Chapter 232

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Translated by Jinmu
Read it only at Novelbyu.com & Utoon.net
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“Wow…”

“It seems to be larger than I thought.”

The group stood at the pier on the back of Nephelis island.

Han-bit’s group was looking up at a large flying ship.

-Oh.

-There was something like this?

-Investigation Team class dd

-Looks holy sh*t expensive;

Viewers also showed a surprised reaction to the flying ship that appeared for the first time.

In the first place, it was a special means of movement that even Han-bit would have found difficult to see.

“How is it? It was made by using a lot of floating stones.”

Charlotte von Sinclair pointed to the lower part of the flying ship.

There, a giant blue-white structure was composed of a single layer.

“You managed to gather that many floating stones.”

“There was a time I had to trade with a dragon. I wonder where it went now?”

She spoke as if she was retracing an old memory.

There were very few dragons existing in the world.

They were basically monsters, but they also became objects of exchange as a single race.

Though they were different from the Phantom Beasts Black Dragon and White Dragon from the beginning of time.

“Is that the candidate?”

Then, a crowd of people appeared from the side.

The gaze of the brown-haired man at the lead was fixed on Han-bit.

“Roald, you’ve come!”

“Because I’m not crazy enough to refuse the commander’s request. You’d drop my head with that sword.”

“I told you I wouldn’t!”

The man tapped his neck with his finger, and Charlotte wore an aggrieved expression.

Han-bit looked at the name tag floating above the man’s head.

[Investigation Team Exploration 3rd Unit Captain Roald]

The units of the Investigation Team explored uncleared restricted areas.

Most members moved while belonging to one of the five exploration units.

Roald was the man who commanded that third unit.

Leading such Investigation Team members with strong pride was already different from an ordinary person.

“Talk for a bit.”

Charlotte approached the other Investigation Team members standing in the back.

Meanwhile, Roald took one step closer and asked.

“You’re the one who has the World Tree’s branch? Your face is too neat, so I don’t trust you.”

“Well, I don’t need to prove it to you, do I?”

“Unlucky as you look. For an originally trustworthy face, it should be at least about this friend’s level.”

Turning his head, Roald pointed to the side with the tip of his chin.

There stood a man with a large build and a menacing face who wore an absurd expression.

“Are you doing that with the face again?”

“It’s a compliment, a compliment. Didn’t I say it was a symbol of trust? It’s okay to look a bit scary.”

“Please speak after at least lowering the corners of your mouth.”

-haha

-Is this a sitcom?

-Look at them filling the audio well.

-But honestly he looks holy sh*t scary.

-Real, I thought he was a monster;

Those people exchanging jokes were companions who had crossed between life and death together for several years.

Beyond doubt, they were experts among experts when it came to exploration and combat.

‘Roald came this time.’

Recalling past experiences, the Investigation Team members who accompanied him changed every period.

As it was the first time heading at such an early period, and even on a flying ship, there was continuous curiosity about who would come.

And if it was Roald, he was one of the perfectly suitable people.

Slig—

A mysterious red bow shimmered with light behind his back.

It was Roald’s main weapon and an object like his other half.

It was considerably good for dealing with monsters on the rough sky path heading to the center of the ocean.

“Well, leaving aside being unlucky. What are you going to do about the branch?”

“What do you mean by what am I going to do?”

“I’m asking if you’re going to return it to the World Tree. Surely you won’t say you’ll keep it yourself, abandoning the great cause or whatever? You’re an Investigation Team candidate even if you die.”

The wish of the Investigation Team, including Roald, was clear.

Filling the World Tree’s empty branch and proceeding with the investigation of the inside was like a long-cherished wish.

Facing the gaze full of suspicion, Han-bit let out a disinterested voice.

“Where is the conviction that it will show a positive reaction if I return it? What if it goes crazy and kills all the people there?”

“Why would the World Tree do such a thing? Don’t you know that the sentence written there became the world’s indicator?”

An objection was raised using a similar ground as Charlotte’s.

At that time, he had agreed moderately and moved on, but the truth was different.

“Was that sentence written by the World Tree’s will?”

“…What?”

At the casually thrown out question, Roald wore a puzzled expression.

Of course, he didn’t feel like giving out more information right away.

“I’m just saying such a thought occurred to me. There’s nothing bad about suspecting, is there?”

“You’re saying someone else wrote that sentence? Who? How?”

“I don’t know either. It’s just from the aspect of possibility.”

“…”

At the moderate answer, Roald’s eyebrows furrowed slightly.

He had a frustrated expression as the question was not resolved.

“What are you talking about?”

Then, Charlotte, who finished greetings with other Investigation Team members, returned once again.

Han-bit said while shrugging his shoulders.

“He said he’d beat up my unlucky face if I don’t return the branch to the World Tree?”

“Eh?”

“What?”

-??

-Something was added?

-Manipulation of public opinion? Black Dragon channel.

-After picking a fight once. haha

At the content that turned provocative, the two people opened their eyes wide simultaneously.

Charlotte turned her gaze abruptly and glared at Roald.

“What is the meaning of this?”

“No, wait a moment, Commander. I didn’t mean it with that kind of nuance…”

“Black Dragon, you go in first.”

At the firm command, Han-bit nodded and boarded the flying ship along with his group.

It was a quite funny situation that Roald’s desperate explanation was faintly heard.

“Wow, it’s just similar to being on a boat?”

“There’s almost no shaking either.”

“Ooh…”

The twins and Ping-pong, who climbed onto the deck, were surprised by the comfortable sensation.

As long as such a large floating stone was used, it had to be seen as something above a top-class cruise if compared to a boat.

“You waited, didn’t you?”

While looking around the flying ship, Charlotte, who finished the conversation, arrived.

Roald, seen far off, was looking at Han-bit with a serious face.

“I’ll apologize instead. I’ll never let something like a threat be forced again.”

“It’s okay.”

Charlotte delivered an apology with a truly sorry face.

Although it was a story with a bit of exaggeration, it was better to draw a line with Roald in advance.

Otherwise, it was clear it would become annoying throughout the time on the flying ship.

‘He must be curious indeed.’

Roald could not take his eyes off Han-bit.

Although he was a man who threw words in a provocative tone, he was not of a personality that specifically held a grudge.

But the matter regarding the companions’ safety was different.

If the World Tree that received the branch truly attacked the surroundings recklessly, so if all the Investigation Team members who were together died, it would truly be the worst result.

Probably he started to weigh all sorts of possibilities to resolve that question.

“Then I’ll depart right away.”

Jeobeok—

Charlotte walked to the center of the flying ship.

A large magic stone emitting green light was embedded there.

Slig—

She placed her palm on the surface of the magic stone.

Then a change occurred immediately.

Pat—!

Deudedeu—!

The vibration of the flying ship rang simultaneously with the emitted light.

Gaining speed was instantaneous.

“Wow, it’s moving!”

Haneul, responding immediately, quickly ran to the railing and scanned below.

From the landscape identical to her hair color to the clouds passing by at a gradually faster speed, it seemed as if her heart was being refreshed.

“It’ll take about 3 hours to arrive.”

Charlotte, who took her hand off the magic stone, returned once again.

It was a preposterously short time considering the considerably long distance.

Han-bit, who took his gaze off the outside landscape, scanned the Investigation Team members on the flying ship and threw a question.

“Did you bring many people because of that incident?”

The number of Investigation Team members who boarded the flying ship was about fifty.

Although the factor of the World Tree was important to them, that many people was honestly excessive.

Was this also a change created by the incident that happened in Area 8-35?

“Exploration schedules overlapped, but the purpose is that, correct. Because I don’t want to lose any more.”

Charlotte nodded and accepted.

To her, the death of the Investigation Team members would never be forgotten.

That was why she had bundled the scheduled exploration around the World Tree and included it in the journey.

“Is the headquarters okay? It seems even Dusk followed along.”

“It’s okay. Because by now Oppa… the Vice Commander will have returned.”

Charlotte answered while leaning her body against the railing.

Edwin von Sinclair was the Vice Commander of the Investigation Team and her older brother.

It was a feeling that they could not be called on good terms even as an empty word; to be precise, the one-sided envy and jealousy of one side was intense.

Huuung—

Along with the silence that settled suddenly, the sound of cleaving the wind echoed.

The reason the aftermath felt small compared to the speed was thanks to the barrier of mana that wrapped the flying ship.

It should be seen as an effect made by Charlotte’s mana, which was vast to the point of being astonishing.

“Black Dragon-nim, but how will it really turn out?”

Around the time nearly one hour and a half had passed, Haneul asked in a small voice.

There was no need to check that it was a question regarding the World Tree.

“I don’t know yet. It’s a tree with a bad personality and severe mood swings.”

“…Mood swings?”

World Tree and mood swings.

Although it was a word with an image that didn’t match, it was a truly tricky tree.

Because it was an existence like a multiple personality if compared to a human.

Depending on which personality came out, Han-bit’s choice was also bound to change.

“Let’s check after arriving for now. Since there is another problem right now.”

Huuuk—!

Then, another air current mixed around the flying ship.

“They’ve come.”

Charlotte, who was leaning against the railing, also sensed the anomaly.

Simultaneously, a swarm of shadows shot up toward the upper side.

Kyayak—!

Kigigik—!

[Malice-imbued Wind Hawk (Lv. 443)]

[Malice-imbued Black Beetle (Lv. 446)]

[Malice-imbued Echo Raven (Lv. 447)]

-Ugh;

-Look at the levels. haha

-Holy sh*t big;

-Almost Tinkerbell class.

-Charlotte, ‘do it’.

A swarm of flying monsters of considerable level surrounded the flying ship.

The number reached as many as a hundred.

“Each squad take positions.”

The 3rd Unit Captain Roald gave out instructions while scanning the battle situation quickly.

But no one in this place needed to move.

“I’ll do it.”

Shring—

Charlotte, who drew her black-and-white sword, stood lightly on the railing.

Peoreok—!

Wiing—!

The monsters that sensed killing intent shook their wings fiercely and rushed toward her.

And the moment the guys approached all at once, Charlotte’s sword lightly drew through the air.

Slice—!

A black line was produced in the air along with a short motion.

The heads of the hundred or so monsters that were flying in were already separated from their torsos.

-Eh?

-??

-What did she do?

-She just drew and it becomes like that?

-Is the sky split?

-Crazy. haha

Everyone’s gaze was concentrated on the black line drawn in the air.

A crack that did not disappear even though the monsters died.

The phenomenon as if cleaving the clear sky could only look mysterious.

“That’s the Commander’s swordsmanship…”

“It’s the first time I’ve seen it in reality.”

Many Investigation Team members also showed a surprised reaction to Charlotte’s swordsmanship.

It was a power difficult to witness if they were not those who had been together from the past.

“Wait.”

Then, Charlotte whispered quietly.

That voice did not reach the Investigation Team members who were letting out admiration.

Only Han-bit, who sensed something strange, placed his hand on the sword hilt.

Wooo—

A faint resonance was heard among the surging wind sound.

It got closer little by little without being noticed.

Wooooong—

“This…”

“No way.”

The identity of the resonance sound that was gradually becoming stronger instinctively flashed through Charlotte’s and Han-bit’s heads.

The voices of the two people bursting out was simultaneous.

“It’s below!”

“Hold onto anything!”

Kwagwagwagwang—!

An immense impact arrived along with the shout that rang the flying ship.

“Uat!”

“Keuhek!”

That aftermath sent all the people who were standing on the floor flying into the air.

“Sylph!”

「I’ll catch them!」

Huuung—!

Sylph’s wind caught the bodies of the people who floated up along with the call.

Han-bit, who caught a pillar in the air, quickly moved to the railing.

And the moment he looked down along with an uneasy premonition, he met eyes with a giant sky whale.