Arthur the Waste: Part 3

The black mist not only obscured Du Chen’s vision but also carried a faint, putrid stench that left him dizzy and nauseous. He instinctively clamped his mouth and nose shut. Just then, a rope-like entity coiled around him, crackling with what felt like lightning, and swiftly knocked him unconscious.

This was an absolute disparity in power; Du Chen had no chance to retaliate. Any assassin daring to operate on Battle God Isle was bound to be vastly superior to a mere Three-Star Fighter like himself.

***

When Du Chen’s eyes fluttered open again, he found himself and Arthur confined within a small wooden cabin. Peeking out the window, he saw the vast, nocturnal sea, its rhythmic waves crashing against the hull. They had been taken from Battle God Isle and were now aboard a ship.

The cabin walls were adorned with a few wooden lifebuoys and other nautical paraphernalia. The damp floor was littered with sacks and various cargo. Du Chen and Arthur, however, were caged within an iron enclosure. A faint white glow shimmered from the cage’s iron bars, signaling that this was no mundane artifact.

Yet, Du Chen merely glanced at the cage’s lock and suddenly smirked. An ordinary person might not notice anything amiss, but he saw at once that the lock wasn’t fully secured; a firm tug would open it.

‘How peculiar!’ he mused inwardly. ‘What imbecile imprisons captives without properly fastening the lock!?’

Du Chen pondered for a moment, deciding against any precipitous action. This could very well be a trap, and he still had Arthur to consider.

“Hey, are you awake?” Having discreetly ascertained that his cherished Lotus and other precious artifacts remained secure, Du Chen nudged Arthur beside him.

Arthur was still unconscious. Du Chen employed a quick jab to a pressure point and a firm press to the chest, finally rousing him. Arthur shook his dazed head, struggling to his feet. Upon seeing his predicament, he yelped, “Where am I? Who are you?” He then peered closer at Du Chen. “Ah, I remember you! You’re one of the new recruits from the Intensive Training. You were always running right behind me.”

Du Chen nodded, a wry, mirthless smile playing on his lips. “Yes, I was running behind you, and as a result, I ran straight into an assassin’s Magic Formation.”

“A Magic Formation? Was I the cause of this?” Arthur’s reaction was impressively swift; a single sentence had allowed him to infer the general truth. He apologized profusely. “I’m incredibly sorry for dragging you into this mess!” Recalling the scenes from their run, his remorse deepened. “Forgive me, I remember you could have easily outpaced me, but you worried I’d push myself to the brink, so you stayed behind.”

As he spoke, Arthur reached out and rattled the iron bars of the cage, then thoroughly surveyed their surroundings before slumping despondently into a corner. “It seems we’re going to die. I’m sorry. I’m a waste, so my death is no great tragedy, but I’ve dragged you down with me…”

Du Chen offered a comforting smile. Though he, too, harbored concerns about their situation, he understood a fundamental truth: panic and fear were futile luxuries in dire straits.

He settled beside Arthur and chuckled, “You’re a waste? Why do you call yourself a waste?”

Unbeknownst to Arthur that Du Chen’s query was a calculated provocation, he began recounting his life story. All the while, he thought, ‘My fellow student has been dragged into this perilous situation because of me. I can’t let him die without understanding why!’

“A waste? Heh!” Du Chen let out a light laugh after Arthur finished his tale.

‘What’s so funny?’ A flash of indignant anger crossed Arthur’s mind. ‘Yes, I am a waste, but should a waste be mocked? Oh, well. He’s about to lose his life because of me. Let him laugh if he wants.’

“Don’t misunderstand,” Du Chen said. “I just remembered something amusing. Not long ago, I too was called a waste, and I even had a nickname—the disgrace of the Saint Sigurd Cain family!”

A gasp of recognition escaped Arthur’s lips. “You’re Francis!?” He abruptly lifted his head, seizing Du Chen’s hand with delighted surprise. “I heard the academy teachers talk about you! I was planning to find you after Intensive Training, but… can you tell me how that potent individual transformed you into a Heaven-Bestowed Hydro-Body?” As he spoke, Arthur dejectedly released his grip, his voice laced with bitterness. “It’s no use. We’re both going to die anyway.”

“Indeed,” Du Chen replied. “Who would’ve thought two wastes like us would meet our end together? Since we’re dying, I’ll tell you how I became a Heaven-Bestowed Hydro-Body.” He then recounted the elaborate fabrication he had perfected through countless repetitions. “Dying together is a twist of fate, so you needn’t feel guilty. But, can you at least grant me a clear understanding? Why are assassins after you? You’re the Lionheart King’s grandson, after all!”

Arthur hesitated, thinking, ‘He’s right. Although Grandpa told me not to speak carelessly, Francis is going to die because of me. I can’t let him perish so unjustly.’

“Because… precisely because I am the Lionheart King’s grandson!” Arthur declared with a surge of indignant passion. “Because I am Grandpa’s only successor, some people don’t want me to live, and certainly don’t want me to become a genius!” He contemplated the starry expanse outside the window, a bitter smile playing on his lips. “Before, I was a waste, so naturally, many didn’t pay me any mind. But this time, Grandpa received news that if I came to Battle God Academy, I would have a chance to transcend my limitations.”

‘Something that can genuinely alter one’s talent exists in the Battle God World!?’ A shiver ran down Du Chen’s spine. ‘What kind of priceless marvel must that be!?’

Arthur continued, “Some people don’t want to see me become a genius, and others covet that particular artifact within Battle God Academy more than I do. So… I’m sorry, I’ve dragged you into this.”

“You don’t need to apologize for that!” Du Chen retorted. “But you’re the grandson of His Majesty the Lionheart King, why don’t you have…”

“No Guardian Battle God, right?” Arthur responded with a more profound bitterness. “Since childhood, people have secretly labeled me a failure. This Intensive Training, which restricts battle qi, was the only opportunity I had to prove my worth and come first. But my Guardian Battle God feared I’d suffer, so he forbade me from participating. So…” Arthur’s smile grew even more strained, “I coerced him with a death threat, forcing him to stay in the dorms, not come out, and certainly not to secretly look after me during training.”

‘Confounded! What an unyielding spirit this young lad possesses, to threaten a Guardian Battle God with death!’ Du Chen thought. ‘Yet, he’s also utterly justifiable. Someone constantly called a waste either self-indulges in depravity or strives to be first to vindicate himself. Arthur’s actions are understandable.’

Du Chen clapped Arthur on the shoulder. “My past plight was just like yours; I understand your actions! Haha, do you know? Even my own father, and the entire family, disliked me. I ended up falling out with my father and getting disowned.”

A comforting warmth bloomed within Arthur’s chest. Those who shared a common language and similar experiences always found it easy to connect. He gazed at the night sky through the window and, with a remarkably world-weary smile that utterly belied his age, spoke softly, “I’m happier than you, at least Grandpa… Wait, no!”

He suddenly stood up, clutching the iron bars and peering out the window. “Francis, look!” Arthur urgently pointed to the night sky. “Since we woke up, the view outside hasn’t changed! The ship we’re on hasn’t stirred an inch! That’s impossible! We’re still in the territorial waters of Battle God Isle. Assassins wouldn’t just stop here after capturing us.”

Du Chen gazed at the starry expanse, but the inky expanse of the nocturnal sea yielded no discernible clues. “Are you sure?”

Arthur vehemently nodded. “No mistake. I can’t cultivate battle qi, so I’ve delved deeply into the esoteric arts of alchemy and celestial navigation. I can confirm, the stellar alignment corresponding to this ship hasn’t changed. It’s been stationary near Battle God Isle this whole time.”

A perplexed frown creased Du Chen’s brow. The ship hadn’t moved, and the lock was unsecured. What manner of captors would do such a thing? With this thought, he called out, “Is anyone there? We’re hungry!”

There was no reply. Du Chen shouted a few more times, but still, no one answered. Finally, he even hurled exceedingly venomous invectives at the assassins, but all he heard was the ceaseless roar of the ocean waves.

“How odd!” A bewildered expression crossed Arthur’s face. “Is there no one here? Then who locked this cage?” He reached his hand out of the cage and jiggled the external lock, a surge of delighted revelation in his voice. “Francis, the lock isn’t fastened!”

“Let me see!” Though Du Chen already knew about the lock, he feigned a moment of careful scrutiny. “It really isn’t locked! What in the Battle God’s name is going on?”

“Never mind that for now, I’ll go check!” Arthur unlatched the lock with a decisive tug and stepped out of the cage. Du Chen did not stop him.

Arthur stealthily advanced to the cabin door. It, too, was unlocked. He gently opened a narrow aperture and peeked outside.

“By the Battle God!!”