Extra Chapter 7 - Meanwhile, elsewhere…
Jasper Merrick was a tall, broad-shouldered man with sharp features and short, neatly combed dark hair. His piercing blue eyes exuded confidence and authority, and he carries himself with the poise of a seasoned veteran. Despite his young age, his stern expression and well-kept uniform reflected the discipline and responsibility that come with being the youngest admiral in the Ironclad Armada at just 30 years old.
That was the first impression anyone would have of the Admiral—a prodigy born only once every few generations, the perfect role model for any soldier aspiring to make a name for themselves in the Armada. Essentially, he was someone who seemed to brush up against perfection. However, that couldn't have been further from the truth... or at least, not entirely. Jasper Merrick was indeed the youngest person to reach the rank of Admiral through his own merits, not connections, as many claimed. And while he certainly possessed extraordinary strength and skills, he was far from the "perfect example" everyone praised.
In reality, the man was skilled at maintaining appearances. It was quite common for him to act with extreme refinement and manners in front of certain people and situations, while in others, he displayed great resolve and an unshakable moral compass—always depending on what was needed. However, his behavior was entirely different behind closed doors or when he knew no one "important" was watching.
He was actually quite laid-back, with a personal aversion to office work. He would always find ways to avoid paperwork, leaving it to his assistants, who assumed he was off handling more important tasks. In reality, he was usually at some bar or local tavern, flirting with any young woman who crossed his path—a habit that had landed him in trouble more than once. Yet, he always managed to come out unscathed, one way or another, without ever resorting to violence. After all, if there was one genuine thing about him, it was his love for ordinary people.
Few knew this, as some high-ranking officials in the Ironclad Armada had worked to keep it hidden, but the truth about the Admiral was that his origins were quite humble—starkly different from the upper ranks, which were mostly filled with people of noble blood from the Allied Kingdoms. He came from one of the most impoverished neighborhoods in one of the most powerful and opulent kingdoms, where people starved while mountains of discarded food were dumped into the sea as waste.
Much had happened during his childhood and youth, and by a twist of fate, his strength and abilities were noticed by a recruiter who was there by mistake. Many years passed, and for the first time in history, the high command manipulated a soldier's records to allow him to rise through the ranks without facing political opposition. It was unthinkable for someone like him to even dream of obtaining a title above Captain, since such promotions required the additional approval of the nobles who oversaw the military. But being such a prodigy, he earned the support of many who saw his potential, helping him rise despite the deeply ingrained nepotism within the Armada.
Despite everything, Jasper Merrick had always possessed a strong sense of justice. His relentless effort to become stronger and climb as high as possible was fueled by his deep desire to one day change things and help all those who, like him, suffered horribly in a place the rest of the world called a paradise. This conviction drove him, as a soldier, to accumulate merit after merit, becoming the hero of many campaigns against the pirate threat in various regions.
His most glorious moment, and what earned him the title of Admiral, was his duel against the original leader of one of the seven pirate guilds, the ‘Gearforged Raiders’. The battle was so brutal it lasted an entire day and destroyed an entire fleet, ending with the pirate's death and Jasper's immortalization in the pages of history.
Once he became Admiral, Jasper Merrick felt like the world was at his feet. He believed that from that moment on, he could make the difference he had fought so hard for—only to be harshly confronted with the reality that nothing was as easy as he had imagined. Worse yet, his new title felt more like shackles around his neck, binding him to the direct orders of the high command, which was mostly composed of rich, bloated nobles who had never set foot on a battlefield.
Though Merrick’s will never wavered, his actions and health slowly did. He found himself entangled in more meetings, parties, and obligatory ceremonies than actually fighting on the front lines or helping those in need, but it wasn’t until that fateful day that the light in his eyes would go out forever. He could still remember it as vividly as if it had happened yesterday—his ragged breathing, his heart pounding so hard it felt like it might burst, as he stared at his bloodstained hands in the ruins of what had once been a city.
“Admiral, the alert has been given; we must proceed to the central coast immediately!”
A soldier suddenly called out as he entered a makeshift tent, startling Merrick, who had been lost in fragments of his past for some reason, momentarily distracted from everything happening around him.
“Ah, yes… Go on, I’ll join you right away”
The man replied with a hint of annoyance, fully aware of what the order meant—something he wasn't particularly enthusiastic about, to be honest.
Being sent to the front lines of the war near a godforsaken island had been both a blessing and a curse for him. On one hand, there were no taverns or women to pass the time with; but on the other, that meant he didn’t have to attend any mandatory meetings or ceremonies. This spared him from battling the urge to punch every noble he was forced to converse with, so at least there was some positive side to that situation.
He quickly stepped out of the tent where he had been resting, only to be confronted with a nightmarish scene. All this time he had been in the middle of a battlefield! Hundreds of armored soldiers surged about with jagged weapons in hand, while hordes of pirates charged at anyone they spotted nearby. Both sides unleashed rounds and rounds of various projectiles and clashed their weapons, and even machines larger than any person roamed the area, firing or crashing into those trying to stop them. Meanwhile, in the distance, he could see the sea—the point he needed to reach immediately.
Without a care in the world, Admiral Merrick simply stretched his legs as if warming up. After that, he focused his gaze on his target and placed his hands on the ground, preparing to run.
[Skill: Superhuman Capabilities Lv10] [Extremely high-level passive skill that exponentially increases the physical abilities and attack skills of the user beyond its natural limits.]
One of the reasons he was essentially the only Admiral without any physical enhancements or prosthetics was due to a special skill he possessed—one that effectively turned him into a superhuman. Mechanical parts would have been more of a hindrance than a help to him. True to form, Merrick shot toward the beach with incredible speed, darting across the battlefield and effortlessly dodging everything in his path. He couldn’t help but "gently tap" a few pirate 'Goliaths'—massive, heavily armored machines—along the way. Each touch leaving holes in their armor and causing them to malfunction or even explode.
It took Merrick only a couple of minutes to reach the beach and grasp the urgency of the order he'd received. What should have been a line of Armada battleships securing the perimeter had been reduced to just a few vessels barely staying afloat, while most were now debris drifting among the waves, the aftermath of an assault by a massive fleet of smaller units from the 'Thunderstrike Dreadnoughts' and the 'Leviathan Hunters'—enormous steam-powered robots and combat submarines, respectively. They had managed to sneak through from other fronts where they should still have been engaged in battle.
It was clear that reinforcements would arrive soon, but by the time they did, it would be too late if those units made it to shore. With a resigned sigh, the Admiral simply leaped into the sea.
[Skill: As it is in the land, so it is on the sea Lv10] [Extremely high-level passive skill that allows the user to breathe underwater and move their body as if he were on land.]
Merrick’s abilities defied all logic, even for many of the most seasoned soldiers. This had earned him the "opportunity" to visit the facilities of 'Stratos Technology' more than once to be examined by none other than Isaac Volta himself. Over time, he and Volta developed a good rapport after Merrick discovered the scientist’s aspirations and genuine desire to improve the world—a passion the Admiral wished he still had, something he would lament on until the day he met Thaddeus…
You could be reading stolen content. Head to Royal Road for the genuine story.
Back in the present, Merrick descended through the water like a torpedo, moving with such speed and ease that it seemed unreal. His total control of the seafloor allowed him to quickly assess that the 'Sea Destroyers' and combat submarines were the least of his problems, because, behind them, he spotted an entirely black ship, so massive that it rivaled the size of the mechanical sea beasts. In fact, as he observed more closely, he could see the remains of one such monster being torn apart by a set of claws emerging from the titanic vessel.
That ship could only belong to 'Lord Ashford,' the leader of the 'Leviathan Hunters' guild and a renegade noble from the Allied Kingdoms.
Knowing full well that taking down that special submarine was beyond what he could manage alone—after all, it was commanded by one of the most skilled individuals in the world—Merrick decided the best course of action was to lighten the load. In other words, he would eliminate the smaller submarines swarming the area while avoiding a direct confrontation with Ashford at all costs.
That might seem like madness, but it was anything but for someone of the Admiral's caliber. He launched himself forward without fear, effortlessly dodging every bomb and torpedo aimed at him, and impacted the first submarine like a missile. The vessel exploded without a chance of survival, while Merrick emerged unscathed and moved on to the second, then the third, and then the fourth submarine. It was all going remarkably smoothly, until a sudden rise in the water temperature signaled that something was wrong.
“*Bzzp* You! *Bzzp* Damned monster!”
Suddenly, through static, a voice came through—something that should have been impossible to hear underwater, but the young soldier picked it up without issue. It was a message from the black ship. Immediately after, a beam that resembled a laser shot out from its tip. Merrick barely dodged it, and the beam shot all the way to the coast, exploding everything in its path and claiming the lives of countless soldiers from both sides who happened to be nearby.
“And I’m the monster?”
The Admiral thought to himself as the beam faded, giving him just enough time to propel himself away as fast as possible toward the coast. He leaped out of the water and finally landed on the sand.
“Admiral, are you alright?”
The same soldier who had called out to him earlier spoke up, having just arrived with his entire platoon. He was visibly shaken by the massive energy beam that had erupted from the ocean and the destruction it had caused.
“Everything is fine. The coward Ashford won’t dare leave the place where he has the advantage. All that’s left is to deal with the two Sea Destroyers over there and…”
But his words were interrupted by a sudden buzzing in his ears—something none of the soldiers could detect.
“A-are you alright, Admiral?”
The same soldier asked again, concerned by the sudden silence of his superior. However, Merrick quickly raised his hand to stop him and indicated for the others to assist any wounded they could find in the area affected by the previous attack. Everyone obeyed promptly, leaving him alone once more.
“What the hell are you thinking contacting me directly?”
The conversation from the other side couldn’t be heard; it all took place inside his mind thanks to an information transfer skill. It was clear, however, that Merrick was not pleased to be speaking with whoever it was. After a few seconds of heated discussion, he fell silent completely, his eyes widening in shock.
“Are you sure? Has it been confirmed?”
After hearing the response, Merrick looked up at the sky, only to see a massive, imposing zeppelin approaching in the distance—an airship he knew all too well. It certainly signified the beginning of something significant, a plan that had been set in motion for years, marking the start of the end of an era…
“Hahaha... Young Volta, I’ll be honest; for a moment, I doubted your words... No, I’m not speaking to you, mercenary scum! — Cut your damn transmission!”
The Admiral said, finally cutting off the transmission from that mysterious informant, unable to suppress his laughter.
He still remembered the time he met Thaddeus Volta during one of his many visits to his father's laboratory. From the moment he saw him, there was an instant animosity, as Thaddeus’s appearance and demeanor mirrored those of the nobles he was gradually beginning to despise.
He remembered that phase of his life, even though it had been years ago—dark moments when resentment toward the system he was now a part of grew stronger in his mind each day. At times, he fantasized about losing control and killing everyone present at one of those ceremonies, making them pay for what they were doing to the people they falsely claimed to protect, making them pay for deceiving him into compliance…
He might have ultimately succumbed to his anger and frustration, leading to a genocide on royal ground, if it hadn’t been for Thaddeus. The young scientist had persistently tried to approach him during his visits to 'Stratos Technology,' and found him just as he was wrestling with whether to rise and enact justice. Initially, Merrick’s fury turned toward the young scientist, who seemed like an excellent first victim for his retribution. However, he couldn’t go through with his plans when he saw Thaddeus standing before him with determination burning in his eyes, reminding him of himself a long time ago.
One thing led to another, and they ended up talking. Merrick, now calmer, got to know Isaac's son better over several weeks. As their interactions became more frequent, they began to open up to each other, forging a genuine friendship in which each other's ideals started to influence the other. Until the day Thaddeus returned with a different, somber demeanor. Everything they discussed that afternoon revolved around the boy agreeing with his friend, who had finally recognized how rotten everything was and that nothing would ever change... unless they took matters into their own hands.
There was a plan, one that had been developing and taking shape for years, gradually growing as they gathered more people who shared their vision—even those who were publicly seen as their enemies, all united by a common desire for justice in their hearts. The last thing Merrick knew about it was the fake letter of recommendation Thaddeus had asked him to prepare for “something” he hadn’t fully explained. But that didn’t concern him much; the last instruction had been to meet with him and a group near the entrance of the island’s ruins... That’s right, the ruins!
“Ha! ... I’m sorry, Thaddeus, but just for today, I’ll be a bit selfish with you. I have more important things to do than play tour guide for a while. I know you’ll be fine.”
Merrick said quietly, more to himself than anyone else, as there was no one around to hear him. Without delay, he headed toward where he had sent his soldiers, who were searching for survivors from the recent energy explosion.
“Hey! Change of plans, I’m going to be away for a while. Go to Admiral Augustus Redmond and tell him he needs to head to the inner ruins in my place.”
“W-what? Admiral, I’m sorry, I don’t understand”
The soldier seemed nervous, and Merrick noticed that part of it was due to the creepy smile of excitement he couldn’t suppress. Taking a deep breath and trying to steady himself, the Admiral spoke again, this time with more focus.
“There are new orders from central command. They’ve asked me to handle another matter and instructed that Admiral Augustus Redmond be informed to go to the island's inner ruins, with the priority mission of protecting the scientist Thaddeus Volta at all costs... I want you to find him and deliver the news under my name. Is that clear?”
The soldier finally nodded and called his team to leave and fulfill their mission, while Merrick, alone again, burst into laughter, unable to hide his excitement.
“I need to get ready; I have to be prepared. Finally, it’s the day!”
In an instant, his body vanished from sight as he leaped at high speed, one jump after another, as if he were walking on air.
[Skill: As it is in the land, so it is on the sky Lv10] [Extremely high-level passive skill that allows the user to jump midair and move their body as if he were on land.]
“Please, let it arrive already, please!”
He said, watching the zeppelin approach in the distance as he headed toward one of the enormous steam-powered robots. The machine detected the Admiral and attempted to launch various projectiles at him, all of which he dodged effortlessly until he finally stood atop the machine.
"Let this rotten world burn!"