End Online: Volume 5 (9 page)

The sea monster reaches within twenty meters of the ship, it’s
size looming over us in an incredibly menacing way, when it finally runs out of
health from the assault of the ship’s cannon. Its teeth suddenly crumble away
and its movement stops. The fish creates a large ripple effect with four meter
waves in its death throes before silently bobbing up and down in the water.

‘Too frightening! That cannon must be breaking the rules!’
 I feel that this tri-cannon would be an utter disaster
against other ships, given the chance they fight head on.

“IT BE DONE!! HOLD YER FIRE!!” CaptainGordon jumps down from the
helm onto the main deck with booming laughter that doesn’t match his scrawny
build.

I am still standing in position to attack the sea monster at any
moment, with Fen right by my side. A small part of me disbelieves that the
battle is that simple, considering how difficult the last one was.

“Surely that can’t be it?!” I cry out as the ship approaches the
dead sea king, ignoring the oncoming waves like they are nothing.

“Har Har! That be it!” CaptainGordon shouts back at me. “It be
foolish enough to fight head on. This be the result! People usually be runnin’
when they see me, so I finally got to use it!”

“What, so you’ve never actually used that thing?!” Lockon shouts
out in disbelief as he emerges from the ship’s bowels.

“Never got me chance.”

A small argument follows between Lockon and CaptainGordon, but I
don’t bother to pay attention to it. I instead move a little closer to Mikhail
the Stalwart, curious to hear what he is mumbling about as his voice tickles my
ears.

“This is ridiculous. Since when did this game have cannons and
inventions like that? Sir, are you listening out there?… I know… one of you out
there must be monitoring… Go get Henry… speak with him…”

I find it hard to hide the shock and surprise on my face. His
words make it sound like he isn’t here to play the game. Suspicious. Mikhail
the Stalwart must have noticed me inching closer, as he glances at me and
starts to wander off. As a result, I can only make out some of what he says
before he is too far away to hear anything.

I am all the more curious about what he is discussing, but
moving closer again would no longer be passed off as coincidental, making it
blatantly obvious that I am eavesdropping.

“Can you hear what he is saying, Fen?” I ask the wolf girl who
is currently staring off at the horizon on the ocean.

She looks toward Mikhail with a look of concentration. “No… I
can’t…”

“That is fine. It was worth asking,” I lean back against the
cast iron hand rail, finding a comfortable spot on one of the warped sections.

Tilting my head back, I look up at the vast sky to let my mind
clear and relieve the tension that anticipating another boss fight caused. A
few grey clouds are spoiling the morning sky, drifting about in no particular
pattern. My thoughts shift toward earning money. Due to studies and exams, my
bank account has started to dwindle and only has enough funds to last me
another four or five months. That is still plenty of time, but I am not a
person to leave something so important to the last minute.

I think about my two little sisters, and wonder how they are
doing at my aunt’s place. My biggest concern is my aunt and how she thinks. I
know she cares deeply for her nieces, but she has always been one to sacrifice
anything that would raise the family standing in the social ladder. She is a
prideful person who cannot find happiness when there are people higher than
her. If only she could stop looking up for a moment, and have a look at her
surroundings.

A sigh escapes my lips, and Fen leans into me. My armor stops me
from feeling anything other than her weight, but a few strands of hair from the
back of her head tickle my throat.

The rest of the day is peaceful, Mason and Matrix doing some
sparring on the main deck while the rest of us line the stern and quarter deck
at the front of the ship, treating it as entertainment. Both our party and Mikhail’s
party wager small amounts of gold between us against who will be the victor of
each bout. Considering both the contestants are from our party, we know them
much better and end up earning a total of fifty gold coins off the other party
by the afternoon.

A low rumbling descends from the sky and the weather begins to
look grim. The dark clouds thicken and cover the evening sun. The ocean begins
to swirl, and the waves increase in size as the breeze transforms into a
howling gale.

My hair begins to blow back and forth, tugging at my head.
Everyone without a helmet has the same problem, especially the girls as their
hair completely blocks off their sight. Fen turns her head away from the wind
to try and protect herself and I help brush her hair back and out of her face.
I glance toward where the clouds are thickest and see the first sliver of
lightning erupt from the sky and come crashing down into the ocean. Thin
electric-blue tendrils race through the water from the point of impact.

‘Wait, isn’t this boat made of mostly metal?!’

“This not be good!” CaptainGordon shouts out over the storm. “Ye
all better brace for impact!”

“CaptainGordon, isn’t this boat full of metal?!” Lockon cries
out in horror after seeing the lightning.

“That it be! Hopefully she will make it through!”

“Ships cost a lot of money. How can you be so reckless?!”

“I smelted, sawed, and crafted this ‘ere beauty me self. Didn’t
cost a copper! Ships be meant for this! I can always make it anew again
regardless, har har har!”

“We will die!”

“Ye also be meant for battle! There always be another chance.”

“I can’t fight lightning! And this ship is practically begging
to be struck!”

Turning away from Lockon’s frantic cries, I look back into the
storm. The lightning bolts are steadily getting closer to the ship and I can
feel the hairs rising on the back of my neck. Given the circumstances, I begin
to worry about Fen.

“Fen,” I whisper to the girl cuddling up close to me to hide
from the weather, “can you please log off for a while?”

“…No.”

“What? Why?”

“I… can’t.”

“What do you mean?”

“…Can’t.”

I open up to my menu, and see that the log off button is dimmed
out. I try press it a few times frantically in a panic, remembering the time
Fen prevented me from logging out of the V-Link and returning to reality. Sir
Laurence sees my strange actions and walks over to me.

“You can’t log out yet. Being in a storm is the same as being in
combat. Don’t forget that the ship must also be stationary.”

“Ah, of course,” I feel a little silly for worrying about it.

I did know that the boat had to be stationary to log out, but as
it is so slow I had forgotten that it was moving. Sir Laurence nods his head
toward me once, before moving on and standing next to Verde, coincidentally
placing his large body in between Verde and the wind. She looks at him with a
slight admiration and surprise, not disapproving in the slightest as he refers
to her as “my lady” again as usual.

A bolt of lightning finally strikes the mast with a crackling
sound as it passes down and into the ship. The effect creates a small shockwave
from the mast, catching me unaware and blowing me backward. I am not the only
one hit by it. Fen is flung back with me, as is SomaHealer and Moonkite. We are
all thrown back far enough that we tumble over the railing and down into the
dim, stormy sea.

A rush of cold assaults me as I break the surface of the water,
plummeting several meters into the ocean. Fen is still here with me,
desperately clinging onto me as if her life depends on it. Perhaps it does. I
catch a glimpse of her hair floating about in the water, giving her a doll-like
appearance, before attempting to propel us both back up to the surface.

The lightning shockwave only did minimal direct damage, but a
paralysis icon appears in the corner of my vision along with a numbness in my
left leg. As I try to swim up, I find that only one of my legs is useful.

With the wolf girl frantically gripping my neck, I have both
hands free to paddle upward and ascend to the surface.

My head emerges from the water as I hear CaptainGordon shouting
from atop the ship, “Lower the rope! We can’t let ’em drown out there!”

Three ropes fall down the from the railing of the ship on the
side that I am on. Thankfully the ‘Bastion’ truly does move very slowly, and is
still quite close. After swimming thirty meters with Fen clinging to me in pure
terror, I reach the ropes hanging down from the ship.

I grab onto one and signal Fen to grab onto another. She
adamantly refuses and grabs onto me instead.

“Pull us up!” I resignedly shout to the people above.

The rope tugs at my hand and slowly raises us out of the water.
Once we are back on the deck, I can’t stop shivering from a chill that seeps
down to my bones. This isn’t a result of the rain, but rather from falling into
the ocean. A notification appears in front of me that causes me to curse.

Next to me Fen doesn’t appear to be in any better condition, her
whole body quivering. A ‘Sick’ status icon joins the end of my buffs in the
corner of my vision, and as a part of being my companion, I can see Fen has one
too.

SomaHealer and Moonkite stand up on the other side of the ship,
their knees buckling and struggling to move at all. They unequip their armor
and replace it with casual clothes all of a sudden and start to move more
freely. I conclude that the stat penalty must have brought their stats below
the minimum requirements for their armor. If I was wearing heavy armor, I would
most likely be forced to do the same.

I turn to Fen to help her up, but am held back by a startling
sight. Fen’s body emits a blinding icy white light that causes me to turn my
eyes away. I feel the boat listing hard to one side and my heart clenches at
the thought of capsizing.

As the light fades from my eyes, I make out a few strands of red
floating down in the air and a large white object. The strands of red are
fabric; what used to be Fen’s dress to be precise. The great white body is Fen,
reverted back to her wolf form.

-Aunt Jude-

Mr. Johnstone has been frequenting my house as of late. I used
to see him just once or twice a month, but now he visits weekly. His demeanor
has become more docile as well.

“Jude,” Mr Johnstone says with an unblemished smile, “I truly
admire how you manage to maintain your position in society so stably.”

I raise a cup of coffee to my lips and sip the beverage while
maintaining a calm face, “I will try to take that as a compliment.”

“We have known each other since our days in school and I have
always noted that aptitude of yours with respect.”

Indeed, we have known each other since school. But knowing who a
person is and actually forming a relationship with them are two completely
different things.

Liam Johnstone was in my freshman year at school, an individual
who came from a smaller house yet was filled with more pride and haughtiness
than many of the nobler families. It was an attitude which put distance between
him and everyone else.

I had no personal qualms with him back then; he was simply a
person I heard rumors about that I didn’t concern myself with. The following
year, however, he ended up in my class. In the seat directly next to me.

In normal circumstances, this would be the beginning of a good
friendship. I admired how hard working he was in class, and all he would have
needed to do was turn his head and say a greeting. Yet days, weeks, and even
months passed and he never did this, always diligently looking forward. Despite
being from a family much higher in society than his, my impression of him
continued to improve, despite never sharing words.

This all changed when he confessed his love to my older sister a
year later. I took it as a flat out rejection, and I was filled with burning
jealousy and anger.

‘Why is it always her? What makes her so much better than me?!’
 I feel foolish about it now, but those were my thoughts
back then.

I envied my sister back then, but that doesn’t matter anymore.
My school years passed before I knew it and everyone I had known graduated,
beginning their own chapter in life.

Several years later, I visited my sister who had just given
birth to a young boy. Liam also happened to be visiting the same hospital in
regards to his sister giving birth to a young boy called Chrona Axelle. This is
how we reunited and kindled a new friendship through to today. I had once
thought of pursuing him as a love interest, but always held myself back.

“Jude,” Liam Johnstone continues speaking, “I don’t know if you
recall, but I currently have a nephew who is the star of our family.”

“Indeed, I recall you having a nephew, but I have never heard
much about him. Why do you bring him up?”

“I will be direct with you. Would you be interested in arranging
a marriage between my nephew and one of your nieces?”

I expected him to ask this, so I take in his words with calm
resolve and pretend to think about them.

“Arranged marriages aren’t exactly uncommon in the current
world.”

“That’s exactly it.”

“Let me think about it for a while, my nieces’ happiness is of
the most importance in such a matter.”

“I understand. I hope to receive good news in the matter,” Liam
gives me what appears to be a gentle smile, but I can see beyond his false
façade.

He stays at my residence for the next half hour before taking
his leave. As the girls are at school, I busy myself with the family business.
Our family restores antique items and then sells them off for much higher
prices.

My parents have long since retired, old age crippling their
minds with dementia and forcing them into a retirement village. They were the
ones who started this restoration business, and passed down a large quantity of
items they acquired ranging from the Victorian era heritage items to ancient
relics from times long lost. Some are put to use after being sold, while others
that are valued much higher become collectables and decorations.

There are no scientifically proven bloodline traits even today,
yet our family does indeed have one. Every single member of the Sylvester
family has had a vested interest in the archaic. Not only are we naturally
skilled with handling and preserving antique items, but with practice we are
also able to calculate the approximate age of the items. These inborn talents
give us the advantage in the field and are what has helped our family prosper
in the past.

Despite living a mediocre life beneath others, my sister also
had the same blood running through her veins. Three and a half years ago, she
dragged her husband off to an archaeological ruin to see it up close and
personal. It still pains me to think about how she is gone. Despite all of the
questionable life choices she made, she was still my sister.

My distracted thoughts cause me to slip and cut my finger on the
knife in my hand. Despite being nearly two thousand years old, it still remains
sharp enough to leave small cuts. It is some form of ceremonial, ceramic
weapon. As such, there is no rust on it. Careful polishing, using light
chemicals to break away the hard packed dirt and stains, and repeating this
process slowly brings back the edge it once had.

This is extremely delicate work, as the years have caused the
materials themselves to deteriorate and become brittle. I also can’t remove too
much, as the value and authenticity of an ancient weapon is in that ancient
patina. An artifact of this age, but with the appearance of something
manufactured recently would cause endless speculation and claims of fraudulence.

By early afternoon, there’s still a small blemish on the leather
hilt of the weapon. Perhaps, once upon a time, it was blood. The leather
wrapped around the handle has long since become petrified and is extremely
brittle if restored incorrectly. With a cotton swab, I dab a droplet of mildly
acidic solvent that should lighten the stain.

An alarm quietly goes off on the watch I have next to me on the
table. It’s time to leave to pick the girls up from school. Placing the dagger
down in front of me, I quickly make some adjustments to my appearance before
heading out.

An hour later, I am out front of Jordan Grammar Academy. The
academy is in the middle district and is split into two sections. One for the
junior students, grade one to six, and one for the senior students, grade seven
through to twelve. The sons and daughters of many prestigious families from all
the way up in the Upper District attend here, which is precisely why I had my
nieces enrolled here. Connections formed now will be with them for life, and I
am sure they will one day thank me.

Enrolling the girls in such a high class school would normally
be impossible for me as someone from the Lower District. Yet I managed to call
in a few favors, and the usually upturned noses accepted my girls with smiles
on their faces.

Joelle and Shari walk out of the school gate with one of their
friends, stopping momentarily to look around for me. It takes them awhile since
I am parked amongst all the other parents and even a few butlers, but they
eventually spot me standing next to my car expectantly.

Joelle says her goodbyes to her friend, who also heads off
toward his own parents. Seeing who his parents are, I immediately know his
identity.

‘So, he is a Lord,’
 I
think to myself with a sigh.

I don’t mean he is a lord as in royalty, but as that he is
someone from the Lord family. They run an investment business, managing the
purchases and sales of assets on others’ behalf. The family is quite successful
at what they do, but that industry is full of top class businessmen where the
ruthless dominate the weak. It is truly a dog eat dog world to be in.

“Auntie, we’re here,” Shari says enthusiastically upon reaching
me, as if I did not know they had arrived.

“Yes, I trust you enjoyed school today? Now, hop in the car and
we will head home.”

“We always enjoy Friday,” Shari continues, speaking for both
herself and Joelle as they get in the car. “That’s because we get to speak to
Holly tomorrow!”

“Oh, is that so?” I can’t help but frown as I get into the car.

These girls are far too obsessed with their brother, but that
does have merit in itself. Their love for that failure of an older brother is
something I can use to make them obey me. I must teach them consider the
Sylvester family’s heritage and future as their responsibility, no matter the
actions necessary. They may blame me for it, but I know that one day they will
come to understand.

***************************************************
***************************************************

-Mikhail-

As soon as my spies spot Lost and his party leaving Swordbreak,
I immediately make my move to break out of the confines of the guild that was
created around me. No, created around my soul bound skill. The former guild
leaders, now elders of the new guild, are incredibly cunning. They constantly
set traps and post guards in inconvenient locations to prevent me from
escaping. My title of guild master is a prison.

I only have one chance to escape. I have memorized the movement
of the guards. When they are posted, and where. After this attempt, the
deployment will inevitably change to prevent it from happening again.

I have secretly been training a skill in crafting cloth items;
mostly clothing. I craft a makeshift rope with this skill, vaguely similar to
what the princesses use to escape their confinements in commonly known
children’s stories. The thought of escaping like this is degrading, but the
ploy will be all the more effective due to being unexpected.

Waiting for nightfall and the midnight shift of the
guard, I silently bide my time. Once the hour approaches, I quickly extend
the cloth out the window and down five stories to the ground. I slide down the
rope at a speed which may cause some people to become dizzy with vertigo.

Once I reach the ground, I slip into the nearby shadows and
change my equipment to that of dark grey cloth to further evade any wandering
eyes. I slip behind a building and into an unlit alley, rapidly escaping from
the guild headquarters.

My informants let me know of Lost’s party logging out and where.
This is possibly the best news so far as it will let me catch up to them quite
easily. All that is left is to somehow integrate into the group and conduct my
investigation into the party leader and that strange ‘Companion’.

Reaching the spot where they logged off, I also leave virtual
reality and rest while my informants keep an eye on that location from a
distance.

I start to become restless, expecting the call that they have
logged back in at any moment. As a result, I end up having a poor night’s sleep
and drowsiness affects me greatly the following morning.

They finally log back on, and I wait another hour before logging
on and following them, using my spies to track them.

Lost’s party eventually reaches the coastal town of Trope, an
area where it is much easier for me to spy on them from a close distance. I had
once shown my face in front of Lost, when Mr. Lee confronted him in the
outskirts of the Kingdom of Dalbe, so I make sure to cover it with a helmet
that hides my appearance. It was only momentary, but I can’t risk him
recognizing me by chance.

I follow them closely along the docks as they search for a ship
to take them to some southern island. As an employee of Idea Imagine, I have a
vague concept on the place, but I have never seen it.

Listening to others describe it as an island, I inwardly laugh.
Being the size of a kingdom, I would hardly describe it as an island. It is
closer to being a continent.

Following my targets into an unknown inn, I sit at a table
nearby without letting my focus waver from them. When a pirate enters and
eventually ends up taking up their commission to sail across the ocean, I
finally see my opportunity to integrate with the party. It is almost like the
opportunity is presenting itself on a silver platter.

I am outraged when the pirate asks for twice the amount of gold
from me than anyone else, but that doesn’t last long. A hand clasps my
shoulder, and a chill runs up my spine even before I recognize her voice. It is
Moonkite, the leader of the original party who took note of my special skill
and played a large role in the creation of the guild, ‘Hero’s Vanguard’.

The rest of the party is with her, plus another who I don’t
know. This golden opportunity suddenly feels like the entire thing was one big
trap to start with. While I was tailing Lost and his party, I never had the
slightest inclination that I, too, was being followed.

Everything seems to go downhill from there, Moonkite adding me
to their party and keeping a closer watch on me than ever before. It is only
when we set out to sea, where I can’t possibly escape, that her eyes aren’t
firmly affixed upon me.

Our voyage turns out to be full of strange surprises for me. The
iron plating on the boat and the strange cannon and other
crafted inventions are things that I, an employee of the game’s
creator, have never even thought possible.