"Can you please hand it over to me?"
Compass Carburettor stared at the figure of Earth Star, frowning as he noticed that the opponent seemed to know what he was talking about. He raised his hand and flashed the wristwatch, "Do you know what this is?"
"It's an item created by Hazen." Earth Star said, "I've been briefed about everything, sir."
"Hoh," Compass Carburettor's eyes lit up in response as he took a second glance at Earth Star, thinking, 'Is Stencil planning to nurture his growth?'
There was silence for a couple of seconds after which Compass Carburettor smiled, "Sure, you can have it."
There was shock in Earth Star's expression before lighting up in joy.
"But," Compass Carburettor said, noticing Earth Star's face freeze up in response, "You need to show your worth. You see…"
He removed the wristwatch and gazed at it, "There is just one item of this calibre in the multiverse. It's a condensation of powers originating from countless Cultivation Worlds, trillions of lifeforms, and the strongest of concepts of space, time, and mind."
"And I too have been pouring my power into this in preparation for my daughter. So," He stared at Earth Star, "Prove to me that you desire it. Not just because you've been ordered by Stencil to do so, but prove that it's something you yourself desire."
"Only then will you be worthy enough to wield it in the future." Compass Carburettor spoke with a smile, "So, what do you say?"
"I'm ready, sir." Earth Star nodded, noticing the air turn moist immediately in response. The humidity was on the level of coastal areas as he found himself standing on the deck of a ship.
Earth Star looked around, noticing that the ship was trying to weather through a storm, "Where is this place?"
Boom!
A large tide impacted the hull of the ship, causing it to tilt alarmingly as Earth Star instinctively activated his gravitational powers, intending to offset the imbalance, shouting in alarm, "What? Why can't I use my powers?"
He stared at his hands, feeling an innate sense of weakness that he had never experienced to date. He was now a mortal, no different from the other humans.
"All sailors, rush to the deck. Sea monsters inbound!" An announcement rang throughout the place as immediately, sailors rushed out in file, carrying rifles.
"Rahakh! What are you dawdling for? Arm yourself, hurry!" A sailor rushed towards Earth Star and jolted him to his senses.
"How…do you know my real name?" Earth Star was shocked, "That's classified."
"What the heck are you muttering about, brat?" A middle-aged man slapped his back and shouted, "Did you drink too much at the party yesterday? Return to your senses!"
'I don't know what's happening, but I'll play along for now.' Earth Star thought as he didn't speak anything and silently equipped himself with the provided weapons: a rifle, a handgun, a pair of grenades, and a knife.
'For some reason, I cannot use my powers.' He thought, understanding in the end, 'This is probably sir's power. Lady Genesis indeed told that sir was hibernating for 75 years to collate his gains from the war to create his ultimate power system. So, this must be it.'
"So, this is how I'm being tested." He muttered, deriving an answer rapidly as his expression solidified. He observed his surroundings, looking at the behaviour of the sailors as he followed suit, blending in with the group as he remained on standby.
The ship rocked forth from the waves as intense rain began to pour down from above. The sounds of thunder incessantly resounded, making everyone nervous as they were going through a storm now.
Just a storm alone would have been dangerous enough to survive from, but to add to the matter, there even seemed to be sea monsters in the mix.
"Rahakh, guard my back. These bastards have a habit of targeting us from our blind spots." A sailor turned around to speak. The atmosphere was tense, the air clouded their senses while the chillness of the place numbed their bodies.
As a result of that, the sailors on the deck hadn't noticed the pair of tentacles that had crawled out of the ocean during a high tide, taking advantage when the ship tilted dangerously close to the tide, causing the distance between the two to be mere metres.
And when the sailor had turned around to talk to Earth Star, his back was vulnerable. Earth Star's eyes widened in shock as suddenly, the man that was talking to him just moments before was now yanked up and pulled into the tide.
Pat-Pata-Patat!
Muzzle flashes shone from within the tide a few times before it turned silent. There wasn't even any trace of blood, for the inbound rain and the dangerous water currents washed away all traces in an instant.
"Shit!" Earth Star cursed in response. He didn't know if this was a simulation or the real world. But one thing he understood. He hated seeing people die.
Usually, he had his powers to rely upon for everything he did. But now, as a normal human, he couldn't be reckless. But that didn't mean he wouldn't do anything as Earth Star held the railings of the deck and stared at the ocean tides, glaring at it as his concentration was instantly pushed to the peak.
Whether or not he had his powers didn't matter. He had trained his body to the limit, having a significant understanding of it. That was why he had become part of the Ranger Troupe so young and had been able to grow at a rapid pace to date.
He couldn't see any creatures within the water as it was dark due to the thunderclouds blocking out the sun. And even the ship's searchlights barely helped.
But even if he couldn't see them, he recalled the tentacles that had kidnapped the sailor before him, the way they latched onto him, and the moment they targeted him, "Phew…"
He switched off his gun's safety and took in a deep breath, relaxing as he purposefully displayed a vulnerable back, focusing on his ears as he took advantage of the impacting raindrops to be aware of his surroundings.
And as he had expected, the moment the ship tilted towards a high tide, a tentacle shot towards him, aiming for his back. At that moment, Earth Star's eyes shone with a murderous glint as he pulled out his knife, spun his body and slashed at the tentacle, taking advantage of the opponent's momentum to sever it in an instant.
