Chapter 21: 21: Splitting Mindset
The group moved silently through the hall, the walls made of a shimmering crimson metal. The floors, composed of the same material, felt oddly squishy beneath their feet, while the ceiling above was luminous, casting a strange golden glow.
As they walked, their heads constantly on a swivel to avoid being caught off guard by a Fatek ambush, Nameless found himself distracted. His gaze was fixed on the wide screen before him, his chin resting on his hand as he contemplated a bright idea. The ambush they had just survived had significantly thinned out the ship's forces.
Yet, a nagging feeling gnawed at him about the absence of further Fatek attacks.
Normally, after the initial assault, at least three more Fatek would have been waiting. But none were present. This ship was considerably larger than the usual C-Rank vessels. Still, Nameless chose not to dwell on this, focusing instead on more pressing matters.
**//Stats//**
Name: Axel Teras
Exp: 8/100
Level: 17
Job class: None
<Attributes>
*Strength: 29
*Agility: 20
*Senses: 6
*Mana: 19
*Health: 20/20
*Stat points: 12
Nameless nodded as he noticed something new about the system. After leaving the trial, leveling up only added one point to some stats, while others varied in a way he couldn't quite grasp, unlike the more predictable system during the trial. He was nearing level twenty, and it struck him how much harder it would become to level up.
'It won't be easy forever. Maybe at level twenty or so, it'll take more time to level up, just like during the trial. I'll need to figure out how to improve my skills more to compensate for that.'
The only skill that still troubled him was *KING OF THE UNDEAD*. Unlike *DECEASED TOUCH*, which had kicked in instinctively when he was on the brink of death, he wasn't sure the same would happen with this one.
'I'm curious, but I'll leave it until I get out of this kill zone. I should at least invest my points and prepare for the next wave.'
Nameless, with his newfound wisdom, decided not to dump all his points into Strength. Instead, he balanced it out by investing in Agility this time.
<Attributes>
*Strength: 30
*Agility: 29
*Senses: 8
*Mana: 19
*Health: 20/20
*Stat points: 0
'I figure there's a balance to all these things. Too much Strength would decrease my Agility despite what the system shows, and too much Agility means weaker attacks. That also means I'll have to balance even my Senses—'
Before Nameless could take another step forward, an elbow jabbed at his... palm. He had caught it instinctively.
He was so mesmerized by how quickly he had reacted that he didn't immediately question why someone had tried to strike him.
"Stop daydreaming, you blind fool! Are your eyes bleeding shit?" a rude, raspy voice jolted him back to reality, where he met the irritated gaze of the person who had attacked him.
Nameless shook his head, stepping back slightly and turning his attention to the problem at hand.
It wasn't an attack but a mind-boggling dilemma.
Up ahead, the crimson path split into two separate tunnels, one on the left and the other on the right. Both reeked of Fatek, a vile smell that Nameless could sense from this distance even without awakening his powers.
Captain Rowin stood there, arguing with a few others over the situation.
Who wouldn't?
Nameless scanned the nearly identical paths, trying to find a solid reason behind this setup.
He could only fathom this as a trap. The lack of attacks up to this point was likely a ploy to lure them into splitting their forces across two tunnels, forcing them to choose one. With the reduced numbers on their side, splitting up was the worst possible idea.
If they entered a tunnel as a group, the Fatek from the other two tunnels would escape and, in an instant, launch a two-pronged attack on them. Not to mention, the Fatek could now move through walls.
Nameless knew that any decision they made here would put them at a disadvantage. This wasn't their territory, and they weren't fighting on their terms. A battleship this large was bound to result in heavy casualties, and if they weren't careful, this mission could turn into a one-sided massacre.
"Hey, Nameless, what do you think about this?"
Nameless turned to see Loki, whose face was filled with more amusement than fear at the situation. His sister stood beside him, her dangerous green irises matching her dark green hair.
They looked untrustworthy, to say the least.
'For now, I'll play along until I can figure these two out.'
Nameless made sure to nod first before speaking in a low, gurgling voice muffled by his mask. "It's obviously a trap."
Loki burst into a low cackle before pouting his lips in a mischievous manner. "That's pretty obvious, but what I wanted to ask is your opinion because you are one of them, right?"
Nameless barely flinched at the accusation. This made him question how much information had been shared with the party about him, and what their goal was in accompanying him. What were the red lines not to be crossed during their watch?
"If I were one of them, would I really be standing here instead of being in a hurry to lead you all into a trap? Or would I have helped you slay my brothers? You already know that and are just trying to test my intelligence and see through my hidden identity, aren't you?" Nameless shook his head, having a good grasp of the situation.
"Loki could testify to me not being one of them, especially after he saved me from the near-death experience with that fat-ass Fatek. So this justifies my theory of how much you know about me and how much you don't."
Loki's expression faltered slightly at Nameless' statement. 'He's quite good, smarter than I expected him to be. He could decode that entire situation just from a few mistakes I made.'
"That's some great detective work; it proves you're human," Loki applauded slowly, with an encouraging smile that was clearly fake.
"I'm not sure how you're so good at fighting, but I'd like to go up against you after all this," Hera frowned deeply, stretching a hand out to Nameless for a handshake.
Too bad Nameless wasn't kind enough to take it. He saw it as a trap, a pile of shit extended for him to bite on.
"My ability is to create mystical weapons from my body," Hera added, trying to earn Nameless' trust after he left her hand hanging.
After she said this, there was a subtle shift in the atmosphere around Nameless.
'Do you take me for a fool? The moment I shake your hand, your gloves, which have been soaked in that stupid truth serum, will activate. You know I have no gloves on my left hand, which is why you offered to shake that way. You want to know my ability and get closer to me. Why?'
Hera's cheeks reddened as she bit her lips and murmured, "I'm sorry. I just wanted to know you a bit more. I'm ashamed to say this, but I have barely anyone but my brother to talk to or make friends with... It's embarrassing, but I'd like to be your friend, even if it means forcing myself on you."
The story was so authentic...
'Bullcrap! What kind of two-year-old TV show are you trying to imitate? I'll go with it for now and—'
"We've come to a decision!" Captain Rowin's words broke the murmuring of the group.
"We'll be splitting up into teams. Since there are thirteen of us left, we'll operate like this:
I'll lead a team of four: Gomez, Klystron, Gabe, Emma, and Paul. You'll take the tunnel on the far end.
Richard, Braun, you and you will take the one on the right.
I'll go with Hera, Loki, and Nameless through the middle." Captain Rowin ordered. The group immediately gathered with their assigned team members, awaiting further instructions.
"Now, make sure to clear your end. Once you're done, meet back at this point. If you spot the leader of this ship, do not engage. Hide until help arrives..."
Nameless couldn't help but admire Rowin's leadership skills. It wasn't the safest option, but it was certainly the best under the circumstances. Now, the only issue...
{Axel, do you feel that bloodlust?}
Axel turned his gaze around slightly, careful not to alert any suspicion, to see the familiar face of Velerium manifesting beside him.
Strangely, he didn't panic and ignored the fact that Velerium had appeared in an instant.
'From what I see, there's no one who can see you but me.'
{Yes...}
{You must sense it too, don't you?}
{That bloodlust... they exhibit...}
'They...?'