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Chapter 238

Edward was very aware of human greed. After all, he was the most greedy of them all.

There were countless things he longed to possess. The title of being a Dragon Contractor was one of them.

At some point, Edward realized he was stuck. Right before the wall of Aura Master, a feat only the strongest in the world could achieve.

And so, Edward sought to snatch that contract away. It was never pleasant to be an avaricious old man who had been treading water for decades.

He had come on this journey with just that intention. If necessary, he thought he could at any time hold a knife to the old man’s neck and tell him to give up the contract, a thought that became even more cemented when he saw the blonde woman.

She was beautiful enough to be called excessive. If one believed that God created humans, this is how they would surely appear—no doubt about it.

There was a certain grace in her, which led Edward to believe she must be a dragon.

Having called dragons dumb reptiles until now, it seemed worth having one like that in his hands.

As Edward was firming up this thought, he sensed an absurd being nearby.

The wind, tinged with a hint of salt, conveyed a memory.

‘What the heck is that?’

No, Edward had heard of it before. He wasn’t believing it, but he knew the rumors that had been circulating.

A dragon appeared in the East Sea. This entity was the dragon itself. Different from a dragon, but a legendary being. Just witnessing one was almost a miracle, and here there were two.

“…Is that so?”

In that moment, Edward murmured as if he had realized something.

Ah, so the years of endurance he had endured thus far were for this very moment. The world wanted him to eat the dragon’s pearl, surpass the wall of Master, and secure his status.

If the parties involved had heard these thoughts, they surely would have frowned and thought, “What nonsense is he spouting?” Meanwhile, the old man searched for a way to set sail.

Naturally, this led Edward to board the ship that the dragon intended to board.

*

‘Something feels sinister behind me…’

Choi Yeon-woo scratched her cheek at the unpleasant gaze being directed at her. She couldn’t tell what the person was thinking, but the malice in their eyes was no joke.

‘Well, they must be planning something like getting their hands on the pearl or something.’

But it was clear that the person had a lot of nerve. To pull off such schemes yet act as if everything was fine while boarding my ship was bold.

What exactly do they think they can do if I decide to get rid of them right here?

It was an absurd confidence she couldn’t put into words. It was less about absolute confidence in strength and more about narrow-mindedness—the inability to imagine that she would resort to such drastic measures.

『Are you going to leave it as is?』

The voice of the green-bearded one spoke only to Yeon-woo, drawing nearer.

She knew he was worried. It was clear, but to be honest, Yeon-woo thought that letting it go didn’t seem like a big issue.

『They look a bit stronger than the captain, but is that a match?』

Well, it was true that this guy had been clinging to the level of Aura Expert for quite a while, so he couldn’t be that weak. But the battlefield they were heading to was urgent for every single person.

She thought about how, as long as it helps them take down the Kraken, she could use him.

Yeon-woo looked up to the sea surface. The water distorted her vision, but she guessed Munwu’s location by looking at the shadows of the ship.

By now, both sides must have entered the Kraken’s awareness range. So…

“Alright, from now on, we blind that thing’s eyes. Move as I previously instructed. Got it?”

『Hee, hee, hoy! It’s Captain’s orders!! Let’s have some fun before we sink to the ocean floor, scallywags!!』

『Hee, hee, hoy!!』

Of course, Edward, who had boarded without any briefing on the orders Yeon-woo had given, wouldn’t know about those specifics. But that guy, being someone who could easily become an Aura Master, would figure it out on his own.

With the sounds of the pirates’ cheers bursting forth, the pirate ship accelerated sharply. The ghost ship, being a spirit to begin with, could pierce through anything as long as there was enough mana to use as fuel.

The Kraken’s massive eye turned toward the ghost ship. An eerie sensation made Yeon-woo instinctively shiver. It was merely an octopus’s eye, but that malevolence… it felt like it could pierce her heart.

『Hey, captain, what are you doing, shivering in fear of an octopus’s head!?』

With a swift motion, the Red Beard, who had been circling around the ghost ship like a storm, slapped Yeon-woo’s back. The shock that coursed through made her tension begin to ease.

It wasn’t just a simple pat that eased her nerves. Although it wasn’t as strong as dragon blood, that aura possessed a similar quality.

There’s no way it would release just from an external shock.

“…What is this?”

『Just sharing a bit! Use it well!!』

The scent of death was in the air. From her very own body, no less. Yeon-woo scrunched her face as she sniffed.

Anyone would react like this if they started smelling decay coming from their own body.

“Still, it’s rather fitting…!”

Death energy. The moment Yeon-woo received the deathly aura from the ghost, the emotion of fear was immediately expelled from her body.

Undead do not fear. The undead do not get frightened. Yeon-woo, who was half-undead, was no different.

She drew her sword. A great sword made from Iron, White was now held in Yeon-woo’s hands.

A jolt of electricity ran through her fingertips. The iron, which had touched something foul, momentarily rejected her, but then recognized its master and accepted it.

‘Wow, if it had been consecrated by the Vatican or purified by Shaolin, how much more painful would that have been?’

She should have been at a moment where chills ran down her spine…but they didn’t. Thanks to the influence of the undead fire. It seemed like everything was judged by fear.

Thinking about it, Yeon-woo moved a few times in place to check the condition of her body.

There was essentially no fundamental difference, but perhaps due to the characteristics of the undead that had been drifting in the sea, she felt less resistance from the water.

Having confirmed that much, Yeon-woo jumped up. The glistening skin of the Kraken was now approaching.

『─────!!』

The rage that hadn’t yet become a sound disrupted the waves. Yeon-woo scanned her surroundings, and immediately her body reacted.

Even though she had never experienced having fins and limbs before, her body began to move with incredible precision.

With a lightning-like slash, she sliced through the water’s wave propagating outward. The speed and sharpness were unbelievable for underwater, leaving Edward slack-jawed.

“This is good!”

Edward was unaware, but this was all thanks to the undying morale of the pirate captain.

Even if the resistance had decreased, producing a significant hit was still quite challenging.

Judging that, Yeon-woo pushed against the water and moved. With the speed of a torpedo, Yeon-woo narrowly avoided the Kraken’s leg, but the wave created by such a massive beast threw her off balance.

“Whoah…!”

In a land battle, she wouldn’t have encountered such predicaments even considering wind pressure, but this was well beyond her expectations.

While she tried to stabilize herself by expelling mana, the Kraken’s leg was desperately coming down.

“I can’t dodge this!”

『Hee, hee, hoy! Captain is gonna get killed!!』

At Yeon-woo’s scream, ghost pirates swooped in through the air and grabbed her arm, pulling her to safety.

In the process, the ghost ship nearly got caught by the Kraken, but it managed to gracefully evade with movements that seemed wetter than the water itself and launched a spear right away.

Although it hadn’t embedded due to the Kraken’s tough skin, that act seemed to have seriously angered the creature.

“Oh, you guys! The Kraken is assigning four of its legs to us!? Aren’t we blessed!”

『What the heck, are you crazy! Just two would be hard to escape from!?』

“Isn’t it like your heart? Just manage to stay safe.”

『Damn it, never again will I work under such a captain! You better do it right, Choi Yeon-woo!!』

Swallowing curses, the green-bearded one hurriedly returned to the ship.

Now that she thought about it, I’m green too, just like those guys? Although it’s a slightly lighter shade…

“…Hmm?”

Could it be possible?

*

Dipping even a little, even for a brief moment, into the world of the deceased undoubtedly does not benefit the living.

Right now, it was merely borrowing a bit of morale, but the thought that crossed Yeon-woo’s mind was without a doubt crossing a clear line.

The mana of the stars, elemental mana ‘Courage,’ symbolizing the bravery that steps a foot outside of humanity, possessed the ability to alter the body into something non-human.

For instance, creating wings, gills, and fins, or altering hands into different forms.

Yet, the courage Yeon-woo had used up until now had always transformed her within the confines of human skin. This was deeply related to the breath of starlight that flowed when she used her courage.

By enveloping her body in a mysterious substance resembling the universe, she ensured that any change would not hinder her human body.

But what about transforming into a ghost? Would that fall under the transformation within the skin or something entirely different?

Yeon-woo found that proposition intriguing, and once she grew interested, her courage welcomed the challenge.

『Uwa, uuhhh!! The captain is becoming Choi Ji-nok…!!』

There wasn’t a single similarity except for the last name, was there?

(To be continued)

 

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