Schultz sensed the Turtle Ship before he heard the notification.
âI have to be fully focused.â
The field around them had turned into the sea. Schultz and Hyukjin found themselves on the deck of a ship, a Turtle Ship floating some distance ahead.
âIf I canât control it properly⊠Iâll explode.â
That was how it felt to Schultz. The Turtle Ship was not something he could handle at his current level. The moment he lost control, his body would explode into a million pieces.
âItâs okay,â said Kim Hyukjin.
â...â
Schultz snapped back to his senses.
âI donât know how, but heâs helping me.â
He did hear a notice about ability sharing earlier, but he wasnât sure what it was. He just had a rough sense that some ability of Hyukjinâs was protecting his body. It even occurred to him that if Kim Hyukjin wasnât helping him, his body might have exploded as soon as he summoned the Turtle Ship.
Schultzâs suspicion was close to the truth. Hyukjin was surprised, too.
âSo this is the Turtle Ship?â
Hyukjin felt a trace of Endless Sky mana from the Turtle Ship. It was efficiently utilizing and drawing out the special mana.
He heard a notice.
[The Sea King of Service awaits the command to fire.]
Schultz was looking at him, waiting for his liegeâs command.
[Giving the command to fire.]
Giving the go-ahead was not difficult.
âYou may fire.â
âYour wish is my command.â
The panokseons moved aside, and the Turtle Ship glided down the middle. Golden energy gathered in the wide-open maw at the head of the Turtle Ship.
TN: A panokseon is a board-roofed warship used during the Joseon era.
Schwaaaaaâ!
There wasnât actually a sound, but he thought he could hear the rush of mana as it violently gathered in the beam.
âFar more destructive power than when I use the Blackfire Bow.â
A golden ray several magnitudes more powerful than the Divine Bow Physiqued Blackfire Bow shot out, cutting open the sea. Fog filled the air. Technically, it was steam.
A great deal of seawater had vaporized from the extreme heat. A notice rang out over the steamy battlefield.
[King Kraken has been killed.]
[EXP acquired.]
[330 Coins acquired.]
[King Kraken Ink acquired.]
[King Kraken has been killed.]
[EXP acquired.]
[330 Coins acquired.]
Two King Krakens were killed with a single attack. Hyukjin was participating in the fight as an Observer. The rewards he had forfeited when he hunted the boss King Kraken, he got here.
Also, he could feel that it wasnât over yet.
Because it had been enhanced with the Endless Sky Crystal, the Endless Sky Crystal was lending its power. The Turtle Ship could fire another three shots of this level. As long as Schultz could handle it, of course.
âI think I can handle another three attacks,â stated Schultz. âAn unknown energy seems to be assisting me.â
Schultz didnât know what it was called, but he knew it was a special force of a completely different nature from the mana he knew. He also knew the person who was helping him harness that power was the man he had chosen to serve, Kim Hyukjin.
Hyukjin watched with interest.
âMm?â The previous attack was a golden ray. âThis time, itâs fire?â
The Turtle Ship spewed a stream of flames. Apparently, it could also unleash fire attacks. This was the sea, where fire was inevitably weaker.
[King Kraken has been killed.]
[King Kraken has been killed.]
Another two King Krakens perished. Hyukjinâs Eye of Perception captured the changes in the water.
âTheyâre⊠running away.â
When met with a âsea creatureâ stronger than themselves, King Krakens would flee. They didnât stand their ground. In this case, they had collectively determined their opponent was at least one level stronger than themselves.
âI will hunt them down.â
Hyukjin nodded. The sharp spikes on the hard steel shell of the Turtle Ship shot into the air, each and every one of them a deadly weapon. They then hurtled into the water.
What Schultz had used was the special skill of the Turtle Ship, âSteel Rainâ.
[King Kraken has been killed.]
[King Kraken has been killed.]
The Steel Rain immediately killed another two King Krakens. The sea turned red with blood.
Some time laterâ
[King Kraken has been killed.]
[King Kraken has been killed.]
They had likely bled to death while fleeing. The panokseons began to surge forward at a quick clip.
Thump! Thump! Thump! Thump!
They gave chase to the fleeing King Krakens, the drums beating an urgent march. Terrorstricken by the Turtle Shipâs might, the King Krakens simply fled with no thought of resistance. Under the simultaneous fire of the ships and the âfaceless soldiersâ, the King Krakens died.
[King Kraken has been killed.]
[King Kraken has been killed.]
Hyukjin no longer sensed any King Krakens in the vicinity.
[Congratulations!]
[Level increased.]
His level was now 45. To be honest, this exceeded Hyukjinâs expectations.
âThis thingâs even stronger than Seohye.â
The strongest card up Hyukjinâs sleeve was the Guardian Tower Ahn Seohye. But today, he had gained a card even stronger than her, at least when they were on the water.
âThe spoils are about 4,000 Coins and 3 inks, as well as a rare fishing rod.â
That wasnât all.
[All King Krakens have been hunted.]
[The quest King Kraken Hunt has been cleared.]
Schultz was given a map.
[Map of Uldolmok Strait received.]
Hyukjin waited a little. Judging from Seniaâs glance, he was going to get something, too. The Guardians were staying quiet, so the rewards distribution wasnât over yet. From their perspective, the scenario wasnât completely done yet. Sure enoughâ
[Your first battle with the Sea King of Service has ended in victory.]
[The hidden keywords âWrite a new page in the history of conquestâ have been flawlessly achieved.]
Hyukjin guessed those two, plus the King Kraken Hunt, were the conditions to unlock this reward.
[The special ability âGreat General Summoningâ has been created.]
Hyukjin was given a new skill, Great General Summoning. It was an ability that allowed him to summon a combat Player related to the service classes.
With the addition of this skill, Hyukjinâs status window was updated.
[Status Window]
Name: Kim Hyukjin (Player)
Level: 45
Contracted Guardian: [Nameless Guardian]
Title: [Pioneer of Victory] [Excellent Player] [First Adversary] [Pure Person of Fire] [Phantom Thief Squirrelâs Master] [Starting Sovereign] [Starting Fighter] [Thousand Dog Master]
Dungeon title: [True Ruler of the Gran Seoul Dungeon] [True Ruler of the Predator Tree Colony]
Innate ability: [Eye of Perception] [Sword of Insight] [Fusion]
Special ability: [Absorption] [Mettle] [Eye for an Eye, Tooth for a Tooth] [Great General Summoning]
While Hyukjin was checking his status window, the Guardians rushed to send him messages.
[The âConductor of Soundâ is awed by âyour stratagemâ.]
[The âLady of the Scalesâ applauds âyour will to do goodâ.]
[The âTrue Master of the Heavenly Demonic Mountainâ is delighted by âyour slaughterâ.]
[The âNameless Observerâ is observing.]
[The âHerdsman of Las Vegasâ is filled with admiration while watching âyour growth as a sovereignâ.]
Hyukjin knew these five Guardians had just beat out countless othersâpossibly at a huge costâto send him a message. Normally, it wasnât common for five Guardians at a time to fill every slot.
[The âConductor of Soundâ has sent you a 1,000 Coin sponsorship.]
[The âTrue Master of the Heavenly Demonic Mountainâ has sent you a 1,100 Coin sponsorship.]
[The âLady of the Scalesâ has sent you a 1,200 Coin sponsorship.]
[The âHerdsman of Las Vegasâ has sent you a 1,300 Coin sponsorship.]
[The âNameless Observerâ has sent you a 2,000 Coin sponsorship.]
A smile played at Hyukjinâs lips.
âTheyâre competing amongst themselves.â
The closer he got to level 50, the more fierce their jostling would become. In order to get a contract with the producer of exciting content that could satisfy their desires, they would fawn over him. This was an example of that.
âItâs not that common for the Guardians to all go for Coins.â
That meant there was currently a tacit agreement between the Guardians. Something like, âWeâll duke it out, but heâs only level 45 and itâs still early, so letâs all just keep it at Coins for nowâ was highly likely.
For Hyukjin, it was a welcome sight.
âItâs Coins right now and theyâll stick to a âfairâ fight for now, butâŠâ
But this was a cutthroat world of competition, and it was the same for the Guardians. It might be like this at the start, but it wouldnât persist. The important thing was that the Guardians had begun to compete.
Schultz was dazed.
âA whole five Guardians sent me messages.â
That was a common occurrence for Hyukjin, but not for Schultz.
âI was sponsored a total of 2,000 Coins. I do not deserve to receive such a big sponsorship. I will give half to my sovereign.â
âWill you?â
Hyukjin didnât refuse. Why would he look a gift horse in the mouth?
Schultz was happy even while giving away the Coins.
âWhat⊠a thrill.â
The electrifying ecstasy that had coursed through him while he was operating the Turtle Ship was almost like doing drugs. The thrill seemed to run from his brain down his spine into every little nerve of his body.
âSo this is what the System meant when it said I can reach my greatest potential when Iâm with you, no, with my sovereign.â
Schultz was sincerely grateful. He had just experienced a new world, and the gates had opened to him.
âI⊠will go to the South Sea. With the Map of the Strait.â
âPlease do.â
Schultzâs hidden piece and class scenarios were hidden in the South Sea of Korea. There was no reason for Hyukjin to go there, so Schultz would have to grow stronger on his own.
âIf I need you, Iâll call you via summoning.â
âIt would be my honor. I would even jump straight out of bed to join you. Please call me at any time.â
He wanted to fight by Hyukjinâs side again. A battle with Hyukjin was a battle of a completely different world. It was pure ecstasy, a taste of heaven.
Only when he was next to his liege could he feel complete.
[The Yi Sun-sin Statue Gate has been cleared.]
Hyukjin and Schultz left the gate. Schultz bid a respectful farewell before heading straight to the South Sea.
One day passed. Someone came to Hyukjinâs house. There werenât many people who would pay a visit to his house like this.
He opened the door.
âThis joyful occasion calls for a passionate hug.â
A Translation Marble was already in use.
âBecause that is how a manly man greets a friend.â
The Italian Master and craftsman of restoration, Pedro, had come to visit, and he was here for an interesting reason. Various links that seemed to have nothing to do with one another began to come together, joined by one common element, Kim Hyukjin.
âHave you done a strong and manly restoration recently?â