Chapter 38: Chapter 11

The early morning light shone through the window as I yawned, lying on my bed. My pointer finger rapidly tapped on the soft brown coverings.

I. Was. So. Bored.

This immortality thing would be horrible in the long run. I already had a hard time existing, but now I had to do it forever.

I had browsed through the database—the name for the dictionary in the system—at least three times over the past five days.

My vocabulary increased significantly, but there were many things I still didn’t understand, likely because they were locked.

The colours had changed dramatically after becoming a demon. Initially, I wasn’t sure how I felt about it, but it grew on me.

The horns on the person icon gave me a chuckle the first time I saw them.

Wait, would I grow horns?

Oh, please, no. I’d have to wear hats forever.

Hmm. I wondered if every race had its own set of colours.

What were the other races besides humans and demons? Dragons were real… did they have their own windows?

There wasn’t a catalogue of races or anything like that in the database. Unless there was something I was missing. The word demon was in there, along with human, which I guess is technically a race.

My finger shot up toward the ceiling.

I could only translate words I had a personal connection with. Words that didn't have meaning to me just looked like scribbles. The system’s alphabet didn’t look anywhere near my language, Morsmal.

Before Abble mentioned it, I didn't know what a dragon was. Even though the words' were drastically different between the two languages, I immediately recognised the meaning of it in the system after our talk.

Cain was right about getting to level two.

In addition to helping me avoid death, learning how the system worked was going to bring me much entertainment.

I hoped that achieving level two would open up all the locks, but that wouldn’t happen. It was clear this system made you work for it.

Plus, easy wasn’t my life.

Scooting over to the edge of the bed, I stared down at my nails.

I needed to cut these, but how?

Hm. I could use my dagger and a whetstone to keep them filed down. Considering this ship probably had more knives and swords than people, there had to be stones lying around.

It would be better if I had Abble do it. Cutting off a finger didn’t sound fun, and I was a bit clumsy.

“Shit, I didn’t sleep”—my eyes glanced at the sun—“gross.”

‘Gross’ was the word that came to mind every time I saw that ball of light. It was an object of absolute disgust now.

It was my enemy.

I had no desire to sleep at night, but during the day, I yawned throughout and took many naps. Most of the time, my only breath was yawning. Of course, that could have just been boredom.

Even dead, my existence felt dull. Apparently, some habits carry over to the grave.

My room was at least pleasant, and Abble hadn’t bothered me since I entered it. I figured she would use me for amusement, but she kept away.

That was okay with me.

I wasn’t sure a friendship would form here. We were so different and she would likely always be abrasive to me. If it seemed like there was no middle ground on her torment, I wouldn’t humour her when we got to the college.

That was mean and manipulative, but I had to do what I needed to.

On top of this, I had known her for less than a week. I simply owed her my attempt to persuade her father. The deal was done. She just had to come through with her side of the agreement.

Playing cards with her wasn’t that terrible. Though, Abble was probably upset over my lack of interaction.

I wasn’t a complete monster. There had been some guilt about my coldness, but she would have to reach out to me at this point. I lacked the courage to do it since I knew it would be awkward now.

The door was knocked on, and I jumped to my feet, hurrying over.

I opened it to a man with an eye patch holding a wooden plate. The grey meat on it didn’t look very appetising, but I needed to eat something.

My lack of interest in food lately would eventually give someone pause. Even though I had hardly any muscle or fat on me to begin with, I should have looked far more malnourished.

The man just stared at me, not saying a word, gnawing at something. It bothered me that he didn’t close his mouth while chewing and that I could see his yellowed and blackened teeth.

Wanting this exchange to end, I grabbed the plate, but he didn’t let it go.

“So you’re fucking Harper’s daughter? I find this very difficult to believe.”

“Why? Cause I’m in my own room?”

I knew it would be an insult, yet I still asked the question.

He gave a long pause. “No, it’s just that you look like a girl. Do you have a cock? Or are you just a manly-looking woman?”

“I am going to eat you,” I mumbled.

“What?”

I cleared my throat. “I would like to eat. Can I have my dish?”

He let go, and I stepped back before slamming the door in his face with my foot.

Spinning around, I walked over to my bed and flopped down. I stuffed some of what looked like salt pork in my mouth, chewing with difficulty. It was almost jerky-like with no flavour, and kept getting stuck in my teeth.

Everything they brought to me tasted like soggy wood. It wasn’t because I was a demon, because Abble’s venison tasted fantastic.

I swallowed the glob of meat in my mouth.

My gums were bothering me, and I thought it might be scurvy at first, but that presumably didn’t affect demons. I had also eaten many berries the day before the crystals came.

I touched my canines.

They were definitely longer, and the tips had an abnormal sharpness. However, they were not really noticeable unless I picked my lips up. I wasn’t really concerned that someone would notice. It would be fine as long as they didn’t get any larger.

I returned to eating my food unenthusiastically, gazing forward at the long vertical mirror next to the door.

My face had become more sickly looking, but when I felt it with my fingers, it was nowhere that sunken. It was like the mirror wasn’t showing me what I really looked like. Almost as if I had two faces.

I had other things to worry about, like my levelling issue.

What if I did things like training? Would that make my level jump up? Of course, something like that could not even matter since I was undead.

Why would a corpse need exercise?

Cain did say my body would grow into its prime, so maybe there was some reason to do strenuous moments.

My father occasionally trained in the barn, and I would watch. He enjoyed staying in shape, I guess. You would think working the fields and hunting would be enough exercise, but my father couldn’t sit still. He was so strange sometimes.

I sat my dish on the brown bed covering, staring at the floor for a moment.

It was worth a try.

Once on all fours, I straighten my legs and arms before pushing myself up and down. My body trembled the whole time, even though the first few didn’t feel all that difficult.

This carried on for about ten motions before collapsing to the ground, exhausted.

My face rested on the ebony floor in defeat.

I thought I’d get over ten…

Wow… one XP for all that? That's pathetic.

Sigh.

My sister probably could have done more. Abble, for sure, could do a hundred at once.

The weakest demon in the world was Kade Sterling.

I opened the stats window.

It didn’t go to my allocable XP but straight to my strength rank. So stat XP can be earned through related activities, as I thought.

Interesting.

But at the same time, what the hell? The number of push-ups I must do to gain one XP seems excessive. That was thousands of repetitions for a rank.

I rolled over on my back, staring at the ceiling, waiting for my yellow bar to go back up.

Depending on the activity, my stamina drains at different rates. It would probably be wise to learn to be conservative with my movements. There was definitely an incentive to learn how to sword fight. I couldn’t just get strong and slash my way through life.

At least not right now.

This was really complicated. The system was clearly giving me a dumb-down version of the stats because there was a deeper meaning to how it calculated this stuff.

At this rate, it would take me forever to level up. Killing things couldn’t be the only way to get decent XP.

I doubt there is a definite rule that says ten push-ups equal one XP.

There had to be a way for this to move faster.

If I kept up with it daily, would I get more XP?

UGH.

There was no way this was the maximum reward for that much effort. If I added weight or did it from a different angle, that may work. I had to experiment with it to find that sweet spot.

After picking myself off the floor, I sighed.

I needed some fresh air.

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After tossing my fur coat on and lacing my boots, I made my way out to the deck, where men were just standing around smoking tobacco. They dipped wooden cups into a barrel next to them, drinking whatever was inside.

Their eyes all glanced at me as I strolled over to the railing, looking up at the black sails pulled tight by the moderate gusts.

My hands wrapped around the wood, and I stared at the waves lapping against the ship’s haul.

The dark blue water kept my attention for some time. I enjoyed the smell of the salt in the air and the crisp freshness of the wind. Breathing didn’t feel tedious right now.

We were really far out at sea now.

Yep, that’s pretty much what I thought I’d see. I wish I could zoom out, but I have yet to figure that out. It would be interesting to see the entire world.

I now understood why my father loved boats so much. Although being at the mercy of nature was terrifying, I felt relaxed by the ocean’s movement. It felt like it was cradling me gently.

Two large hands landed on the railing next to me, curling around it like it was a twig. I looked over at Wrecky, who was smiling at the ocean as his shaggy blonde hair was tossed around.

Wrecky nodded forward. “She’s beautiful, isn’t she?”

I looked out at the waves. “The water?” I asked as the boat hit a decent-sized swell from the front, and salt water sprayed onto the deck.

The men smoking tobacco behind me moaned, no doubt at the fact that they got splashed by the sea.

“Yeah. She’s temperamental, but that’s how I like my women. A little crazy makes things fun,” Wrecky grinned. “But you know that already.”

I sighed. “Not really. The crazy is yet to be enjoyable.”

Wrecky gave a suppressed laugh. “Abble just picked you off the street, didn’t she?” he said, turning around and sitting on the railing with his massive arms folded.

It was freezing out, but Wrecky wasn’t wearing a coat. He had to be chilled in that loose linen shirt because even I could tell it was near freezing.

“That obvious?”

Wrecky gave a slight nod. “You don’t seem like her type.”

“Let me guess, her type is a man? Several people have told me I am not that. I get it. I’m pathetic. No need to rub it in.”

“You do look like a pretty boy,” Wrecky chuckled and put his hand on my shoulder. “I do, however, see a man standing next to me.”

“How so? Over the past two weeks, my life has been a disaster created solely by my stupidity. If you knew the half of it, you’d think I was a spoiled brat who deserved everything coming to him.”

He dropped his hand from my shoulder. “You understand the fact that you can point all this out is you taking accountability for your actions. Now you just need to make sure it doesn't happen again. A wise man doesn’t learn his wisdom. He experiences it.”

My head turned to Wrecky. “You articulate very well for a pirate. You’re also very nice.”

“A friend of the princess is a friend of mine. And I read a book every once in a while”—he grinned—“Abble’s a handful, and the fact you’re on this boat with the world’s most infamous pirates takes some balls. I don’t think you’re so naïve that you don’t recognise that you were stepping on this ship with murderers and thieves.”

“Or I just don’t fear death anymore.”

That or I was stupid—it was the latter.

“Much like everyone on this boat. Men that fear death don’t become pirates.”

I flipped around, leaning on the handrail as we both looked forward at two guys wrestling around on the deck. They were‌ throwing some real punches at each other’s sides. I would’ve thought it was an actual fight, but they were grinning and laughing the whole time.

These men were insane.

I sighed. “I need to get stronger, but I don’t know how. It’s so damn frustrating. Life has just been so unfair. I am tired of it. Why do I have to struggle while others get whatever they want?” I said, clenching my jaw. “My life has always been like this.”

Wrecky sighed. “I’ve seen that look before”—he stepped forward from the railing—“Nicholas was like you when he was younger. Timid, careful and caught up in his misfortune.”

“I wouldn’t say I am careful, but what did he do to change?”

Wrecky glanced back. “He stopped crying about it and got stronger.”

I shook my head. “If only it were that easy.”

He tapped his finger on his temple. “It’s a mindset. Grow out of this victim mentality, and you’ll be surprised at what you can do.”

I paused. “Can you… teach me how to sword fight?”

Wrecky turned around, thinking to himself as he rubbed his blonde stubbled chin. “Go ask Abble. She is by far the most skilled fighter on this boat.”

My head tilted. “Really?”

He nodded. “Yes. She is quite talented.”

“I am almost the same age as her, yet she is so much more capable than me.”

“Nicholas surrounded himself with people that helped him overcome his weaknesses. That is how he truly got stronger. It takes a special person to grow on their own, and you are not that person, Kade. Very few people are. The sooner you realise that, the better.”

I nodded, looking at the floor. “You’re right. I need to stop feeling sorry for myself… Thanks for the talk.”

“Anytime, kid. Now go talk to the princess.”

I put my hand up, grabbing his attention before he left. “Why is your name Wrecky?”

He grinned. “It’s a secret.”

Wrecky walked up the stairs to the quarterdeck, grabbing the ship’s wheel from one of his men. The helm looked like a toy in his hands.

I glanced at the ocean once more before returning to the boat cabins.

My pace down the T-shaped corridor to Abble’s room was deliberately slow. I was not ready for a conversation with her, but I needed to break this ice before it got any thicker.

Wrecky was right. I needed to surround myself with people who compensate for my weaknesses, and Abble could take care of all of them. She was a lot to handle, but I would try to be her friend.

I knocked on the door, waiting for Abble to answer, and it took a while. The pause made me want to run away, but I planted my feet on the ground. I couldn’t let such a simple task scare me.

If I was unable to face Abble, how was I ever to kill that demon in my bloodline?

Abble answered the door, and an overwhelming smell smacked me in the face.

It smelled strongly of flowers and had a tinge of the tart I noticed while consuming Cain’s blood. However, this caused my brain to tingle, and I felt almost intoxicated by its aroma. The urge to find its source was unbelievably strong.

Almost demanding.

“Yes?” Abble said, and I could already tell she was upset that I didn’t visit her.

Oh, boy.

“I’ll just come out and say it instead of tiptoeing around the subject. Can you teach me how to fight with a sword?”

Abble seemed a tad taken aback by the question. “Why?”

“Because it will be useful on the trip, I suppose.”

“But you’re just going to the school. It’s not like our lives are in danger. It’s a waste of time for you.”

I shrugged. “You never know. Plus, didn’t you say you wanted to be friends? So, this is a team building activity.”

In response to my words, Abble gave me a few nods. She always nodded in agreement when she was about to say the opposite.

“I thought you hated me after the card games,” she said, leaning on her door frame with her arms folded.

Well, that wasn’t a no.

Of all the things Abble’s said to me, she thought beating me at a game was the tipping point… Abble really doesn’t understand how harsh her words are. At first, I thought she just didn’t care, but that wasn’t entirely it.

“Why?”

“Because I laughed too much, and you left annoyed.”

I sighed. “If it brings the Princess joy, I shall be her jester.”

Abble tittered. “You got that from a book.”

I shrugged. “I did.”

Abble grinned, and I knew this training request would have strings attached. “You gotta call me Princess for the rest of this trip.”

“What. Why?”

“Because I am one.”

The sighing continued...

Throwing myself off the boat was out of the question. My luck, I’d just sink to the bottom and not get eaten by anything for hundreds of years. I wondered if I would die of starvation or just be miserable for eternity. That would be horrible. Maybe this immortality thing wasn’t a positive.

Getting tormented by Abble was by far less painful than that scenario… at least, I hoped.

Fine. I would do what she wanted and be a pushover as usual.

“Okay. Whatever makes you happy,” I said, rolling my eyes.

Abble smirked. “You really just agree with everything I say.”

“I like the path of least resistance.”

Abble put her hand out, and I saw the veins in her wrist pulse several times. “So, we’re friends?” she asked as I struggled to pull my eyes from her palm.

Oh no. It was already starting… I smelled Abble before… damn it.

I focused my eyes on her as the system window came up.

Nightingale? Not Harper?

I couldn’t bring it up because she would wonder how I knew.

The accept button illuminated, and the window closed.

My hand grasped her calloused palm. “Yes, Princess.”

 

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