Chapter 378: Atlante (1)

Translator: RaidenTL

Chapter 378: Atlante (1)

The three ships stopped about four hundred yards away. It seemed they were wary of Erwen's arrows.

"Erwen, is it possible for you to attack them from this distance?"

"Yes. But at this distance, most people will be able to counter it."

True, their clan even has a wizard. They'll have plenty of time to react before the arrow hits.

Pop!

Just then, the mana cannon attached to the front of the enemy's command ship boomed and shot mana cannonballs at us.

Jeez, I thought they would at least tell us to surrender first. I guess they figure a conversation can wait until they win the battle. Hmm... or they plan to sink our ship whole and retrieve our drowned bodies later.

Whiiip!

The mana cannonball hurtled toward our ship in what looked more like a straight line than a parabola.

"Shuitz!" Amelia urgently called out my pseudonym, but it was Erwen who answered.

"Mister, I can take care of this." Without even giving me a moment to ask how, Erwen fired the arrow she had nocked on her bowstring.

Kwaaang!

The arrow, which was loaded with the power of a wind elemental, collided with the mana cannonball on the sea and exploded.

"Erwen, how many can you stop?"

"I think four or five at once should be doable."

Wow, really? We won't even need an anti-ballistic magic circle, then.

"I'm proud of you, Erwen. Next time a cannonball comes, block it like that."

"Okay!" After being recognized for her talents, Erwen eagerly waited for the cannonballs to fly at us again, but unfortunately, they didn't after the first shot. A period of unease ensued.

"Looks like the enemy is quite perturbed."

I had the same thought as Amelia, but it seemed our opponent had quickly come to a decision on how to handle this.

Pop! Pop! Bam-bam!

The three ships fired their mana cannons simultaneously and closed the distance between us. Erwen rushed to intercept them, but there were some she missed.

Bang!

A shell exploded at the bottom of the ship, shaking the hull.

Welp, looks like we should get started now. I think the distance is just right too.

"Erwen, Elementalization."

As soon as I gave the order, Erwen activated the skill without objections. But I guessed she had one thing to clarify. "What attribute?"

"Water."

When I told her the attribute as well, Erwen carefully grabbed my hand.

Okay, link established.

[The Elemental of Water now dwells in your body. Any damage received from Water attribute attacks is reduced by half. Any damage received from Lightning attribute attacks is increased fourfold. When using a melee weapon, the damage you deal is reduced by 50 percent. Spring Water's Blessing Bonus. Any healing and regeneration effects are doubled. The rate at which you recover Soul Power increases by...]

Come to think of it, this was my first time using Elemental Barbarian (Water) mode in real battle.

Slide.

I looked down to check out my new appearance. Visually, there were no significant changes. My skin was just shinier and more moisturized than usual.

"Emily, I'll be back."

"Where are...?"

Where else? The best defense is always a good offense. Hmm, but maybe I should still leave her with this.

"Ah, and one last thing. If you think it's too difficult to protect the ship, just abandon it and jump off."

"What do you—"

There was no time to waste, so I skipped any lengthy explanations.

Dash.

Stepping on the ship's railing, I threw myself out into the choppy sea. It wasn't a diving position. There was no need for that right now. Spring Water's Blessing was a one-line bonus without any accompanying flavor text. A character who received this bonus could breathe in and walk on water, just like this.

Tap.

My body stood tall on the undulating surface of the sea as if defying gravity.

"Ooowoahhh!"

This was Barbarian Jet Ski (Running) mode.

Sprint.

As soon as I landed on the surface of the sea, I shouted and ran forward.

Pop! Pop! Bam-bam!

Taken aback for a moment by the barbarian running on water, the enemy soon started firing mana cannons at me again.

Bam! Kablam! Kablam!

I was able to protect my vitals with the shield for now, but I couldn't ignore the mana cannons firing mindlessly in my direction. They were mana cannonballs, after all. The damage reduction I got from my Physical Resistance didn't apply here. Each time I was hit, my bones ached.

"Erwen, there's no need to block the cannonballs."

"Sorry? What do you mean—"

Erwen didn't finish her sentence. She saw the skeleton clacking as it rose from the water behind me.

[You have cast Liability of Risk.]

[By the authority of the transcendental body, the potential inherent in this skill is now unlocked.]

[In exchange for the temporary deactivation of Probabilistic Retaliation's Damage Immunity effect, the odds of activation have been set at 100%.]

A mana cannon used mana as its resource. So, to put it simply, each time I received a proper hit, I could return a proper one back.

[...reflects 30% of the damage received back to the enemy.]

[...reflects 30% of the damage received back to the enemy.]

[...reflects 30% of the damage received back to the enemy.]

Puff! Pop! Pppppp!

Immediately after I got hit by the mana cannon, skeletons appeared like afterimages and fired back. But the bombardment did not cause any damage to the ship.

Shaaaaaa!

A mana barrier wrapped around the ship. This easily blocked my mana cannonball, which was only 30 percent as strong as the original. With it on, the enemy was able to continue their bombardment without stress.

[Your Powerful Luck reflects 150% of the damage received back to the enemy.]

Oh, I got a crit.

I looked down to check out my new appearance. Visually, there were no significant changes. My skin was just shinier and more moisturized than usual.

"Emily, I'll be back."

"Where are...?"

Where else? The best defense is always a good offense. Hmm, but maybe I should still leave her with this.

"Ah, and one last thing. If you think it's too difficult to protect the ship, just abandon it and jump off."

"What do you—"

There was no time to waste, so I skipped any lengthy explanations.

Dash.

Stepping on the ship's railing, I threw myself out into the choppy sea. It wasn't a diving position. There was no need for that right now. Spring Water's Blessing was a one-line bonus without any accompanying flavor text. A character who received this bonus could breathe in and walk on water, just like this.

Tap.

My body stood tall on the undulating surface of the sea as if defying gravity.

"Ooowoahhh!"

This was Barbarian Jet Ski (Running) mode.

Sprint.

As soon as I landed on the surface of the sea, I shouted and ran forward.

Pop! Pop! Bam-bam!

Taken aback for a moment by the barbarian running on water, the enemy soon started firing mana cannons at me again.

Bam! Kablam! Kablam!

I was able to protect my vitals with the shield for now, but I couldn't ignore the mana cannons firing mindlessly in my direction. They were mana cannonballs, after all. The damage reduction I got from my Physical Resistance didn't apply here. Each time I was hit, my bones ached.

"Erwen, there's no need to block the cannonballs."

"Sorry? What do you mean—"

Erwen didn't finish her sentence. She saw the skeleton clacking as it rose from the water behind me.

[You have cast Liability of Risk.]

[By the authority of the transcendental body, the potential inherent in this skill is now unlocked.]

[In exchange for the temporary deactivation of Probabilistic Retaliation's Damage Immunity effect, the odds of activation have been set at 100%.]

A mana cannon used mana as its resource. So, to put it simply, each time I received a proper hit, I could return a proper one back.

[...reflects 30% of the damage received back to the enemy.]

[...reflects 30% of the damage received back to the enemy.]

[...reflects 30% of the damage received back to the enemy.]

Puff! Pop! Pppppp!

Immediately after I got hit by the mana cannon, skeletons appeared like afterimages and fired back. But the bombardment did not cause any damage to the ship.

Shaaaaaa!

A mana barrier wrapped around the ship. This easily blocked my mana cannonball, which was only 30 percent as strong as the original. With it on, the enemy was able to continue their bombardment without stress.

[Your Powerful Luck reflects 150% of the damage received back to the enemy.]

Oh, I got a crit.

"Gahhhcha!" As the unique, exciting sound effect that accompanied a critical hit rang out, the skeleton next to me ignited the fuse of a super-huge cannon.

Poppp!

The mana cannonball flew out with a boom several times louder than usual and shattered the barrier surrounding the hull with ease.

"What kind of monster...!"

"Everyone, abandon the Merina and escape!"

"Come over here, quickly!"

One of the ships began to sink.

God damn it.

To think it would sink after one hit. How much of a loss did we just take?

Flash!

Just then, a light flashed and the ship everyone abandoned was summoned back into sub-space.

Hmm, that can just be repaired later, then.

"Sink the ship!" Determined to solve the easier problem first, the enemy turned their mana cannons toward the ship Amelia was on all alone and fired.

Welp, I figured they would do that.

Erwen did what she could, but she couldn't stop the ship from sinking. She was too busy avoiding the spells.

"Mister, it's magic!"

"Get behind me just in case!"

I hid Erwen, who was following me in elemental form, behind me. Although she was immune to physical damage while using Elementalization, she took much more damage from things like magic. And if Elementalization were to deactivate here, the only thing in our future would be a one-way trip to the bottom of the ocean.

[...reflects 30% of the damage received back to the enemy.]

[...reflects 30% of the damage received back to the enemy.]

[...reflects 30% of the damage received back to the enemy.]

Magic flew in along with the mana cannonballs. Taking all kinds of ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠long-range hits with my body, I ran forward. Although Liability of Risk continued to deal out counter-attacks regularly as I took the blows, the enemy's attacks did not let up.

"Paltan is dead!"

"We have to stop him before he gets up here!"

"More! Fire more!"

"The enemy is on the ropes, too! Just a little more!"

It was a full-strength push with both parties putting it all on the line. Of course, they must have thought they had the advantage. In the end, even if I got on that ship, I would be in complete tatters. It was clear they assumed they could overwhelm me with numbers and defeat me once I was tired out.

How foolish.

Shoot!

Just then, a flash of light penetrated my body.

[You have been hit with Lightning Spear.]

The shock was strong enough to make my mind white out for a moment. I felt myself stumble, and though I managed to keep my balance and avoid falling, my physical state was already at an all-time low. The injuries were one thing, but the electric current that just tore through my body seemed to have boiled my guts.

Goddamn lightning magic.

Was it because I had Liability of Risk on top of Elemental Barbarian (Water)? The whopping eight-fold damage was enough to leave me at death's door. However that seemed to be the case for my enemy as well.

"Gahhhcha!" As the unique, exciting sound effect that accompanied a critical hit rang out, the skeleton next to me ignited the fuse of a super-huge cannon.

Poppp!

The mana cannonball flew out with a boom several times louder than usual and shattered the barrier surrounding the hull with ease.

"What kind of monster...!"

"Everyone, abandon the Merina and escape!"

"Come over here, quickly!"

One of the ships began to sink.

God damn it.

To think it would sink after one hit. How much of a loss did we just take?

Flash!

Just then, a light flashed and the ship everyone abandoned was summoned back into sub-space.

Hmm, that can just be repaired later, then.

"Sink the ship!" Determined to solve the easier problem first, the enemy turned their mana cannons toward the ship Amelia was on all alone and fired.

Welp, I figured they would do that.

Erwen did what she could, but she couldn't stop the ship from sinking. She was too busy avoiding the spells.

"Mister, it's magic!"

"Get behind me just in case!"

I hid Erwen, who was following me in elemental form, behind me. Although she was immune to physical damage while using Elementalization, she took much more damage from things like magic. And if Elementalization were to deactivate here, the only thing in our future would be a one-way trip to the bottom of the ocean.

[...reflects 30% of the damage received back to the enemy.]

[...reflects 30% of the damage received back to the enemy.]

[...reflects 30% of the damage received back to the enemy.]

Magic flew in along with the mana cannonballs. Taking all kinds of long-range hits with my body, I ran forward. Although Liability of Risk continued to deal out counter-attacks regularly as I took the blows, the enemy's attacks did not let up.

"Paltan is dead!"

"We have to stop him before he gets up here!"

"More! Fire more!"

"The enemy is on the ropes, too! Just a little more!"

It was a full-strength push with both parties putting it all on the line. Of course, they must have thought they had the advantage. In the end, even if I got on that ship, I would be in complete tatters. It was clear they assumed they could overwhelm me with numbers and defeat me once I was tired out.

How foolish.

Shoot!

Just then, a flash of light penetrated my body.

[You have been hit with Lightning Spear.]

The shock was strong enough to make my mind white out for a moment. I felt myself stumble, and though I managed to keep my balance and avoid falling, my physical state was already at an all-time low. The injuries were one thing, but the electric current that just tore through my body seemed to have boiled my guts.

Goddamn lightning magic.

Was it because I had Liability of Risk on top of Elemental Barbarian (Water)? The whopping eight-fold damage was enough to leave me at death's door. However that seemed to be the case for my enemy as well.

"Gahhhcha!" Just in time, another Critical Success popped up.

[Your Powerful Luck reflects 150% of the damage received back to the enemy.]

The skeleton lobbed a giant Lightning Spear that looked like something straight out of ancient mythology. As the word 'lightning' implied, the spear literally flew at the speed of light and totaled the second ship next to the flagship.

That... can't be repaired.

For reference, I didn't even hear a boom. That was because my hearing was temporarily incapacitated.

Beeeeeep.

The ringing in my ears seemed to drill through my skull. My legs gave out and I sank into the sea. Well, that was partly intentional, though.

[The Energy of the Sea dwells in your body. Due to the passive skill Origin, your Natural Regeneration has significantly increased.]

I told you. I can't lose at sea.

Between Storm Gush's passive skill Origin and Elementalization doubling any healing and regeneration effects, my body began to heal almost as fast as with a potion.

Shaaaaaa!

Crooked bones popped back into place, and burned, stabbed, and bruised flesh knitted itself back together. There was no pain, unlike with a potion, so I was able to perceive the recovery process in more detail and in real-time. Before long, my hearing returned.

"Mister, are you okay?"

I guess she can communicate even underwater when she's in elemental form. But I can't speak, you see.

I pointed up with my index finger, then shrugged and tilted my head.

"Are you asking what's going on up there?"

There you go.

When I nodded, Erwen quickly briefed me. "The attacks have stopped for now. I think they think they got you."

So, they were excitedly staking their claim on my stuff already.

"Ah, I can faintly hear them talking... I think the wizard is trying to use detection magic."

Hmm, then they'll soon find out we're still alive. I should give them a surprise before that.

When I made a gesture asking to be lifted up, Erwen summoned a water elemental and pushed me.

Chwaaa!

I rocketed to the surface again.

"...H-He's over there!"

When I grinned like a watery ghost rising straight from hell, my enemies were shocked and piled on the high praise.

"His injuries are all healed, too...!"

"What kind of monster is that...?"

Most of them just gaped at me, stunned, but their leader was different. That was what a leader was—the person who had to calmly make decisions in any and all situations.

"Captain!"

"...Turn the bow!"

Soon, the one remaining ship quickly changed course. This was why I hadn't used my healing powers earlier even though there was plenty of sea water around. I knew that if I came back to life like a zombie and ran toward them, they'd give up and try to run away. Even if I could walk on water, it was impossible to catch up to a ship like that on two legs.

Dash.

But at this distance, I felt like I could just make it.

When I started running, my opponents let out urgent shouts. "He's coming!"

"Gahhhcha!" Just in time, another Critical Success popped up.

[Your Powerful Luck reflects 150% of the damage received back to the enemy.]

The skeleton lobbed a giant Lightning Spear that looked like something straight out of ancient mythology. As the word 'lightning' implied, the spear literally flew at the speed of light and totaled the second ship next to the flagship.

That... can't be repaired.

For reference, I didn't even hear a boom. That was because my hearing was temporarily incapacitated.

Beeeeeep.

The ringing in my ears seemed to drill through my skull. My legs gave out and I sank into the sea. Well, that was partly intentional, though.

[The Energy of the Sea dwells in your body. Due to the passive skill Origin, your Natural Regeneration has significantly increased.]

I told you. I can't lose at sea.

Between Storm Gush's passive skill Origin and Elementalization doubling any healing and regeneration effects, my body began to heal almost as fast as with a potion.

Shaaaaaa!

Crooked bones popped back into place, and burned, stabbed, and bruised flesh knitted itself back together. There was no pain, unlike with a potion, so I was able to perceive the recovery process in more detail and in real-time. Before long, my hearing returned.

"Mister, are you okay?"

I guess she can communicate even underwater when she's in elemental form. But I can't speak, you see.

I pointed up with my index finger, then shrugged and tilted my head.

"Are you asking what's going on up there?"

There you go.

When I nodded, Erwen quickly briefed me. "The attacks have stopped for now. I think they think they got you."

So, they were excitedly staking their claim on my stuff already.

"Ah, I can faintly hear them talking... I think the wizard is trying to use detection magic."

Hmm, then they'll soon find out we're still alive. I should give them a surprise before that.

When I made a gesture asking to be lifted up, Erwen summoned a water elemental and pushed me.

Chwaaa!

I rocketed to the surface again.

"...H-He's over there!"

When I grinned like a watery ghost rising straight from hell, my enemies were shocked and piled on the high praise.

"His injuries are all healed, too...!"

"What kind of monster is that...?"

Most of them just gaped at me, stunned, but their leader was different. That was what a leader was—the person who had to calmly make decisions in any and all situations.

"Captain!"

"...Turn the bow!"

Soon, the one remaining ship quickly changed course. This was why I hadn't used my healing powers earlier even though there was plenty of sea water around. I knew that if I came back to life like a zombie and ran toward them, they'd give up and try to run away. Even if I could walk on water, it was impossible to catch up to a ship like that on two legs.

Dash.

But at this distance, I felt like I could just make it.

When I started running, my opponents let out urgent shouts. "He's coming!"

"Quick! Faster!"

There wasn't even a cannon to keep me in check. They already knew I could heal myself, anyway, and they seemed to have decided it would be a bigger problem if the blowback from Probabilistic Retaliation made it hard for them to turn the bow.

"It's all turned now!"

"Mana stones! Pour in mana stones, quickly!"

Finally, the bow was completely turned and the ship began to jet away as if driven by a motor. At this point, the distance between me and the ship was about fifteen yards.

Motherfuck...

I poured every last ounce of my strength into running. If these bastards got away now, the losses would be enormous.

They're going to ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠escape after destroying our ship? Not a chance. If you're going to go, leave your ship behind!

"Aaaaaargh!" I accelerated with a shout, and the distance gradually began to narrow. It seemed it took some time for them to pick up speed after turning.

"He's going to catch up to us like this!"

"More! Toss in more mana stones!"

As the distance narrowed even more, fear blossomed on the faces of the bastards at the back of the ship. They looked like they were being chased by a monster.

Shoot!

Meanwhile, one of the men at the railing was hit by an arrow from Erwen and fell into the sea. It wasn't an instant death, as she avoided his vitals.

"H-Help me...!" the guy shouted, struggling to keep his head above water, but our opponents did not even attempt to save their fallen comrade. I was also too busy running to pay him any mind.

Dash.

I passed the man and lengthened my ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠stride as much as I could.

Nine yards, eight yards, seven yards, six yards, five yards... The distance was closing little by little, but not fast enough. The ship slowly began to accelerate and soon surpassed my running speed.

Five yards, six yards, seven yards, eight yards... When the narrowed distance began to widen again, relief appeared in the eyes of those watching me from the back of the ship.

God damn it.

This wasn't anything new, but the absence of a movement-related skill was a major letdown. Originally, my Shield Barbarian build only obtained a movement skill at level eight, but I was lucky enough to get my hands on a Manticore essence before that. If I hadn't deleted Leap, I would have been on that ship a long time ago!

Is this really how it ends?

I slowed down in resignation. Of course, it wasn't because I truly thought I lost the ship.

"Erwen, shoot at our ship. You can damage it a bit."

"...Our ship?"

"Don't worry about it right now, hurry."

Erwen didn't need any more urging. She shot an arrow toward the stern of the flagship.

Kwaaang!

It then exploded.

"...That's going to cost a lot to repair."

That was where the ship's mana propulsion system was.

After the mana propulsion system was destroyed, everything went smoothly. The growing distance quickly closed again, and I soon managed to successfully climb onto the deck.

"Kill him!" Of course, my enemies didn't surrender as soon as they saw me or anything. A battle began. As they were a clan active on the sixth floor, they weren't easy opponents.

So what if it's not easy?

The outcome was already decided. Erwen moved around me, still in Elementalization mode, to kill our opponents one by one, and I protected her as she did. When the injuries on my body accumulated to a serious extent, all I had to do was dive into the water and come back up.

Splash!

After we repeated that about three times, the enemies lost their fighting spirit, dropped their weapons, and surrendered. Since their original fifteen had now been reduced to seven, more than half of them had died.

"Tsk, tsk, you have no appreciation for how precious life is. You're going to go around wasting it?"

"I was wrong. P-Please don't kill us..."

What are you talking about? You're already dead.

Smack!

As soon as they surrendered, the captain slammed his head down on the ground to beg and I brought my hammer down on top of it. Tying the rest of them up, I took control of the ship. "Who's your sailor?"

"M-Me!"

Whew, the sailor is still alive.

I turned to another man. "Hey, you're a wizard, right?" The man nodded. "You're just going to nod? Aren't you going to answer?"

"Th-that's right. I-I'm the wizard..." I set the one wizard remaining from the battle aside as well.

"Judging by your tattoo, you're the son of a bitch who steered the other ship, right?"

"Th-that's right." I also appropriated the guys who owned the two other ships.

"The remaining two of you... Just go."

"Pardon? W-Where do we go?"

Where else?

Crunch, splat!

The remaining two were useless, so I immediately disposed of them. After my quick restructuring of the crew, I went to the stern to check out the condition of the ship. Below, I could see the mana propulsion system, which was horribly destroyed.

"Damn it." I was really upset. "You guys, how dare you ruin my ship like this?"

"...S-Sorry."

"If you could solve stuff like this just by saying sorry, what's the point of laws?"

Everyone bowed their heads in silence.

Hah, yeah, what's the use in getting mad?

Splash, splash.

Just then, I heard splashing water near the bottom of the ship.

Huh? What is that...?

I clutched the railing and looked down, promptly answering that question. "Ah." It was Amelia. Did she seriously swim all the way here? "...A castaway!" I threw down the rope, and when Amelia grabbed it, I hauled her onto the ship.

"Schuitz, you really..."

"Huh?"

"Let me get one free hit." She sent her fist flying into my stomach.

"Quick! Faster!"

There wasn't even a cannon to keep me in check. They already knew I could heal myself, anyway, and they seemed to have decided it would be a bigger problem if the blowback from Probabilistic Retaliation made it hard for them to turn the bow.

"It's all turned now!"

"Mana stones! Pour in mana stones, quickly!"

Finally, the bow was completely turned and the ship began to jet away as if driven by a motor. At this point, the distance between me and the ship was about fifteen yards.

Motherfuck...

I poured every last ounce of my strength into running. If these bastards got away now, the losses would be enormous.

They're going to escape after destroying our ship? Not a chance. If you're going to go, leave your ship behind!

"Aaaaaargh!" I accelerated with a shout, and the distance gradually began to narrow. It seemed it took some time for them to pick up speed after turning.

"He's going to catch up to us like this!"

"More! Toss in more mana stones!"

As the distance narrowed even more, fear blossomed on the faces of the bastards at the back of the ship. They looked like they were being chased by a monster.

Shoot!

Meanwhile, one of the men at the railing was hit by an arrow from Erwen and fell into the sea. It wasn't an instant death, as she avoided his vitals.

"H-Help ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠me...!" the guy shouted, struggling to keep his head above water, but our opponents did not even attempt to save their fallen comrade. I was also too busy running to pay him any mind.

Dash.

I passed the man and lengthened my stride as much as I could.

Nine yards, eight yards, seven yards, six yards, five yards... The distance was closing little by little, but not fast enough. The ship slowly began to accelerate and soon surpassed my running speed.

Five yards, six yards, seven yards, eight yards... When the narrowed distance began to widen again, relief appeared in the eyes of those watching me from the back of the ship.

God damn it.

This wasn't anything new, but the absence of a movement-related skill was a major letdown. Originally, my Shield Barbarian build only obtained a movement skill at level eight, but I was lucky enough to get my hands on a Manticore essence before that. If I hadn't deleted Leap, I would have been on that ship a long time ago!

Is this really how it ends?

I slowed down in resignation. Of course, it wasn't because I truly thought I lost the ship.

"Erwen, shoot at our ship. You can damage it a bit."

"...Our ship?"

"Don't worry about it right now, hurry."

Erwen didn't need any more urging. She shot an arrow toward the stern of the flagship.

Kwaaang!

It then exploded.

"...That's going to cost a lot to repair."

That was where the ship's mana propulsion system was.

After the mana propulsion system was destroyed, everything went smoothly. The growing distance quickly closed again, and I soon managed to successfully climb onto the deck.

"Kill him!" Of course, my enemies didn't surrender as soon as they saw me or anything. A battle began. As they were a clan active on the sixth floor, they weren't easy opponents.

So what if it's not easy?

The outcome was already decided. Erwen moved around me, still in Elementalization mode, to kill our opponents one by one, and I protected her as she did. When the injuries on my body accumulated to a serious extent, all I had to do was dive into the water and come back up.

Splash!

After we repeated that about three times, the enemies lost their fighting spirit, dropped their weapons, and surrendered. Since their original fifteen had now been reduced to seven, more than half of them had died.

"Tsk, tsk, you have no appreciation for how precious life is. You're going to go around wasting it?"

"I was wrong. P-Please don't kill us..."

What are you talking about? You're already dead.

Smack!

As soon as they surrendered, the captain slammed his head down on the ground to beg and I brought my hammer down on top of it. Tying the rest of them up, I took control of the ship. "Who's your sailor?"

"M-Me!"

Whew, the sailor is still alive.

I turned to another man. "Hey, you're a wizard, right?" The man nodded. "You're just going to nod? Aren't you going to answer?"

"Th-that's right. I-I'm the wizard..." I set the one wizard remaining from the battle aside as well.

"Judging by your tattoo, you're the son of a bitch who steered the other ship, right?"

"Th-that's right." I also appropriated the guys who owned the two other ships.

"The remaining two of you... Just go."

"Pardon? W-Where do we go?"

Where else?

Crunch, splat!

The remaining two were useless, so I immediately disposed of them. After my quick restructuring of the crew, I went to the stern to check out the condition of the ship. Below, I could see the mana propulsion system, which was horribly destroyed.

"Damn it." I was really upset. "You guys, how dare you ruin my ship like this?"

"...S-Sorry."

"If you could solve stuff like this just by saying sorry, what's the point of laws?"

Everyone bowed their heads in silence.

Hah, yeah, what's the use in getting mad?

Splash, splash.

Just then, I heard splashing water near the bottom of the ship.

Huh? What is that...?

I clutched the railing and looked down, promptly answering that question. "Ah." It was Amelia. Did she seriously swim all the way here? "...A castaway!" I threw down the rope, and when Amelia grabbed it, I hauled her onto the ship.

"Schuitz, you really..."

"Huh?"

"Let me get one free hit." She sent her fist flying into my stomach.