Chapter 35 – Floor 1 – Stowaway

"What took you so long? You're late." Moti questioned White, who clutched a book in his hand.

"What's that you have?" Moti asked, taking the book from White.

"White and the Stowaway? Huh, it's blank!" Moti turned through the book. For some of his novels, 21 made them only readable for its owner, so no one else could see. 21 did this for the peering eyes of Floor 42. Each prophetic book was different, but 21 wrote them all with care.

"That prophet, 21, just gave it to me. Only I can read it." White explained.

"How much have you read?" Moti asked, curiously. She put the book on a crate and playfully put her hands up to her chin while leaning on the crate.

"I skimmed it." White said but almost cried, holding back tears.

"Woah, woah, woah! He must've written some weird things in there. Don't take it too seriously." Moti closed the book and dug around the storage room. A minute later, she pulled out a book, Stowaway Instruction Manual. She held it up for White to see.

"Look he gave me one too. I've read it already." She smiled, trying to cheer up her new magic teacher.

"Did you read to the end?" White asked.

"Hmm, no, after that weirdo prophet taught me this invisibility skill, he offered me the book, and I can only read his prophecies as they happen. He was a nice guy though; without him I couldn't have gotten this far." She offered White the book.

Inside, there was detailed instructions that appeared for Moti by the week. It was a different kind of prophetic book compared to his, and it seemed more like a to do list than a prophetic book.

"Do you actually do these to do lists?" White asked.

"Yeah, I promised him I would after learning the invisibility skill. He's a strange guy, but he did save me." Moti admitted.

"What's in your book that has you so riled up?" Moti asked with concern in her eyes.

"Mine has the future, up until I die." White said solemnly.

"How do you die, according to 21?" Moti was curious even though it seemed like a sensitive topic at the moment.

"I die saving you." White looked into Moti's light brown eyes. His grey eyes looked white at times, and Moti thought it fit his name well. She stared back into his eyes.

"That's ridiculous. 21 is a confusing guy, and I wouldn't put too much thought into it. Stop looking at that book if you can. White, hey! Are you listening to me?" Moti snapped her fingers as White looked at the book.

"This is going to impact our training. Give me that book!" Moti pounced at White, wrestling the book from him.

"Give that back!" White yelled.

"No! Never!"

White chased Moti around the room until she picked up the storage ring 21 gave to her. Throwing both books into the storage ring, White and Moti sat down, panting for breath.

"I don't know what weird things he's putting into your head, but don't listen to him! I just met you a few days ago. I appreciate your help, and I already consider you a close friend. Don't let 21's future dictate our present." Moti lectured.

"Says you, you do a to do list for him every week." White mocked.

"Shut up, you bitch! When you look at me your cheeks go bright red, but when I offered myself to you, you turned me down like a pussy! If you want me, come and take me." Moti retorted and unbuttoned her top button.

She got up from the ground and didn't give the stuttering White a chance to defend himself nor respond.

"Come on already. We've wasted too much time already. Teach me whatever ability you originally planned for tonight." Moti offered her hand and helped White off the floor, resuming their training without talking about the books again.

Two pairs of sneaky eyes watched the pair from the corner of the room. Suppressing the urge to jump out at that moment, the two stealthy individuals held back their shock. Wandering Sages Kiln and Utone had heard the whole conversation!

***

A day ago.

"Hey, you two! Care for a little prophetic advise?" 21 asked Kiln and Utone, who were sunbathing on the deck in lawn chairs.

"What is it prophet? Can't you tell we're busy!" Kiln grumbled, since 21 was blocking the sun.

"It'll take not even one minute." 21 smiled friendlily.

"Let's just listen to him, and he'll go away." Utone sighed out. She was sipping on a fruity drink from the mess hall but knew that ignoring the prophet would just make it worse. Mite warned her about 21's all-consuming presence. If they didn't listen, he would just make their lives harder until they did.

"Good. Tonight, go down into storage room 1-B. Hide in the corner, and stay as silent as possible. I guarantee you that you'll see something worth seeing!" 21 smiled and walked away.

"What the fuck is he talking about?" Kiln asked Utone, who shrugged. That night at dinner, they discussed the strange occurrence with Clico and Omira.

"That prophet is delusional! Truly, Insane!" Omira laughed hysterically.

"I wonder what is so exciting to camp out in a storage room?" Clico laughed with Omira and Utone.

"You know what, what if there's something actually there? What if there are party members running a secret drug ring down there?" Kiln wondered, spreading his farfetched conspiracies.

"You go ahead, let me know if you find unicorns and Shades having a tea party down there as well!" Omira joked at her own expense.

"Come on Utone, we don't do anything except train and lounge around anyways. Let's camp out in some crates down in Storage Room 1-B tonight!" Kiln decided.

"Are you out of your mind?" Utone laughed.

"Come on Utone. Even if nothing happens, we can finally prove Omira's greatest conspiracy, that 21 is a hoax!" Kiln laughed.

Omira suddenly turned deathly serious.

"Utone, you have to go with him. If we can prove 21 makes his prophecies up, we can be the heroes of the party." Omira leaned over the table and looked intently into Utone's eyes.

"Okay, okay, fine! I'll do it." Utone kept laughing. This whole situation was ridiculous!

Later that night.

"Why the Hell did I agree to this?" Utone muttered inside a storage crate. She and Kiln were watching the dimly lit storage room, but nothing had happened for over an hour. They promised Omira they would stay there at least until midnight, and she was starting to regret it. Just as she was ready to call it quits, a mysterious young woman appeared in the center of the room.

"Who the fuck is that?" Kiln thought to himself. She wasn't in their party. Moments later, Trainee White walked into the room, sulking.

"What's going on here?" Utone send a thought transmission to Kiln, who was equally confused. Since they were in the same party, they were given a Unique Skill from Mite that allowed them to communicate with just their thoughts.

The scene played out, and the emotional scene led into them training late into the night.

"What in the world?" Both Utone and Kiln found out a stowaway was on board, and Trainee White was helping her train! From their perspectives, it looked like a love affair with White sneaking his lover on board!

***

The next morning, at breakfast, Utone and Kiln had looks of concern on their faces.

"Don't tell me you actually found something down there?" Clico questioned with disbelief.

"You wouldn't believe it." Kiln told the story to Clico and Omira. A few eavesdroppers around the mess hall listened in as well. By midday, everyone on the ship knew about Moti, the stowaway.

Ziphe sighed. It was time to deal with the stowaway. The moment the oblivious Vice-Councilman Blue knew Trainee White had a mysterious stowaway, Ziphe knew it was time to act. Barging into the storage room she typically hid in, Ziphe grabbed her with telekinesis and brought her to the control room.

"Look what I found." Ziphe brought the stowaway before the Control Room, but she couldn't speak nor move due to the telekinesis.

"Woah, a stowaway!" The completely oblivious Trainee Goln was shocked. How could someone sneak into the Great Dungeon Party?

He was the only one on the entire ship unaware of her existence at this point.

"Speak, stowaway. How did you get on board?" Ziphe demanded, although, he already knew the answer.

"The Great Prophet, 21, let me sneak onboards." Moti stammered out. Ziphe sighed.

It was going exactly how 21 planned.

"If Wizard King Xie and 21 snuck you on boards, I can't protest. It's not like we can turn around anyways. From this moment on, I pronounce you as the 101st member of the Great Dungeon Party. You are now a crewmember of the lowest rank, and I can let you stay in Council Trainee Duchess's cabin from now on. That'll be much better than sleeping behind crates, am I right?" Ziphe said in a rehearsed voice. Moti left and was escorted to her new quarters by Councilwoman Zirene.

"You let her into the party just like that? No punishment?" Tyermsy asked in front of the other Control Room members.

"How can I punish her? 21 and Xie brought her here. All we can do is make the best of it at this point." Grand Councilman Ziphe flatly stated. Tyermsy couldn't disagree and shrugged her shoulders. That was the end of the discussion. Neither of them cared enough to do anything. The girl made her decision, and neither of them would defend her in combat over their own factions anyways.

Rumors spread throughout the ship. It wasn't Trainee White that snuck her here, but 21 and Wizard King Xie! Introduced at dinner that night by Councilwoman Zirene, the party welcomed Moti into the party warmly. She even sat with Kiln, Utone, Clico, and Omira, who told her about their sneaky adventure.

Moti's face went red.

"You, saw all of that?"

Omira laughed hysterically.

"Yeah, we didn't dare do anything right then and there, but we had to report it to the Grand Councilman the next morning. I hope you understand." Utone apologized.

"I mean, I wasn't officially supposed to be here at all. I can't blame you." Moti shrugged.

"Damn, I really thought we would have solid proof this time." Omira bit her lip.

Screw 21, next time, she would surely prove his prophecies as phony as she felt they were.

"Don't worry Omira, maybe you'll catch 21 in the act of rigging these prophecies next time." Clico consoled the Shade and patted her back to comfort her.

"Fuck! Fuck! Fuck!" Omira yelled, causing a scene. Kiln laughed hysterically as other party members looked over. Anaxmai raised an eyebrow at the absurdity of the Shade's behavior.

"Is she always like this?" Moti asked, watching the deranged Shade get up and storm out of the mess hall angrily.

"Yep." All three people at the table said at once.

And just like that, another member joined the Great Dungeon Party.