I Got a Monster Spaceship from the Tutorial Tower - Chapter 29

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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 29
Episode 29
「Tutorial Tower, Floor 16.
S+ Grade Clear.」
Floor 16 cleared.
Four waves total, an assault composed of nine goblin scout squads — but the strategy proceeded so smoothly there was no need to fire the main cannon.
Yeon U sent a transmission to the hangar where Hwa Ryeon and Su Ri Ka were stationed.
“You made sure to service everything properly, right?”
— Of course, Captain!
Service.
While we’re at it, we might as well load the cargo vessel onto the battleship.
He’d instructed Hwa Ryeon and Su Ri Ka to carry out maintenance on anything that needed attention while he cleared the floor outside.
They had plenty of Scrap stockpiled anyway.
A message had popped up twice during the clear indicating Scrap consumption, so they’d definitely made some repairs.
‘Who knows? Maybe the system will be pleased and hand out a bonus.’
Half of it was just for amusement, but showing goodwill never hurt.
「The space battleship’s level has increased by one.」
Following the level-up, a message appeared stating that the clear video had been automatically registered.
‘Nothing particularly different, I suppose?’
While scrolling through the notifications with that thought, Yeon U’s gaze suddenly stopped at one place.
「Floor 16 clear reward.
20 Scrap.
S+ Grade achieved.
Hidden Condition achieved.
Bonus: Fighter Core awarded additionally.」
“Huh?”
Until now, they’d simply stacked additional Scrap on top of the existing amount.
This time, instead of Scrap, something called a Fighter Core had appeared.
And on top of that, a message about achieving a Hidden Condition.
‘Wait, was repairing the cargo vessel really the Hidden Condition?’
Loading the cargo vessel into the battleship had been an unconventional move to begin with, but he wasn’t certain what had satisfied the condition.
“Is something wrong, Captain?”
U Rel Ka turned around at Yeon U’s unusual reaction and asked.
“Apparently we’ve achieved an S+ Grade and triggered a Hidden Condition.”
As Yeon U answered, U Rel Ka nodded with a look of mild surprise.
“That does seem plausible. Not every floor has them, but some floors do have these kinds of hidden conditions.”
“Then perhaps…….”
Just as he was about to ask U Rel Ka about the Fighter Core.
Zing.
“Captain! Congratulations on another successful clear! We’ve maintained the cargo vessel exactly as ordered and sent it out!”
Hwa Ryeon and Su Ri Ka had just arrived at the bridge.
The maintenance crew had apparently been quite busy.
Both their faces were smudged here and there with sweat and grease.
Yeon U informed them that it seemed they’d achieved the Hidden Condition thanks to their efforts, then asked about what this Fighter Core was.
“Do you know what a Fighter Core is used for?”
“A Fighter Core?”
“Did you say Fighter Core, Captain?”
Hwa Ryeon and Su Ri Ka exchanged glances with each other.
Hwa Ryeon answered with an expression that questioned whether such a thing had actually appeared.
“A Fighter Core is, well, literally a fighter core.”
“Which means…….”
“Since it’s essentially the heart of a fighter, even one with a Total Destruction Rating can be repaired.”
“?!”
Yeon U’s jaw dropped.
What exactly was a Total Destruction Rating?
Completely irreparable.
It was tantamount to a death sentence — never again would you be able to pilot that fighter.
But they could now repair even fighters with that verdict?
“Yes. A Total Destruction Rating is issued whenever critical damage is done to the fighter’s core. Rank matters, of course, but still.”
“Exactly, Captain! Now even if that fellow U Rel Ka charges forward risking his life for your honor, we’ll be able to repair him at least once!”
“Su Ri Ka.”
“H-hey! I apologize, Hwa Ryeon!”
Su Ri Ka had been hopping excitedly, but the moment Hwa Ryeon turned with a sharp glare, he shrank back, making himself small.
It seemed her title had already shifted to maintenance chief.
Well, since maintenance proceeded independently in the hangar when Yeon U wasn’t around, that arrangement suited everyone fine.
In any case, if this Fighter Core could truly restore a completely destroyed fighter, it was nothing short of a jackpot.
『Fighter Core
Grade: S
Description: A core compatible with fighters of C Grade and below. The lower the grade, the higher the probability that performance will improve beyond its original specifications.』
‘Good heavens.’
The item description aligned closely with what Hwa Ryeon had said.
And once he’d confirmed the details, another notification window appeared below it.
『Core-type items will be included in future summon algorithms.』
“Excellent!”
What more could he ask for?
From the context, it seemed cores came in different grades, just like other items.
This time it was S Grade, but lower-ranked cores apparently existed as well.
Yeon U found himself wondering what would happen if he made this item public.
Probably not just a matter of price—the entire world could spiral into chaos.
How many ace pilots had received a Total Destruction Rating from tragic accidents over the years?
If even one of them could be repaired, no compensation would be too steep.
But as if U Rel Ka could read exactly what Yeon U was thinking, he offered a timely correction.
“Even with a core, you need the technical knowledge to use it. Earth, I’m afraid, likely lacks that capability.”
“Is that so?”
“The vice-captain’s right. If anyone on Earth could handle a core, you’d certainly have heard about it by now, Captain.”
Hwa Ryeon nodded in agreement.
‘True enough, I suppose.’
Still, that didn’t diminish the core’s value.
“But you can repair it, Hwa Ryeon?”
“Of course! Leave it to me. Though I’d much rather we never need to use it.”
Hwa Ryeon rolled up her sleeves and flexed her arm with a bright smile.
To Yeon U’s eye, the arm looked far too slender to handle fighter maintenance at all.
Meanwhile, U Rel Ka spoke with evident satisfaction.
“The fact that we’ve already received a Fighter Core as a reward is an encouraging sign.”
“It’s definitely S Grade, so…”
“Yes. The higher you climb the tower, the greater the rewards. This means S Grade items could be awarded at any time now.”
Yeon U nodded.
This time, it had come with the special condition of clearing an S+ Grade and a Hidden Condition, of course.
But there was nothing stopping him from aiming for it again, was there?
Yeon U clenched his fist and called out.
“From here on, our ship’s motto is safe delivery!”
“Safe delivery!”
“Absolutely!”
Hwa Ryeon and Su Ri Ka both threw up one arm in response to Yeon U’s cry.
Then a stray thought crossed Yeon U’s mind.
‘Since we probably won’t need the core anytime soon… maybe I should ask about it.’
* * *
[Blue Bank Deposit Notification.
Hero of Earth: 2,031,804,210 won.]
“It’s insane. Absolutely insane.”
No matter how many times he saw it, the figure felt unreal, and Yeon U let out a low whistle.
Even though he’d taken a break from clearing dungeons these past few days, the worldwide attention had generated enormous revenue.
And since the sixteenth floor had been a live broadcast, the income had spiked dramatically at that point.
His balance had now reached hundreds of billions of won.
Until not long ago, Yeon U’s average balance had rarely exceeded a million won except on payday—so these numbers were nothing short of miraculous.
Just then, a soft knock sounded.
— Pilot Yeon U, I’ve arrived.
It was Cha Jin Yong, the clan leader of the Maenghoo Clan.
Yeon U had visited the old clan house to meet with him.
“Come in, please!”
Creak.
“Well…”
It was a space Yeon U was free to enter whenever he pleased, since it belonged to the Maenghoo Clan anyway.
But Cha Jin Yong, seeing Yeon U’s unusually bright expression, smiled and spoke.
“The live broadcast revenue really is something special, isn’t it?”
“How—how did you know that?”
Yeon U stumbled back, caught red-handed.
Could it be that the clan leader of the Maenghoo Clan could read a person’s true intentions just from their face and expression?
Of course, that wasn’t it.
“Your pilot’s income has been flowing to my accounts now, you see. It’s rather overwhelming, if I’m being honest… but I can manage for now.”
“Ah.”
Cha Jin Yong made a deliberately pained expression.
There was a touch of theatricality to it, but it wasn’t entirely wrong either.
It was practically impossible for a C-Rank Pilot to earn tens of billions in a single day from broadcast royalties as Earth’s hero.
Which was why Cha Jin Yong would need to pull strings for the time being.
Even if there were no problems now, someday the Control Bureau would grow suspicious.
‘But by then, I’ll be at a stage where revealing my identity won’t matter.’
The moment Yeon U’s ownership of the space battleship came to light?
The Control Bureau would immediately shower him with subsidies far exceeding his broadcast fees.
And naturally, the clan would match that support as well.
“In any case, I noticed you’ve been taking a break from clearing for a few days. When those daily videos stopped coming, it felt oddly empty, honestly.”
Cha Jin Yong mixed humor and sincerity in equal measure as he took his seat.
Yeon U and Ha Yun made it seem like ascending one floor per day was the natural order of things.
But in reality, most pilots couldn’t manage a single retry per day after clearing a floor.
A few days of rest after conquering a floor was even recommended at the clan level.
Of course, the monsters currently tearing through the tower’s upper reaches followed this pattern by and large.
At the world’s highest level in any field, abnormalities tend to congregate.
Yeon U scratched the back of his head.
“Yes, I had some research to do… and more than anything, I wanted to make you a proposal, clan leader.”
“A proposal?”
Cha Jin Yong’s eyes widened in surprise.
He’d only joined the Maenghoo Clan just days ago.
While that might be considered long by some measures, it wasn’t nearly enough time for circumstances to change so dramatically that he’d be making proposals.
Yeon U carefully revealed what he had in mind.
“What if we repaired your fighter?”
“…What?”
Cha Jin Yong’s expression turned skeptical, as if he weren’t sure he’d heard correctly.
His fighter.
It had received a Total Destruction Rating over five years ago.
Of course, Earth’s maintenance technology had advanced considerably since then.
Cha Jin Yong had even asked the clan’s dedicated maintenance team about it occasionally.
‘But every time, I just got the same answer—utterly impossible.’
The Maenghoo Clan’s maintenance team wasn’t the world’s best, but they ranked among Korea’s finest in terms of technical skill.
If they declared it impossible, there was no point in taking it to the United States.
Cha Jin Yong furrowed his brow and asked.
“I’m not sure what you mean suddenly bringing up my fighter. It was rated a Total Destruction—how could that possibly work?”
The pilot Cha Jin Yong, hidden behind the clan leader.
For a man who seemed so bright to the world, his fighter was still an unhealed wound.
Yeon U already sensed as much.
It was the kind of subject that would naturally provoke a sharp response from him.
But.
‘I really want to fix it for him.’
If he could heal that wound?
If he could let pilot Cha Jin Yong take flight again?
Last time, the space battleship had become a solid asset for the Maenghoo Clan in exchange.
But Yeon U wanted to repay this debt to Cha Jin Yong properly.
“I know it sounds hard to believe. But… there is a way.”
“Then… what exactly is this way you’re talking about?”
“Where do you think my carrier fighters get their maintenance?”
“…?”
Cha Jin Yong stopped mid-sentence, his mouth hanging open for a moment as Yeon U’s question cut through his words.
Carrier aircraft from a space battleship?
‘Maintenance… is that necessary? Well, of course it would be.’
He’d been so caught up cheering at the spectacular destruction of enemy fighters that he’d forgotten a crucial fact.
These carrier aircraft were no different from the fighters that pilots flew—they still needed upkeep.
The newly appeared Silver Edge had even become a topic of discussion.
Though that pilot from Spain didn’t seem particularly pleased when old embarrassing stories resurfaced.
Cha Jin Yong’s mind began to race.
Where did the pilots for these carrier aircraft come from?
Opinions varied on the matter, but Yeon U had yet to reveal that secret.
Of course, Cha Jin Yong hadn’t bothered to ask either.
Still, it was a natural assumption that some systematic mechanism was at work.
But what if the mechanics were also provided by the system?
‘System-supported maintenance personnel…?’
They would surely possess technology on an entirely different level from Earth’s.
In other words, even if ‘Earth’s technology’ was deemed incapable of repairs…?
Bang!
Cha Jin Yong bolted to his feet without thinking.
Fortunately, Yeon U smiled and nodded, sensing that he had intuitively grasped the conclusion without need for explanation.
“If you could provide me with a space no one else can access, I’ll give it a try.”
For several days now, unusually, the space battleship had not participated in clearing operations.
During that time, Yeon U had painstakingly located footage of Cha Jin Yong’s fighter crashing and reviewed it repeatedly with Hwa Ryeon, and had just completed his analysis.

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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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