Chapter 84. Scarface
With the peculiar old man leading them in tow, Charles and his crew made their way toward the labyrinth junction that stretched out in the distance.
Just when they set off, a doodle of a man entirely swathed in bandages slowly surfaced on the wall. His hand stretched out as if trying to prevent something, but to no avail.
Despite being blind, Blake seemed to have another method of navigating through the complex maze. His neck was crooked at an angle, and his back hunched, but the peculiar posture didn't hinder his speed.
"Mr. Charles, the old grandpa is so pitiful. Let's offer him some biscuits," Lily whispered into Charles' ear.
Charles shook his head in disapproval. Without making clear the other party's background, it was not rational to expose their food supply.
Silence engulfed them as they trudged through the sludge. After walking for about half an hour, a human settlement suspended on the walls appeared before Charles.
To avoid the filthy, murky waters, they carved numerous pockets of varying sizes into the walls. Dozens of humans sat within these cavities, either chatting or resting. Their physical appearance mirrored Blake's emaciated form, and their eyes were the same white.
However, the moment Charles' gaze landed on the bones dangling from the walls, an unsettling dread unfurled in his heart. Among them, he recognized the skeletal remnants of humans, and the sheer quantity was alarming.
Charles quickly scanned the settlement but found no traces of Bandages.
The murmurs of the crowd grew louder, and Blake approached the human settlement in excitement. The moment his hand touched the wall, a malicious grin spread across his face as he looked at Charles.
"Boss! Look! I brought you some fresh blood, and I also heard a lady mentioning biscuits."
A man occupying the highest cavity rose to his feet at Blake's words. Disregarding the drop of more than ten meters, he leaped straight into the muck below.
A look of extreme eagerness appeared on his face, marred by various scars. "A woman? Finally, a woman! Hahaha! I'll be sure to cherish this one!"
Blake approached the scar-faced man with a servile smile. "Boss, when you are done with her, can I have a turn?"
As the blind humans rapidly converged in their direction, Charles raised his revolver and fired a warning shot into the air. It was a display of deterrence.
Upon hearing the gunshot, Scarface froze for a brief moment before he burst into hearty laughter, seemingly unafraid.
"Hahaha, how interesting. It seems like our newcomers have guns. I'm sooooo scared! Hahaha!"
Sensing the malicious taunting underlying his words, Charles couldn't be bothered to communicate. He lifted his revolver and fired directly at Scarface.
The captain's aggression signaled the others to spring into action, and they launched their offensive. However, the moment the shots rang out, the humans before them swiftly plunged into the waters and disappeared beneath the sludge.
Bullets collided with the water's surface, stirring up nothing more than a smattering of muddy droplets with no traces of blood in sight. As the gunfire ceased, tranquility reclaimed the surface, and those humans had already vanished. This place was their home ground, after all.
"Watch the wat—" Before Charles could complete his warning, the calm surface burst apart as sharp claws tainted with foul mud aimed at his neck.
With a swift backflip, Charles barely avoided the assault. His right hand aimed the revolver at the enemy before him and fired successive shots. A shower of crimson blossomed over the man's bare chest.
Suddenly, a crisis manifested behind Charles. Scarface had somehow managed to reposition himself to appear at Charles' rear. With a malevolent grin, his sharp nails lunged for Charles' heart from the back.
At this critical moment, a large hand intervened and swatted Scarface aside. It was James' enlarged hand.
Rapidly regaining his balance, Charles used James' giant knee as a springboard, vaulting himself onto his crewmate's broad shoulder. Standing on a high vantage point, Charles could survey the scene of the chaos below as his crew was under siege from the blind humans amidst the muddy waters.
Without wasting another second, Charles took aim and started picking off those who dared to breach the surface, ensuring that they stayed floating atop the murky water.
Initially, the crew had been caught off guard by the unexpected underwater attacks. However, they quickly composed themself and retaliated. After all, they were all humans, so there was nothing to be afraid of.
James swatted the enemies away with his enormous palm as if they were mere flies.
Lily's mice dived beneath the surface, and pools of crimson soon emerged from underneath.
Dipp wielded his dagger and swiftly dispatched foes by lacerating their throats.
Charles was caught by surprise when his Second Mate, Conor, held a lit blue wax candle and muttered an inscrutable incantation. Two Papyrians had emerged out of nowhere and stood on the water's surface to protect him.
As bloodied flesh stained the dark waters scarlet, the ferocious battle gradually died down.
Eyeing the number of corpses on the water's surface, Charles knew that the battle was far from over. There were only a dozen or so, which fell woefully short of the initial seventy to eighty people he had estimated.
"Your aim's pretty good, but that's all there is to it." Scarface's voice suddenly echoed from Charles' left flank.
Charles quickly turned and fired a shot, but the bullet disappeared as it hit the water's surface.
Immediately after, the same voice echoed from his right flank. "What a shame. You guys are probably not even at Level 2, you can't fight me. Hand over your woman and food, and I can perhaps consider letting you join us."
Realizing that the bullets were ineffective, Charles ceased firing and asked with caution, "Level 2? What are you referring to?"
"Hahaha!" the voice laughed with apparent mockery. "It seems that not only you’re new here, but you’re also new out there. You don't even know the power ranking system."
Hearing Scarface's words, Charles recalled some fragments of knowledge he had learned at the library. The man was referring to the power ranking among the crews of battleships.
Governors didn't live in harmony. Whenever they warred with each other, those battleships would come into play. Judging from the man's words, Charles could infer that he was once part of the crew of a battleship.
"I'm a captain of an exploration vessel. I don't care about your power hierarchy between battleships," Charles retorted and gestured to his crew at the same time. With his other hand, he pulled out the Lightning Rod.
Seeing the lightning-shaped staff in Charles' hand, the crew paled instantly, and they hurriedly sought refuge next to the giant James. The memories of their previous encounter with this tool were still seared into their minds. It was an unforgettable experience they had no wish to repeat.
"An exploration vessel? Pfft! Only those incapable of securing a spot on a battleship would demean themselves to such a measly vessel, wandering aimlessly around islands, practically courting death," Scarface scoffed.
"Is that so? Then why would such a powerful existence like yourself be trapped in this place?" Charles retorted.
"Don't get too high on your horses. Wait till I catch you, I'll make sure you—"
Now!
Charles thrust his lightning staff forward, and a brilliant arc of electricity cackled toward the direction of the voice.
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