Arknightcraft Modpack
Chapter 557: You Call This a Ship?
With the help of the Emperor, getting the approximate location of the Zorah Magdaros from Mostima was easy. Once he had the general direction, Steven nodded toward Kal'tsit.
"Since it's still early, let's head over and take a look. I still need to come back and take some people out for some late-night snacks. We're on a tight schedule, alright?"
He urged Kal'tsit, who was still discussing things with the Emperor, casually dropping a statement shocking enough to make jaws hit the floor.
The place in question was along Ursus' coastal border. Even the fastest aircraft from Lungmen would need at least two days to arrive. Yet Steven sounded as if he were just going downstairs to buy a soda.
"Don't rush. If possible, I'd like to invite the Emperor along," Kal'tsit said calmly, showing no surprise at all. "At least we'll need a Beast Lord present. It'll help persuade the others later."
"Sure, sure. As long as time allows, you could even bring the entire Penguin Logistics crew. It's no trouble for me."
Steven shrugged. Using one Pokéball or ten made no difference to him. They weren't disposable—he could always convert them back into EMC points afterward.
Hearing they might be allowed to come along, the others—who had been deliberately keeping their distance—suddenly perked up.
The first to act was the Sankta girl, who rushed straight to Steven with sparkling eyes. Her pitiful expression resembled an abandoned puppy.
"Are we going on a trip? The boss promised us a company outing this year and still hasn't delivered. If it's an overseas vacation, take us with you!"
It was clear she'd been cooped up for a while. Unfortunately, her cute plea met only the Emperor's merciless headshake.
"This isn't something you can get involved in," he said sternly. "The trouble here is beyond what you can handle. How about I take you all to the Obsidian Festival later for the outing?"
He ordered the lively Sankta girl back to her seat while casually dangling a promise. Without some bait, he wasn't sure these troublemakers wouldn't try to sneak along anyway. This matter had already escalated to a world-level crisis—he didn't want his employees dragged into it.
With her boss so firm, the girl slumped back onto the sofa, sulking. She grabbed a bag of chips and stuffed them into her mouth in frustration.
Only after the Emperor finished arranging things did Steven, with his consent, stuff both him and Kal'tsit into Pokéballs.
Moments later, shimmering violet particles marked their teleportation. One second Steven was inside Lungmen enjoying warm air conditioning—next he stood on the snowy borderlands of Ursus.
Then, a pitch-black void tore open space itself. The black hole swallowed Steven before he even landed. In the blink of an eye, he reappeared near the coordinates Mostima had given him.
The salty, damp air from the sea mixed with the biting winds of the Ursus border, slashing across Steven's face like knives. Already used to the dizziness caused by teleportation, he released the three people stored in the Pokéballs.
"That… really isn't a pleasant feeling. And where exactly are we?"
The Emperor stumbled out, nearly toppling over like a rolling gas canister. He grabbed a withered tree nearby and took deep breaths. The sudden drop in temperature caught him off guard, though as a penguin, he wasn't particularly bothered by the cold.
Kal'tsit and Nian, on the other hand, seemed almost unaffected by the temperature. The moment they emerged, their attention returned to Steven.
But compared to Kal'tsit, Nian's gaze carried a hint of excitement.
"Hey, can you let me take a look at that ball later? I'm curious about its structure. It doesn't look like something made with Originium Arts."
She grabbed Steven's arm. If not for their relationship, she might have already tried to snatch it outright.
The space inside the Pokéball wasn't large, yet it could contain even a being like her—and she couldn't break out from within. She found the craftsmanship fascinating.
Her younger sister could achieve similar effects, but that required her own power. Steven, meanwhile, hadn't shown any sign of activating an ability.
Which meant… it was purely the ball itself.
"I don't think that's what we should focus on right now," Steven said with a smile. "Didn't we come here to find that Zorah Magdaros first?"
Nian's fascination with interesting creations matched her authority perfectly. If they weren't in a hurry, Steven wouldn't mind studying the Pokéball with her—maybe it would even glow in the dark under the covers at night. But for now, confirming the status of that giant walking time bomb took priority.
"True," Kal'tsit said, frowning. "But Mostima mentioned its last known trajectory was heading into the sea. Going along the coast means entering the territory of the Seaborn."
Several days had passed since Mostima last confirmed the creature's location. Even if its movement speed wasn't fast, finding it wouldn't be easy. And the ocean was far more dangerous than land.
"Not a problem. A general direction is enough—I come with built-in navigation," Steven waved dismissively. "And as for the Seaborn… is there anyone here who can't handle them?"
He had a mini-map, after all. Finding such a massive target in the ocean would be trivial. As for the Seaborn—those were basically free points.
Steven almost hoped some would come looking for trouble. These "hospitable locals" of the sea were far more generous with points than humans on land.
"Hello, yes. I can't handle them," the Emperor declared, stepping forward bravely. "I may be a powerful penguin, but I'm still just a penguin. Asking me to face Seaborn is a bit much."
"Then just be a mascot," Steven said casually. "Ships usually have birds like parrots onboard, right? You can fill that role. I think it suits you."
Stretching his arms, Steven pulled out a crafting table from his inventory.
"Are you really planning to head into the open sea? We don't even have a ship," Kal'tsit frowned. "Let me remind you—if you try flying across the ocean, you'd better be prepared to face volleys from the Seaborn beneath the waves."
They had come in too much of a hurry. She hadn't even contacted Ursus authorities. Otherwise, she could at least have arranged a vessel capable of navigating these waters.
"Hey, I'm human too, alright? The ones who fly freely are birdmen. Humans are called humans because we use tools, remember?" Steven shot back without turning his head.
Then, as if performing a magic trick, he pulled two small wooden boats out from the crafting table and placed them on the sand.
"…."
The moment everyone saw them—objects that were hard to call boats, looking more like wooden coffins with two paddles attached—the group fell into collective silence.
They knew Steven could be ridiculous, but this… this was on another level.
He seriously called those things boats? They looked like they'd sink before even touching the water.
"If you're planning a sea burial," the Emperor finally said, unable to hold back, "you don't really need those paddles. Wouldn't it be better to just use the wood for a proper coffin lid?"
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Note: Character Illustration is in this Google Drive:
https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/1iuyfwNVFHzIi9H4rWNT_lAm7jTSiah_M
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Tn: I updated the story daily, but if you want to see more chapter of this story ahead of time, please go to my Patreon.
Latest Chapter: Chapter 617: A Bold Guess[1]
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[1] https://www.patreon.com/Thatsnakegirl/posts/arknightcraft-160680628
[2] https://www.patreon.com/Thatsnakegirl/posts/arknightcraft-160680628