Chapter 105
Chapter 105
-----------------------------------------------------------------
Translator: Ryuma
Chapter: 105
Chapter Title: Ramming the Sea Serpent
-----------------------------------------------------------------
Already, many abominations had been swept away by Choi Seong-un and the other players.
Even so, Choi Seong-un suspected there were still plenty more lurking out there.
'Civilization is only just getting started. We've got roads linking river valleys, cities, and villages, and year after year, countless races are multiplying... but this world's not even 200 years old yet. There are way more ancient ruins undiscovered than found.'
But it was hard to say for sure if there really existed some unique domain controlling these abominations.
Evil gods like Jeolubi or Shacha might just possess some special power.
'Above all, Shacha isn't even on that stone island.'
The Deep Ones' pirate fleet was no small operation.
Their population was low, but nearly all of them were combatants, with most resources and manpower funneled into pillaging and shipbuilding—hardly any less impressive than the elves clustered along the northern coast.
"If anything, you could say they're up against Eldar?"
Eldar, standing beside him, jumped in surprise.
"Me? You mean me?"
"Nah, just talking to myself."
Choi Seong-un ignored Eldar, who stared at him in bewilderment without grasping the context, and turned back to gaze out at the sea.
A sea serpent was closing in fast on Blackrin's lead ship.
Eldar spoke up.
"Aren't we going to help?"
"If they need it. But I don't think it'll come to that."
"It's a sea serpent, though? Even cannon fire wouldn't faze it..."
And as if to prove Eldar's words, the forward cannon mounted on Blackrin's prow fired off a shot.
Two rounds missed entirely, one glanced off the Deep Ones' ship's side and ricocheted away, but one struck the sea serpent's head dead-on.
Yet the sea serpent merely shook its head as if unbothered and resumed its charge.
Its speed dipped for just a moment.
Eldar peered back at Blackrin's deck.
"You trust Mazdari that much?"
"Yeah."
Choi Seong-un replied.
"Even an apprentice mage could handle something like a sea serpent."
At that, Eldar ventured cautiously,
"But that's not the only issue, is it?"
Choi Seong-un knew exactly what Eldar was really getting at.
The key point was that Mazdari belonged to the allied navy.
It was hard to buy that he'd boarded Blackrin's ship simply because the sea serpent looked dangerous, rather than aiding his allies.
Especially since Mazdari didn't strike anyone as the type to act out of pure goodwill.
"I've already set something in motion for that."
Eldar furrowed his brow, trying to parse Choi Seong-un's loaded words.
—┼
Gunner chief Rumph shouted to Basen,
"Prince! The cannons aren't working at all!"
Prince Basen Rak Oran showed no sign of panic.
He had his moments of unease, but revealing that wasn't the commander's job.
"Wasn't that at maximum range? Ready the royal cannon! Lower the angle and prepare to fire. Next one's point-blank—we nail it."
At Basen's orders, the jittery gunners shook off their nerves and scrambled into action.
Mazdari said,
"You think the odds are low?"
"What're you on about?"
"No guarantee it'll just sit there and take the hit, and no certainty a bigger cannon will even wound it."
Basen let out a scoff.
"Good thing you didn't shout that. Blackrin's code would've had your head for demoralizing the crew."
Mazdari seemed unfazed.
"I'll help."
"With magic?"
"Yeah. That's why I boarded this ship."
Basen figured trusting Mazdari was his best bet right now—no other options.
If Yacheon intervened, that'd be ideal, but the Yacheon faith's doctrine forbade begging for divine aid without effort.
'If the god did everything, why give us limbs to move ourselves? Or lungs to breathe? We'd just lie there.'
Basen asked,
"What's your plan?"
"First, I need to touch the beast. Then bind it long enough for a cup of tea."
"That's it?"
"No."
Mazdari cut in.
"I'll circle the monster and draw a magic circle on deck. But it can't be damaged, so someone has to guard it. If they don't know magic, no issue—but if they do..."
"Got it. What else?"
"The spell needs focus time at the end. I'll be defenseless then—someone guards me."
Basen shot Mazdari a glare.
"That's all?"
"That's all? I don't think those conditions sound easy."
"I need assurance you can definitely kill that thing."
Mazdari eyed the now nearly upon-them monster.
"I can. If all conditions are met, it dies."
At that, Basen snatched the signal flag from his subordinate.
He signaled the ships on either side.
Mazdari didn't know what it meant, but only Tione Itimo caught on and yelled,
"Commander! Are you insane?"
Basen turned to her.
"Hardly."
"Then why...? Whatever, we need to slow down too, or we'll ram straight in."
As Tione turned to order the sails furled, Basen grabbed her arm.
"Captain Tione, no need..."
"...!"
The two warships rocked amid surging waves as they pulled up tight alongside the pirate flagship.
The flanking ships signaled Basen via flags.
-Order: Ram. Proceed?
Basen signaled back.
-Proceed.
Tione gaped at him.
"Wh-what?"
"We ram too."
Mazdari wrapped a rope once around his own wrist and grinned.
"You're mad."
Basen shouted,
"Fesa!"
"First-Class Grand Fesa, aye!"
"Tell everyone to brace for impact!"
Fesa nodded and bellowed across the entire ship.
"Brace—for—im—pact!"
Basen grabbed Tione and hunkered down low.
He called to Rumph at the prow.
"Rumph!"
"On it! ...All hands, fire!"
Basen glimpsed the sea serpent lunging with jaws agape just before impact, and the startled faces of Deep Ones atop the towed ship.
All three ships slammed into the sea serpent.
-Kwaaang!
A deafening boom erupted—indistinguishable whether from prows colliding or the royal cannon's roar.
Pure white smoke from the royal cannon blotted out the sun.
Basen spotted writhing shapes through the haze.
"Gunners, all hands—evacuate!"
His order was timely, but the sea serpent was faster.
Bursting through the smoke, it hacked up blood-flecked foam but only hesitated briefly.
Then it dipped its head and devoured the nearest gunner whole.
"Damn... Everyone, grab bows! Avoid the monster—target the pirates first! Monster's pinned by the prows; it can't maneuver!"
Lizardman soldiers and sailors moved with crisp precision.
"Prince Basen."
Basen turned to see Mazdari standing there, looking somewhat disheveled.
"What?"
"Magic circle's done on this ship."
Basen glanced down; it was already etched into the deck.
"Fast work."
Mazdari brushed off the praise with a gruff grunt.
"Need three more on the other spots. Lucky for us, two can go on our allies' decks."
"Invoke my name for protection. We'll board the enemy flagship and clear the way till then."
Mazdari nodded and dashed to the warship beside the pirate flagship.
Basen ordered his soldiers to guard the circle, then told Tione,
"Sorry."
Tione rubbed her shoulder, bruised from the ramming impact.
"For what?"
"I said I'd heed your counsel on the ship."
"Forget it. Water under the bridge. Right now, this ship's not a vessel—it's a game piece on the board."
"Thanks for understanding."
"Go do your job before that Garuda starts whining."
Basen stood.
The rest of Blackrin's fleet kept their distance, pounding with broadsides.
But that only stalled the approaching pirate ships.
Thanks to the blockade, the other pirates hadn't arrived yet, but the towed flagship was massive—so Deep Ones were already vaulting rails and boarding.
As Basen advanced, he cleaved two Deep Ones and pointed at soldiers, ordering them to follow.
'Fesa can hold here alone.'
Passing the sea serpent—still jammed across four prows, immobile—Basen boarded the next ship.
"Commander."
Calling him was Hwi Ravina Muel.
Ravina gripped a blood-dripping blade, much like Basen—clearly having already cut down Deep Ones.
"Alchemist? Aren't you one His Majesty favors? Too dangerous here. Back to the flagship."
Ravina smiled.
"His Majesty favors you more than me, Commander. Besides, I crossed the distant southern seas for this very moment."
"Sent by His Majesty?"
"No."
"Then...?"
The talk cut short.
A keen axe whirled through the air.
But its path veered slightly off, embedding at Basen and Ravina's feet.
Basen eyed the thrower.
"Ha! Lucky, lizard."
It was Yabun—leader of the privateer Yabun Pirates and high priest of the Heartlight Order.
Basen didn't respond.
To him, Yabun was just another pirate.
Beneath his notice for chit-chat.
Basen vaulted the rail onto the enemy deck in one leap.
Deep Ones swarmed, but Lizardman soldiers and Ravina followed in his wake.
After a few blade clashes, Basen thought,
'Not a pushover.'
Yabun retreated leisurely, a smirk baring his razor teeth.
"Stalling for time?"
"What makes you say that?"
"You want to use magic."
Basen clicked his tongue inwardly.
'He knows about magic?'
Yabun said,
"Mages are all the same. They make others take the blades and arrows while they dawdle, doodling their circles. Don't that chafe?"
"Not that close to him emotionally."
"Fair enough. Pity, though—tell the mage it's too late."
"...?"
Yabun raised a hand; chains clanked.
Basen turned—the chains binding the sea serpent had snapped.
Basen's face fell.
'Damn, now it'll break free!'
Then Yabun glanced behind Basen.
"Huh, when'd you board?"
Basen whipped around.
Mazdari stepped out from behind the mast.
"No worries, Prince Basen. Not late yet."
Magic circles bloomed in Mazdari's eyes.
The spell began.