Chapter 63. 096's Revenge
Three seconds after the Clown Mask rolled and disappeared into the woods, chaos broke out in the camp.
"Mother of vampires! The captain's mask is actually alive!" Audric cried out in shock.
"Should...Should we turn back?" another sailor voiced out in a whimper.
"Mr. Charles, can I hide in your pocket? I'm a bit scared."
"Quiet!" Charles' voice suppressed the whispers. With his brows pressed together, his gaze scanned across his crew members. "What's the ruckus over? It's just a mask that moves. After all the ordeals you have been through, you are afraid of a mere mask?!"
After the commotion quelled down, Charles looked at his pocket watch with an aloof expression. He then commanded, "Break's over! We move now!"
The silent crew members didn't dare protest and followed after their captain. Despite their silence, their faces were visibly tense as they tightened their grip on their weapons.
As he led the group, Charles was pondering over the same question as them: Why had 096 suddenly come alive?
That relic had been with him for a while now, and he had worn it countless times. It had never shown any traces of life.
Could it be this island? Could it be related to something on this island? Charles mused as he peered into the darkness beneath the trees. However, the forest provided no answers.
"In my opinion, I think it's a good thing. This means we're in the right place. The weirder a place is, the more rewards there are. If a place poses no dangers, there are no benefits to be reaped there." Richard's comment interrupted Charles' thoughts.
Charles ignored the voice and turned toward Laesto, who was being supported by Dipp and Frey.
"Doctor, are you feeling alright? How's your wound?"
"Hmph, if you are really concerned about me, you should have let me stay on the ship. When I agreed to your proposition then, you never mentioned anything about needing me to explore islands," Laesto retorted as he took out a metal flask and downed a big mouthful of its contents.
Hearing Laesto's robust voice, Charles was assured that his injuries were nothing serious.
As the party trudged through the woods, their surroundings began to change. The cluttered vines and branches grew sparse, and the towering trees became shorter. The path soon opened up to ruins overrun with thickets of weeds.
The ruins covered an extensive area akin to a small town. The walls covered with large blankets of extensive vines painted a desolate scene.
The crew could only see a part of the ruins illuminated by their torches. However, Charles could see more with his night vision. In the darkness, the dilapidated buildings were like sprawling spiders watching their every action.
Regardless of their former glory, traces of human activities within had been gradually covered by the growing weeds and trees over the passage of time.
Charles halted his footsteps briefly before he pressed on ahead. No matter who the previous inhabitants of these ruins were, time had taken all of them away.
"I seem to hear the sound of water. Can you hear it?" Charles suddenly asked. However, the confused expressions on his crew's faces dampened his mood. He kept silent and trudged ahead.
"Mr. Charles! There's really water! My friend and I can smell it!" Lily scampered onto Charles' shoulder and sniffed the air with her petite nose. "And it's fresh water!"
Hearing the words "fresh water," the entire crew was visibly excited. They understood the underlying meaning behind this information.
Following the growing sound of flowing water, Charles soon arrived at the heart of the ruins. A pile of old machinery covered with dark brown rust appeared before him. The sound of water seemed to be from beneath the machines.
"Give me the explosives," Charles instructed.
Boom!
With a thundering boom, the long-decaying machinery exploded into pieces. Everyone peered curiously into the dark pit that took its place.
A fire torch tumbled into the pit. Under its illumination, a flowing underground river appeared before their sight.
Dipp couldn't hold back his excitement as he hastily drank from the water they'd retrieved. With a look of exhilaration, he shouted, "Captain! It's really fresh water! This island is a livable place!"
Hearing the news, the entire crew erupted into cheers. Their fiery enthusiasm seemed to be able to push back against the surrounding darkness.
They had left their peaceful lives behind, joined an exploration vessel, and risked their lives. It was all for this day.
With a new island discovered, their captain would become the governor, and every one of them would get a government position. They didn't need to go out to sea anymore. They would become part of the upper echelons and live like the nobles in the heart of the islands.
On the contrary, Charles didn't share their elation. After all, he had a separate goal from the rest of his crew. Finding a livable island was only incidental.
Observing their excitement, Charles decided it was best to rest up for the day first to give them some time to digest the news and also readjust themselves. An increased morale was great, but too much excitement could lead to recklessness and cause accidents.
In a corner bounded by two barely intact walls, a bonfire was lit. The crew could hardly sleep due to their excitement. Everyone was chattering about their better lives in the near future. In the end, Charles directly ordered Laesto to administer a sleeping draught to those not on watch duty.
Charles had trouble sleeping, so he also took Laesto's medicine and soon entered dreamland.
After what felt like a long time, a strange sound jolted Charles out of his slumber.
Hiss—
The sound reminded him of gas leaking from a canister.
Hiss—
The same sound rang out again. His mind snapped to full alertness as his expression grew tense. He recognized that sound—the wheezing of a severed windpipe.
Charles immediately stood up and spotted a petite figure wielding a rusty blade against James.
Hearing the commotion behind it, the figure turned. Under the flickering firelight, Charles could make out the white mask with its distinctive red nose—it was 096.
Almost instinctively, Charles reached for his revolver and opened fire. He emptied his magazine on 096's host.
The lanky body was knocked back by the impact of the bullets. However, the moment the gunshots ceased, the body scrambled away on all fours like a cheetah into the darkness.
"Dipp! Get Doctor to save him!" Charles kicked the boatswain, who was still scratching his neck. His eyes were bleary, and his mind was still in a daze.
Leaving his instructions, Charles then chased after 096 with his Dark Blade in hand.
Watching the retreating figure, Charles' expression grew solemn. Whatever reason it was that caused 096 to come alive, it clearly held a grudge against them now. He had to get rid of 096, or it would return to cause more havoc.
The two figures sprinted through the weeds-covered ruins. Even the most impossible terrains seemed like flat ground beneath their feet. From the perspective of an outsider, it was akin to watching an impressive performance of parkour.
"Richard, whose body is 096 using now? How can it still run so fast after being shot in the chest?"
"How would I know? That old dude's medicine knocked me out too."
The pair were evenly matched in speed, and none could outrun the other. 096 swiftly ran to the edge of the dense forest and plunged into its darkness without hesitation.
Charles gritted his teeth and followed suit.
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