Staring at the ceiling of his bedroom, Aaron contemplated the words spoken by the frigid beast that tore through his skull.
His fatigue had vanished in a flash, his lengthy rest restoring his vitality to its pinnacle, allowing him to stretch a little.
That terror… He's something that can resist looking at a god? And he knew I was a Ghostship wielder just by that?
Rasping his finger against his bedside table, he noticed tiny white pills prescribed by the doctors at Corvassa.
"Eh? How did these—"
He paused, realizing a familiar blue crustacean was staring at him oddly from the other end of his bed, his claws tightened firmly.
What seemed to be a look of displeasure shot across the chamber to the boy, the creature vanishing in a hue of turquoise sparkles.
Does he know that I spoke to that thing?
Standing up while grabbing his medicine, he hurried to the bathroom where he gulped them down along with some water.
Immediate doses of mana filled his system, the effects of the restoration pills fixing his ruined core to a healthy degree.
Wiping his face with a wet rag, the blue-eyed boy stared at his reflection in the metal mirror he had personally installed in the bathroom attached to his chamber.
His once wheat colored hair mixed with streaks of turquoise, his skin rough and tan after horrific burns and training.
I've really changed…
Flexing his slim frame, he could see the tiniest muscles beginning to bulge from his biceps and chest, a smile creeping across his face.
However, as soon as it had come, it vanished as he felt his metallic limb groan gently under his weight.
The loss of his leg was still weighing on him heavily, even after it was replaced by the magical tool that bolstered his strength.
Quickly leaving the room, the boy hurried into the laboratory that was located only a few doors down from his own.
Various closets and dead-end gateways were spread throughout the underside of the Ghostship, an oddity the boy could only deduce would change if the vessel expanded once again.
If I had gotten that Apex's core, I would be…
Turning the valve door of the lab, he walked inside, the familiar smell of acidic solutions entering his nose.
Invincible.
The small chamber was humbly furnished; there were only three tables, crowded with unknown chemicals and objects, while the lighting was dim.
In the furthest corner, a machine creaked ominously, spitting out a vile of goo identified by Eleanor as rat poison.
To this day, the boy had no clue for what purpose the ship created this substance; however, using it to his advantage, he kept a bottle with him at all times.
Penelope would kill me if I coated her in this, but I can use it as lighter fluid…
Finishing his business in the underside of the vessel, the boy slowly made his way to the deck, feeling the warm sun rays brushing across his face.
"How many days was I out for…"
Looking around, confused, he couldn't see any land in sight, but the sea was speckled with a magenta hue, denoting he was still in the Sea of Dreams.
Tapping his chin lightly, he gazed up at the sky using his ability to determine the time and weather.
Clear skies and sunny… Nearly noon…
A sharp pang of backlash dug through his core, forcing a light gasp from the boy's throat as he deactivated the skill.
Shaking his head in irritation, he abandoned the idea of finding his location by using the sky as a reference, instead moving towards the cabin where the map lay delicately.
Its worn parchment stared back at him as he unfurled it, checking what was in the general vicinity.
As always, the Ghostship was positioned in the very center, its turquoise sails glowing even on the paper.
Tracing his finger in a straight line ahead of the vessel, he froze as he noticed a solid orange line streaking across the map.
Words written in runic script appeared as he grazed the surface, the characters shifting at rapid speeds to adjust to the modern tongue.
Divide of Mysteries.
The language confused Aaron for a moment as he dug deep into his memories to decipher their meaning.
Slowly, the words clicked as he remembered where the first mission of the Hunters' Exam had been issued for normal people.
"The Oceanic Edge is this close already… It seems it's already been about a day since I departed, if I'm already here."
Checking the waters around the vessel to make sure nothing was approaching, he folded the map back up, exiting the room calmly.
Staring towards the bow, he noticed the main form of Mr. Crab holding a fishing rod between his claws, his eyes fixed on the distance.
Walking over slowly, Aaron spoke quietly, while the crustacean didn't even twitch an eye stalk.
"Care if I join you?"
Without so much as a response, an illusory fishing pole appeared within the blond boy's hands, a tool made out of mana.
Aaron let out a sigh and sat down on the edge of the ship, following the crab's gaze into the endless distance that stretched out far.
Speaking solemnly, the boy was finally able to ask things he had been wondering for weeks on end.
Every day since waking up on this Ghostship, questions had plagued his mind, ones that all bubbled up in this moment.
"You know what I'm seeing in my dreams, don't you?"
There was a lengthy pause as a heavy gust of salty-smelling wind blew across the deck, the boy's hair blowing as the sound of a positive click resounded through his ears.
Turning his gaze downward as he contemplated the creature's response, he spoke again.
"I assumed as much…"
Tossing his line far into the sea, the sound of it hitting the crashing waves lit up his ears, the sound of a whirling line like a melody.
Closing his eyes while taking a deep breath, the boy decided to vent the frustrations that had been steadily growing inside his heart.
Pent of anger, resentment, confusion, and even hate appeared on the surface of his mind, spilling out in his words.
"You, the Old Man, and even the damn monster inside my head tell me nothing about who I am or what the hell I'm supposed to do... How do I even know if I'm doing the right thing!?"
Mr. Crab didn't respond, only staring out into the sea with his beady-black eyes drooping ever so slightly.
Rolling his turquoise pupils at the animal, Aaron spoke again.
"There isn't an answer, is there? Is it that you yourself don't know, or is it that you can't tell me? You might be a crab, but you aren't really a normal crab, having a link to the Ghostship and all."
He paused, bitter words sticking to his throat like bile.
"With as much power as you wield, I wonder if you could kill me. Would you do it? If I refused to do anything with this power and returned to my home to waste the rest of my years, would you vanish along with my dreams?"
Tightening his grip on the rod, he watched as the crab turned away, his shell flickering with sparks of turquoise.
"You would, wouldn't you? There isn't anything that sets me apart from anyone else in this damn world, and you've begun to realize that."
Not letting up for a moment, the boy continued on.
"I lose, lose, lose, and lose again. I rip and tear my own flesh and blood for an ounce of recognition that I never would've needed in my old life. My own body mutilated for a quest forced upon me without a choice!"
Raising his crippled limb now adorned with the magical armament, he watched as the crustacean twitched ever so slightly.
"Tell me then, with all you've seen from me, do you really think I was the right one to be chosen for this?"
Ending his rant with a question posed towards the blue creature, he could only wait for a response, unsure if it would ever come.
Below the vessel, the water flashed oddly, flickers of orange appearing for an instant, then bathing the waves with its hue.
They had entered the Sea of Mystery at last; however, the heavy silence that hung over the two outweighed the scene.
Click.
One small snap of his claws echoed through the still air, his body vanishing in a flash of sparks, leaving Aaron alone.
He did not speak after the crustacean disappeared, only sitting on his words and the answer, wondering to himself silently.
Inside his heart, the feeling of insignificance when faced with people far surpassing him in every category appeared before him.
He was surrounded by prodigies beyond belief, whether it be a human who could slay gods or a woman who murdered a Sea King in her youth.
Was he, a tall boy from Strava, worthy of the honor of a Ghostship when thousands of other, more capable people wished for one?
The answer to his inquiry was not simple, nor did he expect it to be; however, he still pondered about it, his failures sprouting something dark inside his chest.
The sound of the Apex of Life's laughter coursing through his mind echoed dimly, the feeling of the midday sun burning his neck and forcing him to close his eyes as he listened to the gentle song of the waves.