Chapter 120: Bellybutton Adventurers
ㅤAccording to the Village Chief-san, it’s okay to slaughter the pirates, but since their pirate ship is a valuable source of lumber for the village, he’d like us to preserve it in its original form as much as possible.
ㅤ
ㅤ（Preserve it in its original form… Does he think I’m some kind of God of Destruction?…）
ㅤ
ㅤThe pirates have built a simple base on land, centered around their beached pirate ship.
ㅤHowever, it’s a makeshift one, just a wall made of the stones that cover the Navel of the World.
ㅤPerhaps because it was too much trouble to carry only stones, they’ve torn off some of the ship’s building materials to make fences, and used the materials to build a framework on the ceiling, hanging sails down as a makeshift roof.
ㅤThey’re quite adaptable pirates.
ㅤ
ㅤ（Well, I doubt the Kielhen Islands had any trade with other cities, so they were probably self-sufficient to begin with.）
ㅤ
ㅤIt seems like it would be easier to give up piracy and work honestly, but if they could do that, they wouldn’t be pirates in the first place.
ㅤ
ㅤ（Pirates… about thirteen on land, and ten on the ship, I think.）
ㅤ
ㅤThe ship is a little far away, so my detection accuracy is low.
ㅤHowever, I’ll know once I board. A difference of one or two pirates won’t make much of a difference against these small-timers.
ㅤ
ㅤThe pirates were on edge.
ㅤTheir previous attack had failed, and those who participated were annihilated.
ㅤIt seems that information has already spread, and all the pirates, including women, children, and the injured, are on guard with bows and spears.
ㅤ
ㅤI look back at the Hope Village adventurers who followed me.
ㅤ
ㅤ”Alright, as planned, I’ll circle around to the other side, start a fire, and cause a commotion. I’ll leave the cleanup of those who try to escape to you.”
ㅤ
ㅤ”Yes, understood.”
ㅤ
ㅤThe one who answered was the leader of the adventurers, who witnessed me wiping out the pirates in the earlier defense.
ㅤThere are no such fancy things as razors in the Navel of the World, and his beard is overgrown.
ㅤSince they can’t get metal, his armor is made of leather, and the sword in his hand is slightly rusted.
ㅤHowever, the blade of the sword gleams in the intense sunlight of the Navel of the World.
ㅤHe must be diligently sharpening it with a whetstone.
ㅤWe’re not broken yet—the polished blade of the sword seemed to declare.
ㅤ
ㅤBehind the captain are five adventurers in similar attire.
ㅤTwo warriors, one thief, and two magicians, a good balance.
ㅤ
ㅤThere’s tension on the adventurers’ faces, but no fear.
ㅤ
ㅤI nod slightly and, with Arsh, weave through the shadows of the stone blocks, circling around to the opposite side of the pirate encampment.
ㅤ
ㅤ”Arsh, wait here.”
ㅤ
ㅤ”Y-yes.”
ㅤ
ㅤArsh nods nervously.
ㅤBy the way, Arsh’s light blue hair is incredibly conspicuous, so it’s hidden with a random bandana that was a drop item. It has the convenient effect of increasing the wearer’s attention span, which is perfect for the scatterbrained Arsh.
ㅤ
ㅤ”Alright, let’s make a grand entrance.”
ㅤ
ㅤI moved away from Arsh and stopped concealing my presence.
ㅤThe pirates still didn’t seem to notice, so,
ㅤ
ㅤ”Gatling Turret—with thicker bullets.”
ㅤ
ㅤI create an invisible Ether Shot rapid-fire device in the air.
ㅤI set the bullets to be larger than usual for the purpose of destroying the encampment.
ㅤ
ㅤ”Shatter!”
ㅤ
ㅤI fire a volley of countless Ether Shots.
ㅤ
ㅤDodododododo!
ㅤ
ㅤWith a loud noise, the stone wall the pirates had built collapses.
ㅤ
ㅤ”Th-they’re hereeee! It’s the Devil of the Navel!”
ㅤ
ㅤThe pirates scream and take up a fighting stance.
ㅤ
ㅤ”Devil is a bit rude, don’t you think?”
ㅤ
ㅤI purposely reveal myself as I approach the collapsed encampment.
ㅤ
ㅤ”F-fireeee!”
ㅤ
ㅤAt the pirate captain’s command, a rain of arrows falls.
ㅤ
ㅤ”—Wind!”
ㅤ
ㅤWith a single word from me, a gale erupts, scattering the rain of arrows.
ㅤ
ㅤFurthermore,
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ㅤ”Crimson Flames, Lick the Earth and Burn Away the Enemy!”
ㅤ
ㅤA mass of flames erupts at my feet, spreading out in a fan shape as it crawls along the ground, attacking the pirates through the gaps in the collapsed encampment.
ㅤ
ㅤ”Uwaaaaah! It’s hot! Help me!”
ㅤ”Run, the flames—”
ㅤ”Waaaah! The fire is chasing us!”
ㅤ”Abandon the encampment! Escape to the other side!”
ㅤ
ㅤThe flames, licking the earth and spreading endlessly, throw the pirates into confusion.
ㅤI pick off a few of them with Ether Shots and lead the remaining few towards where the adventurers are waiting.
ㅤ
ㅤ”You bastards, you dared to hurt Evy!”
ㅤ
ㅤThe leader of the adventurers attacks the pirates, cutting one down with a single blow.
ㅤ
ㅤ”A-an ambush!”
ㅤ
ㅤA knife thrown by the thief pierces the throat of the screaming pirate.
ㅤ
ㅤ”Damn! They’re tough! Attack them all at once!”
ㅤ
ㅤThe remaining three pirates attack the leader of the adventurers.
ㅤ
ㅤ”Hmph!”
ㅤ
ㅤThe captain receives the sword of one pirate while simultaneously knocking away the sword of another with his gauntlet.
ㅤThe sword swung down by the last pirate is met with,
ㅤ
ㅤ”Armor of Adamant!”
ㅤ
ㅤThe magic cast by the magician creates a membrane of Ether around the captain’s armor.
ㅤThe pirate’s sword strikes the membrane. With a sound like metal striking metal, the pirate’s sword breaks.
ㅤ
ㅤ”What?!”
ㅤ
ㅤWhile the pirate is surprised,
ㅤ
ㅤ”Too slow!”
ㅤ
ㅤThe captain forcefully pushes away the sword he was blocking and spins on the spot. He unleashes a fierce horizontal slash.
ㅤThe three pirates are each cut across the chest and throat, collapsing with screams.
ㅤ
ㅤ（That blow just now—it wasn’t just swordsmanship. He used Ether.）
ㅤ
ㅤIt’s nothing compared to Grunblin’s Demon Lance attack, but it’s a considerably powerful attack for a human warrior.
ㅤIf I were to name it, I’d call it Rotating Demon Slayer.
ㅤ
ㅤOf course, I wasn’t just standing around idly.
ㅤ
ㅤDuring that time, I’ve annihilated all the pirates on the deck of the pirate ship who were preparing their bows with Ether Shots.
ㅤThere was just nothing particularly noteworthy to mention.
ㅤ
ㅤI join the captains and ask,
ㅤ
ㅤ”Is everyone alright?!”
ㅤ
ㅤ”Yeah, no problem.”
ㅤ
ㅤ”Alright, let’s take care of the remaining enemies inside the ship!”
ㅤ
ㅤ””Yeah!””
ㅤ
ㅤThe adventurers reply bravely.
ㅤ
ㅤWhen the pirates on the ship realized they were at a disadvantage, they tried to raise the gangplank and confine themselves to the ship.
ㅤI destroy the chain connected to the winch with Ether Shots, forcefully lowering the gangplank.
ㅤ
ㅤ”There are five remaining enemies, mostly injured!”
ㅤ
ㅤThe thief reports quickly.
ㅤThe same assessment I made.
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ㅤ”What do you want to do?”
ㅤ
ㅤWhen I ask,
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ㅤ”Our village doesn’t have the resources to feed prisoners. However, if there’s a captain, we should capture him alive.”
ㅤ
ㅤThe captain says.
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ㅤWith that, we enter the ship.
ㅤIt’s darker inside than outside, and my eyes are dazzled.
ㅤOne of the magicians casts a spell.
ㅤ
ㅤ”Brighten Our Eyes.”
ㅤ
ㅤ”Heeeh.”
ㅤ
ㅤI don’t understand the principle, but my eyes, which were dazzled by the difference in brightness, have returned to normal.
ㅤNo, I can see even more clearly than before.
ㅤPerhaps my vision has improved as well.
ㅤ
ㅤThen, the other magician casts a spell.
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ㅤ”Let Our Ears Pick Up the Faintest Sounds.”
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ㅤImmediately after, with a clear, distinct sound, a pirate jumps out from behind cover.
ㅤNo,
ㅤ
ㅤ（This pirate is quite skilled. He was concealing his presence and making no noise.）
ㅤ
ㅤOur hearing has been enhanced by magic.
ㅤ
ㅤThe pirate, who was about to attack, is cut down by the male warrior who reacted to the sound before he could even raise his sword.
ㅤIt was a swift move, too fast to see.
ㅤ
ㅤAfter that, we defeat the pirates who sporadically attack, search out and kill the pirates in hiding, and drag out and capture the captain, who was huddled and trembling in a cargo box at the bottom of the ship.
ㅤ
ㅤThe adventurers were clearly strong.