Chapter 78

Given his location, Bill assumed the door to the dining hall should be right in front of him, but he found only solid wood by touch.

Carefully feeling along the wall for a railing, he quickly located the right spot.

"Damn!"

Something was blocking the passage to the dining hall, large enough to completely obstruct the doorway.

Knocking on the barrier, Bill tried to listen for any sounds from the other side.

Before attempting to move the object, he wanted to make sure no one was in the way.

He heard some noises, but they were indistinct, so positioning himself comfortably, Bill began to slowly lift the barrier.

"Wait!"

Hearing a familiar voice, Bill stopped and asked with effort, "Samantha?!"

He guessed correctly—the girl continued, explaining that they were moving people out of the way.

Bill didn't understand why people were placed right in the doorway, but soon the mystery was solved.

After receiving permission, Bill lifted the barrier.

Entering the room, he heard two voices, but before responding, he surveyed the room.

The dining hall was in chaos: overturned tables, chairs, and other kitchen utensils. Food was smeared in the corners, and the smell of oil was very strong. A few bodies lay on the floor, either covered or still.

Turning sharply, Bill asked, "Who here can be moved immediately?"Under his persistent gaze, Samantha pointed out those who could barely move on their own. Then, after a brief discussion, it was decided that she would stay with a few uninjured survivors to make improvised stretchers.

Meanwhile, Bill helped those who couldn't move by themselves to get into the corridor, which was now lit by a small beam of light.

While he was assisting, Jerry quietly said, "We tried to get out through the windows, but no one could make the jump... We tried to make a ladder, but... I'm so glad you came just in time. Doctor Jonas... he..."

Now that it was mentioned, Bill realized he didn't see the biology teacher from the Scientific Division. Surely he was one of the bodies covered with sheets, Bill thought to himself.

But Bill tried to encourage Jerry and said, "Everything will be fine, the main thing now is to get off the ship."

In a world where black powder was still used, the gun batteries were very dangerous. This prompted Bill not to stop for a rest after rescuing the drowning.

The corridor wasn't very long, and even while helping several sailors, the group reached the overturned staircase within just a few minutes.

The men who followed Bill worked quickly. In less than ten minutes, they began setting up a winch, which they likely planned to use as a lift to move the wounded to the ground.

While assisting those who needed it, Bill noticed that the staircase, which had turned into a corridor, had become quite crowded.

"Ah! Lieutenant Ox!"

One of the men standing at the front called out to him.

"We need something to use as a base!"

Nodding in response, although he wasn't sure he was seen, Bill shouted "Alright!" and turned back.

The rest of the actions happened fairly quickly: after he saw the mess hall, Bill no longer felt the same confidence about Marron and the other recruits from the Scientific Division.

Time was of the essence, so the first door he encountered on his way, he simply ripped off its hinges, returned, and handed it to the carpenters, then jumped down with several men who were not severely injured, and finally went back to the mess hall, where Samantha and a few remaining marines had made ten improvised stretchers.

While helping to move the severely wounded, Bill noticed that the most serious injuries were sustained by the cooks who were in the kitchen. The head chef was particularly badly burned by hot oil, giving his face a waxy texture.

Bill did not question why this scene did not make him nauseous. However, he was relieved that out of ten, only six people had fractures or other injuries that did not seem life-threatening.

The entire process of evacuating the marines took about fifteen minutes from the moment Bill jumped onto the ship and secured the rope.

He confirmed there were thirty-two marines on board, of whom twenty-one were either killed or had varying degrees of injury.

These numbers were devastating, but it still meant that about fifty people did not manage to get to the deck during the incident.

Recalling the bodies he saw at the entrance to the dormitory, Bill froze for a moment.

He knew he needed to find Marron and the other recruits from the Scientific Division, but he thought, "Captain Hina went there..."

He also remembered how Captain Sentomaru repeatedly reminded him that his duty was to ensure the safety of the Scientific Division members.

Bill also knew that although the recruits from the Scientific Division were younger, they were physically stronger than most of the marines he had seen on the ship, and their strength could have been used more effectively.

"But... the dormitory is closer."

These thoughts weighed heavily on Bill, and he made a decision. Heading toward the room where the remaining fifty or so people on board were supposed to be, he hoped that Captain Hina would be able to save those on the lower decks.

If you want to read advance chapters follow me on patreon

45 +chapters

patron.com /Manofathousandskills