Chapter 434: CHPT 434: Transform your Influence
By the time Claude made it back to the boat, the approaching Raiders... Pirates, were fully within earshot. Eyesight as well. Well over the horizon and yelling unintelligible ramblings in a different language. They must've come from Camaco. Meaning there was an equal chance they just wanted to Sacrifice them instead of steal their loot.
It didn't really matter much. They were another obstacle to overcome at the end of the day. A triggering one at that.
With a sigh he began taking off his armor that strained to contain his bulked state— even with the monster tendon and animal hair binds that allowed it to stretch with his transformations.
"What are you doing?" Ursula asked, looking from him to the approaching Pirates. They could smell the old blood, musty odor and Sea Creature Repellant wafting from their ship. Along with something else. Something dangerous.
"Their ship is at least triple the size of ours…. They have multiple floors with multiple men. And you smell that….? It kind of smells like—"
BOOM!
An explosion in the distance shook the ocean waters, originating from the Pirate's ship that swayed violently following the blast.
A projectile blurred past Claude's vision and slammed into the water, sending chaotic waves and burning fumes outward for hundreds of feet.
"They have cannons." Claude said.
Immediately after the realization, the sound of a bowstring being pulled taut fell on his ears. He looked over at Ursula— who'd picked up the same sound, resulting in them both diving for the deck with Frosty.
WSHH!
The arrow fire sailed overhead, sinking into the wooden floor and railings above their heads.
Ursula grabbed an arrow and ripped it out of the floor. "Cassidy!"
"What?!" Cassidy yelled from the upper deck as he pulled out his Autobow. He'd just finished arguing with Ma about singing while they were being bombed.
Ursula tossed the arrow up at him, "Are we fucked?!"
"Low grade arrows, common crafted shaft and steel head. Basic stuff. But they have numbers on us…. And firing power. We need to get the cannoneers if we want to continue this journey at sea. That or we steal their ship."
"No. It's too big, Tangent Hopping won't be ideal s—"
BOOM!
Half the boat came off the ground from the cannon blast as water sprinkled down on them like a fresh rain. Claude could hear the Orca below whistling in anger.
A fish landed on board and Frosty ripped it apart reflexively.
"I'll get the men on the cannons. Ursula, freeze the water around the boat to stop them from getting any closer to us. Ma, don't let them see you coming."
"Cassidy, don't miss." Cassidy jokingly added before mounting his weapon on the railing of the boat and shooting at the enemy.
SHLCK!
"ACK!"
"Hijo de puta!" One of the Pirates yelled in the distance.
"That's one."
Claude had enough of waiting.
Much like the WereShark, he didn't make a sound before jumping overboard with nothing but his pants and a spear.
It felt good to be back in the icy dark waters. It felt better than good. He could feel his senses coming to life in the turbulent existence below.
With his webbed feet and fingers, he began swimming. Powerful and heavy strokes that carried him through the water in explosive bursts of motion, leaving only bubbles and his past self in his wake.
Beneath the water he began to glow green. Who knew swimming and WoodWeaving could be one in the same.
The wooden spikes and roots beneath his ship followed his movements, diving in and out of the water as he charged the boat. The Pirates tried to shoot him but he was too far below, leaving his journey unbothered.
When he reached their ship, the Pirates were fully confused. Even more so when the wooden spikes rose from the water and ripped through their walls, skewering men and women alike. The only sign of him shown in the bubbles trailing behind him.
After a few seconds of the chaos, the entire ship was riddled with wooden spikes and tendrils running in and out of the exterior. Blood leaked down the surface.
It was time to hop on board. Claude grabbed the Orca's fin as she carried them to the surface and burst from the water. He landed on one of his wooden spikes and ran into the ship, bursting through the wall with relative ease in his Aura shrouded state.
He stood in the dark second floor like a glowing black-skinned abomination.
There were three men left on the Cannons, the others were hanging from the walls and floors they were pinned to. Dead. But there were more people. Unable to fight. Trapped in cages with their mouths tied and limbs bound. Some cried, some were too shocked for any sort of reaction. Many were already dead— crammed up against their living counterparts with no were else to go. Rotting.
The remaining pirates moved to take him out with obsidian bladed clubs and axes. The bright feathers and fish scales adorning their armor made them easy to see in the dark.
The first one came in a blur, cutting through the wooden binds in a burst of red with his club.
A swordsman.
Claude dodged the attack and kicked him in the back, causing him to slam into the cage full of assumed slaves. One of them reached up and poked him in the eye, giving Claude the extra time he needed to run his spear through the Pirates chest.
CRCK!
The other two rushed him. Their Aura's like steel walls that only added to their weight.
Tanks.
If everything wasn't so chaotic and cramped, he would've noticed the boat stopped moving a while ago. And it was cold as hell.
CRSHH!
Ursula burst through the walls into the second floor and leveled the two Tanks pressing Claude with a (Mad Charge). It didn't do much damage but it created space.
Space was all he needed.
FWOO!
Claude threw his spear into the chest of one Tank. Ursula grappled and threw the other overboard. The Orca circling the boat burst through the thin ice and ate him.
In the relative silence, the caged individuals were all that remained. In the dark he could see weird markings on their bronze skin. It looked similar to that of a bat.
"Sacrifices at some point." Claude muttered.
"Let's get them out." Ursula approached the cage and placed her hands on the bars. As she frosted the bars the entirety of the cage began to glow a icy white.
After a few seconds she easily ripped apart the cages.
The beings once inside cowered. Seemingly too tired and malnourished to run or fight.
Claude knew what the truth was as he looked over at her hands.
"You need more practice, Ursula. You and me both I guess." Claude said as he looked down at his hands. He could see his Lupine form fighting to break through his Orca transformation.
Thud!
Everyone looked up at the ceiling in response to the sound. Claude and Ursula sniffed the air once before running upstairs. Claude couldn't fit up the skinny stairway so he had to bust through the ceiling.
At the ship deck, he found himself facing two people. One covered in pristine armor with relatively unblemished hands and skin. The other was in a similar state if not a little more disheveled.
Captains maybe. Didn't really matter.
One pleaded in their native language while the other watched Claude as if he were a Demon. That felt ironic. After a few seconds, their eyes began bouncing from him to the people behind him.
Claude looked over his shoulder to find Ursula carrying an older woman. A dozen beaten and starved men and woman flanked her. Their bodies were weak, but their expressions held a strength that couldn't simply be described with a few words.
They were no longer transfixed with his inhuman state. They all watched the cowering remains of the Pirates who'd committed who knew how many atrocities for nothing more than monetary gain.
Claude turned back to the Pirates and pointed a webbed finger at them, "This is your own making. You did this. But I don't need to tell you that. I'm sure they will."
CRNCH!
The Pirates jumped as he slammed his spear into the ship deck and stepped aside.
Ursula put down the old woman just as Claude placed a hand on the wooden surface and used his Healing Boost to rejuvenate the most wounded of them. His Druidic Markings steamed and glowed like a green sun against his inky black skin.
The freed people still didn't look at him. He knew that level of focus….. he knew it so well he saw his face in theirs… in their furrowed brows and jaws clenched so hard he could hear their teeth fracturing ever so slightly.
He nodded at Ursula who'd joined him at the side of the ship.
There was only one thing left to say before he hopped overboard and dove back into the ocean.
"All yours."
When he hit the waters with Ursula's glacial bounds close behind, the Pirates were already dead. He could hear the freed people yelling and shouting proudly while others cried. Frosty howled in the distance. He knew that feeling just as well.
DING!
[Godly Altar Unlocked!]
[Altar of Revenge Activated: Revenge Boost Active for 1hr!]
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