HTWBB Chapter 28

"It really is similar."

Aside from the position of the bed and a few objects, it was nearly identical to the first cabin. Even the table and lamp beneath the window were in exactly the same spot.

Was the desolate atmosphere, thick fog, and faint demonic energy simply due to lingering effects from the past rift? Rietta closed the door to the fifth cabin, puzzled by the situation where there wasn't even a trap.

The deeper they went, the thicker the fog became, until now they had to hold objects right up to their faces just to barely see them. It was fortunate there wasn't clutter scattered about the corridor.

Rietta stood before the sixth cabin, relying on Abel's light ahead of her. There was no longer any announcement about opening doors. Abel naturally gripped the handle. Then suddenly, she felt as if a blade had been pressed to the back of her head—a sensation of her hair standing on end.

At this danger signal that absolutely couldn't be ignored, Rietta immediately grabbed Abel's hand on the handle.

"...What?"

"Wait a moment."

This was different from when they'd explored the five cabins. The premonition wasn't good. However, after asking why, there was no further response from Abel. His face wasn't visible, making it difficult to read his expression.

At this density, it was hard to recognize each other unless they came nose-to-nose. Rietta stood pressed close against him.

Normally she would have used magic herself to at least scan the surroundings roughly, but right now she could barely manage to stop the bleeding.

"Since it's strange, let's check the inside..."

She closed her mouth, having been about to warn him to at least check first. Abel, who had wrapped his other hand around Rietta's, turned the handle forcefully without hesitation. A pleasant voice mingled with the sound of rusting hinges.

"We have to open it anyway. It's fine if our response is a little delayed."

His voice held confidence. Considering all the minor magic spells she'd seen so far, it was a natural attitude. However, Rietta cautiously gazed into the room where chilling air flowed.

The fog was similar in density to when they'd first descended the stairs. That meant the demonic energy was thicker than in the other rooms. In truth, Rietta had never experienced the Great Catastrophe. She had only heard about it and read of it.

The terrible disaster that occurred hundreds of years ago had devastated the entire continent. The boundary of another dimension tore through the air like ripping paper, and the otherworldly energy seeping from within acted as a lethal poison upon the world they lived in—upon the fertile earth, the plants and animals, and even people.

What she possessed was just that much knowledge—the same amount others knew. However, thanks to her innate senses, she could detect otherworldly energy—that is, demonic energy—with keen sensitivity. Whether what was tainted by demonic energy was stronger or weaker than her.

"You really don't feel anything?"

"I sense faint life signs, I suppose."

That's why she knew with certainty that Abel's answer was a response outside the normal range.

Among humans exposed to demonic energy, half contracted incurable diseases, while the other half became corrupted into demon beasts or died. The ratio was much lower, but other races weren't exceptions either.

"You keep asking me the same thing..."

His continuing words cut off abruptly. The slowly opening door swung wide as if something had yanked it open.

As if everything had stopped, no one moved. At the crisis pressing against her skin, Rietta gripped her dagger tightly. Through the hazily blurred space, a black object briefly appeared.

The thing that had revealed itself for an instant seemed to vanish, then rushed at them at tremendous speed like an arrow being shot.

Rietta stepped toward where she estimated Abel would be, then swiftly swung her arm to stab at the air.

"Rietta!"

Nearly dragged backward by the powerful force, she barely managed to put strength into her legs. Something had caught on the blade. Something hard and tough hung from the tip of the dagger, tearing through with difficulty.

After being cut through for quite a while, it finally stopped with a thunk. Abel quickly found and supported her as she tilted from the recoil.

The unidentified creature impaled on the blade writhed for a long while before finally going limp. Silence returned to the shipwreck once more. Abel criticized in a rigid voice.

"You're truly insane."

"Stop talking nonsense and shine some light."

"Did you forget I was here?"

"No."

She hadn't forgotten, but she hadn't trusted him either. When she closed her mouth after that denial, she heard Abel exhale softly. The lights that had been arranged in a row hesitated, then soon gathered in one place.

Rietta lifted the now-heavy dagger to chest height to examine it. Following her movement, the light moved closer to the object.

Upon close inspection, the creature was an enormous fish as long as an arm. Its body was thick and large enough to fill one's embrace. The pitch-black dead scales gleamed with a luster like processed stone.

Rietta moved the dagger again, now caught near the tail on a bone.

"Can you see?"

"It's a mutated fish."

Abel caught and held up the limp mutated fish with his hand. The foul-smelling black blood that had been pouring onto the floor thoroughly stained his hand.

He examined the fish with its repulsive appearance through indifferent eyes. Teeth that had grown abnormally to resemble those of a land beast, eyes stained dark red from pupil to whites, scales that had become harder than tanned leather. It was a typical appearance of something that had been affected by demonic energy and completed the process of corruption into a demon beast.

When Abel shook off his hand as if ridding himself of something filthy, the fish, unable to bear its weight, finally rolled to the floor with a splatter. Creeeeak. The ship, which had been docile, let out a low groan.

"Come here."

Rietta pulled Abel along. Finally entering the sixth cabin, they carefully examined the interior. Like the other places, there wasn't much furniture, but several types of dresses were piled near the bed.

As Rietta was moving toward them, she stopped abruptly when something bumped against her foot. It looked like a branch or stick, but there was no way such natural objects from land would be here.

She immediately bent down and reached out her hand, and as expected, the light illuminating her head followed nearby. The shape that had been hidden in the darkness gradually revealed itself. It was reddish in places but mostly white, and rather than blunt, it was sharp toward the end.

It was a bone. The same type as the mutated fish that had just died on her dagger.

"Rietta."

A voice came from right beside her. When she slid her gaze over, she saw the silhouette of Abel, who had knelt down following Rietta. Perhaps sensing her gaze, a low voice continued.

"This place doesn't merely have magical devices installed."

"Right."

"And you knew that from the beginning."

"You're correct."

"The reason the creatures here mutated is..."

Without warning, a pitch-black gaping maw burst forth. Abel, who had stopped speaking, extended his arm before Rietta could even respond.

She faced the enormous teeth of the mutated fish that had stopped right before her nose without even blinking. Red blood began to seep from Abel's hand gripping the lower jaw. It had clearly been pierced by the sawtooth-like teeth.

He paid no heed and put force into his grip. Crush! With a bursting sound, the remains of what had been a fish scattered in all directions.

"The demonic energy remains as well."

"...Right."

Rietta only returned a brief affirmation. Abel, who had been silent for a moment, stood up.

"So that's why you asked the same question."

After muttering quietly, his following words were on an entirely different subject.

"That was all there was in this room just now. Judging by the corpses scattered everywhere, it seems they ate each other."

"The remaining cabins will be similar."

"No."

Abel shook his head firmly. The next moment, from not far away came a sound similar to knocking on a door—thud.

Thud, thud. The noise that continued several more times spread like waves, seeming to come from distant places before leading to a tremendous crash as if something would break.

This time, the ship tilted enough to feel it physically. Rietta instinctively grasped how the situation was unfolding. Abel grabbed her arm and immediately pulled her upright.

"I made a mistake. If I'd known there wouldn't be just one or two, I shouldn't have drawn blood."

"You said there were only faint life signs."

"I only realized it after the door opened."

Abel tore one of the scattered dresses that looked clean and firmly wrapped the wound where the mutated fish had pierced him. It was too much to reproach him for being irresponsible when Rietta herself hadn't detected anything until the cabin door opened.

Even now, despite hearing colliding sounds from every room, she felt nothing whatsoever. Not even the life signs Abel had mentioned.

So there was no way to predict how many mutated demon beasts would burst out when the closed doors opened.

"It's because of the doors."

"We're thinking the same thing."

Only then did Rietta realize. The reason why the density differed in each cabin despite thick demonic energy fog filling the corridor, and why no one had felt anything particularly unusual.

It was clear the boundary had opened where the shipwreck first ran aground. The merchant vessel that had served as a playground for sea creatures until then would have their nests everywhere.

Afterward, demonic energy seeped from the boundary, and while the creatures contaminated by it underwent mutation, 'someone' had discovered the shipwreck. And after closing all the doors of several open cabins to trap the mutated creatures inside, they had used those doors as a sort of barrier.

Casting magic so that no more demonic energy could enter or exit. The time when it was moved to the intact cave was likely after that.

"Should we go back?"

Abel asked. She lifted the dagger she'd been holding down and grabbed Abel's clothes, pulling him out of the cabin. They needed to get away from the stench of blood first.

"It's already too late."