Chapter 1024: Teasing the Architect
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Erik and his group''s gaze remained fixed on the port below.
"Alright, here''s the n," Erik said. "The Chimaeric Demons and I can shapeshift into insects and get into the ship. We wouldn''t need to do anything to get a free ride."
Amber frowned. That was true for him and the Chimaeric Demons. "But what about us?" she asked, gesturing to herself, Mira, and Emily. "We can''t exactly shapeshift like you can. How are we supposed to get on board without being noticed?"
Erik ran a hand through his hair. "You''re right, that''s going to be a problem. Even if we steal a ship, sneaking you three on board won''t be as simple as in our case."
June stepped forward. "We should stick to our original n, master. We take the ce of the crew and then hide Amber, Mira, and Emily inside supply crates. That way, we can bring them on board without arousing suspicion."
Erik nodded. "Yeah. I wasn''t suggesting a change of n, just stating the current situation. Anyway, we''ll need to be careful. I''m sure controls over what gets up and down the ship will be strict."
Mira cleared her throat. "There''s another problem we need to consider," she said. "None of us know how to operate a ship, let alone one of those military vessels. Even if we get on board, we won''t know what to do next."
Mira was correct, but he had already found a solution. "The biological supeputer will help with this process. Since I went inside the enemy''s system, I have ess to their entire informationwork. I can get the information we need on how to operate the ship and use their weapons. I just need to ess aputer, and the job is done."
The others exchanged nces. "Are you sure?" Emily asked. "The clones won''t know how to do it," Emily said.
"You will spend days exining everything to them. I don''t think it will be easy."
Erik shook his head. "I am. The Chimaeric Demons learn fast and remember almost everything that happened to them. I don''t think learning how to control the ship will be a problem for them."
"There is also the issue of the other ships allowing us to escape," June said. "I doubt they won''t find out what is happening," June said.
"That''s why we need to do something about that. I will make another virus. It will help us escape."
Indeed, the virus Erik told the system to spread into the enemy informationwork months ago was helping a lot with the war effort.
They had to be careful not to let them discover what they had done, or else they could exploit this information for their benefit.
"All we need to do is figure out which ship to target and whose identities to steal. However, we''ll need to gather more information before we make our move. We can''t afford to choose the wrong ship or crew. I''ll have the supeputer scan their systems and gather intel on the different ships and their crew manifest. Once we have that information, we can choose our target and make our move."
The group fell silent, each of them lost in their own thoughts. "Let''s make camp for now," Amber said.
It was her turn with Erik that night. But the only thing the young man could do was sigh, because he knew he had to prepare amodation for almost 60 people.
Erik rose, scanning the cove where they would camp. His boots crunched as he walked to its center.
He closed his eyes and channeled mana, connecting to the nts and vegetation around them. Erik took a deep breath and visualized the shelters. He imagined sturdy domes made from the surrounding trees'' branches and vines. He imagined soft, moss-covered floors for sleeping and thick, leaf-covered walls to block wind and rain.
His concentration made the surrounding nts respond.
Vines emerged from the undergrowth and twisted. As branches bent and curved, shelter skeletons formed, and leaves and moss grew from the ground, covering floors and walls in a soft, green carpet.
Within minutes, a small vige had formed around them.
The vige blended with its surroundings. Each building was constructed from intertwined vines and branches to create strong but hidden structures.
Thick with moss and leaves insted the walls of the shelters and virtually made them invisible to outsiders.
A pleasant spot to rx was the soft, moss-covered flooring. From above, the vige
appeared to be a thicket, the ideal hideout in a jungle like that.
"Master, your abilities never cease to amaze me," June said.
Erik smiled, appreciating the praise. However, the moment was short-lived as Amber, Emily, and Mira looked at Erik with eyes full of mischief.
"Look who''s showing off again. Erik, the outstanding shelter master!"n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om
"I bet you''re just trying to impress us with your fancy nt powers." Mira said.
Emily couldn''t help but giggle. "I don''t know, Mira. Maybe he''s just trying to make sure we have afortable ce to sleep tonight. After all, he wouldn''t want to face our wrath if we woke up with sore backs and bug bites."
Erik rolled his eyes, feigning annoyance, but he couldn''t suppress the smile tugging at the corners of his mouth.
"Alright, alright, you''ve had your fun. I just wanted to make sure everyone had a decent ce to rest before we embark. It might be thest time we will sleep eight hours, and I wanted it asfortable as possible."
"We know, Erik. And we appreciate it, really. I guess we just can''t resist teasing you a bit. It''s not every day we get to see the great Erik Romano ying architect."
Erik chuckled. "I suppose I should be ttered."
As the group settled into their shelters, the yful banter continued.
Later that night, as hey in his shelter with Amber curled up beside him, Erik''s mind drifted to the challenges they would face in theing days.
Erik wondered how dangerous the sea journey was, where the ckguards were, their base, and what they were doing on Mur.
The sea was treacherous, with unpredictable weather and the constant threat of enemy ships patrolling the waters and thaids potentially attacking.
Erik needed to find a way to neutralize these threats before they could be a problem for them.