0104 ———————————————-
Dark Heaven Village
On the day of departure, I decided to board a warship rather than a merchant ship. This was because, unlike before, if pirates approached us with flaming arrows or weapons, I could easily confront the enemies, and the speed of the ship itself was faster. It was possible because I had obtained prior permission from the Seogung Escort Agency.
“Nice to meet you. I am Deputy Ahn Hyeon, serving under the general.”
The fact that he treated me with a degree of respect and did not look down on my youth likely stemmed from the suspicious demeanor displayed by General Jang Gyeong-ik.
“Thank you for your assistance. My name is Baek Woong.”
Ahn Hyeon seemed to be the deputy commander of the naval forces, leading the elite troops under General Jang Gyeong-ik. He was a straight-faced dignified warrior wielding a long sword. Although he appeared modest, he was in charge of escorting three warships, indicating that he held a considerably high rank. He looked at me with curiosity and said,
“I heard that you, Baek Woong, are a remarkable figure in the martial world and that pirates are likely to raid us this time.”
“That may be true.”
“Haha, you seem quite concerned. With three warships accompanying you, what could possibly go wrong? The difference between a merchant ship and a warship is on another level. Even the notorious Blood Saber Group wouldn’t dare to approach us if they have a shred of sanity.”
Ahn Hyeon’s laughter and words made sense. The number of soldiers on the three warships added up to several hundred. Surely, even pirates had some sense and would find it crazy to attack with such protection present.
Of course, it would be good if they didn’t attack at all. I chose not to counter Ahn Hyeon’s words but responded with a subtle smile,
“I trust you.”
“Please, relax. We will reach Goryeo’s Gaegyeong without any issues.”
I quietly rested in the quarters of the warship assigned to me. Before boarding, I had already asked a blacksmith to sharpen my spear and sword with a whetstone. Although the atmosphere was calm, I was in top fighting condition.
Common sense would suggest that no pirate would dare to attack with a warship providing escort. However, I knew that there were deities associated with the pirates of the Blood Saber Group. There was even the possibility that they might dare to challenge the regular naval forces to prove their combat prowess. Knowing this, I remained tense and on guard.
About four days went by. Suddenly, a naval soldier hurriedly rushed in, opened my door, and exclaimed,
“I apologize. Please come quickly. It’s urgent.”
“Is Deputy Ahn Hyeon calling for me?”
“Yes, indeed. Follow me.”
I followed the soldier towards the deck. On the deck, Deputy Ahn Hyeon and several other armed forces were already present. Ahn Hyeon, with his arms crossed, was gazing across the horizon and, upon noticing my arrival, said,
“Oh, you’ve come? Just as you predicted, it seems.”
“Is it the pirates?”
“Yes, indeed. The Blood Saber Group, and there are eight ships!”
Eight ships!!
That was a much larger scale than what I had faced before. I asked, half-hoping it wasn’t true,
“Are they really planning to attack the regular naval forces?”
Deputy Ahn Hyeon seemed incredulous, chuckling lightly.
“It appears so. How much must they have underestimated us…”
As I looked towards the horizon, I could see the pirate ships of the Blood Saber Group approaching from various directions. We had three merchant ships on our side and three warships, putting us at a considerable disadvantage in numbers. Additionally, considering that the merchant ships had almost no combat power, we were further outmatched.
“Couldn’t the small number of ships put us at a disadvantage?”
“Ha ha. Just watch.”
Deputy Ahn Hyeon grinned ominously.
“See how immense the difference is between a mere pirate and the naval forces.”
With that, Deputy Ahn Hyeon issued orders to the armed forces.
“Permission to fire the Red Cannon is granted. Immediately fire upon the enemy ships.”
“Yes!!”
Clang!!
A moment later, the three warships turned left, and from below the ship, the iron mouths began to emerge slowly. I was curious about what it was, but as the pirate ships approached within seventy yards, a tremendous explosion echoed.
The armed forces waved their flags and shouted,
“Fire!”
Boom!!
With a resonant sound, something was expelled. The Blood Saber Group’s ship suddenly burst apart, leaving a large hole and a shockwave behind. Pirates screamed as they were thrown into the sea, with some swimming towards us. After confirming this, Deputy Ahn Hyeon said coldly,
“Shoot them with arrows. Don’t let a single one escape.”
Shoo shoo shoo
Thud thud
As the ship began to sink and the pirates jumped into the water, the strong arrows fired from the warship pierced through human flesh. The pirates screamed for their lives, but there was no mercy to be found. Even though some could have been spared or left in the vast sea, the response was notably ruthless.
‘He is enraged.’
It seemed that Deputy Ahn Hyeon was furious because the pirates had dared to attack, believing they could rely on their numbers. Such events were occurring all over the seas, and every time the Red Cannon was fired from the warships, the pirate vessels sank without being able to fight back. Moreover, finishing them off with strong arrows made the situation overwhelmingly one-sided.
Boom!
Crash!
The naval battle had just begun, and yet the tide was clearly turning. The three warships and even the merchant ships suffered no damage, while four pirate ships had already sunk. The reason for such an overwhelming advantage was entirely due to the range of the Red Cannon fired from the naval forces being much longer than that of a regular arrow, and when a pirate ship was hit by the Red Cannon, it was likely to sink with just one or two hits.
Watching this massacre unfold, I asked Deputy Ahn Hyeon,
“What exactly is the Red Cannon?”
“You may not be familiar as someone from the martial world, but this is a new weapon that was imported a few years ago. The naval forces actively adopted this new weapon originally used by a Western tribe known as the Red-haired Barbarians. It’s likely that a considerable number have also been deployed in land forces.”
“Red-haired Barbarians?”
“There is a Western country called Holland. It refers to those with blue eyes and blonde or red hair living there.”
“Hmmm…”
I found it fascinating.
‘The iron mouths are launching iron projectiles at incredible speed. With the force of impact, a pirate ship can’t help but sink upon being hit.’
With my focused internal energy, I roughly understood the principle of the Red Cannon. A chill ran down my spine. The destructive power possessed by each of those cannons was immense. There would be no way to counter such a thing head-on.
With inferior attack range, mobility, durability, and tactics, the Blood Saber Group had no way to win. Realizing this, the remaining four pirate ships hesitated and began to retreat. Deputy Ahn Hyeon seemed to be contemplating whether to push forward.
“Hmmm. This is troublesome…”
“What’s the matter?”
“If they scatter and fight, the accuracy of the Red Cannon will decrease. It’s ideal for us to keep the cannons fixed in this situation. If we move recklessly, we might allow them to break the line.”
Upon hearing this, I thought to myself,
‘He’s a perfectionist.’
While he spoke as if it were a significant concern, it was merely him hesitating for an even more overwhelming victory. Since victory was already assured, he probably wanted to minimize damage and encourage surrender as much as possible. Of course, such a demeanor was indicative of an excellent commander, and I recognized internally that Deputy Ahn Hyeon was a capable man.
I asked,
“Are you planning to wait until they retreat?”
“Of course not. I’m just observing the situation for a bit.”
It seemed he was waiting for an opportunity to strike when the movements of the pirate ships became chaotic and then planned to annihilate them all at once. Looking at Deputy Ahn Hyeon’s warlike face, as if he was stalking prey, I spoke up.
“If that’s the case, will you grant me the opportunity to act?”
“What do you mean by that?”
“If you could provide me with a small boat, I will take down their captain.”
Deputy Ahn Hyeon’s eyes lit up with interest.
“Of course, I know that you, Baek Woong, are an exceptional martial artist. However, the general has entrusted me to protect you, so I cannot expose you to danger. If we wait, we will finish them off ourselves.”
“And that is what makes it dangerous. The so-called captain of these scoundrels could pose a threat if released into the sea.”
“What do you mean by that?”
“I will take full responsibility for all lives involved. I will write a written agreement, so please allow me to engage them.”
As I held up the paper and bit my thumb to draw blood, Deputy Ahn Hyeon looked shocked.
“No…”
Soon, the agreement stating I would not complain should I lose my life was completed.
“I ask that you refrain from a full assault on the pirates until I return.”
As I handed it to Deputy Ahn Hyeon, he reluctantly replied,
“Very well. I will provide you with one boat and three soldiers. But let me remind you, this is your responsibility.”
“Don’t worry.”
Swish—
A short while later, I was able to climb aboard a small boat with three soldiers. The soldiers appeared quite calm, as if they had faced countless battles, even in what seemed like a situation heading towards a suicide mission. As they rowed rapidly towards the pirate ship, I directed them.
“That vessel with the black anchor.”
“Understood.”
As we drew within about thirty yards of the pirate ship, arrows began to fly at us. I deflected the arrows with my spear, keeping a watchful eye, and then suddenly jumped into the sea.
Splash!
My foot kicked off the surface, creating a pillar of water. With a single leap, I reduced the distance of thirty yards and landed on the deck of the pirate captain’s ship. The eyes of all the pirates on the pirate captain’s ship turned towards me in unison.
In the past, I would have indiscriminately begun the slaughter. However, now I emitted killing intent and quietly shouted,
“Those who do not wish to die, drop your weapons and kneel!”
Swoosh!
As if dismissing my words, weapons flew from all around. Archers and pirates alike drew their swords and spears, charging towards me. I confirmed the identity of each attacker with my gaze and immediately moved to dispatch them.
Slaughter!
Blood spurting up as I struck. The tips of my spear sliced through the air, and in an instant, the bodies of twelve pirates were mangled and sent flying. Only then did the remaining pirates, who had been rushing forward, falter and begin to retreat.
“Whoa!”
Then the doors opened, and an elite group of pirates wielding weapons poured out from inside, just as I had seen before. There were about thirty of them, just as I had remembered.
Clang clang!
I skillfully deflected their attacks while moving toward the bow of the ship. Along the way, some were thrown into the sea, screaming as they were struck by the shockwaves generated by my spear. Despite the dozen pirates swarming me, their horror at being unable to deal with me was evident.
“Huff…”
“What kind of martial arts does this kid possess?”
Having shown enough of my skills, I stood at the bow, gazing at them, and said,
“Normally, I would kill all of you. However, I’ll grant you a chance.”
The pirates surrounding me, armed with blood knives, were not mere rabble but were reasonably skilled fighters. Naturally, they must have felt the gap in strength between us, as I could hear murmurs of uncertainty among them. The pirate at the front spoke up.
“What chance are you speaking of?”
I spoke sharply while gazing at the door inside.
“I know that your captain is not human but a member of the Sea God’s lineage. We have come here to hunt them down.”
Murmurs…
A clear agitation arose among the elite pirates. This was a reaction that was not born from something they had heard for the first time; I realized they were all aware that the leaders of the Blood Saber Group were fishmen.
A pirate who seemed to be the deputy commander stepped forward.
“Is it true that the naval forces know about this?”
“Indeed. Otherwise, would a mere merchant be followed by three ships?”
“……”
“And I have brought ten experts like myself as well. You have no chance of victory.”
While the last part was an exaggeration, the atmosphere suggested they believed it to be true. Having already seen half of their eight ships sunk, they had no reason to doubt it. The pirate cautiously looked at me and said,
“We had no intention of attacking the naval forces. We merely wanted to be let go, but our captain insisted otherwise.”
“And?”
“If you guarantee our lives, we will surrender immediately.”
I smiled slyly.
“Of course. Pirates are sentenced to death without trial, but I will make an exception and let you speak. So drop your weapons right now.”
“Then…”
Just as he was about to say something,
Swoosh!
Thud!
“Ugh…”
He slowly collapsed forward, his heart pierced by a harpoon that had flown from behind. There was no chance for survival. From within the pirate captain’s ship, three blood-saber wielding pirate chiefs slowly emerged.
One of the pirate chiefs spoke in a deep voice,
“Why are you being deceived? Kill him immediately.”
The pirates surrounding me hesitated, showing signs of doubt. Since they were likely to die regardless, they couldn’t help but hesitate. I turned to the pirate chiefs and said,
“Hey, why did you decide to attack the naval forces? Did you think you could defeat a naval warship with expert troops equipped with the Red Cannon? Your delusion is truly astonishing.”
One of the pirate chiefs replied,
“Who the hell are you? Are you from the White Lotus Sect?”
“Well, I’m more curious about you. No matter how powerful you might be, why is there a need to become subservient to the Sea God, forsaking your human form?”
Seeing me smirking, the pirate chiefs visibly flinched. It was clear I already knew their true nature. Perhaps thinking I knew a lot, the pirate chiefs spoke in unison,
“Who are you! How do you know that?”
“Haha. What’s certain is that if things continue like this, you will surely die. Total annihilation is a given. Before that, shouldn’t you at least save your own lives?”
The subtle words I had spoken were not directed at the pirate chiefs.
“……”
Swoosh!
Receiving my gaze, the elite members of the Blood Saber Group exchanged glances and gradually began to encircle the pirate chiefs. As nearly thirty subordinates turned against them all at once, the pirate chiefs shouted in disbelief,
“You crazy fools! Why are you pointing your swords at us?”
Then, one of the pirates brandishing a blood saber stepped forward, pointing his sword and shouting,
“You’re the crazy ones! Even if you turned into some unidentifiable fish monster, why would you dare to attack a naval warship? Damn, I’ll slit your throats!”
—————————= Author’s Note —————————=
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