72
Chapter 72
Countless stories were exchanged inside Elvira's Bunker until it was almost evening.
From the middle, Xiao woke up and joined the conversation along with Bertea, so the discussion could proceed more seriously.
Of course, that eyeball took up the overwhelming majority of the conversation, but since that wasn't the only thing they saw in there, other topics were also actively discussed.
For example, that Skill of Kang Yuri's.
Waterproof Sanity.
Compared to its devastating performance, the acquisition conditions were surprisingly simple.
[ Acquired by using a Scroll ]
[ Acquired by killing the target after your mind is completely destroyed underwater ]
[ Acquired by escaping from the target after your mind is completely destroyed underwater ]
[ Acquired by restoring your mental state after your mind is completely destroyed underwater ]
Naturally, simple was not synonymous with easy.
Whichever of the three paths she took, excluding the Scroll, it meant Kang Yuri's mind had been completely destroyed at least once...
Various hypotheses were exchanged regarding this.
The most likely theory was that she had fallen victim to that eyeball.
Since it wouldn't be killing or escaping, the automatically remaining option was the restoration of the mind.
However,
"Then, are you saying someone was there who could maintain their sanity even after seeing it, and could restore a mind destroyed by it?"
There were definitely Hunters specialized in healing or Purification in the Slayers, but not to the extent of standing against a Monster capable of shattering the System Window.
"Hunter Han Siwoo could have done it."
"That doesn't make sense. Setting his abilities aside, it doesn't explain why Marianne was in that state."
"That... is also true."
Then the remaining possibility was that Kang Yuri's mind had already been destroyed before it began its activity.
"Could there be a Monster Fish capable of that?"
"Well..."
The second scenario was that there was a Monster Fish capable of destroying Kang Yuri's mind among that massive swarm of Monster Fish, and after many twists and turns, a mind-shattered Kang Yuri killed that Monster Fish.
In this case, Waterproof Sanity would be acquired, and her mind would be automatically restored.
However, there was a minor issue: as far as Oceanus knew, there were no Monster Fish that could 'completely' destroy the mind of a powerhouse like Kang Yuri.
It was indeed a minor issue.
Even now, about five new species of Monster Fish appeared every day.
Just because Oceanus didn't know about them didn't mean they didn't exist, so it was plausible if it was the doing of an undiscovered Monster Fish.
Besides that, various discussions took place regarding Kang Yuri's Corpse, Marianne's chances of recovery, the schedule for the next Hive exploration, and future plans.
#
And then, night fell.
Parang lay in bed and quietly closed her eyes.
'Preparation...'
The preparation to defeat that massive Eyeball.
It was the most desperate need for Oceanus.
In this World, there weren't as many ways for a Hunter to get stronger as one might think.
By the nature of their Traits, the options available to Parang and her comrades were even fewer.
This was because the Novel Parang had reincarnated into lacked the common status elements, like having a certain Lv in Stamina, Strength, Agility, or Skills.
The commonly known calculation for physical stats simply didn't exist in this World.
On top of that, enhancing a Skill was impossible.
If you acquired Waterproof Sanity, that was it; the Skill didn't get stronger by becoming Lv2 or Lv3.
Because of this, there were bound to be limits on how one could grow stronger.
Hunters usually got stronger by either acquiring a new Skill or increasing their proficiency with an existing one.
Either way, it was a difficult path for Oceanus, who had already reached the apex, to choose.
Skills weren't something you could just acquire infinitely just because you wanted them.
Waterproof Sanity was a good example.
Didn't it come with a powerful restriction that prevented you from even looking at other Mental Barrier Skills once you obtained it?
There were tens to millions of Skills in this World that conflicted with each other in such a way.
And those who reigned at the pinnacle of a specific field, like Oceanus, had already perfectly tuned their Skills to prevent them from collapsing, completing the process of pushing their abilities to the absolute limit.
The public usually referred to such Hunters as being completed.
As for the part related to Skill proficiency, well.
They had already pretty much reached the peak anyway.
To give an idea of their level, take the Water Drop Chain Explosion that Parang used from time to time.
That was a combination made up of no less than three Hunter Skills.
All members of Oceanus possessed this level of Skill utilization.
So, this option was a pass as well.
The last remaining things were Equipment and Items.
It was the most popular power-up method, had the highest ceiling, and was, at any rate, the main route for growth.
While growth related to Skills definitely had a peak, there was no such thing for Equipment.
The output of all Equipment used by a Hunter is fundamentally determined by how many Magic Stones are ground into it.
If the quality of the Magic Stones ground into it is good and their size is large, the quality of the Weapon will naturally skyrocket.
With a sufficient amount of Magic Stones, you could theoretically create a Weapon capable of splitting the Earth in a single blow.
It's a parody of a quote from Archimedes, famous for his Eureka moment, and is a metaphor frequently used in the Hunter industry when discussing the limitless potential of Equipment.
As for why the importance of Equipment has become so bloated in this World...
Why else? It's because the protagonist, Hunter Han Siwoo, is a crafting Hunter.
Well, anyway.
The point is, at this point where Oceanus has decided they need to get stronger, it's pretty much the only option they can choose.
Excluding that...
'...No, let's... put that on hold.'
Parang shook her head back and forth.
She would consider it if the situation really came down to the absolute final moment, but it wasn't a method to discuss right now.
'Anyway, Equipment.'
There are three essential elements needed to make Equipment: Materials, Magic Stones, and an Artisan.
Needless to say, the difficulty of securing these three elements rises exponentially the higher the quality of the Equipment you're trying to create.
But fortunately, Oceanus had already solved the Magic Stone issue.
There are tens of thousands of tons of Magic Stones stacked in the ocean down there that they could use right away.
The difficulty of obtaining Materials was also on the easy side.
Just descending three kilometers would reveal top-tier Materials roaming around freshly, capable of smacking a Dragon's jaw from all directions.
Thus, the only thing left was an Artisan.
This was the most troublesome part.
Did an Artisan capable of creating Equipment that could defeat that entity she had seen in her memories even exist?
Parang fell into deep thought.
#
"Achoo!!!"
Shin Yuna rubbed her nose in her Workshop.
'Ugh, did I set the AC too high...'
It might also be because her body had weakened from being too absorbed in her work.
However!
For Yuna, a mere body was something she could sacrifice at any time!
"Hehe... he, hehehehe...!!"
She let out a goofy laugh and took three steps back.
In front of her was an unmanned submarine suspended in the air.
A sleek, streamlined body. A mesmerizing brass hue. Extravagantly decorated valves and pipes that didn't really have any particular function.
A conventional gun barrel that easily looked to be two meters long, and cogwheels that didn't really serve any purpose either.
Her masterpiece crafted with her heart and soul, [Nautilus No. 3], was ready for departure.
Its departure was slightly delayed from the original schedule because she had collapsed right after completing it and was sick in bed, but anyway!!
She was finally able to head out to sea, so how could this not be a cause for celebration!
Yuna smiled foolishly as she stepped back, grabbing the lever installed on the wall with both hands and pulling it down with all her might.
Then, whir, slam!!
With the loud noise of heavy steel moving, the floor began to open.
Beneath the floor that had split in half and opened lay the sloshing surface of the water.
It was the East Sea.
This time, Yuna swiftly turned the gas valve attached next to the lever and clicked the buttons repeatedly.
Then, clank- clink-
A sound of metal interlocking rang out,
Thud-!
The restraints holding the suspended submarine released, and it plummeted straight down.
Splash!! With a magnificent sound, the submarine sank beneath the surface.
Having confirmed that much, Yuna hurriedly ran to that former water tank room.
She put on her full-body decompression diving suit and entered the water.
A desk-shaped instrument panel, twice as large as before, welcomed her.
Thump, thump. As she pounded on the instrument panel, what rose from the bottom of the water tank was a screen twice as big as before.
Just as the submarine had grown, as the instrument panel had grown, as the screen had grown.
The ember ignited in Yuna's heart was also burning larger, hotter, and fiercer at this very moment than ever before.
Eventually, the screen turned on, and the instrument panel synchronized with the submersible.
Responding to Yuna's controls, the submarine slowly began to move forward.
What spread like wildfire inside Yuna was her fighting spirit.
Since the broadcast ended, she hadn't gotten a proper night's sleep.
The calm before the storm.
"You're all dead......!!!"
Yuna's justified anger was about to strike the Hunter Association.