Dungeon Sniper

Doby Mick II left the harbor precisely at dawn. The small but efficient crew of the Sea Cranes moved about the ship diligently and prepared for the sail in less than an hour. So all I did was sweep and mop the floor aimlessly while I watched Elysia look up in the sky and examine the faintly lit stars. Captain Baha nodded whenever Elysia pointed and, presumably, identified stars correctly.

Before I knew what was happening, Doby Mick II slid away from the dock and into the open sea. The sun was just rising over the horizon, and we were heading right into it, it seemed.

It was a beautiful sight, refreshing and exhilarating, and it even made me forget the fact that I had been holding a broomstick for the past few hours.

Until, of course, someone yelled that he slipped over a puddle on the deck and demanded the 'rookie' to come over and mop it away.

I had never been a part of team sports, but if this was what people called 'hazing,' I was glad that I had not joined any.

"Get mopping, rook. Faster. I can still see your hands moving," jeered Paterpen sitting on the upper deck rail with Liamesh standing beside him, smiling a little apologetically but obviously enjoying being a part of the bullying as well.

"Because I am moving my hands! You want me to mop or what?"

"I want you to move them faster. And don't raise your voice. When I was a rookie, I wasn't able to speak for the first entire month on the sea."

"Shef was a tough son of a bitch back then," nodded Liamesh nostalgically.

"Cap only acts like a lofty, elegant Elf, but we of all people know that he's putting on a ruse."

"What, is he a halfling too?"

"Hey! Less talking, more mopping!" snapped Paterpen, half-serious, half-jesting. He still looked like an asshole to me though.

"No, Cap isn't a halfling. He's not just any Elf either. He's a man of the sea through and through," said Liamesh admiringly... even a little too admiringly. If I had not known any better, I would have assumed that Liamesh was into men rather than... or maybe I really did not know any better. The Reptil was probably the happiest, merriest dude I had ever met in the Dungeon so far, so. I was not being judgmental or anything, but there was definitely a mellow nuance in the way that Reptil looked and said the words 'Shef' and 'Cap'...

Which reminded me of something.

"Why do you guys call Shef 'Cap?' I heard that only rookie captains are called in such a way. Shef's only a vice-captain, or was it lieutenant? Sorry, never been a sailor before in my life."

I chuckled cheerfully. Sure, I was the janitor of a large ship for now, or for good, but the beautiful weather and the fresh, salty air made me feel a little buoyant. Besides, Captain Baha promised that after this last voyage, he would free Elysia and me from the weird slavery custom of this Level. It did not feel exactly like a cruise, but I was not feeling so down either. Also, no seasickness for me. Elysia, on the other hand, was having it tough, gagging and turning pale...

Just like the two sailors staring down at me.

"Who told you that? Where did you hear that from?" asked Liamesh sharply. His eyes no longer seemed friendly.

"From the captain. Captain Baha," I blinked as I answered warily.

"You idiot, you told the captain—"

Paterpen was about to fall off the ledge and jump at me but Liamesh grabbed the Dwarf swiftly in the air.

"Calm down, Pat," paused Liamesh, looking around the deck to make sure that no one else was around us.

"So, Beta, did you tell the captain that we were referring Shef as 'Cap?'" asked Liamesh casually, but his Reptilian eyes glared at me without even a blink.

"... Not exactly. I accidentally called Baha 'Cap,' and he snapped and told me to address him in full title. That was it."

Liamesh and Paterpen exchanged furtive glances between each other.

"Good, good... Because we wouldn't want to let Captain Baha hear that we're jokingly calling our lieutenant captain, a captain. All jokes, all for a laugh," Papterpen cleared his throat unnaturally.

"Captain Baha is not a fan of humor, needless to say," added Liamesh with fake laughter. I tried to smile along but ended up frowning at the awkward duo.

"If the captain finds out that we're, I don't know, potentially confusing the line of command with our jokes—"

"Oh yeah, that sounds exactly like what old Baha might accuse us of—"

"We'd be sharing the janitorial duty with you, Beta, so promise me that you'll just get over this silly joke and tell no one else about this?" smiled Liamesh, again awkwardly.

"Especially Captain Baha," stressed Paterpen.

"I wouldn't mind sharing the janitorial duty with you guys."

The Reptil-Dwarf duo exchanged another nervous glance.

By noon, the ship was spotless clean thanks to the helping hands. And for some reason, the hazing was over. Not that Liamesh and Paterpen suddenly became nice or anything.

Rather, they seemed to keep their distance from me.

.

.

.

I was looking for Elysia that afternoon. We had not talked for an entire day, and I was worried whether Captain Baha was being too hard on her. Hard as in being a strict teacher and not the other way... although I would not let down my guard entirely. The man might have lost his leg, but his two arms were still thicker than mine would ever be.

I checked each cabin and came across what looked like a small library. Hermana looked up from a thick book on her hands as the door swung open and locked eyes with me. The small cabin was made even smaller due to the stacks of books covering the walls, and Hermana was literally sitting on a pile of books only inches away from me.

"Have you seen Elysia?" I asked, gulping nervously but trying not to show my surprise at having run into and facing a girl in such proximity. The small room smelled of a faint flowery perfume.

Hermana, on the other hand, did not seem to be surprised by the abrupt opening of the door. Having been the only woman among other crewmen might have hardened her guts.

"Close the door. The humidity is basically poison to them."

Hermana pointed at the books and waved her hand irritably for me to close the door. I did and stepped into the small library. I was that much closer with a black-haired, flower-scented beauty with brownish thick-brimmed glasses that matched her clear, hazel eyes—

"You don't have to hold your breath. I appreciate that you're doing your best not to sog these papers any more than they already are," smiled Hermana as she ran her hand fondly over the book covers.

"Yeah, I was doing that, exactly," I gulped, staring at the long eyelashes not flickering up as she moved her glance from the books to me.

"... You were looking for our new 'navigator?'" asked Hermana with an undeniable edginess in her last word.

"Just wondering if you saw her or where she is right now."

"In her own cabin with a bunch of books to keep her company for the next few days," answered Hermana flatly.

"And you know this because—"

"She was here ten minutes ago. I gave her the books she requested. And if I were you, I'd leave her alone. The old captain has basically given her thousands of pages to memorize by the dusk. You've met our captain, so you know he's not really the friendly, caring type."

"I see."

"Why did you want to see your girlfriend, other than for whatever sick, perverted purpose you men have in your minds?"

"To talk. Just talk."

"Sure."

"I mean it."

"And I don't believe you," smirked Hermana, but not unpleasantly.

All right, I might be going crazy from all the sea sickness (which I was immune to thanks to my superb physical Perks) or too much mopping for a day (which I had help from two grumbling senior crewmen), but was I imagining this or was this intellect beauty actually flirting with me? For the record, she brought up the s.e.x.u.a.l innuendo first, not me.

"Have you noticed that your colleagues call Lieutenant Captain Shef as 'Cap?'"

That came out of nowhere. I blurted those words out even though Liamesh and Paterpen bribed me through an entire morning of labor to shut me up.

"Yeah. One of their silly jokes, I guess," shrugged Hermana nonchalantly.

"They seemed scared that Captain Baha might hear."

"I'm scared that Captain Baha might hear. Our captain doesn't joke, rookie. The sooner you learn that, the better off you are."

Hermana's words concurred with the other two. I relaxed a little and looked around the small library once more.

"I highly doubt that you've read all these."

"I have."

"Liar."

"Pick a book and read the first words of any sentence and I'll finish it," said Hermana eagerly, competitively.

I picked a random book and perused the page.

"... And so our magnanimous monarch, King Laikaan, decided that—"

"—In exchange for the half of his lifespan, the heroic gift would be bestowed upon all inhabitants of the Level Three, namely the harmony between races and occasional miracles that make interracial coexistence possible."

"Damn, girl."

"That was one of the easier lines. Pick something more esoteric, like the theory of Lord Cephalos and the Mother Islands."

"I give up. You win," I smiled, returning the book in its place.

Hermana blinked.

"Are you sure? Maybe I could get it wrong," Hermana bit her lips coyly, and the flowery scent intensified around me.

Either this bespectacled beauty really, badly wanted company or was so bored that she asked to be quizzed on such a pointless, meaningless challenge.

"Why don't you just tell me a little about your history. I'm curious as well."

"Fine. Teaching a rookie is a part of the scribe's job anyway," grunted Hermana in faux frustration. I concluded that she was one of those girls who tried her best to act tough and be on par with men, not knowing how cute she looked when she did that.

And she showed me her best, most adorable face when she stared at me warily and seemed hesitant to break the words.

"Can we talk somewhere else? Just not here."

Oh, no. I had my Elysia studying her a.s.s off alone in her cabin while I was about to chat my way to another girl's bed—this was bad. Arousing, but bad indeed.

"Where do you suggest we go?"

"How about the deck, in the open, with fresh air?"

... Either she was wilder than she looked or I was completely off in assuming that something was going to happen. Not that I wanted it to happen but—

"Sure. Wherever you're comfortable with."

"Good."

Hermana sighed gratefully, frowned reluctantly, and seemed to have decided to let it out of her heart.

"I have to be honest, Beta."

Oh boy. Here it came.

"You smell like a wet, fungi-infested mop. You've smelled like that ever since you closed that door. I'm sorry, I was the one who told you to come in, and I tried to be nice but I could only take it so long. There, I said it, and please take a shower or something before you come in here in the future. Get it, rook?"

With that she ran out of the library, taking a big, appreciative breath as soon as she ran past me.

I would have smiled bitterly in solitude, but without Hermana's flowery perfume to cover my smell, I had to run out of the room myself promptly too.

.

.

.

Hermana was a good teacher. She loved every lore and legend of the Level she lived in, and the fervor was almost infectious.

"King Laikaan sacrificed his life to bring peace for not just his own race but every race. While the Human and Orc heroes left to pursue whatever big hero business they had ahead," said Hermana, not hiding the disgust in the latter sentence.

"They have names, you know. The Human hero is called—"

"I don't give a damn about their names."

Hermana also explained the meaning behind the Forevershut Gate, the Gate hidden under the sea and presumably with the lost Moby D.i.c.k I.

"The Human and Orc hero deliberately locked it and buried it before they left."

"Why would they do that?"

"To trap us here forever, obviously."

"That doesn't sound too heroic."

Hermana seemed reluctant but ended up informing me of another 'theory' that she did not believe to have an ounce of truth in it.

"Some people say that they did it to protect us rather than doom us. I know that sounds 'heroic,' but no one knows the truth and also that doesn't explain why they left King Laikaan behind."

"Because Laikaan was a coward?"

I got a serious, sincere slap across the face for that joke.

"If anything, the three heroes agreed that Laikaan was the most fitting ruler to oversee the five different races."

"I agree with you, one hundred percent," I nodded, rubbing my cheek sullenly.

So for the next few days, my private lesson with Hermana continued. Liamesh and Paterpen pretended nothing was wrong when everyone was gathered together, but it was clear they avoided me and tried their best not to let me in on their conversation. If this was another form of hazing, I could take it, but there was no humor in their cold behaviors, but only distrust and cautiousness.

Captain Baha and Lieutenant Shef were both busy, more often than not stuck in their room and only showing up on the deck occasionally to check and adjust the course. Elysia was always accompanied by either of the two. A weary smile was all she could afford as we passed each other briefly and fleetingly at the diner and along the corridors.

"I took your advice and came up with what you called 'pizza.' Is this what you wanted?"

Queeqa and I became friends. There was a special connection between a cook and a janitor, between two men who had no place on the deck when it meant business. I ended up hinting Queeqa a few cuisines from my original world, pizza being one of them, and the skilled, ambitious chef-on-the-sea successfully emulated my suggestion-turned-requests.

"You're a genius, Q. I could eat your food all my life," I said, munching on the fresh-baked, heavenly-tasting pizza which showcased a whole lobster as a topping.

"Good. I know I have at least one regular coming to my restaurant in the future."

"You can bet on it, chief. So, a restaurant? Is that your plan after this so-called 'last voyage?'"

"It is not just a plan, Beta. It is my dream."

The Human-Orc halfling grinned broadly and looked genuinely happy when he said those words.

The history lesson with Hermana continued sporadically but continuously. I once caught Elysia's tired but suspecting eyes when she spotted Hermana and me talking and joking on the deck. I almost felt guilty, but seeing Elysia standing next to the gorgeous Shef did not make me feel any less uncomfortable either. I was insecure and jealous, sure, but hanging out with Hermana had nothing to do with jealousy.

I liked Hermana. Elysia, I loved her. But Hermana was the first-ever Human 'friend' I had gotten since my beta tester job began. Ramsis the Rogue Runnel betrayed me, and Mosez the Revolutionary died before we could strike up a prolonged, meaningful friendship.

I tried my best not to notice how pretty Hermana looked when she laughed, or how her eyes sparkled whenever the topic of her interest came up.

"You really want me to believe that the islands of Octoportum used to be a giant Kraken itself?"

"I'm just reiterating what the books have written down. Books don't lie, Beta."

"Who do you think wrote those books? People. People lie all the time."

"People, maybe. But King Laikaan wrote it himself. And there are witnesses still alive. The history of the Kingdom of Trios is still young. It's only fifty years long. Which makes it only more exciting, you see, because it's the very fact that we're living in it, recording it, studying it—"

"An octopus the size of eight islands combined. That's impossible."

"A squid, not an octopus."

"Why the round head then?"

"It happened to be bald, as is her son, Lord Cephalos, or more commonly known as the 'Bald Kraken.'"

"That's a bit harsh, calling a bald squid by names. I don't know about you, but every one in four men live in the fear of becoming bald someday."

"Hmm. I think you'll be fine, Beta," said Hermana, running her hand through my hair casually. My heart almost skipped a beat then.

"So this Bald Kraken, it's pretty real then?"

"Real and alive. Not as big as his mother—"

"You mean the islands—"

"—But deadly nonetheless."

"Deadly as in flashing his bald head and reflecting the sunlight to blind the sailors nearby? Or even set the sails on fire? You know, like a giant magnifying glass, but rounder."

"Look who's making bald jokes now."

But Hermana smiled, and I was content.

"But really, Lord Cephalos is no joke. His pointy head became round because he headbutts sh.i.p.s, rocks, islands, basically anything that comes in its way."

"Doesn't sound too smart."

"Something so big and strong doesn't need to be smart."

"So it's a mindless, stupid giant squid. I don't know what the fuss is all about."

"It's not mindless. It has sentience. And above all else, it's greedy and acquisitive. And as a crew of a salvager ship, there is a constant fear of running into the Bald Kraken."

"Have you ever run into one?"

Hermana blinked.

"Not yet."

"I thought so," I smirked.

"But it's real!"

"Of course. Keep dreaming, little girl."

I goaded Hermana to jump at me, and she did. Hermana was tough, being an able crew of a salvager ship that required some heavy lifting and staying on her feet through turbulent waves most of the days, but she was a girl. I embraced her tackle and we rolled around the deck in a playful wrestle, giggling and tickling each other—

When my back touched someone's leg: lean, long, but far from fragile with muscles built from more than a hundred years of sprinting in the woods, like an elegant gazelle—

"Having fun?"

The beautiful gazelle had the eyes of a hawk at the moment. I got up hastily, facing Elysia awkwardly.

"Finally off duty, babe?"

But Elysia was not looking at me. She was staring at Hermana, cold and appraising. I turned and saw that Hermana seemed slightly fl.u.s.tered but stood tall and confident.

"What? It's not like we kissed or anything," scoffed Hermana as Elysia stormed off toward the other direction.

And the worst part was that I did not chase after Elysia, and that I dreamed about kissing Hermana in sleep that night.

.

.

.

A full week had passed since our departure from Octoportum. Elysia had not talked to me since that awkward encounter on the deck. I avoided Hermana as best as I could too. My conscience ached, and I felt like a jerk.

"Women. I know from experience that being wanted can be tiresome too."

I was helping Queeqa reel in the fishing net on the bottom deck when I inadvertently blurted my love-triangle fiasco. Queeqa shared his history with women. And I believed him. The light-green skin color and pointy canines aside, Queeqa was a handsome man with a heck of an Orcish body to complement his manly looks. Not to mention that he was an amazing cook. The novelty of a halfling combined with those traits turned him into a chick-magnet until he decided to part the troublesome love lives and ventured out to the sea.

"What do you suggest I do?" I asked, taking the live, flapping fish out of the net.

"Follow your heart, Beta. Do not let others dictate what you should do," said Queeqa solemnly.

I nodded back and concentrated on the task at hand when Paterpen cried from the watch post on the topmost sail.

"Debris ahead! Steer away!"

The sea of Level Three did not have too many rocks, so it was the first time that I heard a distress call from the watchpoint. Queeqa and I let go of the net and ran up the foredeck to see what Paterpen meant by 'debris.'

It was a black pile of dead whales. Twenty or thirty by the looks of it.

"The Black Whales. We have reached the Central Sea," said Queeqa without any sign of agitation.

"Are they dead? All of them?"

Queeqa stared down at me with pity and compassion in his eyes.

"Get used to it, Beta. We will be seeing a lot more of those in the next few days."

"Get used to it? That's a massacre! How am I possibly..."

My throat closed, and if it had not, I feared I would have thrown up violently.

The others have gathered around by this time, but no one spoke a word. I spotted Elysia and Hermana too, but I did not turn to look them in the eyes. Not yet. I was almost thankful that I had another thing to focus my mind at the moment.

"Humans and the Black Whales," smirked Paterpen quietly, not thinking that I could catch his sneer.

For some reason, the way Paterpen spoke those words snapped a fine line in my head, and I fired away readily.

"What do you mean by that? Speak up, Pat, say the words in my face."

"I'm just saying, we're used to seeing Humans get hysteric whenever they see those dumb fish."

"Shut up, Dwarf."

It was Hermana who hissed those words. I felt grateful, but I dared not make eye contact with her just yet.

"What's going on?"

Captain Baha emerged from the trap door and walked towards us. He followed the others' gaze and stopped as he spotted the pile of dead Black Whales. I could not read any emotion in his eyes during the short few seconds he stood still. He then turned to Shef, ordered the circ.u.mvention, and left with the cool air still hanging.

"See? You eventually get used to seeing such a sight," Queeqa patted my shoulder reassuringly.

"How? How are you so calm? Is it just me or—"

"It's not just you, Beta. It's us, Humans."

I finally turned to Hermana and saw that she, too, was holding back tears. We barely locked eyes for a few seconds before she turned and left the scene too. As if on a cue, the rest of the crew dissipated as well. Elysia stayed behind, eyeing me worriedly, but not coming closer.

"What does that mean? What does being a Human have to do with... feeling sympathy?"

I turned to Queeqa who now grasped my shoulder tightly in silent support.

"I am only half-Human, so I am less affected. But there is something about the Black Whales and the Humans. A collective memory, I heard Hermana say before. A friendship remembered and written in our cells even before birth."

I could not possibly have understood that, but I did. The Black Whales, their shiny, smooth skin reflected off the setting sun, seemed macabre rather than beautiful. I could imagine the powerful sea mammals swimming across the ocean like the noble, elegant creatures they were.

But now, a lifeless heap of corpses floated in front of me. I felt a tear run down my cheek.

"There is nothing you can do, Beta. Let us get back to work."

Queeqa guided me away from the horrific scene.

"Wait, there's one alive! I saw it."

I ran toward the edge of the deck and was convinced that I had seen it correctly. A young Black Whale, badly hurt and nearly dying, gaped its mouth helplessly as it struggled to stay afloat and not sink to death.

I jumped without a second thought. I heard Elysia's gasp followed by Queeqa's desperate curses.

Five minutes later, I was being lifted up with a rope in one hand and a baby Black Whale on the other arm.

"I understand your impulse, but this is all too meaningless," Queeqa clicked his tongue as he stared down at the dying creature on our feet. It had scars everywhere, and blood was trickling down its breath hole incessantly. It made a weak noise, followed by a large burst of blood puking out of its mouth.

Queeqa was right. There was nothing I could do at the moment.

"Are there sea monsters that I should be aware of doing this... sick damage on these animals?" I swallowed with effort.

"Monsters. Maybe you're right," smiled Queeqa sardonically.

" Wait, is this the Bald Kraken's doing? Is that it?"

"The Bald Kraken has nothing to do with this," said Queeqa gravely.

"Then what?!" I yelled in fury.

"... The Black Whales have been marked as bad luck by the sailors all around. Most avoid them, pray to the dead King Laikaan to protect them from the bad omen. Some... hunt them down."

I was lost for words, but Queeqa was not done.

"What started as a ritual to dispense with bad luck altogether turned into a sport, a hunt for p.l.e.a.s.u.r.e."

There it was. My source of anger. These animals were hunted. The brutal scars and the neglect afterward told the entire story. The hunt was performed not for food. Not for safety. Not for survival.

But for fun. They were hunted down and left dead in the open sea, all for fun.

"Animals," I cursed. In my mind, I was picturing the pirates, not unlike the ones that sold Elysia and me as slaves, shooting and throwing harpoons at the helpless whales in their spare time. The image made me sick.

"Have you—Have others on this ship—"

"No. Captain Baha would never allow such an atrocity. Besides, he is a Human too. You saw how Hermana reacted. It is only natural, so do not let Paterpen and his ins.e.n.s.i.t.i.v.e words get to you, Beta. I apologize in his place."

I nodded grudgingly. I did not care about Paterpen or anyone else.

The poor, dying creature in front of me preoccupied all of my head and heart at the moment.

"Perhaps you are thinking of asking me to cook it, Beta?" asked Queeqa cautiously.

"No, Queeqa, I would never ask you to do such a thing," I let out a feeble chuckle.

"Good, because, no disrespect intended, the Black Whales taste like crap. All the more reason for the hate around the sea, you see."

"Bad luck and bad meat."

"I do pity them too, even if that is my half-Human side speaking."

I knelt down and ran my hand over the baby whale's skin. It jolted at my touch but soon relaxed. I saw a tear roll through its clear, round eyes. I felt another one on my cheek too.

"I can't let it back on the sea. Not like this."

"Beta, it is dying."

"It's suffering, and I'm going to help."

I reached for the belt and took out the knife I had used for cutting the fish loose from the net. Queeqa understood what I was about to do and did not stop me. He simply stood solemnly and silently beside me.

"I saw you crying."

I looked up. Elysia walked closer to me, eyeing me with pain in her eyes.

"I must look like a fool right now," I attempted a smile as I wiped another tear.

Elysia returned a sad, sympathetic smile.

I c.a.r.e.s.sed the baby whale one more time and looked into its eyes. The intelligent creature realized what I was about to do and, to my surprise, blinked slowly and appreciatively before closing it for good, in preparation.

I drew the knife over the spot where the heart was beating faintly. It was very faint, and it felt like the whale was pushing for its last heartbeat to let me know the exact location.

"Beta, if you go for the heart—"

Elysia tried to stop me. She and I both knew that piercing a heart recklessly would lead to an unwanted Perk. I never told her about my fear of the side-effect of triggering the Critical Siphon, but she was too smart not to have noticed it. Heck, even I expected for a fractional second's hesitation before hitting the heart.

But none came. So I was able to put a swift stop to the dying creature's prolonged suffering.

And that was all I could do, as maddening as it was.

[Perk gained: Whale Song - Gratitude]