'That idiot Belenus literally shouted it. Well, he had to do that, but I hope no one bothersome shows up on his side.'
She comprehended Belenus's intentions in an instant. However, Belenus's actual intentions were entirely different, bordering on nonexistent.
He dismantled an opponent of equal standing by exploiting the enemy's foolishness and arrogance. This achievement stood as a monumental feat for him, as he had never accomplished anything of this nature before.
Although it was beneficial to keep Laima informed, it was equally detrimental for his adversaries to learn of his entry onto the ship. Nevertheless, at the end of the day, whether he shouted it or not, the impact remained inconsequential.
Their enemies weren't paralyzed by fear; the formidable ones had been vigilantly observing the entire battle right from the outset.
'It's my turn now, and I need to be quick. Although I'm not certain about their levels, I have to act as if they are at Level 3.'
The luxury of taking her time was forfeited due to a certain someone. Now, it was her turn to embody it—chasing her enemies while instilling fear deep into their souls.
She raised her sword parallel to her head, prompting her enemies to follow suit, preparing for the impending assault.
---
The catfish is poisonous. That tailed one must be poisonous too. So, I can utilize my poison on them to some extent, and they wouldn't die. Well, at least not immediately. However, I shouldn't use it on the goldfish and dolphin.
If they don't have a poisonous parent and a Level 3, they might perish instantly. Unfortunately, I shouldn't use that at this moment. Otherwise, both Belenus and I could be the ones poisoned to death today.
Sigh…
Not killing is truly hard, huh? Look at these fools. They keep staring at me so intensely for about fifteen seconds or something. Whatever, I should get to it and demonstrate to them what poison is and why they should fear the Rebellious.
You know what? I think I can reduce my dosage this time. Yeah, I should manage it just like the last time. So...
F*ck it! Poison forever!
---
Laima's eyes brimmed with determination, compelling her enemies to instinctively retreat a few more steps. She readied herself to attack, leaning slightly like a professional diver. The guards also tightened their grips and assumed their respective fighting positions.
Drip, drip, drip.
Thump! Thump! Thump!
Sweat met water, and the thundering sound of heartbeats resonated through the seas. The final moments of the short but seemingly endless battle were felt by everyone involved.
Seconds ticked away as she stared at her enemies, meticulously assessing everyone. Then, abruptly, as though everything had been nothing more than a bluff, she released her grip on her sword.
Eyebrows shot up into the air, and some eyes widened or narrowed in response to such an unexpected surrender.
Yet, this transpired in nothing more than a few seconds.
The sword, radiant with the white glow of her aura, ascended brilliantly through the power of her telekinesis. Telekinesis was the sole ability shared by every race, and most individuals weren't hesitant about employing it—if they remembered to do so in the heat of battle, that is.
Not only was her sword but she also was enveloped in her aura. In fact, her aura had transformed into water, generating small water orbs around her entire body, excluding her hands and feet.
However, she didn't stop there because her idea was entirely different. To execute it, she needed those pairs of eyes to look elsewhere.
Her proficiency in magic took center stage this time. This particular maneuver amazed Leon, but for her enemies, it was sheer terror. They were well aware that she had yet to reach Level 6, and if she were at that level, they would have met their demise long ago.
Nevertheless, terror gripped them as they confronted the formidable talent their enemy possessed. The fear of the unknown manifested within them, stemming from the amalgamation of her innate talent and those little creatures of hers—venom.
Flies, bees, and moths, all entirely composed of water, commenced a march toward her enemies. Though their numbers were scarce, their effectiveness was undeniable.
Their purpose was not to kill her enemies. Their primary mission was to serve as a distraction for her left hand, which consisted of pale-blue tentacles, slowly submerging into the water.
She had a few final words to say:
"My name is Laima Munasa. I'm from Mu and a member of Rebellious," a huge grin adorned her face, "Nice to meet you," and she dashed forward.
Tiiing!!
Her airborne sword collided with the shield of the stingray guard.
The power difference was evident, sending tremors through her hands. Yet, the only recourse she had was to swing her sword around, attempting to cut the bugs apart.
Aware that allowing them to get close could be perilous due to potential poison, she opted to coat her sword with water, slashing at all of them simultaneously.
"Aaah!!"
Nevertheless, she hesitated for a few seconds. The venom of a box jellyfish is renowned as one of the deadliest on Earth. On top of that, Laima was a Level 4, amplifying that venomous aspect by more than a few margins.
It proved effective even against the stingray guard, who possessed innate poison. It showcased the terrifying nature of those little creatures when imbued with venom.
Merpeople with innate poison as a talent naturally had higher poison tolerance compared to others. It was their inherent gift, and they had to learn to use it by exposing themselves to their own poison.
Yet, not every race's poison was equally deadly, let alone when factoring in a level difference.
Upon hearing the cry of their poisonous guard, the guards flinched in fear. It was a natural reaction for these Level 3 guards. They also possessed only one life and had no intention of squandering it due to a measly poison.
The dolphin one opened his mouth in a hurried manner, "Husta, go and save Krista! Menas, get to my side!"
Husta, the catfish, was a man of duty and immediately went for a save. Yet, that proved to be a mistake. Laima was approaching them, her tentacles lurking beneath the sea.
Husta's action only widened her already huge grin.
"Aaahh!"
Darts. Being a box jellyfish and a mermaid, she could throw darts from her tentacles. The two darts she launched pierced Husta, lodging in him for more than five seconds—more than enough time for her venom to take effect.
Slowly, the catfish guard sank into the depths of the seas.
"Husta!" Cried Krista, "Aaahhh!!" But Laima wasn't a merciful one, especially if her enemy was close enough.
Fwup! Fwup!
She shot two more darts at her.
The brief was her pause. A devilish grin adorned her face as she turned her attention to the other guards. Menas, the goldfish guard, braced herself for what was to come. However, the dolphin guard was trembling in fear, no longer in the mood to put on airs.
"Ponvaya, what should we do!?"
"I-I…"
"What!?"
"I-I'll go get help!"
"W-What—"
Tiingg!!
The venom made them forget one thing: Laima's sword had been freed. It found its way to Menas's spear, causing her hands to shake. And in just a second, a sound akin to those before resonated in their ears.
Right at the moment when weapons of death collided, a dart pierced her body. Now, only one remained, and he was sprinting at full speed.
She aimed her tentacles at his back, slowly opening her mouth, "If you're running, you should do it in zigzags!""
"Aaahhh!!"
"It was easy."
The moment to fulfill her mission revealed its light. She kicked the water, propelling herself at maximum speed, her sword in hand and enveloped in water.
Buumm!!
She shook the entire ship, causing it to split apart.
Unlike Belenus's side, there was no one there to greet her. Fortunately, this was also thanks to Belenus, who had drawn the attention of everyone, creating literal mayhem outside.
'I have to be quick. And that is why…'
Buuum!!
Once again, the ship shook, but this time from the inside.
Thuuud!! Craack!!
She continued slashing and cutting, forging a path for herself. Time was of the essence, and the quicker, the better for her. After all, she did have the luxury to do this...
'It's not like I can cut Black Metal like that, anyway.'
This continued for about twenty seconds. The maximum speed of a Level 4 was terrifying, almost as swift as thunder itself. This held true even though her element wasn't electric.
In about twenty seconds, her eyes brightened in a concealed location—a room inside another room inside yet another one. It was a place hidden like a Matryoshka doll, nestled within.
Resting on top of a desk slept a metal ore, its hue the purest black in the universe. A protective cage of the same ebony shade surrounded it.
"Nice!"
Snatching it was easy, but…
"Not so fast."
"Of course, it comes down to that."
--
A massive explosion erupted in the skies above Laima's ship. Bugs of all kinds scattered in disarray, resembling headless chickens. Following that, three more water balls exploded in the sky.
"It's the sign!" Triss.
"Now, it's our turn."
"I'll wake the familiar up," quickly, but carefully was Triss, as she approached the red cat sleeping in the corner.
"Wake up, please."
This was enough to rouse the cat. It slowly opened its red eyes—eyes that seemed to be created from the blood of countless dead bodies, dripping to form a river of red and manifested within the cat's gaze.
'Vampiric cat.'
Then, a huge smile appeared on Leon's face.
'I'll earn sh*t ton of stat points!'