Two months passed, and one early morning, the city of Corvassa finally appeared on the horizon in front of the disguised Ghostship.
Aaron and Cam sat on a small table crafted from sea terror bones, admiring the view of the mountainous terrain.
"I heard that half the island is covered in unexplored caves and mountains where strange cryptids dwell…"
The woman's voice wafted across the deck, meant for the blond-haired boy and the crab who peacefully snored on his shoulder.
After receiving an apology from Cam and nearly a thousand apologies from Aaron, Mr. Crab finally felt safe enough to come out of hiding; however, he still eyed the woman closely.
"You think they would have any good abilities to steal? I've somewhat adapted to the Iktomi and already begun working with that slug…"
In total, they had hunted four sea terrors during their journey together,
As per their agreement, Aaron absorbed the cores while Cam took the best of the hide for weaponry.
Of the four sea terrors they had hunted, the first—the Iktomi—proved the most valuable, granting Aaron its remarkable mimic ability.
Through repeated trial and error, the two discovered that Aaron's ability extended to anyone he had ever physically touched, allowing him to copy their appearance.
It was only limited by what the boy had personally witnessed, so things beneath clothing or covered by hair wouldn't be replicated, creating a weakness in his doppelganger act.
Other than that, the ability only required a minor amount of mana to sustain, allowing him to train in different forms simulating height differences, weight changes, and mobility restrictions.
Cam insisted that Aaron honed his combat skills in every form, enforcing it with relentless sword-fighting practice and occasional hand-to-hand sparring.
Strangely, the hardest form to master wasn't someone large like Adam but rather someone with a more agile body like Eleanor or that silver-haired woman from Sea Fallen.
These lessons had stuck with the boy, and even though the progress was faint and difficult to see, he could feel the small changes gradually adding up to make him stronger.
So as Cam opened her mouth to reply to his comment about searching for more abilities at Corvassa, he only smiled, listening intently.
"Unless you want to scream like a mountain goat or eat dirt like a bug, I wouldn't recommend absorbing the core of anything that's not a sea terror."
Cracking a slight smile, she leaned back in her chair, watching the boy's eyes dart between the island and clouds above as he spoke.
"It's about to start hailing. We should head inside and stay there until we get closer to the city."
With that, Aaron promptly stood up, staring at the woman who sat there with a strange expression plastered across her face.
She pursed her lips silently before responding with doubt.
"It's not even fall yet. There's no way it's going to hail—"
Right as she was about to finish her sentence, a massive white ball fell from the sky, smashing against her head in a quiet thud.
Cam didn't even flinch as she just looked up in confusion, wiping away the melting fragments of ice that got stuck in her hair.
Aaron simply smiled as he picked up his chair and began to walk back towards the cabin.
"Remember that Ningyo we fought? Apparently, it allows me to see the immediate weather forecast within a kilometer of the Ghostship. Pretty nifty, if I can say so myself."
More and more hailstones rained down on the vessel, which, instead of deflecting them with its turquoise barrier, allowed them to fall through without resistance.
Normally, such an attack would have triggered the defensive mechanism; however, with his improved commanding skills, Aaron could restrict the Ghostship's powers, leaving only a smaller barrier around his own body to ward off the dreary weather.
All thanks to another activity that the Marshal had subjected him to during his training, which focused on careful mana control—using just enough to protect against large projectiles or creatures, but not wasting energy on lesser threats.
It was a solid idea, yet Cam felt a growing displeasure as her freshly cleaned clothing became soaked in cold water.
"Yeah, yeah, you get a force field and I get nothing…"
She complained aloud, but then she paused, taking a deep breath before picking up the heavy table and moving it inside.
…
"Attention, incoming vessel! You must provide valid credentials and a manifest before docking due to the worldwide alert protocol being in effect."
The booming speaker startled Aaron, who was staring at the map, immersed in the detailed depiction of the island and its terrain.
"C-Credentials? Manifest?"
His face paled as he imagined getting flat-out denied from entering the city because of missing paperwork.
I don't want to spend any more time training with her…
A chill ran down his spine as he thought of the endless losses he had suffered while facing the woman.
"No need to worry. A Marshal of the Hunters' Guild automatically bypasses their docking protocol. All we need to provide is a valid ID, and we may enter."
Cam's calm voice rang out through the room, causing Aaron to whip his head in her direction.
Like most days, she was spending her time studying the strange piece of paper that had the Ghostship activation phrase written on it.
She had said that some of the faded letters might be readable, but in the end, all she managed to decipher was a single rune.
The rune was incredibly complicated, with dozens of interconnected lines forming patterns that could only be interpreted after a month of methodical studying.
"One last time, Aaron, are you sure your ring doesn't have the same marking as this? All Ghostship tools should have a corresponding one, but you said yours does not. Quite strange…"
Her curiosity was well warranted, given the meaning behind the odd rune, which truly shocked Aaron.
A gateway to another dimension… Dammit, I wish I could enter!
Cam had told him stories of the World Between, yet it still seemed like nothing but a fairy tale to the doubtful boy.
Why did all the Sea Kings and their Ghostships have an ability he didn't?
To Aaron, it seemed completely unfair and cruel, leaving him salty and a little jealous of the other wielders.
"Anyway, we should get ready. They will need us to verify our identities soon, so let's head outside now."
After placing the parchment back on the wooden shelf, the brown-haired woman turned around and walked towards the door.
With one hand on the handle, she paused, turning to face the surprised boy.
"I-Is it going to continue hailing…?"
Her hesitant voice nearly made Aaron break into laughter, but he managed to keep his composure and spoke calmly.
"Clear skies ahead."
…
Oh, solid ground, how I've missed you!
Basking in the afternoon sun, Aaron beamed with joy as he ran around in glee while Cam spoke to the stevedore about the cargo.
"Yes, yes, be careful with that table! You know how much I can sell that for!?"
Acting like a spoiled noblewoman, she argued with the workers to make sure they prioritized the safety of their crafts, which they hoped to sell in the city.
Mr. Crab had hopped off the boy's shoulder before landing, and out of the corner of his eye, Aaron could see the small fellow sneaking off into the busy streets as if searching for something.
Is he looking for love or food? Wait a minute… I know he's just a crab, but I don't know that much about the little guy, even though he's basically my oldest friend…
He sighed quietly, but the thought of the crab soon slipped from his mind, and a grin formed across his face as his eyes turned to the bustling streets and rising buildings of Corvassa.
Unlike Sea Fallen, the pavement was fresh and well-kept, without cracks or wear that would hinder the horse-drawn carriages rushing through the streets.
The air was crisp and clean, untouched by pollution, thanks to the absence of factories in the residential parts of the island.
Wafting aromas of baked goods and cooked fish drifted through the air.
Nearby, a solitary candy store overflowed with schoolchildren, who pushed and shoved each other, eager to reach the front of the line.
Sea Fallen was nothing like this… Then again, I don't think anywhere should aspire to be destroyed by zombies or criminals…
Frowning at the unpleasant memory, he glanced around the bustling shop fronts, hoping to see somewhere cheap where he could get a quick meal.
Cam had lent him a few silver Draughts to buy whatever he wanted for lunch, under the condition that he would bring food for her as well.
"Ah! A patissier!"
Hurriedly, he stumbled through crowds of people, making his way to the entrance of the building with a wide smile plastered across his face.
I wonder what she would want…
He stopped in front of the entrance, deep in thought, trying to remember if she had ever talked about her likes or dislikes when it came to food.
"Eh, she'll be fine with anything—"
A sudden shout cut through the air, startling him.
His gaze darted about in confusion until he spotted a hooded figure fleeing through the crowd, bombarded by jeers and screams of the civilians.
"Thief!"
"You brat!"
"My money!"
Far behind the sprinting figure, an overweight policeman wheezed for breath, struggling to make his way through the alarmed mob.
Aaron watched, eyes wide, as the criminal rushed past him in a blur.
In the same instant, the small pouch of money in Aaron's hands vanished, snatched away before he had a chance to react.
M-My food money!?!?
White-hot anger coursed through the boy's blood as his eyes locked onto the cloaked figure evading every attempt to capture him.
Without thinking, the blond-haired boy's feet exploded forward, faster than any athlete could ever dream.
All the weeks of conditioning and pain that Cam had put him through now revealed themselves in his toned muscles, surging with strength.
I'll get my damn money back even if it kills me!