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Episode 359 – Lost Technology (9)
The friendly atmosphere disappeared as if it had never existed.
“Hurry up and prepare for departure!”
“They probably haven’t gone far yet!”
Upon hearing the news of their colleague's kidnapping, the villagers began to move quickly. The protagonist, his face hardened, turned his gaze to the center of the crowd.
“What is the situation now?”
The village leader, who had been giving instructions, looked at the protagonist and hesitated for a moment. Seeing this, the protagonist added a word.
“Depending on the circumstances, I may be able to help you.”
“That’s…! I understand. The situation is urgent, so I’ll explain briefly.”
Even as the resident representative spoke, he did not take his eyes off the other residents.
"One-Eyed Jack is the leader of a pirate group that dominates the nearby waters. As he expands his territory, he recruits or eliminates other pirates."
“So you’re saying it’s not a case of a mess?”
"Yes. And we were also his targets. We had only two choices: join the pirates or die."
The resident representative immediately looked at the Scheherazade Chamber of Commerce flag.
"But we never wanted to be pirates from the beginning. We simply wanted to find new land to settle. We even flew the pirate flag to avoid being targeted by other pirates."
-Oh, it was some kind of camouflage.
-If it had just looked like a civilian ship, it would have been targeted right away lol
-Right, lol. Rather, it's really drawing aggro.
-It's a certification that you can just eat it!
The viewers immediately understood the situation, but the protagonist didn't let it go so easily.
“Are you saying you didn’t commit piracy?”
"Yes. Of course… if things had gotten worse, who knows what would have happened. I couldn't just die like that. But thankfully, Scheherazade Trading Company helped me."
“And you settled here?”
“Yes. There was a time when I really wondered what would become of it… Even though it’s a small island, I’m grateful just to have a place to set foot.”
The protagonist nodded at him. Soon, time stopped and the colors disappeared.
“At first glance, it seems like a good deed by Scheherazade, but it seems like there’s another intention behind it.”
The screen closes up with the main character's narration.
"If it was simply settlement support, there would be no reason to provide shells and weapons. Scheherazade clearly intended to use them as a private army."
In time with the narration, the weapons in the supplies were highlighted and colored. The screen then returned to the villagers' pirate ship.
"If their intentions were pure, there would be no need to keep them as pirates. Scheherazade must have used them to check One-Eyed Jack's expansion. If we leave them alone, the trading company will be the one to suffer the most."
The screen then zoomed out to reveal the villagers loading weapons onto the pirate ship.
"Even if they hadn't been recruited by One-Eyed Jack, they would have become pirates without his help. It prevents the pirate group from expanding and eliminates a potential threat. It's killing two birds with one stone for the company. Scheherazade will be willing to shoulder the cost."
Viewers also agreed with the series of inferences.
-Is this the top student at the military academy?
-Hahaha, Scheherazade did EEJ.
-It turns out that you tapped on the calculator?
-Somehow ㅋㅋ I'm not the type of character to volunteer ㅋㅋㅋ
-The more I get to know Se-Nunna, the scarier he is!
-Should I say this is good or bad?
Soon, the screen's colors returned and time began to flow again. The village representative spoke, then shook his head.
"Having said this has actually helped me to organize my thoughts. I've already received a lot of favors from the company. I can't allow them to suffer any harm. I'll handle this matter myself."
"hmm…"
A message appeared before the protagonist's eyes along with his silence.
[1. 'Scherazad's only job is to deliver supplies. I don't need to step in.']
[2. 'If they are defeated, the pirates will run wild even more. This is something the Navy cannot stand by and watch.']
Time stopped with the appearance of the choice.
“Oh, there are branches too?”
At Lee Kyung-bok's words, a chat window quickly popped up.
-This is the invincible Dok2ji lol
-2222222222
-It probably won't be a big deal, and isn't the first one coming after reorganization?
-Right lol so it's number 2
-Ah haha, there are two 5-star ships, so there's no reason to take them out!
-Why would you take the run when you can win? lol
Most viewers cheered for option 2. Lee Kyung-bok didn't seem to mind much either.
"There's no reason to back out now. I'll go straight to number 2."
After making his choice, the protagonist nodded as if he had made up his mind.
"If you become pirates or lose your lives, there's no point in supporting us as a company. Let's work together to solve this problem."
“If you could do that…! We would be so grateful!”
The village leader bowed repeatedly, seemingly impressed by the decision. The protagonist then turned to the sailors.
“All hands! Get ready to sail!”
With his shout, the screen shifted, and the scene changed. It was a vast ocean, with nothing but a horizon stretching out before it.
“It’s them.”
The screen then shifted to a telescope lens, accompanied by the protagonist's voice. Pirate ships appeared in the distance, and a flag depicting a skull with an eyepatch came into focus.
-WA! Gungye Pirates!
-I have a feeling they're going to summon some super pirates.
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-???: mother…
-Oh my goodness, if you just wear a blindfold, you're those two people, right?
It was a sign worthy of the nickname "One-Eyed." The captain soon approached the protagonist, who had lowered his telescope.
“Captain, are you sure you’re okay?”
“What do you mean?”
“That… you said rescuing the hostages was the priority, but that’s not an easy task, is it?”
The captain continued speaking as if he had to say what he wanted to say while keeping an eye on things.
"If we want to rescue them safely, we can't use cannons. We'll have to deal with the pirates through close combat, and that would cause significant casualties for our crew."
At those words, the viewers also understood the situation.
-Oh, right! This isn't just a fight, is it?
-If you think about it, it's meaningless if the hostages die, right?
-On the other hand, can't you just fire at will over there?
-What the heck lol. Thinking about it, was it a battle with a handicap?
-There was a reason there were choices;;
The goal wasn't simply to destroy the pirates. The goal was to rescue the civilians they'd captured.
“Don’t worry too much. The opponent isn’t One-Eyed Jack, but his right-hand man, Two-Eyed Burns.”
“…Two eyes? Are you saying both eyes are fine? Isn’t that normal?”
When the captain looked puzzled, the protagonist also let out a hollow laugh.
“That means he has nothing to show for it.”
-What is ㅁㅊ two eyes? ㅋㅋㅋ
-You didn't have a nickname, did you? LOL
-I guess they balanced it out by making him a normal pirate captain instead of someone with a handicap lol
-You should just call it Burns, s**tㅋㅋㅋ
Meanwhile, the cutscene ended and control was restored. As soon as the battle began, Lee Kyung-bok grasped the situation.
"There's one ship each for me and the manager, and three NPC sailing ships. Seeing as there are five opponents, it looks like it's a 5-5 match."
-Then I just won lol
-They're all 3 stars lol
-It seems like there are no separate strengthening conditions like when Kanu was there?
-I don't think the developers even knew they would get 5 stars at this point lol
-The NPC is also a 3 star so it'll be fun lol
-Really lol Even if you have a handicap in close combat, you're sure to win
-If you have godful control, you will be invincible.
Viewers soon felt relieved upon seeing the situation. They weren't outnumbered, and their ships were superior in performance.
Lee Kyung-bok smiled at him and opened the voice channel.
"Hey, the difference in class is enough, so we can just fight hand-to-hand. As long as the NPCs hold out, we'll have plenty of time."
<Competition through close combat only, reception complete.>
“I’m going to go after Burns right away, so just grab one.”
<Understood. I'll take care of the nearby pirate ship.>
The viewers nodded their heads involuntarily at the conversation between the two people.
-This is the right Godple, lol
-It's easy if you start from the head, Imari.
-Ah haha, is there no tornado?
-Hey lol What kind of tornado is that for a speed boost lol
The viewers who were laughing at that soon started asking questions.
Doesn't Lee Kyung-bok set the route using a mobile interface without turning the keys himself?
Lee Kyung-bok opened his mouth to speak.
“Since we have a hostage, I’ll try a different approach this time.”
Now that we have a handicap, our response to it has to be different.
* * *
The pirate group's flagship.
Burns, who was in command, laughed at the sight of the pursuing fleet.
“What kind of pirates are those who can’t even fire a cannon!”
Because they had the hostage, they couldn't fire. Meanwhile, his men opened fire with ease.
“Captain, as expected, Scheherazade Trading Company was watching over us.”
"Yeah, don't be so harsh! Since it's come to this, let's just take them all prisoner! The ransom from the trading company must be considerable!"
There was no need to sink them. Maintaining their distance with a deterrent fire and dragging them close to their base would provide an opportunity to capture them.
“Hey hey, Captain!”
“Once we get there, we’ll have to properly train those guys we caught this time!”
The pirates' roaring response and the captain's chuckle added to the air. Burns's smile grew even wider.
Because the situation was so advantageous, the pirates felt at ease and focused solely on containment.
But the situation soon changed.
“Hey, Captain! One’s charging this way!”
A large sailing ship, compared to the other sailing ships, was approaching the flagship without hesitation.
The pirates were shocked by the extraordinary speed and reported it.
“Isn’t that the guy from the company?”
“Are you just relying on the size of the boat to get me going!? Show me what the seawater tastes like!”
Burns immediately gave the order. The gun ports rotated simultaneously and launched a concentrated barrage.
Burns snorted as shells rained down with a roar. The sailing ship would be punctured like cheese.
But the situation was different from what was expected.
“Captain!? The cannonball bounced off!”
I could tell even without a report.
True to his nickname, Burns could see clearly with both eyes.
If things were as they were, the hull would have been shattered and the shells would have been piled up like bunches of grapes on the player.
“No, how…!?”
Amazingly, the ship's ram deflected every shell. Yet, the ram itself appeared to sustain no significant damage.
The pirates had no idea that the stern was made from the scales of a sea serpent.
“Collision! Prepare for collision!”
The speed of the sailboat didn't slow down. Burns scrunched up his face and raised his voice.
“It’s close combat! Bring the hostages in advance… Waaaaaaaah!”
The ship's hull rocked with the sound of the command. Some pirates were thrown into the sea, but they quickly prepared for close combat.
“Commence firing!”
But the sailors were faster than the pirates. At the captain's command, the sailors aimed their guns downward.
As the five-star ship was larger, the sailors were occupying the high ground.
As the pirates hastily took cover, grappling hooks were thrown to secure the two ships together.
However, the sailors could not easily board the pirate ship.
“You damn bastards! Come up if you want to! For every one of you who comes up, these bastards will die!”
Burns raised his voice. Next to him, a pirate held a knife to the hostage's throat.
“Even if we die, we all die together!”
The captain frowned at him and opened his mouth.
"Cease fire! Standby! The captain has ordered that hostage rescue is the priority!"
A bitter smile appeared on Burns' lips at the sound of the voice.
“Okay! Just throw the gun here…”
It was a moment when I was about to raise my voice again, thinking that I had seized the opportunity.
A loud gunshot was heard, followed by the sound of someone falling down.
Burns turned his head, his eyes wide.
“Ugh! Ugh!”
The hostage stumbled back in surprise. Beneath him lay the subordinate who had been holding him just moments before.
There was a moment when I wondered what on earth was going on.
“Waaaaaaaaaaaa!”
A scream was heard from above, and a pirate fell onto the deck. He was the one on patrol from the mast.
At this, all the pirates and Burns raised their heads without realizing it.
“What is this…!?”
Someone was descending as if they were falling down a long rope.
He was Lee Gyeong-bok.
Lee Kyung-bok smiled brightly and raised his voice.
“The hostages are safe! Get on board!”
“Commence firing!”
The captain resumed the battle as if he had been waiting.
-What the heck lol this is really happening
-Wow ㅋㅋ I was wondering why he suddenly went up to the mast ㅋㅋㅋㅋ
-Is this why you controlled it with touch?
-Air infiltration Munyaguut!
-What, I thought I was watching Cirque du Soleil? Lol
Considering the size difference between the ships, Lee Gyeong-bok climbed up the mast in advance. He set his course using a mobile interface and, when close combat broke out, he crossed over to the opposing mast.
Burns looked around with a bewildered expression. Sailors were climbing over the ropes, and a scuffle broke out.
“The hostage’s life…”
He tried to turn the tide of battle by taking hostages again, but his sword was repelled with a loud clang.
It was thanks to Lee Kyung-bok landing precisely between Burns and the hostage.
“Huh, he really does look like he has no special features.”
-What is this mental attack? LOL
-But it really does look like a passerby1ㅋㅋㅋㅋ
-Isn't it a blessing just to have a name like that?
-At least you should have made a scar lol
Lee Kyung-bok's words made the viewers laugh. Burns, seemingly enraged, was about to utter a word when his sword flashed.
“The lines are probably obvious, right?”
It was literally a single stroke.
“I’ll skip it.”
When Burns died without leaving a will, the pirates' morale plummeted.
The pirates quickly threw down their weapons and surrendered under the continued support fire of the sailors.
It was while the situation was being sorted out.
<The engagement begins.>
Park Joo-ho's report came in through the voice channel.
-What is the speed difference?
-Was it really that much of a game?
-You have to understand that Punisher fights with touch, lol
-If it wasn't for the high altitude infiltration, it would have taken a bit more time lol
-Godple found another shortcut, Imari
-If the Kingban people do it, it seems like they'll just fall and fail lol
-???: Anyway, it was fast, right?
-Whether it's a success or a failure, it's still a shortcut lol
Lee Kyung-bok replied to Park Joo-ho with a smile.
“Uh, I’ll clean up here and join you.”
* * *
The battle was a complete victory.
As the advantage of being a hostage disappeared, the situation quickly turned around.
“Captain, they’re running away!”
After the three pirate ships were subdued, the screen transitioned to a cutscene. The captain's shout caused the protagonist to hesitate for a moment, then he shook his head.
“The safe return of the hostages is our priority now.”
Soon, as the residents' sailboat arrived nearby, the hostages quickly passed over.
“You’re safe!”
“Thank goodness, I’m so glad!”
“I thought I would never see you again…!”
The reunited residents embraced each other in relief. Soon, a representative of the residents boarded the deck and approached the protagonist.
"I owe Scheherazade once again a great debt of gratitude. I will spend my life repaying this kindness!"
“Actually, I…”
The protagonist tried to answer, but then shook his head.
"It wouldn't hurt to leave a debt to Scheherazade. There are things I need to hear from her."
Viewers also agreed with the narration that came out at the end of the cutscene.
-Yeah, there's no need to reveal that you're a Navy member here.
-We're not going to arrest people here lol
-Really lol I think it'll just end up being a mess
-But what should I listen to?
-You still don't know why I gave this job to you, Jun-gong, lol
-I thought you were trying to exploit my weaknesses, but it doesn't seem to be the case when you listen to it?
-You'll find out when you get back lol
Scheherazade's intentions in assigning this task to the protagonist were still unclear. While viewers chatted, Lee Kyung-bok rolled his eyes.
"what's the matter?"
Park Joo-ho asked while setting the course back to the company.
“I felt like I had to go back right away.”
"then?"
Lee Kyung-bok's words drew the attention of not only Park Joo-ho but also the viewers. To continue the story, there was no other way but to turn back, wasn't there?
Lee Kyung-bok turned his head. He could see the small remnants of the pirates fleeing on the horizon.
“If we chase after them now, won’t we be able to find the pirate base?”
“Shall we go straight to the base?”
“I guess I’ll have to deal with him anyway, so there’s no need to go back and forth.”
Judging by the aura, the pursuit was stronger than the return. This gave me the confidence that I could deal with the pirates even without speaking with Scheherazade.
“Hmm, that could be the case.”
“Then let’s follow along for now.”
Lee Kyung-bok smiled and turned the key.
Viewers were surprised by the decision, but also laughed.
-You two are going to wipe out the entire pirate crew?
-You bastard! You're going to make it difficult again!
-If we finish everything here and leave, won't Scheherazade owe us more?
-Oh lol, will it be reflected that way too?
-Seeing as the system is maintained, it might have the potential to become king?
-It seems like it might work since there is a record of the subjugation lol
-Actually, aren't you trying to steal the spoils of war?
-That's right lol I'm not going to share it with Scheherazade lol
-Immediately. Read.
-Sooner or later, once you touch the Black Navy, you can't survive!
It removes unnecessary parts and shows the fun parts.
The lack of frills was also a reason why viewers liked his broadcasts.