The fishing trawler had been following the flying whale and its feathered companions for more than two weeks now. Most creatures seemed to avoid it as the whale's mist would freeze the surface of the ocean if it lingered in one place for too long.

The ice broke in front of the fishing vessel with a crunching sound as they continued to follow the flying whale, which continued to ignore their presence as it got further ahead of them. The boat was stalled more often after entering arctic waters by natural ice not created by the flying whale.

The ebony-skinned ability-user Roger was standing beside Noah at the bow of the ship. The oarsmen rested while the boss used his ability to propel the boat through the ice as the oars weren't useful in the ice.

"Ahhhhh!" someone roared in pain.

The scream came from below decks, Noah assumed from the room belonging to the white guard Zane for his recovery. Basil, the mouse, also popped his nose out of Roger's shirt collar with his eyes glowing purple as his whiskers twitched in the direction of the scream.

Noah quickly followed Roger, who barked at the oarsmen that they're forbidden from going below deck. The boss had mended the hole in the deck from the stone spike with a metal plate fished from the salvaged wreckage of a passing boat using his [Metal Manipulation] ability. The metal plate had a rough texture similar to the deck to prevent slipping.

Arriving outside the white guard's quarters, Roger warily pushed the door to the room open with a small creak as he attempted to open it silently. Louis had been placed in charge of Zane's recovery as he took pity on the former guard's plight.

Inside the room, the white guard was lying on the bed naked while clutching at his crotch, trying to stop the flow of blood seeping through his fingers. Blood was dripping onto the sheets, staining them red spreading out from him.

On the side of Zane's face, there was a smear of blood on his cheek where something had hit him before bouncing off. Beside the former guard's head lay his mangled genitals that appeared to have been chewed off and spat in his face. Roger said something in an unknown language that seemed to ward off evil, judging from his actions with his hands as he said it.

"What...?" Noah asked before being waved to silence by Roger, cautiously creeping towards the form of something huddling in the corner.

As Roger approached, the huddling figure raised its head to reveal grotesque features causing Roger to retreat with a curse to stand beside Noah.

"Demon, it ate his manhood then waited for more of us to come so it can satisfy its unholy hunger!" Roger spoke superstitiously as blue light gathered beneath his skin.

"Wait a second. Louis, is that you?" Noah cautiously approached the creature while holding a hand up to stop Roger from using his ability.

"Noah, I won't do it anymore. He tried to make me again, so I bit it off" Louis spoke with a raspy voice through his elongated teeth.

Louis's face began to transform in front of their eyes to return to his usual youthful pretty boy face from the terrifying appearance of a monster. Green-lifeforce was fading away from his eyes and from beneath his skin. His horns, elongated teeth, and claws along with his protruding fangs retreated while his ridged nose and pointed ears returned to normal. Louis's skin was stained blood-red, and his body had become shredded with corded muscle without an ounce of fat with pointed lumps beneath the skin of his shoulders as steam rose from his feverishly hot body, similar in appearance to folklore ogres.

"Did you awaken an ability?" Noah asked Louis, who had returned to his original appearance with blood dripping off his chin.

"I had to. He was going to force me again. He got so angry and started talking about taking his power back before throwing himself on me, then forcing me to my knees. I won't do it anymore. I can't!" Louis became hysterical as Noah pulled him to his feet into a hug as the boy buried his head into his shoulder to cry.

"I think it's time that we solve that problem," Noah said resolutely while gripping Louis by the shoulders to hold him away.

Noah approached the now unconscious white guard with a murderous rage burning in his eyes, prepared to ensure that the man died today.

"Wait!" Roger froze Noah in place with his [Air Manipulation] ability.

"Basil says that he is awakening. Look," Roger held the mouse in the direction of the naked and bleeding former guard with its eyes glowing purple.

"Then you can take his ability origin crystal after I'm finished with him," Noah replied as he struggled against his wind restraints.

"Let us first see what he will awaken."

As they watched, the bleeding completely stopped while the bandaged stump held over the wound began to move independently. The bandage started to rise as red lifeforce began to gather beneath the skin at the end of the guard's wrist where his hand used to be and also gathered at his crotch.

The bandages got loose as they began to fall away to reveal a freshly formed hand that was still constantly regrowing at a visible rate.

"They both awakened the ability that they needed most. This is most interesting to learn. Both of you leave now," Roger distractedly instructed the pair while tugging on his beard thoughtfully.

"He needs to die!" Noah objected.

"Do not make me tell you again, fishbait," Roger warned.

"Come on, Noah. Let's go," Louis pulled the reluctant Noah out of the room as Roger used his ability to slam the door closed behind them as he continued to watch the former guard regenerate.

"We should kill him while we have the chance, now that he has an ability. He will be protected by Roger and the boss," Noah spoke to Louis in the hall outside the door.

"Don't forget that I also awakened an ability, so I'll also be protected. I know you have one too Noah, I saw it the first night that you struggled to save me as your eyes lit up purple. We will get another chance," Louis consoled Noah.

"I'm too weak now, and I have no idea how even to recover my strength. I wasn't always a withered old man. Not long ago, I could have rivalled the boss and Roger together," Noah said.

"I'm sure you could have," Louis complacently agreed as he felt that Noah was boasting as he couldn't imagine him as anything other than the feeble determined old man he appeared to be currently.