I Got a Monster Spaceship from the Tutorial Tower - Chapter 6

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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 6
Episode 6
[Artifact-Class Space Battleship (Super Carrier), Identity/Nationality Unknown, Level 2]
└ There it is, my dopamine hit!
└ Haha, I had a feeling this morning was going to deliver
└ I’d be excited enough to fight right after waking up
└ Wait, we still haven’t figured out who this person is?
└ How are we supposed to? They ghosted every communication request and disappeared
└ Yeah, and the video wasn’t even uploaded by them—the system keeps pushing it on us
The world erupted in excitement once again over Yeon-woo’s Level 2 clearance video.
With no information about who they were or which country they came from, people could approach it purely for entertainment.
But for those who couldn’t afford such simplicity, it was a nightmare.
The Analysis Chief at the Control Bureau was tearing his hair out.
“What in God’s name is this fighter supposed to be!!”
How was he even supposed to describe this space battleship?
It had only two levels, yet the battleship was completely demolishing every conquest mechanic they’d seen so far.
It would have been easier if there were more details to work with.
If the space battleship had suddenly transformed into a robot and kicked away two unmanned drones, at least they could have filed a proper report with solid data.
An analyst from the department spoke with a bewildered expression.
“They’ve… torn through the front section?”
The space battleship itself had become completely different from Level 1.
The massive bow, which should be measured in kilometers, was riddled with an enormous hole.
All in the span of a single day.
Someone with the Analysis Chief’s experience could have figured it out immediately.
“The system did this. The system tore it open.”
“The system? Is that even possible?”
“If it’s not possible, are you saying someone did this modification by hand? In a single day?”
“Well… you have a point there.”
There was no precedent, but there was no other way to explain it.
A fighter that grows systematically beyond its level—it was unheard of.
The real problem was that even if they identified the culprit(?) who modified the space battleship, they still couldn’t understand the purpose of the modification.
“So what exactly were they trying to accomplish by opening that hole?”
Today, just like last time, the conquest was finished with a single shot from the main cannon.
They even demonstrated the detail of deliberately repositioning to an angle where they could destroy the unmanned drones in one blow.
A mere Level 2 pilot operating such a massive battleship and its main cannon so effortlessly.
It couldn’t be explained by any existing fighter’s control interface.
‘It’s impossible unless it responds to pure thought!’
The Analysis Chief had just stumbled onto the right answer without realizing it.
Tae-geun would likely summon him immediately after reviewing today’s clearance video.
Given that Tae-geun knew the situation, he wouldn’t scold him for turning up nothing, but it was still a heavy burden.
Another analyst ventured carefully into the conversation.
“I’ve watched a lot of anime, you know? The name ‘Super Carrier’ aside, in those cases, usually…”
“Oh? What?”
The Analysis Chief perked up.
Did it matter if the idea came from anime?
If it was worth reporting to Tae-geun, that was enough.
“It’s usually a passage where the mother ship dispatches carrier-based aircraft for sortie.”
……
At those words, the Analysis Chief’s and the other analyst’s expressions went rigid.
“Are you serious?”
Anime or not, he should at least say something that made sense.
“So you’re saying they’d send out Hounds or Vipers and fight with those?”
“Well, couldn’t they also deploy unmanned drones? Since the pilot would be controlling them alone anyway.”
“Even you sound like you don’t believe what you’re saying, don’t you?”
“Yeah, I guess so.”
The analyst nodded with an embarrassed smile.
Ding.
Just then, a message arrived on the Analysis Chief’s phone.
[Chief, could you come to the Director’s office?]
A long sigh escaped him.
Sure enough, it was Tae-geun calling.
“I’ll be back in a moment.”
“Yes, Chief.”
“Don’t be so hard on yourself. This isn’t your fault.”
The staff, acutely aware of their superior’s stress these days, offered words of genuine comfort.
“Right, thanks. Oh, and get me an analysis of Pilot Shin Ha-yoon’s video too. You know about that new seventy-floor clear the Americans did recently? That one as well…….”
…….
The work orders that came back were considerably less warm.
The Analysis Chief made his way toward the director’s office, his mind turning over the same thought.
‘Carrier-based aircraft, carrier-based aircraft…….’
Maybe I should bring it up anyway?
* * *
The next day.
“The Macross launch at last.”
“Indeed, Captain.”
Yeon-woo and Urelka wore broad, satisfied smiles and nodded in approval.
A chance to finally see the real capabilities of the one who’d been freeloading aboard the Artifact-Class Space Battleship all this time — or at least something close to that.
Not that it mattered; it was their first real opportunity to gauge Macross’s actual skill.
Macross had headed down a moment ago wearing a grimace, boarding the Thunder Hound.
‘I hope a single day was enough to mentally prepare.’
Being Grade A, he’d surely manage well enough on his own.
Currently, Yeon-woo was on floor three of the Tutorial Tower.
Again, the platform was cleared the moment they entered.
The other fighters would’ve gotten too noisy with their distress signals anyway.
The enemy unmanned drones on floor three numbered four in total.
Screee!
True to form, the drones began their charge the instant the space battleship entered.
One of them looked slightly different from the others.
“That one’s supposed to deploy a Gravity Field, isn’t it?”
“Yes, Captain. If we’re not careful, we could be in serious trouble.”
Though compact in size, the launch apparatus mounted beneath it fired Gravity Fields capable of causing severe damage to their vessel if struck directly.
A crippled ship would be fortunate; carelessness could mean being shot down entirely.
As Yeon-woo was squinting at the drone with sharp focus.
— Crackle…… This is Macross. Thunder Hound boarding complete…….
Macross’s barely audible voice crackled through to the bridge, sounding as though he might collapse at any moment.
Urelka had kept insisting it was fine and wouldn’t stop bragging about the Axe, so Yeon-woo had let him go anyway.
‘Is he really going to be all right?’
Given how much Macross had been complaining about how terrifying flight was, Yeon-woo felt uneasy himself.
“Please give the launch order.”
Urelka, meanwhile, paid no mind and simply waited for Yeon-woo’s command.
After a moment’s hesitation, Yeon-woo placed his hand on the Master Ball.
‘Well, what can you do.’
The Main Cannon could only fire once.
Taking down four drones with that alone was impossible.
“Thunder Hound, launch.”
Whirrrrr…….
Some kind of device was built into the runway; energy gathered here too, though not nearly as much as the Main Cannon, it was still considerable.
And then.
— Aaaaaaaaahhhhhhh!!!!!
Along with Macross’s piercing shriek.
Rrrrrruuuumb…… Bang!
The Thunder Hound, resembling a yellow wasp, shot forward with powerful acceleration.
From the bridge, the contrast was striking — the dark drones against the sparking yellow fighter.
‘Let’s see why he qualified for Grade A, then.’
Yeon-woo remained tense, ready to fire the Main Cannon at the first sign of trouble.
But.
— Aaaaaahhh……!
Macross’s screams, which had continued for some time after launch.
— Ahhhhh…… Crooow, crooow……!
“?”
Things were beginning to shift.
— Cock-a-doodle-dooooo!!!!
“????”
What was that?
Is that really the same harpy?
‘That’s not a terrified scream… she sounds excited?’
Something was off.
Screeeeeech!!!
“Urelka.”
“Yes, Captain.”
“Is the Hound normally that fast?”
“No, sir.”
I nearly convinced myself I’d been mistaken.
Nearly.
Yeon-woo watched Macross’s Thunder Hound streaking across the sky at a speed wholly different from the clearance videos he’d seen, his eyes wide with astonishment.
Why was it Grade F, after all?
Because its performance was poor enough to warrant such a low rank.
Even compared to the basic Hound, the Thunder Hound was merely a modest improvement, yet it flew with such velocity.
“That is the true caliber of an A-Grade Pilot. They draw out every ounce of potential the machine possesses.”
Unbelievable.
Just how much had he been hiding?
He could’ve been an actor instead of a Pilot.
But it didn’t end there.
Macross was moving so fast that the Unmanned Drones barely registered his approach before he was upon them.
The Thunder Hound slipped past them before they could even pivot.
The next instant.
Pop-pop-bang!
“???”
It looked like he’d simply crossed their path, yet the drone was already detonating.
Even through the Master Ball, watching from outside, Yeon-woo couldn’t see when the Thunder Hound had fired.
Urelka, wearing a satisfied smile, offered the explanation.
“He closed to point-blank range and placed fire precisely where each drone was vulnerable. A true A-Grade Pilot. Your Artifact-Class Space Battleship has found a Pilot worthy of it.”
“No… well…”
It didn’t seem to fit at all.
He was fighting far too well.
Shouldn’t this cross over into the realm of art rather than mere combat?
Back on the battleship, everyone had fretted about aerial combat being frightening, this and that, and I’d even considered invoking him back.
That would’ve been a disaster.
After two Unmanned Drones were obliterated in the blink of an eye.
Whoosh!
At last, the drone that had been charging its Gravity Field unleashed it toward Macross.
It seemed to prioritize the Thunder Hound now that it was actively engaged over the stationary battleship.
If left unchecked, the Thunder Hound would stumble straight into its effective radius.
‘The Main Cannon…’
Before he could finish the thought, Yeon-woo prepared to fire and end this.
Pop!
“….”
By now, astonishment came harder to summon.
Thunder Hound’s signature skill: Blink.
Macross used it to vault clean out of the Gravity Field’s range in a single motion.
And that wasn’t all.
In the direction he was flying, he executed a complete one-eighty.
Which meant he.
Whip-whip-whip!
Had not only dodged the attack entirely in a single maneuver but seized the opening to rain devastating counter-fire from directly above the drone.
Three of the four Unmanned Drones were shot down without mounting any meaningful counterattack.
Macross’s strange cries of cock-a-doodle echoed through the Bridge,
but the flying was so breathtaking it drowned out everything else.
Maneuvering this wildly might’ve given anyone a fear of flight.
“…Fire.”
Yeon-woo couldn’t simply stand idle either.
Boom!!
The space battleship’s main cannon locked onto the last remaining unmanned drone and unleashed its full force without restraint.
The drone that had been pursuing Macross was obliterated by the beam that came streaking from behind.
«Tutorial Tower, Floor 3.
S+ Rank Clear.»
Once again, a notification followed that a clearance video had been registered to Earth Heroes along with a message in that exact format.
Yeon-woo turned the matter over in his mind.
‘It doesn’t look like this video’s star is me.’
It would be Macross.
After the clear was confirmed, Macross returned at nearly the same speed he’d deployed with.
Zip.
Macross stepped through the bridge door with a face as ashen as someone gripped by true phobia.
His gait was unsteady, wobbly.
It was hard to believe this was the same man who’d been mercilessly destroying unmanned drones mere moments ago.
Yeon-woo eyed him with suspicion.
“Macross.”
“Yes… Captain.”
“You really do have a fear of flying, right?”
“What? What are you talking about? I thought I was going to die from terror. And when that main cannon swept past me at the end—!”
Macross practically leaped out of his skin, waving his hands frantically to dismiss the accusation.
Then he continued in a rush.
“I really am terrified of flying! When I fly, I can’t control myself! For floor four, please, anyone but me—couldn’t you just keep handling the main cannon? I’ll help out from the side like last time!”
“…Ah.”
So that’s the concept.
Not that flying frightens him, but that he’s afraid of himself when he flies.
Yeon-woo called out to Urelka in a low voice.
“Vice-Captain.”
“Yes, Captain.”
“Lend me anything you’ve got.”
Whoosh.
“Here you are.”
Urelka produced an axe as if she’d been waiting for just this moment.
“Good.”
The handle fitted snugly into his palm.
“Uh, ah! Why, why?! I did well, didn’t I?! Let’s settle this democratically, democratically!”
* * *
Shortly after the space battleship’s floor three clearance video went live.
People’s reactions were entirely unexpected.
Excitement? Frenzy?
No.
“…Does anyone have any remarks to make?”
“……”
Shock.
The atmosphere in the Control Bureau’s conference room was much the same.
Even the Analysis Chief, who had mentioned the carrier-based aircraft’s potential to Tae-geun the day before, wore a bewildered expression—unable to believe his own prediction had come true.
Tae-geun spoke up.
“Surely it wasn’t a formation clear?”
That would have been the most reasonable explanation.
But there were two things that simply couldn’t be accounted for.
“As you’re aware, sir… if it were, the aircraft would have had to launch from outside the space battleship, not from within. And the notification contains no mention of a formation clear at all.”
Even if one bent over backward to assume that launching carrier-based aircraft from inside the vessel was somehow a sleight of hand, the notification was unambiguous proof of a solo clear.
A formation clear would have included the data of every fighter that participated in the operation.
“Ugh…”
Tae-geun wasn’t unaware of this.
But no matter how he turned it over, nothing made sense.
No—it shouldn’t make sense.
A space battleship capable of launching carrier-based aircraft?
If one was difficult to deploy, surely two or three would be just as hard.
With this clear, the space battleship had confirmed something to the entire world.
He could deploy carrier-based aircraft like this whenever he pleased, if he set his mind to it.
‘And that absurd flying skill—what on earth was that?’
What struck harder still was the flight of the Thunder Hound Pilot, who was only F+ Grade.
The combat was instinctive and technical—as if he’d been flying since birth itself.
Was this the space battleship Pilot’s own skill level?
Or did it mean he could requisition Pilots as well as carrier-based aircraft?
Multitasking—piloting two aircraft simultaneously.
The deployment of both vessel and Pilot.
Either way, it was an ability almost impossible to imagine.
Then the Planning Coordinator, who sat beside Tae-geun, opened his mouth.
“Sir, if I may.”
“Yes? But please—no more talk of Raid Portals, if you can help it.”
“No, no, it’s nothing like that.”
He’d grown noticeably more cautious, burdened by guilt from the last meeting.
“Well then?”
“Actually, I looked into whether any nation has registered a Thunder Hound recently.”
“Ah!”
Tae-geun’s face brightened at once, and the atmosphere in the conference room shifted with it.
Of course—that was the Planning Coordinator for you!
In truth, he was an elite recognized even within the Control Bureau.
This was his chance to prove his capabilities thoroughly.
Whether that Thunder Hound was this Thunder Hound or not, right now he was grasping for any straw.
“There really was a registration?”
“Yes, sir. In a small nation in the Pacific Ocean. As you all know, in cases like this…”
“Tax evasion.”
“Exactly.”
Most nations already offered enormous tax incentives to Pilots.
But Pilots who thought that still wasn’t enough had taken this path.
‘I’d hate to think someone connected to a space battleship would resort to such a thing…’
Still, if there’s a thread to pull, you pull it.
If they’d already gone so far as to change their nationality, bringing them to South Korea would be no trouble at all.
Sufficient incentive was already prepared.
The Planning Coordinator continued.
“The United States already has this information. They’ll make their move soon.”
“Then our priority is to confirm the results as quickly as possible.”
“Precisely.”
Tae-geun and the senior staff brightened visibly.
This meeting had borne real fruit after all!
That evening, the news headline read:
[The U.S. Internal Revenue Service has launched an intense tax audit on a small Pacific nation, drawing attention. A spokesperson noted that many Pilots choose such tax havens to facilitate tax evasion…]
“Hmm… frightening. I should live honestly.”
In his studio apartment, Yeon-woo tore into chicken for the first time in ages, shaking his head at the terrifying story.
A person should live upright and fair—what was this cowardly business?
Though he didn’t know when it would be, he resolved then and there to register with South Korea, a nation he could truly be proud of!
“Still, nothing beats it.”
Yeon-woo bit into a chicken leg again.
‘But no matter how much money I have—isn’t eating only drumstick sets a bit extravagant?’

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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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