Aaron's flesh burned like hell as he ran across the deck towards the helm, twisting and turning to avoid intense waves that crashed against the hull.
The light of the moon had faded as the turquoise fog covered the region, blinding him on his own boat while simultaneously allowing the terror easy access through the sea.
Out of the corner of his eye, he could see the orange threads weaving down a narrow path in the mist, each second bringing it closer towards the ship.
Dammit… I didn't think it would nearly incinerate me just for being around it!
Throwing down his hands in frustration, he hurriedly kicked off the deck, landing atop the railing that overlooked the entire Ghostship.
Right in front of him, the helm shook heavily under the onslaught of the ocean that threatened to submerge the brigantine.
Unshackling the gloves he had so carefully sewn together out of spider silk, he gripped the wheel tightly.
Placing his entire body weight into one turn, he shoved the helm starboard, turning the rudder at rapid speeds.
The sound of groaning wood and shrieking metal lit up his ears while the pieces of cloth around him caught flame faster than he could blink.
As his shirt began to smoke, he summoned the sword that had slayed deities to his side.
With one slow movement that was dangerously close to his own chest, he slit the fabric into neat strands.
His shirt fell off quickly, fully igniting the moment it left the protective barrier coating his entire figure.
Aaron's chest was slightly toned with subtle but still visible muscles appearing in full as he raised Penelope's silent edge into the air.
Dammit! This better work!
Using a combination of a forecast along with the enhanced vision, he pinpointed the terror's direct location, opening his mouth while charging his blade.
『Aquatic Rift』
His entire body shook as he swung the sword, forcing gravity itself to bend under the sheer pressure he shot forward.
The fog tightened for a moment, pausing as if to take one final breath, before being cut into pieces like a sheet of paper.
Wind exploded forward in a deafening roar, making the boy take a step back as he held onto his sword tightly.
Backlash shook his body as he watched the slash carve through the artificial mist, directly into the orange threads that wrapped around the terror.
"KRIEEEK!"
Connecting to the creature's skull, it let out a tremendous screech that sent shivers down Aaron's spine as he slammed his feet into the ground.
For a second, the monster surfaced, revealing its freshly cut face to the boy who nearly did a double-take.
Immortal bastard!
Unlike the Tarasque, which he had fatally wounded with a strike of that caliber, this horror stood unfazed, glaring at him like a predator at prey.
This wasn't a simple mid-level terror, nor even a high-level beast.
It was an Apex, the very top of the predatory chain, and here he was, fighting against one without so much as a shred of help.
Wrapping his fingers tightly around his blade, he felt a sensation slam into his core, causing him to twitch involuntarily.
Not now, dammit!
With the mana he had spent locating the beast, firing cannons, activating the spotlight, and now actually slashing the creature, he was almost completely out.
All that remained was a thin barrier that wrapped tightly around the boy's flesh, protecting him from the terrors' searing heat.
Attempting to move forward, he realized his legs were stuck in place; whether it be fear or fatigue, he couldn't tell, but the increased speed of the Oblivacis in the distance made him twitch.
Hell to this! Plan C! Escape and hope for the best!
Feeling the stir of the Ghostship below him, he forced every last drop of mana within him towards the rudder, pushing it manually.
Finally gaining traction, he felt the vessel jump ahead, moving at such a speed that his hair blew in front of his face.
His eyes were bloodshot and dry, while his lips were chapped from the sheer heat that suffocated the air around him.
Faster, faster, faster! I'm almost out of time!
Feeling the power of the spotlight waning, he knew that once it vanished, nothing was slowing the monster from frying him, Eleanor, and the imminent crab stick downstairs.
"Is there less than a minute left now? You gotta be kidding me!"
Tightening his hands on the blade's hilt, he felt his legs return to their original strength, allowing him to jump down from the helm.
Kicking in the door to the captain's cabin, he stormed in, anger flashing across his face as he glared at the parchment he had spread out earlier.
Both the Ghostship and the terrors symbol fell hand in hand, one following the other in an endless chase.
I'll run out of mana before I can find anyone who can kill that thing!
Checking every coordinate carefully, he zeroed in on one location he had originally passed due to Mr. Crab's ominous warning.
That island…
The ships' groaning grew louder as the monster closed in, slowly but surely narrowing the gap between the two.
Realizing he was completely out of options, he raised his voice, screaming at the top of his lungs for the ship to change course.
He hadn't used this specific feature of the Ghostship in a while, opting for it to be better to gain more sailing experience himself.
This idea, however, disappeared at this moment as he could physically feel the hair on his head cindering and smoking.
While reaching up to pat the fire out of his hair, he felt the vessel jolt forward, the sound of the helm rapidly spinning echoing quietly over the sound of the sea.
Whatever magical forces governed the Ghostship had turned it the way he had wanted to go, and with a speed boost, no less.
Damn right!
Slamming his fists onto the table, he looked down at his bare chest, realizing that he was completely shirtless.
He might've been alone when he had ripped it off, but the sound of clacking feet near the doorway made him pale.
Mr. Crab turned his eye stalks upward, gazing at him curiously as if wondering what in the hell he was doing.
Aaron himself could only stare back, shame and disappointment at himself clearly evident on his face.
As he prepared to speak, a sudden lurch made him nearly tumble over, while Mr. Crab stood his ground using his claws.
The boy's entire body felt like fire as the Ghostship was swatted by the Oblivacis' tail, hurling the ship forward like a startled deer.
Anything that could catch fire did catch fire, with the protective shield wrapping around Aaron's flesh only preventing so much.
His fingernails blackened with soot as he dropped to the ground, rolling around crazily, putting out the flames.
In the room itself, the magical map smoked for a moment before vanishing without a trace.
The carefully stitched tablecloth he had made with Cam weeks before was incinerated, filling the room with acidic fumes.
Slamming his hand into the doorway, the blond boy pushed his way out, coughing his lungs out as he gasped for air.
What the hell—
Faster than he could react, his legs gave out, sending him tumbling to the floor right as a massive slash of magma shot passed his face.
The flash of light burned his vision while the heat burned his face, yet, while he might've been in agony, he was alive.
If I hadn't collapsed…
Gritting his teeth, he summoned Penelope back to his side, reaching deep into the weapon's soul.
I can't do this alone anymore…
Feeling a sliver of consciousness appear within his mind, he immediately brought it towards the forefront of his thoughts, opening a channel into the voice.
As he opened his mouth to greet the girl, his skull was bombarded with the sounds of screams and whispers.
Instead of the princess from a faraway land, he had pulled the Naelith out of its slumber, allowing it to temporarily freeze the boy's actions.
N-Not the time…
His eyes watered, and his throat seared with pain as another magma-infused strike flew by his arm, missing it by only a hair.
The brief shock from the Apex inside his head at the presence of another of a similar level allowed the blond-boy to retake control, forcing himself forward towards the crate of cannonballs.
In the distance, far ahead, he could see an island covered in dense fog appearing along the horizon; however, without intervention, he wouldn't even come close.
I didn't… want to use this…
His thoughts waned as he popped the lid off the container, grabbing the one object he knew would likely bring his own death.
The Ocean Rifter, a device that would've killed him during his fight with the hydra if not for a stroke of miraculous luck.
Feeling the transparent energy course through the sphere, he could now sense what lay within the tiny orb.
N-No… That's not…
Instead of gunpowder or a tightly condensed spell wound inside, a pulsating blue glow thumped like a heartbeat.
This was no ordinary cannonball with massive explosives hidden within.
It was a bomb made of souls.