Accompanied by the Northern Lights
"For the sake of the quest Weed seems to have moved."
"He followed the gold."
In Morata spies were seen reporting to the Lords and the Guilds. In the north, the guilds and lords, as well as Central and Western continents sent spies to watch their movements. It was evident they were fairly conscious about the plans of Weed. Each of the stations also had sources planted in Morata to gain real time information.
"Is this the second part of the S-class quest?"
"It seems to be finally starting."
Weed had the only S-class quest in progress on the Versailles continent. Even A and B class quest could influence the entire continent. The very difficult S-class is a step above that and a very big change was coming. Even just step one of the quest, devastated one of the Embinyu cults and restarted the secret Matallost cult.
"An S class quest that only be started out in the north, there shouldn't be many cases that impact the Versailles Continent."
"What if he acquires a rare sword that came out from the history books? A premium magic sword or maybe an outrageously fire resistant armor?"
"Since the north continent doesn't have a nation, there could be a quest about establishing one."
There were many who speculated what would happen, but if Weed completed the quest he would once again be the center of the worlds attention. If he was successful, he would be the first player to ever fulfill a S-class; with all the glory and prestige that every user yearned for. A fierce competition between broadcasters was going on behind the scenes. The views from the first part of the S-class quest were huge. King Hydra, Imugi, Balkan Lich: monsters that normal users couldn't even find, were part of a fierce and massive battle. Balkan's outstanding performance caused wizards to change to Necromancers in droves. However broadcaster did not expect for Weed to have a second success. According to Weed, part 1 was utilizing the Matallost relic to the utmost and a lot of luck. As the quest progressed each step would be more and more difficult. But even if the quest was failed, the viewers would still watch so they were preparing to broadcast.
"....seems to have disappeared from the waterfront."
BardRay was also notified. Like a scalpel the Hermes guild focused on surveillance of Weed and were reporting directly to BardRay. It was a unilateral decision by the core guild members. The fact that the guild watches only the top 50 players in the Versailles continent which included Weed put BardRay in a very bad mood.
-What if it's a sea quest?
BardRay asked in a whisper to his spy. He sent many high level spies to chase after Weed. Of course they ultimately lost Weed, but they were able to follow him to the water because Weed moved in a straight path there.
-There's insufficient information on what the quest is.
-If the trail was lost, did you see if he rode the Wyverns and continued on?
-It seems he went to sea aboard a boat and not on the Wyverns. We've found traces of hunting around here that could be the wyverns but we also found traces of a boat landing on the beach.
-He rode a boat? What was the boat's size?
-It was a small wooden boat but I can't tell if he switched to a larger ship or not.
-He went out to sea without a doubt right?
-Not only the I but other guild's spies are here looking for evidence here. We've found footprints of several hundred people from Morata. If you look at the characteristics of the footprints you can determine the equipment and they all belong to the same class. It appears it was that strong force during the Morata war. ( T/N Signs of Geomichis)
-Roger that. Notify me first if there are any changes.
-Yes, sir.
BardRay's forehead wrinkled slightly. That Weed could succeed in an S class quest before him was getting on his nerves.
"Should I just kill him?"
BardRay heart wavered. His equipment and levels were incomparable to anyone on the Versailles continent. And Weeds combat ability that he showed while hunting the dragon was surprising, but the same could be achieved by BardRay easily. BardRay had been hunting monster of similar levels while receiving the assistance of wizards or clerics. It was after his 3rd job change at level 400 he passed the advanced training center. Even in virtual reality he was getting accustomed to fighting. There was no obstacle or monster he couldn't overcome. If you lack movement in some way, then with equipment, skills, and levels the gap could be narrowed. BardRay fought many opponents in the Hermes guild, until he held the highest position in the guild. (T/N In this case there talking about how the BardRay faction holds the most power in the guild not that he is the highest seat, which is guild master.)
Even if he only used two or three sword skills, Weed was as good as dead.
"However now's a critical time. Until we win full control of the Kingdom of Haven under the hegemony alliance I can't leave. The time to show you the taste of true despair is not yet."
Revenge would come with subjugating the Versailles Continent and exiling Weed; But Weed's success in the chain quest and his growth annoyed BardRay.
"You probably used the Kallamore Knights for a quest, and they likely can't be used more than a few times. More users are starting in Morata of late. You better savor it now because eventually I will be coming." He hated users that surpassed themselves and rose up in the ranks. That Weed could some could somehow gain the same equipment of the same power level as him was terribly unpleasant.
BardRay sent a whisper
-Navy Admiral Drinfeld.
-Yes?
An Admiral for the Hermes guild! Drinfeld was in charge of the Kingdom's 2nd fleet.
-You've got work to do.
-Just send me an order.
-Take your 2nd fleet to the north. Your goal is Weed.
-You want me to keep assassinating him?
-No, it's only important to kill him once or twice. Just to teach him a lesson.
-Yes, sir.
If Weed had left on a boat then Drinfeld was going to be needed. BardRay rethought about the command.
"It might not be enough. The sea is very broad. It'll be tough for Drinfeld to catch-up to Weed."
BardRay wrote a letter to allied guild master Laffe. It was a proposal to send a transmission to the Griffith pirates who occupy the largest sea area.
"Kill God of War Weed who's out at sea...."
Griffith read the letter from the Hermes guild. The navies from the kingdoms in the continent were powerful, but Griffith's power at sea was enormous. He had more than 400 small and medium Pirate vessels under his immediate control. Pirates also had an indirect sphere of influence. In order for sea merchants to transport shipments by sea, they had to pay a fee to the Griffith pirates. The deputy head of the pirates Colm asked.
"Who did they say to kill that you're hesitating so?"
"It's not a bad deal."
The guild said that if they managed to kill Weed three times they could keep any equipment he dropped. They also could gain one piece of the equipment broadcast by BardRay. Any equipment worn by BardRay was extremely powerful.
"It's a very generous compensation."
"It's a fake though. The Hermes guild would not reveal their real equipment on air; its best kept a secret."
"Then you don't want to do it?"
"No opportunities like this don't come very often."
Griffith grinned. Not only the Hermes guild, but many lords and prestigious guilds of the Central continent had the same request.
* * *
The sailing speed of the ghost ship was significantly faster now. It was all because of the trained officer adjusting the sails and course. As expected, the anxiety of the three navigators grew with each new point they passed. It was a rare experience to work together with a ghost crew and steer a ghost ship. They now had a lot new tales they could tell at bars. Going to Las Phalanx was like waking up sleeping lion.
"Umm, I know of other hunting grounds."
"Do you want to go somewhere with a better view?"
Board Mir and Hye proposed to Weed, despite that, he continued to fish! Deoreol was known as the captain of the ghost ship, so they did not know that it was Weed. A Mooo sound came from Yellowy. He was lying spread out on the deck along with Geumuni, who was fishing while wearing a straw hat.
"Why on earth did a lich suddenly appear?"
"He should be a high level... shit, we got caught up in this pretty bad. We can't attack him."
The Lich is not a class that can be easily killed by a surprise attack. Looking at the undead sea monsters that rose from the seafloor, the group felt exasperated.
"Is it possible to change jobs to Lich?"
"I don't know. I haven't heard of any users from the continent switching before. We're so unlucky to meet the one who did."
It was then, as Hye, Fractal, and Board Mir were wallowing in their despair,
"Large reef discovered on the port side! Turn."
Fractal, who was monitoring the front, shouted out about the reef.
*tsu rurururu chwek*
Hye hastily turned the helm to the left. The turn was sharp enough to rock the boat from side to side, as they barely avoided the reef lightly scratching the side of the boat. They'd come quite a long ways from Becky Nin so there were no other boats in the vicinity.
"Whew. This is also a great experience, isn't it?"
"Yes, my sailing skills have risen a huge amount."
Hye and Board Mir were surprised. The more they moved along Weed's route the more experience and skill proficiency piled up. This does not require the presence of the sea. The voyage itself gave off the experience, skill level, and fame of a user who discovered a new dungeon.
"I think it was a good thing to come along with this voyage."
"I know what you mean, my navigation skills have greatly improved."
"We can pretend to faithfully follow commands for now . . . but we're the only ones who can steer the ship."
"Well, don't worry about it. We'll definitely find an opportunity to take control of the ghost ship. We'll desert them when we anchor on an unknown island. Captain of the ghost ship! Kuhuhuhu."
The three men held a secret conversation. However Yellowy saw their scheming and could only feel sorry for them.
How daring to make such dirty conspiracies against Weed! Eumumu. 'You don't know how cheap, petty, and despicable master is.'
It was like little children trying to pickpocket professional gamblers. On top of that Weed didn't even let the smallest amount of money slip through his fingers. Due to the north wind in their sails, they traveled quickly. Speaking cautiously, Hye call out to Weed.
"Captain, I have something to tell you."
"Mmm."
Weed fished on almost silently. His Fishing skill had risen to Intermediate 5 and 35% and his handicraft stat by 3%. There were millions of skills to improve maximum vitality, but they wouldn't be gained by fishing.
"In about half a days time, we'll be a third of the way to our destination. We can expect to arrive 2 days earlier."
"MMMM!"
Modest praise from Weed. Even with an accurate map to Las Phalanx, without the three navigator's skills, it would've been a harsh journey.Though their personalities weren't much,, no one could deny their skills. Anyways, Weed was their employer.
"Keep up the good work. You will receive many rewards on our return."
"Yes sir."
Hye stepped back after the small conversation. While navigating for this long, they had been paid only a stipend of 1 gold a day, which was too cheap. He was trying to point this out to Weed, but Weed already knew that. Weed thought.
"I guess I will have to pay them 1 gold extra as payment for saving two days time."
The waves became violently rough for the second half of voyage to Las Phalanx. As 7-meter waves met the ghost ship, it would repeatedly climb and fall.
"Whoooo! i guess I'll have to hold on to something if I don't want to fall"
"Ahhhh! Please let me live!"
The ghost crew that were struck were knocked into the sea. However, they soon reemerged in their assigned spots.
If they were real sailors, they would either be dead or it would be very difficult to save them. Even the currents became harsh. They would be sailing calmly when suddenly a giant whirlpool large enough to suck in and shatter a large ship would appear.
"To the right! Turn wide."
Without the utmost concentration, it was impossible to avoid them. The ghost ship teeter tottered through the stiff currents as they made their way north. After three days, they finally made it out of the whirlpool area. All Weed did was continue fishing. As they headed, north he caught rare purple fish species that raised his skills. On top of that, as the captain, he adjusted sails which raised his navigation skills.
"How much longer do we have?" Exhausted, Board Mir answered Weed's question.
"We've traveled about 60% of the way."
"We ought to arrive soon."
"Work hard!"
It was not a short distance, so there was no choice but to adapt to the sea. With only navigation skills and their belief in themselves, they could only unite and weather the harsh sea. Strength, courage, and a challenging mindset were needed to hold out when the sea was this rough. Fortunately, the wind didn't blow against them and the waves calmed down and for two days they had a calm journey. Their bodies suddenly felt cold. Instead of rain, thick snowfall came from from the sky.
"Now I've really come far into the north."
Hye, Fractal, and Board Mir, who had never come this far, suddenly felt fear. However, it was too late to turn the ship around, so they ventured forward. The sky was clear during the day, and at night the moon emerged, with countless stars reflecting over the ocean. It was like sailing through Mother Nature itself.
*Ding!*
- You have entered The DeRon Seaway. - Sailing skill proficiency increased. - Due to risk strength, Endurance, wisdom, and charisma stat +6. - Fame +260. |
Navigators who first discover an island or a geographic region will have an increase in fame stats.
"This is great! Normally it only climbs up one or two stat points but six?!. Its even for 4 different types of stats."
"It's because we came all the way from the harbor in Becky Nin without rest."
It was usually the norm to stop one day for every two days of travel. This was to restock on supplies and to reduce the fatigue of the crew. Ghost sailors may not be the best workers, but they didn't have the usual fatigue and homesickness.
*Chuckle* "The Human sailors look delicious."
"Let's steal their bodies. Let's steal their bodies. I'm so fed up with roaming the seas eternally. I want to enter a human's body."
"Shush. Those guys are the Captain's prey. I'm sure the Captain will give us a bite to eat after he's through with them."
Weed procured food and water, so there was no need to worry about starvation. Plus, since he could repair the ship, was as good as it was in the harbor and there was nothing more needed on the voyage. As they headed north less mermaids were sighted and whales and birds had long stopped following them. After entering into the DeRon seaway, nippy cold air began to bite at them. And then the Aurora finally unfolded! A curtain of light and stars hung above the ghost ship in the middle of the night. It was beautiful enough to enchant the three hardened sailors.The natural light was so amazing that it caused shivers.
- You have found DeRon's Aurora. |
- Due to your amazing discovery Fame + 350. - Art stat +28. - All stats +5. - Due the power of nature all abnormal states are cured. - 30% increase for five days in strength and heat resistance. - 13% increase to the maximum value of all stats. - The maximum speed of the ship, turning ability, and ship's ability to land will increase by 27%. - Due to the blessing of the aurora, you will be granted additional benefits in naval battle. |
The Ghost sailors and the navigators were lost in admiration of the Aurora. Even Weed was mesmerized by the aurora . Like butterflies leaving their cocoons, tears swelled up in traveler's eyes. Most natural beauty would not soften Weeds stout heart, but he softly said.
"I will have to memorize your exact look. Next time I make a light sculpture in Morata it'll be of this sight."
It was like the joy of earning money from recycling empty bottles when he was young. The aurora's one and only role was creating a lifelong memory for the travelers. It paved a twinkling road in the sky.
Weed instructed.
"Let head toward over there."
"Aye, sir."
The officer steered the ship towards the path that the Aurora showed. There were no reefs, currents, or sea monsters that touched them; it was a calm sea. With the exception of the extreme cold, there was very little to be unhappy about.
"Uuugh, cold!"
While adjusting the sail, Board Mir body was shivering as his teeth chattered. They were the signs of catching a cold. Both concentration and stamina fell. Weed felt fine because he had caught a baby whale and had made a robe out of it in advance.
"Got to take care to not to repeat the same mistakes."
He had already suffered twice before in northern explorations. After arriving at Las Phalanx, you would probably have to worry about the heat more than the cold. However, until then, you have to keep your body in the best condition possible. He wore the yeti clothes he had previously made with the newly made whale robe. He made hot fish soup out of the fish he caught and this made the cold a bit more bearable. The navigators gathered around Weed and watched him with pleading eyes. Hye, as the representative, said.
"Chatter. Chatter. Captain."
It was as if a woodpecker suddenly appeared. The men's teeth clattered in their mouths. They wore short sleeves and shorts because they were easy to move around in and they usually traveled in warmer climates.
"We may freeze to death in this state. Please give us some clothes to wear."
"Why would I do that?" Weed replied indifferently.
Eating alone next to hungry people, fooling around as everyone else worked, wearing warm clothes as everyone else shivered! Weed did the cheapest things and he did three different kinds at once. Hye gave a frustrated look.
"Then, you want our report to freeze too sir?"
"You should always prepare for your own survival. What ship has their Captain provide clothing as well?"
Weed said that with no remorse. Welfare benefits are nonexistent for the sailors of the ghost ship. 'The ghost sailors are just fine in the cold' spoke louder than words.
"Please captain save us."
"20 gold"
"What?"
"One day rental fee. It's not like clothes grow out of the ground."
"But, you obtain your own clothes by fishing and you can collect the scales of the fishes. I saw you do that."
"If you don't want it you go find another place."
A new level of dirty cheapness, to get a rental fee from a person who would freeze to death! You have to pay the rental fee with a cup of tears.
"With a deposit of 500 gold for a week in advance."
Once the clothes were rented, the officers got together and secretly whispered to one another.
- I'll put up with it for now.
- Is he planning on us turning into popsicles? There is a contract, but our opportunity will come.
- It's not like we've only killed once or twice, if there would only be a chance...
If they seized the ship, they would maroon Weed and leave by themselves. Sailors have shipbuilding skills just in case they needed to build their own, but, for now, they suffered in silence.
- We will make him pay a hundred times over.
- Only a hundred times? No it needs to be a thousand. Tens of thousands of times.
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