Erik turned to June. There wasn't much more he could tell them since he didn't have information to give.
There was a slight pause because of that, one that was interrupted by Erik. Only, this ti, he looked even more serious than he had previously been.
"The engine might be damaged because of the very high temperatures. We need to check it and fix any problems quickly."
June frowned, looking at Erik's still-weakened state. "Master, you're in no condition to be worrying about repairs right now. You need rest."
"But I'm the only one with the knowledge to fix it. Let's go down and give it a quick look."
"No," Emily said, stepping forward. "June is right. You've been through enough. We can handle this."
Mira nodded in agreent. "If worse cos to worst, we can have the Chimaeric Demons pull the ship. But you need to recover your strength."
Erik opened his mouth to argue, but June cut him off. "Master," the clone said.
"The temperature on deck has decreased, but we don't know about below. We might need you to create ice to cool things down further, but for that, you need to replenish your mana. So, just rest, please. We aren't out of these damned waters yet, and the temperature is still high— not to the point of boiling, but we are close to it."
Erik looked around at the faces surrounding him and realized he was fighting a losing battle. With a sigh, he relented. "Fine. But keep inford of any developnts."
The Chimaeric Demons then carried their master in the pilot's cabin, where he could rest without the sea waters splashing on him, and brought a bed there.
Then they secured the cargo they left on the deck. The Chimaeric Demons egg might have problems hatching if the temperature was too high, and the food might spoil, so they left so of the stuff above deck in order for it to keep a relatively good temperature.
"Rest now, Master," June said. Erik didn't have the strength to argue anymore and lied on the bed. It took little for him to fall asleep as the exhaustion of the day's event overtook him.
However, as he fell asleep, Mira, Emily, and Amber gathered on the deck. There was much on their minds.
Amber paced back and forth. She wasn't in an excellent state of mind. "We can't go on like this."
Mira nodded, her eyes distant. "Erik could have died. For real this ti. When he did incredibly dangerous things back in Etrium, I often feared for his life, but as I got to know him more, it beca clear that fear wasn't needed. He was already stronger than anything he faced back then. But here... and on Mur... It's different."
Emily hugged herself. "We were useless," she said. It was a very sobering thought. "While Erik was fighting for his life, for all our lives, we were just... waiting."
The three won beca silent, each thinking about their situation. They had left Mannard, where they knew how to handle dangers like thaids and other people, and where they were strong enough to be elite, strong enough to be considered at the top of the food chain.
But now they were in a new world, Mur, the sea. They were places where threats were much bigger and harder to understand, to predict, to avoid, and to fight head on.
"You shouldn't be too hard on yourselves," June said. "None of us was prepared for this. For sure, I am not and can't be. I do not have brain crystals, and I can't get stronger. But you and the Chimaeric Demons can. You may not have fully understood how powerful Erik's neural link technique is. It's sothing he got from the system, after all, and you should really use it more."
Amber turned to him. "You may be right about this, but it doesn't change the fact that we should have been ready for these situations. We've relied on Erik for too long. It's ti we step up."
Mira nodded. "The neural link training technique Erik taught us... we haven't been pushing ourselves hard enough with it. About that, you are right."
"Yeah," Emily said. "We were strong on Mannard, but here, we're almost useless. Maybe we even are. I think getting so much power quickly made us lazy."
June listened to them, a small smile tugging at the corners of his mouth. "So? You have the ans. You just need to do it."
The three won exchanged glances, a silent agreent passing between them.
"We will start training in earnest," Amber said. "This ti, harder than we ever have before. We must push past the 54 neural link mark, girls. As for where we are headed, that's the bare minimum to survive. More neural links an stronger brain crystal powers, better mana circulation."
"And stronger, faster, more resilient bodies," Mira said.
June's smile widened. "I'm glad to hear you say that. I think the master will be happy about knowing you will be stronger, because that will an you will also be safer. You know," he added. "The master has your well-being at the top of his priorities..."
As the won discussed their plans for intensified training, the Chimaeric Demons busied themselves by assessing the ship's damage.
They went through the lower decks to see if there were holes of any kind.
Like Erik said, the engine room was a particular concern because it indeed sustained damages.
The intense heat had warped so of the tal components, and there was a worrying sll of burned oil in the air.
The Clones didn't even know how the engine was still working, but because of so stroke of luck, it was still going. However, it might not last for long.
The Chimaeric Demons then started working. They did what they could, using their strength to straighten bent parts and their limited knowledge to make temporary repairs, but without Erik, they couldn't fix it.
Maybe they would really be forced to drag the ship themselves. If Erik didn't leave the other Chimaeric Demons behind, they might have had an easier ti.
Reviews
All reviews (0)