Chapter 126: Thirty-Second Floor, Sky Whale Protector (3)

[Safely guide as many sky whales as possible to the eastern plains of Regium. Time remaining: 102 hours 26 minutes.]

I retrieved a dagger from the mimic.

Impressively, Retra's bodyguards managed to react despite my accelerated speed. Though Retra himself was a novice, his entourage seemed to have some degree of skill. Yet, their reflexes were no match for Flash Strike.

In a heartbeat, I launched forward and grabbed Retra’s shoulder before yanking him around. As his body spun, the blade of my dagger landed against his neck.

Time resumed its normal pace.

The pilot hadn't even managed to fully unsheath his sword.

Bang!

A gunshot rang out as the guards fired a moment too late, their bullets piercing the spot I had occupied seconds earlier.

“Aaaaagh!"

Retra's scream tore through the air as he panicked.

The rifles clattered sharply, attempting to line up a clear shot, but their efforts were futile.

Perhaps believing the guns were aimed at him, Retra flailed wildly. “Put those guns down, you idiots! Lower your weapons now!"

The soldiers hesitated, and their eyes darted toward the captain, waiting for his orders. I locked gazes with the captain, watching his expression switch back and forth between fury and hesitation.

I wordlessly prompted him with a steely glare.

The captain gritted his teeth and barked out a command, “Lower your weapons!"

As if already expecting that, the soldiers hastily followed his command.

“Let me go, you asshole! Let me go!" Retra screamed and thrashed wildly in my grip, entirely ignoring the blade near his throat.

Is he incapable of grasping the situation?

His incessant squirming was more annoying than anything else. Perhaps my threat hadn’t been clear enough.

I didn’t bother with words. Instead, I drew the dagger lightly across his skin, just enough for the razor-sharp edge to graze him. The subtle sting must have registered because his body immediately went rigid.

“If you value your life, stay still.”

A pathetic whimper escaped his lips. “

H-Hrk!

”

Control had shifted entirely back into my hands, just like I had planned. When direct confrontation couldn’t lead to victory, an advantage had to be created.

A hostage is the perfect way to gain leverage.

Simply taking the captain hostage wouldn’t have been enough to dissuade the other airships. On the other hand, Retra was an influential figure backed by power and privilege.

If he manages to talk down his pilot, the others definitely won’t take risks.

With him as my captive, the pursuers would have to tread carefully. Now that I had established that foundation, everything afterward would be straightforward. All I needed to do was escort Retra back to our airship, lead the sky whales to the eastern edge of Regium, and then release him. Finally, I would leave this planet and enter the waiting room, escaping right from their midst.

As for the mysterious "original" captain I had impersonated? Not my problem.

Wait a second...

I paused mid-thought when another idea sparked in my mind.

Why should I return to the original airship?

Combat airships were both sturdier and faster than the ship I had been traveling on. Since the sky whales would follow the baiting incense regardless of which ship it was tossed from, switching airships made more sense.

“You think you’ll get away with this?” Retra spat defiantly.

“Shut up,” I snapped, tightening my grip on him as I turned toward the captain. “If you don’t want this brat to die, you will trade airships with the elves.”

“What are you talking about?” the captain barked, his confusion palpable.

“Exactly what it sounds like,” I replied. “We’ll take your ship to transport the whales east. Once we’re done, you’ll get both the ship and your little lordling back.”

“How can we trust—”

I confidently cut off his objection. “What choice do you have?”

The pilot turned to the guards, but they offered no solutions. Judging by their grimaces, they were less worried about Retra’s safety, and more worried about the fallout once he was free. A spoiled brat like him would undoubtedly unleash a tirade on them for failing to protect him.

At least surviving my blade was better than enduring his wrath later.

“Roxanne! Grab the incense and come over here!” I shouted.

“What?”

“We’re switching airships! This one’s faster.”

I doubted the whales would let us use the airship's full speed, but even a slight advantage could save time. As I gave the order, a new worry crept in.

What if Roxanne throws a fit about cleaning this ship too?

No, surely she would understand the urgency.

Thankfully, she quickly grasped the situation and directed the elves to gather the scent supplies. “Oh, got it! Guys, gather the goods!”

Then, I quickly turned to the pilot, ensuring he wouldn’t do anything aggressive in the meantime. “Let’s do this quietly. It should take two or three days to reach the eastern edge of Regium. Once the whales are safe, I’ll return both the ship and Retra.”

The pilot’s face twisted silently from his inner conflict. His lack of response suggested my words hadn’t fully convinced him.

What else can I say to tip the scales?

That was when I recalled what I had learned on the previous floor. Words alone wouldn’t be enough; actions carried far more weight.

“Look, if you consider the fact that I haven’t harmed anyone, it’s obvious I don’t want unnecessary bloodshed.”

The captain’s expression softened, but he still hadn’t fully acquiesced. “And how do you plan to return Mr. Retra?”

“Simple. Just follow us at a safe distance. If anything goes wrong, you’ll have every chance to act.”

I had ensured that I covered this scenario during my planning process. Although taking Retra hostage would cause the kingdom to target us, it would also deter any hunters from approaching. In essence, the royal airships would unwittingly serve as our protectors. This arrangement would also eliminate the need to avoid cities, making the journey faster.

From the pilot’s perspective, it was a fair deal. He could keep us within range, ready to attack if needed. Surely, he would see reason.

After consulting briefly with Retra’s guards, the pilot nodded reluctantly. “Fine. But you’d better keep your word. If you don’t, you won’t live to regret it.”

“Good. One more thing. Don’t fly too close. The sky whales won’t like it.”

***

[Safely guide as many sky whales as possible to the eastern plains of Regium. Time remaining: 86 hours 46 minutes.]

As expected, the rest of the journey proceeded without issue. However, there was still one bother.

“You useless elves! I said I’m hungry! Bring me food, you motherfuckers!”

Retra’s incessant whining echoed across the deck, loud enough to reach the cabin. He had been tied up on the deck, per the pilot’s request to keep him visible. Earlier, he had shouted for water, but now, it was food.

Even Doppy couldn’t resist commenting on the commotion,

“Kriee!

Su-Yeok! Hungry!”

“You too? Alright, let’s grab something to eat.”

As I reached into the mimic for some jerky, faint murmurs drifted in from the corridor outside, piquing my curiosity.

Focusing on the voices, I realized a pair of elves were chatting nearby.

“Livren, don’t you think that guy looks... tasty?”

“

Haha!

With how plump he is, I bet he’d taste great.”

Are they... talking about eating Retra?

At first, I assumed it was a joke, but the elves’ sinister undertones continued.

“Besides, isn’t the Delraheim family head one of the so-called Fire Lords of the Toff Kingdom? Honestly, someone like him deserves to be eaten.”

“True, but if we did, we would all be dead meat.”

A sense of unease settled over me. This didn’t sound like mere banter anymore.

Elves wouldn’t eat humans, right? That seems completely absurd.

Suddenly, I recalled what Roxanne had told me. Elves only consumed pests—anything that harmed nature. Following that logic, humans—developers and destroyers—would fit that description from the elves’ perspective.

Now that I think about it, their behavior has been suspicious since we stole the airship.

Certain moments stood out to me, from Roxanne barring me from entering the cabin, to her oddly reddened lips.

Have they been eating humans this whole time?

If that were the case, they would have had to have snuck someone onboard, and I hadn’t seen any evidence of that.

I shouldn’t jump to conclusions

.

The elves could simply be joking around. After all, even back on Earth, there were sayings like, “If you don’t behave, the scary man will eat you.” I could be misunderstanding something because I was unfamiliar with elf culture.

“

Kriee?

Su-Yeok? Sick?”

Doppy’s voice broke my train of thought. It was looking at me with a puzzled expression.

Startled by what I had overheard earlier, I must have frozen momentarily. Shaking off the lingering tension, I handed the jerky to it.

“No, I’m fine. I was just lost in thought.”

***

[Safely guide as many sky whales as possible to the eastern plains of Regium. Time remaining: 31 hours 35 minutes.]

We continued sailing smoothly for another two days. With nothing exciting to draw my attention, I grew bored and engaged in lengthy conversations with Roxanne.

I wasn’t merely passing the time. For me, information gathering was a necessary step. Considering that choosing to save the sky whales had influenced not only the thirty-second but also the thirty-third floor, the next trial would likely take place in this world.

Through our talks, I managed to uncover a few new pieces of information.

First, unlike the Blue Dawn Breeze and other deities I had interacted with, the gods of this world did not reveal themselves. They neither interacted with mortals nor shared their divine powers. Instead, the faithful worshiped and acted according to a doctrine, relying solely on their beliefs.

Second, the rift between humans and elves ran deeper than I had initially imagined and wasn’t just about technology. Although humans had advanced technology like airships, vehicles, and firearms, the elves also created and used tools when necessary despite their status as “naturalists.”

Moreover, their connection to the spirits ensured that the balance of power between the two races remained relatively even. This delicate balance led to frequent minor skirmishes, intensifying the animosity between the two groups.

I have only heard stories from Roxanne’s side, but even examining only the actions of the elves I have met...

It felt more like they were provoking the humans than the other way around.

One example that came to my mind was Roxanne’s comment a few days ago, in which she shared that the kingdom wouldn’t dare attack us if she revealed her identity.

Unlike humans, whose cities were divided, the elves were united under their council. While full-scale war wasn’t an option, small guerrilla units would often wreak havoc within human territories.

Of course, the elven council would deny any involvement.

Humans, on the other hand, often turned a blind eye as another city’s losses were seen as a potential advantage. As a result, only cities targeted by elves bore the brunt of the damage, while others remained indifferent.

This dynamic explained why even large-scale operations—like hijacking an airship—went unchallenged. Humans simply couldn’t afford to retaliate recklessly against the elves, and the elves took full advantage of that.

Well, from the elves’ perspective, humans provoked them by destroying nature.

To an outsider, they come across as remarkably shameless.

Neither side could be easily labeled as good or evil. Yet, even though I was currently helping the elves, I couldn’t help but find them slightly irksome.

Considering I had only heard their side of the story and still felt this way, I could only imagine how much the humans disliked them. Perhaps the humans treated the elves as an Earthling would treat an extremist.

Well, the thirty-second floor is almost done anyway.

From my vantage point on the bow of the airship, I spotted a vast mountain range looming beyond the fifth city, Regium.

As I stood there admiring the view, Roxanne approached quietly before asking, “What do you plan to do next?”

“About what?”

“The humans. Once you release that guy, won’t they try to attack you again?”

Ah, so that is what she meant.

I lightly shook my head. “I’ll be fine. Plus, you said they won’t be able to touch the elves anyway. That way, I can just make my escape alone.”

“Escape alone? Why don’t you come with us? We can protect you. You may be human, but as someone who wields the divine power of the wind, it’s...”

“It’s okay. Even if I fall from here, I won’t die. Besides, I told you I had a time limit.”

I cut her off gently and noticed the worry in her eyes.

As soon as the system confirmed I had cleared the floor, I planned to leap off the airship. Thanks to Kashatum’s Sky Shoes, even if the tower took longer than normal to tally my achievement points, I wouldn’t die.

“Right, you did mention that.” Roxanne nodded faintly, looking slightly disappointed. She raised her head to meet my gaze. “Mr. Su-Hyeok.”

“Yes?”

“You value nature, don’t you? Your decision to impersonate the Fire Lord’s son to save the sky whales proves that, correct?”

“Well... you could say that’s true.”

“Then, what are your thoughts on humans who destroy nature?”

Wait. This is...

***

「Invisible message: Challenger Kwon Su-Hyeok has escorted the sky whales without a single one of them dying, completing the hidden mission ‘Flawless Transport.’ He has been awarded 1,000 achievement points.]