BANG!
Right at that moment, the woman they were chasing struck.
In the first opening she found, after confirming Ken wasn't an enemy, She fired. Her bullet streaked through the water. It tore through the pirate's side, caught him completely off guard, And pierced straight through his skull.
The pirate jerked, then floated limp. The woman paused, stunned.
A breath of relief escaped her lips. Ken didn't hesitate. He grabbed her by the arm, pulling her along.
[Combat Mode Exited]
[Total Points Used: 725]
[Remaining Points: 1,164]
'Tch… that cost me a lot more than expected,' Ken muttered, still feeling the pain in his wrist. He glanced at the woman beside him. 'You better be worth the investment.'
Ken surfaced with a low splash, then silently pulled himself up the side of the pirate ship, dripping seawater as he reached the lower rail.
Behind him, the woman emerged, hesitant, but close behind.
When Ken gestured for her to follow him back onto the enemy vessel, she frowned. Her eyes narrowed in disbelief at where he was pointing. But in the end she followed.
'No better option...' she thought bitterly.
It's not like she have other choice. Swimming to land? Suicidal.
The sea wasn't merciful. It was teeming with monsters. The only reason sailors could cross it safely was by carefully plotted routes protected by guilds and clans. Going in blind would just mean death.
Crack!
The moment Ken climbed aboard, a sharp sound echoed. A pirate near the mast spotted him. He raised a gun and fired.
"KAK!!" Nyx let out a sharp warning cry.
Ken's body moved on reflex. He raised his left arm and slashed his sword forward to deflect the bullet.
CLANG!
But the shot was stronger than expected. The impact knocked the blade from his hand, sending it spinning across the deck.
'Tch... I'm getting too dependent on the system.'
He leapt forward, diving after the falling blade. His eyes stayed locked on the pirate.
'Combat Mode makes me sharp in the moment… but dull right after. I wonder is this side effect? Or am I just getting lazy?'
Mid-air, he flicked his hand, activating the system again. His eyes narrowed, then he twisted. With a full spin, he kicked the sword midair, sending it flying toward the pirate.
Swish!
The pirate smirked. The blade was clearly off mark. "Hah! You brat, I don't know how you escaped, but bringing the princess here? Heh, Captain's gonna love this!"
He extended his palm.
SPLASH! SPLASH! SPLASH!
Three more water bullets shot toward Ken in rapid successio, while the sword passed harmlessly by.
"Shadow Step."
Ken vanished from sight, and in the next moment, reappeared behind the pirate, gripping the sword in his good hand.
SLASH!
A sharp arc of steel fell. The pirate jerked back by instinct, the blade carving across his side.
SPLASH!
Blood sprayed into the air.
Ken's eyes narrowed, "Damn it. Too shallow."
He had only one good hand. The wound in his other arm hadn't recovered yet, and the lack of strength weakened the attack.
The pirate twisted, ready to counter.
But, BANG!
His head snapped back. A hole opened in the center of his forehead. His body dropped into with a thud.
Behind him, the woman stood on the deck, gun in hand, smoke rising from the barrel. Her boots landed heavily beside Ken as she stepped past the corpse.
[Target Scan Complete]
Name: Aika Mizuhana
Power Level: 78
Pathwalker Realm: Kiren – Level 6
Daemon Spirit: Bound (type unknown)
Analysis:
[The target wears sleek, reinforced travel robes marked with the crest of the Mizuhana Clan, a noble house with deep ties to maritime trade and water element Daemon.
The ease with which she handles her gun and swims through turbulent waters suggests advanced training, likely under the direct guidance of a clan guardian.
Behavioral pattern suggests high education, and tactical awareness.]
'Aika Mizuhana...? So she's the rumored prodigy princess of the Mizuhana Clan…' Ken's eyes narrowed.
That explained her composure. And her situation. He turned without another word.
"Head below deck. Free the prisoners. After that, meet me at the helm."
Aika hesitated. "You want to hijack this ship?"
Her voice was skeptical. "Can you even control it?"
Before Ken could answer, Nyx turned sharply, eyes glowing red as he stared toward the distant sea.
The raven let out a piercing cry, "KAK!!"
Ken's expression darkened. "Yeah… we don't have much time," he muttered. "Just go." He turned toward the far edge of the ship, eyes locking onto the distant horizon.
A dark cloud mass was rolling in fast, swallowing the sky. 'Shadow Fog…'
A creeping storm feared by every sailor, pirate, and marine. A natural disaster more dreaded than monsters. It wasn't something one could fight, only escape.
Even the strongest Pathwalker couldn't guarantee survival once caught inside.
Ken's gaze shifted to the pirate captain and the remaining crew still aboard the merchant vessel, fighting, looting, yelling over each other for spoils.
They hadn't noticed. And that wasn't surprising, the only reason Ken could see that far was thanks to Nyx's unique perception.
Ken turned and began sprinting toward the helm. 'Six... no, seven left.'
Seven pirates stood between him and control of the ship. All had weapons drawn. They had noticed the situation.
One pirate charged first, a curved blade glowing faintly with water-infused ki.
Ken didn't slow down. He leaned low, ducking under the first swing and slashing upward in a flash.
The pirate's arm flew off, trailing blood into the air before he collapsed screaming. Another came in from behind.
Swish!
Ken twisted mid-step, parrying with the back of his blade, just barely deflecting a strike aimed for his spine. The impact sent a shock through his wrist, but his counter was quick. He stepped in, shoulder-first, and drove his elbow into the man's jaw.
The man collapsed without a sound.
Three more closed in, forming a triangle. Ken's eyes lit up. His grin returned. He dashed in low, sword dragging along the deck, then burst upward in a wide spinning arc.
His blade carved through the air, slashing through one pirate's side, then slicing across another's chest as sparks flew from clashing steel.
Blood sprayed. Ken's own shoulder burned as a blade tore across it.
SPLASH!
A thin line of red streaked down his arm. Another cut opened across his thigh. His heartbeat pounded. He was bleeding, his body hurt like hell, but still he grin like a madman.
This make the other sixth pirate hesitated.
Numbers appeared in Ken's vision.
68… 72… 76…
'Seventy on average… nothing I can't handle.'
Ki gather on his feet than with a stomp his body propeled forward. His blade plunged straight through the man stomach, then tore it free and turned just in time to parry the seventh pirate's downward strike.
Blades locked, then Ken twisted, catching the hilt of his opponent's weapon and yanking it free.
CLANG!
The pirate's sword hit the deck. "You're done."
One final upward thrust,
Slash!
The last pirate dropped with a thud.
Ken stood still for a moment, chest heaving. Blood soaked his side, his arm, his leg.
His shirt clung to him, torn and drenched. He raised his sword to shoulder level and kept walking, toward the helm.
Ken had deliberately held back, choosing not to activate Combat Mode. These were just grunts. Nothing worth burning his system points over.
But, Complacency had no place on a battlefield. No matter how weak a man's realm might be, a sharp blade was still a sharp blade.
He had only taken his third step toward the helm when it hit. A sudden flash of pain, searing, hot, and deep, burst from his shoulder.
"Tch,!"
A knife had sunk into the joint, cutting so deep it scraped against bone. Ken reacted instantly, his body turning on reflex, sword slashing backward, but he hit nothing.
His eyes narrowed. "A stealth pathfinder…?"
His mind raced. Blood seeped from his wound. 'Should I use the system…?'
'Nah, forget it, not this time.' Ken's lips curled into a grin.
Just moments ago, he had suspected how dull his instincts had gotten after relying too much on the system.
But now…
With his life on the line, blood dripping from his body, and an enemy hidden in the shadows?
"This is perfect."
Rather than panic, he welcomed it.
A real threat. Exactly the kind of pressure that would sharpened his instinct. He stilled his breath. His heartbeat slowed. His hearing sharpened, picking up even the faintest creaks of the deck.
He pushed aside the pain, the noise, focusing solely on his surroundings. The faint vibration of boots brushing the wooden deck.
The brief displacement of air behind him, just to the left. The subtle creak of a support beam shifting under weight.
'I cannot see you… but that doesn't mean you're invisible!'