Chapter 113: Life-and-Death Speed
It had to be said, the lookout of the Arctic Star was still quite responsible.
The very instant he spotted the iceberg, he imdiately rang the alarm bell. The crew’s reaction was just as swift, almost instantaneous!
“Hard to starboard! Full speed astern!”
Hearing the alarm, the captain, who had walked onto the deck, glanced at the iceberg in the distance and issued an order at the fastest speed.
Given the distance between the iceberg and the Arctic Star at that mont, as long as the maneuvering was correct, it was clear the ship could avoid it.
However…
“It won’t turn!”
The helmsman’s reply made the captain in command draw in a sharp breath.
“What do you an it won’t turn!”
“I don’t know, it seems like sothing… jamd!”
The helmsman was drenched in sweat, desperately trying to turn the wheel. Yet the wheel in his hands did not budge an inch, as if it were carved from stone!
“Damn it, what’s going on! Let try!”
The captain shoved the helmsman aside, gripped the wheel himself, only to find in shock that no matter how much strength he used, the wheel would not move in the slightest! The wheel, which should have turned smoothly, was now completely locked.
Not only that… the captain noticed in astonishnt that the Arctic Star’s speed had not slowed in the slightest—it was still charging forward at full speed!
At the sa ti, the communication bell behind him rang frantically, like a death knell chilling everyone’s heart.
“Engine room! What’s going on? Didn’t I order you to slow down!”
“The air valve has malfunctioned! We can’t release the pressure!”
“What!?”
While everyone was thrown into chaos over this sudden accident, Levi followed the second officer quickly down the stairs, heading for the mailroom at the fastest pace.
“Why aren’t we taking the lift, Detective?”
While rushing down the stairs, the second officer shouted his question.
“We have an employees-only lift. We’ll reach the bottom much faster through there…”
“Do you believe if I say, the mont we step inside, that thing will trap us to death?”
Levi followed tightly behind the second officer, retorting.
“Uh… you an…”
If this had been earlier, the second officer might not have understood. But after experiencing the strange incident in the first-class cabin earlier in the night, plus Levi’s words at that mont…
“You don’t an to say… this is the vengeful spirit of Madam Porto haunting us…”
Sailors at sea were already deeply superstitious, and with the eerie ghost events that had occurred, plus the current bizarre malfunctions on board, the second officer beca overwheld with fear. But anyone could tell that the situation was far from ordinary. How could the ship suddenly suffer so many malfunctions all at once—and just when an iceberg appeared ahead?
C-Could the ship really be cursed?
“If you don’t want to die, do exactly as I say—hurry, we have no ti!”
“Yes, sir!”
The second officer pumped his legs furiously, sprinting downward.
The mailroom was at the very bottom of the ship. Since it only carried cargo, its importance was lower than fuel and supplies. From the deck to the lowest level was about four or five floors; the two of them reached the bottom quickly.
“Right ahead—through this door is the mailroom!”
While silently calculating the distance between the Arctic Star and the iceberg, fear rising in his chest, the second officer unlocked the door at the fastest speed and rushed with Levi into the corridor. Yet the very next mont, he froze.
“W-What’s going on?”
Blocking the path to the mailroom stood dozens of n. They looked like lower-deck workers, but now they were wielding steel pipes and shovels, standing firmly in the way.
“You… are not… allowed… to pass…”
The man in the lead glared at the second officer, growling in a low, hoarse voice.
“Step aside! That’s an order! Move imdiately!”
The second officer shouted while blowing his whistle hard. By rights, as the second officer, blowing the whistle ant an ergency—everyone should obey his commands. But to his shock, the workers did not retreat. Instead, they turned their heads in unison, raising their tools nacingly.
Then, without a word, they began advancing toward the two of them.
“Y-You… what do you think you’re doing!”
Terrified by their eerie behavior, the second officer drew his pistol, aiming at them.
“Stop! That’s an order! Do you hear ? Otherwise I’ll shoot!”
But even faced with the dark barrel of a gun, the workers did not flinch. Like fearless machines, they kept advancing. The second officer trembled, completely at a loss.
“Step aside. I’ll handle this!”
Seeing the second officer shaken, Levi did not hesitate. He grabbed the man’s shoulder, pulled him behind, and raised the Persuader. At the sa ti, the workers shrieked, raising their tools as they charged!
At that mont, Levi’s world slowed to a crawl. Trajectories of bullets appeared before his eyes as visible arcs.
【Eye of the Reaper】!
【Ricochet Shot】!
“Bang! Bang!!”
Gunfire roared. Bullets scread from the barrel, grazing the workers’ bodies, striking the deck behind them, then ricocheting.
“Uwaaaaah—!”
In an instant, the charging workers scread, collapsing to the floor, clutching their arms in agony.
“Th-This is…”
“Relax, they won’t die. Now hurry!”
Levi pulled the second officer along and dashed forward again.
In a shooting ga, the protagonist could take a bullet and keep moving, but in reality, even a graze was devastating. And Levi’s revolver—just a scratch was enough to render them unable to fight for a while.
Of course, injuries were unavoidable, but in this situation, the choice between being hurt or being killed was obvious.
The two quickly crossed through the wailing, writhing workers and reached the mailroom door. The second officer fumbled for his key, unlocked it, and Levi rushed inside in a flash. At once, he activated 【Soul Sight】, searching for the hidden artifact… Found it!
He locked onto a large iron chest about the size of a treasure chest. He dashed forward, shot the lock off without hesitation, and flung the lid open.
Inside, he saw… a ship in a bottle?
Yes, inside the iron chest was a ship in a bottle. Levi had seen such art before in his own world—miniature ships inside bottles, wondrous and delicate.
As artwork, it was fine.
But right now, it was the ship’s nightmare.
Levi stared at the ship in the bottle and raised his gun without hesitation—he didn’t even need to doubt. Aside from the burning heat from the ring on his finger, the model’s appearance already told the truth.
It was almost identical to the Arctic Star!
Faced with the muzzle, the ship in the bottle seed to sense danger. The waves inside churned violently, as if struggling in desperation… But before it could react further, Levi had already pulled the trigger.
“Bang!!”
The bullet smashed through the bottle, shattering it to pieces. The model ship inside was destroyed entirely. Imdiately, a crimson glow flared from Levi’s ring, covering the fragnts. A brilliant red speck of light shot out from the wreck, silently rging into his ring.
This too?
Levi glanced at his ring in puzzlent, but quickly set his doubts aside and turned to the second officer.
“Contact the deck imdiately. The ship should be controllable now!”
“Ah—yes, sir!!”
The second officer hurried to the communication bell in the mailroom, connected it, and spoke:
“This is the mailroom. We’ve resolved the issue—the ship can be controlled now!”
“What? What are you saying?”
“Hurry, there’s no ti!”
The captain, confused by the report, nonetheless gave the order again—after all, the iceberg lood right before them!
“Hard to starboard, slow down—once more!”
“Yes, sir!”
The helmsman, having heard the communication, gripped the wheel tightly and turned with force.
“It’s responding!”
As the helm turned fully, the helmsman shouted. At the sa ti, the captain felt the Arctic Star’s speed rapidly decrease!
Would it be in ti?
Watching the looming iceberg, the captain clenched his fists, eyes locked. He had already given his orders—now it was down to fate. No matter what, the ship must survive! If luck was on their side, perhaps they could escape disaster!
The massive bow of the Arctic Star slowly turned, speed dropping, drawing closer to the iceberg. The bow indeed shifted direction, and then…
“———————!”
The ship shuddered slightly, grazing past the iceberg.
“Phew…”
At that mont, the captain exhaled in relief.
“Check all compartnts imdiately! Proceed at quarter speed!”
“Yes, sir!”
Watching the iceberg slide past the ship’s hull, the captain’s heart was filled with the relief of survival, followed imdiately by doubt.
What on earth had just happened?
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