novelraw Chapter 90 : Wise Survival in Drift
Chapter 90 : Wise Survival in Drift
Chapter 90: Wise Survival in Drift
[You have selected an item!]
What he chose was an item.
And not just any item—it was an even higher version than the one he had originally wanted.
[Fate of the Falling Star]
Acquisition Difficulty: SS
Durability: 880,000 / 880,000
Description: By consuming durability, the potential of a skill can be increased by +3 stages. In the case of magic-type abilities, additional buffs are granted depending on the user. After all durability is consumed, it can be utilized as a ‘Rune’. (The rune’s numbering varies depending on durability usage.)
Even among countless Sacred Relics and top-tier artifacts, there weren’t even 1,000 items ranked S or higher.
And this was SS rank!
In reality, unless one was a Champion of the Abyss or a chief deity of myth, it was nearly impossible to even lay eyes on such a thing.
And on top of that, it had no special usage restrictions.
‘This is perfectly optimized for me.’
It could be used with various elemental magic as well as Void Magic.
It was a shame it was consumable, but once all durability was used, it could be embedded into an item as a Rune.
‘If I want to exchange it for a higher numbering, I’ll need to put on quite a performance.’
He already had a rough idea of how to use it.
Krrr.
With such incredible luck, all the fatigue he had accumulated seemed to vanish at once.
Even the sharks following the lifeboat looked cute.
But just then—
Rumble!
Another ship appeared in the distance.
A rescue vessel?
No—
It looked far too crude for that.
Made of wood, with a dragon-head ornament at the front.
Just like an old Viking warship.
“Kuahaha! I am the great warrior of the seas! I can hunt whales with a single punch!”
“Ohoho! I am the beautiful priestess of ancient times! With a single drop of spit, limbs grow back!”
A bizarre song echoed.
At first, it sounded like a banshee or siren—
But the childish lyrics and familiar voices quickly eased the tension.
He knew exactly who they were.
‘If you call it fate, then it really is.’
The pair was Rodbrock and Lagerseh.
＊＊＊
“M-my limbs won’t move.”
“Tonight, we should sleep without watch duty.”
“Hooeeeh…”
The Sea Otter Trio trembled on deck after desperately escaping the sharks.
He should give them some sardines later.
If not for them, he wouldn’t have met Rodbrock and Lagerseh.
“Kuahaha! Strong warrior! Out fishing, were you? You must have caught a few whales, right?”
What nonsense.
Who does he think he is—some muscle-brained Viking?
“I was heading to the Empire when the cruise got attacked. I survived by luck, but I lost the ship and ended up drifting.”
“What? Oppa, you actually survived that?”
“I heard about it. They said even the major guilds’ rescue team got wiped out. As expected, truly a strong warrior!”
Lagerseh and Rodbrock exclaimed in genuine amazement.
A catastrophe so severe that even top-ranked Hunters were presumed dead.
Rumors were already spreading that it rivaled the Second Impact.
And yet—
He had returned alive.
Regardless of the process, that alone was an achievement worthy of global attention.
“Ahem. Well… I’m just that good.”
Kang Yohan raised his chin smugly.
“Y-yeah… you’re amazing, Oppa. If only you’d keep your mouth shut.”
“A face so thick even an axe couldn’t cut it. Truly a warrior!”
After brief greetings, Rodbrock gave them a tour of the ship.
The Viking warship, loaded with abundant supplies, even had hot showers.
Splash!
“Forget that horse piss you call beer—taste real beer brewed by nature itself!”
Rodbrock handed over a glass filled with golden liquid.
Foam like clouds overflowed at the top.
“Ugh.”
As Kang Yohan grabbed the glass, the cold sensation pierced to his bones.
How cold had they kept this?
His lips were dry from thirst.
He gulped down the entire liter in one go.
“Ahh!”
The sharp, tingling carbonation scratched his throat as it went down.
His overheated body relaxed instantly.
Paired with roasted whole pork and hot cream stew—
There was nothing more to desire.
“Wow…”
“Oh my…”
Scarlett de Juliard and Park Yeri marveled.
The food and drink were simply that good.
“Hooeeeh…”
“I-it’s making me dizzy…”
Why are you guys drinking too?
“Grrr!”
“It’s all Jungbok’s! When Jungbok gets drunk, he turns into a dog!”
“Is there whiskey? Huh?”
Sambok had also crawled out of subspace and was fighting over a beer mug.
Of course, even during the feast, monsters occasionally appeared—
[Scarlett activates ‘Doll’s House’!]
All of them were caught in traps woven from red threads.
Slice! Slice! Slice!
“Grrrk!”
“Keeee!”
7-star sea-type monsters resembling sea serpents.
They were shredded into pieces and returned to nature.
‘Perfect for standing guard.’
Kang Yohan watched Scarlett manipulate the threads.
Blood Threads.
A versatile ability.
A talented True Ancestor born from a noble lineage.
Scarlett was a gem that shouldn’t be left to waste.
Even if she wasn’t overwhelmingly useful right now—
With proper growth, she could stand against top-tier rankers.
Especially—
If she could use ‘Linked Sacred Spear’.
That would make her an indispensable core member.
Linked Sacred Spear was a secret technique activated when mutual understanding reached a certain level—
A finishing move that created synergy beyond individual limits and completely changed the flow of battle.
‘If I had known this earlier, I could’ve gone even further.’
He once believed he could do everything alone.
And up to a certain point, that had been true.
But late-stage episodes were different.
A forbidden domain unreachable alone.
This time—
He couldn’t afford mistakes.
“Want me to take a look?”
“…Yes?”
Scarlett blinked in surprise.
“I think it could improve a lot with a few adjustments.”
“I-if you’re willing to help, it would be an honor.”
Her voice was barely audible.
Her eyes trembled as she clutched her parasol.
‘Hmm?’
She used to be prideful to the extreme.
When did she become so obedient?
“How do you distribute mana through the threads?”
“I put 80% into the active threads and keep 20% reserved.”
“That’s efficient, but it creates imbalance. You should distribute mana evenly across all threads to avoid strain when using higher-level abilities later.”
“I know… but it’s beyond my current ability.”
Of course it was.
But he wouldn’t bring it up without a solution.
“Try absorbing this.”
Kang Yohan handed her a glowing gem.
[Infinite Greed].
The trait obtained from Gluttony.
“T-this must have been incredibly difficult to obtain… Are you really giving this to me?”
“If a precious companion can grow stronger, it’s not a waste at all.”
Absolutely not because [Blood Vessel] and [Infinite Greed] didn’t synergize.
Or because he planned to obtain a higher-tier trait.
Or because it had side effects.
Definitely not.
Purely—
Out of warm and noble intentions.
“Th-thank you! I’ll definitely grow stronger and be of help to you, Mr. Yohan! I swear it in the name of the 2nd President of the Vampire Girl Scouts!”
…Yeah. Hopefully that works out.
In many ways.
Wooooong!
Her silver hair began to shine brilliantly.
[Infinite Greed]
1. Converts the [Greed] of nearby targets into mana and absorbs it.
2. Devours living beings to convert part of their mana into one’s own.
SWISH!
The number of Blood Threads doubled instantly.
Not just in quantity—
Each thread’s mana had transformed entirely.
It looked like a galaxy spreading out.
White waves surged across the ocean.
“This is amazing! Did you see that?”
She had definitely grown stronger.
But—
She was still panting.
Not fully optimized yet.
“Hmm. Try tying your hair into twin tails.”
Since she stored mana in her hair, splitting it evenly would be more efficient.
“W-wait!”
Now in twin tails, Scarlett looked at him expectantly.
“How is it? Does it suit me?”
“Excellent.”
“Hehe… so you like a more girlish style, Mr. Yohan?”
“…? I meant for mana distribution.”
“W-w-who cares about mana!”
For some reason, Scarlett suddenly shouted angrily—
Then ran off to the other side of the ship.
“…I even gave her a gift. What’s her problem?”
“Tsk tsk. What a rookie. I could teach you, but…”
Park Yeri clicked her tongue.
＊＊＊
About an hour later—
Splash!
“I got something!”
Rodbrock shouted while fishing.
Something had taken the bait.
And it was heavy.
Drip.
Soon, a man emerged from the water.
“An anthropomorphic fish? My fishing has reached enlightenment—I’ve even caught rare species now!”
“…Are you insane!”
Kang Yohan smacked Rodbrock’s head before he could swing his axe.
That was almost a murder stack added.
‘Blond hair, blue robe… and that brooch emblem…’
Mage Union.
A member of a major guild.
“Cough! Where… am I?”
The man spat out seawater.
“You conscious? Do you remember your name?”
“My name… Ashvalt.”
“Ah… Shvalt?”
What kind of name is that?
“Are you friends with Pack Bedro?”
Unlikely, judging by his build—but still possible.
“Cut the nonsense. I’m exhausted. Bring me food and water. My guild will compensate you.”
Ashvalt spoke arrogantly.
After drifting for hours, his mana and stamina were depleted.
Even casting basic magic required recovery first.
“Oh my. Forgive me for not recognizing such an esteemed guest. I thought you were just a poor castaway, but you’re a wealthy one.”
Kang Yohan rubbed his hands eagerly.
A complete 180 in attitude.
A rich customer is always king.
“Then I’ll just take one staff from your belongings. Haha. You understand, right? VIP discount.”
“What?”
Ashvalt frowned sharply.
“Do you even know who I am? I’m Ashvalt—the main dealer of Union Mage and an elemental mage!”
An S-rank mage.
Master of five elements.
Countless titles.
“Don’t care.”
Right now—
He was just a powerless castaway.
Be grateful you’re not thrown back into the sea.
Kang Yohan snatched his staff.
[Elemental Spear]
Acquisition Difficulty: A
Physical Attack: 25
Magic Attack: 150
Durability: 80 / 80
Description: A magical item crafted by the Fairy Tribe, designed to efficiently gather natural energy.
Magic Damage +5%
Casting Speed +3%
A 1.5-meter staff engraved with intricate Fairy language.
A large sapphire floated at the top.
Wow.
An A-rank item with two high-tier options.
Especially rare for mage-exclusive equipment.
Its value was immeasurable.
“G-give it back! That’s not acceptable!”
Ashvalt clung desperately, but Kang Yohan slapped his hand away.
“So they say—save a drowning man, and he demands your staff. Tsk.”
“This is why our tribe says you don’t save dying magicians!”
“A wise proverb indeed. Keep him barely alive—he’ll stab us in the back once he recovers.”
Heh.
Usually, people like this set up fail-safes—sending records to their guild upon death.
So for now—
They’d keep him alive and discard him later.
“Don’t worry. Even a whiff of goblin fart will knock him out. Lagerseh’s saliva can double as hydration and medicine—just give him a sip.”
Heh heh.
Kang Yohan and Rodbrock grinned wickedly—
Deciding the fate of their captured “guest.”