Chapter 59

“Mmph...! Mmph...!! Mmmph...!!”

A large sack thrashed beside Woojin as he stood in the Lady’s wheelhouse.

“Just bear with it a little longer. If I’m going to bring someone who refuses to come without killing him, what other choice do I have?”

Woojin gave the wriggling sack a few pats.

“All right. Shall we go?”

HISSSSS...!!!

When he pulled the lever in the wheelhouse, steam hissed from both sides of the ship, and the anchor embedded in the seabed rose swiftly.

[All mana stones are fully charged.]

[Departure is now possible.]

[Would you like to set sail aboard the Lady?]

HOOOOONK!!!

With a blast of its horn, the ship slowly began to move.

“What?! The Lady’s moving!!”

“What’s going on?”

“Who on earth could be...”

As the ship left the harbor, the people of Hundred Flowers Valley began to murmur.

[The citizens of Hundred Flowers Valley are showing great interest in the Lady’s departure.]

▶ If you return safely from your voyage, your name will be on the citizens’ lips, depending on the results.

▶ Remember: rumors spread faster than you think, and people’s attitudes toward you will change.

-I can’t wait to hear what people will say!

“We don’t know yet whether they’ll praise me or curse me.”

Despite his words, an odd anticipation lingered on Woojin’s face.

‘Fame, huh...’

He considered it as he increased the ship’s speed.

“Just the reward to pick up before leaving the Dark Forest.”

* * *

-... Bleeergh!! Bleurgh!! Ughhh... Urk...

After clinging to the deck railing and making horrible noises over and over, Setsuna sprawled on the deck as though she no longer had the strength to retch.

-Master... I think this is the end for me...

Woojin let out an incredulous laugh at her feeble words.

“Then why insist on standing on the ship? You can just fly.”

-W-well, yes, but...

Pouting, Setsuna answered in a tiny voice.

-It’s my first time on a ship.

“You’d still be on the ship if you were flying. Isn’t it the same thing?”

-The same?! It’s completely differ—urgh... Bleeergh...!!

“Are you okay?”

With an awkward smile, Ruen pressed and rubbed Setsuna’s back with her index finger.

“Setsuna, I appreciate the romance of it, but the sky’s getting darker. Start flapping those wings if you want to pull yourself together.”

No sooner had he finished speaking than the deck went dark in an instant, as though someone had switched off the lights.

“Light.”

Ruen conjured a light, but the pitch-black darkness remained.

-Ugh... I feel sick.

“Still badly seasick?”

-No. It’s this fog. It smells horrible.

Setsuna shook her head, covering her nose with both hands as though she could barely breathe.

“You people... are going to die.”

At that moment, a voice came from behind Woojin.

It was Chason, Captain Harterwin’s son, with only his face poking out of the mouth of the sack.

“As if kidnapping me against my will wasn’t enough... you’ve sailed into the black fog. If you want to die, do it alone! Why drag me into this?!”

“Because you’re the key.”

“... What?”

“This ship. Your family built it, didn’t they?”

Chason stared at Woojin.

“I read it in an old book. The sea clan that commanded a god was cursed and driven from the sea, and their lands were shrouded in darkness.”

CREAK... CREAK...

The ship could be heard creaking as it rocked.

“And your clan must have built this ship to get through the black fog and return to their own land.”

“H-how did you know that?”

“I read the comments.”

“What are you talking about?!”

Woojin chuckled at Chason’s bewildered expression.

In truth, discovering how to pass through the black fog wasn’t difficult in itself. Kerga had posted his guide years ago, and plenty of people must have followed it and attempted the black fog since then.

‘There were loads of other people’s posts on the community site besides Kerga’s.’

But like Kerga, they too had encountered an unexpected obstacle.

-Fuck, that bastard Charlson...

-Can’t we just kill him and steal the ship?

-Sure. Then you’re f***ed.

The problem was that even if they knew how to get through the black fog, they couldn’t obtain the ship they needed to sail there.

Besides Kerga’s guide, there had also been posts about the Bolton family on the community site.

“Only the Bolton family’s blood and this ship can serve as the keys to passing through the black fog.”

As if Woojin’s words had brought something back to him, Chason bit his lip, his face welling with emotion.

“... So many people came asking me to go to the black fog that I got sick of it.”

The players who had visited him.

“They were horrible people. Maybe they thought that if they pressured me, they could get the ship...”

He might have suffered some cruel treatment. After all, Hundred Flowers Valley was a place where people could kill NPCs without a second thought.

“Even if they’d brought the ship, it wouldn’t have done any good...”

He bit his lip.

“Among all that trash, there was just one person who was different. A man called Kerga. He couldn’t get the Lady either, but he tried all kinds of ways to take on the black fog.”

“And? What did he show you?”

“A broken sword.”

“... A sword?”

“It was definitely the sword my father used.”

He looked pitiful, on the verge of bursting into tears, but Woojin only looked incredulous.

“That’s all? Here I thought he’d brought you his heart or something. That’s why you think your father’s dead?”

“My father would never let go of his sword!”

“You didn’t see him die with your own eyes.”

Chason’s gaze wavered.

Perhaps he had been hoping someone would say that.

“Don’t trust people too much. Someone told me the key doesn’t necessarily have to be alive.”

Remembering Kerga’s Message, Woojin spoke coldly.

“Are you threatening me? Then why keep me alive? Why not just kill me and take me with you?”

“Because that would make your father sad.”

“...!”

“Have you forgotten what Setsuna said? There’s no scent of death on this ship. Your father could still be alive somewhere.”

“... How can you be sure?”

Woojin chuckled.

“Sure? I don’t know either. Why do you think it’s unexplored? It’s unexplored because nobody knows.”

RATTLE!!

The wheel spun rapidly in the wheelhouse.

“So let’s go and see.”

SPLAAASH!!!

Waves crashed against the ship.

“Let’s see what’s in there.”

[You have entered the black fog.]

[This is an unexplored region.]

[Everything you see and hear will influence history.]

[You have obtained information about a new region.]

▶ Black Fog

▶ You have entered the unexplored region known as the black fog.

▶ It is worth investigating whether this place is connected to rifts.

[Related Quest: Kahira’s Contract]

▶ Gather more relevant information.

‘It’s linked to Kahira’s quest. That might mean this place has something to do with rifts too...’

Which meant there could be a dungeon here.

After checking the notification window, Woojin began steering the ship in high spirits.

“Master!! Monsters ahead!!”

CRRREAK...!!

Standing on the deck, Ruen shouted urgently and drew her bow.

WHOOSH!!!

The arrow sliced through the air and plunged into something beneath the sea.

[SKREEEE!!]

A harsh scream erupted from beneath the surface.

-They’re mud sharks!!

Setsuna shouted, holding her ancient book open.

“T-turn the ship around...! If those monsters get onto the deck, we’re all finished!!”

Chason shouted in terror, but Woojin only increased the ship’s speed.

“Ruen, keep them from reaching the ship! Setsuna, look for a light somewhere around us!”

“Understood!”

-Yes!

“You, take the wheel.”

“... What?”

“You don’t have to do anything. If what’s written on the ship is right, it should move on its own once a light appears.”

“W-wait! What does that mean? You...! What if I turn the ship around?”

Woojin untied the sack and smiled at Chason.

“Then I really will kill you.”

His cheerful delivery left Chason speechless.

“Damn it...!!”

Chason took the wheel.

BANG! BANG! CRASH!!!

The sharks closed in in an instant and began repeatedly slamming into the ship.

SPLAAASH!!!

Sharks burst through the surface and landed on the deck.

[GRRR...! GRRRRR...!!]

They looked grotesque. These were no ordinary sharks: arms and legs sprouted from their bodies, and their eyes had turned red as though they were diseased.

[SKREEEE!!!]

They lunged at Woojin with their enormous mouths open.

CRUNCH!!

A gray shark bit into his neck with all its might.

[...GRR?]

But its teeth couldn’t pierce his skin.

“Not strong enough to break through Barrier, it seems.”

THUD! THUD!!

THUD-THUD-THUD-THUD!!!

Mana bullets flew at the shark as it floundered, mouth open, blocked by the Barrier surrounding him. The brilliantly glowing rounds blasted its body away.

-Are you all right, Master?!

Facing combat for the first time, Setsuna shouted with wide, nervous eyes.

“Setsuna, I’m fine. Protect Chason.”

-All right!

At Woojin’s command, Setsuna flapped her wings and flew to the wheelhouse.

[SKREEEEE!!!]

[GRRRRR!!!]

Sharks leaped onto the deck on either side of Woojin and lunged at him.

FWOOSH!!!

CRACK!!!

In that instant, the sharks charging from the left burst into flames, while those on the other side froze solid and white.

[Using Blazing Flames.]

[Using Cold Wave.]

He raised his sword and cleaved through the suffering sharks in an instant.

[You have slain a gray shark.]

[You have slain a gray shark.]

[You have slain a gray shark.]

...

Despite the ceaseless notifications, monsters kept leaping onto the deck.

[Congratulations.]

[You have leveled up.]

▶ 42 → 43

His experience was piling up as quickly as the monsters swarmed in, but he couldn’t simply celebrate.

CRASH!! CRASH!!!

As though they had decided they were no match for Woojin, the sharks stopped climbing aboard and began ramming the sides instead.

“Hey!! Do something!! I can barely hold the wheel!!”

As the sharks battered the ship from both sides, Chason shouted, clinging so tightly to the wheel that he was almost hanging from it.

“At this rate, the ship could break apart!”

It happened then.

-Master!! A light!!!

As Setsuna cried out, something glimmered in the darkness.

“Chason! Turn the wheel!!”

“But...!”

“Don’t worry. Trust the ship your father sailed.”

Woojin placed his hand on the mermaid statue at the bow.

[The mermaid statue’s blessing flows into you.]

▶ Trait: Luck applies during the voyage.

▶ The ship’s speed increases to 1.5 times its normal speed.

SWOOOOSH!!!

A faint glow flowed across the deck, and the ship began cutting through the waves at a frightening speed.

THUMP! THUD-THUD!!

The Lady’s speed flung away the sharks clinging to its sides.

[You are leaving the black fog.]

The fog enveloping them began to thin. As it receded, the monsters vanished from the sea and the waves calmed as though nothing had happened.

“Phew... We made it.”

Ruen sank onto the deck in exhaustion as she spoke to Woojin.

“It’s too soon to relax. This is just the beginning.”

Beyond the thinning fog, a white lighthouse appeared, just as he had expected.

“What is this place?”

“Who knows? Now we have to find out.”

Gazing at the wrecked ships in front of the lighthouse, Woojin spoke quietly.

“Whether that light means good luck or not.”

* * *

[Trait: Adventurer has activated.]

The trait activated as Chason moored the ship in the harbor.

‘Adventurer activates when I arrive in a new region...’

The trait hadn’t activated when they entered the black fog, yet it had upon reaching the harbor.

Why?

‘The fog is nothing but a smokescreen.’

Woojin surveyed his surroundings.

“Everyone, be careful. That stretch of sea wasn’t the unexplored region. The real thing starts here.”

The others nodded at his warning.

“I’m... not going. I’m staying here.”

Watching the others disembark, Chason spoke in a terrified voice.

“You can stay. But I wouldn’t assume the ship won’t do anything.”

“What does that mean?”

“I’m sorry I forced you to come, but I’ll promise you one thing.”

Woojin addressed Chason.

“As long as you’re by my side, I won’t let you die.”

“...”

Chason bit his lip and stared at him.

“Damn it!”

Finally climbing off the ship, he shouted resentfully.

“You dragged me here without asking, so you’d better get me home no matter what happens!!”

DING.

[Chason wishes to follow you.]

[You can now recruit Chason.]

[Would you like to add Chason to your party?]

Name: Chason

Class: Harterwin’s Son

Level: 35

Total Points: 275

He was level 35, but his total points were only on par with someone around level 20. Worse, his Strength, Agility, and Constitution—the stats actually needed in combat—were woefully low.

His stats were so paltry that he seemed more likely to be a burden than an asset in battle.

But...

‘What’s with that ridiculous Dexterity?’

It was a staggering 105 points.