Chapter 121 - Meeting the Pirate General Ho Ri-Na

Main base of the Pirate General Ho Ri-Na, Steam Goddess’ Island, Steam City

The so-called main base was nothing but a real city, called the Steam City. The island itself was called the Steam Goddess’ Island as if to symbolize its belonging to the Pirate General Ho Ri-Na.

Like her sister Ho Yeon-Hong, Ho Ri-Na had awakened the Gas Law, focusing on Steam. Her nickname was precisely due to this. However, the Pirate General was also known by another name - the Boiling Reaper. It was because the enemies who challenged Ho Ri-Na ended up dying because they had been burned from the inside by boiling steam.

Steam City had nothing to envy to a big city. It had an immense port that served to host the large number of pirate and non-pirate ships. In fact, not all the ships moored at the port were pirate combat ships. Many belonged to pirate family members who, instead of pirating, focused on simple trades as merchants.

In addition to the port, the other structures were also well developed. As the only city on the island, Steam City could expand without limits, according to the needs it had. Pirate General Ho Ri-Na herself had spent part of her assets to make sure the inhabitants had everything they needed. In a sense, she was a better ruler than many others.

Sok Yeong-Gi's ship landed at the port, followed by Hei's artifact ship. In a specific corner of the port, there was a specific space reserved only for the three spirit soldiers under Ho Ri-Na. At the time, there were two other ships as large as Sok-Yeong-Gi's, which meant that all three spirit soldiers of Ho Ri-Na crew were present at the main base.

"And so, this is the main base." Hei murmured as he glanced around. Once again, he had to change his mind about the power of the Pirate Generals. Indeed, they weren’t like mere bandits aboard a ship, but they were more like an organization with a very precise and orderly hierarchy.

“Yes, this is Home. The big sister teaches pirates to call this city Home instead of its official name, Steam City. In this way, it establishes in each of us a sense of belonging to a specific place. Even if we come from different places or have different stories, it doesn't matter. By joining the big sister’s crew, she gives a new life and a new home to all of us. A place where even those on the edge of society can feel welcomed.” Ho Yeon-Hong from behind, explained in an excited voice.

Although this Home had been her cage, she couldn’t deny that it was a welcoming place to stay and return. It was because everyone who went to sea needed a place to return to, or else your life would have been a mere sailing in the ocean. It doesn't matter if you were to stay just for a day; the important thing was to have a home to return to and be warmly welcomed.

"A home to return to, huh?" Hei smiled a little as he thought about it. He had noticed it even before, with the favorable conditions faced by prostitutes, but Ho Ri-Na was truly generous. Or more than generous, she was an honest person, although it was difficult to associate honesty with pirates.

'Oh, have we finally arrived? Good thing. To tell you the truth, I was starting to suffer from seasickness.’ (Ye)

'Seasickness? But if you've never had such problems. Didn't you overeat whale meat last night? It must be that what made your stomach ache.’ (Xing)

At his side, held between Lian’s arms, were his two little sisters. They were still a bit sleepy as it was early in the morning, but they were waking up slowly. As for the whale meat mentioned, Hei had paid a visit to the Secret Dimension within the Heart.

Since the Heart had to remain outside while there was a living being inside, Hei entered alone, leaving Lian and his sisters to stand guard. Hei rarely entered the Secret Dimension; mostly, it was his little sisters who collected the resources they needed within the Secret Dimension.

It took several days, but eventually, he cut the whale's body entirely. The meat of spirit beasts was, in fact, helpful in cultivation if consumed regularly. Hei also collected the blood of the imposing creature for use in alchemy and also preserved the bones and other remains. Although he didn't need a weapon, he could always sell them to some forge. But the most precious treasure he acquired was none other than the second level spirit core of the whale.

At the moment, he hadn’t yet planned what to do with that spirit core. Since there was only one spirit core, he would have had to split it in half if he wanted to give it to his little sisters. However, this would have consumed some of the power contained within. Dividing it would have regressed it to be a first-level spirit core, comparable to a seventh stage spirit apprentice.

Fortunately, Ye and Xing were divine beasts by birth, so they had no bottlenecks. Splitting the whale's core could also have been a good solution. But Hei preferred to set it aside. If they had encountered a second-level spirit beast among the ranks of enemy pirates, there was a possibility that they would have met others.

Once moored at the port, Hei left Old Tohyon to take care of the maintenance and repairs of the artifact ship. Although they had been fortunate to avoid direct contact with the whale, the violent waves that collided with the ship still caused some damage. It was better to take advantage of this stop to bring the artifact ship back to maximum conditions. As for the cost, there were no problems. Hei had enough spirit stones, and in any case, he imagined that Ho Ri-Na would reward them appropriately.

"Follow me." Sok Yeong-Gi ordered Hei, Lian, and Ho Yeon-Hong to follow him.

Since he only took the three of them (five, considering Ye and Xing), and left his crew members on the harbor, he was likely going to take them to Pirate General Ho Ri-Na. From the face torn between happiness and concern of Ho Yeon-Hong, it was almost obvious that it was so.

"You will see that it will be fine." Hei tried to console the young woman.

Although he still didn't like much when she asked him three thousand questions together, Hei's aversion to the young gray-haired woman had lessened. But of course, it was a long way from turning it into something else. Hei wasn't after all interested in that kind of relationship.

It wasn't that he didn't know about the interaction between men and women. Bao Bei had taught him openly about this concept, and he also knew what sexual intercourse between humans consisted of. However, although Ho Yeon-Hong was pretty at sight, that alone couldn’t infatuate Hei. Or it was better to say that rather than the physical aspect, Hei was interested in mental and emotional interaction. But either way, he didn't have time for that at the moment. He had more pressing matters to complete, not to mention that his heart was still grieving over the loss of his mother. It would hardly have opened his heart to love relationships at the moment.

Therefore, Hei, Lian, and Ho Yeon-Hong followed Sok Yeong-Gi through the city streets. Wherever they went, people would greet the spirit soldier with reverence. Since he was one of the most prominent members of Pirate General Ho Ri-Na's crew, it was a foregone conclusion.

Away from the city, on a small hill surrounded by orange trees, stood an imposing villa. Already from afar, it was possible to see the incredible dimensions of the house. And from how guarded it was by an impressive number of martial artists, it was undoubtedly the home designated to the ruler of the city - one of the Four Pirate Generals, the Steam Goddess, Ho Ri-Na.

The guards at the entrance made them pass without problems. They instantly recognized Sok Yeong-Gi and sent an emissary to warn their Captain of his arrival. Ho Ri-Na's answer wasn’t long in coming, and she summoned them to her study.

“Sok Yeong-Gi greets the Captain. I apologize for the delay. There were unforeseen events along the journey, but I completed the mission."

“Ho Yeon-Hong greets the big sister. I apologize if I left without warning, I'm sorry- "

As Ho Yeon-Hong finished her apology, a silhouette flashed quickly. In front of her, a beautiful woman with dark gray hair appeared in an instant. She was similar to Ho Yeon-Hong but had a more mature and charming aspect, typical of someone who was now a woman in every way.

“You are finally back. You don't need to say anything. The important thing is that you are fine." Ho Ri-Na's gray eyes looked with a deep love at her little sister as she examined every part of her body. After making sure she was okay, she turned to Sok Yeong-Gi, “Sok Yeong-Gi, you did your duty well. I thank you from the bottom of my heart. You will be rewarded enormously."

Sok Yeong-Gi bitterly smiled as he hurried to respond. Although he didn't want to, it was better to tell the truth behind the events of this mission himself, or he could have made a wrong impression as the one who wished to have all the honors.

“I thank the Captain for the kind words. It is an honor for me to receive them. However, this time, the credit for the success of this mission isn’t mine alone. These two youths played an equally crucial role in the survival not only of Yeon but also of mine and my men."

"Oh, really?" Only then, Ho Ri-Na looked in the direction of Hei and Lian. The two young martial artists bowed their heads and greeted the General Pirate.

"Hei greets Pirate General Ho Ri-Na."

"Lian greets Pirate General Ho Ri-Na."

Hearing their names, Ho Ri-Na seemed to remember something. "Hei, Lian ... so, you are the two youths I heard about. Apparently, you are better than expected if you pushed Little Yeong into saying such words. Tell me what happened."

Sok Yeong-Gi smiled and told what happened on the way. The appearance and attack of Pang Ja-Kyung surprised Ho Ri-Na very much. She didn’t expect Hong Shin to send one of his spirit soldiers to the attack. She had expected a reprisal of some kind but not one of such magnitude.

"I understand, so you managed not only to repel a second-level spirit beast, but you also killed it. It is a pity that you haven’t managed to recover the spirit core, but you will still be rewarded adequately for the service rendered, so much so that you will no longer think about your loss. I am truly amazed at your abilities, and I am delighted. Can I ask you if I can count on your help in the battle against Hong Shin?” Ho Ri-Na then asked an essential question to Hei and Lian. She wanted to know if they were willing to fight for her even after witnessing the strength of a spirit soldier.

“For us, there are no problems. First, we embarked on the path of piracy to improve ourselves as martial artists. It is more beneficial for us to find ourselves in a conflict. However, at the moment, we are in the process of healing for the injuries we suffered against the whale. I would, therefore, ask not to send us to fight for a while, at least until we heal from our wounds." Hei made another slight bow to emphasize that it was an honor for them to fight for Ho Ri-Na.

The Pirate General looked him in the eye and replied, “Of course, there is no problem. No other attacks are currently planned. The information you brought me today changes my plans by a lot. So I have to take some time to formulate the next moves. I will let you know if there is any news and to give you your reward. For now, enjoy your stay in the city.” Ho Ri-Na gave them a gentle smile as she dismissed them.

“Sok Yeong-Gi, you can go to rest too. Even for you, your reward will be decided later. Yeon, go back to your room and rest. I will come to visit you later so you can tell me what you have seen and done on your travels.” Ho Ri-Na also dismissed Sok Yeong-Gi and her sister Ho Yeon-Hong. Evidently, she needed to be alone to process the information she had just received. The four didn’t disobey her will and took their leave without further disturbing the Pirate General.

“Here, I say goodbye to you. I remind you two that it is forbidden to fight inside the domains of the Steam City. Even if the Captain sees you favorably, the law is the law. No matter how generous she is, the Captain remains the ruler of this place and treats everyone fairly, regardless of who you are. So, you should remember it. Yeon, I salute you. You'd better rest as the Captain said.” Sok Yeong-Gi admonished Hei and Lian as he took his leave from Ho Yeon-Hong. Since he had finished his task, he was no longer forced to escort them.

"Yes, it's fine. Hei, Lian. Thanks for your help. I would like to guide you through the city, but it is better not to contradict my sister. But I will try to convince her to guide you tomorrow. It is better than wandering aimlessly. If you want to buy or sell something, I know all the right places.” Ho Yeong-Gi said radiantly. It was probably her way of thanking them for what they had done.

“Alright. Thank you.” Hei accepted her good intentions in a few words. Then he took his leave with Lian, and they came out of the villa escorted by guards. Once out, they headed for the city to find a place to sleep for them and Old Tohyon as well.

In the meantime, in Ho Ri-Na's office, the silhouette of a man had appeared next to General Pirate.

“What do you think of all this, Byung? Can we trust them?"

“Captain, my answer has no weight. Only your will matters. But if I can give my opinion, the two youths have incredible potential. They successfully dealt with the three missions as you desired and brought great benefits to our plan. It is worth betting on them; your initial judgment wasn’t wrong. Rather than their loyalty or origins, it is better to think about how to use them. Hong Shin is becoming impatient. He will soon mobilize his main army. With the two youths, we could bridge the strength disadvantage among spirit soldiers."

“Bridging the strength disadvantage? Assigning them one of the other spirit soldiers of Hong Shin may be too much for them. But, if they managed to kill the second level spirit whale, they could be able to manage Pang Ja-Kyung and his spirit beasts. Indeed, the lack of a beast tamer was a problem, but their presence solves our problems."

"Do you want me to call Gyeong-Su?"

"No, there is no need. First, let me outline some plans on my own, then we'll summon Gyeong-Su and Yeong-Gi.”

"As you wish, Captain."

The silhouette of the man disappeared again, leaving Pirate General Ho Ri-Na alone.