Chapter 8: Boarding by Blood and Oil

I stuffed the steak into my mouth and ran to the situation room.

As I ran, the juices exploded inside my mouth.

I felt like a fool for having eaten nothing but cold combat rations until now.

Chiiiik—!

The situation room was a whirlwind of activity when I arrived.

The Vice-Captain saluted me.

“What’s the situation?”

“It would be best if you saw it for yourself.”

I sat in the Captain’s chair and immediately initiated synchronization.

The synchronization provided a view similar to a game.

Kaboom! Crash!!!

The maneuver ship moved rapidly, shelling the space station.

The space station was so small it looked like it was struggling to hold on.

“It’ll fall soon.”

I racked my brain for a solution. But then.

Pew! Pew! Pew!

A single fighter jet scrambled from the space station and began firing adorable little lasers.

A water gun like that wouldn’t even be able to pierce the ship’s shields, but…

Whoosh!

It timed its approach perfectly, closing in on the ship the moment the station fired its lasers.

Ripple!

The shields momentarily weakened, and in that split second, the fighter squeezed through.

Pew! Pew! Pew!

Then, it fired those adorable mini-lasers again.

Thump!

Unfortunately, since it was a heavy maneuver ship, it couldn’t pierce the armor.

“Uh-oh?! Enemy Laser Number 2 is disabled!”

Then, it managed to destroy one of the cannons.

For a single fighter jet, that was an incredible defense.

If it could just destroy two more cannons, the enemy would likely give up on the station.

However.

“Enemy ship. Ion burst! The fighter is silenced!”

Luck wasn’t on their side.

Being a state-of-the-art battleship, it seemed to be equipped with an ion shocker.

Flutter!

Eventually, the station raised the white flag.

They had no more means of resistance.

If they continued to stall, the enraged enemy might carry out a massacre.

“Captain. What shall we do?”

I didn’t answer the Vice-Captain’s question. I fell into deep thought for a moment.

Then, a flash of inspiration hit me.

“Those guys are docking without using shuttles?!”

The standard procedure is to send over a small team to secure safety before docking the ship itself.

“Enlarge!! Zoom in as much as possible.”

The scout operated the long-range camera.

“Look at the boarding bridge connecting the ship and the pier!”

“It’s shaking a lot! At that rate, it looks like a large number of troops are moving.”

The Vice-Captain replied.

“Good! This is an opportunity.”

“Wouldn’t it have been better to fight earlier?”

“No. They just used the ion shockwave. That ship is incapable of immediate combat.”

The enemy ship had turned off its engines.

They were probably rebooting the system.

“Our main gun efficiency is at 40%. If we don’t finish it in one go, they’ll counterattack. And the state of the other ships isn’t good enough for battle either.”

“I don’t intend to have a fleet battle. All personnel, change into assault suits! Every single person.”

“Co… Could it be. Are you planning on hand-to-hand combat?”

I nodded and shouted.

“Tell the crews of the other ships to board ours as well!”

“Understood. All troops! Put on your assault suits immediately!! Frigate and patrol ship personnel, move to our ship!”

The Vice-Captain made the ship-wide announcement.

I opened the compartment under the Captain’s seat and pulled out an assault suit.

“Young Master. I will help you.”

The assault suit resembled the diving suits worn by sea divers.

Then, my gaze involuntarily drifted to one spot.

‘Oh, boy!’

The Vice-Captain’s lines were insane.

“Captain. Captain?!”

“Hmm? Ah. I was just organizing my thoughts for a moment. Don’t misunderstand.”

I hurriedly sat back in the Captain’s chair.

“Reporting. All personnel on board have completed equipping their assault suits. The crews from the escort and patrol ships have finished boarding!”

“Good! All personnel! Move to the marine waiting room!”

“Are you planning to attempt a ramming maneuver?”

“There’s an old saying that there’s no strength that can stand against superior numbers.”

I stood up from my seat.

“Helmsman. I’m leaving it to you. If you can’t hit a stationary target, turn in your license.”

“I… I will do my best.”

Except for the helmsman, all crew members headed to the marine waiting room at the bow.

Our ship was a light maneuver ship, and light maneuver ships had devices that allowed them to physically penetrate enemy ships.

“What in the world is going on? It’s packed in here.”

“Don’t… don’t push!! You jerks!”

“Ugh! I can’t breathe.”

“Who touched my butt?”

“Hey! Put your weapon down, kid. Who are you trying to stab?”

The marine waiting room was a total mess.

Not everyone could fit, so people were even lined up in the hallway.

It was as if they were waiting to board an amusement park ride.

[Ou… Our ship is about to collide! Brace for impact.]

The helmsman, sounding terrified, made the announcement.

Vrrrrrrrr!

The ship shook.

The gravity regulators temporarily operated at their limit.

It was a device that was naturally required for a ship performing a ramming attack.

Otherwise, everyone would be injured before they even crossed over to the enemy ship.

“Young Master, lean on me!”

Picol wrapped his arms around me.

It didn’t exactly feel great, but it was better than getting hurt.

I couldn’t predict how big the impact would be.

I had done it many times in the game, but this was my first time in real life.

[Impact!!]

Kaboom!!!

The massive shock threw my body forward.

The gravity regulators couldn’t mitigate all the force.

Furthermore, this ship was an old clunker.

“Uwaaaagh!”

Even though the servant held onto me, I tumbled forward.

The Vice-Captain was standing in front of me.

Flustered, she couldn’t dodge.

She probably could have, but if she did, I might have gotten hurt.

Moreover, didn’t I only have one hand?

Thump!

I ended up colliding with the Vice-Captain.

She lightly caught me with her body and laid me on the floor.

‘Huh?! Is it just me?’

The texture felt a bit strange the moment we collided. And.

“Are… are you okay?”

“What do you mean?”

“There’s a lump on your stomach? You need to go to the infirmary right now…”

She looked down at her own stomach, and her face turned bright red.

I saw her quickly turn around and push the lump on her stomach up toward her chest.

“I… I didn’t see anything.”

I had discovered the Vice-Captain’s secret.

For the record, crew members on a spaceship cannot undergo plastic surgery.

This is because side effects occur if they have to enter a regeneration capsule after being injured.

Swish!

She turned her head away.

She seemed angry.

Thump!

Right then, the hatch of the marine waiting room opened.

It was awkward, so the timing was perfect.

Trying to overcome the embarrassment, I shouted.

“Hurry! We don’t need prisoners. Kill them all.”

We were weaker compared to them.

If we didn’t have the skill, we had to push through with sheer guts.

Bang! Bang! Bang!!!

The sound of gunfire erupted from the front.

It seemed the engagement had begun.

“Is it really necessary for the Young Master to go?”

The servant asked.

I shook my head.

“If I don’t go, morale will drop. They won’t take risks if I’m not there.”

I pulled a pistol from my coat.

“Anyone who retreats dies by my hand!! Advance! Trust the medics and advance!!! As long as you’re breathing, we’ll keep you alive. Don’t hold back!”

I shouted at the top of my lungs.

Waaaaaaaaa!!!

The crew members screamed and charged.

Everyone was desperate.

“We’ll die anyway if we lose here! Forward!! Forward!!!”

The number of people in the marine waiting room rapidly dwindled.

Our soldiers scattered in all directions.

We had to seize the ship before the system reboot was finished.

Crash! Boom!!!

The sound of bulkheads being smashed could be heard throughout the corridors.

Since we didn’t warp but walked into the enemy ship, we had plenty of equipment to break through the bulkheads.

The maintenance crew led the way, cutting through the barriers.

Tap!

The crew members who had packed the marine waiting room had all moved to the enemy ship.

I leisurely stepped onto the enemy vessel.

“Quite luxurious.”

Unlike my ship, the corridors here were more than just clean—they shone.

There were even decorations scattered throughout the hallway.

In my private room, all I had was a single full-length mirror.

Waaaaaaaaa!

Shouts could be heard from everywhere.

By the sounds of it, they were shouts tinged with rage.

It seemed their reason for being angry was similar to mine.

Thinking, ‘We’re beggars, but you guys are living in such luxury.’

“Let’s head to the situation room.”

“Yes! Captain.”

The Vice-Captain led the way with a knife in one hand and a pistol in the other.

Vrrrrrrr—!

The sound of the engine rebooting echoed.

“Everyone, hurry up! If the reboot finishes and we’re pushed back to the pier, we’re all dead!”

Most of the enemy crew would have crossed over to the space station.

They would certainly be combat troops.

If those guys came back to the ship, the outcome would be uncertain.

We had the numbers, but they were the elite.

Zzzzzzt!

When we reached the situation room, the maintenance crew was burning through the door with lasers.

Snap!

The door, unable to hold out, was torn away.

Rat-tat-tat-tat!

Bullets flew.

My combat soldiers held up shields and advanced.

“Attack! Sweep them all away.”

My subordinates poured into the situation room, firing their guns.

Aaaaagh!

The defenseless personnel in the enemy situation room screamed.

Just as the Vice-Captain and I leisurely stepped inside.

Swish! Whoosh!

A gruesome sight unfolded.

A man who appeared to be the enemy captain was slaughtering my subordinates with dual swords.

He had the form of a wolf and an impressive physique.

“Crazy!”

He was incredibly skilled.

Even now, subordinates were still pouring into the situation room.

But they froze upon seeing the corpses of their comrades strewn across the floor.

Bang! Bang! Bang!!!

In the end, the Vice-Captain rushed forward while firing her gun.

Thud-thud-thud!

Amazingly, the creature took the bullets with its body.

The bullets fell to the floor.

Judging by the way he winced, he did feel the pain.

His posture was also slightly shaken.

Dash!

The Vice-Captain didn’t miss the opportunity, closing the distance and swinging her dagger.

Clang! Whoosh!

The enemy captain blocked the dagger and swung his sword simultaneously.

The Vice-Captain flexibly arched her body back to dodge.

Swish!! Whoosh!! Clang! Clang!!

The enemy captain pressed the Vice-Captain hard. At that moment.

[All enemies inside the ship defeated! Only the situation room remains.]

A radio transmission came in.

Since we had seized the engine room, the ship wouldn’t be pushed back to the pier.

We just needed to clean up here, but that guy was the problem.

‘Should I set off a bomb?’

I felt bad for the Vice-Captain, but wouldn’t it be okay if I blew it up just enough so she wouldn’t die?

Then, a maintenance worker’s large toolbox caught my eye.

“By any chance, do you have lubricant in there?!”

“I… I have some!”

The maintenance worker handed me a container filled with lubricant.

I threw it to the Vice-Captain.

“Vice-Captain! Catch!”

The Vice-Captain tossed her gun aside and caught the container.

“Why are you giving me this?”

She caught it because I gave it to her, but she didn’t seem to know why.

“Pour it on the floor!”

“What?!”

“You’ll see once you pour it!”

The situation was one where she was continuously being pushed back.

As if thinking she had nothing to lose, the Vice-Captain poured the lubricant on the floor.

Growl—?!

The wolf guy wondered what kind of nonsense she was doing and approached her, but…

Slip! Slide!

He lost his footing several times.

“Maintenance crew!! Keep bringing lubricant! Everything on this ship! Tell the others too!”

“U… Understood, Captain!”

“What are you all staring at! Get the wounded and the corpses out of here!”

The soldiers began dragging out their fallen allies.

The floor gradually became clear.

“Pour more lubricant!!”

More lubricant continued to arrive.

The soldiers and I opened the caps and sprayed it all over the floor.

The situation room floor became a mess of blood and oil.

“Ugh!”

I also lost my balance and fell.

Since I was missing a hand, I almost broke my nose.

“Be careful, Young Master!”

Fortunately, Picol caught me.

His arms were stretched out long.

It was like he was some kind of rubber man.

I looked up and gave instructions to the soldiers.

“You there! The ones with spears!! Go and at least flutter around him!”

“Understood.”

Those guys also slipped as they moved toward the center of the situation room.

In the end, they crawled on their knees toward where the wolf was.

“Where… where do you think you’re going!”

The flustered wolf resisted, but…

Slip.

He couldn’t keep his balance.

Compared to his large build, the surface area of his feet was too small.

“This is a battlefield made for me. Thank you, Captain. I’ll forget about that mistake from earlier.”

The Vice-Captain wore a relaxed smile.

Glide! Glide!

She slid across the floor as if she were skating.

It was a feat an ordinary person could never mimic.

Only elves who went all-in on agility could do it.

Whoosh!

The wolf swung his sword as a deterrent, but…

Screech!

The Vice-Captain kept her dagger engaged and continued to slide, digging into the wolf’s embrace.

Slash! Slash! Slash!

In a short amount of time, she slashed his arms three times.

Clatter!

The wolf’s tendons were severed, and he dropped his swords.

Slash! Slash!

This time, the other arm was also cut by the dagger.

Clatter!

Having lost the swords in both hands, the wolf bared his gums.

Grrrrrr! Bark! Bark!!

And he tried to bite the approaching Vice-Captain, but…

Stab!

His lower jaw was pierced by the dagger.

Thud!

The wolf fell with his eyes wide open.

Plop!

The Vice-Captain also sat down, looking exhausted.

I pumped my fist.

Waaaaaaaaa!

My subordinates also cheered like crazy.

“Young Master!! We won. We won!!”

Beside me, the servant was also excited.

“It’s not completely over yet. Establish a communication link with the space station.”

There were enemy combat troops on the space station.