Holia handed me a mug of ale but I declined since the taste and smell of ale make me a bit dizzy even in the game.
"That's a shame. You should try it some time since ale is one of the best drinks you can drink while traveling," Holia then chug down the mug of ale in one serving.
"You barbarian, why are you drinking while we are currently on duty?! If you got drunk, who would be the navigator if we ever got lost?!" Tora then grabbed the wooden mug in Holia's hands.
"What a killjoy as always, Captain. It's just one mug and you are already overreacting over it. You should at least have to drink to keep yourself energized and awake throughout the whole journey!"
"I am fine without drinking it. And besides, it's already a frigging morning! Why would you need to drink this to stay awake?! In fact, if you got drunk after all of that, you would be knocked out and will no longer be able to function properly!"
"Ah, ah, ah. Are you forgetting that I have a high alcohol tolerance and I can stay all day drinking and I would still be fine!"
"What the heck are you talking about?! Out of all the crew of the Argo, you have the lowest alcohol tolerance! Don't you dare try to trick me!"
Tora and Holia continued to bicker that the other crew can only shake their heads.
"Don't be surprised about this, man. Those guys are always bickering but that is normal and it never escalates into something worse."
CLANG! BANG! BOOM!
"Yeaaaahhh... Perfectly normal," I nodded even though I am hearing the clanging of the utensils and other things being thrown alongside the shouting here and there.
"Captain! Two Black Drakes are currently eyeing our ship!" the guy who spotted the Wing Worm before shouted, alerting and halting the bickering Captain and First Mate.
"Looks like it's your turn to shine, yeah?" Tora looked at Holia as he rub the small bump on his forehead.
"A drake huh? It's been a while since we meet a drake from our travels. I thought they have already gone extinct," Holia pulls out a long barrel gun. It looks like a shotgun at first but when you observe it carefully, you can see the difference between a shotgun and the weapon on her hands.
"Drakes are on sight!"
"YOSH! LET'S GET WILD!"
Spinning the long barrel gun, she aims and two rapid shots were fired in the direction of the Drake. It was so quick and you won't notice the second shot due to how the sound blended to the first shot's noise.
After the two rapid shots, the other crew members throw out a large net in the direction where the shots were fired.
Two loud growls echoed in the distance. After the growl can be heard, the crewmates immediately pull the net they throw out. They are pulling it so hard that I am not sure whether they have indeed captured something.
Tora went to the rear of the deck where everyone is gathered and checked below where the other crewmates threw their nets.
"Keep pulling guys, it seems our main dish for tonight would be a Drake recipe from yours truly!" Holia shouted with enthusiasm.
As she said that, everyone roared in unison and pulled the net with all their strength. Just by that alone, they pulled the net in one go, dragging the two lifeless drakes inside the net.
I almost cursed when I saw the size of the drakes, they are big enough that I can guarantee that they are miniature dragons already capable of eating humans in one swallowing action. Drakes are normally smaller than the dragon and they are a bit smaller than a human but they are dangerous so they are still being killed. However, I can easily tell, that even if you hit a drake in its weakness, it can't easily trigger an instakill unless they have the same effect my title has and the effect activated then it would be a different story.
But Holia just fired two rapid shots earlier and the drakes are already down, dead. Isn't that very terrifying already? She didn't even use the scope on her long barrel rifle and just shoot the enemy in one go. If it wasn't terrifying, I don't know what else is. The fact that she can do that without even doing a skill but just rapid-fire on a gun is not something even I can do even on higher levels.
"Are you amazed at my skill, boy? I can tell you my secret about it with a fee of course~" Holia bit her lower lip trying to be seductive.
"Are you even trying to seduce her, Holia? Your seductive skills are close to nonexistent so don't bother."
"Ha! You will not be able to say that once this gun of mine plants a bullet straight to your mouth."
And the two started to bicker again. I looked at the Drakes that was just pulled out earlier but I was shocked when I saw the two bodies of the drake are already dismantled and the meat is already separated from the bones and skin. Holia then catches up on what I was looking at.
"Surprised? That was not even a knifework and he is doing it skillfully without even handling the meat himself and just relying on his ability to cut using his katana. Isn't his skill amazing?"
I don't know what to react since from what I know in the past timeline, Tora and Holia are just the two people among the 12 people who manage the Argo. The fact that the other 10 people are not here is even scaring me, what if they appear? Will they start showing off their abilities in fighting using their skills? Also, these guys are not just killing lower leveled monsters and weak monsters, the monsters they have killed are comparable to elite and mini-bosses already.
"Kid, I know you are overwhelmed seeing our prowess today but don't think too much on that. Even though you have seen how ridiculous our feats are, you shouldn't be discouraged. Who knows, in the future, you might be able to do the same as us. You just need more experience and more opportunities in the future. If an opportunity arrives, don't hesitate to grab it."
After that, the crew returned to their usual spots. No more attacks appeared after the last which is good. As for the monsters that got snagged using the carcass of the Wing Worm, they managed to catch two live-flying giant salmon. Other than that, there is nothing much here to do other than leave and return to the second floor.
"Master, those guys are on an unbelievable level. Even I who is strong enough to compete against monsters stronger than me can't compete against them. I would be killed in an instant before I can even fight them," Atlas started sharing his feelings about Holia and Tora when we are far from the two.
"Yes, Master. I agree with Atlas here. I can even see that even with the help of Leona, he will not be able to compete against them. Even I who is very proud of my skill would not be able to do anything against them," Lucia added.
"Even you Lucia?"
"Yes, Master. In fact, the only one who might have a chance to at least deflect them is you Master but your survival rate is also close to zero if you pit against them. It's not even called a match if you guys fought at each other."
Lucia is a blunt girl and she already follows me because of my potential and since I was strong. However, after she decided to give me a comparison to others, it was even scary since the people she is comparing me with are all absolute monsters. Forget fighting them, it's just a one-side kill.
"Forgive me, Master but that is the truth, These people are stronger than us and if we decided to challenge them, we will just end up dead after."
I heard that they are the descendants of the original people who uses the Argo in the past. I don't know if it is the same thing in the real world's Greek mythology, but if it is true, those guys are not just ordinary people, they are demi-gods already.
...
3 DAYS LATER...
In the distance, I already spotted the island where the Insect Princess came from, the only piece of land located in the Aquagius and the only place where humans can easily live peacefully without being confined in the island.
"Finally, the place that has forsaken me..." Tina clenches her fist as she looks at the island getting bigger and bigger in our view.
Not only Tina, but I also noticed some of the workers of the Argoare silent compared to when we are still far from the Insect Kingdom. Even Holia who likes to speak keeps herself quiet.. Based on their expressions, I will be witnessing something not good in the very future.