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Chapter 678: The Vast World (6)

『What…?』

While the Grade 4 prisoners run amok in the hangar, robbing the vault of Planet Girgo.

In other words, wasn’t this basically a feint—creating a disturbance in the east to strike in the west?

『Do you really think that’s possible?』

Well, all of Girgo’s attention would certainly be drawn to the hangar.

From Girgo’s perspective, a planet-class ship had appeared without warning and was indiscriminately bombarding them with shells.

They would have no choice but to deploy their entire fleet and launch a counterattack, yet on top of that, hundreds of Grade 4 beings had stormed the hangar, so it must have turned into absolute chaos.

“By now, all of Girgo’s forces will be moving toward the hangar. Which means the vault area will be completely empty.”

『But… you know, does a ‘vault’ even exist? Aren’t you being too optimistic?』

At that, Yeongwoo simply shrugged as if it were no issue.

“Whether it’s a vault or an armory, there’s got to be something. It’s not like that planet only has a hangar and anti-air cannons.”

『True. At the very least, there’d be something like a tactical command center.』

Even as Earth nodded, it couldn’t shake the uneasy look on its face.

After all, the moment Yeongwoo descended onto Girgo, it was obvious that something would go wrong one way or another.

『Anyway, just don’t go down there and die. Though with bosses scattered everywhere, it’s not like a major problem will happen.』

After saying that, Earth opened a portal leading to the ship Yeongwoo would board.

Piaaaaat!

『It’s the Salzeo ship we seized last time. I don’t know if it’s the right call to use this, but we don’t have any other options.』

Using a Salzeo ship to rob a planet owned by Salzeo.

That only made Yeongwoo grin wider. 𝒻𝘳𝘦𝘦𝘸ℯ𝒷𝘯𝘰𝑣ℯ𝑙.𝘤𝑜𝘮

“Proper etiquette has been observed, then.”

And without the slightest hesitation, he leapt into the portal.

* * *

Paaaat!

The moment Yeongwoo entered the Salzeo ship, Earth began rattling off a long explanation as if it had been waiting.

○ I’ve set it to head straight to the target point at high speed. It’s a sturdy ship, so it won’t get shot down easily, but if something does go wrong, press the triangular button to the left of the cockpit.

‘The triangular button? Ah, this one?’

As Yeongwoo spotted the emergency escape button near the cockpit, the ship immediately began to vibrate faintly and launched out of Earth’s ship.

More precisely, into the dazzling expanse of space where a storm of artillery fire raged.

‘Ugh, this is insane.’

The moment the ship began moving, the cockpit window filled with trajectories of every imaginable type of projectile, and only then did Yeongwoo understand why Earth had mentioned getting shot down.

From inside the control room earlier, it had merely looked like a flashy fireworks display, but being inside that barrage now—it was pure terror.

‘This ship… it really won’t get shot down easily?’

○ Honestly, I’m not sure. But they said it has a high Katangdal content, right? Shouldn’t it be sturdy?

‘What?’

○ No, seriously—did you step out of the control room without even being prepared for that much?

At that moment, a laser cannon fired straight at Yeongwoo’s ship from the front.

‘Huh? How do I dodge that?’

Just as Yeongwoo was about to grab the controls at random, a Grade 4 prisoner descending nearby deflected the laser cannon with a sword.

‘Uh…? So that thing about deflecting shells wasn’t a joke?’

Yeongwoo’s eyes widened.

And no wonder—right now, Grade 4 beings were everywhere like pebbles underfoot, making them seem trivial, but in the actual universe, each one was a major power.

‘Well, even Boss Lemu was Grade 4 until recently.’

As Yeongwoo muttered that, some of the leading prisoners who had surged ahead were struck by shells and flung sideways.

‘Looks like not everyone can deflect them.’

And not long after—

Beep!

A small alert sounded from the monitor near the cockpit.

○ We’re getting close to the target location, so it’s automatically adjusting the course. We’ll be entering Girgo’s atmosphere soon.

Indeed, Planet Girgo already filled most of the view outside, and before long, the Grade 4 prisoners ahead entered the atmosphere first, their bodies igniting in blazing red.

“…No way, they can still land alive after that?”

Yeongwoo pressed his face close to the window in disbelief.

Soon, the ship he was on also entered the atmosphere, and noises began to come from the hull.

Even this ship, with its high Katangdal content, couldn’t pass through easily—yet the Grade 4 prisoners were enduring it with their bare bodies.

‘Is the difference of one rank really this huge? I mean, I’m at the very bottom of Grade 5, sure, but still—it’s only a one-tier difference in status.’

Even in the ‘Sea of Status’ he had seen before, Grade 5 and Grade 4 were clearly distinguished.

Grade 5 beings were depicted as great mountains, whereas Grade 4 beings were represented as structures with distinct characteristics.

In other words, starting from Grade 4, they were entities recognized as having unique individuality even on a cosmic scale.

Tssaaaat!

At last, a sharp friction sound rang out from somewhere, and the once blazing red view outside cleared up again.

“We’ve arrived.”

Entry into Planet Girgo’s atmosphere—complete.

Then the front window of the cockpit darkened, and along with a topographical map of Girgo, countless white dots appeared.

“Those are the bosses’ positions, right?”

As Yeongwoo asked into the air while looking at the radar, Earth responded.

○ Yeah. That’s probably where the ships and fighters are concentrated. From there on, everything depends entirely on your judgment.

At that, Yeongwoo blinked and shifted his gaze back outside.

“There’s nothing to judge. Robbery is done by instinct.”

Now, the full view of Salzeo’s garrison spread clearly outside, and at that moment, he could see several ships lifting into the air.

Some of the vanguard who had made it through the barrage had already succeeded in hijacking ships.

‘I wonder if that boss who rushed out first is still alive.’

Of course, that wasn’t what mattered right now.

‘First of all, that’s definitely the hangar.’

Aside from the spot where ships had just lifted off, there were five buildings within the Salzeo garrison.

There wasn’t enough time to check all five, so he had to find the one most likely to be the vault first.

‘Oh.’

As Yeongwoo examined the exteriors, he saw small dots pouring out from a large pentagonal building at the northern edge.

Those were likely Salzeo’s forces responding to the disturbance at the hangar.

‘Then that’s the barracks.’

The remaining four buildings were scattered across the south and west, and after watching a bit longer, he saw small numbers of dots trickling out from three of them as well.

‘Figures—they must’ve decided the main force alone wasn’t enough.’

The fact that the mad raiders in the hangar were Grade 4 beings must have been reported, so even the forces guarding other buildings were being sent as reinforcements.

Then what was the last building that still hadn’t dispatched any troops?

‘What else could it be? It must hold something too important to leave unguarded.’

Having identified his target, Yeongwoo immediately spoke to Earth.

‘I think I found the vault—or at least something important. Shift the landing point a little to the side.’

Earth replied, sounding troubled.

○ The route’s already been set, so we can’t adjust the landing point from here.

‘What? It’s just a slight turn.’

○ Then do it manually. According to the assistant, adjusting direction a bit isn’t that difficult.

‘How do I do that?’

○ See that long rectangular button above the cockpit? That’s the autopilot deactivation button.

Yeongwoo quickly found the button in question.

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‘Just press this?’

○ After pressing it, pull the control lever upward until you hear a click—that’s when it switches to manual.

‘The control lever must be this handle-like thing.’

Following Earth’s instructions, Yeongwoo pressed the autopilot deactivation button and pulled the flat, handle-like control lever.

A sound like a lock being released echoed.

Clunk!

Then all sorts of panels in the cockpit lit up with a dizzying array of lights.

‘Feels like the ship just woke up. What now?’

○ After that—luck.

‘What?’

○ Beginners have trouble synchronizing control movements with actual coordinate shifts. Anyway, if you turn the lever in the direction you want, the designated coordinates will move that way.

In other words, from here on, it was a matter of ‘feel.’

○ Bottom left—that’s the coordinate display.

Where Yeongwoo looked, a terrain map of Girgo divided into tiny squares was displayed.

And on the right side of the map—east—a green crosshair was marked.

‘Is that crosshair the current destination?’

○ Right. And the length of the crosshair indicates the margin of error.

Since the target building was to the west, Yeongwoo grabbed the lever and first turned it left.

‘So if I turn it like this, the crosshair moves left?’

Having already moved the lever, he could see the crosshair tracing a gentle curve toward the west.

Though it moved far more than he expected.

‘Huh? How far is this going?’

○ It’s already moving? The sensitivity changes depending on your current altitude!

‘Looks like it…!’

The ship was already rotating more than expected, so Yeongwoo hurriedly twisted the lever back to the right to correct the target point.

But as the altitude dropped further, the synchronization sensitivity shifted again, causing the crosshair to bend once more—and the moment Yeongwoo swung the lever left again—

Thuuuuuuud!

With an enormous impact, the ship slammed into something.

“Did we… land?”

Having just slammed his back against the ceiling and fallen back down inside the ship, Yeongwoo lifted his head with a dazed expression.

Beep, beep…!

Loud, unintelligible warning sounds blared from all directions.

Sensing something had gone wrong, Yeongwoo looked out the cockpit window.

“I can see the sky?”

○ Because the ship’s stuck in the ground at an angle.

“Still, for an unlicensed pilot, that wasn’t half bad, right?”

Climbing up the slanted floor, Yeongwoo checked the cockpit map.

To his surprise, a green dot was marked right next to the target location.

Despite everything, he had arrived exactly where he wanted.

“Open the door. We’re right in front of the vault.”

○ The entrance is buried in the ground, so no. You’ll have to get out yourself.

“Then I’ll just cut my way out. Tell the frogs to prepare for ship repairs.”

After saying that, Yeongwoo immediately drew Bastard from his waist.

Chwaaaaat!

Then he found a spot with fewer electronic components and thrust Bastard deep into it.

Crunch!

The myth-grade demonic sword Bastard split through even the high-Katangdal armor like paper, and as Yeongwoo swung it, a large opening formed, letting the outside air rush in.

○ But… was there really a vault?

Earth asked, still sounding unconvinced.

At that, Yeongwoo slipped through the gap and turned his gaze toward the navy-blue building ahead.

“Navy blue…? That’s Katangdal again.”

The building wasn’t even that large.

It looked closer to a small barracks.

But judging by the color and its distinctive material, it was clearly made with Katangdal.

“What is this…?”

As Yeongwoo compared the color of the ship he had ridden with that building, Earth reacted sharply.

○ Wait. The assistant says that might not be a vault.

‘Then what is it?’

Earth paused as if relaying something from Mantero, then spoke again.

○ An office.

‘An office? Whose office?’

○ Most likely, one of Salzeo’s direct bloodline is inside. It’s a bit remote, but it’s still a tactical outpost, so one of their lineage must have been dispatched here.

‘Ah.’

Hearing that, Yeongwoo understood why no troops had rushed out of that building.

The ones stationed here were guards.

‘No, then shouldn’t they be running out in a panic? What kind of sense does it make to hide inside?’

○ Not every member of Salzeo’s family would be a combatant.

‘Is that so? Then I guess I’ll help them fulfill some other role.’

As Yeongwoo finished speaking and drew Bastard again, Earth hurriedly asked.

○ What are you planning to do now?

‘I’ll ask that coward for the location of the vault.’

○ But… what if there really isn’t a vault?

‘Then the one inside becomes my vault.’

[Translator - Night]

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