'I seem to have gotten something incredible thanks to this trial.' Jett smiled sheepishly as he quietly climbed back onto the ship. He crouched low, checking the shadows for movement before his system flickered.
[You are trespassing. 40% temporary reduction on all skills, titles and stats.]
'Great, at least no one got alerted. That would've been a problem.' He exhaled softly, the tension easing from his shoulders. 'Now that I've gotten that worry out of the way, I need to start making preparations.'
[Stealth]
[Perception Boost]
[Survey]
'This is going to take a while.'
The first phase of his plan was simple: understand the terrain. He had to know every inch of the ship before making any move.
He started from the upper deck, pacing himself and observing everything. The ship was massive, easily fitting several dozen rooms, a cargo hold, and a private chamber likely belonging to the captain. He noted the placement of the lifeboats, the exits, the guard stations, and where the crew liked to gather.
He took mental notes of every restricted door, narrow passage, and escape route. The [Survey] skill painted faint outlines of moving figures through the walls, letting him identify patrols and routes.
As he explored, he caught glimpses of the passengers lounging about, drinking, laughing, and gossiping as if the world wasn't falling apart. Their laughter echoed across the deck, blending with the gentle splash of waves.
'Disgusting,' he thought, his expression tightening. 'They don't even understand what's happening. It's like they're blind to the danger around them. They don't even care. Do they even know the ship isn't moving?'
'I doubt that.'
He turned away, continuing his quiet rounds. The further he moved, the more irritation built up inside him. He couldn't stop thinking about the others. What were they doing? How were they planning to end this trial? Why hadn't they tried to help everyone else?
He clenched his fist, suppressing the frustration. 'They must have a reason,' he told himself, though his tone lacked conviction.
*****
A faint knock broke the silence of Cedric's room.
Cedric looked up from the blueprint on his desk. "Who is it?"
"Open up, it's me."
The familiar voice came through the door, quiet but firm. Cedric's expression hardened slightly before he rose and reached for the handle.
'Could it be?' Cedric hurried to the door, his heart pounding. He yanked it open, eyes widening.
"Rey! You're alive. Not that I thought that..."
Jett covered his mouth instantly, signaling for silence. His sharp eyes swept the hallway before he stepped in and shut the door quietly behind him.
Even with friends aboard, he couldn't risk being found. Until he understood the ship's structure and everyone's role, information was key, even for this situation.
Cedric nodded quickly, catching on. When Jett finally lowered his hand, Cedric exhaled in relief.
"Well, you've been busy," Jett muttered, scanning the room.
The place was a mess. Wooden planks leaned against the wall, half-finished weapons and metal parts lay scattered on the floor, and an oil lamp flickered over a workbench cluttered with tools. A few gears and broken crossbow frames sat beside a pile of bolts.
"Yeah," Cedric said, forcing a small grin. "Finally got a room all to myself and too much time to waste so I might as well."
Jett didn't smile back. "So, what did you guys come up with? Any plan on this side?" His tone held quiet urgency.
"Nothing."
Jett blinked. "Nothing?"
"Yes. There's nothing we can do, so we might as well wait." Cedric turned away, picking up a carving knife and whittling at a piece of wood, pretending the conversation didn't matter.
Jett's calm voice cut through the sound of scraping wood. "So you couldn't try to help those poor folks down there?"
Cedric froze mid-carve.
"Feels good, right?" Jett continued, tone low but sharp. "Sitting here comfortably, good food, space. Must be great."
The tension in the room thickened as Jett's words sank in.
"The hell are you talking about?" Cedric asked, brows furrowed. His confusion was genuine, not defensive. "Thinking about it is just going to make it worse for all of us."
"If that were true, you guys would have told the crew in charge to help the villagers stranded on that boat," Jett said flatly. His eyes didn't leave Cedric.
"Wait," Cedric cut in, his tone shifting. "Didn't we get the same rules?"
"What do you mean the same rules? Aren't they supposed to be..." Jett stopped mid-sentence, his eyes narrowing as the thought hit him.
'Hold on. This trial's been against me since the start. It wouldn't surprise me if they altered the conditions just for me.'
"Read out yours," Cedric said suddenly.
"Huh?"
"Your rules. Read them out, and I'll do the same."
Jett sighed but opened his system window. The blue text shimmered before him. Both started reading aloud, alternating lines, their voices overlapping but Cedric read seven while Jett had only six.
It didn't take long for the awkward truth to surface.
The rules conveniently left out the fact that his friends had no authority on the ship but one could argue that whoever made the trial never took their situation into account as his character wasn't supposed to be there from the beginning.
When they finished, both fell silent.
Jett rubbed his neck, forcing a half-smile. "You guys have no authority here, so you can't even talk to the crew to help us. Idly specific, don't you think?"
Cedric exhaled through his nose. "Yeah," he said quietly. "You got singled out."
"You don't think it's strange?" Cedric asks after a beat.
"What do you mean?" Jett replies.
"What are the odds that you're getting singled out again?" Cedric said. "Either your karma caught up, or someone or something is directly targeting you."
Jett said nothing.
Cedric forces a laugh. "Maybe I'm overthinking. Still, be careful."
'Trust me, you're not far from the truth. Atleast I'm having thesame thought now.' Jett thought to himself.
"What's your plan?" Cedric pressed. "You would not go through all this unless you had one."
"First, how are the others?" Jett asked, voice flat.
"I do not know. I stayed in the room most of the day. I grabbed food once," Cedric answered. "Evelina came by to check her bow. Marcella visited for an item. They seemed fine. Evelina looked uneasy though."
"That fits." Jett nods. "Marcella only cares about food or research." He tightens his mouth. "Back to business."
"I am listening." Cedric sets the wood aside.
"How good are you at making smoke bombs?" Jett asked. He watched Cedric's face. "How many can you craft in five days?"
*
*
*
Seems like Cedric's deductive skills are on point.
ಡ ͜ ʖ ಡ