Chapter 182
Chapter 182
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Translator: penny
Chapter: 182
Chapter Title: Assault in the Whirlpools
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Around dawn. The sun was on the verge of rising beyond that vast horizon.
The storm had retreated quite a distance, leaving only a faint haze on the opposite edge of the sky.
The wind was still blowing strong, but the rain had stopped.
“Must be the rain, but the temperature’s dropped a bit. Ugh.”
“Still a hundred times better than sleeping somewhere that leaks. Right?”
“Let’s scrounge up some early breakfast and get ready to move.”
“Nah, we’re heading into the whirlpool zone soon. Who’s got appetite for that? I’d just puke it all up.”
Pirates began climbing onto the deck one by one, starting to clear away the mess left by the wind and rain.
The waves must have crashed high, because even on Elise’s ship, the Queen—which was fairly large—there were clumps of seaweed and even a few dead fish scattered across the deck.
Watching them briskly sweep it all away with rough brooms and push poles, I called out to Kane.
“The storm’s cleared out, so how about a nap?”
At my words, Kane furrowed his brow slightly.
The sea was already hard to sense through because of the mana surging everywhere, and with the storm on top, even Kane would’ve struggled to detect anything far off.
That’s why I’d seen him standing alone on the windy deck all night, just in case the merfolk launched a surprise attack.
So now that the sun was up, I’d suggested he rest a bit out of concern, but look at that face.
Did I teach you to make that kind of expression, bro?
“Eyes, man.”
“What about them.”
“The world doesn’t revolve around just you, Kane.”
I chuckled heartily and slung an arm around his shoulders.
“A soft gaze toward people. A bright smile. They’re huge for building relationships, you know.”
“If there’s a fight, can’t we just settle it with swords?”
“Yeah, right?”
Just try getting back to land. I’ll have you fetch some dessert next time, so look forward to it.
And from now on, I’ll have to order an extra bright smile from the shop girl. Someone might faint, but it’ll be a nice memory for her life too.
Kane’s face twisted slightly, as if he’d read my thoughts.
“Let’s just eat.”
We’d eat, then head out of the whirlpool zone today. Before the merfolk caught up.
After a simple breakfast, I came out to find the deck bustling. They unfurled the sails that had been stowed during the storm, revealing the Elise Pirates’ logo.
Talk about eye-catching.
“Raise the anchor! Port and starboard, to stations!”
“To stations!”
“How’s the mana engine room? Good. Then we’ll slot the mana stones when we near the whirlpools. No need for shields or propulsion yet. We’ll read the currents and ride them!”
Watching the pirates hustle and Elise bark orders, I spotted Levi munching on hardtack, dissolving it with saliva, and scooped him up.
He felt like a warm pouch of hot water.
“Still hungry after all that?”
“This stuff’s sneakily tasty.”
Like they say, sea crows gotta crow. He was still wearing the jewelry I’d gifted him on his arms and neck.
I stroked his plump, soft body, then glanced at Luna, who seemed to be enjoying the breeze, Leaf snapping her book shut, and Rachel stretching nearby.
“We’re about to enter the whirlpool zone, young master.”
―Preparations to help are ready, just like last time.
“If the ropes come loose, I’ll bolt right over, so don’t worry.”
Rachel grinned, flashing her teeth, but Zero grabbed my arm.
“Master Adelian, please go inside.”
“You don’t trust me?”
No, I can keep my balance even if it shakes hard now, right?
Everyone else was working, and I felt bad lounging in the cabin alone, so I thought I’d help with something this time, but they all smiled and gently nudged me toward the cabin.
Ah, Leaf didn’t smile—she just pushed with a blank face, putting some real force into it...
“Then, Senior Kane. We’re counting on you.”
“Sure.”
What was this, like I was a prisoner? Locking me up with Kane.
“Mmnyaah...”
I watched Levi, who seemed to have dozed off gnawing on hardtack, then slyly pried the chunk from his grip and stowed it in my subspace before sitting down.
Objectively speaking, anywhere I went, I—or more precisely, a Codex user—counted as decent firepower. But my party just had to be!
Full of these monsters!
‘Karma, that’s what it is.’
The karma of assembling such an overpowered party.
Sitting there doing nothing but petting Levi brought all sorts of thoughts.
Might as well do something else. I pulled paper and a pen from my subspace and started jotting down plans for artifacts to acquire after returning to land and resupplying.
“Shoes, huh.”
“Yeah, honestly, what I lack most is mobility gear.”
Kane glanced over, and his head tilted at my response.
“Just mobility gear?”
...This guy.
“For one, lugging around you all the time gets old.”
“You’re not heavy.”
“I appreciate you carrying me like baggage. But consider my feelings too, not just your arms.”
You try carrying tiny Luna or slender Leaf like a gift box sometime.
As I clicked my tongue and noted conditions for spots where sea fairies might lurk, the outside grew noisy.
“We’re entering the whirlpool zone soon!”
“Focus, focus! Shields up!”
“Entering now! Three!”
“Two!”
“One!”
Boom!
The moment we plunged into the whirlpool zone.
The ship shook like it hit a small earthquake, tilting to one side, and Kane’s body wavered—then blurred. An afterimage from blinding speed.
Bang! Splash!
I whipped my head around, wondering what happened, and my vision filled with a water cannon the size of the ship. Kane slashed it with aura, sending sprays bursting to both sides.
“Argh, what the hell!”
“Merfolk! It’s the merfolk tribe! Has to be!”
Kane leaped toward the sea, cleaving the barrage of massive water bombs. Mist rose like sea fog, shrouding the outside.
“Th-the merfolk?”
Levi woke from his nap, clinging anxiously.
I hugged him tight and caught my breath.
“Young master!”
“Damn.”
We had a plan for if the merfolk attacked, just in case.
‘Didn’t think we’d use it right away.’
Luna rushed in first, grabbing my hand. I nodded.
“If Kane’s taking the lead, it means multiple royals or their strongest are here. Everyone else, stick to the plan.”
“Yes!”
Rachel was vulnerable to water mana, so she worried me most, but a dragon’s a dragon.
I soothed trembling Levi, then leaned on Luna.
If it were lesser merfolk, Kane would’ve stuck by me, but now he was up front blocking them.
Priority: Minimize damage to Elise’s ship and shift the battlefield somewhere favorable for us.
Rachel, weak to water mana, moves first once the attack’s confirmed. Luna, specialized in mobility, carries me out first, then Zero takes over when her strength’s half gone.
Leaf can communicate with designated leader Kane from a bit farther than vocal range, so she’ll cover the rear, ensuring no one falls behind.
They want Levi anyway—if we bail with him, no need to sink the pirate ship.
Kane’s too strong for them to toy around.
‘We need to traverse the whirlpool zone horizontally and break out.’
Fighting at sea while protecting me favored the merfolk. No matter how strong our party, one solid hit on me or Levi put us at a disadvantage.
Best bet: Stretch through the whirlpools where even merfolk can’t swim easily, then cluster on a larger island.
“Scary... so scary.”
“It’s okay, Levi. The merfolk are handling—”
“The whirlpools are too scary! Aren’t you scared? This isn’t scary to you?”
Luna panted, carrying me as she whipped outside, following the fast-spinning currents, leaping to the next vortex. I shrugged on her shoulder.
‘Sorry to Luna, but scared...?’
Yeah, the water was so blue it turned black at the center, churning bigger than the ship.
The surface below wrinkled and swirled, foam crushing under pressure rather than bursting.
One misstep into the sea, and it’d drag you to the depths.
Add the explosions from Kane’s distant fight, the roar of the whirlpools drowning it out.
Pale faces from Rachel to Luna—they had reason to fear.
“I’m fine.”
I pressed Levi’s face into my chest so he couldn’t see out, scanning the situation sidelong.
“Haa. Ugh. Zero!”
“Yes, Senior.”
Good work, Luna.
I stroked her wet hair—splashed from the vortex—then shifted to Zero.
“Just a bit more...”
Too-small islands were easy to surround.
Whirlpool zone islands were mostly flat sand discs. Low-lying, no high ground.
We needed scale and some terrain features to gain the edge—pure sand let merfolk turn it back to sea at will.
“Damn!”
“Young master!”
For a split second, I thought clouds had rolled in. The sky darkened overhead.
Didn’t expect a tsunami that massive.
Bursting through the zone’s fierce pressure, a colossal wave rose, and beyond it, a glimpse of a huge merfolk with blue skin reaching for me.
‘Levi!’
Like an invisible hand seized us!
Zero gritted her teeth, gripping me tight that instant.
“Adelian!”
Kane’s shout rang out, and beside me—flash!—something gleaming arced, severing the arm beyond the wave. The pulling force released.
Splash!
The backlash tangled Zero and me, plunging us into the sea. Just before sinking, I saw Luna diving in to grab me, Rachel’s shocked face.
‘Hold your...!’
Breath!
I clutched Levi tight, holding mine. Aegis in my pocket must’ve read the turbulent water as an all-out attack— it deployed a full-body shield.
“Hah!”
Seconds before it shattered!
I yanked out the Codex, eyes sweeping my party members diving in to save me, chaining shields and bindings.
Shield to counter pressure, binding to yank against the current.
Scattered in the vortex—we might not regroup soon.
Somehow!
Crunch, crack.
Aegis redeployed shields nonstop, but pressure kept shattering them.
No time to pull it out and recharge—it’d shut down to minimal functions soon.
Please, before then.
Just a little more!
Everyone but me could wield aura—even in this monstrous swirl, they pushed toward me.
Faint pink and red silhouettes far off.
Bindings chained toward them, crumbling the last mana stone embedded in the Codex.
No time to swap!
Subspace open—rope floating out—then Aegis powered down. Water slammed like a rough hand.
Plus, dragged so deep, pressure crushed like a vise. Couldn’t open eyes, ears rang, head spun like I’d been hit.
‘Damn... Kane!’
You’re my only hope...
I felt something snatch my body and blacked out.