NOVEL NEXT Chapter 44
When I first discovered the phrase “monster” in the journal, one particular monster came to mind.
The quintessential monster that jumps to mind when you think of the ‘sea.’
A creature that symbolizes the fear of cephalopods as perceived in the West.
The Kraken.
With its horrifyingly massive octopus head, it must be the most powerful monster in the fantasy seas. It’s no wonder the captain was panicking so much. And the biggest problem is that the damn octopus is charging toward our ship right now.
How long has it been since we got this ship, and it’s crawling in here?
Is this your living room?
…Ah, it is sort of like a living room.
It seems like this foggy sea area is the hunting ground for the Kraken.
Reacquainting myself with this sad reality, I wiped the blade of my shovel on my clothes and fell into deep thought.
Can we catch it without any damage?
That thing could scream “Ouch!” after getting a beating, but if it dives into the sea, that’d be the end of it. But with just one hole in our ship, we’d be saying “Welcome to the Sinking Dutchman.” Oh wait, Millia might be the exception. She’d just float around anyway…
“Captain! Captain! Get a grip!”
“Don’t shout in my ear. I was just calculating the estimate.”
“If we keep going like this, that monster will be the one estimating our worth before it eats us! At this rate, we’ll end up as octopus food!”
“Shut up.”
That’s really a pain… and harder than dealing with a baby Hydra. I began to gauge the size of the Kraken, which was starting to come into focus, while picturing the remnants of Wilson 6 that we had stashed on board. It seems like we’ll need to make a solid investment to catch it with minimal damage.
“Millia. Go tell Renny to prepare to cut off some octopus legs.”
“Legs? Why?”
“It’s emergency rations.”
Why are you making that pale face? Is it because you’re Western that you’re suddenly grossed out by octopus?
These tasteless people.
You hooligans never tried a proper restaurant, did you… is the Kraken a bit much?
I kept my mouth shut before the Kraken’s massive tentacle could effortlessly toss a cruise ship. Well, with that kind of size, it’s a bit concerning. Honestly, it looks like it could have grown by eating people. But those plump tentacles would probably taste just right if sliced and grilled for a drink.
Alright. Today is the day for Kraken barbecue.
If we survive, that is.
I called out to Renny, who was gazing at the approaching Kraken from the deck.
“Renny! Cut the tentacles!”
“The tentacles?”
“Tonight’s dinner is octopus barbecue.”
Renny, swinging a huge sword she found on Wilson 3 or 4, looked at me with a bewildered expression, as if to ask what nonsense I was talking about. But I decided to be the bigger person and let her ignorance slide.
“How can you eat something like that?!”
“There’s nothing better than grilled octopus for a drink.”
“…Is that really true? I’ll hurry and get it cut! It’s been a while since I’ve tasted some alcohol!”
Motivation levels: 100%. I might actually be cut out to be a pirate captain. If I don’t find anything after seeing the true ending, maybe I’ll just take Wilson 7 and become a sailor. Ah, speaking of which, Karina…
“Karina! Cast a protection spell on the ship!”
“Yes!”
With that, the basic setup is complete. Now, let’s modify this a bit. I headed straight into the ship and into the storage where the materials were kept. Inside the storage, remnants of Wilson 6 sat piled up, layered with sweat from Renny’s hard work.
How to change it?
After a moment of deliberation, I came to a conclusion.
Let’s just turn it into a ram ship.
“Dismantle. Crafting. Repair.”
I activated my skills in quick succession. I dismantled the prow that was embedded in the bow, replacing it with a shield and a giant horn. Thankfully, after spending a month using one-third of the island’s wood to experiment with various constructions, I was well-prepared. I had even considered attaching something like that to Wilson 1 before someone asked if it’d mess up the center of gravity.
Isn’t adding a big shiny horn the dream of any sailing ship?!
…Phew, done. I need to hurry and help up top. As soon as I confirmed the materials had disappeared, I jumped back onto the deck. The Kraken was now visibly closer. I rushed to the sails, unfurling them, and shouted to Millia.
“Millia! Hold on tightly! We’re about to crash!”
“What?”
“Are you ready?!”
Before they could even respond, I gripped the steering wheel. The Kraken was rapidly approaching. Like a true octopus, it didn’t realize it was about to get speared in its eye as it boldly came closer.
Three.
Two.
One!
I braced myself against the masts as the impact hit. The monstrous scream threatened to shatter my eardrums, shaking my very being. It was dizzying, being as large as a gigantic whale and its howl was enough to make my head spin. And with a burst of sound, the monstrous scream grew even louder.
Did I hit?
Sticky liquid began pouring onto my body.
Ah. It’s sticky. And it smells strange.
Is it ink? Or blood? Probably blood.
I opened my eyes and stared at the deck, now a mess with the Kraken’s blood. Thankfully, no one seemed badly hurt; everyone was staggering as they stood up. It seemed the protection spells worked since there were no damaged spots visible.
I immediately kept my eyes on the Kraken, fidgeting as it moved. This wasn’t going to take us out in one shot.
As expected, a sound of a splash rang out.
Right.
It looked like the angry creature was about to hit our ship with its tentacle. No matter how well we were protected by magic, we could not ignore the laws of physics. I quickly ordered Renny before the ship capsized.
“Renny! To the right!”
“To the right? Got it!”
Renny swung her massive sword in a flashy arc.
The sword, effortlessly swinging like a toy, cleaved through the Kraken’s tentacle that was aimed at the deck. It screamed once more. Renny’s sword swung again. The now half-cut tentacle splattered blood, but Renny continued to hack at it obsessively like splitting wood.
In the end, the tentacle, unable to bear Renny’s relentless assault, twitched and fell onto the deck. It looked roughly as big as a killer whale.
“We’ll have food for a few days…”
The freshness might be an issue, but we’ll figure that out.
I felt satisfied with the pleasantly concluded negotiation. That’s how you negotiate. Take an eye and get a few days’ worth of food. Isn’t this the perfect example of negotiation?
“Uh-oh? It’s running away?”
At Renny’s voice, I turned to see the Kraken, descending into the water while moaning in agony. It seems that no matter how monstrous the creature, it can’t escape pain when its eye bursts. Thus, the Kraken exited in a pitiful manner, in stark contrast to its previous terrifying presence.
“It’s a pity it didn’t die.”
It would have been clean if we could’ve finished it off. But it wouldn’t dare approach us for a while, so as long as we escape this area, we wouldn’t have to deal with it again.
I gripped the steering wheel again.
Perhaps it was just my feelings, but it seemed like the fog was thinning out with the Kraken’s retreat, almost like it was shimmering.
Could it be like “Paoow!” where the fog was produced by it…? Either way, it was the perfect timing to escape the foggy sea area.
I rushed to the cockpit, gripping the steering wheel with both hands and began to maneuver the ship. Initially, I struggled to turn, crashing into reefs, but now I was able to sail quite skillfully.
Indeed, a person’s skills improve immensely when they’re thrown into real-life situations.
It took wrecking three ships to get used to it, though.
“Hold on tight! We’re about to escape the foggy sea area!”
“Right now?!”
“Don’t tell me we’ll be smashed like last time?!”
“Let’s go!”
The wind swept through my hair.
As we moved through the now clearer foggy sea, light began to spread across the deck. The sunlight, which had been blocked by the fog, became brighter as we approached the exit. Suddenly, I heard a cry from behind. The Kraken?
Looking back, I saw it glaring at me while bleeding purple tears. But the distance had grown, and no matter how fast it swam, we’d be out of the foggy sea first.
“Enjoy your meal.”
I raised my middle finger at the Kraken, glaring back.
“Eat this!”
Hey, when did you show up?
You shouldn’t be imitating that kind of thing. As I cupped my finger, Millia looked up at me, puzzled.
“What’s that?”
“It’s bad, so don’t imitate it.”
“Then why did you do it?”
“Because when you meet a bad guy, you want to do it at least once.”
“Then I want to do it too!”
Ugh, I’m feeling dizzy.
This is why you shouldn’t do strange things in front of kids. Why do I feel like a parent watching their child learn something weird, while I’m still single? And to think that she is hundreds of years older than me…
“…Well, whatever.”
Let it be what it will be. I quietly pulled up my status window to check the remaining distance as I piloted the ship.
800km ahead.
Estimated time of arrival? Roughly a month and a half.
I want to land on solid ground.
Aside from the true ending, I want to see the world of the Survival Academy with my very own eyes.