CH. 9

Ain's GT purred to life once more as he retraced his route back to the forest where he had fought the goblins the day before. The sun was rising higher in the sky, casting long shadows through the trees as he sped down the empty roads. His mind was still buzzing from the chaos of the plane crash, the adrenaline from that event fading, replaced by the cool, analytical thoughts of what lay ahead.

As Ain reached the edge of the forest, he parked the GT and got out, stretching his limbs before setting off on foot. The quiet of the woods contrasted sharply with the events last time, and despite everything, Ain felt a strange sense of calm here. It was a perfect spot to continue his exploration.

But before he could even take a step into the woods, Ain remembered something. "The daily sign-in," he muttered, quickly pulling up his system interface. His finger hovered over the option for a second before he pressed it, excitement bubbling up inside him.

In an instant, a bright light filled his vision, and a message appeared in his mind.

[Congratulations! You have received: Wisdom Cube!]

Ain's eyes widened in surprise. "A Wisdom Cube? From Azur Lane?" The name alone made his heart race. He was familiar with the concept of Wisdom Cubes from his favorite naval "battle" game—where they were used to summon powerful shipgirls. But this was different. This was real.

Ain carefully examined the description of the cube.

[The Wisdom Cube allows the user to fuse with the essence of a warship. Once fused, the user can manifest the ship's rigging, similar to the shipgirls in Azur Lane.]

Suddenly he thought His Lösen Algorithm—his extreme computing power—would allow him to enhance the ship's abilities, optimizing and upgrading its rigging far beyond what any normal person could achieve. The thought of controlling a warship, of integrating its power with his own, made his heart race, He can say goodbye to his little friends (guns) and welcome the big brother (cannons).

"The potential of this… it's insane." Ain couldn't help but grin. His mind was already calculating the endless possibilities. With the Lösen Algorithm, he could continuously upgrade his ship, maximizing firepower, speed, and defensive capabilities far beyond normal limits. The question now was, which ship would he choose to integrate with?

"Even though guns are cool, who doesn't want to have their own warship, Mans play big!"

He glanced around, considering his options. Earth's warships were powerful, yes, but they were still limited by human technology. However, in this world, advanced warships existed—vessels with technology far beyond what he had seen on Earth. But getting his hands on one of those ships was the real challenge. The military kept a tight grip on their most advanced warships, and acquiring one would either require connections or a large fortune.

Ain rubbed his chin thoughtfully. He had two potential options:

Buy or acquire a warship: This would involve tracking down someone with connections to the military or black market, possibly paying a steep price for access to advanced warship tech.

Use his Arsenal to create one: The Arsenal was vast, containing endless possibilities. He had already created firearms, ammunition, and vehicles from it. With enough materials and ingenuity, he could potentially use the Arsenal's Construct ability to create a model of a warship himself. It would take time and resources, but once he had a base design, he could continuously upgrade it using the Lösen Algorithm.

Both options had their merits. Acquiring an existing ship would save time but come at a cost. Creating one from scratch using the Arsenal would take longer but give him more control and flexibility in its design. And once he had the initial ship, the Wisdom Cube would allow him to fuse with it, turning the ship into a part of him.

"Maybe I can start with a model… something smaller and manageable," Ain thought, his mind already spinning with ideas. A model of a modern warship would be easier to create using his Arsenal, and from there, he could slowly scale up, upgrading it until it became the warship of his dreams.

With his decision made, Ain summoned the Wisdom Cube into his hand. The cube shimmered with a faint blue light, pulsing with energy. As he stared at it, he could feel its immense potential, just waiting to be unlocked.

"Let's see what you can do," Ain muttered, his excitement growing. Without further hesitation, he activated the cube, fusing its essence with his own.

A surge of power coursed through him, and for a moment, Ain's vision blurred. He felt a strange connection forming—one that linked him to the cube, to the ship he would choose. The air around him seemed to shift, the Arsenal responding to the new power he had unlocked.

Now all that remained was to choose the warship he wanted to integrate with.

Ain grinned. He was just getting started. With the Wisdom Cube at his command, and the limitless potential of his Lösen Algorithm, the possibilities were endless.

"I just need to find the right ship…"

Ain pushed aside the thoughts of the Wisdom Cube and his future ship for now, focusing on the task at hand. Yesterday's encounter with the goblins hinted at something more—a potential goblin village hidden somewhere in this forest. The strategic mind of Ain saw the opportunity to clear out the threat while gaining significant experience. With that in mind, he set off deeper into the woods, his senses sharp and alert.

As Ain moved through the dense underbrush, the forest grew darker, the canopy overhead thickening and blotting out much of the sunlight. The air was filled with the sounds of rustling leaves, distant animal calls, and the occasional snap of a twig underfoot. But none of it unnerved Ain; instead, it only sharpened his focus.

It wasn't long before he encountered his first obstacle. A lizard, roughly the size of an elephant, slithered out from behind a large tree, its scales shimmering with an iridescent glow, from the size alone one can tell this creature is on the peak of the second stage. The creature hissed, baring its sharp fangs at Ain, but before it could lunge, Ain had already drawn his guns from the portals.

With the power of 50 muzzle guns that came out from his Arsenal, Ain's weapon roared to life, sending a barrage of bullets toward the lizard. The creature didn't stand a chance. In seconds, it lay still on the forest floor, riddled with holes. Ain stepped over its corpse without a second thought, his eyes scanning for more threats.

As he continued, Ain encountered more monsters—a group of goblins armed with crude weapons, and later, a swarm of large, buzzing insects with razor-sharp wings. Each time, Ain's firepower was more than enough to decimate the opposition. He moved with precision and efficiency, his shots calculated and deadly. The goblins fell one after another, and the insects were blasted out of the sky before they could even get close.

With each battle, Ain felt his power growing. The system notified him of his increasing level to level 13.

Finally, after what felt like hours of relentless exploration and combat, Ain came upon a clearing. In the distance, nestled in a shallow valley, was the massive goblin village he had been searching for. The village was crude, with huts made of mud and sticks, and a scattering of goblins milling about, unaware of the danger lurking in the trees.

Ain's eyes narrowed as he assessed the situation. There were too many goblins to take on in close combat, but that wasn't an issue. He had firepower to spare and no intention of giving the goblins any chance to fight back.

Without hesitation, Ain pulled out his heavy artillery—30 grenade launchers and 20 RPGs, all linked to his system. He took careful aim at the heart of the village and let loose a barrage of explosive firepower. The grenades and rockets arced through the air, trailing smoke before crashing down onto the village.

The explosions rocked the forest, sending shockwaves through the trees as huts were obliterated and goblins were torn apart by the blasts. The air filled with the deafening roar of explosions and the cries of dying goblins. Ain kept up the assault, ensuring that no corner of the village was left untouched. He was thorough, methodical, and ruthless.

System notifications began flooding his vision, a stream of reminders about experience points and level-ups. Ain's level continued to climb, each explosion and every goblin death pushing him further up the ranks. His heart pounded with the thrill of power, the surge of strength as he reached new heights.

Then, amidst the familiar notifications, something different caught his eye. A new message flashed across his HUD:

[System Reminder: You gained Skill Scroll: Fireball]

"eh? is this from [Drop Module]? the chance sure is low but why do I feel like the drop has nothing to do with these goblins? ANYWAY, continue blasting"

(Author Reminder: The Harvest module is for Harvesting stuff like Herbs and Plants, so it doesn't work on monsters corpse)

Within minutes, the village was reduced to a smoldering ruin. The ground was scorched black, and the air was thick with smoke and the stench of burning flesh. Ain surveyed the destruction from the edge of the clearing, satisfied that no goblin had survived.

But the noise he had created would not go unnoticed. The forest, once filled with the sounds of nature, had fallen eerily silent. Ain knew it was time to leave. Whatever creatures lurked in these woods would soon be drawn to the devastation, and Ain had no intention of sticking around to find out what they were.

He turned and made his way back through the forest, moving quickly and quietly. As he did, Ain finally checked his system. His level had skyrocketed, jumping from level 13 to level 24. The system displayed the increase with a satisfying chime, and Ain couldn't help but feel a surge of pride. His power was growing rapidly, and with it, his ability to take on even greater challenges.

(end of chapter)

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[Name: Ain Richter

HP: 100% - MP: 100% - Stamina: 100%

Level: 24 (3000/75,000 XP)

Title: [Player - Fourth Natural Disaster (Equipped)]

Awakened Attribute: [Characteristic of Ant] [Wisdom Cube: Semi-Active]

Skills: [Extreme Computing Power—Lösen Algorithm] [Skill: Construct Arsenal] 

Combat Strength: Pseudo - Urban Level ]

(Note: Do you guys need detailed power/combat strength? If yes, I will upload it to Aux chapter]