25 years ago. Chad was 19 years old. Traveling by ship from the elvish continent back to the human kingdom. But he wasn't alone.
"Chad, there is a storm approaching." A white-haired woman approached him with a worried smile.
Chad faced her, "That is the captain and the sailors' problem. We're but travelers now." He was right. There is nothing they can do at the moment. "Also, don't want to exhaust yourself. Go rest."
She was pregnant. The whole reason for their return to the human continent is for them to settle down.
That night, a storm hit the ship. CRACK! The ship groaned as the masts danced. The sailors rushed around like ants, scrambling to get the sails down. "It suddenly changed direction. Everyone braces yourselves." The navigators yelled from the mast top.
The captain rushed out of his cabin, only wearing pants as he was asleep. "I will hold the wheel. Get the travelers inside." He shouted, and every one replied. "AY."
A fifteen feet tall wave raised, hitting the ship's side. GRA! The ship tilted a bit to the impact, its frame cracking.
"Water on deck. Scope it out." One of the sailors shouted. Everyone rushed in with buckets, doing their best to get rid of the water.
Chad stared at them. Their effort was almost useless. Even five men with buckets had no chance against the waves filling the ship.
"Pathetic, leave that to me." Chad rushed on the deck. BAM! He kicked a barrel used to store fish. The fish and water in it spilled out, alerting the sailors.
"You're a traveler. Get inside." One of the sailors approached him. Shouting and pointing at the deck door.
Chad grabbed the barrel from the side and stared at the shouting sailor. "Children yell, men speak, those who want change acts." He pushed the sailor to the side.
Chad swung the barrel, scoping the water and dumping it back in the ocean. He alone was keeping the water level on deck in check.
The sailors shouted at Chad, seeing him leap to work. But quickly enough, the captain called them. "Leave him. Got tend to the sails."
In such a storm, no amount of sailors is enough. Chad might not have the skills of a sailor, but with how much manual labor he can provide. He is now freeing five to seven sailors for the captain to use.
SPLASH! A massive wave was about to hit the ship's side.
The captain looked worried, "Lift the sails! We can't turn in time!" The wave was big enough to topple the ship. The only way to survive was to hit it directly with the front of the ship.
"Turn the wheel harder! We must hit it with the front!" One of the sailors shouted beside the captain.
BANG! The deck's door busted open, and a woman with white hair and an inflated stomach rushed out. "Chad!" She yelled.
"Get inside!" Chad shouted, waving his hand at her.
"I'm here to help," she shouted back, holding her staff.
"Not in your condition. Get back inside!" Even though Chad was yelling. She rushed toward him without hesitation.
"Go turn the ship. Push it from the back to face the wave." She said, laying her hand on his shoulder. [Fly]
Chad nodded, "Fine." SWOSH! He flew across the heavy rain. THUD! And immediately started turning the ship.
"Flight magic? No one said we have a third-tier mage." The captain shouted.
Chad glared at him. "You don't. Try working her, and I will sink the ship with your skull."
The Captain stared at him, pushing the ship from the back. He's a bit aggressive, isn't he?
He then turned toward the woman, "Lady, you better get inside. I do believe you have something more important to protect." This time, the captain didn't shout.
"If the ship sank. No one will survive." The woman said, holding onto the main mast with her hand.
Then, the captain noticed that the ship was facing the wave directly. All they need to do is sail right through.
"Hold fast!" He yelled.
The ship groaned, rushing toward the massive wave. GRWWWAAAAAAAA! The ship's head slammed onto the wave, and it slowly raised. Climbing the wave as everyone held for dear life.
CRACK! The ship shook as it started going down. The woman slipped and rolled to the front.
THUD! SWISH! She smacked her staff onto the ground. Holding herself in place. She looked up, and a wave was about to sweep the deck.
"You won't take us!" she screamed, [Elemental Bane: Water] From the tip of her staff, a blue haze exploded. CRACK! Her staff crackled as she held herself in place. A barrier extended from her body to cover the whole deck, deflecting all the water away.
As the wave smacked into the ship, not a single drop of water fell on the deck. The woman fell to her knees in agony. Her stomach turned and twisted as if she got hit by a club.
"Told to not use fourth-tier!" Chad shouted. The spells carried great mental and physical stress with them. They were not a thing that a pregnant woman should even try.
The ship was stable in its course. He could let go. Chad stared at the woman, getting ready to land and rush to her. Then he heard something strange. CRACKLE! It was faint but ominous.
"Aqua!" Chad yelled. It was coming to her staff. Flying in as fast as he could. BAM! Pushing her away from the shoulder.
CRACKLE! In that brief moment, before she reaches the ground. Lightning fell, striking her staff and connecting to Chad. The deck got covered in a blinding flash. Chad stood his ground, growling as the bright light cursed across his body.
BAM! Aqua smacked her head on the ground. As she looked up, Chad was half fried.
"Is he dead?" One of the sailors gasped as he smelled the burned flesh.
Thud! Chad took a step forward, his eyes glowing golden. He looked at Aqua and then at the sky. CRACKLE! "You bitch." He swung his fist upward. Punching the second lightning strike.
As everyone stared in disbelief, Chad deflected the lightning strike back to the ocean.
CRACKLE! A third strike hit the captain on the wheel, killing him instantly and setting the ship ablaze. "Another one?" Chad glared at the captain. Unable to believe that a third one fell.
Aqua lifted her staff from the ground, wanting to cast a spell to stop the lightning. That was a mistake. The ship got electrified from the first strike. It wasn't about to end.
A fourth lightning bolt struck her immediately, frying her in place. Chad turned as fast as he could, hearing the rumbling behind him. As he leaped to grab her burned body, a wave hit the ship flipping it.
Everything turned black. He immediately lost consciousness at the impact.
...
When Chad woke up, he was stranded alone on a single log in the middle of the sea. "What? Aqua!" He screamed, looking around. He could only see a vast blue sea with a bright sun in the sky. No trace of the ship remained.
He started at his burns. They were already starting to heal on his neck and shoulders. Multiple days must have passed by.
After waiting for a while, Chad decided to swim toward the sun as the human kingdom was in the east.
Putting the log under his chest, he started swimming like a butterfly. After a month of swimming and eating raw fish that he caught by diving, Chad reached the kingdom's shore.
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