Chapter 97: Seal

Chapter 97

The boys were playing cards, their faces serious as they studied each other. Elijah placed a card, followed by Kai. Then Mike smiled, confidently placing his card to close the game.

"Damn it," Kai muttered, tossing his single card onto the table.

Adan, with the lowest card, groaned in frustration. Meanwhile, Elijah was sweating bullets as Kai glanced at his cards.

"HAHAHAHA! Elijah, how are you so unlucky?" Kai burst out laughing.

"Is he out again?" Mike asked.

"Yep," Kai confirmed smugly.

"I give up. This game isn't fun anyway," Elijah said, annoyed at his third consecutive loss.

"Oh, really? Aren't you the one who came to us all excited, saying you found some cards?" Kai teased.

Elijah didn't respond. He stormed off, muttering under his breath, "I'm the one who brought the cards, so why am I always the first one out?"

Nearby, Julia was lounging on a chair, sipping juice as she gazed out at the sea. "Mike, my juice is empty," she called lazily.

Mike stood up, leaving the game. "Another drink coming up," he shouted as he headed to the kitchen.

"Yeah, we're still playing here," Adan reminded him.

Elijah suddenly reappeared, a hopeful gleam in his eye. "Can I join in his place?"

"No," both Adan and Kai replied in unison.

Elijah hung his head, walking away dejectedly. Watching everyone relax, he couldn't help but feel useless. Kai trained at night during his watch, which left him asleep most of the day. Adan and Julia managed the ship's operations during daylight hours, while Mike handled the cooking whenever anyone was hungry.

As the group's "muscle," Elijah was primarily relied upon for fights or major decisions. He found himself wondering, Is this what it feels like to be a captain?

With nothing else to do and the ocean calm, Elijah went below deck. He entered his private training dimension, leaving his physical body behind. Once inside, he began reviewing his techniques, focusing primarily on his basics to see if any could be improved.

His breathing technique, once crucial for enhancing his strength, chi control, and elemental manipulation, was now practically obsolete. He no longer needed it for his elemental control, nor did it aid his chi or physical strength.

Elijah decided to experiment. Breathing deeply for a moment, he suddenly began inhaling and exhaling ten breaths per second. His muscles tensed and bulged as he tried to replicate the same effects as before.

Though effective, it was challenging to maintain while moving. To train himself further, he summoned his alternate self—Alter Elijah, with his black and golden hair.

"Help me train," Elijah requested.

"When haven't I?" Alter Elijah replied with a smirk.

After some time, Elijah emerged from his training feeling slightly improved. His senses, especially his ability to sense life energy (Ki), had sharpened. However, he was aware that individuals like Amy could still conceal their life force with ease, leaving him intrigued by the technique.

Later that night, Elijah went to the ship's deck. As expected, Kai was training, swinging a weighted metal log with one arm while holding another in his opposite hand. Steam rose from his body in the cool night air.

Each swing looked deliberate, as though Kai was battling an unseen foe. Observing closely, Elijah realized Kai was practicing shadow fighting—recreating the image of an opponent to analyze his own techniques.

When Kai threw one log to the ground, the wood cracked. Elijah quickly reinforced it with his chi to prevent further damage. Kai continued, finishing with his Dominant Dragon Slash. The powerful swing sent a gust of wind howling across the deck. Panting, Kai finally sat down.

Elijah approached. "So, who were you fighting?"

Kai glanced at him. "The swordsman from that island."

"Oh, you mean the lazy swordsman?" Elijah asked.

Kai chuckled. "Lazy? Maybe you're right. His strikes lacked weight."

Using his mana, Kai summoned his two swords to him. "Anyway, who told you that?"

"Adan," Elijah replied.

Kai beckoned Elijah closer. "He's an idiot. But can you help me release the first seals on these swords?"

Elijah hesitated. "Won't they be too much to handle? Remember, one's a demon sword and the other's cursed. How about tackling them one at a time? These are both Tier-5 Mythical weapons from the Milky Way Realm."

"I know," Kai said. "The swords are sealed with five layers. I'm ready for the first."

Elijah sighed, eventually nodding. "Alright, I trust you. Let's do it."

Infusing his chi into Kai's swords while Kai channeled his mana, they worked together. Both swords began to glow—one red and the other purple—as their first seals were broken.