Chapter 115: Twenty-Ninth Floor, The Deck Stained by Betrayal (4)

[Challenger Kwon Su-Hyeok has apprehended a murderer, the sailor Denzel.]

[Remaining murderers: 1.]

[Identify the murderer. Time remaining: 72 hours 53 minutes.]

There are two murderers?

The realization left me bewildered. Ha Hee-Jeong and I had discussed the floor, and not once had she mentioned that this scenario could be possible. In fact, she had repeatedly assured me there would only ever be one killer.

Did the tower change the trial because I am not in a party?

I sighed frustratedly, thinking it was the most reasonable hypothesis. Fortunately, I hadn’t suffered much despite there being two murderers.

Actually, things have been going pretty well for me, all things considered. I managed to catch one before the storm hit.

If the ship—chaotic enough as it was—had gone into the storm with two killers onboard, the outcome would have been horrific. It was entirely reasonable to believe that more than four crew members would have perished in a single night.

I gathered myself, clearing my mind of unnecessary thoughts. My task was straightforward: find the remaining murderer.

So, who is the second killer?

Two figures stood out to me as the most suspicious: the captain and the first mate.

I was still suspicious of the captain because of his connection to the last murder. If he was an accomplice, he could have passed the poisoned cigarette to Denzel.

On the other hand, my suspicion toward the first mate was more of a gut feeling. He had been the first to accuse the captain, riling up the other crewmates and creating even more chaos.

Maybe I am suspicious of the first mate just because he was the loudest voice...

It was a hunch, nothing more. After all, although he had condemned Denzel along with everyone else, that could have been a calculated move to deflect the attention away from himself.

It is entirely possible someone else is the murderer. Hmm, how should I approach the situation?

Perhaps examining the killer’s motive would shed some light on the situation. Denzel had claimed he murdered the other just because he felt like it, but that seemed too simplistic for one of the tower’s trials. Though the killer’s motive didn’t have to be immediately visible, it wouldn’t be absent.

The captain wouldn’t have much of a motive unless he is simply a psychotic killer.

After spending years forming bonds with his crew, killing his crew would only disadvantage him. Perhaps I wasn’t privy to some rumors, but regardless, I decided to focus on the information I had at hand.

However, if I look at it from the first mate’s perspective...

That changed everything. If the captain and crew were eliminated, the first mate would become the new captain. Any individual could entertain ambitions, but a second-in-command’s envy was always dangerous.

For now, I designated the first mate as my prime suspect, followed by the captain, and then the rest of the crew.

Okay, now I need to figure out what the last murderer’s move will be—

“Sir... Sir Knight?"

The captain’s voice brought me back to reality. He was looking concernedly at me, so I wondered if I had been lost in thought for too long.

“Are you alright?"

Not ready to reveal that another killer remained at large, I chose to deflect. “Oh, yes. I’m fine. Just recalling some old memories."

“Ah... the Western Front, wasn’t it?"

“Nothing worth mentioning."

The captain bowed quickly, clearly taking my words as confirmation that I was reflecting on Denzel’s brutal end.

He turned away and left one last message before heading elsewhere, “The storm will be upon us soon. Perhaps you should rest."

My contemplation resumed as I made my way back toward the cabin.

If I were the murderer, what would I do?

Besides Doppy and me, eight sailors remained. I suspected their initial plan had been to eliminate as many people as possible under the cover of the storm, but the loss of one of the murderers surely threw a wrench into that plan.

With my ally gone, I would use the darkness of night to make my next move. Then, with fewer targets left, I could poison the food and water...

***

[Remaining murderers: 1. Identify the murderer. Time remaining: 68 hours 21 minutes.]

A massive black wave crested over the bow of the violently rocking ship.

Swoosh—

It crashed down and sent water spilling across the deck, drenching my ankles. The torrential downpour seemed intense enough to be called a divine punishment, leaving me already drenched to the bone. With that in mind, this last wave didn’t affect me much.

Through the roar of the rain, the crew’s gruff shouts were faint but discernible.

“Bellachi! Secure those ropes tightly!"

“Aye, Captain!"

𝙛𝓻𝒆𝓮𝒘𝙚𝙗𝒏𝙤𝙫𝓮𝒍.𝓬𝒐𝙢

“Renek! Take over at the helm!"

“Aye!"

Prior to the storm, I had concealed myself in the shadows, so I was indiscernible amid the storm-tossed deck. Currently, I was positioned just behind the first mate.

He remained my chief suspect, so tailing him seemed the wisest choice. Although my senses were absurdly powerful, my decision to monitor him in person was simple.

I can’t rely on Awareness to observe the entire ship.

Awareness could only observe my immediate surroundings, and though the ship housed only a small crew of ten, it was surprisingly large. Unfortunately, that meant the majority of the vessel remained outside the scope of my senses.

The killer believes I am resting in the cabin, so hopefully they let their guard slip.

I had managed to escape my room unnoticed, but I still left Doppy in the cabin with a signaling device to alert me, just in case anything happened.

The first mate was following the captain’s commands when the ship suddenly lurched, causing him to lose his footing and skid forward.

“Fuck!"

He came to an abrupt stop right at my feet.

Phew, that was a close call.

After how close he had come to colliding with me, I decided to maintain a bit more distance.

“Damn it!"

The first mate cursed again before pushing himself up from the deck, although his clumsiness stirred an odd sense of doubt within me. I had observed him for nearly two hours, but he had yet to show any overtly suspicious behavior.

Though the night was far from over, a creeping worry gnawed at me.

Maybe another murder has already happened while I was off on a wild goose chase? Did I misjudge the situation entirely? Perhaps they decided to abandon the killing spree because their plan went awry...

At that moment, I noticed the captain, who had assigned the first mate to the helm, quietly slipping into the cabin.

Hmm? Why did he go below deck so suddenly?

Unfamiliar with the daily operations aboard a ship, I wondered if he had some duty to attend to inside. Then, I recalled that Ivo had entered the cabin earlier at the captain’s command.

Is it really the captain?

Preparing to follow him, I hesitated, reluctant to leave the first mate unmonitored. He could plan something during my absence.

Hmm...

After a brief moment of consideration, I decided to follow the captain. The deck was relatively crowded with sailors, so the first mate likely wouldn’t make a move with so many eyes around.

For now, the captain—who had quietly entered the cabin not long after Ivo—seemed to be the more immediate concern.

***

[Remaining murderers: 1. Identify the murderer. Time remaining: 68 hours 16 minutes.]

“Hey, Renek! Take a smoke break if you’d like."

“Thank you, Captain."

“And bring a fresh bottle of rum on your way back."

The captain handed a bottle of liquor to the first mate at the helm, who accepted it eagerly. Grinning slyly, the first mate brought the bottle to his lips.

Fortunately, or unfortunately depending on your point of view, following the captain hadn’t granted me any new information. He had returned quickly from the cabin, merely indulging his thirst for liquor and cigarettes even amidst the storm.

Taking control of the helm, the captain shouted to the crew on deck, “Move it, you wretches! Do you want to keel over on the spot?”

Watching him, I couldn’t help but find the scene amusing. Here he was, drinking and smoking freely during what some could call an emergency. It seemed that, whether on Earth or not, those in power shared the same nature.

Meanwhile, the first mate headed below deck, and I decided it was time to follow him again. Bracing against the pouring rain, I set off after him.

“Damn it!”

Once below deck, the first mate took a heavy gulp from the bottle, before hurling it against the wall. Only moments ago, he had been grinning, so his sudden change in mood struck me as suspicious.

Is he the murderer after all?

He seemed to be venting his frustration, and I wondered if it was because his accomplice had died, ruining his plans.

The first mate let out a long, weary sigh. “

Ugh,

that idiot. Couldn’t even handle one, lousy cigarette.”

Although he had muttered under his breath, barely audible, his words were still clear as day to me, and they undoubtedly referred to Denzel. At last, his true colors were beginning to show.

The first mate rummaged through his pocket for a cigarette, but with the storm raging outside, the pack was soaked. He tossed it aside, and the crumpled packet rolled across the floor, coming to rest next to the broken bottle.

At that moment, Ivo appeared. “Ah, first mate! What’s going on?”

The first mate quickly masked his expression, putting on a slightly regretful face. “Pretty good, except I dropped the bottle the captain gave me.”

“Well, the ship’s been rocking pretty hard. You’re working hard, sir. Looks like your cigarettes got drenched. Here, have one of mine.”

“Much appreciated.”

Ivo took a cigarette from his pocket and handed it to the first mate, who accepted it with a broad grin. Knowing what he had done, that smile sent a chill through me. Ivo offered to light it, but the first mate gave him a light push before replying, “Since I broke the captain’s bottle, I should probably fetch another...”

“

Heh

, I get what you mean. Let’s head to the storeroom, then.”

“Knew you were a sharp one.”

As Ivo led the way, the first mate’s hand drifted toward the dagger strapped to his thigh, preparing to strike when the moment was right. I couldn’t help but smile as I thought of catching him in the act. He quietly drew his dagger and crept up behind Ivo.

Just as he raised his arm to strike, I dropped my shadow veil and seized his wrist. “What do you think you’re doing?”

“Wha—!”

“Agh!”

Both the first mate and Ivo recoiled at my sudden appearance, their faces stricken as though they had seen a ghost.

With my grip firmly on the first mate’s wrist, he couldn’t flee. He could only stumble backward before falling to the floor. His eyes widened with fear and trembled as they fixed on me.

Extremely shocked, Ivo’s voice wavered uncontrollably. “Wh-what’s going on?”

I gave the first mate’s hand a small shake. “I’ve been tracking down the killer.”

“B-but Denzel was the killer!” Ivo’s gaze darted from the dagger to the first mate.

“A fair guess, but there were two killers. See this dagger? If not for me, you’d already be dead.”

The first mate stammered, desperately grasping for an excuse, “No, it’s a setup! Ivo, the knight put this dagger in my hand!”

“Me? The one who apprehended Denzel? Why would I?”

“He just appeared out of nowhere! He’s not a knight, he’s a dark sorcerer,” he cried, clutching at straws.

It was a hopeless attempt, a pathetic ploy. Even if Ivo took the first mate’s side, it made no difference. Everything was in my hands.

“Let’s finish this.”

I was tired of this ship. Despite my near-superhuman resilience, after more than a day onboard, a raging storm, and constant surveillance, even I was beginning to feel the strain.

I twisted the first mate’s wrist and drove his dagger deep into his chest.

“

Gah!

”

His scream echoed throughout the hold, and at last, a notification window appeared before me.

Ding—

[Challenger Kwon Su-Hyeok has apprehended a murderer, the first mate Renek.]

[All murderers have been apprehended.]

[Congratulations. Challenger Kwon Su-Hyeok has conquered the twenty-ninth floor of the Tower of Ordeal: The Deck Stained by Betrayal. Achievement points will be calculated.]

[Murderers captured: 2]

[Crew members alive: 7]

[Crew members killed after the climber’s involvement: 1]

[Crew members mistakenly accused as murderers: 0]

[Overall rating: A. Challenger Kwon Su-Hyeok has been awarded a Skill Level-Up Voucher and 3,500 achievement points. Total achievement points: 81,238. He will now enter the waiting room.]