My (Monster?) Hero Life

Chapter 276: The Risen (1)

Josh stared at the cliff on the coastline. 'According to the information, the Necropolis's entrance should be beneath the sea. There's no chance that such a place has been left unguarded.' He swept his cold gaze over the horizon. They had sunk many ships in the process of reaching this far. However, there was nothing in sight now.

"Men, prepare to dive. Once we enter the area of the Necropolis, be on your guard. I suspect there will be a few nasty surprises in store for us." Josh's tone was full of authority and calm. It gave the crew the impression of an immovable obstacle that would shield them from anything.

Brenden smiled as he began to lash out orders with his tongue. Josh inspired this ragtag ghostly crew into following him. It was more than just his strength. It was his bearing. His personality. The way he escaped his own fate, albeit in an unconventional way. He had a lot to offer them, and they knew it.

Soon, they would have a semblance of a life back. Then they would gain their own place to call home. Each of them was certain that nothing would be able to threaten them with Josh around. The crew leapt into action. They were mostly just going through the motions to maintain discipline. Since nothing ever seemed to affect the Freedom anyway. 

Josh took hold of the wheel. His gaze was fixed on the sight before him. 'Let's go meet our new comrades.' As soon as everything was in place, the Freedom performed a nosedive into the water. The water swept through the crew and the ship. The green glow that leaked from the Freedom lit up the surrounding depths. 

"Keep an eye out, lads! Anything suspicious, and you call it out right away!" Brenden barked in Josh's stead. 

There was too much riding on this expedition of theirs. He knew Josh was too focused on their surroundings to issue orders himself. Even though they were usually ethereal in nature, that did not mean that there was no way to harm them. Many things were hiding in the depths of these treacherous waters. They had to rely on Josh to detect these things before it was too late.

They continued to push on deeper. Without the glow, they would not be able to see a thing. So far, all they spotted was the rocky edge of the continent. There was nothing that would indicate a hidden chamber. Hours passed as the tension rose. Worry that the information had been wrong began to seep into their minds. Even Josh was wearing a frown upon his face.

Brenden moved around the deck, speaking words of encouragement to the crew. Telling them not to worry and reminding them that their Captain had never failed them. 'The boys can't take much more of this. You'd think they'd be more patient, being dead and all. They can't expect us to find something that's meant to be hidden so easily.' 

"Captain! There's something behind that outcrop just ahead!" An excited voice cried out from the crow's nest.

As Josh adjusted their course, the crew turned lively once again. The excitement in the air was palpable. Anyone would think that they had just drunk their way through a few dozen barrels of booze. The crew began to gather together, staring into the abyss. Hoping to catch sight of their hope.

"What the fuck are you doing!" Brenden roared at them. "Sober the fuck up! Did you forget the Captain's warning! Prepare for a fight!"

Brenden's orders brought them back to their senses. They had lost themselves all too easily for a moment there. Weapons were drawn as a steady look settled into the eyes of every member of the crew. Nobody wanted to fail this close to the goal line. The Freedom crested around the edge of the outcrop, slowly revealing what their comrade had only caught a glimpse of.

"HOLY FUCK!"

"WHO SAID THAT?!" Brenden shouted. Pissed off that somebody had lost their cool again. To be fair, he could not blame them. A giant pair of golden doors stood embedded into the wall of earth. 

The Freedom sped towards them, and the crew let out an awkward smile. 'Seems like the Captain intends to go through them.' Brenden sighed as he spotted an eager glint in Josh's eyes. Sure, it was a suitable method since they could pass through solid objects. However, that did not mean that they liked to be reminded that they were still technically dead!

The doors came closer and closer. Until eventually, the Freedom passed through them. A strange shock ran through their bodies as they passed through to the other side. The ship suddenly turned upwards. The crew began to panic as they felt water rush into their lungs! Even Josh was distressed!

'What the fuck! This shouldn't be happening!' Josh cursed inwardly to himself. He felt the urge to breathe. Which was something that none of them had ever needed to do in their current bodies! 'That fucking door! What did it do!'

The ship continued to race upwards in a sharp motion. A light appeared in front of them that showed a surface to the water they were trapped under. The crew silently urged the ship to go faster before it was too late! Some of the crew began to pass out. Their bodies began to slide across the deck, threatening to be thrown off. 

Their comrades' dove to grab ahold of them, determined not to lose a single one of their number. The Freedom lurched as it broke the surface, slamming down to rest on top of it. The sudden action jarred the crew as they began to cough up the water from their lungs. They felt the solid wood beneath their hands as they wretched.

'I can feel it!' Brenden thought in disbelief as he caressed the deck. Water dripped from his face and clothes. 'I can feel it!'

Brenden looked around at everyone and noticed that they looked solid. As if they had gained their own bodies back! 'We're finally free!' He could barely contain his excitement, and by the looks of it, neither could the rest of the crew when they realised their new condition. Before they could celebrate, an angry voice spoke over them.

"Prepare yourselves. This just got a lot harder!" Josh solemnly ordered as he glanced around the chamber. "This is the worst thing that could have happened."

The crew stared at him in amazement. 'The worst thing? What are you talking about! We don't have to inhabit someone else's body now!' These were some of the thoughts that raced through the crew's mind. Brenden stared at Josh with a curious gaze. 'He wouldn't say that without reason.'

"Captain! Explain it to us!" Brenden shouted for the benefit of the whole crew. 

Josh noticed that it was not a challenge of his own authority and sighed. He took a few moments to look around again before deciding to give his answer.

"Well, boys, it's like this." Josh did his best to keep his calm, but his next words would make it useless. "We're fucked."

The crew stared at him with baffled looks. 'Fucked? In what way?' This caused the crew to finally take note of their surroundings. For one thing, the Freedom had lost its glow. The entire ship looked sturdy instead of a wreck. Kind of like there own situation. Realisation began to set in as they glanced around the chamber.

The Freedom was trapped in an enclosed body of water! There was nowhere they could sail it to. Especially since it had lost the ability to pass through material objects just like them! 'How far are those doors? We would drown before we could ever reach them! Never mind the swim back up to the surface!' Brenden groaned as he realised that their bodies had become their greatest weakness instead of a gift.

Josh stared in a specific direction. Gems embedded in the chamber's wall were giving off a warm glow which was allowing them to see. There was a stable patch of land that they could swim to, but that was not what caught his attention. In the wall of the chamber just beyond that patch of land were five different openings.

'The Necropolis could be down any one of them.' Josh cursed as he stared at them. 'We'll either have to split up and search or stick together.'

Josh considered their options. 'If our bodies now replicate the living, then we'll probably need food and water. Too bad we didn't bring any. If we stick together, then we might not find it in time before we get too weak.' The situation was giving him a headache. There was another issue with their bodies that was even worse, though.

"I'm bleeding!" One of the crew shouted as he rubbed his head, leaving a red smear on his hand.

Panic began to overwhelm the crew as they realised that the Captain had spoken the truth. Brenden's eyes went wide as he realised the gravity of their situation. 'The Captain was right. We're fucked!'