Lark's Broken Skills

As my consciousness began to fade back in, I heard some familiar voices bantering.

“Do you think he’s dead?” Melody asked.

“Maybe we should poke him with a stick,” Elora commented.

“No, he is just resting. I saw everything,” Pippa added.

They continued to joke with one another. A small part of me was thrilled beyond belief. Somehow, I had managed to keep all of them alive. The joy I felt made me want to tease them a little. I slowly opened my eyes.

“Is that some angels I see? Did I die?” I asked, acting weakly.

“A-angels…” Túta stuttered.

“Does he really think we are cute enough to be angels?” Elora's voice added.

“Mister is funny,” Melody laughed before making a slight cough.

“He is a funny man, but a good man,” Viola responded, resting her hand on Melody’s head.

“If I’m an angel, I’m a fallen one,” Pippa commented, striking a pose.

They all fell for my trap.

“Oh, it’s just you all, I guess I didn’t die then.”

Túta smacked me.

“Idiot, you can die for all I care.” She snapped as she walked off.

The rest laughed. I could see Pippa had made the former Administrator’s rapier her own. It suited her, and I didn’t need nor want it because I had the sword Bjørn made. 

The laughter quickly turned into a coughing fit from Melody.

Viola kept her calm demeanour as she offered reassurance to her that it would be fine, though I couldn’t help but notice the subtle hint of uncertainty in her eyes.

I rested my hand on Viola’s shoulder.

“Túta, will you take a look at Melody?”

“I can, but you were badly injured yourself.”

“But you have a cool new eye,” Pippa added, covering her own eye with her hand.

“See, even Pippa agrees I’m fine now.”

“What’s this about a new eye?” she asked, looking worried.

I let out a sigh.

“Alright, I’ll show you.” I reached up and removed my eyepatch. The girls all leaned in to have a look. Their mouths agape the moment they saw it.

“Ladies, my eye’s up here,” I joked, pointing to the one that still worked.

“What is that? A ruby?” Túta asked.

“Oh, this? This is the accursed gemstone.”

“It’s got a bad aura about it,” Elora commented.

“It’s probably from the curses. Don’t think too much about it.”

“Curses?! Lark!!! What did you do while we were unconscious?!” Túta asked as she squished my face in her hands, checking me over.

“I’m fine. In fact, I should be stronger than ever. Just a little cursed it seems.” I offered a reassuring smile, though it did little to ease her concerned look. “So, can you please look after Melody now?”

She looked torn. “Alright, I’ll handle that, although I don’t have any medical supplies, so I won’t be able to do any treatment here.”

“That’s fine,” I responded.

She turned to Melody. Although Melody was much younger than Túta, they were nearly the same height.

“If you would come with me, I can check your health.”

Melody looked up at Viola, who offered a reassuring smile.

“It’ll be alright. I hear she is the best medic in the world,” Viola reassured her.

“Really?” Melody asked, her eyes lighting up.

“Yes, really,” Viola replied with a nod.

Melody reached out and took Túta’s hand, and they wandered off to the living quarters below deck.

“Well, I should probably get up and test out these new powers!” I exclaimed, dragging myself upright. “Elora, can I have a hand?”

“Aye captain. What do you need?”

“I’m apparently supposed to have a bunch of powers now.”

“Through that cursed eye of yours?”

“Yes, my stats are supposed to be boosted. I want to see how much stronger I’ve become.”

“Does that mean I can go all out?”

“Everything but seriously injuring me or killing me, please.”

“So not all out.” She looked sad.

“I would like to have a fight where my life isn’t on the line for once. Just a friendly spar.”

“Fine,” she replied, pouting.

We searched the deck and found a wooden broom that had deteriorated down to just the handle. I passed it to Elora.

“Come at me.”

“You’re unarmed.”

“You don’t have to worry,” I reassured her.

She looked hesitant at first, but eventually readied herself. I, too, prepared myself.

“Are you ready?” she asked, a slight degree of doubt still evident in her voice.

“I was born ready.”

She took a step forward and closed the distance quickly, a little too quickly. The wooden handle smashed into my gut before I had any time to respond. The force of the impact brought me to my knees.

“Captain!” she exclaimed, throwing the handle aside.

“Why did you allow yourself to be hit?” Viola asked from her vantage point on the upper deck.

“I didn’t do that deliberately,” I wheezed, trying to catch my breath. I had a horrible feeling based on this test, but there was only one way to confirm it.

“What would a level 80 normally be able to do?” I asked, getting back to my feet.

“Level 80?! Why would you even ask something so ridiculous?” Elora exclaimed, looking shocked. “A level 80 could probably split the sea with a single swing of their sword.”

“I see.”

I didn’t say anything else as I wandered over to the bow of the ship. I pulled out my cutlass and swung my blade with all my might.

Nothing. Just as I figured.

I let out a sigh as I stuck my middle finger up in the air.

“Screw you System!” I yelled as the realisation dawned that I could not access any of the broken cheat skills because I didn't have access to the system at all.

“What’s wrong?” Viola asked, surprised by my outburst.

“It seems I can’t use the accursed gem. In other words, it’s useless!”

“That’s not true,” Pippa interjected. “You are a walking curse now. That’s cool.”

She gave me a thumbs-up, not realising that being cursed was the price of broken skills. Now I was just a walking curse, and I was likely only going to accumulate more of them. And for what? Nothing.

I let out an exhausted sigh and collapsed on the deck, lying on my back.

“Did we miss anything?” Túta asked, joining us once more.

Melody ran up to Viola.

“Careful, you don’t want to make yourself sick,” she commented worriedly.

“It’s okay. Doctor Túta said she could make a medicine that would help cure me.”

“Really?” Viola looked like she couldn’t believe it.

Túta wandered over to her.

“It is not something that can be cured immediately, but a regimen of treatment will clear up the chest infection. She will still be weak, but she should regain a lot of her strength.”

Viola began to cry as she fell to her knees, gripping Túta’s hand.

“Thank you,” she managed to say between her sobs.

Even if the accursed gem didn’t grant me cheat skills, at least two good things came from this experience. Melody seemed curable, and then there was the second matter.

“What do you guys think of the ship?”

“There were a lot of bones,” Elora commented as she looked around at the skulls with a pale face.

“Yeah, other than the bones.”

“It seems quite spacious,” Viola replied.

“It is definitely an upgrade,” Túta added, with a smile.

“It mimics my dark powers.” Pippa struck a pose.

“Well then, it settles it. This is our ship now.”

▪──── X ────▪

End of chapter 28