“Anyway, you’re too close to Leader Molly. In fact, I don’t even think you could pose any threat to her. After all, you’re just a newbie with a Power Level of 4, hahahaha!” Jia Yi pointed at Baiya and laughed a few times. Baiya laughed along with him because it was the truth!
What a pathetic truth it was.
“However, even if there is only a 1% chance, Master Raymond won’t let it exist. Moreover, it’s not like you’ve never had a chance to strike.”
Jia Yi seemed to have thought of something and deliberately lowered his voice, feeling it wasn’t something to be said lightly. He sighed, swept his hands behind his neck to cradle his head, and slumped onto the wooden boards. Pillowing his head on his arms, he looked up at the ceiling of the ship.
“I’m resting, newbie. Go get busy with your work. If you really can’t handle it, go to Leader Molly for help. Well, after hearing what I said, you should understand that only Leader Molly can solve your predicament.”
“No, I won’t do that. That is the worst possible strategy!” Seeing that Jia Yi had no intention of paying her any more attention, Baiya didn’t linger. She left the second-tier area and returned to her own cabin in the bottom tier. She closed the door, locked it, and sat on the bed to think about how to resolve her current situation.
She had to take her problems one by one. First was food. Baiya could clearly hear her stomach grumbling in protest. From morning until now, she had consumed nothing but fresh water. She likely wouldn’t have anything to eat for lunch or dinner either. If this continued, she wouldn’t be able to get any nutrition, her development would slow down, and one day she would simply collapse.
Regardless, she currently had no way to obtain food through legitimate means. The pirates would find every possible way to withhold her rations.
The solution to this predicament was actually very simple. She could do as Jia Yi suggested and report the pirates’ bullying to Molly. With Molly intervening to warn them, her life would be easier. At the very least, the pirates would be cautious and wouldn’t bully her so brazenly, though they would certainly still trip her up in secret.
If her first ability developed from her racial talent didn’t involve favorability, Baiya wouldn’t have overthought it. She would have just followed the natural course of action.
‘This is really bad. What a stroke of ill luck. Before I can deal with external enemies, I have to counter internal chaos. This isn’t easy at all.’ Baiya raised her fist and tapped her forehead lightly, over and over. Perhaps this would help clear her head.
Being bullied, reporting it, receiving a warning, and then being bullied in secret — it was a clear and complete cycle. The pirates only dared to make things difficult for her right now and didn’t dare to lay a hand on her specifically because they were also considering the possibility that she would report them to Molly.
So, if she actually did it, what would the result be? Obviously, she would gain quite a few benefits.
However, Baiya was focused on the subtle disadvantages, because those were the real problems.
It would attract justifiable loathing and hatred, and it would establish an image of weakness and incompetence in Molly’s heart. If she really reported it to Molly, the pirates’ favorability toward her would drop below rock bottom into an actual non-existent negative value. It would be like destroying the roots; it would be harder than climbing to heaven to raise it back up later.
**[Choral Theater: Redeeming Saint]** — within the coverage area, radius: 50 meters, gain the power of those who trust you. No limit on quantity.
Baiya understood that once it became difficult to increase favorability, she would be in big trouble. She might not be able to handle the upcoming hardships, and she might even lose all power to resist 3 months from now. Facing a dead end with no way out, it was very likely she would be forced into a plotline where she had to kill Molly. That would be a Bad End.
In short, it was a bad move.
‘I must find a breakthrough. Yes, a breakthrough. I need to think of other possible paths. This is my challenge.’ Having cleared her thoughts, Baiya dismissed the idea of reporting to Molly. This plan had been completely rejected by her.
The 3-month time limit was like a death noose around Baiya’s neck. The rope was gradually tightening, and she had no time to relax. She had to arm herself with power as quickly as possible.
In the blink of an eye, night arrived. Baiya had to face her most hated time. Holding her change of clothes, she knocked on the door to the Captain’s quarters. At Molly’s urging, she quickly took off her clothes and underwear, once again exposing her body to Molly.
At this moment, Baiya was lightheaded and didn’t care about anything. Having skipped breakfast and lunch, she was so hungry she didn’t even have the strength to cry out. She allowed Molly to manipulate the cold water to wash her body.
Baiya felt utterly devastated just thinking about how she wouldn’t get to enjoy dinner either and would have to sneak into the kitchen in the middle of the night to steal food. Was she some kind of ascetic monk? Please spare her from having to constantly endure suffering to temper herself!
“Answer Molly. Are you being bullied by the others?” After Molly washed Baiya from head to toe, she asked seriously with her arms crossed over her chest.
Baiya immediately snapped to attention and shook her head reflexively. Honestly, seeing a 12-year-old little girl acting like an adult in front of her felt so out of place!
‘But that’s also a moe point!’ Baiya gave a mental thumbs up.
“Don’t just suffer in silence! Molly will settle the score for you!” Molly saw Baiya’s silent appearance and got a bit angry. Did she think Molly knew nothing? No! That was impossible!
Molly took time every day to listen to reports from her trusted subordinates about everything that happened on the ship.
“No, no, no. Thank you for your kindness, Leader, but I haven’t suffered any grievances.” Baiya remained as stubborn as a dead duck. If her gaze wasn’t darting all over the place and she actually dared to meet Molly’s eyes, Molly might have believed her a little.
“Molly knows everything! You haven’t eaten anything until now, have you!”
“Actually, I’ve been planning to lose weight recently. Excess fat is really a nuisance. Although I know I’m just skin and bones and this excuse doesn’t hold water at all… how should I put it? Today is a fasting holiday in the country where I was born. I can’t enjoy any food until today passes. Also, this holiday might accidentally be extended by one or two days…”
“Enough! What kind of nonsense are you saying! Do not tease Molly!” Molly’s eyes transformed into crimson vertical slits, and several ice-blue scales covered her cheeks, radiating a terrifying pressure.
“I haven’t suffered any grievances, and I have no intention of yielding. If I must say it, my performance so far… everything has been for Leader Molly’s sake.” Baiya stopped making up excuses, and her gaze became exceptionally calm.
In any case, she absolutely refused to let Molly intervene and warn the pirates to stop bullying her. No matter what, she wouldn’t change her story!
This was her bottom line! Baiya would never allow herself to fail 3 months from now!
“For Molly’s sake? Sweet talk!” Molly snorted coldly. Her first reaction was to refuse to believe it and mock Baiya mercilessly. But when her gaze brushed against the startling scars on Baiya’s body, the cruel words that were about to leave her mouth were swallowed back down.
Molly recalled her memories in Amidal. Baiya reminded her of the girls who were “seeds” for slave girls. To stimulate their latent potential, they were locked in dungeons and subjected to unimaginable torture until there wasn’t a single unblemished spot on their bodies.
“Suit yourself then! Molly doesn’t care about you anymore!”
After putting on her clothes, Baiya was kicked out by Molly.
‘My, my, this is an unexpected harvest.’ Baiya looked at the golden frame in front of her, which displayed Molly’s favorability — **[Molly’s Favorability toward Baiya: 2 (What an idiot!)]**
It had risen slightly for some reason, but that was a good thing. It also predicted that her decision not to report to Molly was correct.
When she opened the wooden door and walked into her familiar room, Baiya saw an unfamiliar object.
There was a small wooden bucket sitting on her bed. Inside the bucket was a large piece of salted meat, several pieces of dry bread, and a bowl of soup. This was a standard dinner.
Seeing that the soup was still warm, Baiya stood by the bed in silence for a moment. She took a piece of dry bread from the bucket and stuffed it into her mouth. She took a few bites, then relaxed her body and fell backward, lying on the bed. She slowly chewed the food in her mouth while staring at the wooden planks above.
“Mm, it tastes good.”
Regardless of who did this, Baiya knew she wouldn’t have to get up in the middle of the night to sneak into the kitchen.
From then on, every mealtime, Baiya would find a standard meal set on her bed whenever she returned to her cabin. Relying on the assistance of this mysterious person while enduring the pirates’ harassment, she unknowingly spent 3 days on the ship.
As for who was actually helping her in secret, Baiya didn’t want to uncover the answer. She had read the story of the Conch Girl and understood the principle that one should secretly enjoy unexpected benefits. Making a fortune in silence was the ultimate wisdom!
Whenever it was mealtime, Baiya would leave her room to give the mysterious person time to deliver the food, achieving perfect coordination for several days in a row.
When she returned to her room and didn’t see the standard meal again, Baiya immediately understood that something had happened to the mysterious person. At this point, she only needed to go and ask if anyone had met with an accident to reveal the identity of her benefactor.
Considering she had been able to eat her fill for the past few days, Baiya felt it was necessary to pay a visit to that mysterious person. Although she didn’t have any gifts to give, as long as her intentions were sincere, it should be fine!
It wasn’t that Baiya intentionally wanted to be penniless; she truly had nothing but her life.
“Leader Molly’s illness has flared up again!”
As soon as she reached the fourth-tier area, Baiya saw dozens of pirates in the common area acting like ants on a hot griddle. After hearing the reason for their anxiety, Baiya’s right eye gradually widened.
‘So it was you, Molly Xinjia.’
Baiya immediately turned and ran toward the wooden stairs connecting the tiers. She didn’t know what she wanted to do, but she knew she had to do something!
“What are you doing here! Get out of here right now! Or I’ll kill you!”
Raymond was furious as soon as he saw Baiya burst into the room. In his fits of rage, he roared at Baiya while his hand reached out to grab her.
Right now, all the high-ranking pirates — Raymond, Pengpeng, and others — were gathered in the Captain’s quarters. They were standing guard by the bed, watching over Molly, who was half-reclining on it.
Molly’s right cheek was permeated with a deep purple hue, and a single line of tears flowed down her left cheek. Her right eye was already a pool of viscous blood that kept flowing out. She gritted her teeth to suppress her cries of pain, her petite body trembling constantly.
Baiya saw this scene clearly. She sighed, and while closing her right eye, she tilted her body to dodge Raymond’s fist. Then, she slowly opened her crimson pupil.
“Do you want to start a fight! You bastard!”
Premium Chapter
Login to buy access to this Chapter.