27 NECESSARY FEAR

"Say goodbye to your arm, airhead!" Geragorn's plummeted the mace vertically at his opponent's shoulder.

Lirzod crossed his arms to block the incoming attack, but a silhouette entered his vision before the mace reached him.

The attack was neutralized with a delicate arm movement, without making much of a sound.

"Hmm?" Geragorn narrowed his eyes at the person who interrupted his attack. "You... Why do you care for this foolish one?"

"He's smaller than you in physique, but who knows, his balls might be bigger than yours," The lady monk said in a teasing manner, concealing smile in her eyes.

"Don't push your luck, lady!" Geragorn let go of the mace and his elbow soared at her chin from underneath. Her eyeballs moved down, and she swiftly tapped his elbow and sprang up, her legs spread out as she jumped over Lirzod and landed behind him, who was staring at her with a lack of certainty in his eyes. "Heh!" Geragorn smiled and kicked in Lirzod's stomach, startling both of them. Lirzod who was focused on the lady didn't see that kick coming, and neither did the lady, and they both fell back to the ground on top of each other.

Lirzod spilled blood and his head lied on her chest, seemingly from losing consciousness but the slight upward curl of the corners of his lips told otherwise.

"What a great position," Geragorn sneered. "I'm sure you're enjoying it. Guess you are a monk only in name."

The lady monk pushed Lirzod's body aside and stood before she assumed a flowing stance.

"Are you sure you want to fight me for him?" Geragorn's voice turned cold.

"Not necessarily for him, but definitely for what you spoke about my monkhood!" With a propel, she bolted ahead and let fly a sweeping kick at Geragorn who blocked it with his forearm.

BAM~!

The impact was resounding, as loud as if a hundred kilo boulder fell from the skies on a solid ground. The subtle and fleeting air gush that spread around made most people among the crowd squint their eyes and take a step back.

"You gotta be kidding me. If those two that can use Barth fight here, this track will be spoiled!" Some parts of the crowd were unsettled.

"Hmph, so you can perform a kick after all," Geragorn stared at his opponent.

"Better than you can pack a punch," The moment her other foot landed on the ground, she twirled her body and swiftly kicked the arm of Geragorn away from its defense, and her other leg nailed into his stomach. The pointy wooden footwear she wore made him feel the pain, but he tightened his stomach muscles and pressed her foot. She startled and pulled her leg back, and she did succeed, but her footwear got stuck.

Geragorn took the footwear and broke it into two halves with his bare hands as if he was breaking a biscuit. "That itched. Don't tell me that's the best kick you got."

"I wouldn't bet on that if I were you," The monk maintained her sangfroid as she removed her other footwear and moved a couple steps away in an arching path.

"We'll see," he was about to step forward.

"You pig-faced piggy!" At that time, a voice came from behind Geragorn, and a mace hammered on his head.

The mace cracked, and the blood of everyone in the crowd ran cold upon seeing Lirzod in action.

"You little—" Geragorn gritted his teeth and turned back to grab hold of Lirzod, but a hideous foot loomed onto his face and smacked his cheek, making him crash and roll multiple times on the ground.

The crowd was set on their heels and watched in wide-opened mouths.

"She sent that four hundred pound monster packing to the side! How much power can her kicks generate?"

Geragorn stood faster than he fell down, and a bruise blemished his cheek though it was mostly obscured by his reddish skin. The drop of blood dripping down a corner of his mouth was as plain as the nose on his face. He rubbed it and glanced at his own droplet of blood, and all the muscles in his body began to strengthen. "Now you've done it, monk lady!"

"Shit, he's pissed!" The members among the crowd panicked. "The tracks are done for. Everyone run!"

Everybody began to run like mad dogs.

Geragorn lunged onto the monk with a thundering jump that left a hole in the ground. His fist loomed onto her face fiercer than a lion's paw, and she wished to meet his fist with her foot. Both of their weapons were about to meet head-on when a figure appeared out of nowhere and terminated both the attacks with bare hands.

Lirzod eyes lit up upon seeing that person. Geragorn and the monk, however, were surprised, and immediately pulled back their attacks.

"Madame Stussy," the lady monk respectfully pulled back her leg and joined her arms at her chest, before bowing, "I apologize for having you touch my feet."

"You need not say anything, Everna," Stussy glanced at her once before she turned towards Geragorn, making him frown and take a step back. It seemed like he knew what she was going to say by her look alone. "You have overstayed on this deck."

"I…" Geragorn wanted to say something, but he couldn't find the words he was looking for. He kept scratching the back of his head with his finger.

"The lives of all the Entries that board this ship haven't necessarily been beds of roses," Stussy's voice was rather mollifying. "Troubling them right away isn't an exemplary thing."

"I won't go as far as to say 'sorry for the trouble,'" Geragorn began to walk away. "Like you, I have a priori belief of my own about the new Entries. In a way, they must thank me for giving them the necessary fear in order to survive this journey. Anyway, you are the boss, so you make the rules. I'm heading to the higher decks. You shouldn't have a problem with that."

"None," Stussy replied, fixedly looking elsewhere.

"What?" Lirzod was startled. "How can that pig go to the higher decks after everything he did, and especially when he didn't even finish the run?"

Both Stussy and Everna stared at him with blank faces, while Geragorn snorted as he left.

"Why aren't any of you two speaking?" Lirzod was left confused. "He's walking away."

"You seriously believed that he's not fast enough?" Everna said and smiled, as she came in between him and Stussy.

"Well, I just wanted him to win the event and then go. So he's already finished the test." Lirzod felt a bit disappointed. He was thinking of mocking Geragorn during his run. But now, knowing that he can't do it, he could only rub the back of his neck.

"He's just let the rumors out himself, so that some would pick a fight with him," Everna's smile subsided. "And he enjoys crushing the rookies that come after him. Most of his underlings are all victims of his methods."

"That's," Lirzod paused a moment in a deep thought, so much that he didn't bother about the saliva that was drooping from his mouth. "So that pig was toying with me from the start."

"Kind of, yes..." Everna said, taking slow and calm breaths that didn't seem forced. "Hey, clean your mouth."

"Oh," Lirzod was to use her shirt, but she held his head and stopped him. He was forced to use his own shirt. "So, you are.." Lirzod looked at her from top to bottom, and more than everything else, the image of her face brought tears to his eyes. "So sorry that you are bald," His expression turned sad, "Is there anything I can do to help the hair grow back?"

Everna blinked twice. "I'm a monk, potato!" She slapped him, greatly surprising him. "Of course, I will be bald."

"Monk?" His stomach hardened a bit and he observed her from top to bottom once. "You are right. I remember it. But I didn't know that the female monks have bald heads."

"Now you know that they do."

Lirzod paused a moment before his hand moved in a flash and scratched the top of her head, startling her.

Everna didn't blink but ground her teeth as she glared at him. "What was that for?"

"Just confirming," Lirzod said and nodded twice, "Mm, doesn't seem like it's some fake hairless wig."

"Hairless wig? It's called a skull cap. And I'm not—"

"So you're wearing one?" Lirzod was startled and tried to touch her head again, but she grabbed his hand and pushed it away.

"Let me finish my words. I was about to say that I'm not wearing a skull cap," she scratched her head a bit, bringing out a droplet of blood.

"What were you doing?" Lirzod reflexively placed his hand on her head.

"It's a minor wound. Will heal in no time," Everna let out a slightly hard smile. "Do you at least believe me now?"

Lirzod stared at her for a moment before nodding. "This is my first time seeing a monk in flesh. Your skull is so smooth," Lirzod's words loosened her smile a bit.

"You can remove your hand now."

"I don't think that's a good idea."

She furrowed her brows. "Why not?"

"You may die from blood loss you know."

The two of them exchanged looks before she displayed a decent grin. He smiled back in return as well.

(Whew.) Lirzod removed his hand, stepped back and breathed a sigh of relief. At that moment, he scanned her attire from top to bottom, which took her by surprise and ended her smile but didn't really discomfort her either.

"Something wrong?" Everna couldn't help but ask.

Lirzod continued observing her dress before his gaze rose up and stopped at her face. "Uh, nothing. It's just that you…" he pressed his lips hard against one another.

"Yeah, I."

He forcibly shut his mouth trying to hide his laughter, but even so, the stress showed on his face which began to pinken by the second.

Everna narrowed her eyes and briefly clenched her fist. "What's so funny?"

"Nothing," Covering the mouth with a hand, Lirzod restrained himself from bursting out into a cachinnation. "It's just that, pfft, I'm sorry, it's just that your hairless head looks like an egg,"

The atmosphere around Everna changed ever so slightly but Lirzod was oblivious to it, for he put his all to make sure he didn't break out into gales of laughter.

Controlling his emotions, he stepped ahead. "And I must say it's an egg that looks too egg-ish," he placed his hand on her shoulder and taking note of her face almost made him burst out again, "Ahem, why don't you think about growing your hair back? Then, you might look better and be eligible to be my—"

A slap very much vicious than earlier one greeted his cheek before he even saw it coming. "How rude!"

Lirzod covered his cheeks, staring at her in a stupefied reaction. "What did I do?"

"What did you do?" She bared her teeth. "You did nothing. It's me who lent a hand to a laughing stock." She began to leave.

"I never asked for your hand," Lirzod said, his voice raising a little bit while his hand still rested on his colored up cheek. "Besides, you lent a leg, not a hand!"

He got no reply. Everna sat on the turtle which then sauntered away at its own pace.

"Tch, I was only helping her back by giving a suggestion. It's nothing to get angry about. Hmm?" Lirzod looked around only to get surprised, "When did Snow White leave?" he felt a bit of discomfort. "She escaped from me again! Ouch, my ribs..." One of his hand touched his ribcage while the fingers of his other hand touched his tongue and blood decorated them. "That pig got a hit on my ribs again. The phoenix fruit won't help me get better as fast this time."

He began to walk and felt pain with every step. "Che, breathing is beginning hurt again. It would have been nice if Primera was with me. That devil Sariyu won't bother to treat my wounds even for a day. Whom should I ask for help now?" Burton's image flashed in his mind. "He's the last one I'd ask for help. That useless guy... Sitting his ass out in his room for two days. I'm sure he did the same in all the sect tests of the last ten years as well."

"Hey, want some help?" At that time, a voice came from the side, and a person walked up to him.

"You..." Lirzod was surprised. It was the seller who Lirzod took token 101 from during the deck test.

"I'm 100." He gave support for Lirzod to walk. Most of the hall was empty except for a few souls still present here and there.

"Nice meeting you, Hundred. Where are my nuts?"

The guy was startled. (He didn't forget about the nuts.) "U-Uh, they are in my room. I will give them to you afterward."

"Mm," Lirzod narrowed his eyes, thinking whether to believe his words or not.

"Anyway, I must say, I'm shocked. If Mad Monk Everna didn't interfere, you would have gotten crippled to the point you would be worth less than a dustbin."

"So that baldy's name is Everna huh… Now that I think about it, Snow White did call her that. But I must say, she's too spicy for a monk." Just thinking about her made him want to rub his cheek again. (She seems more dangerous than Pentera.) "Hey, aren't monks supposed to be peaceful?"

"I know right?" Hundred also found himself thinking along the same lines. "But she's like the opposite."

"She seemed strong. What's she doing on this deck?"

"Only she should know," Hundred sighed. "Given her strength, she should easily reach hundredth deck with no fuss. But she spends her time in these lower decks. I have no idea why."

(Hmm... Maybe she's looking for pretty boys. Now it makes sense why she ended up helping me... I do like her oval face, but that baldness is killing all my appetite.) Lirzod thought to himself. "She must have her reasons." Mm, maybe if I can convince her to grow her hair.

"That's what I think as well. But most think she's just wasting her time. It's already been like five to six months since she entered this ship after all."

"Oh, it's totally understandable," Lirzod nodded.

Extensive Voyage roamed on the seas for eleven months of every year, picking up Entries from all around the continent.

"Hey, do you have an idea on how many entries are present on this ship right now?" Lirzod couldn't help but ask.

"I'd say at least a few million."

"M-Million?" he felt flummoxed a bit. "That many?"

"Of course. Just this deck alone has tens of thousands of people."

"What? But there aren't that many rooms right?"

"You are new, so you must not have seen this, but this deck has many blocks each of which has at least ten thousand rooms. Also, Hollows use layered beds, so we require lot less space than you Entries. The tenth deck is the biggest deck for a reason. Most people would either choose to stay here, or forced to stay here unable to pass the test."

"Hmm, not everyone can cover a hundred meters in less than twelve seconds."

"Still, this floor is easy compared to upper decks."

"You've been to upper decks?"

"Not too many, but I'm knowledgeable."

"Tell me about them."

"I can't."

"Since you are here, I can only talk about this deck. Besides, you have every deck's information written in the guidebook, right? You can even buy different manuals from the Book Booths."

"I did read the guidebook, but just the test details. Do the upper decks also have people like that pig who mess with others for no reason?"

Hundred's shoulders jerked a bit. "You mean Geragorn?" He quickly covered Lirzod's mouth and looked around at some of the people standing not too far away from them. "Don't call him like that. He has many friends. You never when someone will come after you. Are we cool?"

Lirzod glanced at the people who were in his vicinity, but they didn't seem to be interested in their talk. However, he nodded.

Hundred removed her hand from his mouth. "They are doing their work and don't seem to be paying attention us. Aren't you just being overly cautious?"

"You want them to feel amped about it or what?" Hundred rose his voice a little.

"Uh, I think I get it," Lirzod scratched his chin.

"You don't look like you did," Hundred sighed. "In any case, it all depends on your luck. Sometimes you'll encounter trouble, sometimes you avoid it unknowingly. Regardless, you should always keep one thing in mind for as long as you're on this ship or even anywhere for that matter.

"What's it?" Lirzod raised his eyebrows.

"It's necessary to have some fear towards the unknown."