[Translator - Night]
[Proofreader - Gun]
Chapter 732: A Great Legacy (1)
Taxes.
An irresistible force of the universe that even the Great Ones could not escape.
But right now, Yeongwoo had no time to concern himself with anything like taxes.
The interior of the aberrant vessel Keniscita had just been revealed.
The ship, which was virtually impossible to seize because it was made of a staggering three layers of Godial, opened its entrance the instant Yeongwoo, its sole current owner, touched it.
Clank!
“Huh, what?”
Upon finally seeing the inside of the Keniscita, Yeongwoo could not help but look surprised.
Unlike the Soruon, which had been lavishly covered in decorations commemorating its former owner’s achievements, the interior of the Keniscita was austerity itself.
Far from having any jeweled ornaments, it did not even have a single window, and astonishingly, even the cockpit had no windows.
『This is a ship? The inside looks like some kind of bunker.』
When Earth, who had peered inside after Yeongwoo, tilted his head, Yeongwoo promptly called over his new combat navigator.
“Mr. Mushio! Hurry over here!”
Mushio Tare came running at once, and after confirming his arrival, Yeongwoo pointed toward the cockpit.
“What’s going on here? Even if it’s a ship designed to pierce straight through enemy vessels… how can it not have any windows?”
At this, Mushio carefully examined the interior of the Keniscita, as if impressed anew.
-Indeed… it truly is the Cleaver. There is nothing superfluous.
“There’s so little that it’s a problem. There isn’t even a single chair to sit on.”
When Yeongwoo complained, Mushio ran his hand over the silvery-white wall and firmly pressed a certain spot.
Squeak!
Then, astonishingly, a portion of the completely flat floor rose upward, forming something resembling a rectangular bench.
“……?”
But that was not all.
When Mushio then pressed another section of the wall near the bench, a rectangular hologram appeared there, displaying the view of Gwangjin District beyond the outer wall.
“…It’s a kind of window?”
-That is correct. If an actual window were installed, the durability of the hull would inevitably decrease. It seems they implemented it this way so the outside could still be viewed.
“Then is the cockpit the same?”
-It should be.
Although it was Mushio’s first time handling the Keniscita, he had little difficulty locating the ship’s hidden functions.
He was indeed a navigator chosen by a Great One.
“You said you’ve never piloted the Keniscita, didn’t you? Then how do you know it so well? There’s only one of this ship in the entire universe.”
At Yeongwoo’s question, Mushio, who had been feeling along the inner wall of the hull, turned his head.
-I have never personally piloted the Keniscita, but I have handled several similar ships. Most of them were inferior versions several tiers below this masterpiece, however…….
Then, when he found and pressed another section of the wall, a storage compartment resembling a cabinet slid out from within it.
-As expected, there is a storage compartment as well.
“But it’s empty.”
-Yes. This is a space intended for storing valuables during an emergency. So it was probably empty most of the time.
“Why would a ship need a space like this?”
-Because the Keniscita itself is essentially a colossal safe. No matter where this ship is left, its three layers of Godial armor will protect whatever is stored inside.
“I like the sound of that.”
Scratching his cheek, Yeongwoo rolled his eyes around once before looking toward another wall inside the ship.
“Then start searching.”
-For what……?
“The great legacy being protected by three layers of Godial armor.”
-I cannot be certain there is actually a legacy here. Every Great One would have had a different disposition.
“You said this ship is practically a moving safe, didn’t you? And if it has three layers of Godial, the time spent constructing it must have been immense. If he didn’t hide his legacy in a place like this, where else would he have put it?”
When Yeongwoo glared at him, Mushio resumed feeling along the wall with a reluctant expression.
-If a legacy truly is hidden here, it will likely be difficult to locate through ordinary means.
After all, in the Soruon’s case, had they not needed to press the murals inside the ship in a specific sequence before the safe could be brought out?
But the Keniscita had no lifelong navigator to enter the secret pattern for them, and therefore, even if a legacy truly was hidden here, there was no way to find it.
-…This is not it either.
Mushio Tare, who was usually confident in everything he did, continued uncovering all manner of functions within the Keniscita in a troubled voice.
Thanks to him, the interior of the Keniscita, which had not originally contained so much as a single chair, already had an assortment of things protruding from it: two benches, a captain’s seat resembling a throne, two simple control seats connected to the external gun barrels, and even a rectangular object presumed to be a bed.
Then.
Clank.
-Huh?
Along with Mushio’s startled voice, objects resembling gun barrels slid out from each of the four corners of the ship’s interior.
“What are these? Guns?”
When Yeongwoo asked while staring at the barrels, Mushio answered in an uncertain voice.
-I have never seen anything like them before. My guess is that they are an internal security system designed with even the worst-case scenario in mind.
“An internal security system?”
-Yes. Would they not be weapons intended for the unlikely event that an outsider managed to infiltrate the ship?
“Hmm. Is that so?”
Since it was the ship of a Great One, it was entirely possible that it had been equipped with just about anything.
After all, they were beings as difficult to predict as the wonders of the universe themselves.
But precisely because of that.
“Tsk, no matter how I look at it, I don’t think someone on the level of a Great One would rely on something like that for security.”
With those words, Yeongwoo slowly drew Bastard, causing Mushio Tare to look bewildered.
-……?
“His name itself was basically security, and this ship is practically a moving safe in its own right. So would he really have gone out of his way to install those inside? From the looks of things, he seems to have been someone who liked things extremely neat.”
Yeongwoo swept his gaze over the furnishings within the ship, which were the very embodiment of minimalism.
Not a single one possessed any unnecessary design element, and there was not a trace of anything like an ornate pattern.
Even these remained embedded within the walls until they were summoned by pressing specific sections, did they not?
Therefore, the Keniscita must normally have been operated in an impeccably clean state, without a single piece of clutter anywhere.
“Who did you say the original owner of this ship was?”
-Dorta Muio, the ruler of the Quarmal star system.
“Coincidentally, he was a Chairman as well. You said he was a master swordsman, right?”
-Yes. He is widely known as a genius of the sword. I heard that the outcome of a war could be decided solely by which side he chose to aid.
“So even a big shot like that dies someday.”
After hearing the answer, Yeongwoo looked at the suspicious gun barrels while letting Bastard hang toward the floor.
“Here’s what I think.”
-Yes, Shipmaster.
“This isn’t a security system.”
-Then what do you believe it is?
“A training machine.”
-……?
Caught off guard by the abrupt claim, Mushio missed the timing to agree with him.
-Th-that is also possible.
“That’s probably it. No matter how impressive a ship the Keniscita might be, it couldn’t have traveled through black holes, could it? Then every voyage must have been fairly long, and he would have needed something to relieve his boredom along the way.”
However, because the Keniscita was designed to penetrate enemy ships, it structurally could not have a spacious interior, and furthermore, its original owner, Dorta Muio, had been a man with no interest in things like lifelong navigators.
Though the reason for that was unknown.
[Translator - Night]
[Proofreader - Gun]
Perhaps he had simply been someone who enjoyed solitude, or perhaps he had been the sort of person who trusted no one.
In any case, the important thing was.
“Then what did Chairman Do do to pass the time?”
When Yeongwoo posed the question, Mushio Tare looked toward the gun barrels embedded within the ship.
-Surely, he did not practice swordsmanship…….
“Exactly. Being called a master swordsman also means he was that obsessed with swordsmanship. So during his voyages, wouldn’t he have shut himself in here and trained with the sword?”
-But how could he train in swordsmanship with those?
“We’ll know once we see it. Can you activate them?”
-The button that made them protrude was over here, so there should probably be an activation button somewhere nearby as well.
The instant Mushio spoke and casually felt along a spot on the wall.
Vrrrr!
The sound of energy gathering came from somewhere, and deep-blue beams shot out from the four suspicious barrels at staggered intervals.
Pipipiping!
“Whoa?”
The shots were fired far faster than expected, and Yeongwoo hurriedly swung Bastard to knock the beams away.
Obstruction of Official Duties pointed its index finger toward the corners of the ship and shouted.
× What the hell? Are we being bereaved already?
“W-wait! Don’t shoot!”
× What?
At Yeongwoo’s command, Obstruction of Official Duties, which had been on the verge of firing, bent the tip of its index finger and made a puzzled sound.
× But if we leave those alone, you’re going to die.
Just as it had been able to sense the “size” of the machine swordsman Mohir in the Black Sector, it had also sensed the size of the gun barrels that had just displayed such ominous firepower.
It had seen through the fact that their maximum output was beyond what Jeong Yeongwoo could handle.
At this, Yeongwoo adjusted his grip on Bastard and commanded in a sharp voice.
“Everyone, get out of here. Right now.”
At those words, Earth and Mushio hurried outside through the entrance.
At that very moment, the four gun barrels began blinking red, then sealed the exit before Yeongwoo could even operate anything.
Kooooom!
Then, a system message appeared in midair at the center of the ship.
「The level test will now begin.」
“Level test?”
「If you wish to discontinue the test, press the surrender button on the floor.」
At the same time, a hexagonal foothold really did rise slightly beneath Yeongwoo’s feet.
“Surrender button? Fuck off.”
As Yeongwoo glared at the system message with the characteristic expression of a hardheaded bastard, the gun barrels immediately spat fire again.
Pipipiping!
「Level 1 – Performance Check」
But Yeongwoo had no time to read the message.
The projectiles were traveling much faster than before.
“Insane.”
Titing!
Yeongwoo blocked two energy projectiles with Bastard and dodged the other two by letting them pass between his shoulder and leg.
The two projectiles that struck the floor bounced back up and targeted Yeongwoo again.
Shweeeeeet!
“Ugh!”
When Yeongwoo instinctively twisted his head aside to avoid one projectile, the troublesome shot struck the ceiling, changed direction again, and came back.
They were projectiles that would not disappear until he personally deflected them with his sword.
× This is Level 1, you know?
Obstruction of Official Duties warned him while frantically tracking the projectiles with its index finger.
Meanwhile, Yeongwoo struck down the remaining two projectiles that had been ricocheting wildly in every direction, then quickly caught his breath.
“This was the method a Great One used to practice swordsmanship. So of course a mere grunt like me wouldn’t be able to clear it. Just passing Level 1 would already be an honor.”
× Don’t tell me you think that legacy or whatever will appear if you complete this all the way to the end.
“Of course. It’s a legacy left behind by a master swordsman.”
× But you can’t do it. I can see them—the true body of those things.
“Their true body?”
× The thing shooting at you is this ship itself. And its power is tremendous. It’s still going extremely easy on you.
No sooner had Obstruction of Official Duties finished speaking than the system message in midair changed.
「Level 2 – Fundamentals」
× Above you! That one’s the most vicious!
The moment the anti-government pistol pointed its index finger toward the barrel mounted on the ceiling, a projectile really did fire from there first.
“…Kgh!”
Yeongwoo barely blocked the first shot in question, then hurriedly pulled his body backward.
Whoosh!
Then, no fewer than three energy rounds struck the spot where Yeongwoo had been standing and ricocheted upward in three separate directions.
“Too fast.”
His heart pounded rapidly.
It was not merely because the projectiles were traveling too quickly.
It was the exhilaration that came from personally experiencing the training method of a Great One.
And not just any Great One, but one who had specialized in swordsmanship.
Even if there was no legacy waiting at the end of this, this alone would still be a tremendous gain.
“Kraaaah!”
Then Yeongwoo charged forward first, swinging Bastard.
He intended to eliminate even one of the projectiles before their trajectories grew more complicated.
And that judgment did indeed prove effective, as one round that had just struck the ceiling and was about to ricochet away vanished upon touching Bastard’s blade.
Swaat!
Of course, the other two—
“……!”
—rushed toward Yeongwoo at tremendous speed, targeting his chest and leg respectively.
‘T-too fast. I can’t deal with both of them.’
In the end, he blocked the shot aimed at his chest with Bastard and tried to move his leg into an evasive maneuver, but the projectile was half a beat faster.
Piat!
He safely blocked the attack aimed at his chest, but the other projectile slammed into him before he could move his leg.
Sizzle!
His first hit.
Because of it, toxic blood dripped onto the floor, but it could not leave so much as a scratch on the inner plating made of Godial.
“If I’m already starting to get hit, I’m screwed.”
Still, the fortunate part was that projectiles disappeared upon touching his body as well.
Beep!
Then a signal sounded, and the next stage immediately began.
「Level 3 – Selection」
“Selection……?”
No sooner had Yeongwoo’s eyes widened than it finally happened.
Clank!
The number of exposed gun barrels increased from four to eight.
Then, for the first time, the system made him an offer.
「Level 3 training will begin in five seconds. Do you wish to surrender?」
「An unsuitable trainee may die before making contact with the surrender button.」
[Translator - Night]
[Proofreader - Gun]
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