One Man Army

Chapter 138 [Episode 71] Pirate Ship 1

@ Pirate Ship

“You have one team member, is that so?”

At the registration booth, the LGN employee asked Sang Hyuk.

“Yes, that’s right. There is no regulation about the number of team members anyway, right? And additional team members can be registered later…. correct?”

“Well, wait a minute.”

Unfortunately, the employee did not know much about the regulations because he was an intern who just works at the registration booth. Now all he could do was contact the supervisor in a hurry.

Actually, although it was the supervisor, he did not know the rules better than Sang Hyuk. Sang Hyuk, who likes being thorough, always memorized the regulations when he was working as a director.

Of course, the regulations could have changed, so what Sang Hyuk remembered might be wrong. However, because the framework usually does not change, so most likely there was no problem.

Fortunately, the framework was still the same as Sang Hyuk’s memories. So, Sang Hyuk’s application was accepted without any difficulty.

Sang Hyuk chose the team name ‘Rush’, which was a choice he had kept in his mind since Gye Baek and Dark Knight might join this team later on.

He wrote down as a pure amateur team without sponsor.

EL Revolution copied the user data from the Eternal Life server, but because it is a separate game that used a completely different system, so he had to create an ID for the EL Revolution.

Of course, he could use the same ID that he used on the EL’s server. But Sang Hyuk changed his name. Although a lot of people would have guessed his identity over time anyway, even so, he did not want to advertise who he was.

The name that Sang Hyuk has chosen was ‘Slayer’.

After finishing the team registration, Sang Hyuk left the Dream Factory.

The briefing session was still ongoing, but all the important things had been confirmed and registration had been processed, so there was no reason to stay.

He sent a short message to Lee Mirae saying that he was busy and needed to leave.  Although he offered to buy her a cup of coffee but because Lee Mirae was also very busy today, she said they would see each other next time.

Sang Hyuk, who came home quickly, went straight to the game.

While Sang Hyuk was doing his business, Gye Baek and Dark Knight finished some of the quests in Red Mountain and gained additional favor with the Moon People.

For the future, they had to keep gaining favor with the Moon People.

“Now I feel like I have finally adapted to the Magic Armor.”

Sang Hyuk laughed when he saw Gye Baek hunting the bugs.

“When I use it, I know the trick, but there are still some awkward parts.”

“You have adapted enough. There are more kids than you think, who can’t use the Magic Armor’s power properly even after suffering for months. You and Mr. Aspice has really adapted quickly.” (T/L Note: Sang Hyuk mentioned Aspice with the title ‘nim’, like in very formal relationship)

Sang Hyuk’s words were not mere empty flattery. In fact, Gye Baek and Dark Knight had very good game sense.

“Hey, Aspice has told us address him casually. Also use his nickname, he said to call him Dark Knight.” (T/L Note: Aspice wants Sang Hyuk to speak in the non-formal level, friendly level.)

“Ah…. Yeah, but I am still unable to adapt to it yet. Well, it’s gonna get better.”

Aspice preferred the nickname Dark Knight rather than the name Aspice itself. Though he did not tell anyone how old he was, he just asked them first to speak comfortably.

Actually, Dark Knight did not speak a lot because he was a person of few words. So, that is why he didn’t have many chances to talk comfortably.

Sang Hyuk helped Gye Baek and Dark Knight to finish the quest in progress and went straight to the marina with both of them.

Red Mountain was just like a starting point. All the Blue Sky Sailing Route began here. It became one of the five islands that the user would most likely land on later in the Middle Layer.

However, they have nothing left to do here now.

Gugugugung.

Sang Hyuk summoned the Ink Black Dragon and went up to the Ink Black Dragon with his crew. Their destination was the Continent of the Sun that exists above the sky.

“From now on, it can be said this is the real sky-sea. This is a place where you may expect the unexpected anywhere, and anytime, so don’t be nervous.”

Sang hyuk slowly raised the Ink Black Dragon’s power and moved in the direction shown by the arrow.

From here on, there were more things that Sang Hyuk did not know than things he knew. But he did not feel frightened or nervous.

“No matter how though the Sky-sea is, it’s not as though as the Continent of the Sun….. To win a place on the Continent of the Sun, you have to sail the Sky-sea.”

The Sky whales and the bugs that appeared in the Sky-sea were powerful, but they had the same limit as monsters. But the Continent of the Sun was different.

The Sun people there were also NPCs, but they were monsters at the same time. Continent of the Sun, which is a world that can crush even the strongest… For the users, it was a place beyond their wildest imagination.

* * * *

After they left the Red Mountain, they approached the Blue Sky Sailing Route and everything changed. The Sky-sea which was once calm, peaceful and placid, was beset by rough waves which tossed and shuddered the Ink-Black Dragon.

Although Ink-Black Dragon was a high grade and powerful vessel that could push through the strong waves, but as Sang Hyuk said, if they lose their focus then they would be thrown off-course in the Sky-sea.

In the process, a lot of bugs crawled over the ship, but they were easily handled by Dark Knight and Gye Baek.

Sang Hyuk focused solely on controlling the Ink Black Dragon. The navigation arrow is present, but the arrows were merely indicators for the direction in which the destination is located.

If they only followed the arrow, then they would never able to arrive at the destination safely.

Most of what was actually existed in the terrestrial sea existed in the Sky-sea.

There were typhoons and storms, as well as triangular waves and underwater reefs. In other words, they would have sunk the ship sailing without focus, care and prudence.

It was not being overcautious when Sang Hyuk equipped his empty general skill slot with the steering skill which was enhanced to +8. Thanks to that steering skill, Sang Hyuk could navigate through the storm safely.

He was not only equipped with the steering skill, but also the vision reinforcement skill that has been enhanced to +7 in another general skill slot, so even in bad weather, Sang Hyuk’s skill overcome low visibility.

Originally, Sang Hyuk merely had a good ability with non-combat game mechanics, but when combined with these two general skills that he prepared beforehand, his Sky-grade Ship maneuverability could surely reach a remarkable level.

“Hyuu, finally we’re out.”

Sang Hyuk, who broke through a sudden 7th grade storm, sighed and looked back.

According to his previous memory, the 7th grade storm was a mild natural disaster that was somewhat frequent on the Sky-sea.

Storms and typhoons all existed from level 1 to 9, and became stronger as the numeral went down. Not surprisingly, a typhoon was a more powerful natural disaster than a storm.

In other words, if he cannot going through a 7th grade storm, they should not have been on the Sky-sea. The closer you get to the Continent of the Sun, the more powerful storms and typhoons will happen.

After all, this was the trial that every user had to overcome.

“Wow, that was savage…. But you said it was a 7th grade storm? So how bad is the 1st grade storm?”

Gye Baek shook his head and looked at Sang Hyuk.

“1st grade storm is roughly equivalent to a 4th grade typhoon. For reference, a 4th grade typhoon is a natural disaster that Sky Whales below 7th grade could not approach.”

“Hul…. Can we sail through it with the Sky-grade Ship?” (TL Note: Hul… An exclamation that usually used for something surprising. Like “OMG!”)

“With a Sky-grade Ship, it is possible.”

“Really?”

“Yeah, Sky-grade Ships have shielding. If the shield is used skillfully, then we can sail through it quite well. Theoretically, we can even sail through a 1st grade typhoon, but… honestly, I doubt this is actually practical.”

Sang Hyuk laughed and answered.

“Hyuu, I thought I was getting used to it, but I think I still far from that. It really is an amazing place.”

Gye Baek shook his head and laughed dispiritedly.

But right at that moment, Sang Hyuk saw a strange thing out of a corner of his eyes, which due to his enhanced vision, was far more visible to him.

There was a point on the horizon far away, but Sang Hyuk, with its enhanced vision, was able to clearly see its form.

A skeleton painted on a billowing black sail. It was somewhat cliched, but this symbol denoted a certain identity.

“Darn…..”

As soon as Sang Hyuk checked it, he frowned.

Actually, Sang Hyuk was expecting a Sky Whale. If a Sky Whale of about 8th or 9th grade appeared, then it could be hunting practice, a chance to obtain some items, and it would be just right.

However, ironically, it was not a Sky Whale that appeared in front of Ink-Black Dragon, which just weathered a storm.

“It is a pirate ship. Both of you prepare for battle.”

The pirate ship can be considered to be a type of monster. They were NPC-type monsters like the criminal NPCs that existed in Hagye.

“Based on its appearance in this area, at the very least, it’s an 8th grade pirate ship?”

The pirate ship had a rating similar to Sky Whales. Even their strength were similar.

The only difference is that it has a much more demanding battle pattern than Sky Whales, and the rewards you can get when you caught the pirates are far worse.

So, at least on the Sky-sea the pirate ship was very unpopular.

But it was not a foe you could avoid. One of the unique abilities of a pirate ship was the ‘tracking booster’, which was a unique ability to move 50% faster than the prey.

“Tsk, they must be aware of us.”

Sang Hyuk saw the mark of the skull painted on the pirate ship’s sails shine red and give up on escape.

“It’s probably a 9th or 8th grade pirate ship. As I explained earlier, the method to face a pirate ship is totally different than with a Sky Whale. We need to  cause chaos among the crew so for now Gye Baek man the cannon and pound the pirate ship as much as possible.”

The pirate ship would not sink with several hits. However, the reason why they have to get as many hits as possible with the cannon is because it helps to remove the pirate captain, the boss monster of the pirate ship, later.

“And when the pirate ship gets near our boat, shoot the harpoon cannon and connect them to our ship. Once it hooked up, I’ll get on their ship and attack the pirates. Both of you don’t let the pirates board our ship. The most important thing is that the battlefield should be on the pirate ship, not ours.”

Should the pirates cross onto the Ink-Black Dragon, the durability of Ink-Black Dragon would be reduced. Then, they will lose a lot of durability in a single battle and they would waste a lot of time to recover the lost durability.

This was the main reason why the pirate ship was not very popular. The loss of durability of the Sky-grade Ship would be dangerous and stressful for the rest of the voyage.

So even in Sang Hyuk’s previous life, the users used to say that it would be better to meet 10 Sky Whales than encounter a single pirate ship.

“Okay! Completed!”

[Got it.]

Gye Baek and Dark KNight answered shortly and moved to their positions.

“The distance from the pirate ship is about 2 km. Do not shoot the harpoon until they are within our effective range of 700 meters.”

Sang Hyuk measured the distance roughly, looking at the pirate ship that sped towards them at full speed.

Indeed, the pirate ship was fast. Because Ink-Black Dragon was so fast, the pirate ship was savagely fast like now, and it was so fast that it would not be easy to shoot.

“Once we slow down our ship, then they will slow down as well.”

Sang Hyuk took his foot off the accelerator pedal and started to reduce his propulsion output.

The pirate ship seemed unusually large… Sang Hyuk, who was looking at the pirate ship, suddenly had an uneasy thought in his head.

“No way it is 7th grade, right?”

Suddenly the uneasy thought which Sang Hyuk dismissed… But as always, these thoughts did not stay dismissed.

Chapter 138 [Episode 71] Pirate Ship 1 – End