I set sail toward the north, leading a squadron of five ships.
You might ask, “Is there really a north, south, east, and west in space?”
Our galaxy is a flat, disk-shaped spiral. It can be roughly represented in two dimensions. In other words, it is possible to distinguish four directions.
So, what was used as the reference point?
It was the homeworld where the First Emperor was born.
The absolute edge of the galaxy—that place was designated as Sector 1.
From the central halo of the galaxy, Sector 1 was called the northeast. Once the reference point was established, the concepts of north, south, east, and west were naturally formed.
“Koko. Grow big and strong.”
Today, as usual, I sat in the captain’s seat and infused Force into the egg.
“Vice-captain. Don’t you think our Koko has grown a little?”
“Forgive me, but as far as I know, eggs do not grow.”
I pouted. It wouldn’t kill him to just agree and say it looked bigger.
“Ah, I hope it hatches soon.”
A Vegan Ant Queen is a gold mine. It doesn’t even cost that much to maintain. If you feed it only plant-based food, it lays one egg every day. That was why I named it Koko.
Additionally, it’s easy to raise. Since they are incredibly weak, there’s no need to worry about a rebellion. Their temperament is angelic compared to a typical Ant Queen.
“Young Master. Are you sure going to the Rabit Cluster is the right move?” Sojin asked cautiously.
The primary race living in the Rabit Cluster is the Rabit tribe. They look very similar to humans, but their ears and tails resemble those of rabbits. In this world, they are also known as farmers. They harvest a type of grain syrup, which is an inferior version of honey.
“I heard that place is a den of thieves. Wouldn’t we need more combat ships?”
Originally, it was a prosperous and peaceful place—before the alien invasion.
And now? It was completely devastated. It might as well be considered a ruin. That was why it had been neglected. No Marshal’s office specifically wanted it, especially since the cost of restoration was astronomical.
“No. By now, the bandits should have been cleared out.”
“What?! The newspapers say there are always cries of sorrow coming from there.”
“That… is a fake.”
Everyone looked bewildered.
“I don’t understand. Even without such rumors, there wouldn’t be anyone willing to go there. Unless…!”
Sojin seemed to have realized something. There was something they wanted to hide, even if it meant spreading strange rumors.
“The one with strength to uproot mountains and spirit to cover the world, Dalip!”
“Overlord Dalip!! If that’s true, going there is dangerous!”
Everyone was gripped by fear.
Who was Dalip? He was a member of the imperial family and the uncle of the current young Emperor. He had performed brilliantly in the war against the aliens and was considered one of the strongest martial powers in the empire.
Strength to uproot mountains and spirit to cover the world.
Though he possessed incredible military prowess, he did not ascend to the throne. He was not a dragon, but a great serpent.
So, he placed his young nephew on the throne. The Emperor became a figurehead, and Dalip manipulated state affairs.
That was the public announcement.
In reality, he failed in an attempt to put his daughter on the throne. In a way, it was only natural, as his daughter hadn’t even been born yet.
*Tap, tap!*
I tapped the letter kept beside the captain’s seat.
“We have this, so what is there to fear?”
“No matter if we’re going as envoys, that man is extremely violent.”
“He even has a record of eating high-ranking officials during a Grand Council meeting. He won’t care about a mere envoy.”
I didn’t want to meet him either. However, if Dalip didn’t move, my plan wouldn’t work. I needed someone to shake the rear of Marshal Imperium.
“Don’t worry. He’s looking for a chance to make a comeback. He won’t recklessly eat a Marshal’s envoy.”
In the game, he occasionally ate envoys.
‘As long as they’re not from the Frog or Mouse tribes, it’s fine.’
The great serpent loved those two races—as food. Therefore, I had removed all members of those two races from the crew. The same applied to hybrids.
‘But I’m still a little uneasy…’
I glanced at Sudongtae. Even Sudongtae was no match for Dalip. He was a disaster—a man who could destroy a combat ship with his bare hands.
‘If I equip Sudongtae with a full set of artifact-grade gear, could he at least put up a fight?’
I felt a bit sorry for Sudongtae. The guy was currently penniless.
If I could, I wanted to give him even a crowbar. Rather than me having a great weapon, him holding even a toothpick would be much more helpful for my safety. Unfortunately, a crowbar didn’t synergize with him.
***
We traveled quickly. Thanks to the First Mate, we didn’t lose our way.
“Exiting the wormhole!”
The world overlapped. It was a star system with light green nebulae scattered about, creating a dreamy atmosphere.
“Scanning surroundings!”
“No enemies detected.”
“Engines ignited.”
After receiving the report, I nodded.
“Hang out the white flag.”
The reason for the white flag? It was to avoid being attacked mindlessly. He was a man more than capable of doing that.
“Activate acceleration drive. Heading to the center planet.”
“Orders received.”
Our ship sped along the space lanes. The warp point and the center were not that far apart. Before long, the center planet came into view. The planet was also filled with a green light.
“Captain. There is no space station!”
“Shoot a communication signal to the moon.”
The communications officer aimed and sent the signal.
*Swoosh!*
Hundreds of combat ships surged out from the moon. The faces of the personnel in the situation room turned pale.
**[Who goes there?]**
The communication came through to our ship. It was a face that resembled a snake. Most of Dalip’s subordinates were half-snakes. They had human bodies and snake heads. They were essentially the opposite of the Naga medical officer.
“I am an envoy from Marshal Humildas of Sector 16. I have come to see His Highness Dalip.”
**[How do you know His Highness is here?!]**
“I have no reason to answer you, so please inform His Highness of my request for an audience.”
The eyes of the half-snake on the screen turned fierce.
**[Understood. If you are rejected, you will not leave here alive.]**
The creature flicked its tongue while looking at me.
A moment later.
**[You are lucky. He has granted you an audience. Proceed to the following coordinates.]**
I stood up from my seat. Immediately, everyone else scrambled to their feet as well. Some were trembling. That was how notorious Dalip’s reputation was.
“Only Sudongtae and I will go.”
“It’s… it’s dangerous.”
“Would it be any different if we all went together?”
If anything, I worried it would only stimulate his appetite. I didn’t know what other races he liked besides the Frog and Mouse tribes. It was better to minimize the risk.
“Then I will go instead,” the Vice-captain said with a serious expression.
“No. Sudongtae is better.”
That man measures a person’s value by their martial power. I had to take Sudongtae so he wouldn’t think of us as some random nobodies.
“Let’s go.”
“Sudongtae. I will protect Master even at the cost of my life.”
“Thanks, but don’t do anything rash. If you get on his bad side, it’s a one-hit kill.”
We boarded the shuttle.
“De… departing.”
The helmsman seemed very nervous. I felt a bit sorry. Out of the three helmsmen, I had assigned the least valuable one to fly the shuttle. Just in case he got eaten.
*Thump!*
The shuttle exited the ship. The green planet could be seen below.
“En… entering the atmosphere!”
*Thud!*
Because he was nervous, he took the entry angle too sharply. The ship dropped as if it were falling. Thanks to that, the shuttle glowed red with heat.
“Calm down! You’ll be waiting in the shuttle anyway.”
However, as he looked down, he couldn’t stay calm. There was something at the coordinates Dalip’s subordinates had provided.
*Hiccup.*
It was a giant black snake. The great serpent was coiled around a place resembling a Mayan pyramid.
*Screeeech!*
A scream came through the external microphone. It seemed we had arrived at an unfortunate time—mealtime.
‘They say you shouldn’t even disturb a dog when it’s eating…’
A guidance signal was fired from near the pyramid. Following the signal, the shuttle landed slowly.
*Clunk!*
The door opened, and the first thing that came into view was an endless grassland. Then, the towering pyramid.
*Gulp!*
A giant serpent was swallowing a human alive.
“You don’t have to look at them like that,” said a half-snake who approached the shuttle. He seemed to have come to greet us. “They are all criminals. As long as one does not commit a crime, His Highness is a merciful monarch.”
‘Yeah, right.’
I barely managed to swallow the words that almost slipped out. If making him feel bad counts as a crime, then sure. In the game, a truckload of subordinates were eaten by that guy for that very “crime.”
“I will guide you. Let’s go.”
As we walked, hundreds of people tied together like a string of dried fish were trembling in fear. There was a significant proportion of the human race among them. They would all be eaten by the end of the day.
**[Your Highness! The envoy from Marshal Humildas’s office of Sector 16 has arrived.]**
—Let him in.
The voice was hammered directly into my head through dark energy. It sent a chill down my spine.
*Crackle, crackle.*
I stepped on the grass and approached the pyramid. From high above, the giant snake watched me. The closer I got, the more my skin tingled from the Force he emitted.
But then.
*Kieeeee!*
Suddenly, he opened his mouth and his head lunged toward us.
“Crazy!!”
“Master, it’s dangerous!”
Sudongtae pushed me back and leaped into the air. He pulled his fist back.
*Whoosh!*
The surrounding dark energy fluctuated.
*Bang!*
Sudongtae’s speed exceeded the speed of sound, creating a sonic boom. Dalip’s head and Sudongtae’s fist collided.
*K-boom!*
They crashed with a thunderous roar. The shockwave struck in all directions.
*Swoosh!*
A wind blew around us. The surrounding grass flattened against the ground.
“Hahahaha!”
A loud laugh erupted. Suddenly, a human male appeared in front of me. He reached out his hand to me.
“Master! Danger!”
“Stop, Sudongtae. Do not be rude to His Highness any further.”
Sudongtae stood rooted to the spot. Dalip, who had polymorphed into a human, pulled me up.
He had black hair and navy-blue eyes. Seeing as he imitated my appearance, it seemed he had no intention of killing me.
“You are one who travels with a useful subordinate.”
He seemed to like what he saw.
“I apologize, Your Highness.”
“It’s fine. I don’t care much for excessive formalities.”
I bowed my head slightly.
“Follow me.”
Dalip led the way. Seeing as he didn’t seem to be in a bad mood, he must have taken a liking to Sudongtae.
*Clunk!*
We entered the pyramid. Perhaps because it was a building made of stone, it was quite damp. Or did he like the humidity because he was a snake?
“By the way, you. You’re being too harsh on your subordinate.”
Dalip, who was walking ahead, stopped. He then took out a piece of cloth the size of a palm that was hanging on the wall.
*Flip!*
He tossed it to Sudongtae. Sudongtae and I stared blankly at Dalip.
“It is a gift as an apology for attacking without warning. Try it on.”
It was barely the size of a palm. It didn’t look like it could even fit as a sock.
*Slide!*
Sudongtae managed to shove his arm into it. It had incredible elasticity, stretching significantly. Once he had it all on, it was a black, skin-tight shirt.
‘Wait, that’s an artifact?!’
I knew that item. Its effect was similar to gloves. Gloves are used to protect the wearer’s fists. In other words, they allow one to draw out more power. It was the perfect item for Sudongtae.
“It suits you well.”
For being hit once, the compensation was generous. He truly was a man who once held the empire in his hands.
“Thank you, Your Highness.”
“It is a trivial item to me.”
He led the way again. We stood before a massive stone door.
*Rumble!*
The door opened. Compared to the large door, the interior was quite modest… no, wait.
‘Crazy.’
The entire place was covered with a special dark matter. Selling just what was in this room could probably buy over 1,000 combat ships.
*Slide!*
He sat down and gestured for me to do the same. I sat across from him. The overwhelming difference in Force made my spine tingle.
“So. What business brings you to see me?”
“Your Highness. Don’t you need to build your strength to return to the Imperial Palace?”
“Hmph. Just tell me what you want from me.”
“Attack Marshal Imperium’s rear.”
At my words, Dalip stroked his chin.
“On what grounds?”
He would be interested. Furthermore, Dalip did not have a good relationship with Imperium’s adoptive father. Naturally, he didn’t think highly of Marshal Imperium either. The two of them were like oil and water.
“Currently, he is suffering from a lack of funds. That is why he is planning to invade Sector 16, eyeing its prosperity.”
“To ensure the safety of Sector 16, you intend to pit me against that fellow.”
Dalip’s eyes narrowed. Although he was in human form, it was chilling.
“It would be easier to wait and attack once his strength has been depleted.”
“No. It’s shameful to admit, but our Marshal Humildas’s office is no match for him.”
“True. His momentum has been fierce lately.”
“Once the war is over, he will gain even more funds. Right now is when Imperium is at his weakest.”
“That seems to make some sense. Wait a moment.”
He stepped outside for a moment. It seemed to be a room some distance away, but I could hear the voices. I was used to it now. It was the Eavesdropping trait I gained from the Park family heirloom.
—What do you think?
—It doesn’t seem bad, but the stability of this place is more important.
—That is true, but…
—Right now, the Princess is the most important. All efforts must be poured into the Princess.
—Is there no other way?
—If we had a space station, maybe. But this planet is unstable.
—Tsk. It can’t be helped. We’ll have to kill them to silence them for now.
—Yes, please do so. Since using force might damage the altar, it would be better to release poison.
—Let’s do that.
Is it going to fail like this? At this rate, I’ll die. I can’t survive the great serpent’s poison.
“Ah!!”
Something flashed in my mind. There was a way to persuade this great serpent.
*Thump! Thump! Thump!*
I hurriedly knocked on the stone door.
“Your Highness!! There is a gift I forgot to give you!! I am sure you will like it!!”