On the ship, part 5

The breath attack collided with the magic, veering off its direct path and snapping the ship's thick mast.

A sharp headache flares. It seems I have few magic uses left.

The shark-like monster is circling nearby, possibly preparing to unleash that breath attack again.

The crew continues firing ballistae and cannons, but due to the distance, they only manage to inflict minor wounds—scarcely any hits at all.

I can't move from the recoil of that high-powered magic.

Alek is approaching.

"Are you alright, Taro?"

"Yeah, I'm fine. But if I get hit by something like that again, I won't be able to dodge it."

"Right, I can see that. We need to do something about it before it happens. Let's prepare quickly."

But mercilessly, the monster's breath came flying in just a few minutes.

"Alek! Throw it!"

The object handed to Alek was a small barrel filled with oil, infused with magical energy and attached to an explosive magic stone.

I poured mana into it, and Alek hurled it with all his strength.

The magic stone exploded along the line between the ship and the breath attack, shards colliding and sparking. The sparks ignited the oil in the barrel, causing a massive explosion.

The blast wave altered the breath's trajectory. The attack grazed the ship, chipped away at it, then flew off into the distance.

Shrapnel from the explosion flies in all directions, piercing both sides. I just hope it causes even a little damage to the monster...

Perhaps because the beast was gathering water for a shorter time than before, its breath attack was weaker.

The battle reaches a temporary stalemate.

We've lost significant maneuverability after our main mast was broken.

Some crew members extend long oars and push forward, but their speed is slow. The propulsion from the water crystal must be reserved for emergencies, so we must conserve those capable of using the crystals.

The breath attack comes again, but we barely manage to deflect its trajectory with the shockwave.

"Where did the monster go?"

We've lost track of the monster's position without realizing it.

I ask Alex, but Alex has also lost sight of it. So have the other crew members.

But... that was... immediately clear.

It was because the ship had taken a powerful impact.

The shark-like monster had charged with a burst of breath, submerged to lure us, then rammed the vessel.

I was thrown into the sea.

Perhaps because there wasn't enough time to dive deep, the impact the monster inflicted on the ship was relatively weak, but I had already exhausted my strength and hadn't secured my body properly. That's why I slipped.

"Taro!"

I hear Alex shouting.

Pfahh

I barely make it to the surface. The force of being slammed into the water leaves me gasping for air.

My body is covered by something slimy.

Is this oil?

Could it be the oil mixed into the small barrels we just threw? But it feels too smooth... No time to think about that—whatever it is, I have to get out of the sea.

I try to approach the ship, but a massive shadow looms from below. If this continues, I'll be eaten.

Despair races through my body, my heart pounding.

There's no way this ends like this. I'm not dead yet!

Perhaps because death is imminent, something resembling a flashback rushes through my mind.

I pull out the burst rune, the light rune, and the healing rune.

I bite into the healing gem, hold the remaining gems in both hands, and activate them all at once. It's not a matter of whether I can do it—there's no choice but to try.

The detonation gem explodes, scattering shards in all directions. Naturally, I'm restraining it with my hands, even though it was meant to be thrown. The force of the explosion strikes my hands as well. At the same time, I unleash a high-power lightning spell into the tiny area around the hand holding the detonation gem, swirling fragments and seawater together.

The massive amount of seawater instantly evaporates and turns into gas, heated further by the electrical energy—essentially a steam explosion.

The explosion generated inside my hand launches me upward from the water's surface.

Shards of the shattered magical stone accelerate from the blast and fly toward the shark-like monster.

Of course, doing something like this won't leave me unscathed.

I resort to the same method I used for motion sickness—using a healing magic stone here. I healed myself while still taking damage.

The only gamble was that my healing was slow, and I'd never actually tried it before, but it seems the gamble paid off.

Still, I feel utterly awful—like I'm being pounded from inside with hard metal.

I suddenly surge upward from the ocean surface.

Ahead, the sea reflected the complex light of a sinking sun, and a monstrous shark creature—its face damaged by an explosion yet still moving—came into view.

I landed luckily on top of the ship. I could feel blood oozing from various parts of my body. Recovery was slowly progressing, albeit delayed.

"Good to have you back. Taro! You're a wounded soldier—withdraw for now."

Aleks said something, but I didn’t have time for that—I inhaled the smell clinging to my body.

It reeked of fish. This was oil from the shark-like monster, fish oil.

The creature seemed to contain a massive amount of oil within its body. Even our limited attacks had caused it to spill into the sea in enormous quantities.

I’d confirmed it spreading widely when it was flung from the water.

"Alek, take me to William—he’s the one who can help."

"But you should step back and get treated first."

"No time for that. If we miss this moment, we might lose our chance to defeat the monster. This is our only chance."

Ignoring my desperate pleas, Alek carried me to William's room, muttering something about not being responsible for whatever happened.

"William! I'm coming in. I'm sorry, but I need your help."

I stepped inside, only to find a boy trembling violently, clutched tightly in the arms of a maid.

Now that I thought about it, it made perfect sense.

A monster he’d never seen before had attacked him. The ship rocked so fiercely he couldn’t escape. And right before his eyes, someone was eaten alive and died.

Anyone would be terrified seeing such a scene.

The maid glares at us. One of the attendants steps forward, right in front of me.

"Sir Adventurer. The young master is unwell due to the ship's environment, and cannot receive you. In any case, have you dealt with the monsters outside? I implore you to complete your mission."

It might sound cold, but this is simply her duty.

"Breath is coming again—!"

Tragically, terror descends upon all of us.

Turning around, another monster with its mouth wide open was there, and a massive wave of water was rushing straight toward this room.