Chapter: 38 After party

It was midnight, and the mood among the adventurers was lively and cheerful. They had been sailing for several hours, and the sound of music and laughter echoed throughout the ship. Blake and Ethan were playing their guitars, strumming upbeat melodies, as Lucy and Charlotte sang along, harmonizing their voices with the music. A group of women from the town had also joined them on the ship.

Ethan picked up a violin, looking unsure of himself as he held it. The instrument was worn but treasured, with a polished finish and delicate strings. Despite Ethan's lack of experience with the violin, the adventurers rallied behind him, giving him a round of applause and encouraging him to play.

The other adventurers soon realized their mistake.

"Dear gods save me," "Kill me," "Is this hell?" The adventurers cried.

They cringed as they heard the sound of the strings being screeched and the notes being off-key.

A bulky adventurer with short black hair and a scar near his eye grew frustrated and marched over to Ethan and roughly grabbed the violin from his hands.

Without a second thought, he tossed the instrument over the ship's rail and into the ocean below.

The violin was swallowed by the calm waters, never to be heard from again.

"Did you not like it?" Ethan asked looking at the ocean.

"Never again got it?" He said pointing at Ethan.

"Wait why-"

"NEVER AGAIN!"

"Okay."

"Good." He said as he walked away from Ethan.

Blake walked over to Ethan and patted his shoulder in a gesture of comfort.

The women from the town had on bright yellow lipstick that matched their flowing yellow dresses. As Ethan approached them, he couldn't help but be struck by the unique shade of their lipstick. It looked almost like sandstone, a warm and inviting color that added to their already captivating appearance.

Ethan rubbed his sleeve over his cheek, wiping away the tear that had started to form. He squared his shoulders and marched determinedly towards the women from the town.

"Hey ladies what do ya say about giving this man a chance?" He said in an arrogant tone.

They looked at him with a disinterested expressions and turned away, effectively brushing him off.

"Personally if that were me I wouldn't let that slide. That's just me though." Blake said looking at the women.

"I'm not going to fight no women, bro."

"Gender equality and that."

"I have a feeling that I'm going to get a girlfriend before you."

"Doubt it because you never hide your intentions, man. If I'm ever interested in a baddie then I'm not just going to ask her out. I gotta build a bond and connection and then I get the girl easy."

Lucy then approached Ethan and Blake, she had a bright smile on her face, and her joy was evident in her gestures. She was waving her beer around in her hand, seemingly in celebration.

As she approached, she looked at Ethan, "H-Hey, Ethan, your aura is still as weird as ever haha. It's stronger now, but it lacks the sort of divine energy that B-Blake has." Lucy said slurring her words.

Ethan looked down at Lucy as she suddenly passed out on his lap. He was shocked and nervously looked around at the other adventurers, as if unsure of what to do.

tried to get Lucy off his lap, but every time he moved her, she just shifted her weight in her sleep and stayed put. Her hair was long, black, and spread out over his legs. Ethan stared at her admiring the way she looked.

"On god bro. I'm willing to put down money that you're bricked up right now." Blake said Chuckling at him.

"Nah that's fucked bro," Ethan responded.

"Didn't we just spy on women taking a bath earlier?"

"You know what you can take her and put her on your lap."

"Yeah no- I'm not a masochist. If she randomly uses magic in her sleep it's game over."

Charlotte walked over to them with her pearly white hair that was styled in a tidy bun. She saw Lucy sleeping on Ethan's lap.

Charlotte had the wrong idea.

Charlotte then swiftly attempted to slap him but he caught Charlotte's hand mid-slap, his other hand still supporting Lucy's head.

He looked up at Charlotte and she knew that she read the situation wrong.

She sat down beside Ethan and Blake, her eyes still showing a hint of anger. She crossed her legs and leaned back, her arms crossed over her chest.

Some of the adventurers on the boat had already fallen asleep, their bodies swayed gently with the motion of the ship.

They were scattered throughout the deck, some of them curled up in their cloaks, others sprawled out on the wooden boards.

The sound of snores filled the air, mixed in with the gentle lapping of the waves against the boat.

Suddenly Ethan and Blake both let out high-pitched screams as they saw a rattlesnake slithering on the deck of the ship. The two of them stumbled back, their eyes wide with fear. Meanwhile, Lucy was still fast asleep on Ethan's lap, completely unaware of the danger. The rattlesnake's tail was buzzing, making a loud sound that echoed throughout the quiet deck.

Ethan quickly jumped to his feet and pushed Lucy off his lap, running back and taking cover with Blake. Charlotte, who was sitting a few feet away, was ashamed at their reaction and shook her head in disappointment. The two boys huddled together, trying to catch their breath and calm their racing hearts.

"You two can fight a scorpion man who kills everyone around you but you're scared of a normal snake?" Charlotte said in a condescending tone.

"I can fight anything but spiders and snakes," Ethan said looking at the snake.

"You're an archer. Just shoot it with a bow." Blake snapped at him.

"I'll lend you my bow if you want to do it."

"I can't aim."

"And I can aim 30 percent of the time."

Charlotte quickly grabbed Blake's sword, which was lying nearby.

She held it with a steady hand, her eyes focused on the rattlesnake. In one swift motion, she swung the sword and plunged it into the snake, killing it instantly.

"Maybe you should be the sword member." Ethan chuckled.

Charlotte sighed.

She turned to Blake and tossed the sword back to him. Blake expertly caught the sword with one hand, showing his skill and mastery of the weapon.

"If our lives were on the line and that snake was a serious threat would you be able to kill it?"

"I mean yeah probably." He said spinning his sword.

"I- so- then why did I have to kill it?"

"Honestly I like being dramatic."

"Deadass same," Ethan added.

The group was jolted out of their conversation as they noticed a massive iceberg ahead of their ship.

It towered over the ship, glistening under the moonlight with its icy blue hues. The adventurers were alarmed and sprang into action, trying to wake up Lucy who was still fast asleep. Blake and Ethan shook her and called her name, trying to rouse her from her slumber.

Charlotte was trying to get her attention by yelling in her ear, but Lucy remained unresponsive.

The group looked back at the iceberg in front of the ship and saw a man standing at the edge of the deck.

He wore a blue tunic and had a magic potion strapped to his wrist. With a wave of his hand, he summoned an explosion that obliterated the iceberg.

The blast was so powerful that it lit up the night sky, and the adventurers could see the shockwave ripple through the water.

"What rank are you?" Ethan asked him.

"A rank."

"A ranks are that strong?"

"I mean the iceberg didn't have a magic barrier so it's easy to destroy it."

"That makes sense."

"Wake me up if there's another one."

Ethan walked over to the driver of the ship, who was fast asleep at the wheel. The ship was heading straight for an iceberg and time was running out. Ethan could feel the urgency in his gut as he approached the sleeping driver.

With a loud bang, he slammed his foot down on the floor, causing the driver to jump up in surprise. The sudden jolt woke the driver up, and he looked around frantically, trying to figure out what was going on.

"Listen you can't fall asleep when you're the one driving. Find someone else to steer the ship if you need to sleep."

"Oh, s-sorry. I drank a little too much l-lad. It won't happen again." He said slurring his words,

He sighed heavily before walking back to the dock, where he lay down and closed his eyes.

Despite his exhaustion, he took a moment to pray, hoping that he would make it through the night without any accidents.

Ethan then closed his eyes and fell into a deep sleep as the sounds of the waves gave him a wave of relaxation.