I Got a Monster Spaceship from the Tutorial Tower - Chapter 27

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This chapter was translated by Lunox Novels. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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Episode 27
27
The Summoning Chamber of the Space Battleship.
Yeon-woo spoke in a solemn tone.
“It’s time for you to make your appearance.”
Macross accepted the words with equal gravity.
“Very well, Captain. A new Grade-A Pilot to replace me.”
……
No one paid particular attention to what he’d said.
One way or another, everyone except Macross seemed to understand Yeon-woo’s intention without needing to hear it spoken aloud.
Having confirmed the unspoken consensus, Yeon-woo nodded and activated his advanced summoning opportunity.
「Initiating Random Advanced Summoning.」
A portal opened simultaneously.
Yeon-woo and the crew gasped in unison.
“Silver!”
Silver—the color denoting Grade-B.
Moreover, the size was exceptionally large.
‘This is a fighter!’
A Grade-B fighter.
In truth, although Yeon-woo’s Space Battleship was Relic Grade, the carrier aircraft actually seeing combat were, at best, Grade-C Fullmails.
If a Grade-B fighter truly materialized, it would be the single most reliable way to elevate the combat power of the entire Space Battleship flotilla.
Just as everyone had hoped, a beautifully designed fighter emerged from the silver portal.
Its overall shape was sleek, with wings barely visible from the outside, drawn into a long wedge form.
‘There’s a Grade-B fighter like that?’
Grade-B fighters came in three types: the aggressive Phantom, the balanced Cruiser, and the defensive Phalanx.
Each was a textbook example within its respective role category.
It wasn’t for nothing that Grade-B was called the standard-issue grade.
By contrast, this new fighter—coated in seamless silver with barely visible seams—was decidedly unconventional.
Simultaneously, a notification window appeared before Yeon-woo’s eyes.
「You have summoned the Grade-B+ fighter, Silver Edge.」
“B… B+!”
Perhaps specialists who handled fighters professionally would know better.
But Yeon-woo, at least, had never heard of such a rare airframe before.
Urelka and Hwaryeon looked equally astonished.
“Silver Edge? That’s an extraordinarily rare model.”
“It really is! I’ve heard its numbers are even fewer than Grade-A variants…….”
“To that extent?”
“Yes. Grade aside, the Silver Edge possesses its own unique technology that’s quite famous. While it’s a mass-produced model like the Phantom, it’s in a different class entirely.”
According to Urelka’s explanation, the Silver Edge was an aggressive-type fighter.
It possessed dramatically superior maneuverability to the Grade-B Phantom, and its standard armament was far more advanced.
Yeon-woo quietly posed a question to Macross as well.
“Macross, you know about the Silver Edge?”
“W-well, of course I know about it, but… why are you asking me that……?”
Yeon-woo and Urelka smiled broadly in unison.
“Because you’re going to pilot it, of course. It’s exactly the kind of fighter you’ve always wanted, isn’t it?”
“Indeed, a most astute observation, Captain.”
“Cooooooooawk!!!”
Macross let out a scream as his worst fears materialized, clutching both cheeks with his wings in anguish.
Then, dropping to his knees, he crawled toward the Silver Edge, muttering as he went.
“The Silver Edge… maximum speed of fifty thousand kilometers per hour… reaches ten thousand kilometers per hour in just five seconds… equipped with four Lightweight Plasma Guns and one Laser Cannon, this reckless, runaway fighter I’m supposed to pilot… noooooo…….”
“For someone who hates it, you certainly seem to know all the specs in impressive detail.”
There was considerable incongruity between his tone of voice—as if he were dying—and the way he rattled off the fighter’s specifications with precision.
Macross turned toward Yeon-woo with sorrowful eyes, like the tragic hero of some lament.
“It’s still the most serviceable paper airplane among paper airplanes, Captain…….”
“A-all right.”
Yeon-woo gestured for Macross to continue.
Macross, still kneeling, now gazed upward in tragic lamentation.
“Why, oh why does the heavens summon me, Macross, only to also summon the Silver Edge!”
……
Yeon-woo had sensed this about him for a while now, but he certainly was something else.
“Coooooooo…… Cock-a-doodle-doooooooo!!!!”
Whether or not Macross’s melancholy registered with them, the Goblin twins approached him and spoke.
“Still, we envy you, Pilot Macross.”
“Yes, the Silver Edge—that legendary B+ Grade fighter, isn’t it?”
“Charging toward enemy craft at fifty thousand kilometers per hour…… Ahhh! Just thinking about it stirs my loyalty to the Captain.”
“Then you want to pilot it—”
At Macross’s question, the Goblin twins immediately turned back to Yeon-woo and spoke.
“Congratulations, sir! How generous to entrust such a fine machine to your subordinates!”
“We’re certain Happy Pilot could unleash one hundred percent of the Silver Edge’s capabilities!”
The Goblin twins never said they wanted to fly it themselves.
Pairing a D Grade Goblin with a B+ Grade machine was already a tremendous mismatch, after all.
Yeon-woo recalled something and turned to Urelka with a question.
“So the Silver Edge is famous for its technique, you said? What makes it special?”
“Well…”
Urelka answered readily, as if it weren’t a difficult question.
After hearing her full explanation, Yeon-woo thought:
“…… Isn’t that basically cheating?”
No matter how powerful a B+ Grade machine is, this seemed excessive to him.
It couldn’t possibly have never appeared on Earth until now—so why had he never heard of it?
If it were true, it would be an enormous asset to clearing Floor 16.
But even so, Floor 16 and beyond demanded caution.
After sending the Silver Edge to the Hangar, Yeon-woo gathered his crew.
“As you all know, starting from Floor 16 there are actual missions to complete.”
“Yes, Captain.”
Missions.
Unlike before, when overwhelming force and firepower were enough to annihilate enemies,
now failing to meet each floor’s conditions resulted in a failed clear—no second chances.
And the Floor 16 that awaited Yeon-woo was……
“Give me your thoughts on how we should best protect the unmanned cargo ship.”
It was an escort mission: defending an unmanned cargo ship traveling a fixed route from raids by the Goblin Scout Corps.
Normally a full five-machine party would need to repel the assault directly, but a Space Battleship operated under different rules.
Urelka scratched her chin thoughtfully.
“A thorny problem indeed. A Space Battleship is in the position of being escorted, not doing the escorting.”
The primary cannon: limited to a single shot.
And the available carrier aircraft numbered only three.
Expecting Ha-yoon’s assistance wasn’t an option either.
Their position was even worse than a standard full party.
Gudru guffawed and offered his proposal.
“Eat them all.”
“…… Rejected.”
Whatever intricate scheme dwelt in that enormous head, it certainly wasn’t what Yeon-woo would choose.
“Ooh, Captain, difficult.”
Gudru’s shoulders slumped after his proposal was flatly refused.
Next came Macross.
“If we’re scared, maybe we should just run away—”
“Does that make sense?”
“No, I suppose not. Hehe.”
No reasonable strategy was forthcoming from that foolish head.
Then Hwaryeon spoke.
Her tail swishing softly, Hwaryeon’s expression turned serious.
“I’m hardly an expert at tactics, but wouldn’t it be better to position the Space Battleship as a wide wall to block as many angles as possible?”
“Yes, I concur, Captain.”
Urelka nodded immediately in agreement.
It was the most straightforward approach to consider, and also the most practical.
There was one problem, though.
“We can’t put it inside a Barrier, can we?”
“There’s a risk of collision.”
“And if we keep the Barrier down and position ourselves close—”
“Then the Space Battleship risks taking fire, and we’d compromise the S+ Clear.”
“Hmm.”
Yeon-woo fell silent for a moment, then let out a soft sound of realization.
“What if we did it this way instead?”
The crew members’ expressions shifted subtly as they listened to his suggestion.
When no one responded, Yeon-woo deflated and waved his hand dismissively.
“Ah, forget it—that’s probably too much, right? A cargo ship won’t even listen anyway…….”
But then.
“That’s actually a good idea.”
“Just as expected of you, Captain. It’s definitely the most reliable solution.”
“Captain, you’re sharp.”
The crew members began nodding their heads unexpectedly, murmuring approval.
“……Really?”
Yeon-woo’s eyes wavered slightly.
That would actually work?
“My judgment has not failed me. You possess a remarkable talent, Captain.”
“That’s what I think too, sir.”
“……?”
It didn’t seem like he deserved this much praise.
* * *
The next day, at the Korean Control Office.
With the Space Battleship certain to challenge Floor 16, considerable tension hung over the interior of the facility.
Tae-geun had gathered the relevant executives and staff members in the conference room early, waiting for the Space Battleship’s conquest footage to arrive.
Just as Jin-yong had already diagnosed, Floor 16 was the branching point where the real Tutorial Tower began.
“The Space Battleship’s current carrier aircraft are…….”
“The asymmetry between offense and defense for escort operations is…….”
“Though we can’t be sure how they’ve managed to resupply…….”
The Control Office officials were each offering opinions, continuing their analysis and discussion, when.
“Oh, it’s coming through!”
An employee monitoring Earth’s Heroes called out.
“Already?”
“They started the conquest faster than expected?”
Tae-geun and the other high-ranking officials exchanged puzzled looks.
But this time was different.
If the conquest footage had arrived, a notification would have gone out to the pilot-origin staff members here as well.
“It’s not conquest footage…… it’s a live broadcast!”
“What?”
For the Space Battleship, this was the first live transmission—how could anyone not be shocked?
“Get the feed up on screen, quick!”
At Tae-geun’s urgent command, the live feed from the Space Battleship was immediately broadcast through the conference room’s main display.
The ship’s specifications remained classified.
The interior of the Space Battleship was the same.
Only the external camera feed was displayed on the screen.
‘Something…… has changed significantly, then?’
Not just Tae-geun but the other executives were confused.
“Why broadcast live all of a sudden?”
“While still keeping the specs classified…….”
In the midst of scattered speculation.
The Planning Coordinator spoke up with confidence.
“It’s for the money, isn’t it?”
“……?”
“Live broadcasts bring in more revenue than just uploading footage.”
“…….”
Unfortunately, the reaction was not favorable.
“If that were the reason, they would’ve been streaming live all along.”
“My thoughts exactly. If they’d just joined a Clan and did proper promotion, they’d be billionaires by now.”
“Hmm, well…….”
The Planning Coordinator had to withdraw his opinion without even breaking even.
……If Yeon-woo had heard this, he might’ve said “but that’s actually accurate,” though.
Meanwhile, the Analysis Director, who had been quietly watching the feed lost in thought, offered his opinion.
“Rather than money, wouldn’t you say it’s a show of confidence?”
“Confidence, you say?”
Tae-geun raised one eyebrow as he spoke.
“The pilots of the Space Battleship have likely reviewed the same analysis that our experts have conducted regarding the difficulties of Floor 16. That’s what we’re thinking as well.”
“Hmm…….”
It wasn’t criticism or blame, yet the executives averted their eyes as if struck by the truth of his words.
Before the broadcast had begun, they’d been discussing precisely these concerns among themselves.
“Considering their track record so far…… there’s a high probability they’ve injected powerful reinforcements capable of shattering such an analysis. Or perhaps they’ve concluded that their existing forces are sufficient.”
At the Analysis Director’s composed assessment, Tae-geun allowed himself a faint smile.
Despite his youth, he possessed more rational judgment than anyone else in the room, which he found commendable.
Yet he couldn’t openly praise him in such a public setting, surrounded by so many eyes.
Tae-geun leaned back in his seat with newfound ease and spoke.
“We’ll see soon enough.”
Confidence, pure and simple.
In Tae-geun’s mind, an image of the Space Battleship’s commander took shape.
A young man resolute and clear-headed enough to command such a colossal vessel, radiating charisma.
As one would need to navigate the vast reaches of space, he possessed the weighty composure of stone—unmoved by ordinary circumstances.
Shortly after, a staff member manipulating the display began his briefing.
“The Space Battleship is beginning to move!”
“Ah, excellent!”
The executives of the Control Office widened their eyes like children, riveted to the screen.
On Floor 16, instead of enemy craft, stood a single massive unmanned cargo ship.
Of course, it appeared diminutive when placed alongside the Space Battleship, but the success condition was to escort that cargo vessel for a certain distance.
How could the Space Battleship possibly overcome this obstacle using only three carrier aircraft?
And yet.
“……?????”
Moments later, everyone in the Control Office conference room found themselves doubting their own eyes.
Tae-geun asked those around him in a bewildered voice.
“So, so you’re telling me that the Space Battleship is now……?”
And the Analysis Director confirmed what they were witnessing.
“It’s, it’s loading the cargo ship onto its flight deck……?”
The Control Office had worried that the Space Battleship’s very form made it ill-suited to the escort mission of Floor 16.
But through that very form, the Space Battleship was now obliterating every last doubt.

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This chapter was translated by Lunox Novels. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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