Chapter 482

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Chapter 482: Beyond the Orbit (8)

A Moving Celestial Body.

The reward for completing the “Planetary Ship Acquisition” achievement.

Unlike the previously completed “Major Accident” achievement, this one required the reward to be claimed manually—implying it was most likely equipment.

‘Claim reward.’

As Yeongwoo opened the achievement tab and confirmed the reward, a small golden orb materialized in midair.

Flaaash!

‘Huh? It’s kinda small this time.’

If this reward really was equipment, it didn’t seem like it was a weapon.

Shoo!

Then, the golden orb shrank even further, becoming a single dot before dropping straight down to the ground.

“Huh?”

Startled, Yeongwoo quickly reached out and caught it. A tooltip popped up.

「Celestial Guide」 – Legendary Ring

【Captain’s Dignity】

【Stellar Assault】

【Emblem of the Planetary Ship】

‘Celestial Guide, huh.’

Yeongwoo turned the golden ring over in his hand.

More detailed tooltips followed.

【Captain’s Dignity】

| Gain 25% damage reduction and increased regeneration when inside the ship.

【Stellar Assault】

| Gain 20% increased damage and high environmental adaptability outside the ship.

【Emblem of the Planetary Ship】

| This ring is a symbol of ownership of a planetary ship.

‘That’s flashy. So basically, it’s for defense inside the ship and offense outside it.’

And on top of that, it enhanced regeneration inside the ship.

Given that Yeongwoo already had monstrous regenerative abilities, this was a very welcome bonus.

‘Then if I get critically wounded outside the ship, retreating back to heal naturally could be a viable tactic.’

As Yeongwoo considered worst-case scenarios, Jiseon approached and asked casually,

—What’s that?

She was referring to the ring in Yeongwoo’s hand, which sparkled conspicuously.

The Celestial Guide resembled a ceremonial commission ring—large, weighty on top.

The key difference was that, instead of a traditional gem, the center contained a tiny point that resembled the universe itself.

Just like the Shining Blasphemy had a star engraved on it, this one displayed an entire planetary system centered around Earth in vivid detail.

—Wait, is that Earth inside the ring?

Noticing the planetary system embedded in the ring, Jiseon’s eyes widened—prompting Yeongwoo to realize something.

‘Ah. If I ever meet another owner, I’ll be able to identify their ship by their ring.’

Of course, with his limited knowledge, he wouldn’t be able to tell which planet it was just by looking at it—but he could at least gauge the size of the opponent’s planetary system.

And if someone wore a ring like this, that person was definitely a planetary ship owner.

‘Will I ever meet another one in my lifetime? Another owner, I mean.’

Including Yeongwoo himself, there had only ever been ten planetary ships in the history of the universe.

So...

‘Huh?’

As Yeongwoo followed that train of thought, a strange question suddenly crossed his mind.

‘Why are there only ten ships? Fourteen celestial bodies left their natural orbits, didn’t they?’

It was a fact.

[Achievement Unlocked: Major Incident]

| Achievement Grade: Cosmic

| Achievement Rank: #14

「Took a planetary system out of its natural orbit.」

“Hey, Earth.”

『Hm?』

“Don’t the numbers seem off to you?”

『What numbers?』

“Fourteen celestial bodies left orbit, but only ten planetary ships exist. What happened to the other four?”

At Yeongwoo’s question, Earth blinked for a moment and shrugged.

『No clue… I was still just orbiting naturally at the time.』

Then Earth gave a thoughtful nod.

『But it’s a solid point. The numbers don’t match.』

Earth was genuinely impressed by the sharpness of the question.

“Right? So… did those four die? Or maybe…”

The next words out of Yeongwoo’s mouth defied cosmic common sense.

“What if they’re not planetary ships… but stellar ships?”

Immediately, Moro barked out in outrage.

『You ignorant fool! That’s absurd!』

As a star himself, Moro took the statement as a kind of insult.

『What kind of lifeform lives off a star? No creature can survive inside a star.』

“But… space is big, right?”

『Like your boundless ignorance, perhaps. But this isn’t about probability. It’s impossible.』

Since Moro put his foot down, Yeongwoo didn’t press the matter.

Fourteen celestial bodies left orbit—so why only ten planetary ships?

Not that finding the answer would help him right now.

‘Maybe those four really did die. Or maybe the celestial bodies broke their agreements at the last minute.’

There could have been many variables.

And therefore, many possible outcomes.

“Yeah, let’s just assume those guys died.”

Yeongwoo had more than enough on his plate—no need to waste time bickering with his in-law.

Flash!

Then, Yeongwoo registered the Celestial Guide into his accessory catalog, and a new notification appeared in his field of view.

Ping!

「Third Collection Bonus in the Accessory Catalog has been unlocked.」

‘Oh, right. It’s about time.’

He had now collected thirty accessories.

Flash!

Soon after, lines of glowing blue text appeared in Yeongwoo’s vision, revealing a new collection bonus.

[Collection Bonus: 30]

| Mental Resistance +30%

| Dragonkin Resistance +10%

‘Hmm? Mental resistance? That’s a first.’

The third collection reward from the accessory catalog included two types of special resistance not covered by the standard resistance category.

It seemed the system deemed that anyone capable of collecting thirty accessories would need more than just basic resistances.

‘Mental resistance… maybe that reduces things like being overwhelmed by pressure or presence? If that’s the case, I’d rather get a discount on etiquette penalties.’

Of course, Yeongwoo knew well that perks like courtesy reduction—essentially a sacrilegious effect—weren’t obtainable through conventional means.

The equipment catalog was part of the system’s "lawful" domain.

There was no way it would encourage insubordination through such rewards.

‘Anyway, I guess that wraps that up.’

Yeongwoo summoned the Celestial Guide from the catalog once more and carefully fitted it over the gauntlet of his Vesedel Armor.

The Celestial Guide, originally sized to fit his bare fingers, automatically resized itself to accommodate the thickness of the gauntlet.

『Are you… really going to wear that around?』

Earth looked at Yeongwoo’s ring with concern.

It thought it was too soon to reveal he was the owner of a Planetary Vessel.

But Yeongwoo shook his head.

“I at least want to brag to Prince Aldo.”

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Then he crossed his arms in a way that prominently displayed the hand with the ring.

Chuk.

“Time to start spending. What do I need to buy again?”

『A connection room for outside communication, access to a relay zone for stellar system jumps, and finally, propulsion upgrades.』

“All that comes to 10.3 billion?”

『Correct.』

“Truly, a planetary vessel is forged through the help of many nobles. Fortunately, Shirach was quite generous this time.”

『…….』

At Yeongwoo’s nonsense, Earth’s expression turned a little bitter.

But it was true that a planetary vessel couldn’t be sustained by the power of its owner alone.

Construction, maintenance, and operation required an astronomical amount of money.

To properly manage one, you either needed a robust business empire or a massive inheritance from a long-standing noble family.

But Yeongwoo, an upstart powerhouse with no roots, had neither—and was making up the difference through organized piracy.

『This is unstable.』

“What is?”

『Us. You’re no longer just some reckless little nobody. You’re now the owner of a planetary vessel responsible for the survival of entire planetary systems.』

“…Was I really a reckless little nobody?”

『Let’s not even get into your twisted personality. The bottom line is: you need a stable income.』

“Well…”

『And I don’t mean impulsive smash-and-grab raids.』

Yeongwoo blinked a few times, then scratched his chin while keeping his arms crossed.

“Hey, I have a plan.”

『Stop with the bullshit.』

“I’m serious!”

Then Yeongwoo spoke toward the air behind him.

“Administrator.”

As if waiting for the cue, the space behind him parted, and Kubu opened his eyes.

―Yes, my lord.

“What happened with that National Tax Service bribery matter?”

As part of their setup for a fake charitable front, they had planned to start by bribing tax officials.

―We’ve identified a suitable target, as you instructed. Once the connection room is set up, we’ll be able to communicate with the corrupted official.

“Corrupted…”

Yeongwoo briefly closed his eyes, then pulled himself together.

“Good. And Earth, begin the expansion project immediately. I’m authorizing the withdrawal.”

He settled back into the command chair and gazed out into the seemingly endless cosmos.

Then Jiseon cautiously spoke up.

—You’re really going ahead with that fake charity thing?

“Of course.”

This was the so-called Dark Charity Operation.

They’d receive payments under the guise of donations for “services rendered,” thus enjoying tax exemptions.

On top of that, being a charity made expense management easier, significantly reducing taxable amounts.

As long as the logic held up, even if they claimed to have purchased and modified cannons for charitable purposes, the tax office might accept it.

Assuming, of course, the case officer was a bribed corrupt official.

—But even if you’ve bribed someone, with all the stuff you’ve done… is there any chance they’d recognize you as a legitimate charity overnight?

“Hmm… that’s a fair point. The universe isn’t stupid.”

—…Huh?

Jiseon was surprised by how readily Yeongwoo agreed.

—You little… then what are you planning?

Yeongwoo didn’t just bear responsibility for the new planetary system’s survival now—he was also carrying the fate of Renaissance, Jiseon’s own clan.

And honestly, everything had come this far because of Yeongwoo’s unique talents.

“……”

After gazing at space for a while, Yeongwoo finally turned to Jiseon.

“Why do you think I chose Doatel as our first destination?”

—You said it was the safest place, right?

“And to my knowledge, it’s also a universally recognized aid center. It’s already a charity.”

—…What?

Jiseon’s expression stiffened at the rising sense of dread, while Yeongwoo continued.

“We don’t need to become a charity from scratch. Doatel’s been doing it for ages.”

—Don’t tell me you’re thinking of robbing those saintly folks? You can’t possibly operate like a real charity anyway.

“Why would I rob Doatel? That would rack up some truly terrifying karmic debt.”

—Then what’s the plan?

“Money laundering.”

—Huh?

“We’ll use Doatel as our washing machine. We bring in donations, they receive the funds and carry out charity work.”

—Wait, that’s not even laundering. If Doatel spends all the donations on actual charity, what do we gain?

Yeongwoo pointed at himself with his thumb.

Chuk.

“We’re the charity recipients, what else?”

—What?

“I’m a former orphan, and our ship houses the Redfoot clan—displaced refugees.”

At last, Yeongwoo even dragged his brothers into the scheme.

“To secure a new home and avenge their bloodshed, we’ll need substantial donations.”

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