NOVEL NEXT Chapter 95
Chapter 95
Boom! Boom! Boom! Boom!
As the giant Kraken slammed its tentacles down, a tsunami-like wave surged forward.
The wave seemed as if it would swallow the ship whole.
Sieg, standing atop Nahuel, brandished his sword at the approaching wave.
Wooooong!
His sword vibrated vigorously.
Sieg held his sword horizontally and unleashed the True Dragon Sword Art secret technique.
True Dragon Sword Art Secret Technique
3rd Technique (三結式)
Great Peng Emerges from Water (大鵬出水)
The 3rd Technique, which had previously sliced through Helen's strike, now charged at the tsunami.
Boom! Boom! Boom! Boom! Boom! Boom!
Sieg's sword cleaved the towering wave horizontally.
The tidal wave that had surged like a mountain shattered into pieces.
The smugglers watching from the deck were astounded by Sieg's prowess as he battled the giant Kraken and shattered the wave.
"My God! He is the sea god incarnate!"
Although most of the southerners were followers of the Sun Church, sailors still revered the ancient indigenous god of the sea.
Riding the dragon of the sea and defeating a colossal beast, Sieg appeared very much like a sea god from legend.
The giant Kraken, surprised that its tidal wave had been cut by Sieg's sword, began thrashing about, flailing its thick tentacles.
Soon, a massive whirlpool formed in the ocean.
Nahuel, carrying Sieg, tried to navigate through the waters to escape the whirlpool.
Rumble, rrrrrr!
At the same time, Nahuel let out a wild roar as the turbulent sea began to settle.
It seemed Nahuel, a spirit beast, was adjusting the flow of the sea, utilizing its unique ability.
Then, a huge bubble rose around Nahuel.
Whoooosh!
The bubble, apparently created by Nahuel, flew towards the giant Kraken and attached itself.
Once it attached to the Kraken, the bubble began to expand, rendering the tentacles it adhered to immobile.
Sieg spoke to Nahuel, "Well done, Nahuel! Keep it tight!"
Rumble, rrrrrr!
Nahuel roared in response to Sieg's words, raising its head.
Sieg, employing the Energy of Wind, leaped over the ocean, gliding.
Swoosh!
Simultaneously, he concentrated the power of the wind into his sword.
Wooooooong!
The force of a storm swirled fiercely at Sieg's sword tip.
The power capable of creating a giant gust had been compressed and solidified like a hard ball.
The giant Kraken remained immobilized due to the bubble that Nahuel had created.
Sieg aimed his sword at the Kraken and shouted a battle cry.
Elemental Sword
Energy of Wind
Storm Ring
The condensed storm orb at the tip of his sword was launched at the Kraken.
Booom! Booom! Booom! Booom! Booom!
The storm ring created a massive spray of water as it shot towards the Kraken's head.
Upon impact, the compressed energy exploded with force.
Booom! Booom! Booom! Booom! Booom!
A massive whirlwind engulfed the entirety of the Kraken's body, causing it to tear apart.
Crash!
The colossal Kraken's body was ripped to shreds.
The explosion from the Storm Ring had torn away half of the Kraken's body, leaving it in tatters.
Craaawr!
The giant Kraken, realizing it could not defeat Sieg, let out a monstrous scream before attempting to retreat into the ocean.
However, Sieg confronted the escaping Kraken with the Dragonslaying Art stance.
Dragonslaying Art - True Dragon Sword Art
4th Chapter, 2nd Verse
Full Moon Slash
Sieg's sword cut through a grand full moon arc.
The aura-formed full moon floated above the ocean surface, slicing through the Kraken's torso and legs.
Boom! Boom! Boom! Boom! Boom!
All of the Kraken's legs were severed by the full moon, leaving the monster's tattered remains floating on the sea.
At that moment, a notification appeared before Sieg's eyes.
『You have eliminated a threatening ancient marine species.』
『You have earned 300 Karma Points.』
『Experience points have been automatically distributed to your summoned beast, Nahuel.』
『Once certain points are accumulated, the spirit beast Nahuel will evolve into a divine beast.』
'Nahuel will evolve if it receives points? Summon creatures can gain points too?'
This was an unexpected revelation.
Sieg had thought Karma Points were for his use only.
'If Nahuel can receive them, maybe other summoners can too. Perhaps even the growing item, Bahamut?'
The growth weapon Bahamut was currently mostly sealed.
Not knowing how to nurture it, he had left it alone, but if items could grow with Karma Points, unlocking Bahamut's sealed power might not take long.
'I've learned something valuable.'
After returning Nahuel to its original lake, Sieg climbed back onto the ship.
To his surprise, the smugglers suddenly began bowing toward him.
"What are they doing?"
Boris, who emerged from the cabin, answered on their behalf.
"They believe the boss, who defeated the Kraken, is the manifestation of the sea god."
Sieg chuckled at the notion.
"If I were a true sea god, creatures like that wouldn't dare appear."
Regardless of Sieg's thoughts, the smugglers revered and worshipped him as if he were a God.
Since it wasn't bothersome, Sieg decided to just leave them be.
As they prepared to continue across the now calm sea, Sieg noticed the smugglers tying up one of the floating Kraken's tentacles to the ship with a rope.
"Why are you taking that?"
Sieg asked, and the smugglers answered with excitement.
"The meat of such a large creature sells for a high price and is a fine trophy. It tastes good too."
Since the giant Kraken wasn't a demonic beast eroded by demonic energy, there seemed to be no issue with consuming it.
After tasting the Kraken steak cooked by the smugglers, it was indeed far more elastic and flavorful than ordinary squid.
Curious, Sieg experimented with his devour ability on a different Kraken tentacle, but unlike with demonic beasts or other ancient species, he did not gain any innate abilities.
'I should just be satisfied with its flavor.'
Thus, the smuggling vessel proceeded to cross into the heart of the Sea of Death with the Kraken tentacle in tow.
The smuggler captain spoke to Sieg.
"We should stay on the island tonight, replenish water and supplies, and set off again tomorrow."
Sieg nodded, and the captain steered the ship towards the island.
The ship reached the island by evening, and Sieg and his party finally disembarked onto solid ground after several days at sea.
The smugglers skillfully secured the ship and unloaded containers for water and food supplies.
Sieg inquired of the captain.
"It looks like a deserted island; will we find provisions here?"
"Yes, this is a common resting spot for ships traversing the Sea of Death. Even pirates don't plunder here; they quietly exchange goods for water and supplies."
There seemed to be an unspoken sailors' code.
After explaining, the captain took a few smugglers and headed off to gather supplies.
Sieg began to prepare a camp for the night, taking out camping gear from his inventory.
Just then, the smugglers remaining on the ship shouted.
"Pirates! It's pirates!"
In the distance, a dozen pirate ships appeared on the horizon.
Sieg had been contemplating how to apply Karma Points to Bahamut when the smugglers' cries brought him abruptly to his feet.
Boris approached Sieg and spoke.
"Boss, we have a problem."
"Is it the pirates? The captain said this island is a neutral spot without conflict."
"It usually is, but... those pirates are notorious for their ferocity. The ship with the central mast is the flagship."
"The flagship of the pirate faction, then?"
"Yes. It's led by a pirate named Hook, who is said to be the closest to becoming the pirate king."
Sieg's expression hardened at the mention of the pirate king.
'Pirate king, huh.'
Hook's pirate fleet soon reached the shore.
Then, dozens of pirates transferred to small boats and approached the coast.
The pirates who appeared were all of fierce demeanor, with rough scars and tattoos covering their bodies.
Among them, a man stood out with his particularly striking presence.
"Nothing beats the wretched feeling of finally stepping on land after so long."
He was a large man, standing nearly two meters tall, marked by his signature hook-shaped beard—none other than the infamous pirate, Captain Hook.
Hook and his pirates noticed the smugglers' ship and Sieg's party on the shore.
Hook grinned, playing with his beard.
"Who are these wretches? A mix of smugglers, brats, and inland outlaws?"
Captain Hook's threatening tone prompted Boris to step forward.
"Captain Hook, I've heard of your reputation. We belong to the Syndicate on an assignment. It'd be best if we quietly went about our business, wouldn't it?"
Hook and his pirates burst into laughter at Boris's words.
"Puhahaha! Quietly finishing business, huh. Where did this landlubber pick up such pretentious mainlander talk? Syndicate, huh. Did you think we'd bow and say, 'Oh, is that so?'"
Hook's words left Boris grim-faced.
It seemed the unruly pirates had no intention of passing quietly.
At that moment, Sieg stepped forward, observing the situation.
He spoke in a low voice.
"We do not wish for bloodshed."
The sharpness in Sieg's voice caused Hook to momentarily shift expression.
He sensed an unusual aura emanating from Sieg, whom he had mistakenly thought to be just a boy.
One of the pirates standing next to Hook raised his weapon and stepped forward.
"This cheeky brat. Who do you think you are, strutting around like that? Did you receive some knight training somewhere?"
Then, he swung his massive axe at Sieg.
Sieg did not dodge but caught the descending axe with his bare hand.
Crack!
Not only did he catch it, but he also crushed the iron blade of the axe.
"Wha–?"
The pirate wielding the axe stumbled back in shock.
Seeing this, all the pirates drew their weapons, ready to fight.
Captain Hook raised his hand to halt his men.
He addressed Sieg.
"Certainly not an ordinary knight. Are you really with the Syndicate?"
"If you want, I can show you my affiliation card."
"Like I'd recognize any blasted Syndicate card even if I saw one. Alright, kid. If not shedding blood, what do you propose?"
Sieg replied, looking Hook in the eye.
"A chance to share a fine drink with the renowned Captain Hook."
Hook stood dumbfounded momentarily at Sieg's response.
Then, a boisterous laugh burst from him.
"Screw this, damn it! Drop your weapons, lads. Tonight, I'll share a hearty drink with this audacious young man!"
At Captain Hook's command, the pirates lowered their weapons.
The atmosphere reversed instantly.
Hook approached Sieg with a grin.
"Kid, let me introduce myself properly. I'm James Hook. Though, as you know, they mostly call me Hook."
"Nice to meet you, James. I'm Sieg Murray."
"Murray, huh. Doesn't ring a bell, but I bet before long, you'll stir up these waters mighty well."
"Thank you for the kind words. Would you care to join us for a drink? We have modest Kraken steaks and hidden whiskey."
Hook let out a hearty laugh and unhesitatingly moved to Sieg's camp.
Boris lit a fire to grill the Kraken leg, while Sieg drew some whiskey the smugglers had hidden to serve to Hook.
"Phew! This is pretty good whiskey. The mainlanders do know how to make a fine drop."
Pouring more whiskey into Hook's cup, Sieg asked.
"What brings the great pirate of the Sea of Death here? I understood this area was mainly the domain of smugglers."
Hook downed the whiskey in one gulp and answered.
"It's all thanks to those damn fishmen."
"Fishmen?"
"Yeah. Lately, they've been flocking together, playing pirate, and wouldn't you know it, they've grown quite the force. Watching those shellfish-picking bastards suddenly play bastards got me curious—turned out one of them had stirred them up, damned unlucky."
"There's someone uniting the fishmen as pirates?"
Hook nodded, polishing off another shot of whiskey.
"Right. Hey, kid. You ever hear of Treasure Island?"
"This is my first time hearing of it."
"In pirate circles, it's a famous tale. A legendary pirate, Captain Kidd, supposedly hid his lifetime of treasure on an island somewhere in the Sea of Death."
"I didn't know such a legend existed."
"Kid, that's not all. The one who finds Captain Kidd's Treasure Island becomes the pirate king, or so the legend says."
Sieg's eyebrows twitched again at the mention of pirate king.
'The pirate king. If I recall right, the pirate king who drove sister Kali to her death wasn't named Hook. That bastard was....'
Hook chewed on a grilled Kraken leg and exclaimed loudly.
"That damned Peter Pan bastard is after that Treasure Island! Daring to challenge me, veteran pirate Hook, while my eyes are peeled and wide open!"
TL's Corner:
Peter Pan and Tinkerbell.