Max Talent Player

Hyukjin heard the blobs of light that were the whalekin murmuring amongst themselves.

“Can we really return to the Endless Sky?”

“Wasn’t that impossible because of the vow?”

“The skybirds will attack us.”

It was excellent that they were saying such things. The Guardians were hearing them, too.

It’s impossible.

It’s hard.

There’s no way.

The supporting actors had to supply such discouraging words in order to amplify the excitement when the protagonist triumphed against all odds.

The group gathered near the surface.

‘It’s gotten a lot brighter.’

A little further up, once they were clear of the surface, they would see the sea made of clouds.

‘I can feel the Steel Wyverns.’

They weren’t very far. It seemed that they had sensed the approach of the whalekin.

“Would it be possible to gather the Steel—I mean, the skybirds?” Hyukjin asked.

Naphtha answered, “Yes, by shooting a sonic wave.”

“Make as many of them as possible come this way.”

Naphthan’s expression grew grim. Hyukjin could guess why.

‘Because he is a boulder who fears crushing the egg.’

The whalekin were a race endowed with a truly great amount of strength, yet Napthan was worried about the lives of the Steel Wyverns that attacked them and nearly killed his daughter. They were truly fascinating folk.

‘I can’t comprehend them.’

In any case, the show had to go on.

“In human terms, I am a Player who carries out the role of a class called sovereign.”

“I see.”

“So I will take command over you, Napthan, and through you, the whalekin. At least until you return to the Endless Sky.”

“What do we need to do?”

“As we just discussed, shoot a sonic wave and get as many of them as you can over here.”

What Hyukjin was going for was a carpet-bombing, a method that would take out a bunch of Steel Wyverns at once.

[The ‘Whispering Devil’ is having fun.]

[The ‘Herdsman of Las Vegas’ agrees with your tactic.]

[The ‘Barrier of Blue Light’ watches with great interest.]

[The ‘Nameless Observer’ is observing.]

[The ‘Lady of the Scales’ is focusing.]

Five Guardians sent a diverse set of messages. The Herdsman of Las Vegas, the Guardian of the Gold Pyramid and the number one sovereign in the US, appeared to support Hyukjin’s choice.

“I’ll block your ears,” said Isabel, then immediately blushed. “You know, because Husband is weak.”

She went behind him and reached for his ears, leaving the staff to float next to her.

“I’ll protect you.”

The moment her cool hands slid over his ears, it felt like all sound was blocked off, that he was alone in a very quiet place and an impenetrable wall was erected between his ears and the world.

Using my sonic wave now.—Hyukjin read from Naphthan’s lips.

Piiiiiiiii–!

There was a ringing in his ears, and he instantly knew. If Isabel hadn’t blocked them, he would have suffered significant damage to his auditory system.

‘I can feel them.’

In the sky high above, countless Steel Wyverns were swarming in.

‘Just how many of them are there?’

It was impossible to guess. If he was right, the sky above was probably thick with them, and it would look like a swarm of insects covering the sky.

After some time, Eye of Perception sensed an innumerable mass of presences above.

‘What insane bloodthirst.’

According to the story, the Steel Wyverns had persecuted the whalekin for 500 years, over which they had successfully killed several whalekin. As the centuries passed, they became increasingly vicious, and it was highly likely they thought of the whalekin as mere prey.

‘The aura of a predator.’

That was what he felt bristling and snarling in the sky above. The determination to hunt them was palpable.

Hyukjin spoke.

“All together, leave the Sea of Clouds.”

The whalekin hesitated a little, but they soon began to swim upward. Hyukjin once again sensed the massive presence he had felt the first time.

‘They look similar to humans in the Sea of Clouds.’

Like shining humans.

‘But the moment they leave the Sea of Clouds, their enormous original forms appear.’

The uniquely colored, white whales appeared before him.

‘What… an enormous sense of pressure.’

It was like massive dinosaurs were floating in the air. The countless Steel Wyverns gathered above the Sea of Clouds by Naphthan’s sonic wave swarmed towards the whalekin in unison as if seizing the right moment.

‘To them, this must be like a bonanza.’

They would rush in like usual, thinking their sharp beaks and claws would tear into the whalekins’ flesh. Because truly delicious prey was before them, they would not hesitate.

The next moment, the Sea of Clouds turned red.

‘The settings were only changed to allow them to defend, but…’

The wyverns were incapable of penetrating the hides of the whalekin. If you threw an egg against a boulder, the egg would crack.

Countless Steel Wyverns lost consciousness and flopped limply into the Sea of Clouds.

‘Oho.’

In the Sea of Clouds, the wyverns grew smaller. Smaller and smaller and smaller. Just like how the massive whalekin transformed into small humanoid beings inside the Sea of Clouds, the same went for the wyverns.

But instead of turning into humanoid beings, they continued shrinking, until finally, they were fist-sized stones that sparkled yellow.

‘Are those…’

Mana crystals?

Taeguk Shield’s Squad 2 was dispatched in Boracay right now to get these mana crystals.

‘What a windfall!’

The wyverns that fell into Sea of Clouds were automatically killed and transformed into mana crystals.

“Kim Darong. Can you swim?”

Music notes danced over Kim Darong’s head, a yellow mana crystal already in his little paw. The squirrel disappeared. Kim Darong was nowhere to be seen, but judging by how the mana crystals that had appeared in the Sea of Clouds disappeared one by one, it was clear that the squirrel was hard at work.

‘Just how many of them are there?’

The stupid wyverns had charged full-tilt at a boulder, and a huge number of them had died on the spot. However, they seemed to have caught on. The wyverns, now numbering far fewer, ceased their charge and flew into the sky, but they didn’t go far. They circled around, looking as though they were trying to figure out what had just happened.

“We’re going to repeat this multiple times,” Hyukjin called out.

“The skybirds are capable of learning.”

“I know. One or two times more, and they’ll probably stop blindly charging in.”

Then what came next?

“After that, they’ll begin to harass you in the air. They may not be able to eat you, but they can prevent you from ascending upwards.”

Their goal was to go up to the Endless Sky, a nearly impossible feat unless all of the Steel Wyverns were taken care of.

* * *

* * *

“I will eliminate the Steel Wyverns that will no longer charge in.”

“How, Husband?”

“I need you to help me, Isabel.”

“Me?”

“Yeah. I’m weak.”

“That’s true… As someone in a Sword’s Pact, and as your bride, it’s only natural for me to help you, but…”

Isabel’s amber eyes seemed to say, ‘Even if you swing me with all your might, I don’t think you can catch them’.

“Isabel. You’ll help me, right?”

“Of course I will.”

“No matter what it takes?”

“Yeah.”

“Then lend me some mana.”

Isabel tilted her head. “Mana?”

Even though I’m a sword?

“The Sea of Clouds has an infinite amount of mana of a density far beyond what’s in regular fields. Am I right?”

“In comparison to regular fields, yes, I suppose?”

“But I can’t tap into this mana.”

“And?”

“I need you to gather the mana and make it so I can use it.”

Isabel scowled a little. “Are you asking me, Isabel of the Sword Forest, to use magic right now?”

It was, in other words, a ‘mana heal’. He was asking her to replenish his mana. Hyukjin turned around and looked directly into Isabel’s eyes.

“Before you’re Isabel of the Sword Forest, you’re my bride.”

“...”

“Without your help, I won’t be able to leave this place, my growth will stagnate, and I will starve to death.”

“...”

“If that happens, I’ll die without being able to see your true appearance.”

“...”

“You need me to exist, and I need to live for you to live. We’re bound in a Sword’s Pact.”

“That’s true, but…”

Isabel shuddered. She really did look like a sword who cursed her god-given talent.

“It’s not that you’re using magic. You’re just helping the other half of your Sword’s Pact, your husband. You’re helping the weak me.”

“...”

In the end, Isabel nodded.

“But don’t forget. I’m a sword. Not a magician. Got it?”

“You’re the greatest sword I know.”

“Fine. That’s enough flattery. I have a duty to protect you anyway, so I’ll do just that.”

“That’s very reassuring.”

“So? If I fill you with mana, what’re you gonna do?”

“I got an ability while you were sleeping.”

Hyukjin got onto Naphthan’s back, then rose to the surface with the giant whale. The world brightened, and the cloud ocean stretched out on all sides. The Sea of Clouds was very different from the outside than it was on the inside.

[Using the special ability Immortal Fleet.]

His new ability to summon the 12-vessel Immortal Fleet could only be used on the sea, a condition the Sea of Clouds fulfilled.

As such, the Immortal Fleet that had earned such glory in the Bali Naval Battle made its debut. Hyukjin tried uttering an incantation, the one the German archer Schultz had used.

“Seek life to die, seek death to live.”

But nothing happened. The incantation failed to take effect, and the words were just an empty imitation.

‘Whatever, it doesn’t matter.’

It would have been great if the incantation had succeeded, but it was fine. He still had a 12-vessel fleet.

“The whalekin will handle the defense.”

With the whalekin protecting the fleet, Hyukjin could focus solely on offense. They could do that, at least.

“My fleet and I will handle the offense,” Hyukjin said, standing on Naphthan’s great back.

[The Immortal Fleet recognizes enemy presence.]

He felt mana drain from him. This ability would be hard to maintain for long in normal circumstances.

But he had Isabel standing beside him. Mana billowed from the purple crystal at her staff. Isabel’s body glowed blue, and that blue light enveloped Hyukjin’s body.

‘It feels refreshing. And…’

It was like a near-infinite amount of mana was surging into his body.

‘I can operate the Immortal Fleet almost ad infinitum.’

He heard a notice.

[Give the command to fire?]

With Hyukjin’s assent, the 12-vessel fleet fired. Powerful mana cannonballs made of the Sea of Clouds’ mana shot out, some of them firing off at what seemed like light speed.

‘The unique environment that is the Sea of Clouds is empowering the Immortal Fleet.’

The attack was far more powerful than he expected—a single volley instantly obliterated two or three wyverns.

[Steel Wyvern has been killed.]

[EXP cannot be acquired.]

[Items will not be dropped.]

The penalty of his class took effect.

‘Oops. I can’t melt them into nothingness like that.’

He corrected the plan a little.

‘Decrease the intensity, and aim for their wings.’

He had to drop them into the Sea of Clouds without killing them. Kim Darong would then scoop up the mana crystals.

The Guardians leapt forward to send messages.

[The ‘Lady of the Scales’ sends a 300 Coin sponsorship.]

[The ‘Courageous Lion King’ gifts ‘Courage’.]

[The ‘Herdsman of Las Vegas’ sends a 500 Coin sponsorship.]

[The ‘Nameless Observer’ observes.]

[The ‘Conductor of Sound’ is very impressed.]

Hyukjin heard Naphthan’s voice.

“I was not aware you possessed an artifact of such strength.”

Honestly, it was news to Hyukjin as well. This was a result produced by Isabel’s ability and the Sea of Clouds overlapping.

‘I didn’t think it’d be this strong, either.’

It was utter destruction. This wasn’t war, but slaughter. The might of the Immortal Fleet exceeded all imagination, and the Steel Wyverns in the sky scrambled to flee in a panic.

‘Don’t let a single one go.’

The Immortal Fleet punched through the wings of the fleeing wyverns. The vast majority of them dropped into the Sea of Clouds, and only a very small few managed to escape.

Even Hyukjin hadn’t expected this one-sided slaughter, and the mana crystal bounty that followed. On top of that, he got another notice.

[You have slaughtered the Steel Wyverns.]

[The Player’s current level is 39 and corresponds to the beginner period.]

A very short pause ensued.

[System Scan Result: No bugs have been discovered.]

[The System has recognized the situation as an impossible feat.]

[You have accomplished an achievement.]

And in a development Hyukjin never expected, a wonderful development, Hyukjin was given a reward for his achievement.