Chapter 49 - Beg and Beg Again (7)

To be honest, I didn't think it would be possible to steer this massive ship while dodging reefs just by having excellent sailing skills.

But the world was full of all sorts of talented people, and exaggerated stats like that were especially common in games.

"We're at the Dragon's Cry Gate now!"

That warning dropped just as I was coordinating with the adventurer who used a whip as his main weapon by slicing up the Dragon Tooth Warriors he pulled up.

「West Sea: Dragon's Cry Gate」

「❖ The Rot Washed Ashore

∎ Find the source of the unholy energy and Purify it.」

THUMP!

Along with the quest update, a lurching sensation immediately followed, reminding me of the white-water rafting I had tried once before.

"This is seriously no joke!?"

What even were the tidal waves and gales that had battered us until now? They said the current would be fast, so I figured it would just be a rough ride, but I never imagined a ship this large would be tossed around to this extent.

"Goddamn it, this is so fucking hard to steer! Fucking crazy sea!"

'No, I think the guy trying to steer this is even crazier.'

Thinking that, I raised my sword. The fierce swells were bouncing even the Dragon Tooth Warriors out of the water.

SLICE!

The flying slashes launched beyond the protective barrier and cut down the Dragon Tooth Warriors.

The recoil nearly sent my body lurching off the deck, but DeB screamed and grabbed the hem of my coat, and the Archmage grabbed my ankle, somehow pulling me back onto my feet.

The ship showed no signs of sinking yet, but it was shaking violently like a roller coaster. I seriously felt like throwing up.

The only saving grace was that with the protective device turned on, we didn't have to desperately fight off the Dragon Tooth Warriors like before.

"The Mages look like they're all about to pass out. Is the protective device going to be alright?!"

Just as DeB said, if the Mages passed out, it would become difficult to maintain the protective device. Every function installed on the ship operated using mana as fuel.

That was why a time limit existed and why twenty Mages had tagged along. Aside from activating devices at the right moment, the Mages' purpose was to act as living spare batteries.

"The current one is operating on pre-charged mana, so there's no need to worry!"

Of course, they weren't actively casting the barrier right now. The protective device could still run on the mana that had been infused into it beforehand.

However, at this rate... I had no idea what would happen once the charged mana ran out.

'Reminds me of one of those racing games where you have to reach the destination before the gauge empties. Though I'm not the one driving.'

"Not just the Mages, but the Priests are all going to pass out too—waaagh!"

In the midst of all this, a massive jolt caused DeB to lose his grip. His body slid straight across the deck, nearly falling into the sea.

"You idiot!"

The protective device's barrier only blocked attacks coming from the outside. It didn't stop outgoing attacks or anything else from leaving.

In other words, if someone was thrown out, they would fall straight into the sea. The Inquisitor and I urgently reached out.

"Got you!"

"Hiiik!"

Whether we liked him or not, he was our comrade. The Inquisitor grabbed DeB first, and I joined in to haul him up. DeB climbed back onto the deck.

"I-I'm alive."

His droopy ears pinned backward seemed to show exactly how he felt a moment ago. Although my heart had probably dropped just as much as DeB's did.

"Gaaaaah!"

But it wasn't the time to be relieved.

Following that, one of the sailors fell from the mast and began plummeting toward the sea.

'Thankfully, he isn't being thrown far out into the water, and his fall trajectory is close to me. I can catch him.'

GRAB!

"Hwaaack!"

I rushed over frantically and snatched the falling man's hand. Nearly half of my upper body went over the railing, but I somehow succeeded in catching the sailor.

"S-Save me!"

"... Stop thrashing around!"

'Waaaaah. My body's going over too!'

THUMP!

Just a hair's breadth before my body tumbled over with him or my wet hands slipped, the ship lurched back in the opposite direction.

The impact jolted the sailor's body upward, and I didn't miss that opportunity.

I flung the sailor down onto the deck. He might get bruised or break something, but it was far better than being swallowed by that pitch-black sea.

"Grab onto something!"

Physical pain could never break the will to survive. The sailor hurriedly grabbed onto something before he could slide away.

"Is everything seriously alright?!"

"If you aren't dead yet, it's fine!"

'I don't see anyone else who fell. My stomach is completely flipped now, and it feels like my vision is flipping with it.'

'Windhand is somehow still holding onto the helm. The fact that he's enduring this while continuing to steer proves he's an incredible guy.'

'Or did he put glue on his shoes? Even factoring that in, his core strength is insane.'

"Dead ahead!"

Just then, someone who was barely hanging onto the top of the mast shouted.

"A reef sticking out of the water!"

Even without that shout, Windhand already seemed to be wrestling with the helm... but a ship naturally couldn't turn instantly like a car or motorcycle.

"Damn it, I think we're going to hit it!"

The protective device could cover most reefs, but the amount of mana consumed in the split second of collision was enormous. On top of the base maintenance cost, an additional charge of mana would be drawn to absorb the impact.

That was exactly why a captain like Windhand was needed. What would be the point if we wasted all the mana meant for the dragon's attacks on some reef?

"Everyone hold on tight!"

Anyway, for that reason, I couldn't just sit still.

I grabbed an extra rope located on one side of the ship, took a harpoon in my other hand, and started running.

Because there were too many obstacles to sprint across the deck, my next best choice was the railing.

Running along an incredibly narrow railing on a shaking ship felt like madness, but balancing was surprisingly easy.

The 'Survival Instinct' skill hadn't recommended it for nothing. Though it was a bit unfortunate that my nausea was flaring up like crazy.

"You bastard! Grab the rope!"

"Eh?! Ah, ah! Crazy!"

But I was already riding the tiger's back. I reached the bow and pushed off the tip of the ship. My body launched straight out into the open air.

RUMBLE!

The thundering black sea surged beneath me, spewing endless gray foam.

"...?!"

"That crazy Sir Knight!"

"I-Into the sea!"

I opened my eyes wide and focused my vision. Fortunately, an even blacker reef was faintly visible amidst the black seawater. My grip tightened on the harpoon.

"You!"

'Did Windhand call out to me just now? Well, even if he didn't, someone must have thought I was trying to kill myself, right?'

'But I know too. This is pretty much a suicidal move.'

'But who knows if the mana consumed by this reef will snowball on us later!'

'Maybe it's because I've experienced the snowball effect way too many times, but I couldn't just back down from something I felt I could handle.'

BZZZZT!

Mana rapidly gathered into the harpoon in my hand. It felt like I was holding a pitch-black lightning bolt.

SWOOSH!

And with that, I forcefully slammed it down into the reef.

CRASH!

For an instant, a massive circular hole was blown open in the sea, pushing all the water outwards.

The reef shattered to pieces starting from the spot where the harpoon pierced it, splintering all the way down for dozens of meters.

"That crazy son of a bitch...!"

My body plummeted due to gravity, and the temporarily displaced seawater rapidly rushed back in to fill the void. The resulting current was strong enough to slightly sweep the ship along with it.

SPLASH!

Regardless, I plunged straight into the sea. *Blub-blub. * The breath escaping my mouth filled part of my pitch-black vision with cloudy white bubbles.

All sound was instantly muffled, and vague memories of the past and lingering regrets flashed through my mind.

["The sun is high in the sky! Aren't you getting up!"]

["Son, want to go hiking?"]

'I miss my parents.'

SPLASH!

Along with the sound of a bursting spray of water, my muffled ears suddenly cleared. The rope I was holding tightly was pulled, yanking my body out of the water.

The scattering sea foam looked terribly melancholic.

THUMP!

My body slammed onto the deck, bringing a stinging pain. If it hurts this much even with my pain sensory settings lowered, it's definitely going to leave a bruise.

"Are you alive, sir?!"

"Demon Knight! Are you alright?!"

Meanwhile, the two people who must have fished me up with the rope shoved their faces into my view. Two young faces blocked out the sky.

"Cough."

'Thanks for saving me, but let me get this seawater out first.'

I coughed and spat out the water that had entered my mouth. It tasted salty and sour. Some stomach acid must have come up too.

"You monster! Are you still alive?!"

'Why is Windhand picking a fight again? Wait, is that a compliment, not an insult?'

'Anyway, I hope my suicidal stunt just now was helpful. My eyeballs are spinning right now.'

I squeezed my eyes shut for a moment, bracing myself with the help of the two so I wouldn't get thrown off the ship. It felt like my semicircular canals had crawled out of my ears and started popping and locking.

"... Is there anything else to break?"

"Fuck, you must've been so confident in dragon hunting because you've got extra lives!"

'Well. I wish that were true. It would be even better if they gave me extra lives via a logout feature.'

"It's the Sea Dragon!"

Right then, one of the sailors shouted.

I slowly opened my eyes to check ahead. Beyond the bow, in the middle of the storm-swept sea, I could see an incredibly long body swaying. Honestly, I thought it was a waterspout.

RUMBLE!

As if the rain weren't enough, loud thunder began to crash over the sea.

"We can actually kill that thing, right?!"

"Don't spout such obvious nonsense!"

I heard Windhand's spite-filled shout. I fired back reflexively, but my inner thoughts were completely different.

'Wow, it's huge. Won't the barrier get completely wiped out if that thing strikes the ship even once? Can we seriously drag this thing all the way to Gamak Bay? For real?'

'The raid is so realistic, it's bringing tears to my eyes.'

"Tell the Mages to prepare to activate the mana cannons!"

"Waagh, you crazy Priest!"

The Inquisitor tossed DeB down the entrance hatch on the deck. It was a violent method, but nothing was faster or safer than that.

I staggered over and stood at the bow. The dragon, visible in the distance, let out a screeching roar and soon turned its gaze our way.

"..."

Even though it was far away, its face, the silhouette of its body, the shape of everything was visible in bizarrely fine detail. It was a monster far too tragically beautiful to be the source of all this.

For instance, scales that shone clearly even amidst the murky sky and black sea, two pairs of coral-colored horns extending straight from its forehead, and fins that glowed faintly and thinly, like wings or ornaments.

And pearl-like eyes looked at me. At least, that's what it felt like.

The whiskers extending from beneath the dragon's snout fluttered softly.

「Sea Dragon | Ruler of the West Sea. Primeval beast. Divine beast. There are many names for it, but those who have witnessed it firsthand are few.」

"T-That's the dragon..."

"O Sea Dragon..."

It was a being far too mysterious and profound to be seen as a target to kill. Some of the sailors who originally worshipped it began weeping, losing their will to fight.

Even some of the adventurers and Mages who didn't worship the Sea Dragon seemed overwhelmed, only swallowing silent groans.

"Fuck, snap out of it!"

SPLASH!

But just as the people's spirits were about to break, Windhand chewed out a curse and scolded them. Right after that, the surface of the water near the dragon surged upward, and something else appeared.

CRUNCH!

The dragon's nape was bitten ferociously by whatever had risen up. The beautiful scales shattered, bursting with blood.

"D-Dragon!"

Ridiculously enough, the identity of the thing that had bitten the dragon was another dragon.

Even if it was slightly smaller in size, possessed scales of an ominous, murky color, had black horns bizarrely bent on one side, and bore torn and frayed fins that looked unsightly.

It was clearly a dragon too.

Suddenly, I was reminded of the mural I had seen at the mountain stronghold—the one depicting an adult and its hatchling together.

"... I sense unholy energy."

"Is the dragon corrupted?"

'Anyway, I thought the bigger one was too elegant and noble to be the culprit behind all this, so it seems the real culprit was this one.'

「??? | ???」

Following the Plague Demon, a window full of question marks popped up once again. That settled it. That guy was the one we really had to hunt.

SKREEEE!

Meanwhile, the Sea Dragon screamed from having its nape bitten, flailed wildly, and shook off the black dragon. Then, it dove straight into the sea.

The black dragon, seemingly trying to chase after the Sea Dragon, dove in as well, hiding its body beneath the surface.

All of a sudden, we were left alone on the storm-swept sea.

"... Go over there."

I narrowed my eyes before quickly urging Windhand.

He too had been overwhelmed by the dragon's majesty, but perhaps steering the ship was more urgent; he was harrying the sailors who had barely regained their senses to somehow get the ship moving.

"What?"

"I said, go to where the dragon came out."

'The dragon only looked relatively close because it was so big; the actual distance between it and us is quite far. We needed to approach the spot where the dragon had been just to attack it.'

'Moreover, this could actually be an action for the sake of Windhand and the sailors.'

'I just realized it, but for a creature of that size to submerge into the sea, there couldn't be any reefs in that immediate vicinity. Even if there were, there was a high chance they were all destroyed if those things fought underwater.'

'If we have to wait for the dragon to resurface anyway, that spot is better than a reef field.'

"...!"

As if realizing something from my words, Windhand's eyes widened slightly. Then, he firmly gripped the helm once more.

"Everyone, snap out of it!"

The ship began to cut through the rapids again. The rough current brought out wails of despair, but the ship never stopped.

"...! The current has weakened!"

"So there weren't any reefs inside the Dragon's Cry Gate...?"

'Sure enough, my prediction was right. There really were no reefs, or at least very few, in the spot where the dragons had been thrashing.'

'Judging from Windhand and the sailors' reactions, that seems to be the case. It's unlikely the current weakened for no reason.'

'But just because the current weakened doesn't mean the whole situation is resolved.'

'The dragons were still underwater, and even if they breached the surface, there was a mountain of work left to do in terms of bombarding and luring it.'

"...! Below us!"

Suddenly, someone let out a near-scream, prompting me to reflexively look over the side of the ship. Beneath the dark water, an even darker shadow was passing right beneath us.

"U-Uwaaaah!"

"Grab the railing!"

And soon, the surface of the water swelled up on one side as the black dragon poked its head out of the sea. Of course, the price for that was our ship nearly capsizing.

STEP.

'With that in mind, I can't let this opportunity slip away.'

"A harpoon!"

I quickly rushed someone standing on the center deck. A dumbfounded adventurer reflexively handed me a harpoon.

"Quickly turn the main sail and activate the tailwind device!"

Catching onto my intention, Windhand hurriedly prepared to turn the ship. It was a very wise choice.

"Fire now!"

Along with Windhand's signal, a harpoon shrouded in what looked like black lightning flew forward.

CRUNCH!

It cleanly pierced through the black dragon's scales and dug into its flesh. It was the moment the anxiety of 'surely it won't just bounce off, right?' was resolved.

KIEEEEEHK!

However, it seemed the attack worked a bit too well. A cry far murkier and more horrifying than the Sea Dragon's echoed through the sky, and blood-red eyes turned to look at us.

If one thought those eyes were blazing with wrath, it definitely wasn't just their imagination.

"... Harpoon."

"Sir, this is really the right thing to do, right?"

"Hand it over."

'But hey, we were supposed to draw its aggro anyway.'

'The original plan was to beat the crap out of it using the bombardment devices on the ship, but as long as we get there, who cares what road we take.'

'This might actually be better. Operating the mana cannons would consume the Mages' mana too.'

'It goes without saying that using that mana to maintain the barrier and the tailwind device instead is the right path to staying alive.'

KIIIII!

SWOOSH!

In any case, I launched a second hit. Surging through the air, it embedded itself into the black dragon's body once more.

I had aimed for its head if possible, but the strike missed its mark due to the waves and my sudden wave of nausea, lodging into its nape instead.

KYAAAAAAK!!!

Still, it steadily drew its aggro. The black dragon roared in a fit of rage and began to charge at us.

"Uwaaaah!"

"It's coming!"

The dragon tried to swallow our ship using its long neck. Of course, its mouth wasn't quite that big, so its intention was more likely to take a sweeping bite across the deck. Just doing that would be enough to devour dozens of the humans swarming around up here.

'But a massive target has come to us on its own, so it would be a waste to miss this chance.'

Trusting in the barrier, I threw another harpoon at the dragon. The others followed my example. Dozens of harpoons flew through the air, thrown by sailors and adventurers alike.

KYAAAAK!

CRASH!

The harpoons thrown by myself, the Inquisitor, and some unknown guy struck its tender inner flesh—the inside of its mouth—and slightly threw off the dragon's charge. The barrier surrounding the ship emitted a brighter light than ever before, deflecting the dragon.

"Uwaaagh! The ship's shaking!"

'It's a relief that the barrier was generated at a distance from the hull. Whatever hits the barrier won't directly shake the ship. Though, of course, the waves are a separate issue, so it's not completely perfectly still.'

A small tidal wave generated by the dragon washed over the outer hull and soaked the deck, while people forcefully maintained their balance and kept throwing harpoons.

'However, most of the attacks just bounced off its scales. The Inquisitor still managed to shatter its scales, though.'

"...! The mana!"

"A quarter of the protective device's mana was drained in that single hit!"

Such grim news was relayed from inside.

Even though we minimized mana consumption from reefs by bringing the best captain, the mana we had saved up vanished in a huge chunk all at once.

"Hold on no matter what! We have to make it back to Gamak Bay somehow!"

'Still, what else can we do? If we want to live, we have to squeeze out every bit of mana to maintain the mana barrier and use the tailwind device to push the ship forward faster.'

"...! From the sea!"

But misfortune never arrived alone. Dragon Tooth Warriors were born from the shattered, fallen scale fragments. They could be dealt with in a single harpoon strike, but if they kept spawning like that, it would be incredibly annoying.

'Especially now when we have to conserve the barrier, they're an even bigger nuisance.'

"Block them! By any means necessary!"

"Don't let them get close!"

'I worried the raid boss might be weak since its minions were so weak, but weak my ass.'

'The difficulty skyrocketed because of how terrible the environment is. Seeing its scales break, I feel like we could take it down quickly if we just weren't standing on shaking ground!'

"Uwaaaah!!"

But the sea shook once more here. *SPLASH! * There was no need to look at the main culprit that splashed water onto the deck again and nearly flipped the ship sideways.

KYAAAAAAK!

As if getting revenge for earlier, the Sea Dragon bit the black dragon's nape. A colossal monster battle had begun in an instant.

'Raid or whatever, I was dying to beg them to leave our shrimp-sized ship out of this whale fight.'