Chapter 81

It had been four days since the ship set sail. The passengers, who had been groaning on the floor, hugging their buckets weakly and busy with the pollution of the sea surface, were now showing signs of settling down. Worm exchanged words with the passengers who had regained their composure and even deepened their interactions to the point of indulging in unfamiliar board games.

"…I surrender."

Worm threw down the piece he was holding and looked up at the sky. Of course, when looking up from the middle deck, there was nothing but the wooden boards that served as both the ceiling and the floor.

"In that case, I'll take these."

The merchant scooped up the beans on the small plate and greedily devoured them in front of Worm. Those roasted beans were something Worm had nurtured like a daughter. To have them usurped by a mere merchant… Worm's face contorted with humiliation.

"Not bad, you know. Well, I'm still a beginner, after all."

The merchant, who spoke with a glib tongue, seemed pleased as he tapped the board game. Although he had lost yesterday and treated Worm to the ship's unpalatable meals, his aim was simple: to rattle Worm's emotions and dull his skills in the next game.

"…I'm honored to receive your praise."

"By the way, I'd like some cold water next."

"Say what you will. You'll be treating me to another unpalatable meal tonight."

Worm mocked the merchant, who wore a lecherous smile. The merchant was captivated by Worm's magic-cold water. For Worm, who possessed water attribute magic, generating water was easy. However, he wasn't so kind as to give it away for free. Consuming magic power with an unsuitable attribute left him both lethargic and hungry. Experienced sea mages could efficiently separate salt and water from seawater, but for Worm, who was unsuited to water magic, it was a difficult feat.

According to the ship's rules, one was not allowed to win more than one small silver coin per day from gambling, and the stakes or items were replaced with seemingly cute substitutes. While the amount, items, and effort were trivial to Worm, no one likes losing.

The subjects of the bets were not limited to board games. There were various types, such as who would be the first to catch a fish or who would land the biggest catch. It was like a casino ship, but in a closed space with few entertainments, it was no wonder the ship was bustling with gambling, and Worm was also part of it.

With revenge in his heart, Worm began to reset the pieces, but he noticed the deck becoming bustling. After all, it was happening right above them. Even without straining his ears, the sounds spoke for themselves.

"Did they catch a big one?"

At the merchant's words, Worm let out a delighted cry.

"That's good. It looks better than salted fish."

Worm led the passengers up to the upper deck, where the crew members were leaning over the rail, pointing at the sea surface.

"Hey, what's going on?"

When Worm asked a nearby crew member, he received a response.

"There's a floating object on the port side. It's quite large."

To confirm with his own eyes, Worm also leaned over the rail. Although it was still far away, something was indeed floating on the surface. Even with his cloudy eyes, Worm could make out what it was.

"A piece of wood?"

When Worm muttered the identity, the surrounding crew members provided more accurate details.

"That's part of a ship's hull."

"Moreover, it's the keel. The thickness indicates it must be from a large ship."

Even Worm, who lacked knowledge of ships, knew what a keel was. It was a crucial part of the ship's structure, akin to a human's spine.

"Did it run aground?"

"No way. The sea wasn't rough."

"Even so, are there no survivors?"

Worm and everyone else on the deck stared at the sea, but no one was floating. Only countless pieces of wood were scattered over a wide area.

"Deck officer, what do we do? Should we investigate?"

One of the crew members pointed at a small boat tied to the deck, suggesting they lower it to examine the ship's remains. The deck officer, who had made a joke that wasn't funny when they boarded, now had a stern expression.

"No, we won't lower the boat… whether it's an accident or something else, it's better to be cautious. Wake up everyone who's sleeping."

The crew members, who had been resting in the ship, woke up one after another, cursing. The captain, the owner and leader of the ship, appeared on the bustling upper deck.

"Captain, it's a shipwreck. But the damage is unusual."

The captain, who had been scanning the sea surface, quickly made a decision.

"Be on high alert. Move the passengers to the middle deck and assign the fourth team to guard them."

The crew members scattered throughout the ship like bullets.

"Move quickly! Open the armory too."

"If you don't want to get hurt, go back to the middle deck."

The sailors pushed the passengers into the middle deck as if slapping them on the buttocks. Worm, who didn't have such a hobby, quickly descended the stairs and returned to his hammock. The passengers, who were herded in, formed a cluster, discussing the shipwreck.

"That ship had bad luck."

"I saw a flag fall into the sea. It must be a merchant ship from the Liberian Commercial Federation, one of the northern countries."

"Probably overloaded with cargo."

Worm, who hadn't heard the name of the country that destroyed his homeland in a long time, frowned. Though they were hated enemies, they hadn't directly put Worm in a difficult situation. He didn't want to disdain the poor sailors.

Indeed, on a national scale, that merchant ship was the lifeblood and veins of the Liberian Commercial Federation. If ordered as a soldier, he might have burned it with curses. But Worm, who had already become a defeated soldier, felt a bitter and unpleasant sensation rise up, and he mocked himself. What was he thinking, when he was no longer a soldier?

Driven by the urge to drink rum, Worm tried to restrain himself. He had finally started to break free from the alcohol-soaked days. It was better not to drink unless necessary. Even smoking to distract himself was limited to certain places on the ship, where fire was strictly controlled.

The sight of passengers and crew members huddled in the cramped space, smoking and exhaling purple smoke, seemed absurd and nostalgic. Worm, lost in thought, let his mind wander to distant memories.

But the sudden stench and the passengers' retching brought him back to reality. Worm, who had been attacked by the urge to vomit several times, moved with remarkable agility. Fortunately, no one had vomited yet.

"Ugh, ugh, ugh..."

Most of the passengers were accustomed to the ship, but there were always exceptions. A man who was still not used to the ship had turned pale. The cause of his nausea was the stench.

"Is it still not over? What's that smell?"

The man managed to hold it in. Unable to identify the source of the stench, Worm was puzzled.

"Did the bilge water overflow?"

The merchant's words had a certain persuasiveness. The bilge at the bottom of the ship collected leaked seawater and various liquids. Worm hadn't smelled it directly, but according to Sashchev, it was similar to the smell of boiled feces and urine.

"Sure, the smell is terrible, but please don't vomit here."

"Try to hold it. Can we go up to the upper deck? We can vomit through the ventilation holes."

The passengers raised a chorus of objections. Even Worm, who had become accustomed to various odors on the battlefield, found the smell overwhelming. It was similar to the stench of a decomposing body left for several days.

The man, as instructed, headed towards the ventilation opening on the side of the ship. Worm, who had managed to avoid the worst, breathed a sigh of relief. Just as the man reached out to the edge, the ship violently shook, causing chaos inside. Worm braced himself with both feet, but several people rolled around on the deck.

"Hey, what did you do?!"

"I didn't do anything!"

The man repeated that he hadn't done anything, shaking his head. Worm spat out that it was obvious. It would be ridiculous if the ship shook just because of some vomit.

"Then what was it? Did we hit something?"

The passenger's question was answered in an undesirable way for Worm, as a voice came from the lower deck.

"Water is flooding in from the right side of the hull!!"

The sailor's scream from the lower deck sent the crew into a frenzy.

"Quick, use the bilge pumps to drain the water!!"

"Move, get out of the way. Hurry, hurry!"

"Bring the patch boards, wood, and fishing platforms, and press them against the breach!"

Crew members carrying emergency repair materials slid down the stairs to the various decks. The passengers' faces contorted in fear. It was a nightmare to think of the ship sinking in the middle of the sea. However, there was nothing Worm, who was not a specialist, could do to help.

As Worm watched the work, he caught a