatient.
Leo, tired of the silence, let his expression harden first. "Kevin, I advise you not to refuse a peaceful offer just to make it harder."
"You may be the captain, and the rules forbid me from attacking you directly, but on this ship, you’ll eventually need us for food, water, or anything else."
Kevin didn’t flinch. He simply reached into his backpack and pulled out a stack of canned meat, plus six bottles of cola. "My apologies. I’ve never needed to ask anyone for anything."
The sight of the supplies stunned them.
"You actually have that kind of stuff!" Stephanie blurted out, her hand instinctively drifting to her stomach.
Behind her, Leo licked his lips, eyes locked on the cans.
Without those items in sight, their hunger and thirst had been manageable. Now, faced with the comforts of modern supermarket life, their primal instincts flared wildly.
"Kevin, hand over all the cans and cola! I’ll overlook your attitude, and my offer of one vitamin a week still stands!" Stephanie said, already striding forward.
Leo stepped up beside her, arms swinging, closing the distance.
When they were less than ten meters away, Kevin slowly raised his right hand.
A sharp metallic scrape echoed through the cabin.
A cold, black muzzle pointed straight at their feet.
Bang!
Bang! freeωebnovēl.c૦m
Two shots rang out. Sparks flared at their feet, startling them into a dead stop. Fear flashed across both their faces.
"You actually have a pistol!" Leo stared at the freshly punched holes in the floor, sweat beading on his forehead.
Stephanie, who had moments ago been trying to leverage and threaten him, shut her mouth and held her breath.
Watching their panicked, humbled expressions, Kevin smirked. "Still want my captain’s authority? Still want my food and water? Come and take it."
Leo and Stephanie trembled at his taunt but didn’t dare take another step. They stood frozen, terrified he might aim higher next time.
Amelia stepped forward, slipping past them. She glanced at Kevin, then sighed. "Kevin, my Enchantment talent can amplify your bullet’s power. I can support your captaincy-but as captain, you’ll have the responsibility to distribute supplies to the crew."
Kevin let out a cold snort. "Why should I?"
Amelia met his gaze, unwavering. "Because my Enchantment talent can give you a decisive advantage."
"You’ve got a gun, but you don’t know how to fight. When trouble hits, you’ll still need us."
"Even as pay, you should share supplies with the crew."
Kevin gave a cold laugh. "The supplies I brought are mine. I’m not splitting them with you."
"But since you’re my crew now, I do need to give you a heads-up."
He pointed out the window at the barnacles on the hull. "No one knows how long we’ll be out here. We need to solve the food and water problem."
"What I have won’t last long. And I’m not giving it to you anyway."
"If you want to eat well and stay full in the days ahead, you need to find real food and water out here."
"These barnacles look fine. Before things turned weird, they were a famous meal. I’m sure they’ll still give us what we need to survive."
"To make the cut as my crew, prove you can survive these deadly waters."
"Now, go gather some barnacles and eat them in front of me. Do that, and I’ll accept you as my crew."
At the request, Amelia, Leo, and Stephanie all went pale at once.
Even before things turned weird, barnacles were a nightmare for people with trypophobia.
And now, they’ve all mutated into monsters.
Especially those bloody tentacles, with eyes growing at the tips.
Using this as food... just the thought made them shiver.
But Kevin didn’t give them a chance to argue.
He slapped a Glock on the table right in front of them.
Smack!
The sound snapped them back to reality.
Kevin got serious. "No one knows what’s coming. You can eat these twisted things and live, or starve on this ship. It’s your choice."
With that, the wheelhouse door swung open.
Kevin looked outside and nodded for them to go.
Facing Kevin’s gun, they didn’t dare speak. They walked out, looking completely broken.
