Chapter 45: Skylark’s Determination Xin skillfully maneuvered the boat behind a massive rock, effectively concealing their presence from the view of the Reef Raiders’ outpost.
He retrieved the spyglass he had obtained from one of the pirate NPCs, although he couldn’t recall the name of the pirate who gave it to him.
Eager to see what awaited them, Skylark repeatedly asked, "What do you see? What do you see?"
"Five gladiators, two Tyrannosaurus Rexes, three assassins, and two giant sharks," Xin replied nonchalantly, his tone steady and composed like he was enumerating the ABCs.
Skylark’s eyes widened in panic, and she impulsively snatched the spyglass from Lord Schrodinger’s hands to see for herself. As she peered through the lens, her gasp of astonishment confirmed the dangerous predicament they were in.
"This is not good," she muttered, her heart pounding in her chest. "How come it’s different from what was mentioned in the forums?"
Xin was puzzled by her reaction. "Change? I thought the enemies we encounter in this quest are randomly generated and can vary for each player."
Skylark’s frustration grew, and she grumbled to herself, "It is, but . . . a gladiator is at least Level 20, and the Tyrannosaurus Rex is at least Level 22. There’s no way we can defeat them, especially considering their numbers."
Skylark reluctantly handed the spyglass back to Lord Schrodinger, feeling defeated by the overwhelming odds they faced. She let out a deep sigh, accepting that their current plan was futile and that their luck seemed to be against them.
"Let’s forget about this for now and sail back to Seagull’s Nest," Skylark suggested, her voice tinged with disappointment and worry. "Even a group of five experienced players at Level 20 and above wouldn’t stand a chance against those creatures.
"Our luck is simply terrible. We’ll regroup tomorrow and bring more players along to increase our chances. By that time, I hope they wouldn’t be the one guarding the hideout."
As Skylark spoke, she assumed Lord Schrodinger was listening, but to her shock, he suddenly leaped into the water without a single word.
"H-hey!" Skylark shot to her feet, her eyes wide with disbelief. She couldn’t fathom how Lord Schrodinger could make such a rash decision without any discussion.
Her heart raced, worried that his reckless action might draw the attention of the Reef Raiders. She wanted to shout at him to come back, but she knew it would only endanger them both.
"Y-You . . . !" Skylark stuttered, her words stuck in her throat as she fought to find a solution. She couldn’t just let him swim into danger alone.
Lord Schrodinger was already swimming towards the shore with determined strokes. Panic surged through Skylark as she realized he was risking his life, and she couldn’t just stand by and watch.
"You’re going to get yourself killed," she whispered, her voice tinged with fear and frustration. In a moment of desperation, she gulped down a [Water Breathing Potion] and dived into the water after him.
The cold seawater enveloped her as she swam as fast as she could, trying to catch up to Lord Schrodinger. She didn’t know what she would do when she reached him, but she couldn’t let him face the Reef Raiders alone.
𝒇𝓻𝓮𝓮𝙬𝙚𝒃𝒏𝓸𝙫𝒆𝙡.𝓬𝓸𝒎 As Skylark swam, her mind raced with thoughts of what they would encounter and how they would survive this perilous quest. She berated herself for getting involved in such a dangerous quest, but she couldn’t abandon Lord Schrodinger now.
Her old account might have handled the challenge, but now, as a newbie with limited stats, the odds seemed insurmountable.
"We’re going to die," Skylark lamented inwardly, her heart sinking at the thought of the impending doom.
"Damn that guy," Skylark hissed, her frustration growing as she swam. Her heart pounded in her chest as she finally caught sight of Lord Schrodinger, who was already several meters ahead of her.
"W-wait . . ." she called out, hoping he would hear her. But he continued swimming, seemingly determined to face whatever lay ahead.
He was either a fool or crazy.
Skylark knew she had to reach him soon, and she pushed herself harder, her breaths quickening with each stroke. The waters around her felt both vast and suffocating, but she couldn’t give up.
With all her strength, she propelled herself forward, determined to catch up with Lord Schrodinger and bring him back to safety –– knocking some sense into him if necessary.
But as they swam closer to the shore, the tension in the air grew thicker. Skylark braced herself for the fight ahead, knowing that she could no longer catch up to Lord Schrodinger and stop him from whatever crazy thing he was about to do.
At least, she thought, dying here would serve as a shortcut back to Seagull’s Nest.
In Guildbane, when players died, they had the option to resurrect in the nearest town or at the spot of their death.
Resurrecting on the spot, however, meant having to face the enemies in the area again, and with the death penalty causing a decrease in level, it was an undesirable option.
Skylark knew she didn’t want to face any more beasts with a lowered level, but she also couldn’t afford to leave Lord Schrodinger behind.
As they approached the shore, the shadows of the Reef Raiders’ hideout loomed large.
Skylark swallowed her fear and prepared herself for what lay ahead. She couldn’t predict the outcome, but she was ready to fight with all her might.
As Skylark reached the other side, she expected to find a fierce battle between Lord Schrodinger and the Reef Raiders. However, to her surprise, she found Lord Schrodinger engaged in conversation with the well-equipped Raider, who seemed to be the leader and was confidently riding a Tyrannosaurus Rex.
Her initial impulse was to rush in and fight, but she quickly realized that charging head-on would be reckless. The odds were stacked against them with so many powerful enemies. She needed a plan if they were to have any chance of survival.
She pulled out an item from her storage. It was all sorts of status effect duds like, [Poison Dud], [Freezing Dud], [Charm Dud], etc.
These would give them time to attack the Reef Raiders and reduce their HP one at a time.
She was really reserving it for this fight, but she cried deep inside at the thought of using them now. They weren’t cheap, and all her grinding money was used to buy the duds.
"Lord Schrodinger!" Skylark shouted, face determined as she bolted towards him. "I’ll stop them while you reduce their HP!"
Charging courageously with all her might, Skylark was prepared to fight and die, but her bravery and determination were met head-on with a loud smack of Lord Schrodinger’s gun directly on her face.
"Calm down."