Chapter 153 On the Ship

Chapter 153 On the Ship

"is that so?"

Ragnarok relied on experience to deal with the Mystic Eyes, and perhaps the swordsmanship of this world also has techniques that can counter or resist the Mystic Eyes.

For example, even if he could see the "Light Blade" of the Sword God style, he didn't think he could dodge it.

However, even disregarding these drawbacks, the power of the Mystic Eye is still very appealing.

After all, he had defeated Alice, and the thought of the future use of the Magic Eye filled him with excitement.

However, the next moment, he felt a sharp pain in his head.

He subconsciously looked up, and sure enough, it was Brother Yue's familiar hand chop. Had he made a mistake again?

Every time, Brother Yue would help him correct his mistakes in this way. Over time, this behavior became like a warning bell that could not be touched in his heart. Now, this sound directly punctured all the arrogance in his heart.

Ask cautiously.

"Brother Yue, what's wrong?"

"Note this: there's a fatal flaw—it will instill in you the fear of being killed prematurely. If you don't overcome this, it will become a burden in battles against stronger opponents."

"!!??"

"The fear of being killed?"

The grim vocabulary startled him. Had this question actually touched upon his death? What did it mean? How could there be such a serious hidden danger...?

"For example, if you predicted you would be killed in the next second, wouldn't that peculiar feeling of knowing it in advance plunge you into the fear of waiting for death?"

...It seems so.

The simple example made Rudius immediately understand that he was, of course, terrified of death and did not want to lose his current life.

If someone foresees that they will die in the next second, not to mention him, anyone would subconsciously lose focus. And for true masters, battle is just a matter of a moment. If you are stunned for a second, what difference is there between you and a sitting duck? In this sense, it is indeed a very dangerous flaw.

"Those who can instantly kill you are mostly true powerhouses. If you rely too much on this 'magic eye,' you'll likely die a horrible death."

In summary, this "Magic Eye" is a powerful skill for easily defeating weak opponents, but against truly strong opponents, it can become a burden if one's mental fortitude is insufficient.

"Understood!"

"I suggest you use it until you are proficient in it, just treat it as a means."

"If you want to deal with strong opponents, the magical vision I taught you might be more useful, but that's just a means to an end. The one who truly needs to become strong is yourself."

"Thank you, Brother Yue Ren."

"Also, there's Alice's matter. We can't bully her too much, after all, she's already tried her best as a girl."

Rudius nodded. Now that his brain had cooled down, he realized that he had gone too far. He should go back and apologize to Alice; he shouldn't have been so smug.

After returning, Rudeus chatted with Alice for a while and eventually helped the girl regain her former composure. However, to Rudeus's surprise, the girl, now in good spirits, became attached to him.

Because he had previously said he could grant her the Magic Eye, Alice now genuinely wants it, so she keeps pestering Yue Ren, making him feel like he's shot himself in the foot.

There was nothing he could do but say as soon as possible.

And so, it was time to set off the next day.

"Rudeus! It's a ship! It's huge! Wow! It's rocking! What's going on!"

Alice was incredibly excited as soon as she stepped onto the ship.

It's no wonder she's a child; Alice's ability to quickly switch emotions is one of her strengths.

This boat is a wooden sailboat, and I heard it was just built about a month ago. It feels brand new overall.

This appears to be a maiden voyage and test flight, with the ship heading to Zant Port.

"However, this ship looks a bit different from the ones I've seen before."

"Alice, have you ever seen a ship before?"

I had never even seen the ocean before I came here.

"What are you talking about? Rudeus, don't you have one in your room?"

Rudy was taken aback; now that came to mind, he remembered that he had indeed done something like that.

It's so nostalgic. I started trying it out to train people in earth magic, but then I realized that it might even be able to make a puppet model, so I started making a 1/10th of the Rocky model.

Thinking about it, it's been a long time since I made a doll model.

Because they didn't know when or how much magic power they would need to consume, and they hadn't trained in magic power consumption, they could only stretch their muscles with Rigd and Alice at most.

I've been really lazy lately. Once things stabilize, I might have to start training all over again.

With that in mind, the group boarded the ship amidst Alice's enthusiastic shouts.

Three days passed after we left port.

Rudius pondered on the ship, realizing that sailing seemed somewhat different from what he had imagined.

Yes, talking about ships always involves attacks.

They will be attacked by octopuses, squids, sea serpents, pirates, or ghost ships, then sink, drift, and run aground, finally arriving at a deserted island, where they will begin a life together with the female protagonist.

The female protagonist who initially disliked me will gradually soften after completing a few events.

When it comes to a lone man and woman alone on a deserted island, there's only one thing they have to do.

Intersecting gazes, burning passion, boiling enthusiasm, splattering sweat, echoing waves... and morning coffee.

A paradise for just the two of you.

In addition, in cases involving octopus attacks, the female protagonists almost always face a predetermined fate.

They will be attacked by a large number of tentacles that do not look like there are only eight, and will be suspended in mid-air.

A writhing body, a particularly prominent chest, and tentacles burrowing inward. This is a tense and exciting scene that will make your palms sweat; you absolutely cannot look away.

However, reality is cruel.

The ship was rocking back and forth, and the unfamiliar feeling made me want to vomit.

Even worse is Alice, who is currently in the cabin, her face ashen as she faces the bucket.

She was initially very excited because it was her first time taking a boat ride, but then she started complaining about feeling nauseous during the ride. She was fine when riding the lizard, so why couldn't she do it on the boat?

Mr. Rijkaard sat quietly in a corner where there was as little people as possible, looking at the map without any sign of being affected. Brother Yue Ren was the same, even having the leisure to chat with the adventurers around him, looking like they were laughing and talking, which was enviable.

I thought my first voyage would end in such a boring way.

But it seemed that God understood his thoughts, and on the fourth day, the octopus appeared.

It's probably an octopus, but it's an incredibly bright, almost blinding, light blue color, and it's huge.

However, the octopus did not manage to entangle the beautiful girl; instead, it was easily defeated by the S-class guards.

There shouldn't be any escort ship requests posted in the guild, because if there were, he would definitely be the first to accept them, since that way he could get free travel expenses, and might even get meals or increase his income.

With this question in mind, he consulted nearby merchants and learned that they seemed to be a team specifically for protecting ships.

The team name is "AquaLord".

I have signed an exclusive contract with the shipyard guild. My main job is to escort ships at sea. And because I am an expert, I can easily deal with the monsters that appear on this route.

It's a real shame that no exciting or tense tentacle-related events occurred.

However, there were still some gains overall.

Just in case, Rudeus, who knew he still needed to improve, observed the battle from the sidelines.

To be honest, he couldn't help but scoff and mock the individual abilities of the members at first.

Swordsmen who fight as vanguards are strong, but not as strong as Kyrie Irwin; warriors who block attacks and draw the enemy's attention are strong, but not as strong as Rijrud.

As for the Magic Johnson who delivered the fatal blow to the octopus at the backcourt, he was probably even weaker than him.

I was initially very disappointed. I heard they were an S-level team, but is this all they've got?

I originally thought there were many experts in this world, but maybe they're not all that great after all...

However, he immediately changed his mind in the following days.

Because he discovered that they were an S-class "team".

The key focus should not be on the individual abilities of the members, but on the team's tacit understanding and cooperation.

Even though some of them weren't particularly strong, they still managed to defeat the giant octopus.

Even though some of them weren't particularly capable, they still managed to rise to S-rank.

This is the key point: it is precisely because each member has truly accomplished their task that the group can exert tremendous power.

This is the tacit understanding of teamwork.

This is also the part that their "DeadEnd" is missing.

The members of "DeadEnd" are individually very capable, but how do they fare in teamwork?

Even in terms of teamwork, Mr. Raji Rudd was exceptionally good.

Perhaps his experience in the military came in handy, as he was also adept at group combat.

In general, if he or Alice makes a mistake in battle, the other party will effectively help to make up for it. They are also particularly good at controlling the aggro value, and the monsters' attention is always completely focused on them.

Needless to say, Brother Yue Ren is usually a shrew. He only takes action when faced with a sudden and desperate situation. He can turn the tide with lightning speed. You could say he's a real-life version of turning the tide of battle. Ah, just thinking about it makes me feel so cool. When will I be able to reach that level?

Ahem, I've gone off-topic.

Therefore, the problem they faced was that the skill gap between the members was too large, and the two older members were simply too strong.

Their battles weren't exactly teamwork; it was more like experienced players leading newbies through boss fights, with the newbies taking on the challenge and the experienced players covering for them.

If things continue like this, and he has to part ways with his two older brothers for some reason, he is not confident that he can take good care of Alice.

Rudius.....

'

As he pondered these questions, Alice, her face ashen, came onto the deck.

He then staggered to the side of the ship and vomited forcefully out of the water.

It looks like he's vomited until only stomach acid remains.

"I...I feel so bad...why are you...staying in a place like this?"

'

"I'm sorry, because the sea is beautiful."

Although he felt a bit nauseous, being out in the breeze on the deck helped alleviate his symptoms.

"Heartless... Waaah..."

'

Alice, with tears in her eyes, hugged him.

Over the past few days, her seasickness has become increasingly severe.

She eventually became unable to get up from the cabin, and Rudius stayed by her side the whole time.

"Waaaaah... My head hurts so much... Please use a healing spell on me..."

'

"Okay, okay."

I asked the crew and found out that the healing magic tricks actually have a slight effect on seasickness.

After trying it, I determined that Alice would feel a little more comfortable.

Seasickness is caused by autonomic nervous system dysfunction, and treatment of the head can provide temporary relief.

It's probably the same principle. That being said, the effect won't last, and the uncomfortable feeling won't completely disappear.

"Ugh...am I going to die...?"

'

"It would be hilarious to die from seasickness."

"What's so funny..."

'

There was no one else in the room.

After all, it's the captain's cabin, and not everyone would come here. Speaking of which, I feel that Brother Yue is too extravagant. I've been to the cabin these past few days, and it's not that hard to accept, but Brother Yue upgraded the cabin without any hesitation. Although the captain's cabin is indeed very comfortable, it feels like it costs a lot of money to upgrade it.

You don't know the cost of living until you're in charge of the household. This period of time has taught him a lesson in money matters many times.

But never mind, it's my brother's own money after all, and I can't control how he spends it. Instead, I should be grateful, because it's because of this decision that they can live more comfortably.

In short, there are only him and Alice in the room now.

In the quiet and dimly lit room, there was only Alice, who had lost all ability to resist, and him, who had been taking care of the weak Alice.

At first, he thought that even so was not bad.

However, this causes a problem when using healing spells, because he must touch Alice's head to cast a healing spell. If he wants to use it regularly, he needs to have Alice lie on his lap, in a position similar to holding her head.

In addition, the two older brothers are not here...

The special environment, the special atmosphere, and the special relationship (childhood sweethearts who can be together) create a wonderful feeling in him.

"Strange" is not a very accurate way of saying it; to put it bluntly, it means that evil thoughts begin to emerge.

"...

Touching someone isn't inherently bad, the problem is...

Touching a young girl's head and feeling her body temperature is a stimulating act.

Even if the area touched isn't considered intimate, it can still be stimulating. The stimulation might not be intense, but prolonged exposure is not a good thing.

Being so close meant he could see clearly everything about Alice—her forehead, neck, chest, and everything else—that was covered in cold sweat.

The bloodline of the Grerat family is stirring.

"She's already mine, isn't she?"

I should be able to do whatever I want without any problem, right?

This idea kept popping into my mind.

However, Merlin in his heart urged him to be patient. He asked, hadn't he already made a decision? A decision to keep his promise to endure until he was fifteen.

I also decided to endure until the end of this journey.

He heeded Merlin's warning and remembered his elder brother's teachings that one should not take advantage of others in distress.

However, his patience was nearing its limit, and he wondered if he should distance himself from Alice in the present moment.

...What if I tried to gently pinch her breasts?

"Click—"

'

The thought had just formed when the hatch opened, startling Rudius. He looked up and saw the Yue man, his smile gone, as if he had just finished talking to someone.

"Hmm? What's wrong? You look terrible."

Across from the Yue people, Rudeus's expression was extremely strange. It was as if his muscles had lost control, a mixture of crying and laughing, with a hint of lewdness. The Yue people found it very strange how he could make such an expression.

"It's nothing, thank you, brother!"

"?"

Ah, seeing my brother's face, all the evil thoughts in my heart were immediately suppressed. He truly lives up to his title as the eldest brother, so authoritative!

However, isn't this a bad thing? Why does it feel like my body is inexplicably starting to develop in a strange direction?