Chapter 54: Boat to Xerath
A few days had passed since Nioh boarded the illegal ship out of the Daewyth region. These types of ships were labeled illegal because they ignored military safety regulations, discreetly ferrying contraband, criminals, and those without proper identification.
Onboard, money was the only rule—as long as you could pay, anything was fair game.
But the real danger of these ships was their unregulated flight paths. Unlike legal transports, which were protected by the army’s Aerial Protection Division, these vessels had to chart unpredictable routes, leaving them vulnerable to biocore attacks in the open sky.
In just a few days, they had already encountered six rogue biocore flocks. Fortunately, the pilot’s skill and quick evasive maneuvers had kept them unscathed—so far.
Nioh had counted five passengers on board, including himself, alongside a three-man crew:
The Pilot. The Mechanic. The Errand Runner – a young man named Kyle, who handled all the odd jobs.
From what Nioh gathered, Kyle was an orphan who had been part of this business for years. His ultimate dream was to become a pilot, but for now, he was stuck doing everything else—cooking, cleaning, maintenance, and whatever the crew demanded.
Among the passengers, Nioh was the only one who regularly left his cabin to breathe in the fresh air. He hadn’t interacted with the others yet, nor did he particularly care to.
He was lying on his makeshift bed, staring at the rust-streaked ceiling of his cabin, when the intercom crackled to life.
"We are approaching the border of the Daewyth region. This zone is prone to strong winds! Brace yourselves for turbulence."
Nioh raised an eyebrow before calling for Kyle. A few minutes later, the door creaked open, revealing a skinny young man in his early twenties. His rough, wind-beaten face and simple blue work clothes gave him the look of someone who had long accepted hardship. A mop was slung over one shoulder.