GM log in into another world vol 1 chapter 1

 1.

“I hear the event won’t fire for some of you. Are you sure you

triggered the NPC?”

“I thought so, but...”

“Oh... wait, remember how before we tried...”

It was ten at night. I sat in an empty room, illuminated only by the

lamp above me and the glow of my screen.

I’m Masaki Toudou, a Game Master—GM for short. Many players

took issue with my occupation, but I didn’t let it get to me. I was

satisfied with my job. It was another night of overtime, a constant in

my understaffed department. I’d had to quickly adjust to long shifts,

so this was nothing new.

“Yeah, this dumbass forgot to actually start the event. Thanks for

coming!”

“Ah, right, thanks. I’ll teleport back and fix it!”

“On the double!”

I smiled at the players. “I’m glad I could help. Have fun out there!”

It was an easy ticket, luckily. Little issues like that cropped up all the

time. A player would forget to trigger an important event, and

suddenly find themselves barred from the boss area. Then toxic

players would immediately start berating the poor soul who picked

up the ticket. The worst part of it was, I couldn’t even blame them.

Our staff were pretty notoriously casual about their responsibilities.

On the other end of the spectrum were players who’d gather around

like the GM was a panda at the zoo munching away at bamboo.

They’d take screenshots of us waving at them and post them on

bulletin boards. Especially since I didn’t show myself to players without reason, these guys made me feel like a rare monster.

Regardless, it felt nice to be thanked for a job well done.

“Good work, Masaki. Here, I brought you coffee,” someone called to

me from behind just as I returned to the consoles. It was my senior

of five years, a good guy who often brought soda or coffee to staff at

break time.

“Thank you,” I said, accepting the coffee. “Luckily, today went

smoothly. Nothing about that rumor, either.”

I sipped the coffee, glad for the breather. My eyes stayed on the GM

console, my most essential work tool. It gave me access both to

exclusive commands and user tickets. Requests (0). I was free to

relax. I adjusted my glasses and leaned back in my chair.

“Yeah, I guess not.” He sighed. “But the fact that we’re even kind of

associated with players vanishing from their computer chairs is as

bad as it gets.”

My thoughts exactly. The rumor was totally ridiculous, basically

creepypasta.

“I know, right?” I shook my head. “Sounds to me like some kids just

ran away from home. Looking for them is way outside the scope of a

GM’s duties. That’s where the police come in.”

Other GMs told me the incident was pretty widespread. It didn’t just

affect Brittalia Online, the MMO my company managed, but other

MMOs and some VRMMOs as well. But really, it couldn’t be anything

more than an urban legend.

“Oh, by the way. Can I take off Sunday and Monday, two weeks from

now?”

“In two weeks?” He glanced over the calendar. “Hmmm, looks like it

won’t overlap with any events. Sure, go ahead. Got special plans?”

“Yeah. My old guildies organized a meet-up.”

The guy who organized the meet-up, my old Brittalia Online

guildmaster, was my mentor. He took me under his wing, taught me

the ropes, and showed me the joys of hunting elites with a party, and

making connections online. He accepted me into his guild, The

Round Table, where we tackled tough quests and story missions

together. I followed his example and helped our new members out

however I could. To this day, I was proud to have been a member of

The Round Table. Those were good times.

Our guild got pretty tight knit, and we started meeting up to send

players off whenever they quit the game for whatever reason. When

I developed an interest in becoming more deeply involved with

Brittalia Online and was hired on as a GM, I was the subject of one of

those parties. It was a fantastic night, but it marked my official

resignation as a Brittalia Online player. Company policy stated that

GMs couldn’t be active players.

Like all new hires, I had been required to wipe my account before

getting started on my duties. In-game work comprised things like

sneaking into parties to check quest balance and patrolling the game

world with GM Invisibility. Luckily, however, the coworker who I was

currently spending my break with had stood up for me. He’d

managed to convince management that it’d be a shame for all the

items, skills, and achievements I’d worked so hard for to be deleted,

so I got away with a simple name change. Understanding seniors

were truly a blessing.

Though my days as a guild member had come to an end, my days as

a friend were far from it. I was sincerely looking forward to the guild

meet-up. My guild master mentioned having some questions for me.

Since most of my work was confidential, spilling details was strictly

off-limits. Still, I wondered what was on his mind.

“You’ve barely taken any time off this year, so you deserve the

break. Just make sure you get me a souvenir.” Thank goodness.

Understanding, as always. I made a mental note to pick him up a nice

bottle of sweet potato shochu. “You haven’t had dinner yet, right? I’ll

take care of the rest; you go eat.”

Damn, work had really sucked me in. I hadn’t noticed the hunger

creeping up on me. I could definitely go for a bite.

“I’ll take you up on that.”

“Good. Take care.”

I showed my gratitude with a slight bow, readjusted my glasses, and

started my walk down the dark corridor. Our instructions were to

turn off any light source we weren’t using to save power, and I didn’t

want to bother flicking the switch. I knew the place like the back of

my hand anyways.

What should I have tonight? Hmmm, ramen sounds good. Decision

made, I headed in the direction of the ramen joint, when I noticed

that something was off.

Huh?

My legs wouldn’t move, and even my confused grunt caught in my

throat.

Am I paralyzed? No, that makes no sense. I’d have collapsed. Ah,

no, wait! It’s getting dark! Ah... ah, no... I’m losing consciousness... I’m

losing... my ramen!

As I lamented my mouthwatering dinner, my consciousness faded

out.

◇◆◇

“He looks all right. Let’s see his abilities, shall we?”

“His strength is... abysmal. Magic... below average. Disappointing.”

As I slowly slipped back into consciousness, I heard a voice, and it

clearly wasn’t my coworker. It sounded more like a cocky old man.

Hadn’t he had the audacity to declare me just “all right”?

What about this is all right, old man?! Actually, scratch that. My

strength is abysmal? Just so you know, I work out to stay in shape!

The floor was cold and hard. I wanted to get up, but I still couldn’t

move. Dammit! With my hazy vision, I could only see the gray of the

floor. Beyond that, everything was dark.

“This one’s a failure. Put him in a slave collar and break him. At

once!”

“A failure”? What’s he on about? And, did he just say “slave

collar”?! That crap’s been abolished for ages, and I’m not into S&M

stuff if that’s what this is about, thank you very much!

I was still disoriented, but could clearly feel someone approaching.

S-Stop! D-Don’t come any closer! Arghhh, move! Move, dammit!

I struggled like a wounded beast, but to no avail. I just lay there as a

hooded man approached, a collar—a slave collar—in hand.

I was ready to accept the fate the painful click of the collar’s lock

would bring. What I got instead, however, was a loud snap. When he

tried closing the collar around my neck, it blew out of his hand,

pieces scattering across the floor.

“What?!” The hooded man yelled in shock.

My vision was beginning to clear up. I glanced around and noticed

that the only light sources illuminating the room’s solid stonework

were candles dotting the wall. There wasn’t a single window, and

both the entrance and exit were manned with armed guards,

ensuring that any escape attempt would end in failure.

Under me, there lay a magic circle.

Looking ahead, I spotted the old man who’d spoken before. He wore

a red mantle that looked like something straight out of a fantasy

game or anime, and topped it all off with a golden crown. Even more

intriguing was the staff in his hands, complete with a magic crystal at

its tip.

“What happened?” he demanded.

“It may have been defective. I’ll bring another at once!”

As my senses slowly returned, I felt my body tense with panic. I tried

to move again, but no luck. While I struggled to get myself together,

the hooded man produced another collar. He approached once more

to fasten it around my neck, but some invisible force tossed it aside

again, sending the pieces skittering around the room.

“What’s the meaning of this? Why are the collars failing?!”

“It’s unclear. I suspect some unknown power to be at play.”

“A mysterious power barring us from breaking him in, you say? Well,

he’s useless to us without the slave collar, and it would be a shame

to kill him before learning more about this ‘power.’ Throw him in a

cell.”

“At once, your majesty!”

Having finally regained my senses—more or less—I could clearly hear

them talking about killing me. It was unsettling, to say the least.

Fortunately, it seemed I’d have some time before I met my ultimate

fate, but I was still being thrown in jail. And what was that about a

mysterious power? I felt like I was trapped in an isekai light novel.

Still unable to move, I just glared at the old man as he slowly stepped

toward me. Then he whacked me in the head with the gem

embedded in his staff.

“Nh!”

“One week. If we’re unable to subjugate him in a week, we’ll offer

him as a sacrifice and summon a new one. Now, off with him.”

I hadn’t experienced pain like this since my dad smacked me for

doing something stupid when I was a kid. Damn, did it hurt. But, at

least, it made one thing agonizingly clear: I wasn’t dreaming. The

major downside was that he’d hit me in just the right spot; I was

rapidly losing consciousness again. Wondering why this had

happened to me, I submitted to the darkness.

When I eventually woke, I was in a dark room with thick iron bars

covering the door. They hadn’t chained me up, but this was

obviously the jail cell they’d mentioned. In a movie, we’d be in the

hype part where the MC’d cook up a master plan to escape from

captivity. At that moment, though, excitement was nowhere near

the list of emotions coursing through me.

“Let me out, dammit! I didn’t do anything! Why am I in jail?!” I

frothed alone, with no target for my boiling rage.

At least I finally had full range of motion back.

Owww... that rat bastard sure didn’t pull his punch. I traced the

bump on my head and took stock of my surroundings.

The pungent smell of mold hit my nostrils as I examined my cell’s

sturdy stone wall. If there were an authenticity award for prison

cells, this would doubtless be a top contender. I tested the wall and

bars, faintly hoping that they’d move, but neither budged.

“‘Mysterious power,’ huh? What’s that all about?” I looked down at

my hands, but they seemed the same as ever. The only interesting

feature was the dark mole I’d always had. My hands didn’t produce

red lights, or any other common visual cues for magic users.

I looked out of the small, barred window. I had held out hope that

these bars would give way, but they turned out to be as sturdy as the ones on the door. The view beyond the bars made me do a double

take.

The landscape was ripped straight out of a fantasy novel, strikingly

different from the skyscrapers of the metropolis I was used to. As if

the view outside my window were the intro to a movie, I watched an

eagle-like monster—probably a gryphon—soar across the vast, blue

skies. I watched it approach a massive tower and enter through an

opening. In the distance shone a gorgeous azure sea, with a couple

dozen large ships dotting its surface. Some of them reminded me of

fifteenth-century frigates. A breathtaking sight, that’s for sure.

Beyond them floated, I presumed, trading ships. Though, at second

glance, they looked more like pirate vessels—

Hold on a second, I thought to myself as something strange caught

my eye. I’d been preoccupied by the fantastical scenery, and had

only now noticed my eyesight was much better than I remembered. I

brought my hands to my face and discovered that my glasses were

nowhere to be found.

After a glance around, I found them on the ground. Thanks to their

sturdy titanium frame, they were still intact.

“It’s great to have better eyesight, but what now? They said they’d

do another summoning in a week, so I’ll have to come up with a plan

to get out of this hellhole before then. If I can’t... I’m probably dead.

Well, in the first place, it’d be nice to know where in the world I am.”

I sat on the cold, hard floor and closed my eyes in thought. The

moment my eyes fell shut, a window popped up in front of me.

It looked an awful lot like the GM console I used at work.

What’s the game menu doing here? Wait, is this my special power?

Or maybe I was slotted into a VRMMO while I was out? Though VR

tech can’t transmit pain into the real world yet. At least, I’ve never

heard of anything like that.

Regardless, I had to do some testing and figure out what was going

on. I clicked one of the buttons with a finger and a bunch of options

popped up.

“Map, equipment, skills, spells, items... ah, here it is! The GM

console. Invincibility, Invisibility, Teleport... No log out button,

though.”

I examined my trusty GM-only screen. The box next to Resist All

Debuffs was checked off, but the boxes next to Invincibility and

Invisibility were empty. Resist All had to have been what prevented

them from attaching the collar. I still couldn’t grasp what had

happened to me, but if this screen reflected my actual abilities, then

I had a chance of escape.

There were major differences between player and GM settings. For

instance, under the Skills menu, I could use any skill available to

players, completely ignoring class restrictions. I remembered having

access to ten menus in-game, and they seemed to have fully

translated to my new situation. Ticking each box would hopefully

give me access to every active and passive skill.

Next up: magic. As with skills, I should theoretically have had access

to all spells, but I clearly didn’t. The spell names were grayed out,

meaning they were unavailable to cast. It certainly wasn’t a mana

issue, as I couldn’t even cast any level one spells. Considering my

circumstances in game terms, there was a high probability that the

cell was an anti-magic zone. For now, I’d have to come up with a plan

that didn’t rely on spells.

I moved on to the next menu: equipment. Luckily, the company had

allowed me to keep all my items. I scrolled down the list of loot I had

squirreled away. I only had to consider equipping a mythril sword

from my list, and it popped out of thin air in front of me. I caught it

quickly to avoid alerting the guards with a loud clang. I hadn’t

expected the sword to appear until I selected it with my finger, but

apparently not.

I wiped cold sweat from my forehead and began to examine the

sword. I had a wooden one at home, but you just couldn’t compare it with the blade before me. It was gorgeous and felt completely

different from my mock wooden sword. Thanks to the passive skill

Melee Combat Boost (Greater), handling the sword was a piece of

cake. I gave it a couple experimental swings. To my surprise, it was

easier to handle than the wooden one at home.

How refreshing! I needed a taste of success after everything else that

had happened.

Imagine what I could do outside this musty cell. Hahhh, I can’t wait

to get out.

I tried to sheath the sword, but it vanished from my hands. At that, I

decided on another test. I picked up my glasses and mimed putting

them in my pocket. Sure enough, they poofed out of existence and

appeared in my inventory. Seemed like I could store all my stuff

there.

I took a look at my glasses’ stats.

ITEM

Titanium Glasses

Sturdy / Light / Corrosion Resistant / Heat Resistant

Rarity: R

ITEM

There were six item rarity rankings total: C for Common, U for

Uncommon, R for Rare, HR for High Rare, UR for Ultra Rare and SR

for Secret Rare. It was strange to see a normal pair of glasses with an

R ranking, but they were apparently valuable enough to warrant the 

rarity. I assumed the materials must’ve been unavailable in-game.

Next, I gave sheathing the piss bucket from the corner of the room a

try, but it didn’t vanish. I still couldn’t be sure exactly how the mechanic worked, but if I had to guess, the system didn’t recognize

the bucket as belonging to me and wouldn’t allow me to store it.

Suddenly, the sound of footsteps interrupted my train of thought.

Likely a patrol. I decided it was probably safest to pretend to be

asleep.

“Good, he’s not up to anything funny... hey, wake up! Time to eat.”

The guard slammed the iron bars with his staff to wake me.

I pretended to be coming to my senses after a deep sleep and slowly

rose. “Wh-Where am I?”

“This is one of the jails of the Gran Fang Empire. Now, eat up!” He

shoved a plate with something resembling food into my hands. Bread

burnt to coal, and vegetable scrap soup.

Luckily, the guard departed without confirming I’d eaten, so I took

the chance to note the time he’d arrived. I used the clock on my GM

console to accurately pinpoint the time and summoned paper from

my inventory to take it down on.

Gran Fang Empire... Never heard of it. Whatever, I’ll worry about

that later. I have no idea how long it’s been since I last ate, but I’m sure

as hell starving.

“Let’s see... owww, it’s so hard!”

I ate the black brick masquerading as “bread,” and the salty, but

otherwise bland, vegetable soup as I watched the sun slowly

disappear beneath the horizon. I decided to call it a day and continue

strategizing tomorrow.

◇◆◇

“Morning, huh? Fwanhhhh...”

The rays of the morning sun shining through my barred window

woke me.

Sleeping on the frigid, stone floor of my cell would’ve been difficult,

and I wasn’t overly keen on wrapping myself in the filthy blanket I’d

been provided, so I pulled a Pelt of a Giant Sheep from my inventory

to lie on, and used my jacket as a blanket. The pelt carried a thick

farm animal smell, but it was still the better option of the two,

especially considering just how soft and fluffy Giant Sheep were.

Though I tried, my efforts simply couldn’t replace a proper bed. I was

stiff, aching all over from my night in the cell. I’d turned Invincibility

off, not wanting to raise suspicion in case someone came in to hit or

torture me. I couldn’t be sure if the skill would combat the crick in

my neck.

GM skill: Invincibility. As you’d expect, it blocked all damage,

regardless of the source.

Interestingly, GMs hadn’t been given access to Invincibility when

Brittalia Online first launched. From what I heard, it was added after

a GM went to help a player who’d gotten stuck in a wall. The GM got

caught up in a boss’ attack and their character died. The story

sounded made-up to me, but who knows? Maybe it was true.

“I don’t foresee a bright future if these guys find out I have a trump

card like this.”

Though I was in pain, I didn’t think it was worth it to turn Invincibility

on now. If my life were in danger, I’d obviously flip it on, but my

situation seemed relatively fine at the moment. The Emperor would

let me live for another week, so it was safe to assume that the

guards wouldn’t defy his will and risk punishment.

After my less-than-splendid meal the night before, I found another

skill I wanted to try out. Unfortunately, after I sifted through my

equipment and inventory, I noticed an issue with the plan.

“If only I had food in my inventory!”

I’d gotten hungry during the night, so I had scavenged around my cell

for anything remotely edible, but no dice. I’d usually keep curry and a

variety of meats in my inventory, but if I had to guess, I’d probably

cleaned it out before my final elite hunt, eating everything I’d

brought on my trek during the journey.

I can’t just lay around all day. I’m hungry as hell, but I should still

get up, move, and loosen up a bit.

I got up and did push-ups until I heard footsteps approaching my cell.

“Hey, it’s time for breakfast... what are you doing in there?”

“Working out. It’s part of my daily routine. I don’t want to get fat.”

“Oh, yeah? I have a bit of a belly myself. Any idea what to do about

it?”

“Try a walk first thing in the morning. Even if it’s just half an hour,

the results will show in time.”

“Huh, a’ight, I’ll give it a shot. Here, your breakfast.”

Cool. Let’s take down the time for breakfast.

That was all for my workout routine, so I sat down in front of my

plate. “Let’s see what we have here. Ah, but before that—” I opened

my map and put a checkmark on the guard.

I’d made another discovery last night. I concentrated on seeing a

map of the castle and, sure enough, it popped up without issue.

Players could only see areas of the map they’d actually explored, but

GMs could see the entirety of the map, including interior spaces and

sub-sections.

The checkmark allowed me to track the guard’s movements on the

map. He was masked, so I couldn’t see his face, but this clearly

wasn’t the same guy who’d brought me dinner last night.

I sipped some water, watching him make his way into another room.

Then I jumped into testing the idea that’d been growing in my mind

since the night before. I had access to the Improve Quality skill,

which players acquired about halfway through leveling. It improved

the quality of items by a couple levels, with the catch that it could

only be used once on any given item.

Food items like the soup were considered more complex, so I’d have

to approach the problem slightly differently. First, I’d try the bread. I

cast Improve Quality on the blackened, rock-hard bread. A dim light

enveloped it for a moment, before the burn marks vanished and the

solid bread became a loaf of beautiful white bread that looked oven-

fresh. It was light and fluffy and its sweet aroma made me salivate.

“Oh, nice! It worked!”

My hypothesis proved correct: I could use skills as long as they

weren’t classified as “spells.”

Next up, the soup. I’d use the crafting skill The King of Flavor - Secret

Technique, favored by cooks in the game. While the skill’s name

might invoke the image of an old man in a chef’s jacket vomiting a

beam of light to blast any ruffians that dared trash his restaurant,

rest assured: it wasn’t quite that grandiose. All it did was raise the

level of low-quality food items. In the game, it was pretty useless,

but Lord was it ever a lifesaver now.

After I cast it, the sewage water in my bowl turned into a beautiful,

golden soup. I checked its description.

ITEM

Golden Consommé

A rich and extravagant soup with slow-boiled chicken, beef, fish, and

various vegetables from the best fields around the country.

ITEM

From the description, my skill had done the trick. Unfortunately, I

didn’t have time to appreciate the magnificent flavor. The

mouthwatering aroma could alert the guards if I let it sit for too long,

so I had to finish my breakfast quickly.

My bread had become warm and springy. Hard to believe it’d been a

black mass before its transformation. The soup was, God, so

unbelievably delicious. It brought warmth to my soul as I sat in my

lonely, depressing cell.

If I’d discovered this earlier, I could’ve had a nice, luxurious dinner

lash night, but oh, well. No use crying over spilled milk. I now had a

hearty breakfast, a major improvement over anything I could have

hoped for. I wolfed it all down in minutes, not only to reduce my risk

of discovery, but also because my dinner the previous night hadn’t

quite filled me up. Fortunately, neither of my skills changed the

dishware, so I could likely enjoy improved meals for the remainder of

my jail stint.

I hadn’t had much chance to take a good look around yesterday, but

surely there had to be other cells beside mine. Afraid that the smell

of my meal would reach another occupant, I tried calling out, but no

response. As far as I could tell, I was all alone. Alone, and free to test

my skills to my heart’s content.

With breakfast out of the way, I could take the Imperial capital in.

Now that I could see it in daylight, it seemed like a lively, vibrant city.

I looked over the sea where I’d seen frigates last night. It turned out

there was a naval port, packed to the brim with warships. Merchant

ships idled a bit further off. I had only seen a dozen or so ships

before, but they’d multiplied overnight. There were now more than a

hundred. From what I could tell, we were on some kind of island or

peninsula, which would justify the fleet.

I watched as a line of people in chains were led from one of the ships

and into the streets. Between the prisoners and the sheer number of

warships docked, it seemed safe to assume that the Empire was at

war. I stared harder at the chain gang and spotted a werewolf-like

man, a dog-eared girl, and a girl with rabbit ears on the line.

Despicable. The treatment of these men and women disgusted me. I

was going to have to put an end to this brutality.

I sat down to mull over what I’d seen.

So, I guess there are beast-like demihumans in this world. Not

gonna lie, dog ears and bunny ears are kinda my thing... Ah, no.

Scratch that. This is no time to be horny. Seems like we’ve got a war

on our hands. Judging by the number of prisoners, the other nation

must be pretty large. My guess is that the Gran Fang guys are

summoning players from different games to use their skills in battle. If

I’m not careful, I’ll end up a sacrifice for their next combatant.

If one of those prisoners ends up in the next cell over, I might be

able to tap them for more information about this world and the war.

Right now, I don’t have enough to go on. I’m gonna have to hold out

until the last possible moment. It’s risky to bet everything on a single

horse, but it’s my best chance for survival. If I mess up, whatever

happens, happens. I’ll cross that bridge when I get to it.

I prayed that someone would move into the cell next door, but life

wasn’t that kind. All I wanted was someone to talk to, because I was

starting to get seriously lonely in here.

Suffering in solitude, my second day in the cell slowly ticked by.

Toward sunset, the rude guy from yesterday came by to provide the

castle’s one-star room service. I put a checkmark on him on my GM

console, and used my skills to turn my usual bread and soup into

fresh-baked five grain bread, and a lovely chicken soup. Why they’d

become something different this morning, I had no idea.

As night fell, cheers and laughter began seeping through my window.

I peeked out and spotted a group of soldiers celebrating the loot

they’d pillaged in their last battle. Watching them throw a party with

bloodied coin was distressing, but I knew it was just another part of

war. The world I’d come from had been at peace for generations, so

I’d never had to experience war myself, though I’d heard many

stories of past battles.

Admittedly, as I lay in my tiny cell under the pale moonlight, war was

the least of my problems. I closed my eyes and let dreams take me,

as the guards continued their revel outside.

The next morning, a guard came to talk to me. “I woke up a bit

earlier today. The morning air really gets the circulation going, huh?

Here’s your breakfast.”

“Yeah. With nobody to kick up dust, the air’s nice and clean.”

The guard left after our brief conversation. I quickly used my skills

and enjoyed my fluffy bread with lightly salted vegetable soup. The

difference between a properly seasoned veggie soup and the crap

they served me was night and day.

After breakfast, I spent some time thinking about how to use my

skills and items to escape this cursed place, only to be interrupted by

the sound of footsteps.

I quickly stuffed away the items I’d taken out, and rubbed some dirt

from the walls on my face and arms. I’d noticed the guard last night

becoming suspicious of my healthy color. I thought he’d been staring

at me because it was dark, but he’d clearly caught on that I was

holding out better than their usual victims. I was going to have to do

everything in my power to keep a low profile until the perfect

moment.

“Hey, we’re coming in! Don’t try anything funny or you can say

goodbye to your head.”

I nodded at his authoritative command and waited for them to enter.

The door swung open with a loud krrrrk and the soldiers stepped in,

all wearing neutral, blank expressions. My attempt to look as

unthreatening and frail as possible seemed to have paid off. Unlike

the guards, my new guests were clad in well-made full body armor.

Each had an imposing sword at their waist. I would’ve loved to take

more detailed stock of their garb, but I was sure they’d hit me if I

stared too much. With my Invincibility turned off, I wasn’t eager to

subject myself to unnecessary pain.

A hooded, robed figure stepped out from behind the soldiers and

tried to attach a collar to my neck, but it shattered on the ground

just as the previous ones had.

Robe guy rounded on the soldiers. “Tch, this one’s not working

either?! You better not be screwing with the collars!”

“Not at all! We put everything we had into this one, but it seems like

we’ll have to use stronger materials next time.”

Of course, their issues had nothing to do with materials, but they

didn’t need to know that. A soldier threw me against the wall in

frustration before marching out of my cell.

“Gahhh!”

“Arghh, why do I have to deal with this crap?! Just kill his useless ass

and leave me out of it!” one soldier complained.

The hooded figure shrugged. “Nothing like this has ever happened.

We’re not allowed to kill him. If he starts trouble, however, we have

full permission to join the guards in beating him down.”

“Then break him! I don’t care how, just put an end to this circus,

understood?! Show me some quick results, or else!” As I watched the

soldier blow up at robe guy, it started to become clear that power

harassment was an issue across worlds. I started to feel for the

hooded fellow with an impossible task.

cowered, nursing the pain from being thrown against the wall, until

the soldiers all left. I put a check mark on the hooded figure, and a

mark of a different color on the soldiers so I could easily tell them

apart. After that, I activated my passive HP/MP Regeneration skill to

heal up.

“Owwww... screw the guy that threw me at the wall. But at least,

they didn’t catch on.”

I hadn’t expected to have to hide the glow of health that eating

quality food lent me, but luckily, my dirt disguise worked. All I

wanted was to take a shower. The worst thing about it was that I

could have showered—if I weren’t in an anti-magic field.

The spell Room created a magical space with various furnishings,

such as a sofa and a bath. You could use the bath in the game, so I’d

likely have access to that same luxury here. Having said that, even if I

could cast a spell, a sparkling-clean prisoner would doubtless raise

some eyebrows. I wiped the dirt off of my face and glanced at the

collar pieces scattered in the middle of the room. Though it was in

pieces, a closer look suggested that it’d been made pretty well.

Maybe I can piece the broken bits together with string to create a

fake collar. It’s worth a shot.

I read the item description:

ITEM

Shattered Collar

An enchanted collar. When it touched a wearer with high debuff

resistance, it shattered.

Enchantment faded, it’s now classified as junk.

Rarity: C-

ITEM

Interestingly, it did have an assigned rarity, unlike the bread and

soup they’d brought me. The “minus” was probably because it was

broken. Regardless, I put it in my inventory, and used a skill I hadn’t

yet tried: Invisibility.

As I concentrated on the skill, my body became translucent.

GM skill: Invisibility. It worked. As a GM, it was one of my most

frequently used skills, as it hid my body from prying eyes. Neither

Detect Life, Detect Heat, Detect Sound, nor Detect Smell could

counter it. I could be stealthy as a snake without relying on

cardboard boxes.

I touched the wall, hoping to slip right through it, but it didn’t work. I

couldn’t fit between the iron bars, either. I was just about to give up

and release the skill when I noticed movement from the corner of

the cell.

There was a little mouse squeaking there, minding its own business.

A mouse in a dusty, moldy jail cell? No surprise, but it gave me an

idea. Could I turn the mouse invisible too?

He’d come out of hiding as soon as I’d activated Invisibility and didn’t

seem on edge. These little fellas scattered at the tiniest sign of

danger, so he clearly hadn’t noticed me yet. I slowly approached the

tiny mouse and caught him in my hands. The moment I did,

Invisibility canceled, and I became visible again.

Apparently, an attack or action that threatened another being

canceled Invisibility. I was curious to test how far I could push that,

but I had something more important to look into first. Holding the

mouse, I activated Invisibility again, and watched as the little guy

turned translucent in my hands.

All right. Now it was time to get back into the nitty-gritty of the

mechanics of the skill. I jumped, and sure enough, Invisibility didn’t

deactivate. Next, I released the mouse outside the bars. His Invisibility deactivated, and I watched him look about in utter

confusion for a moment before scurrying off.

Seems like I can share Invisibility as long as I hold onto my partner.

Hopefully it works on bigger things, too. Like an invisible car, or

something. Even the thought spooks me. Luckily, I’d be the one doing

the spooking in this example. Anyway, it’s my third day in here, huh? I

have four more to make a move...

I had nothing else to do, so this was the perfect chance to choose my

kit for the big day. Setting up four days in advance might look

generous, but better to prepare when I had the chance.

SKILL

Passive

Agility Boost / Physical Stats Boost (Extra) / Melee Combat Boost

(Greater) / Stealth Boost (Greater) / MP Regeneration (Medium) /

HP/MP regeneration (Medium)

Active

Silent Attack / Wind Rush / Surge / Time Bomb

SKILL

Should be a winning combination, but it was a real shame that I

didn’t have access to higher-tier Regeneration skills. They were

planning to add them in the next update, so I just missed ’em, which

made the loss sting even more.

With both Agility and Stealth Boost active, I was starting to feel like

some sort of a ninja. As its name suggested, Time Bomb was a bomb.

It was no normal bomb, however. It presented as a mob with its own

health bar. The explosion could be used as a diversion, or to create chaos in the enemy ranks. The best thing about Time Bomb, though,

was that you could set up all the bombs you had MP for. As a GM, I

could guarantee that I’d have enough mana at basically all times.

My Silent Attack skill ignored any armor and, surprise, surprise,

silenced my attacks. It was the ideal skill to take foes down without

drawing attention.

Wind Rush was an active skill that increased my movement speed. It

tended to come in handy, especially on quests that had you running

all over the world.

Surge might sound like a skill that would allow me to shoot energy

balls from my palms, but it actually just created an aura that surged

out of the tip of any blade I carried, increasing its melee range, and

boosting its attack. Surge was a staple of the Knight class, one of

their most favorite abilities. Not only did it look cool, but it did a lot.

I’d be a fool to pass up on it.

As I sat, reflecting deeply on my skills, I heard footsteps. Dinner time.

“Here’s dinner. Don’t try anything funny,” the guard told me bluntly.

He’d usually turn on his heels and return to his post once he’d served

me, but today he just stood there, staring at me.

“...”

“What?” I couldn’t use my skills in front of him, and I sure as hell

wasn’t going to eat the daily slop.

“Two days.”

“Huh?” Two days? Two days to what?

“If they haven’t broken you in by day after tomorrow, you’re done.

Pray to whatever deity you believe in that the collar closes around

your neck without trouble.”

What?! I should still have four days to go! Seeing the shock on my

face, the guard left me to ponder my fate.

Today, my skills produced bread with pickled radish pieces in it, and

a Japanese-style vegetable soup.

I don’t get how this works! And the bread doesn’t go with the soup

at all! Arghhh, dammit, dammit, dammit, dammit! I got careless!

The next day, I asked the morning guard about the timeline, and he

informed me that a week was only five days in this world. These new

developments had kept sleep away from me for the better part of

the night but, when morning came, I had more pressing things to do

than worry over sleep deprivation.

Dammit! It’s so obvious! I should’ve suspected this world would

have a different calendar!

Panicking made me hungry. I used my skill to turn my breakfast into

fluffy white bread and consommé soup. Belly filled, I calmed down

and started to think.

“I’m glad I prepared my skills yesterday, but I should’ve pushed the

morning guard for more information. At this point, I could even drop

the pretense of being a powerless, frail prisoner.”

I checked the map and watched the morning guard patrol another

floor. The night guard was stationary, likely sleeping in the barracks.

The robed fellow was nowhere near my cell, which was a good sign. I

never wanted to see him again. I looked out of the window, trying to

glean any extra information I could find. Outside, I saw the usual

fleet of warships and merchant vessels, which I assumed were

caravels.

Nothing new. But just as I was about to turn away, I spotted an older,

brawny man being led in chains by soldiers. He was already severely

injured, and the soldiers just kept beating away at him as he tried to

drag his feet. Seemed safe to assume the soldiers were responsible

for all of his wounds.

Thanks to the Stealth Boost passive skill I’d activated yesterday, they

didn’t notice my gaze. Either that, or the window was too far from

the action for anyone to feel my eyes on them. Either way, I hopped

back from the window and returned to mulling my escape over. I had

a number of ideas, but most of them needed more prep than I could

manage today.

I could break the bars, but that’d attract too much attention. Even if I

could slip past the guards, I had no idea where I was or what the

surrounding areas were like. I had a severe lack of critical

information. I could go for a quiet prison break, but I didn’t have any

lockpicks in my inventory.

If you lack something, just make it yourself, I thought to myself, as I

scoured my inventory for anything I could use as a DIY lockpick. I had

a bunch of potions and elixirs and random loot like horns, wings, and

fur. Neither potions nor monster parts made great lockpicks, as far as

I was aware. I kept all my crafting items in my home box, so the lack

of materials wasn’t much of a surprise. Man, I’d kill for an iron ingot

right now. With that, crafting a key would be child’s play. Magic

could’ve also worked, but that was, sadly, out of the question.

I scanned the room, desperate to find anything that could work.

That’s when I spotted the one thing that could save my life: my

titanium-alloy glasses. They’d taken my wallet, phone, and house

keys, but they left my glasses with me.

I had an idea. Can I turn my glasses into lockpicking tools?

As long as I had access to a thin wire, I could use my Metalsmithing

skills to make a lockpick. My frames would probably be counted as a

wire, but the titanium could be a problem. Success meant unlocking

the first step to my escape, but failure meant needlessly turning the

precious glasses I’d had for years into an ordinary wire. They weren’t

overly expensive, but their sentimental value was huge. After

spending a while deliberating, however, I decided to try it.

I can’t put a price on my life, even a sentimental one.

My Decomposition skill broke my glasses down into a frame and two

lenses. I stashed the lenses in my inventory and opened the

Metalsmithing menu. I concentrated on crafting a lockpicking set,

wishing for it like my life depended on it. I’m begging you, please

work!

I clutched the frame in my hand as it began to glow with a bright

light. My heart bashed against my ribs as the light slowly faded away.

I opened my palm, and...

ITEM

Lockpicking Wires of the Bandit King

Sturdy, heat-resistant lockpicking tools made from a mysterious

metal. The curvature makes them perfect for picking locks. There are

only a handful of doors and chests that can withstand the power of

this tool.

Rarity: SR

ITEM

Yes! I cheered internally. I hadn’t put that many levels into the thief

job, but I was confident that my cell door stood no chance against

these tools.

I scanned the map for guards on the floor, then slowly inserted the

pick into the lock. The lock clicked whenever the guards opened it, so

I made sure to be as gentle as possible as I searched for that click. I

skillfully probed the lock as if the lockpick itself were leading my

hands, and slowly, ever-so-slowly, turned it.

It was the tiniest of clicks, but with a gentle push, the door slowly fell

open.

I did it! I cheered silently, shutting the door again. I couldn’t leave it

hanging open just yet. I slid the lockpick out, and noticed that it had

changed shape inside the lock. Damn, these lockpicks were the best.

With a big, dumb grin on my face, I checked the map—only to see

two guards approaching my floor. I quickly stashed the lockpick in my

inventory and leaned powerlessly against the wall.

Besides the footsteps, I could hear something being dragged along

the hard stone floor. It suddenly stopped at the cell next to mine.

The door opened and what- or whoever they’d been pulling behind

them was tossed into the cell.

“Never seen a pirate give up his freedom so his lackeys could make a

dash for it. Sorry, bud! Your heroism was all for naught. We’ll catch

them soon enough and, once we do, you’ll all hang in the town

square to show what happens to criminals who dare defy the

Empire!”

That stuck-up, power-tripping soldier again. I’d just been thinking

that his voice was gonna drive me outta my head when his face

peeked into my cell. So much worse.

“And you,” he sneered, “we’ll have the collar by tomorrow. If it

doesn’t work out, your head’s gonna roll through the dirt. If it does,

you’ll be tossed in some mine for hard labor. Point is: I ain’t never

gonna have to deal with your sorry, otherworldly ass ever again.”

Apparently, he wasn’t fond of otherworlders. The guards at his side

were my usual morning and evening patrol pals. The evening guy

didn’t seem to care for the asshole remark, but I spied a hint of

empathy from the morning guard. I simpered like a scared puppy,

which seemed to satisfy the power tripper. With a shit-eating grin on

his face, he departed with his companions.

God, I wanna puke. Thinks he’s all high and mighty. Look at the

other guys, they’re cool. Just leave. Nobody’s paying you to talk.

Anyway, my execution is tomorrow, so I should probably get going.

Though, I can say “get going,” all I want, but where? I don’t know

anything about the country, and I’m broke as a joke. Even with

Invincibility and Invisibility, traversing an unknown country is gonna be

rough. I have no clue how to escape the Empire’s grasp.

“Nghhh... aghhh...” The pirate in the next cell groaned painfully. My

long-awaited neighbor must’ve been roughed up pretty bad.

“Hey, are you okay?” I called out to him nervously.

“Do I sound jolly to ye? Damn ye all to hell! Run lads, run if ye hold

yer life dear!” An older guy, it sounded like, wishing for the safety of,

I assumed, his crew.

“Hey, old timer, you a pirate?”

“Aye?” he demanded. “And if’n I be, aye? Ye out for a bruisin’?”

Pirates meant ships. I could get on that ship if I played my cards right.

I took an item from my inventory, a small vial filled with a light blue

liquid.

ITEM

High Potion

A high-tier potion that restores a large portion of health and

regenerates severed body parts.

ITEM

“Shhh,” I whispered. “Drink this, but don’t make a ruckus. It’s a

potion.”

“Eh?”

“Just hurry up and drink it while no one’s around!”

“A-Aye, all right... wha—?! Sink me! My finger be growin’!” The

empty vial rolled out of his cell, slipping from his startled hands.

Upside, that medicine went down easy. Downside, how trusting can

you get? Isn’t this guy a pirate? I could have poisoned him as easily

as healing him.

“Cheers, mate. But ye mind tellin’ me how ye wound up in the brig

with a stash of super rare potions like that? Those’re tricky to find,

even for rugged vets.”

“Things happen. Actually, now that you’re doing better, you mind if I

ask you some questions?”

“Aye, aye! Ask whatever ye like, we be mates now.”

Pirate or no, seemed he lived by some code of decency. I could trust

him for now.

“Who is the Empire currently at war with?”

“Who ain’t they? They sliced a campaign all up ’n down the southern

coast; don’t know much south a’ that. Scuttlebutt says they’re layin’

siege t’ a city cross the mountains, but they’re still pushin’ into the

Kingdom a’ Sentrag up north.”

Two fronts, huh? Their captives must’ve been great ammo for suicide

missions. With an endless supply of prisoners and a powerful flotilla

of frigates, they could spare some losses here and there if that were

the price of victory. With the gryphons I had seen before added to

the mix, they could attack by land, sea, and from the air.

“All right. Next question: are you crew and ship intact?”

“Aye, they ourghtta be. I had the lads hie to me secret lair whilst I

made the boys here work for their coin, but it’s only a matter o’ time

afore they find me crew. Can’ be more’n two or three days. If’n they

flee, ’twill have t’ be ta sea.”

“That could do the trick.”

“Ey? Trick?” I was no mind reader, but I’d wager more than a bowl of

ramen he was thinking something like, “what’s this landlubber

babblin’ about?”

“Captain Graybeard.”

“Ey? Still got an ear for news?”

“Do you want outta here?”

The pirate offered me a real chance at freedom, and I wasn’t about

to let it slip by. If I slept on this, he and his entire crew would die, and

I’d be abandoned to this unknown world once again. Between

Invincibility and Invisibility, I’d probably survive, but actually getting

out of the Empire’s clutches was another kettle of fish. For that, I’d

need the old guy’s help.

“Aye, I’d be happy t’ sail on outta here—hohoho! Poppycock!”

“I have a plan.”

“Say what?”

“I can get you back to your crew and ship, but I’m gonna need some

help. Deal?”

The old man fell silent, so I pulled the lockpick out to demonstrate

my point.

But if we were gonna co-op this escape mission, I’d need to change

my skill loadout. I replaced Surge with the passive Perception Boost

(Greater) in my repertoire. At that instant, markers I’d never seen

popped up all over my map. With its scope expanded to the exterior

of the prison, I could even track the movement of dogs and eagles.

Now all I had to do was keep out of sight.

“If I sit ’ere pretty as a damsel in distress, me lads’re done for, so

you’ve a ready hand in me, mate.”

“It’s a lot to explain, so let’s put it this way: the Empire thinks I’ve got

a ‘mysterious power.’”

I pushed the cell door open quietly enough to avoid notice. To

escape, we’d have to get past the occasionally manned checkpoint.

There were already a bunch of guards converging downstairs—

including my power-tripping pal.

This would be no walk in the park.

“Hey, nice to actually see you. I’m opening your door.”

“How’d ya sneak that in ’ere?”

“Mysterious powers,” I repeated as shorthand for “it’d be a pain to

explain.”

I went to stealthy work on the door with only my heartbeat pounding

in my ears. Unfortunately, his door wasn’t quite as well-maintained

as mine had been and let out a painful screech as it swung open. A

quick glance at the map confirmed that I’d gotten lucky: nobody

seemed to have heard.

“Secret, sorry.”

“That’s a right fancy lockpick ya got, lad. I hear the prison’s got an

anti-magic field, don’t it?”

“Guess that’s why I can’t cast spells.” My console was working

perfectly, so it seemed pretty likely that the anti-magic field was

screwing with my options. Still, I’d have to confirm it once we’d

gotten to safety. Better safe than sorry.

“So, what be the plan, matey?”

“You climb on my back, I’ll use my powers.”

“Ey? Ya havin’ a laugh? I’ll crush yer scrawny li’l body.”

“Worry less about me and more about your beer gut, bud. How’re

you gonna catch fine booty when you look like a barrel?”

“Ughhh... hittin’ me where it hurts, aye? All right, I’m in yer hands.”

He finally climbed onto my back. I’d considered just holding his hand,

but I couldn’t ignore the possibility of psychological damage. No way

would I risk the face of a girl I strolled hand-and-hand with being

replaced with his.

He may have been a burly guy, but with my passives, Physical Stats

Boost and Melee Combat Boost, he was lighter than a kid. I’d had

ample time to test the feel of my movement with the passives on.

My speed and jump height both increased drastically, so much so,

that I’d hit my head on the ceiling during testing. Invincibility had

saved my head. Literally. With that training behind me, I could now

move freely, like I’d been born blessed with this strength.

Which was another reason I’d put the old-timer on my back: if we

held hands, there was a non-zero chance I’d accidentally bash him

into a wall or something. Now that I understood how powerful MMO

characters truly were, I’d have no qualms casually duking it out with

dragons and whatever anymore.

Now, my focus was on getting the hell outta Dodge. I activated

Invisibility, rendering me and Gramps invisible to third parties, and

translucent to one another.

“A’ight, Gramps. Hold tight, you don’t wanna fall.”

“Sink me... Son, tell me true, ’s this a scurvy dream or didja turn us

invisible? I’ve ’eard tales in me time, but I reckon I ain’t seen nothin’

like this. Where’re ya takin’ me off ta...?”

“Don’t sweat it. Nobody’s gonna sense us like this. I’ll explain later.

Now hold on.”

I also switched Invincibility on, just in case the Invisibility didn’t work

out. The plan was foolproof. No matter whether we were thrown

before the Emperor and all his royal guard, or came face-to-face with

an ancient dragon, I’d be just fine.

I set off running and immediately felt the superhuman speed we

were traveling at. I got the feeling that running on walls might be

within the realm of possibility, but no way was I gonna try with the

old man on my back.

“Aaaaaah?! Yer gonna break both our necks!”

“I’m not slowing down, so just make sure you don’t hurl all over my

back.”

“Hell d’ya take me for, son?! I be an old sea dog, not some squealin’

babe! Damn, y’ain’t holdin’ back!”

When they brought me in, I was out cold, so I didn’t know the floor

sported a long row of cells. Armed with this new info, I brought my

map up and drew up an escape route. Just as I finished, we reached

the checkpoint. It was manned, but my Invisibility kept the guard

none the wiser. We slipped by without disturbing a mote of dust.

“By the sea... you got us through!”

“Mouth shut, Graybeard. Don’t want you to bite your tongue in the

jump.”

“Say whaaaAAAA—?!”

Beyond the checkpoint was a wide veranda. I took aim at it and

activated Wind Rush to push my speed even higher. Further on was a

massive wall, which likely surrounded the palace. I waited patiently

for the right moment and then leapt forward with everything I had—

which turned out to be a mistake.

I thought I could safely hit the top with my current loadout and while

that was technically correct, I actually overshot: I flew over the

three-story wall and found myself plummeting down toward the

streets of the city.

“I-I’m gonna dieee!”

I’d love it if he weren’t screaming in my ear, but he had a point.

Invincibility would protect me, but he was about to become tomato

pulp on the cobblestones.

I opened my console and checked my spell tab. Outside of the anti-

magic field, I could cast Wing, allowing me to soar the skies for as

long as my MP lasted. Wing’s utility couldn’t be overstated: it was

great for reaching high places, and for avoiding the annoyances of

traveling on foot. It had some downsides, though. It couldn’t be used

for aerial contact, the spell’d cancel when the caster’s mana ran out,

and the fall damage could kill or cause severe injuries. I used to hear

stories about players flying up as far as they could and ending the

spell so they’d plummet to the ground for fun.

Wing was a pretty big mana drain, but between my recovery and my

passive skills, I barely made up for the loss. In the game, most players

who could cast Wing only had access to MP Regeneration (Lesser),

but devs don’t balance around GMs, so we could fly free and

unrestricted. It somehow didn’t break my Invisibility, either, which

meant I could probably apply buffs while invisible. We’d likely have

been attacked if Invisibility broke, though, so I wasn’t about to

complain. This was the perfect opportunity to casually glide up to old

Graybeard’s safehouse.

“Ey... we flyin’, son?”

“Yeah. I cast a spell.”

“By the seas, you cast spells too?!”

“About that hideout you mentioned?”

“J-Just yonder. There be a cave in the forest.”

“Thanks. Keep holding tight, ’cause we’re flying there. If you fall,

you’re done.”

“Son, I’m clingin’ to ya for my life.”

Cool. I checked the map to confirm that the gryphon hadn’t noticed

us either. I’d worried it’d react to my spell, but it seemed Invisibility

masked my cast too.

With my heart racing at my first successfully cast spell, we winged

our way toward the cave. At our speed, it didn’t take long before we

arrived. A new map popped up on my console as we entered the

cave. Seemed like a pretty complex cave system with countless

winding paths and dead-ends. On top of that, it was close to both the

Empire and the highway, so the pirates could buy whatever they

needed from traveling merchants, too, be that food for day-to-day

survival, or new digs to throw their pursuers off. The cave was an

ideal hideout.

It opened onto the sea, where I could see eight people waiting.

Graybeard’s crew, if I had to guess. Aside from them, I could only see

a couple dozen batlike creatures on the map. They must be the

cave’s mobs.

I set the old man down and canceled Invisibility so he could actually

see me.

“Aye, me back...”

“You okay?”

“After that stunt? Are ye mad, boy?!”

Well, not like I could blame him. After our escape, we ran at about

forty miles an hour, leapt way over a twenty-five foot wall, and

soared the skies at breakneck speed. No wonder the old guy’s body

wasn’t up to the task. It took him a couple minutes to pull himself

together, but with no one on our tail, he had the luxury of resting.

Back at the castle, they probably hadn’t even realized we were gone

yet. The soonest they’d realize would probably be dinner, more than

two hours from now.

“Right. I’ll take ya to our li’l spot direct. Ah, hold up. Where’re me

manners? I ain’t even introduced meself. Name’s Barbarossa.”

“I’m Masaki Toudou. Toudou is my surname, so call me Masaki.”

“Masaki, gotcha. Yer me... nay, our savior. Whatever ya be needin’,

me lads ’n’ me’ll be there.”

“Thanks, I’m glad to hear it. Just, please. Don’t expect me to keep

your whole ship invisible. I’m still testing my abilities.”

“Doncha worry about that none. Follow me.”

Barbarossa rolled a big boulder away, revealing a switch in the floor.

When he stepped on it, a cave wall began to rotate, rumbling loudly.

I hadn’t noticed it on my map, but when I zoomed in, sure enough,

there it was. Looked like the path was mob free, too.

I followed Barbarossa, considering my next steps, until he spoke.

“Chief, mind tellin’ me somethin’? Why not join up with the Empire?

Power like that, ya could be sittin’ pretty in a general’s uniform.”

“Ah, right. Okay, I’ll explain.”

I told him I’d been summoned to this world on my way to get dinner.

I then explained how they’d treated me when I arrived, the collar

kerfuffle and, finally, that they’d imprisoned me.

“No way I’m gonna work for someone who tried to enslave me.”

“Aye, I c’n respect that, Chief. Another world, ey? Well, ’s far’s me

laddies ’n’ I are concerned, we got caught up in a scuffle with the

army, but we was betrayed ’n’ scattered ta tha four winds. An’ here

be the result. These days, only a handful o’ pirates this side of the

globe c’n cross the Empire and live ta tell the tale.”

“With their monster army, that’s no surprise.”

“’Tweren’t always like this. Only a few years back, the Empire was as

quiet as tha windless sea. That be when the storm struck. Outta tha blue, they started stockpilin’ weapons an’ sendin’ whole fleets out.

Ya musta seen the ships, laddy, makin’ a triumphant return from the

small Beastmen and Demonkind countries they raided. We did what

we could for ’em, but the Empire bein’ what it is... ye understand,

doncha, son?”

“There are Demonkind too, huh? I don’t know much about this world

yet, but I’d expect them to be a strong race.”

“Aye. They got powerful mages an’ plenty of ’em’re crazy good with

axes ’n’ swords, too. Alas, ya only got ’s many soldiers as ya got.

Empire’s got tha numbers t’ overwhelm small coastal nations. If the

Empire’d attacked the Demonkind’s capital, t’woldn’tta gone so

pretty for ’em. Shame the capital’s so far away. Ah, I be prattlin’ on,

ey? Here we be, Chief.”

We stood before a weatherbeaten wooden door. Through the cracks,

I caught the distinct smell of seawater. The sea couldn’t be far off.

Barbarossa swung the door wide and announced himself with a

hearty shout. “Oi, bastards! I’ve returned!”

His tearful crew came crowding around him immediately.

“Captain?!”

“You’re alive! Blessed seas, I feared you’d perished!”

“Th-That ain’ no haint! He’s got legs! The Captain’s alive! He’s alive!”

I could see how much his sacrifice had meant to them.

While the pirates had their emotional reunion, I tried to take the

hideout in. Past the large gathering space floated a proper pirate ship

in all its glory.

A polite man in an apron approached. “Barb, my brother! Thank the

stars you made it! I’d heard the Empire snatched you up! Nobody

makes it past their security. How’d you manage to escape? And on

that note, who’s the gentleman behind you?” It was pretty surreal to see an apron in a pirate sanctuary, but the way he referred to

Barbarossa really caught my ear: the old guy apparently had a sibling.

“Right, I’ll introduce ya. This be Chief Masaki, tha man who freed me

from peril! Give ’im a warm welcome, me hearties!”

“Thank you for your aid, Chief Masaki,” they all shouted, giving me a

bow in unison.

I wasn’t used to being treated with this kind of respect. It was sure

nice, but I couldn’t let it get to my head. Danger still loomed over us.

“I needed Barbarossa as much as he needed me, so thank you. Now,

I’d like to get out of the Empire as soon as possible. Can I count on

you all?”

“Aye! We be at yer disposal, but how’re we ta slip through the

blockade? Empire’s got this whole area on lockdown.”

The frigates would definitely pose a problem. With access to more

ships, we might be able to do something about them, but a single

vessel had no chance against a well-armed fleet. One focused attack

and we’d be blown to hell. Our only chance was to strike first.

“I have an idea. Are you ready to depart immediately?”

“Aye-aye. We ain’t even touched tha supplies we picked up on our

last trip.”

“Great. Prepare for departure. I’ll go handle the fleet.”

With that, I cast Wing, shocking the crewmembers to their cores. I

supposed that flight spells weren’t a thing in this world. Anybody

with access to spells like these probably had to be summoned from

another world.

“H-He’s flying?!”

“You c’n fly, Chief?!”

“Damn, if I had that spell...”

Seemed at least one of the pirates was a spellcaster. Unfortunately,

even if I taught him the spell, I doubt he’d have the MP to even cast

it, let alone maintain it for flight.

“Back soon!”

With Barbarossa literally off my back, I could push my flight speed to

the limit. I activated Invisibility and Invincibility, essentially turning

myself into a futuristic stealth bomber, and flew from the cave,

arriving at the fleet in a flash. I opened the map and glanced around

for an abandoned place to land. There, I began adjusting my skills.

I planned to avoid direct confrontation, so Silent Attack and Melee

Combat Boost would be useless. Instead, I took Underwater

Breathing and Master Swimmer, so I’d become the perfect

submarine.

A significant portion of the Empire’s entire naval force was docked at

the port. I scanned it for a secluded spot to submerge myself in the

water. Underwater Breathing kept my breath flowing easily, and

swimming didn’t break my Invisibility, either. So far, everything was

going to plan.

Master Swimmer allowed me to dive down under one of the ships so

I could attach a Time Bomb to the hull. I set the timer to two hours

so I could sabotage as many ships as possible without being

discovered. Which was going to be more difficult than ever to

ensure—Time Bomb broke my Invisibility the moment I used it. It

made a fair amount of sense. Planting a bomb was, at the end of the

day, an aggressive action. I had to reapply Invisibility on the fly while

juggling the bombs’ timers to keep them more or less in sync.

An hour passed, but Physical Stats Boost and Underwater Breathing

kept my stamina strong. Things were going smoothly, but I’d need to

pick up the pace. In the next twenty minutes, I’d have to attach

bombs to another hundred ships.

It would be a spectacle. Time Bomb was an incredibly powerful skill,

capable of dealing massive damage. The only catch was that the

bomb had its own HP bar. When it ran out, the bomb ceased to

function.

Ordinarily, it took more than a dozen attacks or spells to break

through a wall, but a single Time Bomb would blow right through.

Structures simply couldn’t stand up to the skill. I had no doubt every

one of these ships would be at the bottom of the harbor once the

timers ran down.

I made sure to attach the bombs to the ships’ keels. A ship with its

keel blown apart couldn’t be repaired by normal means. Not to

mention, scuttling the ships introduced the difficulty of corpse

recovery: they’d have to be dredged out of the sea with magic or

something even more time-consuming.

Job done, I surfaced and cast Wing under Invisibility. Casually

retreating to safety, I felt like a handsome, charming British spy

armed with state-of-the-art tech.

I arrived at the cave and confirmed that the pirates were ready to set

out. I landed on the deck and canceled Invisibility, prompting a

hearty welcome. “Welcome back, Admiral!”

Wait, wasn’t it “chief” last time?

“Barbarossa, what’s with the ‘admiral’ thing?”

“Aye, well... ya helped me escape that hellhole, and we ain’t never

seen tha likes uh yer magic ’afore. Figured ‘admiral’ be a title worthy

o’ ya, Chief.”

Man, this guy just does whatever he wants, huh? Now I feel like

I’m his boss or something. But I gotta admit, going from inmate

awaiting execution to pirate admiral is a pretty sick promotion.

“Okay, but I gotta tell you, I don’t know the first thing about the sea:

I don’t know how to sail, to navigate, nothing. If anyone’s gonna be

the admiral, it should be you.”

“Pff, poppycock, son. Us sea dogs’ll manage the sailin’, you just use

us however ya see fit! Truth be told, without ya, we be outta this life,

e’ery one o’ us. Mosta our mates were lost to tha sea in fights

against the Empire. We be the lone wolves of these waters now.”

Coming from Barbarossa, this was a plea; I could see heart-

wrenching sorrow in his eyes. He cared deeply for his comrades and

saw me as his only chance to protect the life they’d all built.

It was a touching moment, but I couldn’t let it linger. We had to

move, and quick. In less than ten minutes, the bombs’d go off.

“I see... All right. Well, let’s talk about that later. Now, we gotta

move. You guys ready? Equipment at hand? Everybody good?”

My now-filthy business suit would draw eyes in this world, so I

figured now was the perfect chance to work on my equipment. I

decided to go with an assortment of GM items.

ITEM

Head: Valkyrie’s Soul (33% MP Cost Decrease / INT+40)

Chest: Surt’s Pride (10% HP Increase / STR+50)

Bracers: Loki’s Scheme (Attack Speed Boost / Casting Speed Boost /

DEX+40)

Leggings: Gleipnir’s Horseshoe (AGI+40 / Movement Speed Increase)

ITEM

Kitted out like this, my stats shot through the roof and I glittered

with the jewels and ornaments decorating my equipment. I should

probably toss on some camouflage, too.

ITEM

Azure Dragon’s Cloak (Spell Power Boost (Lesser))

Made from the tanned hide of a legendary Azure Dragon, this cloak

camouflages the wearer while offering a small Spell Power boost.

Rarity: SR

ITEM

The cloak was blue and noticeably scaly, but it sure stood out less

than my GM gear. As a bonus, I didn’t actually have to pull the hood

up because the camo effect tempered the light Valkyrie’s Soul shed.

“Admiral, I can’t help but notice that yer twinklin’.”

“Just your eyes playing tricks. Anyway, how’re your loadouts? I can

spot you some equipment if you need it.” Not enjoying their stares, I

tried to move the conversation along.

“Aye, aye, I reckon we could do with new swords, ours’ve surely seen

be’er days. Our bows’ve ’ad it pretty rough, too.”

“Swords and bows? Yeah, I should have some spares. Gimme one

sec.”

On me, I only had my mythril sword and rare items I doubted the

pirates could handle. I’d have to use Room to check my item box.

I focused on the cast and, a moment later, a door appeared before

me, to the audible shock of the crew. I casually strode through the

door to experience firsthand the marvelous spectacle of the spell.

Beyond the threshold was a cushy sofa and other elegant furnishings,

a marble fireplace with a dainty little fire dancing in the crate, and a

faucet—which, in this world, was probably the most valuable thing in

the Room. The collab items I’d spent hours farming also stood on

proud display.

I took a moment to just circle the Room, touching everything to see if

any of it was actually real. The sofa was plush to the touch and the

faucet functioned properly, dispensing clean drinking water. Music

played gently from the speakers and, if I’d had a yen, I could’ve even

made myself a cup of coffee.

As much as I wanted to really take my time and relax in my Room, I

had pressing issues to attend to. I battled the call of the bathtub and

comfy sofa, and opened the box sitting against a wall. I riled through

it, pulling out items for the pirates and a couple weak potions, just in

case.

When I left the Room, the crew still stood frozen in shock.

“Admiral, what’n the ocean depths be that?”

“I’ll give you the tour sometime. For now, let’s get back to business.

You guys ready?”

The fireworks were only a couple minutes away, so it was go time.

I laid the items on the deck. From right to left, I’d grabbed them the

straight sword Hundred Swords, a Mythril Knife, an Elder Wyvern

Bow, the wand Shirakaba, and a bunch of other arms I’d used for

leveling. I also prepared some armor for them so they could take a

couple hits if it came down to that.

“M-My word... are you certain? Th-This one’s mythril!”

“A wyvern bow? There can’ be more than a couple of these in the

whole world!”

In pure amazement, each took the item they were most comfortable

with.

I’d picked up three wands since I didn’t know how many of the

pirates could use magic. Only one wand remained. So, to summarize,

we had two spellcasters, five melee fighters, and a ranger. A pretty

balanced party, all told. Decked out in adventurer’s garb, the crew looked way more like the Brittalia Online players I’d seen running

around every day for years than the pirates they were.

Barbarossa’s brother ran up to me just as I was checking the timer.

Incidentally, he’d picked out the Flaming Sword for himself. As

fantasy weapons go, it was pretty cliche, but if it got him going, I

wasn’t gonna judge. Interestingly, he’d donned the chainmail armor

I’d provided, but put his apron on over it. I didn’t object or anything,

but it was an odd choice.

“Admiral, the preparations are complete. We’re ready to set sail!”

“What’s your name, sailor?”

“Ah! I’m Barbarossa’s brother, Rohas!” As I’d noticed earlier, he was

much more polite than his brother. The two had totally different

vibes.

With all the rage I’d been building since my capture, I shouted:

“Listen up! Here’s your admiral’s first order: set sail for the north and

don’t slow down, no matter what!”

“Aye, sir, aye!”

As soon as we set off, the shockwaves of a titanic explosion rocked

the ship. My Time Bombs had gone off without a hitch. Blasts

continued, one after the other, the chain reaction devastating the

Imperial fleet. Any oil stored on the ships or the dock probably

caught fire as well. I could only hope there wouldn’t be any civilian

casualties. The docks were pretty closed off from the rest of the city,

but you could never be sure. As far as non-civilians were concerned, I

couldn’t care less. This was war.

The Empire raided and plundered the smaller coastal nations, ending

countless lives in the process. They had no right to play victim if one

of their enemies struck back. That same logic applied to me. I was

now at war. I had to be ready to stand my ground and, if necessary,

take a life.

The crew only spared the blasts a glance or two. Their focus was on

getting us underway, not rubbernecking. One of the pirates stood,

waving his new wand around. At first, I didn’t understand, but after a

second glance, I realized he was controlling the wind. Sure enough,

with the tailwind he created, we were at full speed.

The harbor must be in total chaos, and the castle guards should be

noticing our absence about now. With their navy in flames and

prisoners missing, nobody had eyes to spare for a lonely ship

speeding out of the Empire’s grasp. As a symphony of destruction

raged in the distance, we sailed into the open sea, leaving no one on

land the wiser.