~Brrrmmm~~~
The aircraft flew across the waters at a steady pace. And throughout the flight, no one was permitted to stand. Suppose you feel like taking a piss, too bad. Do it in your pants!
The aircraft danced chaotically until Bain, and the others felt its abrupt descent.
Wow!
Those flying the aircraft didn't even tell them to brace themselves.
The aircraft descended at an incredible speed, giving the illusion they were about to crash. And while in this illusionary state, a bright light quickly engulfed the scene.
It was now that many realized the walls they were leaning on were see-through. And now with the outer surface of the ship moving upward like a shuttered window, many could see the outside world via the transparent walls they were leaning against.
"Look! That's the famous 'Cotton Cloud' Waters surrounding the Mainland!" Someone exclaimed.
Bain knew a thing or 2 about these Cotton Cloud waters.
In this world called Blue Sails, the waters were vastly different depending on where one went.
In some regions, the waters constantly thundered on by deadly purple thunders from the skies. In other regions, the seas completely froze ice solid by nightfall, only to magically regain their fluidity by day.
This world, called Blue Sails, was more massive that went beyond one's imagination, so much so that the waters around made even the largest landmass look like an island.
The mysteries of the seas went far beyond what Bain could imagine.
As for these Cotton Cloud waters, they looked like sky cotton clouds, cute and fluffy in appearance. But as they say, appearances could be deceiving.
.
The deadly Cotton Cloud Waters…
Looking below, Bain could see that these strange cloud waters flowed towards the edge of what looked like an incredible fluffy waterfall surrounding the entire Mainland!
That's right.
The Mainland was far below, surrounded by this waterfall from all angles. But maybe what was more fascinating was that the cliffs leading downwards to the Mainland were naturally molded like stairways.
If a ship were to sail on the clouds, it would leave the edge and fall straight down as though it were falling off a waterfall, before landing on the next 'step' below. And from there, it would repeat the same thing repeatedly until it got to the bottom.
It was like an ant trying to go down a stairway… Only ants were more fortunate in having natural abilities to prevent them from overturning when going down.
Bain estimated over 300 steps of this nature leading down to the Mainland.
Again, one should know that these step-waterfalls stretched out for miles. So for days, it's possible for a boat to sail downwards without seeing the Mainland at all!
For those sailing downwards, this was a bummer, but for those on the Mainland, this natural set-up was great since it allowed the natural sunlight to fall on the mainland.
Can you imagine if the Mainland was akin to the bottom of a glass while the cliffs were its walls? If that were the case, the place would always be dark with how far below it was.
One can only say that mother nature knew best. With the step-waterfall terrains stretched out for as far as the eyes could see in all directions, It gave the illusion they weren't that far down below.
But even then, prisoners dared not risk going up the strange stairway waterfalls because of the insane pressure and specialties involving these Cotton cloud waters.
One would think they would be fluffy and easier to manage than traditional waterfalls. But that was where they were wrong.
People have tried, and after only 2 minutes against the current, all the flesh on their faces was gone, leaving only skeletal bones…They died, still confused about what went wrong.
Ships would shatter, underwater submarines would break, and nothing seemed to do the trick if one was going against the natural directions these fluffy clouds were moving.
Even the Absolutes dared not try it. And that's why they chose this particular spot!
Ships can only sail downwards but never opposite, regardless of engine power.
…
So deadly?
Everyone watched the famous Cotton waters, seeing particular creatures jump out of these waters sky-high from time to time.
Maybe only these creatures would survive these waters if they went against the current.
Other ordinary sea beasts would have to stay obedient, letting the water currents carry them to heaven knows where. But these strange sea creatures had adapted to these waters and could move however they pleased.
Bain thought all he saw was already eye-jarring. However, the incoming view left his mouth hanging open.
This… This is the Mainland?
He thought Mainland 01 was just a single island… a single landmass. So why did he see a collection of over a hundred islands scattered about?
Some land masses looked the size of a small country, while others were just the size of 20 or 25 cities in one.
Additionally, he noticed that the waters below had turned normal, no longer like the Cotton Cloud ones.
So after the last step-waterfall, the waters somehow regained normality and clarity?
(Q0Q)
At this point, it would be a lie to say Bain wasn't shocked. It was only now that he fully understood that Mainland truly was a separate world on its own.
This was a bubble the prisoners could never leave. Even by air, the Absolutes monitored what left and what entered the Mainland. No one… No one could leave before their time!
Ah-
Bain suddenly recalled the words the guards spoke earlier.
'Before boarding, we were told to follow the only 2 rules we were expected to follow.'
Rule number 1… He couldn't leave before his sentence was up.
And rule number … Should in case he 'assisted' a lady in reproducing, all newly born children must be sent out of Mainland 01 and shipped to Mainland 02, the mysterious orphanage Mainland, they say, was run by the Absolutes.
Whether they would truly take care of these children, no one truly knew.
Things concerning both Mainland 01 and 02 were very secret and discrete. They were told to send the children to a place called the 'Central Neutral zone.'
.
So this was it… The famous Mainland.
Bain and the many other prisoners were still immersed in his thoughts when suddenly, the aircraft shook dangerously, and a harsh voice echoed.
[This is your captain speaking. Rise & shine, shitheads!.. Slept well? Then wake your stupid asses up!]
Eh?
Bain stared at the X-crossed belt against his chest, realizing it had now unbuckled on its own. He had a bad feeling about this. And soon, his fears were proven right.
~Bam!
Many people fell on their chins while listening to the Pilot's cold voice.
[Hahahahaha~... That will wake you all up… Now then!... Today is the first of your many wretched lives in Hell. And because I'm kind, here's a little tip from me to you… The last few of you lot to get off my precious ship... will die!]
(*** Even though they were in an aircraft, the Captain still referred to it as his precious ship.)
Many were stunned beyond words.
What? You want them to jump out this high without any gear?
The Captain didn't seem to care.
[Welcome to the Mainland, you bloody bastards… Now get off my ship!]
…
In the overly massive Control room, more than 900 men and women sat or stood by, watching the chaotic scenes via the monitors.The room was vast, with spring ceilings of open space 3 stories high.The Space was Hexagonal, with its front 3 out of 6 sides having nothing transparent wall screens to see the outside world while flying.The back wall had several elevators and doors leading into the space, while the last 2 side walls were floor-to-ceiling monitors showing hundreds of images.The Captain smoked his pipe, looking at the many images projected on the wall monitors. "There... Enlarge.""Yes, Captain,'' replied one of the men, enlarging the image as instructed.Seeing it, the Captain smacked his belly in delight. "Look at how these scallywags run about. Fear, greed for survival, thrilled, expectation, excitement... It's all on their faces!"The Captain seemed to be paying attention to a few. These should be the ones with the highest kill counts this time. Soon, Bain's image was en
Bang! Bang! Bang! Bang!All remaining prisoners were shot dead.The Captain tugged on the tip of his hat, masking the discerning trace of malice in his eyes. And very subtly, he headed into his office space overseeing the Control.Click.He locked the door and reached for the phone on his desk.[Is it done?] A rich but cold voice sounded out from the other end."Affirmative, sir... The kid is off the ship. Now, he's Mainland property."[And what about the rat?]The Captain thought of one of the prisoners he shot during the mass shooting.During the final shooting round, they killed the last few remaining prisoners aboard. But that wasn't when he killed the rat.During the first shooting round, he and his crew targeted non-lethal body parts, causing many of the prisoners to leave the ship hastily. But amidst the chaos, he killed the rat before the bastard could make it out of the aircraft. Even the crew members didn't know of his actions.To keep the matter confidential, he had to limi
Bain shivered, quickly leaving the scene and heading for the nearby hills and bushy terrain. And in a blink of an eye, he had already moved a great distance, rustling past several bushes, trees, and open fields with tall stalks of wheat a few feet taller than he.~Bang!His heart skipped. Not good!"Come out, boy… We know you're in there." Said a deep and playful voice belonging to the burly lead figure amidst his gang of ruffians.They stopped leisurely, snickering and jesting at Bain's unfortunate situation.Hehehehe~"Boss, I reckon he has wet himself.""Pff!~ What sort of criminal would wet himself from a gunshot?" A man they called fatty, couldn't help mocking."Heh… A newbie like him won't be able to survive a day out in these parts," another added.He had seen a close-up on Bain back in town, feeling the boy should be one of those scaredy-cat criminals.One could find all sorts of criminals on the Mainland.There were those bold and hot-tempered, those who always used others as
The popular tunes from the night crickets and the low rustling leaves were the only sounds that resounded in Bain's ear.One boy with a sharp stone in his grasp, stared at the many circling him. 'I'm almost at my wit's end.'Bain quickly caught himself from falling, looking at the person the rest referred to as Boss.The gang of miscreants wore boots, baggy pants, and different styled tops. Some wore tank tops, others wore light jackets, some stuck to tee-shirts, and others went shirtless.He stared at them in scrutiny, realizing that no one was pointing a weapon at him. This was an important hint!'It's either they deem me so worthless that they don't bother raising their pistols at me… Or they need to capture me intact.'Come to think of it, why did they chase after him so much when he never offended them? In any case, he felt his thinking was smart.'I'm valuable.'Bain concluded, finding leverage over the situation. And the one they called boss, slowly lit a cigarette amidst the t
Mmm~~~Bain moaned softly as nature's quiet sounds registered in his brain.Where am I?He opened his eyes abruptly, examining the strange wooden cabin he found himself in.Hiss!~~He had a headache.'What happened? I remember that he was surrounded with no way out... But then someone... Someone… Someone!'Bain was about to spring up when a calm voice echoed out."I see you're up."Who?Bain quickly turned his attention to the cabin door. And there he was… The silver-haired stranger!With unhurried steps, the man stepped into the cabin in full farming attire with a hoe in his hand and a basket of wheat on his back."Easy boy... You don't have enough strength in you." The silver-haired man said, slowly putting his hoe and basket.Bain placed his hand on the mat he rested on, trying to pull himself up and lean against the wall.With a skeptical look, he gazed at the good-looking man who was now taking out the many stalks of wheat from his basket."Relax."The man gave him a brief yet la
That red mark…Bain's eyes glowed with a fiery light.The thin piece of paper was sticking out from underneath several books. He could see particular characters and symbols that, wouldn't you know it, belonged to none other than the Absolutes!Them again? Bain's interest was more than piqued.What did they want from the Silver-haired man? Though the man looked trustworthy, the Absolute court was another matter.Bain carefully moved his hands, still keeping his head stiffly facing the man.Could he do it? Would he eventually succeed?~Tack. Tack. Tack. Tack.The flames once again danced underneath the heated pot.The space was obviously hot. But when the Silver-haired man spoke, it suddenly grew heavy and frosty."Mainland 01… Violence, murder, chaos, and freedom to do whatever criminals want… That's what you ordinary folks think. However, you're all forgetting one simple fact. Even in Hell itself, there are rules."~Pang!The Silver-haired man swung his blade once more, giving the ill
Bain listened attentively.The silver-haired man referred to himself as Ryu.From his tale, he used to be an ordinary worker, that is until his newly wedded wife betrayed him. And the finishing blow that broke him was when she married another, bringing her lover and her greedy family into the house.Yes… Her lover was with his good friend.Ultimately, the woman managed to secure all his savings and all he had ever worked for.They say revenge was a painful dish served best when cold. But in his case, he decided to turn up the heat on his betrayers.He drugged them, tied them together in the basement, waited for them to wake, and gave them a piece of his mind before setting up a gimmick designed to blow the house up 10 minutes later.Sadly, because the buildings on his street were built too close to each other, his revenge act led to the burning of 2 neighboring homes.It resulted in the death of a neighbor's newly born children and the death of another neighbor's son playing in a room
It was a trap!... It was all set up!But why? Why had Ryu kept him alive rather than killing him previously?Bain felt his chest rise and fail speedily. But despite the pain, he knew the first principle of escaping was to do it as quickly as possible.The longer he remained in the enemy's control, the less likely his chances were of fleeing.His body was on fire, with a gushing wave of dizziness slowly eroding his consciousness.No!'I can't afford to fall asleep. Before my body gives way, I must take Ryu down.'Get up!Bain stabilized his staggering body, putting off a defensive stance. Seeing this, Ryu, who had always been calm and collected, burst out in cruel laughter."Boy!... If you think you can escape, you're much more foolish than I thought." Silver-hair Ryu smiled, reaching for his inner chest pocket with a sly smile on his face."Now, now, little one… Since you're new here, you probably haven't heard of me much. Some call me the silver Mad Hatter, others the Silver Maniac…