“Should I have made it a steamship…?”
[Steamship? What’s that?]
“Something like that exists.”
It had been a while since Rue had been hanging around my waist, her tentacles catching the wind, asking me questions. This curious magic book seemed so excited to be out at sea that I wouldn’t be surprised if she dived into the water at any moment.
[Contractor! Can I climb up on the sail?]
“Are you sure you won’t fall?”
[Yep! Yep!]
“…Just don’t lose your grip on the pillar out of curiosity, okay?”
[Got it! I definitely will!]
…It should be fine, right?
I looked at Rue’s back as she dashed off, moving her tentacles like legs, reminiscent of parents watching their child at the water’s edge. She really shouldn’t fall in.
Why am I so anxious?
…No, she wouldn’t act that foolishly. She does cause minor accidents in Yeomyeong-gwan, but she listens well when I tell her stuff.
“…I should focus on navigating.”
A ship moving all alone without a single crew member.
Anyone would mistake my ship for a ghost ship given its lone appearance as it rowed through the sea.
If someone asked how I was rowing without any people, I’d explain that I designed the ship to function by employing skills to make the oars move on their own.
Literally, a living ship.
A vessel made from the life force of the World Tree, and since I can manipulate its energy, I was able to create this remarkable ship.
Named New-Wilson.
By the way, I hope I don’t run into that Kraken this time.
I think I poked its eye out once.
By now, it might have regenerated. If we meet again… it will kindly offer itself as emergency rations.
If I chop off just one of its legs, I could enjoy octopus sashimi to my heart’s content.
[Contractor! The ship is going too fast!]
Is that so?
It was indeed moving faster than an ordinary sailing ship. Since it wasn’t being rowed by a person, it had to be much more powerful, after all.
I looked out at the horizon while my ship wobbled madly, moving almost like it was doing water skipping.
Eligos had told me we had descended into the foggy sea area, so I would have to face it soon if I kept going.
The problem is that depending on the situation, I might have to engage in underwater combat… Can I manage it with the supplies I’ve brought? I haven’t even practiced.
If I encounter a ghost ship or the Kraken, I’ll have to put it to the test.
It’s likely that by now they would have fled to somewhere else after I lost my home…
Even while I was deep in thought, the ship raced boldly forward. It repeated its manic dash for a day and a half at a speed impossible for a sailing ship to achieve.
A fog began to rise over the blue horizon.
“Really fast.”
Automation is clearly the trend.
Using skills to automate things is much faster than calling people in to do manual labor.
[Contractor! Look at that! There’s lots of fog!]
“I know! And come down slowly! The foggy sea area can be dangerous if you are separated!”
[Okay!]
Rue carefully climbed down the pillar and clung to my waist. And just then, my view started to get enveloped in fog.
Fortunately, it wasn’t as hard to see through the fog as it used to be.
Could it be due to the blessing I received?
In any case, from here on, I should lower the speed and be careful of the reefs… or not.
I considered my thoughts as I saw a reef colliding with my ship and shattering into pieces.
I seemed to have underestimated the World Tree.
The reef broke apart as if it were nothing. At this rate, even if I collided with the Kraken, wouldn’t it end up breaking apart?
Thinking such ridiculous thoughts while resting my chin on the mast, I slowly started to see ghost ships moving at a slow pace.
“There are many.”
I couldn’t even remember which New-Wilson I had stolen, and yet there were still some left. I turned the ship’s direction and charged at the ghost ships. The ghost ships noticed me and began to change their course as well.
Are they running away?
Even ghost ships?
The ghosts steering the ghost ships seemed terrified of my ship. After all, who has seen a sailing ship barreling down at a speed that would rival racing cars?
As I watched the ghost ship approaching rapidly, I drunkenly shouted.
“WILSON! I’m coming to save you!”
[Who’s Wilson?]
My ship, New-Wilson, racing at a speed that mocked boats, shared an intense embrace with its new acquaintance. New-Wilson’s mouth gaped open wide as it reached the ghost ship.
A scene one might see in a monster movie.
As I chewed on some jerky, I slowly took in the marvelous spectacle created by my handcrafted ship.
[Is it normal for a ship to eat another ship?]
“No.”
With its mouth wide open, New-Wilson crunched down on the ghost ship as if it were candy. I noticed the ghosts who had lost their way and were floundering in the sea.
It was a bit pitiful, but there was no reason to feel sympathy.
They were destined to return to the depths of the sea anyway.
[But our ship just ate that ship!]
“But the ship I made is different. I don’t rely on mere manpower.”
[Is that so?]
It seems like the idea of making the ghost ship from World Tree material and growing it was fine, but I felt like a better idea was on the verge of emerging.
“Right.”
While pondering over the partially broken ghost ship, a sudden flash of inspiration hit me.
Oh.
That will work.
“Crafting.”
I changed the rotten wood of the ship, which used to be a ghost ship, into World Tree material and remodeled it into a clean shape. In an instant, the ghost ship transformed into a new vessel, leaving the remnants of its crew staring at me with blank expressions.
Their gazes held both fear and reverence for the being that had created this bizarre spectacle. I took a moment to collect my thoughts as I locked eyes with them.
I could probably make use of these guys.
I had planned to send them off to the afterlife, but I spoke up due to a newfound possibility.
“If you follow me, I will grant you freedom!”
Ahoy!
The crew of the ghost ship, their ears perked up at the mention of freedom, erupted in cheers. They likely thought that following me was better than the dull life of drifting eternally in the foggy sea.
Under this mutual agreement, I began to lead the ghost ships of the foggy sea area, forming a fleet.
The more allies to take down a god, the better.
—————-
“What the hell is that crazy ship!?”
“The ship just ate another ship?!”
“What the hell happened while we were banished from this world?”
Three sea gods stared at one another in confusion. They had quietly descended into the foggy sea area, extending their dominance, yet an unimaginable being had suddenly appeared.
A ship charging at a speed unrecognizable as either a ship or an arrow was unbelievable enough, but to see ships eating other ships was absurd enough to shock even the gods.
Since when did ships eat like living creatures?
And is it even possible for the eaten ships to join in as new vessels?
The three gods facepalmed in disbelief at the sight before them.
They had only wanted to work together to erase Kalon’s influence from the sea, yet an unexpected existence had emerged. The situation was incredibly bewildering, and without waiting for anyone, the three gods sighed in unison.
“Do we have to fight that thing?”
“Don’t worry. The sea is our domain.”
“Nothing can defeat us in the sea, so don’t fret.”
“R-Right?”
At Sedna’s question, the second-born Ran and the eldest Egeir nodded. With their nods feeling somehow unreliable, Sedna looked down at the sea with a defeated expression.
“Why is such a creature in front of us…”
“We’ll just have our new recruit take that arrogant creature down for us, so don’t worry.”
Egeir assured Sedna and turned his gaze towards the ghost ships that were increasingly gathering.
“I have no idea what that thing is up to.”
“Then I will wait under the sea. It sounds like it will be fun… oohoho…”
The second child, Ran, mumbled with a sinister smile.
“Rise! My loyal servant!”
The eldest, Egeir, encouraged the youngest and summoned the Kraken, ordering it to intercept the fleet heading their way.
The loyal sea monster obeyed its new master, responding with a whale-like roar.
Just the sound alone had the massive whales running for their lives, and the eerie foggy sea began to whip up waves powerful enough to paralyze human hearts.
The harbinger of disaster, the Kraken.
No matter how wildly ships roam, they will eventually kneel before the Kraken.
The Kraken propelled its massive body as it began to swim towards the new foes.
Watching from behind, Egeir, the eldest of the three gods, sighed inwardly as he thought,
‘This is ominous. Very ominous.’
The long-exiled sea god trembled at an unshakeable sense of dread.
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