"Splash..."
The gale howled like the shrill wail of some invisible Monster. Freezing rain poured down as if it had seeped into every current of air, making even breathing difficult.
The world was boundless darkness. Only the occasional, fleeting roar of lightning lit the deck, allowing them to glimpse the oppressive lead clouds churning and rolling across the sky, and the black wave-crests rising from every direction, towering like mountain ranges.
"Hiss."
Sharp claws slid out from the pads of his feet. With only the slightest force, they sank deep into the planks, giving his body precious support.
Sasha was a Spotted Catman. He walked upright on two legs and had a humanoid form; he was a proper intelligent being, and he spoke the Common Tongue more fluently than eighty percent of the Adventurers on the docks.
But there was no denying that the Spotted Catman blood flowing through him, just like the fluffy spotted fur covering his body, gave him a few feline habits in everyday life.
When danger appeared, he would instinctively arch his back and hiss. When he was happy and relaxed, he would let out a smooth purr...
He also seemed instinctively resistant to liquids of unknown origin, afraid that his fur would get wet. Even when walking through Breaking Waves Wharf, he carefully avoided puddles on the ground.
But that did not mean "fear of water" had become his weakness.
It was like humans who were afraid of insects. Often, a bug no bigger than a fingernail could scare them into screaming and jumping on the spot, but when the moment truly demanded it, urgency and pressure would suppress bodily instinct, reason would return to the brain, and crushing a tiny bug would not take much effort—at most, they would feel disgusted afterward for a