Chapter 31 - The Ancient Demonic Beast, Kraken
The Ancient Demonic Beast, Kraken
Translator : Elizabeth
The southern sea at dawn was pitch black. It was to the point where one would wonder if this was the same sea that shone brilliantly in emerald during the day. Just before sunrise, the ocean had turned into a darkness that swallowed all light.
Splash, splash.
While only the sound of small waves broke the silence, ten sleek vessels were slicing through the darkness. It was the elite southern fleet led by the Southern Admiral, Roan de Escar.
Mobilizing a large-scale fleet would decrease the effect of a surprise attack. Therefore, Roan had selected only the most elite ships with proven speed and firepower. Though small in number, every person on board was a marine or knight worth a hundred men.
Splash.
On the deck of the flagship, the <Red Wave>, at the lead. Kang Jin-ho was leaning against the bow, staring at the black horizon. A cold sea breeze blew, disheveling his hair, but he did not budge.
'A merchant, huh...'
Kang Jin-ho glanced at Serafina standing on one side of the deck. Wrapped in a thick robe and braving the sea breeze, she was staring into the darkness with a tense expression. A non-combatant who could be the first to fall into danger once battle broke out. Yet, she had insisted on accompanying this dangerous voyage.
He recalled their conversation at the pier just before sailing.
["I’m going too."]
["You’ll just be a burden?"]
Despite Kang Jin-ho’s blunt rebuff, Serafina did not back down. She looked up at him with a determined gaze and said:
["I know. I can't hold a sword and fight. I might be a distraction once the battle begins. But I must see it."]
["See what? The blood splattering?"]
["No. The sight of the Charon Merchant Guild collapsing."]
There was venom in her voice.
["The Charon Merchant Guild is a cancer to the South, but at the same time, they hold a massive distribution network and information. When they fall, I must be the first to secure their revealed weaknesses, their hidden funding sources, and the ledgers of the accounts they monopolized."]
Serafina clenched her fists.
["If I just wait here for the result, the Duke or other hyenas will snatch up those sweet fruits. Even if I'm a burden, I want to confirm and pick up that information with my own eyes. Only then can I prepare the foothold to become the 'Golden Queen' I promised to Fist Emperor-nim."]
She was greedy. She had plunged into the middle of a battlefield where her own life was at risk, solely for profit. An ordinary person would have criticized her for being selfish or not knowing her place. One might have considered it a virtue to act nice and stay behind.
But Kang Jin-ho thought differently.
["Ha, I like you."]
Kang Jin-ho chuckled.
["Yeah. Better than acting nice and being a lump of luggage. I like honesty. People faithful to their desires are the ones who make it big."]
He tapped Serafina on the head.
["So? You're saying I have to protect you?"]
["Doesn't the client have the right to be protected?"]
["Not wrong. I have to work as much as I'm paid. Don't worry. As long as you stick by my side, I won't let a single hair on your head be hurt."]
Only after hearing that assurance did Serafina board the ship. That tenacity of prioritizing profit over her own safety—one would need that much venom and calculation to be entrusted with his assets. Kang Jin-ho thought highly of her choice.
'That’s the quality needed for my safe-wallet.'
It was then. Roan, who was patrolling the deck, approached. His expression was stiff, unlike when they set sail. His red hair, which was like the southern sun, looked like the color of blood in the darkness.
"Hey, Fist Emperor."
"Why. Did we arrive already? I don't see land yet."
"No. There’s still some distance left, but..."
Roan held onto the railing and looked down at the sea. His amber eyes were shaking uneasily. The senses of a veteran who had spent his entire life at sea were ringing warning bells.
"It's strange."
"What is?"
"It's too quiet."
It was as Roan said. The sea was excessively silent. No sound of seagulls, no sound of fish jumping. Even the sound of the waves had died down, creating a silence as if the sounds of the world had been erased. A pressure as if something massive was holding its breath, like the calm before a storm.
"This sea area is originally famous for rough currents. The water is fast because of the reefs. But for the waves to be this calm?"
"Are you scared? The Southern Admiral?"
"It’s not fear, it’s vigilance. If you underestimate the sea, you won't even be able to recover your bones."
Roan tried to order the knights to a state of alert. It was the moment his hand moved toward his sword hilt.
Rumble—!
A heavy vibration was transmitted from the bottom of the ship. The calm surface began to boil. As if just before a massive volcano erupted, the black seawater surged.
"Everyone to battle stations! Something is coming up!"
Roan shouted and drew his sword. Before his cry even finished—
Kwaaaaang!
The water's surface split as if exploding, and massive pillars soared up. One, two, three... dozens of pillars rose as if surrounding the ships. No, they weren't pillars. They were giant tentacles covered in slippery mucus and packed with house-sized suckers.
"K-Kraken?!"
Roan’s eyes widened as if they would pop out. A monster of legend. A nightmare of the deep sea that appeared only in ancient documents and had vanished from the southern seas for hundreds of years. It was now revealing its physical form before their eyes.
"No way! They should have been extinct!"
"A single tentacle is bigger than the ship!"
The knights screamed in terror. A tentacle of the Kraken could be seen soaring as if to block the sky.
"Damn it! Evade! Get out of its range!"
Roan issued orders urgently. But it was already too late. A pitch-black shadow began to rise from beneath the surface. A majesty larger than ten ships combined, as if an entire island was rising. It was the main body of the Kraken.
The monster’s golden eyes were glaring at the flagship. That gaze alone was enough to make the soldiers' legs give out.
"This is crazy..."
Roan gritted his teeth. Could he handle that massive monster with his twin swords? He might be able to cut a few tentacles with his Aura Blades, but killing the main body seemed impossible. Against a creature in the water, there was no chance of victory.
Is this total annihilation? Are the southern elites going to vanish as mere food for a sea monster?
It was the moment despair was about to overtake Roan.
"Oh."
An exclamation was heard from the side. Not a scream of terror, but a voice like a gourmet discovering a great restaurant. The owner of that voice was, of course, Kang Jin-ho. He was hanging off the railing, scanning the thick legs of the Kraken.
"I wonder if that would taste good grilled?"
"…What?"
Roan doubted his ears. Talking about eating in this situation?
"With suckers that big, would the texture be tough? Or chewy? It would be perfect grilled in butter. Since it’s the South, you guys must be good at seafood, right?"
Kang Jin-ho was pondering seriously. In his eyes, that massive calamity appeared to be nothing more than ingredients for extra-large squid sashimi.
Serafina stared at Kang Jin-ho with her mouth hanging open. Just how far did this man’s guts go?
"Fist Emperor! Now is not the time for jokes! That’s the ancient demonic beast, Kraken! The ship is about to be smashed!"
Roan shouted. The Kraken's tentacles were rushing toward the flagship. It looked ready to crush the ship entirely.
"So noisy. Just make sure it doesn't break."
Kang Jin-ho loosened his shoulders as if annoyed.
Swish—!
Kang Jin-ho kicked off the deck. His body soared into the air like an arrow. The eyes of the knights and sailors followed him. He was stepping on the void. The Aura exploding from the soles of his feet compressed the air to create footholds.
Thump! Thump! Thump!
Kang Jin-ho leaped toward the sky as if climbing stairs. Reaching above the Kraken’s head in an instant, he reached out toward one of the tentacles coming down to crush the flagship.
"Come here, squid."
Grab.
Kang Jin-ho’s hand seized the slippery tentacle. Though the thickness of the Kraken’s tentacle was girthier than a massive tree, Kang Jin-ho’s grip was a force that could crush steel like clay.
"Kieeeeeeeek?!"
The Kraken let out a bizarre scream. It sensed something had gone wrong. A mere human had grabbed its leg, yet it couldn't shake him off. No, it was actually being pulled.
"Heave-ho!"
Kang Jin-ho soared higher into the sky with a shout. Simultaneously, he pulled the tentacle he was holding with all his might.
ROOOOOAR—!
The sea turned upside down. Dragged by Kang Jin-ho’s strength, the entire body of the Kraken, which had been submerged in the sea, began to be lifted out.
The bastard's full form was revealed amidst a massive spray of water. it was a moving island, a living disaster. But now, that disaster was in a position where it was being forced to fly into the sky, dragged by the hand of a single human.
"It-It’s floating!"
"The Kraken is... flying!"
"Oh my god! A Kraken in the sky!"
The sailors rubbed their eyes. The scene viewed from the ship was truly surreal. Kang Jin-ho flying in the sky—and a house-sized Kraken dangling from him.
It was the so-called 'Flying Kraken.'
The Kraken’s gaze was fixed on Kang Jin-ho, who had lifted it up. And... its eyes seemed to be pleading:
'Something is wrong! I need to get out of here! Let me go!'