Redd moved back to the main deck with a sullen expression. His arms were fidgeting here and there as if he was contemplating doing something before quickly shaking the idea away.
'I need to stick to the plan. Fighting him recklessly will only get me killed. I have to bear with it for now.' He thought to himself as he looked around him silently. The night finally descended, casting a shadow over the ship's gigantic frame.
The night sky was illuminated with countless stars and a crescent moon floated silently in the sky, looking directly at Redd.
A breeze of salty air hit the young man and made him close his eyes for a second before he looked up again. There, built into the ship's main mast was a small box, the crow's nest. It was barely enough for one person to sit on it and have a good view of the sea.
'I have to keep an eye on the fish.' He thought as he looked behind him at the skinned fish. Redd didn't know how long it would take for it to rott but he will just fish smaller fish if that happens.
So, Redd picked up his bag and made a leap in the air, reaching the first wooden part, he grabbed into it and climbed up slowly. The process wasn't easy but Redd was able to do it quickly.
Climbing was his strength after all.
When he reached the crow's nest, he sat down and rested his head on the mast.
"I really like this place. Maybe I could make it my room." He murmured before shifting his gaze to the endless expanse of the sea. For a night of the autumn, the sea was rather calm and the wind was barely strong enough to rustle Redd's hair.
Waves moved and danced around him, smashing against the ship relentlessly. However, that sound only made Redd feel sleepy. It was akin to a gentle lullaby that pushed him to sleep. But, as he was about to drift away, he heard a voice.
"Why are you doing all of that?" The voice asked.
Redd's eyes opened slowly as a small smile appeared on his face.
"Do what?"
"Save those people. Why are you going out of your way to help them? It's not out of kindness, is it?"
"I believe that good karma could go a long way. You never know what the future holds." He said.
Then, he looked down, only to see the girl named Nova looking back at him.
"You're also doing the same, aren't you? Protecting who you can."
'...'
After thinking about it, Redd indeed found it rather odd that Nova would actually be one of Maleck's goons. She was just too… detached from them at first glance. The way she behaved and the way they behaved was different.
Hell, she even went out of her way to stop Redd from going to the fifth floor. Perhaps that was her way of saving his life since she knew he would certainly die.
"I save no one. But, if I see an idiot trying to throw their lives away, I can't look away, can I? Stopping stupidity is my good karma." She asked back with a clear jab at Redd. However, the latter didn't seem to realize it or he simply didn't care. Either way, he chuckled as he replied.
"You're a nice person after all." Redd's smile seemed so carefree that even made Nova freeze for a second.
Never in her life had she seen a smile as pure as this. It didn't carry any malice or any underlying goals. It was just like the breeze of the sea, cold, refreshing, and natural.
"I'm Redd. It's nice meeting you, Nova."
"..."
Exhaling a long breath, Nova looked down again before she said. "Just accept Maleck's offer and stay away from trouble. Perhaps that will give you a small chance to reach the Hunter's Dream alive."
After that, the girl simply walked away from him.
Meanwhile, the smile on Redd's face lingered as he continued looking at the beautiful scenery shrouded in darkness. Even in that dim light and in that dim mood, the sea was there to be his solace and friend. After all, an endless expanse of water can be a friend, can't it?
***
Hours passed quietly and the morning finally rose. The ship continued its sailing throughout the whole night at top speed. Redd didn't understand how that was possible but he couldn't ask Butler either. That man wasn't the talkative type.
However, he does his job and he does his job right as in a mere day, the ship had reached the next island.
Redd's eyes slowly opened as they were met with the sight of an island in the distance.
"Woooh! We have already reached the next island!" He exclaimed as he stood up and took a better look at the destination.
The island they were going to seemed empty at first glance. The soil was of a faint red color with no greenery in sight.
"Hmm, this island looks weird." Redd thought as he jumped down from the crow's nest and approached the side of the ship.
A few minutes was all it took for the ship to reach the desolate port. When that happened, Redd immediately jumped down from the ship.
"Tall guy! I'm going to explore the island. Don't leave without me."
When Redd didn't get any response, he shrugged and started walking deeper into the island. The island was basically a dessert in and out of itself. There were no trees, greenery, or any vegetation for that matter. Just a stretched, dead land long lost.
In the heart of this small island, Redd found a village. Or a settlement considering how small it was. There were no walls surrounding the settlement and no person in sight.
When the boy reached the entrance of the village -or at least what he assumed to be the entrance considering the abundance of paths that could lead into this place- he looked around.
The village lied in eerie silence, a haunting tableau frozen in time. The only sound breaking the stretch of eeriness was the hollow whispers of the wind, carrying a sense of desolation that permeated every weathered structure within the place.
Taking a peek inside, Redd saw a stretch of houses, old and worn yet carrying a heavy sense of dread.
"Hello! Anybody here?" Calling for any person, Redd walked inside the village.
'Is this place supposed to have an Invitation carrier? Weird.' He thought to himself as he looked back at the ship behind him. Butler didn't seem to be getting out yet.
So, Redd decided to make his way into the village. The moment he took a step inside, he saw a cracked and uneven cobbled path that stretched and ramified across the whole village like a vein of blood.
"What the hell happened to this place? Did everyone die?"
The more he walked inside the place, the more shocked he was at how old and broken it seemed. No, it wasn't just broken, it was as if the village had been abandoned ages ago.
Yet, for some ungodly reason, a potential person lurked in this place. A person who could become a Hunter. That idea alone made Redd rather confused and yet also curious.