Endless World: The Rise of Leonard Lawson
Chapter 45: Lifeboat

Chapter 45: Lifeboat

Disguise magic was something unfamiliar to Leonard, so he didn’t have much information regarding it. Had it not been for Greg mentioning how the enemy was capable of disguising, then he would have still been in the dark.

He wanted to investigate further, but by now, the ship had tilted at 35 35-degree angle. It was barely manageable for him to keep his balance intact.

SWOOSH!

A gust of wind suddenly breezed past him.

Upon turning his head slightly, Leonard spotted it was a corpse who was slid down from the top level.

Within seconds, the corpse gained momentum and plunged into the sea below.

Shortly after the crash, a sea monster leaped from beneath the seawater and devoured the corpse in a single bite.

Chomp!

As the sea monster remained airborne slightly, it locked eyes with Leonard’s briefly.

One might think the sea monster would start to target him afterward, but it didn’t. Instead, it drifted away to the other side, seemingly waiting for more corpses to fall down.

Given its smooth action, it clearly wasn’t their first rodeo in devouring the corpses that slid down from the ship.

Leonard’s facial expression darkened slightly upon seeing that. The corpse that got devoured just now was someone whom he had recognized: Kent.

Kent was a diligent person who was working to the best of his capability.

Unfortunately, what he received in response to his dedication was a funeral without any burial. For someone without any mana sense and could only remain as an ordinary person, Kent truly tried his best to live day-to-day.

Leonard had read through most of the crewmates’ profiles who would board the Astral Gale.

Hence, he knew Kent wouldn’t be able to detect any concealment spell.

Therefore, he never planned to fault him for not spotting anything amiss in the fueling room.

Alas, this was something Kent would never be able to learn.

He was dead, and even his corpse wasn’t spared in the chilling Virellian Sea.

"Whoever contacted the Assassin Syndicate better pray I don’t find out who they are," Leonard murmured. The situation was set in stone, and there was nothing else that could be salvaged.

While Leonard no longer brooded over the corpses, up ahead of him, Mirelle and Number 13 arrived at the compartment that stored the liferafts and lifeboats.

"Please stand behind me." Number 13 warned sternly. He positioned himself in front of Mirelle, clearly trying to safeguard her from the danger.

"Okay," Unwilling to argue due to the time constraint, Mirelle allowed him to be the vanguard.

With that being said, Number 13 entered the compartment. His pupils constricted upon seeing all the lifeboats and liferafts destroyed. They were turned into mere dust.

’What kind of assassin is this fierce and domineering?’ Number 13 was truly frightened by the enemy’s means. This kind of espionage action was definitely not something a regular or low-ranked assassin was capable of.

As he slowly approached the scene, Number 13 was startled by a sudden voice.

"Hmm, you’re not the Crown Prince I was expecting."

Number 13’s eyes wandered around before spotting someone from afar. They were boarded in a lifeboat.

"You’re the assassin?" Number 13 squinted his eyes and raised the question.

The enemy was wearing a crewmate uniform, and he recognized them as Terry.

However, the demeanor and composure were a far cry from the Terry he remembered.

"Who else could I be?" The disguised Terry mused and glanced around. "Seems like the Crown Prince was indeed a coward. He really took me by surprise earlier from the conversation."

"Hmph, the Crown Prince isn’t someone you can judge!" Number 13 snorted sharply, his tone laced with disdain. Then, with a cold harrumph, he raised a hand and conjured a brief but potent spell.

A surge of mana quickly spiraled to life in his palm, gathering into a dense bolt of mixed color of lightning blue streaked with crimson and silver. It crackled with chaotic energy, forming a projectile that cut through the air with a sharp hiss.

The spell shot forward like a missile, aimed directly at the heart of the enemy.

It was fast, precise, and deadly.

Unfortunately, the surprise attack was all for nothing.

The moment the bolt struck the surface of the lifeboat’s hull, a translucent dome rippled into view. The protective barrier, automatically triggered upon detecting imminent danger, flared with a faint shimmer.

Number 13’s spell slammed straight into it and dispersed without even leaving a scorch mark.

The energy fizzled away like a spark into the rain.

"How rude. Attacking without any announcement." The enemy commented and chuckled in amusement. "The engine of the lifeboat here works fine. It’s not like your tilting ship that has everything malfunctioning or systems down."

Infuriated, Number 13 was about to rush forward and use flight to confront the enemy.

However, just when one of his feet was off the platform to leave the ship, he was promptly dragged back by Mirelle.

Confused, Number 13 turned his attention to her.

He was communicating with his eyes alone, clearly asking why she dragged him back from advancing further.

The enemy was just right in front of her!

If they were to drift their lifeboat any further away, then it would be a pipe dream to try and capture them.

"I don’t suppose you’re that ignorant to believe an enemy who succeeded in their saboteur would idle around for their target to locate them, right?" Mirelle ignored his stare and questioned.

Upon hearing the question, Number 13’s body jolted slightly. Indeed, why in the world would their enemy wait at the front for them?

To taunt them?

To witness the end of the Crown Prince?

Not a single reason that Number 13 could ponder over made any sense.

"You’re right." Number 13 came to his senses and realized the enemy was provoking him on purpose to dart at them. "But what are they trying to achieve by waiting for us here? Couldn’t they have just left immediately?"

Before Mirelle could answer his doubt, a voice echoed from behind, causing everyone’s attention to turn to them.

"That’s because they couldn’t leave and were waiting for me to appear." Leonard emerged from behind, his eyes staring deeply at the enemy.

"Am I right, my dear assassin and saboteur?"