Chapter 110
Chapter 110
Mad Black Mage's Tower Strategy
Chapter 110
'This place......'
Nam-gung Cheon's footsteps, which had been following traces of drug dealing for a long time, led all the way to the outskirts of the city center.
A small passage that allowed entry and exit outside the castle walls.
It seemed to be a shortcut exclusively for natives that outsiders couldn't use.
There was a checkpoint in the middle, but it was easy to avoid the eyes of the guard who stood there with a dazed expression, just holding a spear.
PAT-.
Once he left the heart of Atlantis, which was protected by massive walls and the royal family's power, the atmosphere completely changed.
The beautiful buildings with blue roofs and snow-white walls that stood out were no longer visible.
The sight of crude houses made by weaving coral reefs, stones, and pitch lined up was truly a lawless zone.
The power of the barrier was also weak, as he could often feel massive shadows passing over the translucent dome.
'The climbers only get to see the bright side of Atlantis.'
There probably weren't many who had bothered to walk to such a remote place.
Eventually, Nam-gung Cheon's footsteps stopped at a gloomy dock entrance filled with an ominous atmosphere.
When he entered the dock, submarines were lined up.
It seemed that cargo was first unloaded at Atlantis's main port, and the rest was sent to each settlement or village through the outskirts docks.
Hidden behind a pile of rotten fishing gear, Nam-gung Cheon's eyes soon witnessed a harsh scene.
"You're too slow, you damn octopus-headed bastards! If you can't move everything on time, there's no pay today!"
Along with the sharp shout of a Sea Dragon Tribe supervisor wearing an armband, a leather whip cut through the air.
CRACK-!
The scene of Octopus Folk so emaciated that their bones were showing and Anglerfish Folk with sunken eyes around their sockets doing forced labor.
They were ceaselessly carrying fish catch boxes much larger than their own bodies and heavy mineral sacks.
Nam-gung Cheon, who watched this while hiding, narrowed his eyes.
'How terrible.'
Even though they were different species, to treat fellow Sea Folk like slaves.
He thought that for a moment, but Nam-gung Cheon soon let out a self-deprecating snort.
'......Well, humans aren't in a position to say such things.'
Hadn't humans also sold and exploited their own kind as slaves just because their skin color was a bit different?
The end of the colonial era wasn't that distant in the past either.
They were more vicious compared to the Sea Folk of different appearances and species, if anything.
Leaving the harsh scene of the dock behind, Nam-gung Cheon moved his steps to an even deeper part of the lower-class district.
The place he eventually arrived at was a black market called the Coral Reef Market.
Shabby tent taverns that opened from dawn and stalls trading unknown goods made the surroundings chaotic.
The fishy smell of seafood, cheap alcohol, and the smell of despair mixed together and stung his nose.
Sea Folk walking among such stalls like zombies.
Whether addicted to drugs, they would twist their bodies while standing still or drool while rubbing their bodies against the ground.
Nam-gung Cheon's brow furrowed deeply.
Was that the effect of the drug he had seen earlier?
The bastards distributing that drug must be parasites that grew by feeding on the deepest despair of this city.
Having confirmed the tragic reality of Atlantis's lower levels, Nam-gung Cheon was about to leave the back alley with a heavy heart.
"......"
But suddenly, Nam-gung Cheon's sharp senses detected some presence.
One side of the market, a shadowy alley where abandoned fishing gear was piled up like a mountain.
He could see two figures wearing dark robes secretly exchanging something.
PAT-.
Nam-gung Cheon hid behind a nearby box and watched the scene.
One was a Watersnake Folk with a long body and smooth skin.
The other appeared to be human, but it was difficult to identify due to the deeply worn robe.
When the robed human handed over a wooden box, the Watersnake Folk passed over a money pouch.
"This month's share."
"Hehe. Business seems to be going quite well?"
"Pretty girls came in plenty. Want to take a look?"
"Hmph, dealing with sub-races and all. Please take good care of me next month too."
The transaction ended in the blink of an eye, and the two figures scattered in different directions.
Nam-gung Cheon narrowed his eyes as he watched the two splitting up in different directions.
'Who should I follow......'
Listening to the conversation, the Watersnake Folk who handed over the money was a drug buyer.
It seemed like he was using the drug for crimes including prostitution.
On the other hand, the robed human was either the drug supplier or an intermediate distributor.
If he followed that guy, he could track the drug distribution route.
Nam-gung Cheon hesitated for a moment then threw a needle coated with Heavenly Fragrance at the human.
WHIP-.
The needle passed through the collar so quickly that the guy didn't notice, and the Heavenly Fragrance was applied to a small hole in the robe.
Since he had applied Heavenly Fragrance, he could track his movements and the drug distribution route later.
Nam-gung Cheon watched the robed man disappear around the corner and shook his head.
'For now...... I'll save people first.'
Someone might think it's more important to find the drug distribution route and uproot its source.
That opinion also had merit, and he acknowledged it was more efficient.
Nevertheless, if one were a true chivalrous hero, one couldn't ignore those being oppressed.
It was the natural order to first rescue those who were being subjected to dirty deeds while addicted to drugs.
Nam-gung Cheon bit his lip and began to follow the Watersnake Folk.
***
Deep inside the temple.
Leila's voice resonated softly.
"......The founding of our Atlantis began with the heroic struggle of the great Sea God Pontos defeating Leviathan, the monster of the sea."
Leviathan, the monster of the sea.
Its main body was on the 90th floor or higher, but its domain spread to all seas within the Tower.
As long as the concept of sea existed, it could exist everywhere simultaneously.
Seo-jin and Nam-gung Rin held their breath and listened to the High Priestess's story.
"However, not all marine species stood by Pontos from the beginning. The Sea Dragon Tribe that followed Leviathan's mighty power, the Watersnake Folk who were fascinated by its cunning and ever-changing nature, and the Anglerfish Folk who resembled the deepest darkness of the abyss - some of them sided with Leviathan and confronted Sea God Pontos and other species."
"An inter-species war."
It was common on floors where multi-species alliances existed.
"Yes. Of course, most of them couldn't endure Leviathan's endless tyranny and cruelty, and though belatedly, they converted to the Sea God and made decisive contributions to achieving victory. Perhaps their anguish and choice was the true courage."
Leila's blue eyes gazed into the void as if seeing the distant past.
"The war ended with Sea God Pontos's great victory, but Atlantis's true tragedy began from then. The joy of victory was brief, as the Sea Folk species that had previously belonged under Leviathan began to be persecuted with cold stigma."
Having heard that far, Seo-jin slowly nodded.
History was always the record of victors, and behind it were always the tears of the forgotten.
When the war ended, hatred and persecution toward the species that had been on the opposite side of the Sea God began.
"The royal family legally tried to prohibit discrimination and persecution against them and guarantee their rights, but the hatred and distrust rooted deep in their hearts didn't disappear easily. Eventually, they came to live in the darkest and dampest shadows of Atlantis, wearing invisible shackles."
The situation was roughly understood.
Moreover, Atlantis had recently suffered massive damage from the Kraken.
Even innocent Octopus Folk would have become targets of hatred.
For the single reason that their appearance resembled the Kraken.
The subsequent content was about the deepening emotional gulf between species, and the long history of struggle and chains of hatred.
Although Atlantis was formed as a council of twelve species centered around the Sea Folk with royal bloodline, this was only on the surface.
Some of the persecuted species even rejected the protection of barriers and walls, leaving the city to establish roots in other regions.
Having heard the explanation, Seo-jin silently closed his eyes and thought.
'The isolation decree is just a temporary phenomenon.'
Atlantis's true problem lay here.
'This is also a problem humanity faces.'
Even now, when technology and consciousness have developed extremely, conflicts, discrimination, and hatred between races are rampant.
Atlantis was experiencing similar problems.
Trying to solve this with Seo-jin's power alone would be nothing but arrogance. His mind naturally became complicated as he tried to find an answer.
Leila continued speaking.
"In such a situation, Sea Dragon Tribe chieftain Lunaria and the Black Scale Trading Company gained great attention. She united those who were oppressed and colluded with outsider companies to provide jobs and food. These were things the royal family and temple couldn't do. Her influence gradually became formidable, and she came to rule like a king outside the walls. This is also why we had no choice but to allow logistics opening even during the isolation decree."
If their forces harbored dissatisfaction and engaged in armed struggle, a civil war would break out in Atlantis.
"So that's how it happened."
This also matched the history from before the regression.
Sea Dragon Tribe chieftain Lunaria.
Was she truly a savior of the oppressed, or another predator exploiting their desperation?
What did she provide to the companies, and what did she obtain in return?
There were still many questions.
Seo-jin sighed and expressed his gratitude to Leila.
"Thanks for speaking honestly. It probably wasn't something to reveal to an outsider."
"No. If we keep hiding it, it will only fester and burst. ......It might already be too late though."
Leila smiled weakly.
That smile carried more resignation than hope.
Though she had expected our visit according to the oracle, she didn't seem to expect us to solve the problem.
That was natural too.
It would be strange to harbor expectations that a stranger she had just met would solve Atlantis's long-standing conflict.
At this, Seo-jin said a word to her.
"Well. It's still too early to give up."
That's right. It was still too early to give up.
In reality, the world outside the Tower, there were no magical solutions.
They could only gradually reduce conflicts through long agreements and dialogue.
However, the Tower was a place where mysterious and strange things could happen.
'It's worth trying.'
***
Seo-jin and Nam-gung Rin, who had left the temple, returned to the outsider lodging without saying a word the entire time.
Outside the window, the mysterious scenery of Atlantis still spread out, but their hearts were infinitely heavy due to the weight of the story they had just heard.
Nam-gung Rin was the first to break the silence.
"It's similar to when our Haomun was first established. A force created by gathering the sorrow and anger that powerless people had to experience...... that's what it is."
The Black Scale Trading Company that Sea Dragon Tribe's Lunaria had created had many similarities to Haomun.
Of course, the history and intensity of persecution and discrimination were incomparable, but they might be similar in that they gathered the weak who had nowhere to rely on and built up power.
Then Seo-jin firmly drew a line.
"No, the two are clearly different."
"Huh?"
Toward the surprised Nam-gung Rin, Seo-jin continued speaking.
"It's hard to see that the Sea Dragon Tribe's leader moved with purely good intentions."
Uniting persecuted species with pure goodwill. That could happen.
But could one establish trade with outsider companies from outside the Tower and rapidly control logistics with goodwill alone?
Moreover, since it was the time when the special relic called Tears of the Sea God was stolen, its purity became even more suspicious.
Her sudden appearance definitely had some intention, and there must have been something special that allowed her to rapidly unite the species.
That was probably supplied to this underwater city of Atlantis through outside companies.
"On the other hand, Nam-gung Cheon established Haomun with a pure heart and grew it with like-minded people to help many. Haomun's corruption was just a result brought by human nature, but the intention of its establishment was good. You yourself know this well."
"......"
After the explanation, Seo-jin smiled slightly at Nam-gung Rin.
"So you can have confidence. Though he's a bit foolish, your brother is definitely a chivalrous hero. You, who followed in his footsteps, are too."
Nam-gung Rin silently looked at Seo-jin's face then slightly averted her gaze.
"B-brother isn't such a great person."
"Well, that's true."
It was a fact he knew well.
That the guy wasn't such a great guy.
Perhaps that was the reason he had formed a sworn brotherhood with him.
Birds of a feather flock together, after all.
Nam-gung Rin opened her mouth hastily as if trying to change the subject.
"......Anyway, we'll need more information for now. How Sea Dragon Tribe chieftain Lunaria united the species and colluded with companies."
Seo-jin nodded.
"Right, we'll have to hope your brother brings something useful."
If not, Seo-jin would have no choice but to step forward directly.