Chapter 488

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Chapter 488: Balance (5)

Flight.

It was typically a privilege reserved for high-level beings, though some races were naturally born with the ability to fly due to their biological traits.

Like the dragon race, for example.

Not only could dragons alter the weather of the planet they inhabited, but they were also capable of high-altitude flight and even long-term hovering.

In other words, they were a race perfectly suited for aerial operations.

Of course, whether or not an airborne unit composed of dragons actually existed in this universe was something even Yeongwoo didn’t know.

What mattered was—

"Today is a really important day, right? So doesn’t it make sense to use all the resources we have to the fullest?"

—Wait, are you seriously saying I should carry you and jump off the ship?

Jiseon added her next words cautiously.

—Isn’t that dangerous…? You don’t even know what Doatel’s atmosphere is like.

What she was worried about was, of course, her own safety.

Granted, Yeongwoo’s life was also pretty important—he was the family head and the current power source of the Earthship—but still.

"The atmosphere...? Come on, Mom’s not just some bird. She’s a dragon. Does the state of the atmosphere even matter?"

—Of course it does. I don’t know about other dragons, but at least I can only fly in places with air.

"Huh?"

—What’s with that disappointed look on your face, you little punk.

"I mean, you barely even flap your wings, and you still need air?"

This time, Song Jeongho chimed in to support his sister.

∴ Because they interact with the air to generate lift.

"What the... You mean there’s actual physics behind how dragons fly?"

∴ And if Doatel’s atmosphere is made of something other than air...

If that were true, then the results of an aerial operation would be entirely unpredictable—at least, according to Song Jeongho.

In other words, Earth-borne dragons like Jiseon and Jeongho had only ever used air to create lift, so they had no way of knowing whether they could fly in an atmosphere of entirely different composition.

"No way..."

Yeongwoo furrowed his brow—then quickly changed his mind.

"Actually, that makes sense. After all, true free flight is something only beings at the Chairman’s level can manage."

In short, “real” beings like the Chairman could fly freely regardless of the atmospheric conditions, while dragons—who only mimicked flight—could only do so under certain conditions.

"But, even so..."

Yeongwoo rapidly blinked, then swiped his hand through the air inside the control room.

"I don’t think Doatel’s atmosphere is all that different from Earth’s."

—Huh? How would you know that?

"Because I’m breathing just fine inside this ship right now."

∴ Oh, right.

Jeongho accepted that reasoning quickly.

Doatel’s caramels must also rely on oxygen, which would explain why the environment inside the transport ship was breathable for humans as well.

Of course, Yeongwoo was wearing a Vesedel armor suit, which had planetary adaptation capabilities—but that feature wasn’t currently active.

Which meant—

"These caramels definitely use oxygen just like humans. So Doatel’s atmosphere probably isn’t that different from Earth’s."

There might be some minor differences.

But would it really affect flight that drastically?

"If you compare it to swimming, it’s like the difference between salt water and fresh water, right?"

—You little punk. You’ve never even flown before, and you’re talking like you know everything.

Even as she said that, Jiseon seemed somewhat convinced.

Because, logically, it did make sense.

—Wait, but why are we debating this among ourselves? Why not just ask them directly?

Jiseon turned to Kalbik, who had been quietly lingering outside the conversation. The poor aide broke out in visible caramel-colored sweat.

—W-What did I do...?

So instead, Yeongwoo asked the question in his mother’s place.

"Is Doatel’s atmospheric condition similar to what we’re experiencing inside this ship?"

Since these people had never been to Earth, he used the ship interior as a reference point.

Kalbik twisted his head awkwardly, then gave a small nod.

—F-From the lower stratosphere down, it’s pretty similar.

The stratosphere.

Even the terminology they used to classify the atmosphere was the same as Earth’s.

Which meant the atmosphere’s composition likely wasn’t much different either.

"So, if we go below the stratosphere, it’s basically the same as it is in here?"

Having confirmed this much, Yeongwoo gave the order to the ship’s captain.

"Alright then, let’s move out. Take us to that high-altitude prison or whatever it’s called."

—……

The captain glanced at Kalbik, who gave a silent nod.

Finally, the transport ship began to move.

—We are now setting course for the high-altitude prison.

The captain made the onboard announcement through the radio in his hand.

Then he turned to Yeongwoo and said,

—Um...

"What?"

—To depart... I’ll need the captain’s seat.

"What."

Yeongwoo got up to vacate the chair, and the captain hesitantly walked over and sat down.

Then—

Click.

He pulled up a small pillar from under the armrest, then pressed a square button located at its top.

"Oh, that’s the launch button, huh."

Yeongwoo had pressed a similar button back on the Earthship.

And just like back then, a powerful vibration rocked the entire ship.

Kudududud!

At the same time, a control stick emerged in front of the captain’s seat.

Sssshk!

A steering-wheel-like apparatus popped up, followed by a set of monitors that slid down from the ceiling to surround the left and right of the captain’s chair.

And finally—

Pah!

A holographic screen appeared above the wheel, displaying the projected route of the ship and the major coordinates of nearby planets.

Which meant, this was basically...

"This is like... a real spaceship. Why don’t we have anything like this?"

As Yeongwoo stared at the captain’s seat of the Doatel transport ship with envy, Earth’s presence stirred within his consciousness.

○ Because we haven’t tried manual piloting yet.

‘Wait—have you been watching this whole time?’

○ Of course. I’m still right in front of you. But once we get to Doatel, who knows?

‘Oh, right. We’re still connected.’

Scratching his nose, Yeongwoo returned to the main topic.

‘But wait, we’ve never done manual piloting before? What does that mean exactly?’

○ Just what it sounds like. Have you ever accelerated manually to dodge an incoming asteroid?

‘Oh. That counts as manual piloting?’

○ If someone grabs the navigation controls, that’s manual piloting.

But Earth added that manual piloting was incredibly difficult without enough experience.

○ There’s a reason ship captains are paid so much. Flying a spaceship isn’t like driving a car—there’s no sense of spatial distance.

‘Then what do they use?’

○ Data analysis.

‘What?’

[Translator - Night]

[Proofreader - Gun]

○ A spaceship’s internal state and external variables are all transmitted as various types of data. Most of it comes as fluctuating coordinates and numerical values—but just being able to read them isn’t enough.

‘Then what else is needed?’

○ These incoming data streams change in real time. Some drop quickly, others rise slowly.

Earth explained further that a captain’s core skill was the ability to judge risks based on how quickly those values rise or fall.

○ Even I can’t interpret them. Only a captain who’s survived through countless scenarios can understand what they mean.

‘Then where the hell are we supposed to find a captain like that?’

As Yeongwoo thought this, his gaze drifted to the captain of the escort ship—Caramel—who was currently at the helm.

‘Our ship’s up against a lot of enemies and constant navigation hazards. Sometimes, enemies even invade from inside the ship.’

So the captain of an Earth ship needed not only excellent navigational skills, but also superior combat ability and a talent for deception.

Yeongwoo believed that one had to be good at lying to recognize and counter someone else’s deceit quickly.

In that regard—

‘Shit… A human would be perfect.’

After running through all these thoughts, he came to a conclusion: a human.

Someone appropriately wicked, yet at times morally upright.

Someone who could clearly distinguish truth from lies, and stand at a constant crossroads of decision.

Someone who, at their core, shared something in common with Yeongwoo, the ship’s owner.

What other being in the universe fit that description better than a human?

‘Of course, they’d have to be incredibly strong—like us—after going through a reset or something. And they’d need to know a fair amount about space, too.’

And on top of that, they’d have to be trained in space navigation.

‘Finding someone like that is basically impossible…’

While Yeongwoo sulked, the outer wall of the escort ship’s control room turned pitch black.

Just like the Earth ship’s control room when navigation began.

—We are now entering Doatel's territory.

Captain Caramel reported this as they slowly turned the helm.

At that moment, Yeongwoo and Jiseon could see all kinds of ships filling their surroundings.

“Whoa. All those scraps… were actually ships?”

As Jiseon said, it was a sea of ships in every direction.

Each one had a different shape and size, but incredibly, Captain Caramel was weaving smoothly between them with not so much as a graze.

‘They’re doing all that… just by reading the data?’

○ All external variables are fed to the captain.

With that, Yeongwoo walked up to the helm and asked the captain:

“Excuse me, Captain.”

—Oh! Y-yes, sir. What is it?

“In the grand scheme of the universe, how skilled are you at navigation?”

Caramel turned to glance briefly at Yeongwoo before facing forward again.

—I’m only licensed to operate up to mid-class vessels, so I’m not really in a position to compare myself with every captain in the universe. However...

“However?”

—I’m an escort captain who has been granted the royal insignia of the Shelbir Empire. So as long as I’m conscious, I will complete my escort mission—no matter what.

A resolve that bordered on chilling.

Put simply, even if it meant losing their head, they’d finish their mission before dying.

“That’s impressive. You’re saying that no matter the crisis, you’ll carry out the mission bestowed upon you by the royal family, right?”

—Correct.

At that moment, the escort ship carrying Yeongwoo finally entered Doatel’s atmosphere and shook violently.

Thududududuk…!

—Please hold on to the surrounding structure tightly. We are currently passing through the exosphere.

“Exosphere? Then how long until this shaking stops?”

—We need to reach the lower stratosphere.

With that, the captain pointed to one of the monitors surrounding the seat.

It displayed a five-layered model of the atmosphere, and a single dot rapidly descending through it.

Most likely, that dot represented the escort ship’s altitude.

Ku-GUNG!

A heavy jolt shook the ship, and then the intense vibrations began to die down.

“Are we in the stratosphere now?”

—Not quite. But we’re nearly there.

The captain pointed at the atmospheric model again.

Yeongwoo, finding the data hard to interpret, turned to look out the window instead.

The previously swirling mix of deep blue and white had now started to shift gradually toward sky blue.

And finally—

Thunk!

With a short jolt, the outside view transformed into a far more familiar scene.

Yeongwoo turned again to the captain.

“Captain.”

—Yes, sir?

“Is your piloting skill good enough to handle a ship with a hole in it?”

—A hole? I’m sorry, what do you mean…?

“Could you still fly this ship to a high-altitude prison even if half the control room were blown off?”

As Yeongwoo said this, he drew Bastard from his waist.

Realizing what was happening, the captain’s eyes went wide.

—E-emergency! All personnel prepare for immediate crisis response!

The captain slammed the red button on the left side of the helm.

Ziiing!

Cables shot up from the floor of the control room like tentacles, instantly strapping the Caramels into place.

It was a built-in safety measure for when the hull gets breached.

“Ah, now that’s reassuring!”

Seeing this, Yeongwoo sprinted to the right side of the control room and extended Bastard to its full length.

Shwaaah!

And then—

“Hyaaaah!!”

He slashed the outer wall of the control room with a mighty swing.

KWA-KWAGAGAGAK!

—This lunatic! Is this how he planned to jump ship?!

Jiseon screamed as the immense pressure began to tear through the cabin.

Yeongwoo, meanwhile, was prying the breached wall open even wider with his hands—like some alien from a sci-fi film.

“Hurry, over here! My mom is my parachute!”

KWAJAJAK!

Finally, an enormous 8-meter-wide hole opened in the control room, and everything inside started getting sucked out.

The Caramels tied down with cables dangled in midair, but every weapon they’d been holding flew right out of the ship.

And then—finally—

TAP!

Standing at the edge of the horrific breach, Earth ship owner Jeong Yeongwoo offered the Caramels a final farewell.

“That which doesn’t kill me… only makes me stronger!”

—…?

“It’s a famous quote from Earth. Everyone—get stronger, and we’ll meet again!”

With that, Yeongwoo grabbed Jiseon’s hand and leapt out into the void.

[Translator - Night]

[Proofreader - Gun]