Ambushed

"Hello, Mr. Carter."

Rhode raised his head, greeted the man before him, and smiled.

"Thank you for saving us."

"It was nothing. Don't mention it."

He was powerfully built and tall, with long, bright red hair swept back in a somewhat messy style. Judging by his features, he was probably a Laikate from the northwestern deserts. A long sword and a shorter one hung quietly at either side of his waist. The determination and scrutiny etched into his angular face made it clear that he was no ordinary man.

While Rhode studied him, Carter was also quietly sizing up the man before him.

At first glance, it would be easy to mistake him for an idle nobleman. That was hardly surprising: with his slight build, pale skin, somewhat feminine face, and fine clothes, he looked nothing like an adventurer setting out on a dangerous journey. He seemed more like one of those rich young men who, bored with their daily lives, went looking for excitement.

But Carter suspected there was more to this young man than met the eye. The reason was the strange, mysterious magic circle on the back of his right hand. Lize, a Spirit Master, could sense magic power coming from it, which meant it was no cheap imitation. Yet in all Carter's years of experience, he had rarely seen anyone imprint a magic circle directly onto their own body. That alone showed the young man's identity was far from ordinary. And from their brief conversation earlier, Carter had noticed that he was neither servile nor arrogant. His expression was calm, too. Lize had said he'd only woken from his coma a little over ten minutes ago, yet he'd already managed to calmly assess his situation. In that respect alone, he was far better than those arrogant, good-for-nothing young nobles.

"I heard you came from the Eastern Mountain Plains?"

"Yes."

Rhode nodded slightly.

"Then where are you headed?"

"I'm just traveling around."

Rhode shrugged.

"I'm an adventurer. Roaming wherever I please is the life I've chosen. And don't worry, I won't cause you any trouble."

"Good."

Since Rhode was being so agreeable, Carter didn't press the matter. They were still on a mission and had no desire for complications. After chatting a little longer and telling him to take it easy while he recovered, Carter said no more and soon took his leave. As the leader of a mercenary group, he had plenty to do and couldn't waste all his time here.

The hours that followed were uneventful for Rhode. The food Lize brought him did pique his interest, though. It was nothing more than ordinary white bread and dried meat, and he'd eaten them countless times in the game. But that had only been "eating" in name; it restored his character's health and soul power, but had no flavor and never filled his stomach. Now he could finally experience the taste described in the item notes for himself. It was a novel experience.

That said, the food really didn't taste as good as the descriptions claimed.

"How are you feeling? Does your wound still hurt?"

Seated beside Rhode, the blonde girl gazed at him with concern and earnestness. Her worried eyes settled on his shoulder, and she looked pained.

"I'm fine now."

As he spoke, Rhode flexed his left hand. The pain in his chest was no longer as intense as it had been at first, when he'd even struggled to breathe. He was feeling much better now.

"That's good."

At Rhode's answer, Lize's tense expression relaxed.

"But you should still get plenty of rest. When we reach Deepstone City, the conditions there will be much better. Your wound might heal faster."

The girl was completely sincere. The person lying in front of her was a stranger she'd only just met, but she clearly didn't think that mattered.

"Thank you."

"You're welcome. It's my duty."

With that, Lize stood up. Her fluffy golden ponytail swayed from side to side as she moved, lending her a lively, playful air.

"Well then..."

Lize didn't get to finish. At that moment, the ship lurched violently.

The girl staggered and nearly fell onto the bed, but she reached out just in time and caught the headboard, barely managing to steady herself. They looked at each other, both with confusion in their eyes.

Airships traveled on the powerful winds of the wind tides. And while the sky had no reefs or whirlpools like the ocean, that didn't mean it was free of danger. The situation was clearly abnormal.

"I'll go take a look. Stay here and rest. Don't worry."

Lize spoke softly, then immediately turned and left, closing the door behind her. Watching her go, Rhode opened his mouth with an exasperated smile, but said nothing. He was clearly older than her. Did she really have to talk to him as if he were a child?

But the next moment, a figure darting past the window made Rhode's expression turn serious.

He turned slightly and stared through the porthole. Soon, three or four more green shapes flashed past outside, accompanied by a faint, low-pitched cry.

"Hiss—"

At the sound, Rhode's heart sank.

They were in serious trouble!

Meanwhile, the deck was already in chaos.

"I never thought we'd run into these damned things."

The red-haired mercenary captain stood at the front, swords in hand, his expression grim as he watched the green shapes circling the airship. They looked like snakes with bat wings and were over a meter long. Their slender bodies gave the impression that they were frail, but the sharp fangs bared in their open mouths quickly dispelled that notion.

Wind Serpents.

"Looks like we've flown into Wind Serpent territory."

The fat merchant hid beside the mercenary captain, his face pale as he tremulously wiped the sweat from his brow with a handkerchief.

"Damn it, that sly Bick! I knew it, I knew there had to be something wrong with that bastard offering me this route for so little! This is attempted murder! Just wait until I get back—I'll make him pay!"

"Let's get out of this encirclement first!"

Carter cut off the merchant's near-hysterical rant. Looking around, he saw hundreds of Wind Serpents surrounding the merchant ship. At first, he'd ordered his men to use their crossbows to attack, hoping to scare the monsters away. But the Wind Serpents' apparent fearlessness in the face of death had far exceeded his expectations. Or perhaps their companions' deaths had only made them more vicious. Now they'd taken over the outer edges of the deck and were pushing inward. The mercenaries had already discarded their crossbows and were fighting at close quarters with their weapons.

"Get inside and tell the captain we need to get out of here as quickly as possible!"

Carter shoved the merchant into the captain's cabin behind him, then stepped forward. His swords flashed like snow as he cut down a Wind Serpent lunging at him with a roar. But a second one charged in almost immediately.

They didn't have enough men!

Carter frowned and swept his gaze across the deck. He'd brought only six men on this mission, and all six were still here. The merchant ship had its own guards, but they lacked experience. A third of them had fallen in the first attack, and only half their original number remained. Judging by how panicked they looked, they wouldn't last much longer. Carter's expression turned grave as he faced the terrifying creatures.

He had faced Wind Serpents before, but never this many. That made him tense. He stepped forward again, smoothly pivoted half a turn, and slashed sideways with both swords, striking a Wind Serpent with all his strength. The injured creature crashed to the deck amid a spray of blood. After a few resentful hisses, it went still.

Carter lifted his head and glanced around. Then his heart suddenly leaped.

"Lize! Look out!"

The girl didn't react right away.

She had just finished treating a mercenary for poison damage and withdrawn her hands. Exhaustion left her slightly dazed. She'd only been on deck for a few minutes, but several people had already been injured. As the only Spirit Master among them with healing powers, Lize had naturally taken responsibility.

Only after hearing Carter's warning did she turn around in a daze.

And what she saw was a gaping mouth lined with sharp fangs.

For an instant, the girl's blood seemed to freeze. She stared blankly at the Wind Serpent before her, her mind completely empty, unable to react. Lize could clearly see its sharp, gleaming fangs and the flesh-colored lining of its mouth. Even the stench of its breath was unmistakable.

Just then, a hand reached from behind and grabbed Lize by the collar, yanking her out of the way at the very last moment.