Chapter 22
Chapter 22
-----------------------------------------------------------------
Translator: MadScientist
Chapter: 22
Chapter Title: Covert Battle (2)
-----------------------------------------------------------------
《Covert Battle》 - (2)
01.
"..."
A pirate ship had suddenly appeared in this rundown neighborhood, so I flung open the window and leaped outside without a second thought. A pirate ship that wasn't even on the sea—stuck on land, crashed into a crumbling wall, no less. It was too bizarre a sight to just ignore.
A pirate ship swimming across land? Unless it had wheels, it was utterly impossible by the laws of real-world science.
...But in a game where modern common sense was tossed out the window, things were different.
Especially in the world of Season Off Fantasy, where massive spaceships soared through the skies, magic was real, and inexplicable monsters roamed freely. Anything imaginable could become reality here.
Even something as absurd as a pirate ship cruising over land instead of sea, right before my eyes.
"...Pirate."
The ship was advancing across solid ground.
It had to be tied to Season Off Fantasy's rare class, Pirate—the odds were high.
As far as I remembered, at this point in the game, the only skill that could summon a ship to sail over land was the Pirate's ultimate, Rapid Current Ride.
Rapid Current Ride let the Pirate summon their ship and steer it in any direction. The unique twist? It wasn't limited to water—it worked on land too.
On land, the ground touching the ship turned fluid like water, letting the pirate ship zip across any terrain at high speed.
Anything it collided with took massive physical damage and got stunned, immobilized for a while.
It dealt damage, sure, but its real value was in boosting mobility and disrupting the battlefield in creative ways. One of the most utility-packed ultimates out there.
"Why this neighborhood...?"
And why on earth had this Pirate's ship smashed headfirst into the wall of such a pathetic little district before self-destructing?
Drunk driving? Or fleeing from some overwhelming enemy?
...Or maybe, like those uninvited Ace guests before, it was here for looting or to prey on the vulnerable.
This place was so utterly worthless, with barely any players or monsters around, that any stranger showing up instinctively set off alarm bells.
"..."
I arrived at the scene, not far from my house, and the pirate ship came into clear view. It looked heavily customized—brown hull adorned with gold accents everywhere, like a work of art.
The ship had plowed into the wall and toppled sideways, but its sturdy build meant no major damage despite the wreck.
"Wh-what the hell?!"
"A pirate ship? What the heck is going on...?"
"..."
And from the other side, two familiar faces came running up in a panic—the Holy Shield Knight man and Priest woman, probably the only other players in this neighborhood besides me.
"...!! Se-Se-Selbe...!! Ugh...!!"
The Priest woman who arrived first spotted me already there and freaked out, clamping her hand over her own mouth.
"Ah."
Only then did I realize I'd rushed out so fast I hadn't switched my tiara back to mask form. But we'd met before anyway—they'd recognize me even with it on, so no big deal.
"H-hi there."
"...Hello."
Unlike his orange-haired Priest companion, the Holy Shield Knight greeted me casually now. He'd gotten used to me, knew there was no hostility anymore.
...Though he couldn't fully hide his tension—his 90-degree bow was stiff as a board.
"A pirate ship—what the heck happened...?"
"...No idea."
I stared at his fluttering sleepy rogue cape whipping in the wind, his question laced with confusion. But I was just as clueless, so I answered in my usual curt tone.
"Hm..."
I stepped forward, slowly wrapping my hand in blue ice. There had to be a captain aboard, no signs of escape, so probably still inside. If I froze the whole thing solid, they'd pop out, right?
"......"
I placed my hand on the toppled hull, ready to activate the skill and encase it in ice.
...If not for the voice that rang out at that exact moment, this fancy ship would've shattered into ice crystals and vanished into thin air.
"...Owowow."
"...?"
"Huh...?"
Just as I was about to freeze it, a stranger's voice echoed from inside. Footsteps followed—thud thud—then someone kicked open the door connecting the deck to the interior and stepped out into the world.
"This street's so damn narrow..."
"..."
And there she was, right in front of me: a rare Season Off Fantasy Pirate class user, no doubt about it.
Beautiful wavy golden blonde hair, striking blue eyes. She'd clearly smacked her head into something during the crash—rubbing her swollen red forehead, she glanced around.
"Hm..."
Her eyes landed on the wall her ship had demolished. Seeing the red bricks shattered to bits, she nodded with a satisfied look.
"...Still, it was one hell of an entrance."
Smirking to herself, clearly pleased with her dramatic ship-ramming debut.
"Pi-Pirate...!!"
"Rare class..."
The Holy Shield Knight and Priest tensed up the moment they spotted her, shifting into combat stance. Her entrance wasn't exactly friendly, and Pirates were infamous as the top class for small-scale fights—natural to be on guard.
"Huh?"
Noticing them, the Pirate hopped lightly off the deck and landed in front of them. No weapon drawn—just holding some random black plastic bag, so she didn't seem eager for a fight.
'A Pirate, huh...'
I activated my passive Piercing Frost to peek at the Pirate woman's info. She seemed like an odd one; better to get the details.
⚔ STATUS ⚔ 👤 Name: Kim A-rin (Keirin) 📊 Level: 2500 ⚔ Class: Pirate 🌊 Attribute: Water 🏛 Guild: None ⚠ Status: None "Kim A-rin...?"
The Pirate woman's name was Kim A-rin, nickname Keirin—familiar, somehow. I frowned, racking my brain. I'd seen it recently, fresh but not new.
"...Leviathan."
A quick memory rewind, and it clicked: she was the star of that community video from last night. The rank 1 Pirate who'd soloed a Leviathan at Incheon's Eulwangri beach.
The standout blonde hair, blue eyes, and sky-high level 2500 proving her overwhelming strength.
No doubt—the top mercenary every guild coveted, Pirate rank 1, Kim A-rin.
"Ah, h-hey, calm down! I'm just here looking for someone!"
Meanwhile, Kim A-rin flashed a goofy grin, trying to soothe the super-tense Holy Shield Knight and Priest. She pointed out she hadn't even drawn her weapon, stressing she meant no fight.
"For real! Just came to find one person. Someone I really wanna meet..."
"..."
"Ugh......"
At her earnest plea, the Holy Shield Knight and Priest exchanged glances, then slowly lowered their weapons.
...But I couldn't relax. Hearing the Pirate rank 1's words only twisted my expression further.
Why would a famous merc like her—known for gigs—come to this nowhere district?
To find someone in a place with zero players or monsters, one even high-level folks avoided?
No family vibes here. A top merc hunting someone in this dump? To my ears, it screamed one thing.
......Sent by Ace to scout my movements.
A player like Kim A-rin scoping this area? Only me, Selverion, fit the bill—and Ace was the only guild who knew I was here.
"...Who the hell are you."
Another fly in the ointment? I shoved past the Holy Shield Knight and Priest who'd been half-blocking me and stepped forward.
Letting my hostility show, I unleashed Selverion's signature chill straight at Kim A-rin—no holding back. To crush any funny ideas before they started.
"Eek...?!"
Hit by the sudden cold snap, she reflexively huddled. I loomed over her, voice icy as I demanded.
"...Who're you looking for."
"Ugh..."
At my voice piercing her ears, she barely lifted her head, eyes locking on my face—the source of the freeze.
"Y-you're..."
Her expression hardened fast. Lips trembling, my name slipped out syllable by syllable.
"Se-Se-Sel..."
"..."
"Selverion..."
No mask meant instant recognition. But her face wasn't "Why's Selverion here?"—more "Too soon to meet," like she knew I was in the area.
...Next lines would probably be the classic "Spare me" or "Misunderstanding, let's talk."
Seemed certain, but I hadn't heard it straight from her mouth that she'd come for me. Time to threaten answers out—who sent her, why here.
"..."
I stared down at Kim A-rin stone-faced, waiting. But what spilled from her lips next? Nothing like I'd expected.
"Selverion..."
Her panicked look shifted—eyes widening huge, mouth corners curling up.
"H-hood tiara..."
"......?"
"...So cute."
"......What?"
A thick streak of dark red nosebleed trickled from her nose. Amid the biting cold, she stared at me all starry-eyed, entranced.
Drip.
Distracted, her grip loosened—the black plastic bag she'd clutched dropped, spilling its contents for all to see.
"Vitamin drinks...?"
Inside? No hidden weapon, no bomb, not even trash. Just a box of cheap pharmacy vitamin drinks—the kind you gift hosts when visiting.
And on the box, a heart-shaped letter delicately attached. The red envelope shyly read: to. Selverion.
"...?"
I slowly picked up the bag with the vitamin box, staring blankly between it and Pirate rank 1 Kim A-rin.
"M-my heart..."
"......"
...The blonde Pirate just kept blushing and giggling like a fool.