Chapter 204: Unexpected Choice.

Then, without any further hesitation, Jake brought the sword down toward Samu’dra’s head.

The sword was already halfway down when—

[Ding!]

Jake’s arm suddenly stopped.

His eyes widened as a familiar blue window appeared directly in front of him.

[A potential Crew Member has been detected.]

Jake stared at the notification in confusion.

Before he could even process what he was seeing, another line appeared beneath it.

[Target: Samu’dra]

[Conditions for Crew Recruitment have been fulfilled.]

[Would you like to recruit Samu’dra as a Crew Member?]

Jake remained completely still as his sword was still hovering above Samu’dra’s head.

"...What? A potential Crew Member?"

Jake blinked.

Then he looked down at Samu’dra.

Then back at the notification.

’Wait... I can recruit monsters too?’

The thought caught him completely off guard.

Until now, Jake had never considered the possibility.

Whenever he thought about his Crew, he had naturally imagined people joining him.

Humans or maybe other intelligent races... but monsters?

He had never even thought about it.

Jake frowned slightly as he looked at Samu’dra.

’So what exactly determines who can become a Crew Member?’

Was it intelligence? Strength? Loyalty?

Or did the Class System simply consider Samu’dra different from the other monsters because he was intelligent enough to communicate and fight like a person?

Jake didn’t know.

The Class System wasn’t exactly helpful when it came to explaining itself.

But there was one thing Jake was certain about.

Samu’dra wasn’t an ordinary monster.

He was intelligent, incredibly strong, and capable of learning during battle.

More importantly, Jake had already come to respect him.

’Could that be why?’

Jake glanced at the notification again.

[Would you like to recruit Samu’dra as a Crew Member?]

Then he looked at the unconscious naga for a long moment.

The naga was covered in wounds, his scales were cracked in several places, and blood still stained his mouth.

Yet even after everything that had happened, Jake couldn’t deny that he respected him.

But respect wasn’t the only thing Jake had to consider.

’What if I recruit him and he attacks me again?’

Jake’s expression became slightly more serious.

Samu’dra had fought him fairly this time, but that didn’t mean he would suddenly stop being dangerous.

If recruitment didn’t change his personality or loyalty, Jake could easily end up allowing a dangerous monster to recover right beside him.

And Samu’dra wasn’t just any ordinary monster.

He was strong enough to push Jake into a desperate fight.

Jake rubbed his chin as he stared at the notification.

’...I really wish this thing came with an instruction manual.’

He couldn’t help but sigh.

Still, there was one thing he knew.

If the Class System was offering Samu’dra as a Crew Member, there had to be some reason for it.

And if accepting the recruitment was dangerous, Jake doubted the Class System would simply leave him completely helpless against his own Crew.

At least... he hoped so.

Jake continued staring at the notification, still trying to figure out what he should do.

He had been standing there for several seconds without moving.

Then Aria walked over and stopped beside him.

She glanced at Jake, then at the sword still hovering above Samu’dra.

"...What’s wrong?"

Jake looked at her and smiled wryly.

"Actually... my Unique Class seems to think this naga could become part of my Crew. And it just gave me the option to recruit him."

Aria blinked and looked at him in amazement.

"...Recruit him? Can you even recruit monsters?"

Jake sighed.

"Apparently."

Aria looked at Samu’dra for a moment before turning her attention back to Jake.

"So... what’s your choice?"

Jake remained silent, still staring at the notification.

Aria watched him for a moment before speaking again.

"Whatever you decide is fine with me."

Jake glanced at her.

"You’re sure?"

Aria nodded and gave him a small smile.

"You’ve gotten us this far. I don’t see any reason to suddenly stop trusting your judgment now."

Jake couldn’t help but smile wryly.

"That’s a lot of trust."

"Well, you’re the Captain."

Aria smile and then glanced at Samu’dra again.

"And if you think recruiting him is worth the risk, then I’ll trust you."

After hearing that, Jake finally made his decision.

He looked at Samu’dra again.

"...Well, there’s only one way to find out."

Whatever the risks were, he would deal with them later.

With that, he confirmed his choice with the system.

[Ding!]

The instant he confirmed his choice, the blue window suddenly expanded.

And then a bright light flashed across the cavern, illuminating Samu’dra’s enormous body.

[Crew Recruitment has been confirmed.]

[Target: Samu’dra]

[Recruitment in progress...]

_

_

_

Samu’dra slowly opened its eye.

The first thing it noticed was the warmth.

There was no pain from its wounds, no heaviness in its body, and no burning sensation from the injuries it had suffered during the battle.

Instead, a gentle... warmth surrounded it, almost as if it were lying beneath the sun on a peaceful summer day.

Samu’dra slowly raised its head and looked around.

Its eye widened in confusion because... the dark cavern was gone.

There were no broken rocks, pools of blood, or traces of the battle anywhere around it.

Instead, it found itself lying in the middle of a vast green field beneath a clear blue sky.

Soft grass stretched into the distance, while strange flowers with faintly glowing petals swayed gently in the breeze.

The entire place felt peaceful... far too peaceful.

Samu’dra pushed itself upright, still trying to understand what had happened.

’Where... am I?’

It looked around once more before suddenly remembering its battle with that two-legged creature named Jake.

Its expression changed, and it immediately looked down at its own body.

Then it froze.

The enormous, heavily scarred body it had possessed for so many years was gone.

The thick scales that had covered its body had disappeared as well, replaced by smooth skin.

Its arms were thinner, its muscles were much smaller, and not a single scar remained on its body.

Samu’dra slowly raised one hand and stared at it in disbelief before turning it over and examining its fingers.

It then touched its chest and felt the smooth skin beneath its palm.

"...My... body?"

Its voice carried a hint of disbelief.

This wasn’t the body it had fought with for countless years.

It was the body it had possessed when it was young, before years of battles had hardened its body and covered it in countless scars.

Samu’dra slowly clenched its fist.

The movement felt strangely natural, almost as though it had returned to a time it had long forgotten.

It looked down at itself again, unable to hide its confusion.

"...What... happened... to me?"