Chapter 529 - 超弩級幽霊戦艦
The Ghost Ship appeared from within the mist, beginning its encounter with an overt act of hostility by firing its cannons the moment it became visible. The ship Parfait and her companions were aboard did not back down, retaliating with its own mounted cannons. With that counterattack as the signal, the other ships also began their assault on the Ghost Ship.
Since the quest's original purpose was to find the Ghost Ship, their objective had been achieved. It was now almost certain that the ship could be made to appear as long as the conditions of the sea area and weather were met.
In that case, all that remained was to win the battle and enjoy the spoils of war. Most of the Players thought as much, but they gradually began to reconsider, feeling they might have been too hasty. In fact, it was becoming doubtful whether they could even win.
There was only one Ghost Ship. Given that they had come with a fleet of nearly fifty vessels, they hadn't expected to struggle, but that Ghost Ship was so absurdly massive it would be impossible in reality. Because it was shrouded in mist, the entire vessel wasn't visible, but according to information from the Players, it was a giant battleship that seemed to be a thousand meters in total length—hardly something one would call a "cute" little ghost ship. Not that ghost ships were cute to begin with.
As for why the battered wooden hull didn't sink, one could accept it since this was Virtual Reality and it was treated as a Ghost Ship. However, the sheer size was harder to accept. To put it realistically, the situation was like picking a fight with a battleship using a rowboat from a park pond, leaving most Players with the impression of: "What is this?"
Amidst all this, Abel was the one filled with excitement.
"Whoa! Awesome! It's huge! It's a Ghost Ship, a Ghost Ship! Doesn't it look like it'll curse us!?"
"Isn't it more of a Ghost Battleship than a Ghost Ship? It feels like it'll sink us physically before it can curse us."
"It's got romance, doesn't it!"
Ignoring Parfait's doubt about where exactly the romance was, Abel, who spoke with his eyes sparkling, looked far younger than his actual age. To Parfait, who had known him since childhood, this was no surprise, but Wilnel and Lion were a bit bewildered by this side of Abel they were seeing for the first time.
"Hey, hey, Lion, you can fly, right? Could you carry me over to the Ghost Ship!?"
"I can fly, but you're going to board it!?"
Lion possessed a magic stick that allowed the constant use of wind magic, enabling her to fly through the air using it for propulsion. It seemed possible for her to fly while carrying a single person, so Abel's proposal was feasible, technically speaking. Whether she wanted to do it was another matter.
"We don't get many days off, so it's a waste if we don't enjoy today to the fullest! Besides, if it's a Ghost Ship, there'll be plenty of Undead, so you can go wild too, Lion!"
"It's true that I can't go wild if we just come to look at the Ghost Ship...!"
"Right, right? And when you think of a Ghost Ship, you think of treasure! Let's defeat the Undead and get that treasure!"
"That sounds great!"
Lion, wanting to go wild to relieve stress, was growing keen on Abel's suggestion. Parfait watched their exchange, but considering the situation where they didn't seem likely to win a ship-to-ship battle, she felt that boarding might be a viable method. In fact, she was starting to feel that boarding was the only way when it came to a Ghost Ship.
"I see. Perhaps the reason the cannon fire is weak relative to the Ghost Ship's size is simply to prevent us from boarding. There might be a place where we can get on."
"That's it! That's a wonderful analysis, Wilnel!"
Luty, her eyes shining upon hearing Wilnel's words, issued instructions to the Players to search for a place where they could board the massive Ghost Ship.
Simultaneously, under a request to see if they could land on the Ghost Ship's deck from the air, a Player from one of the ships mounted on a giant eagle approached the Ghost Ship. Once they reached an altitude where the cannons couldn't reach and drew near the Ghost Ship's deck, something massive leapt out from the Ghost Ship and attacked the Player.
"Is that... a bird Skeleton?"
Though it was entirely composed of bones, it looked like a bird as far as they could see. As Parfait said this while narrowing her eyes, Simon spoke up.
"That is a Pteranodon. It is not a bird, but a species known as a pterosaur."
"Heh... wait, Simon-sensei, are you knowledgeable about dinosaurs?"
Deeger, the leader of the Clan "Cretaceous" who wore a Tyrannosaurus kigurumi, was a dinosaur enthusiast, so Parfait asked if Simon was the same.
"My specialty is history, not paleontology, but I know at least that much. However, they have turned a troublesome monster into an Undead. I wonder if they are getting serious now that they know we have come."
"Eh? Getting serious? Who is? Diite-oneechan?"
"Ah—no, that is not it. Besides, my previous statement was merely a guess. That might be the norm. In any case, that person is in danger as they are. Shall we lend a hand?"
Simon said this and drew his bow. He then notched an arrow and took aim.
The tension spread to the surroundings through his motionless posture alone. The surrounding sounds were drowned out, creating an illusion that forced everyone nearby into a state where they felt they shouldn't even make the sound of breathing. This was felt not only by Parfait but by everyone in the vicinity.
Amidst the suffocating atmosphere, the arrow was released, and everything seemed to move in slow motion. Furthermore, even though they knew the monster was quite far away, the thought shared by everyone present was: "It will hit."
The arrow, flying in a parabolic arc, struck the Pteranodon's head as if by precognition rather than mere prediction. As the Pteranodon's head shattered, its body also fell apart. The Player who had been fighting in mid-air circled around, raised their right hand in a gesture of being saved, and then returned toward their allied ship.<
Just what kind of calculations were required to hit a moving target at this distance? Rather than that question, the surprise was directed more toward the fact that they could predict it would hit.
Parfait and Benitsuru were used to it, so while they thought it was amazing, they weren't shocked. Abel had also known him for a long time, so he simply cheered, "Oh, awesome!" but Lion's eyes were spinning, and both Wilnel and Luty were staring at Simon with eyes that looked as if they were seeing something unbelievable.
"Hmm, it has been a while, but it seems to have gone well."
"You really hit those easily, don't you? Yes, I shall grant you a reward! Though I have none!"
"Simon-sensei, please tell us when you're going to use your bow. It feels like my heart tightens every time."
"Hm? My apologies for that. However, if you are nervous over something of this level, you still have a long way to go. If you always maintain a feeling of being one with nature, then at any time—"
"Um, Simon-sensei, this is Virtual Reality, so there's no nature here at all..."
"Then it is a feeling of being one with the virtual space. This is a world close to reality created by Diite; it should be possible to become one with it just as one does with nature in reality."
Simon said this, but Parfait wanted to ask if becoming one with nature was even something a normal person could do. She figured he was just referring to raising one's concentration to the absolute limit, but Parfait's honest feeling was that what he was doing was so superhuman and bordered on the occult that she couldn't keep up.<
That aside, word came in from other Players that there was a fragile-looking spot on the Ghost Ship's hull. Furthermore, they said that when they attacked it, wood fragments crumbled away, unlike other parts of the ship.
"There's a high possibility we can board if we open a hole there... Alright, everyone, concentrated fire on that spot!"
At Luty's call, the ships began to move. Then, the concentrated attack on that location began.
As expected, a hole opened in the area they attacked, creating a situation where they could enter the ship. In reality, the ship would likely sink from such a hole, but this was Virtual Reality; no such thing happened, and the Ghost Ship floated normally.
When one ship headed toward it, they were able to enter without issue. Then, word came from the Players who had entered that the inside of the Ghost Ship was like a port and that there were many Undead, so they asked the others to hurry. The other ships then headed toward the opening.
"Alright, then let's fly over and board. It'll be over by the time we finish waiting in line."
Even though they had opened a hole in the Ghost Ship, it wasn't that large, so the ships were entering one by one in order. Furthermore, since the bombardment from the Ghost Ship was continuing, progress seemed slow.
"But if we try to enter from the air, won't the Pteranodon Skeletons fly at us? I feel like it'll be dangerous for Lion-chan."
"We can just leave that to Simon-sensei, can't we?"
When Abel said that and looked toward Simon, Simon nodded.
"Leave it to me. Lion, was it? Can you carry us one by one? You need not worry, for I shall shoot down any monsters that approach you."
"I-I understand!"
"Then I'll go first. There'll likely be Undead on the deck too, and it'd be tough for Abel-chi alone, right?"
"Ah, now that you mention it, that's true. Then, can I leave it to you, Benny-san?"
"I mind it not! To be the First Spear is a samurai's honor! If I die, let no one gather my remains!"
While watching Benitsuru, who she felt might just be saying random things, Parfait also couldn't stop her excitement at the prospect of boarding the Ghost Ship.