The ship was sailing back to Nicaorh at it's fastest speed. Vice-Admiral Rowland asked Commander Carol to take Raziel to a bunk for him to sleep.
Commander Carol turned to Raziel, "Follow me." She opened the door to the deck and asked him to close the door behind him. She started to climb down, "I can sense you looking at me in a weird way."
Raziel wanted to ask if she knew about what the government was doing to people like him but he thought better of it. If she knew about it, Vice-Admiral Rowland would not have asked her to leave the deck when he was saying it. He tried not to wince in pain while climbing down, "Why did Vice-Admiral Rowland not give you the rest of the blue liquid?"
"That's because I would die if I take that blue liquid." Commander Carol said in a low voice.
"Why?" Raziel asked.
"Vice-Admiral Rowland used his lightning powers to create that blue liquid. Only those of lightning pathway can drink that blue liquid. If I need to refine an external to advance, I can only use the energy of my own pathway to do it. Of course if it's someone from my pathway that refined, I can use it." Commander Carol replied.
They had gotten to the navy rack by now. There were members of the crew there. Raziel asked her while trying to get on a bunk, "So if I want to advance I have to refine the energy myself or someone from pathway that can refine it for me to use."
Commander Carol said, "Yes. Rest well. It might be your only chance to rest in a long time. It will take us sometime to get to the capital." She turned to a member of the crew and asked him to bring Raziel meals during meal times. She turned around and left the rack.
Raziel lied on his back on the bunk wincing in pain from all the wounds he had incurred today. Then it finally hit him, he might never see his sister again. He doubt she can make it to her paradise country if it even exists. His own fate is up to someone else's whims. Now that he knows what the government does to people like him, he doubts if Vice-Admiral Rowland can protect him. Even if the Vice-Admiral protects him from the government, he will likely die from one of the errands he sends him. An officer came with a plate of roasted fish sprinkled with dry pepper and six slices of plate and handed it to him. The officer threw a bottle of water that hit him on the head.
The officer said with a scoff, "Don't know why we're feeding a scum like you, we would be doing the world a justice and making a lot of money handing you to the government."
Raziel chose not to respond. He was too exhausted to even argue, he grabbed the plate of food and started to gobble it. He realised he had never been this hungry in his entire lifetime. He thought back to the time before the disaster when his parent were still alive. They always provided for them but he never had a chance to thank them before the disaster came and wiped them out. Their bodies was never recovered like many others. Tears started to roll out of his eyes while he tried to avoid choking on his food.
Commander Carol climbed back into the deck and stared at Vice-Admiral Rowland, "Why did you save him?"
Vice-Admiral Rowland was writing a report on how he became a level 4 and how the feelings he felt in the process. Without looking up at her he asked, "Why did you save him? Don't think for a second I believed the story you told me before."
Commander Carol didn't seem surprised by that revelation, "I found out about what kind of potion I drank that made me a superhuman." Pain flashed across her eyes briefly, "I wanted to atone for it by saving one person."
Vice-Admiral Rowland stopped writing and looked at her, "It's not your fault, you had no idea at the time."
Commander Carol said with anguish in her voice, "It does not matter. Even if I knew at the time, it won't have stopped me from taking it. I will not miss an opportunity that can give me powers I could have only imagined. This fact made me realise I'm just as power hungry as every other person."
Vice-Admiral Rowland adjusted himself in his chair, "I saved him for the same reason as you but I owe him nothing. I only did it to remove any guilt I might have felt. His survival is dependent on himself. You should also use the fact that you kept him alive to cleanse yourself of any guilt you feel otherwise your advancement could be impeded. Now please go, I need to complete this report before we get back."
Commander Carol nodded her head and left the deck. When she got her outside, she put on a smile and muttered under breath, "I think I managed to fool him."
After Commander Carol left the deck, Vice-Admiral Rowland turned back to writing his report and scoffed, "I hope she doesn't get rid of her guilt that way I know Raziel is her weakness. Why did she think I would feel guilty for a potion I drank to gain powers? I'll do anything to reach godhood."