Hell Difficulty Tutorial Chapter 800 - Everyone aboard

I managed to sidestep a surge of people and even gave one of them a shove when they got too near. Angrily, he reached for his weapon, but before he could even comprehend what was happening, Tess’s lightning struck his shoulder, causing him to flee while spewing curses.

Holding Izzy’s hand, Tess tugged to quicken our pace. The auction house wasn’t too far off, implying Tess had positioned herself nearby in case we required assistance. Glancing back now, I saw the inverted pyramid had toppled, resting precariously on its side.

"Did you hear? Two of the local Champions teamed up to take down the Weredeer, possibly aiming to curry favor with The Princess. That brings the total count of her Champions who are now dead to three out of the eleven."

We paused momentarily, allowing another group to pass. This contingent was substantial, featuring individuals lugging large wooden crates, flanked by about two dozen bodyguards with their weapons drawn. Once they were out of sight, we resumed our movement, and Tess continued speaking. "We’re uncertain of the Weredeer’s current location, but it eliminated the Champions somewhere in the west. The confrontation either occurred close enough to devastate the city through sheer collateral damage, or it happened leagues away, yet was equally destructive."

"The latter," I responded quietly.

"I believe so too. Are you alright? You appear quite pale."

"I’m fine, Tess."

"Okay."

Hurrying onward, we reached the docks and pushed through an even denser throng. At several junctures, we had to fend off smaller groups who seemed to be fixated on us for inscrutable reasons. At another point, I breached one of the defensive arrays to access the location where the others had convened. Our greetings were brief, with Sophie embracing her sister before we were compelled to hurry towards Min-Jae, who beckoned us over.

On the docks to the side, he stood beside a Feylith man clad in a uniform adorned with numerous badges. This man had his hair pulled back in a ponytail, and his wings were marginally larger than the modest Feylith wings I was accustomed to.

"Are these them?" he inquired of Min-Jae the instant we appeared. "Which one is the healer?"

Instead of replying, Lily stepped forward. Without a moment's hesitation, the man raised his arm, inflicting a deep, lengthy gash upon himself. "Heal," he commanded.

Before the word had fully left his lips, the wound sealed itself. Lily hadn't even made physical contact.

The Feylith then gave a single, decisive nod. "We’re taking everyone aboard."

The flying vessel we boarded was constructed entirely from a dark, brownish timber, boasting three masts of equal stature. Its sails, a pale, almost translucent shade of red, shifted and billowed constantly, despite the absence of any discernible wind strong enough to cause such movement. The ship itself was exceptionally wide, notably larger than typical vessels – perhaps half the breadth of a modern cruise ship.

We were admitted as promised. As they directed us below deck, to be attended to later, Min-Jae spoke, "I must admit, I’m surprised. He initially stated he would only take two individuals to escort Lily, but he must have reconsidered after you healed him." He surveyed the surroundings and pointed. "Proceed in this direction and employ this key upon locating the door marked 'The Gilded Chamber.' I must depart and attend to my duties!" With that, he departed, hurrying to make his way back on deck.

Upon entering the chamber, Blackie, exercising extreme caution not to displace any objects, positioned himself in a corner. He was attired in a black cloak, concealed beneath a hoodie, and wore a mask that completely obscured his face, lacking any openings. As the ship commenced its ascent, I observed him swaying gently side-to-side, synchronizing with the vessel’s motion.

"How much longer can Noodle retain that egg and the items within his stomach?" I asked, my gaze still fixed upon Sophie's bond within the deceased Demon Champion's body.

"Only an hour or two more. They are already causing him distress, particularly the egg," Izzy stated, giving Noodle a pat. He was spread out across the apartment room we had been assigned. The serpent had now enlarged to the extent that his body was as thick as a tree trunk, and I found myself contemplating that this probably aided his current endeavor.

I continue to find his ability to shrink and expand, temporarily storing items in his stomach, profoundly fascinating. I've been observing it closely for some time, though I haven't made any breakthroughs in understanding its mechanics. Nevertheless, I am certain it's something I will be able to emulate in the future.

Apart from that, The Gilded Chamber presented as a palatial apartment, furnished with décor highlighted by wood and gold accents. This style of ornamentation struck me as decidedly old-fashioned, even more so than the typical medieval aesthetic. I half-expected a sort of eccentric noblewoman, perhaps a 'cat lady,' to emerge from the room, trailed by stacks upon stacks of showcase plates, never intended for actual dining.

Observing Tess, I realize she's wearing the pristine ring from the ninth floor's conclusion on her finger. If my memory serves me, this ring possesses the ability to indefinitely store an attack. For someone with her potent, piercing strikes, which are primarily limited by her stamina, this artifact is incredibly fitting. Were I in her position, I'd seize the opportunity to charge and store my most formidable attack within it, multiple times if feasible. And that, I suspect, is exactly what she has done.

Responding to the request, I cease my contemplation and move to assist Sophie, who is diligently constructing a shielded enclosure within one of the smaller washrooms. The sink and bathtub have already been relocated to an adjacent room, and Noodle is expelling various materials. She proceeds to affix several metal sheets to the walls, connecting them, along with some of the display cases we salvaged from Vault 2.

The vessel begins its ascent, accelerating towards the heavens at a remarkable velocity. To my astonishment, its speed rivals my own when flying at maximum capacity. Maintaining my vigilance and extending my senses as far as they can reach, I place markers on everyone inside, prepared to initiate an immediate teleportation should the need arise.

In the interim, I lend Sophie my aid. Rather than employing mana paint, I allow droplets of my blood to fall from my fingertip, using it to trace patterns on the floor and walls while the Mindblender works to repair the showcase from which I extracted the egg.

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Discarded pieces of the counterfeit wyvern that Dennis and Aaron pilfered from that Lycan fiend lie in a corner. I make a mental note to ensure this location is scrubbed of any lingering signatures once our task is complete.

Noodle, meanwhile, hovers nearby, his expression suggesting an imminent expulsion of the items he's been harboring. I seize a few moments to offer his head a comforting scratch. As always, Izzy's bonded form feels warm, and his scales are a pleasant texture. Thus, I indulge in a few extra seconds of petting him until Sophie calls out for my assistance.

"You truly took everything you could. I can't even claim you refrained from taking anything not permanently affixed. Some items clearly have sections of the floor still attached," Sophie remarks, arms crossed, surveying the mounds of collected objects within the reinforced room we established.

I offer no verbal reply, secretly concurring with her assessment. I myself have acquired a number of display cases, despite their current emptiness. One now holds the egg once more, with the lid I severed reattached. The egg itself is white, exhibiting a faint pale blue hue when caught by the light at the correct angle.

It doesn't appear particularly remarkable now. It's merely an egg. Were it not for the three-day countdown timer mandated by the system, compelling us to retain possession, I could easily be convinced we'd been deceived, and this was simply the egg of an ordinary, mundane lizard.

I find myself yearning to encounter such a gray lizard one day.

Additionally, we have several unopened chests, a complete suit of armor, a shield, a diminutive flower encased in glass and suspended in a peculiar gel, a necklace fashioned from what appear to be human teeth, an orb of water contained within a small glass vial, and various materials, some of which boast a pristine rarity.

My desire to return to the auction house and investigate the remaining vaults is strong. However, the opportunity has passed. I can only place my hope in the efficacy of the black orbs, trusting they have sufficiently obscured our signature to prevent pursuit, or at least rendered tracking arduous enough for us to depart before any issues arise. On the whole, it's a satisfactory acquisition, though I would have aimed for more, given the precarious state of our floor and its prematurely truncated duration.

For reasons unknown, Blackie lingers nearby, observing the room with curiosity until Sophie discreetly dismisses him, which he promptly complies with. I can perceive the considerable anxiety he causes her with every movement. I've heard accounts of the numerous mishaps he's already been involved in. A simple collision with a building resulted in its complete destruction, despite its protective cloak, which should have absorbed some of the kinetic energy due to its inherent enchantments. Here aboard the ship, I suspect most of us feel a degree of apprehension owing to the potential for unforeseen events.

Each of us selects an item that seems suitable for preliminary examination. We then secure the shielded bathroom and proceed to the apartment's central area, the rather unappealing living room, to await Min-Jae's arrival. The young man, or perhaps man now, appears fatigued and settles onto the couch beside Aaron, who offers a few comforting pats to his back.

In a weary tone, Min-Jae relays, "We will soon be orbiting the planet. Our departure was rather hurried, leaving our mana reserves at only half capacity. Furthermore, we are short on defensive personnel required to operate the ship's sophisticated arrays and equipment. Nevertheless, we possess sufficient fuel to remain in orbit for several weeks. Should you wish, you may visit the deck; it is shielded, climate-controlled, and offers a breathtaking view."

"So, what exactly is unfolding down there?" Dennis inquired.

"An awakened Dusk Weredeer managed to eliminate one Champion, prompting two of them to believe it would be wise to capture the deer and present it to their Feylith Princess, who, incidentally, is both their Absolute and Lust subclass. All the Champions appear to be male, and she holds sway over them."

"A harem..." Dennis murmured.

Maya tossed a pillow at him. "Why must you say that with such a peculiar tone?"

"Stop throwing things at me!" he retorted, hurling the pillow back. "I wager you actually admire her and would..."

"Fantastic, there are even contractual obligations and red tape in this magical realm of mine," Aaron sighed, earning a nod of agreement from Min-Jae.

The Korean youth continued, "Our strategy is to remain in orbit until she returns and resolves the situation with the Weredeer. We're hoping it either doesn't detect us up here or becomes too engrossed in decimating cities to bother with us." He paused. "This entire predicament is our doing, isn’t it?"

He received no reply, as the vessel began to shudder violently, and our ascent halted.

Suddenly, the ship plummeted earthward at an accelerated rate, a speed that intensified over the subsequent thirty seconds. Blackie lost his footing, his shoulder impacting an internal wall with such force that it detonated outwards. Despite my efforts to absorb some of the kinetic force, items hurtled through the cabin, striking him and triggering further explosions, much like the ones generated by his ability. I found myself occupied absorbing the kinetic energy from the ricochets.

A collective huddle formed as Tess arrested the motion of all airborne objects. The airship tilted dramatically, initiating an even steeper descent.

Something immense, a projectile of mana comparable in size to a building, flashed past the location we had occupied merely a minute ago—a spot now miles behind us. It streaked through that empty space at supersonic velocity, vanishing into the void. A lingering, unsettling mana signature remained, and even from afar, its mere presence caused the ship’s defensive systems to waver.

No further attacks followed, but my attention was drawn to multiple similar energy signatures in the distance. Some of these impacts obliterated other airships far off, reducing them to nothingness.

Our descent velocity diminished only as we prepared to impact what appeared to be the ocean's surface, with no land visible. During this abrupt deceleration, the ship slowed, and an entire section of the hull ruptured as Blackie collided with it, a force that I could not fully contain. We crashed into the sea with considerable force, the barrier momentarily faltering as some unknown field absorbed the initial impact.

Tess wasted no time. Transforming into lightning, she zipped out of the breach in the hull and onto the remaining structure, her enhanced vision scanning for any approaching projectiles. Izzy and Maya moved to join her, while Sophie and I proceeded to check on our reinforced bathroom.

The instant the door swung open, a profound and prolonged sigh escaped my lips.

The display case holding the egg lay shattered on the floor—an outcome that seemed impossible given the nature of our fall. The egg itself had rolled free, coming to rest in a corner.

It was the very same corner where we had stashed the remnants of the fabricated wyvern. Those remnants had vanished without a trace.

Now, the egg, an off-white sphere with a faint blue hue, exhibited several hairline fractures.

Concurrently, a notification appeared.

The Floor quest has been reclassified as impossible to complete in its current state due to parameters independent of the floor’s internal architecture.

The Rulers overseeing this tutorial cycle have been alerted, along with the specific Ruler responsible for this floor.