A Wind of Chaos

Chairman Yoo, suddenly flustered, barked, "I actually went out of my way to look out for you, and this is the thanks I get?!"

"Hey, I was just taken aback because you're suddenly being so nice, Elder," Tae-hyun replied smoothly.

"Forget it! Just forget it!"

Chairman Yoo huffed, his mood thoroughly ruined. He had only tried to show a bit of goodwill because he was riding high on the joy of receiving the motorcycle, but his pride had quickly been pricked.

"No, no, haha. If you're offering, Elder, I'll gladly and gratefully accept."

"Hmph."

"Aw, come on. You're not pouting, are you?"

"Who's pouting?!"

"You definitely look like you're pouting."

"I told you, I'm not!"

"So you're still going to do it for me, right?"

"..."

Why does he have to needle him like that just to get what he wants? He could have just accepted it quietly, Choi Sang-yun thought, but he kept his mouth shut. After all, it wasn't his problem!

"...!"

An unexpected skill reward. And Summon Wind, no less. This was a magic-type skill.

Tae-hyun eagerly opened his skill window.

Awesome! Wait, actually...

Perhaps because it was a pirate-related quest reward, the skill was heavily tied to the sea. The problem was the warning: The summoned wind cannot be controlled and can also inflict damage on allies.

Usually, when a skill carried such a warning, it meant it was a chaotic, indiscriminate disaster that would run wild without distinguishing friend from foe.

Can I even use this safely?

Furthermore, with a Luck stat as absurdly high as his, he couldn't even begin to fathom what kind of tempest would unleash.

I'll save it for a rainy day when things are a bit more manageable.

Besides, he was bound to have plenty of opportunities to use it. Given his track record, he would undoubtedly find himself in countless situations where he'd need to cause absolute chaos and make a quick getaway!

"You actually brought it back! Archisus truly is magnificent!" Kada roared.

"..."

To be perfectly honest, the god's power had absolutely nothing to do with this outcome, but Tae-hyun wisely kept his mouth shut.

"Very well. I shall place my faith in Archisus."

"Thank you. By the way... about Pelmas..."

"What about Pelmas?!" Kada's voice instantly turned razor-sharp.

Just how much does he despise Pelmas?

"Well, I brought him here because I knew he owed you a debt, Captain," Tae-hyun said smoothly. "But before he fell from grace, he was actually quite a capable fellow."

"Him?! Capable?! Where?! That's absolute nonsense!"

"..."

Kada's reaction was hard to argue with. Still, Tae-hyun didn't give up.

"...So, I was hoping to borrow Pelmas for the sake of the Archisus Church. Of course, if you absolutely cannot forgive him, you're more than welcome to execute him..."

Tae-hyun casually left himself an escape route. Naturally, to Pelmas, this was a bolt from the blue.

"Mmph! Mmph-mmph!"

"Urgh... Fine!"

"!"

How deep is this guy's grudge...?

It was a grudge so massive that it required every single Contribution Point Tae-hyun had earned to resolve! But he had no choice. He had already set this train in motion.

"To be frank, I wanted to tear him limb from limb," Kada grunted. "But out of respect for you, I'll let him go. If you ever have a falling out with him, just let me know. I'll slaughter him on the spot."

"Eep!"

Pelmas gasped in sheer terror. How could anyone say something so bloodcurdling so casually!

"...?"

It was a decent title, but its utility was incredibly niche.

If only it could resolve grudges held against me instead.

If that were the case, he would have had a million uses for it. But resolving grudges between other NPCs? Why on earth would Tae-hyun waste his time doing charity work for others?

"Sniff... Sob! Lord Tae-hyun! Thank you for saving me! I knew I could count on you! Waaah!"

Having been freed, Pelmas rushed over, weeping and sniffling as he poured out his gratitude.

Tae-hyun stared down at him coldly. "Tell me you don't have any other mortal enemies."

"I-I shouldn't. Probably..."

"..."

"I-I can't help it if I don't remember!"

Don't tell me I'm going to have to waste this title on this useless piece of work...

A deep sense of foreboding washed over Tae-hyun.

Right then, the deep, resonant blast of a massive horn echoed from the distance.

Bwooooooo—

"What is that?"

"It's Gardu!"

"Gardu's fleet has appeared on the horizon!"

"All pirates, assemble! We must demand answers for what Gardu did!"

"!"

The pirates of the Uruk Region stationed on Skull Island began to gather. Gardu's fleet had finally arrived.

"Why don't we just strike first? While they're off guard?" Tae-hyun suggested.

Gardu's fleet was sailing in, completely unaware of the situation. To Tae-hyun, they looked like the perfect sitting ducks.

However...

"No!"

"How could you?!"

"To suggest something so cowardly!"

You guys are literally pirates...

Tae-hyun was utterly dumbfounded. Since when did pirates care about playing fair?

Yet, the other pirates were genuinely outraged by his suggestion.

"Even if Gardu attacked the Kada Pirates, if we strike without warning, we're no better than him!"

"I mean, what's wrong with getting the jump on an annoying bastard...?"

"Nonsense! Pirates have a code! We cannot violate the pirate laws!"

"We might be short on gold, but we aren't short on pride!"

You pathetic fools...

Tae-hyun barely swallowed the curse rising in his throat. Gardu was no pushover, nor was he the type of reasonable guy who would back down just because they complained. They should absolutely launch a preemptive strike! They were going to fight anyway!

"Won't it be incredibly dangerous if we fight Gardu head-on?"

"Hmph. No matter how great you are, Lord Gardu, this is Skull Island. This is the home turf of the Outlaws of the Red Sea! Even Gardu won't be able to throw his weight around here."

"I have a bad feeling about this..."

Seeing Tae-hyun's anxiety, Kada laughed boisterously.

"The waters surrounding Skull Island are shrouded in a magical fog! Once the fog rolls in, it becomes a blind labyrinth. No uninvited pirate can ever navigate their way through!"

"That sounds impressive, but... is that really all you've got?"

It certainly sounded formidable, but relying on a single defensive measure made him uneasy. Tae-hyun was the type of person who was never satisfied unless he had multiple contingency plans in place.

"Something else? Ah, I see."

"I knew it! Do we have magic cannons or explosive traps set up?"

"Huh? What are you talking about? I was referring to the burning passion in our pirate hearts."

"..."

"With these burning hearts and our boiling blood, a cold-blooded pirate like Gardu won't stand a—"

"Right, sure."

Tae-hyun silently prayed that this would end well.

"I have arrived, Outlaws of the Red Sea! Open the gates!"

Halting just before the magical fog, Gardu bellowed, his booming voice echoing across the sea. True to his reputation as the commander of a massive fleet of dozens of warships, his voice carried immense weight.

"Whoa, is that Gardu? Is that necklace around his neck really what I think it is? Am I seeing things?"

"The one at his waist looks like it too..."

The rankers quickly appraised Gardu based on their knowledge and shuddered. The gear he wore was of such high caliber that obtaining even a single piece would easily last a top-tier ranker another 50 ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠to 100 levels!

Splash!

Parting the thick fog, Kada's flagship and several other pirate vessels sailed forward.

"We are deeply disappointed in you, Lord Gardu!"

"What? Disappointed in me? How dare you! Do you think I will let the Outlaws of the Red Sea slide?!"

Gardu reacted fiercely to the unexpected reception.

"Hmph! No matter how great you are, Lord Gardu, you cannot violate our laws in the Red Sea and expect to get away with it!"

"What laws have I violated, you insolent fools?!"

"Are you going to play dumb?! Did you not attack one of our comrades?!"

"What utter nonsense! When did I ever attack your—"

At that moment, a very familiar face caught Gardu's eye.

It was Tae-hyun.

"You... you bastard...?"

"He attacked me, Captain! Sob, sob!" Tae-hyun wailed, pointing a finger.

"...?!"

Even the legendary Gardu was momentarily struck speechless by Tae-hyun's sheer shamelessness.

"Don't talk absolute rubbish! Why on earth would a Count of the Atali Kingdom be one of you pirates?!"

It was a perfectly logical point, but Tae-hyun didn't flinch in the slightest.

"A noble can be a pirate too! Captain Kada, tell him! What is truly required ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠to be an Outlaw of the Red Sea? Is it not a burning heart and boiling blood?!"

"Aye! That's right!"

"The Vice-Captain of the Kada Pirates knows his stuff!"

Roars of agreement erupted among the pirates at Tae-hyun's words.

"You absolute dogs! Cut the crap and open the fog immediately! If you do not capture Count Kim Tae-hyun and hand him over to me, I will sink this entire island and bury you all in the deep!"

"Cut the nonsense, Gardu!" Kada shouted back. "Do you think we would ever yield to threats, even if we all sink together?!"

"Yeah! That's right! Just try it! Let's see if you can even breach this fog!"

"Fine... If that is what you wish, I shall oblige!"

Creak! Groan!

Suddenly, Gardu's body began to distort and swell rapidly, as if he were about to burst!

"Heavens, what is that?"

"He looks kind of like the cursed Cain..."

Ruuuumble!

"Aaaaargh! I will bury every single one of you in the depths of the sea, you miserable dogs!"

Gardu stood before them, countless tentacles writhing and draping from his body. He was the very definition of a cursed abomination.

"N-no! Aaaargh! We're going to be cursed!"

"Run for your lives!"

Despite the distance between them, the pirates were already falling into a state of panic, scrambling in fear.

The arrogant Great Pirate, Gardu, was doomed to wander the seas forever in this grotesque form due to the curse of the Sea God. Though he possessed immense power, he suffered constantly under the weight of this horrific curse!

He had been desperately searching for a way to lift it. However, the key to breaking his curse had fallen into the hands of a certain scoundrel, and Gardu's patience had finally run out.

So that's what that item was for?

It was the map item he had looted after plundering the Caterand Pirates. He hadn't known what it was, but since Gardu had been so desperate to steal it, Tae-hyun had stubbornly held onto it. He had assumed it led to some legendary treasure, but to think it was actually an item meant to lift a curse.

"Who's the 'scoundrel' they're talking about?"

"No idea."

"..."

Behind him, the other rankers who had received the same quest whispered among themselves.