Blaze's eyes widened, his heart skipping a beat as the weight of the Captain's words settled into his mind. 'Wait a minute… did I just join the rebellion?' he thought, his pulse quickening. 'Or is this the loyalist side doing something incredibly dark?'
The implications were staggering. In the world of Shadow Slave, kings and sovereigns were usually entities of god-like power. If they were heading toward an imprisoned King, the danger level was far beyond anything a "Dormant" like him should be near.
He opened his mouth to fire off a dozen clarifying questions, but as the first word formed, a sudden, cold prickle of dread crawled up his spine. He looked at the Captain. The man wasn't just standing there; his presence felt like a looming mountain, cold and suffocating. He was far stronger than anyone Blaze had ever met—likely a much higher Rank.
Blaze gulped, the air suddenly feeling very thin. He realized that pushing for secrets from a man who could likely erase him with a thought was a quick way to end his trial prematurely.
"That is enough..." Blaze muttered, lowering his gaze. He gave a stiff, awkward nod and dispersed, blending back into the shadows of the deck.
*****
An hour later, Blaze was sitting near the railing, staring out at the turbulent, ink-black sea. To be perfectly frank, he was pissed.
One minute, he was lying in the safety of his own bed, dreaming about college projects and webnovels. The next, he was thrust into a literal nightmare, forced to inhabit a sailor's body in a world where everything wanted to eat his soul. And he had only just started reading the book! He didn't know the rules, he didn't know the world-ending threats, and he certainly didn't know how to sword-fight.
"Fuck you, whoever did this! You absolute dumbass!" he shouted into the wind, his voice lost in the crashing of the waves.
"Wow. That is a lot of rage for such a small man."
Blaze jumped, spinning around to see a towering figure leaning against a nearby mast. It was a woman, exceptionally tall and built with the lean muscle of a veteran warrior. Her long blonde hair was pulled back in a practical braid, and she possessed a commanding presence that marked her as one of the ship's elite.
He didn't know her name—he didn't know anyone's name—but he recognized her as one of the officers.
"Personal issues," Blaze snapped, trying to reclaim some shred of dignity. "Nothing else. And you are...?"
The blonde woman offered a sharp, knowing smile. "I am Anna. You must be Blaze, the brat who survived the serpent in the cabin. So, tell me, what is the issue? You sound like you're trying to pick a fight with the gods themselves."
Blaze looked at her with a flicker of contempt. "Why should I tell you anything?"
Anna's smile didn't waver, but her eyes grew cold. "Because if you keep shouting and attracting monsters with your temper, I'll be the one who has to pin you to the deck. So, you have choices. You can tell me what's eating you and resolve it, or you can stay silent and let your 'mental depression' mess up your work and the work of those around you. Or," she stepped closer, her height intimidating, "we can settle your frustration in a room with some sparring. Your call."
Blaze facepalmed, letting out a long groan. "Please, I'll take the first choice. Fine. You want to know? One second, I was having a perfectly peaceful life, and the next, I'm in this hellhole trying to stay alive. I was just venting my anger on the idiot who put me here."
Anna looked at him for a long moment, her expression softening just a fraction. "I understand," she said, pausing as if reflecting on a ghost from her own past. "I faced a situation… similar, once."
Blaze looked up, surprised by the sudden shift in her tone. "What happened?"
Anna sighed, her gaze drifting toward the horizon. "When I was a small child, I had a happy family. We lived in the capital. Then, one fine day, the King's guards arrested my father and mother. They were accused of treason—a baseless lie. They were killed before my eyes. After that, I faced things that were… unpleasant. The world I knew vanished in a single afternoon."
Blaze felt a pang of genuine empathy. "Are you… okay now? How did you even overcome something like that?"
"Time," Anna replied simply. "After a long time, I realized a fundamental truth. We can't control everything. We can't control the Spell, we can't control the whims of kings, and we certainly can't control the past. We can only control what we do now. You can try to change the things outside of you, but the price is always hefty. Either you pay it, or someone close to you pays it for you."
Blaze sat in silence for a moment, letting her words sink in. In the context of the Nightmare Spell, her advice was more than just philosophy—it was a survival guide. "Thanks," he said quietly. "I needed to hear that."
They stared at the sea together for a minute, the only sound being the rhythmic creaking of the ship.
"I have a question," Blaze said, breaking the silence. "Why are we making sure the King isn't freed? If you don't want to answer, just forget I asked."
Anna looked at him, her eyes dark. "I can tell you that much. Our King is a Supreme—an entity of terrifying power. But he wasn't a protector. He tried to slaughter his own people to fuel his own ascension."
Blaze blinked. 'Supreme? Is that a Rank? Like Awakened, Master, Saint?' He cursed his lack of reading progress. He should have spent less time arguing with Rob and more time actually finishing the chapters.
"Why would he do that?" Blaze asked.
"For more power, of course," Anna said. "It is the oldest story in history. Luckily, he was defeated by a divine intervention of sorts. But he was cursed with immortality; he could not be truly killed. So, his essence was split into multiple parts and sealed across the realms. We are heading toward the place where one of those parts is buried. Our job is to ensure the seal remains intact."
Blaze's mind raced. 'An immortal King, split into pieces and sealed. That means there's likely another party—the King's loyalists—trying to find the pieces and put him back together. I'm on the side of the jailers.'
He looked at his own thin arms and the rusted sword at his hip. He was a nobody in a clash of titans.
"Can you train me?" Blaze asked suddenly. "In our free time? I don't want to be a liability next time a serpent climbs over that railing."
Anna looked at him, a genuine, amused smile crossing her face. "Sure, brat. Meet me at sunset on the lower deck. Don't be late."
"One more thing," Blaze called out as she started to walk away. "What was his name? The King?"
Anna stopped, her back to him. "Kanakhat," she whispered, before disappearing into the shadows of the ship.
*****
By sunset, the training began.
Anna was a brutal, uncompromising teacher. As they sparred with wooden practice blades, Blaze felt the gap between them. She was an Awakened, and she moved with a fluid, terrifying grace that no human should possess.
Through his special Attribute, Blaze observed her closely. He could see the difference in their souls. His own was a dim, flickering spark, but Anna's was a bright, condensed orb of power. He also noticed something interesting about the structure of the ship's power. According to the auras he could see, the boat was run by one Transcendent (the Captain), two Masters, and three Awakened, including Anna.
He noticed that Anna's "Aura of Sin" was a mild, bright red—far lighter than the Captain's deep, bloody crimson.
He also learned her abilities. Anna's Dormant Ability allowed her to sense the minute movements of the wind, making it impossible to sneak up on her. Her Awakened Ability gave her the power to manipulate those winds, turning the very air into a weapon or a shield.
After an hour of being knocked into the deck boards, Blaze lay flat on his back, gasping for air.
"Well," Anna said, looking down at him and wiping sweat from her brow. "You are... remarkably ordinary so far."
"Thanks for the encouragement," Blaze wheezed, his muscles screaming in protest.
Suddenly, Anna's head snapped toward the eastern horizon. The wind around her began to swirl violently, her eyes narrowing into slits.
"Get up, Blaze," she commanded, her voice turning cold and sharp. "Attack incoming."
============
Well for those up to track,Might Know Kanakhat,for those who dont,He is a strong one.