Chapter 91
Chapter 91
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Translator: Ryuma
Chapter: 91
Chapter Title: Undersea Tunnel (1)
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"Sit here for now."
The seafolk village was a pitiful sight compared to those on the surface. It had the feel of a small rural hamlet.
Everything was worn out, without a gram of luxury or splendor to be found.
No telling what it was like in the old days, but now it felt like they were living with only the bare essentials.
It didn't seem like a place that would possess advanced technology like the undersea tunnel, but Rokan kept a straight face.
He gratefully took the seat they offered in goodwill and waited for their next move.
Seafolk began gathering one after another with Rokan's arrival.
They surrounded him in a way that felt oppressive, gazing at him with complicated eyes.
"So, why are you headed to the Central Continent?"
The next question came out of left field.
An ordinary user might ramble on with something bland and personal like "To level up" or "To experience a bigger world," but Rokan was different.
He knew this was just another test, that he had to treat this place like its own world, so he laid out his prepared backstory.
"I'm a member of the investigation corps. We've confirmed a major anomaly in the world. I'm heading to the Central Continent to relay the intelligence we've gathered so far and continue our investigations."
"Investigation corps... I see."
The term "investigation corps" resonated with the seafolk. It spoke to how long their history was, but it was also tied to the seafolk's own past.
The seafolk weren't a single race. Long ago, they had been four separate races, and now their bloodlines were so mixed it was hard to call them any one thing.
'Like birth defects from inbreeding, maybe?'
Four races.
They were descendants of humans, half-elves, dwarves, and gnomes.
Long ago, they had come here to manage the undersea tunnel, but now they were forgotten, unvisited by anyone.
With advances in navigation, magic, and countless events, the "surface world" had completely forgotten them.
There was no need for the undersea tunnel anymore; people could travel freely without it.
Regular users and passenger ships handled transport, while high-ranking officials like governors used teleportation circles or messengers for travel and news.
That's why Rokan cautiously gauged their reactions even after dropping the investigation corps line.
"You've endured so much for so long. We admit we've neglected you, but we haven't forgotten your sacrifices."
Then he landed a heavy blow.
It wasn't coordinated with anyone, but that one line shook the seafolk to their core.
Tears welled up.
Clear tears streamed from the seafolk's eyes, washing away everything.
They weren't after rewards. They just wanted acknowledgment that their parents' and grandparents' efforts to protect and maintain this place weren't in vain. They wanted proof.
That's why they had been ready to erupt in fury if he tried to use the tunnel as if it were his due.
But these heartfelt words!
Of course, it was a coincidence amplified by reputation boosts and affinity gains, but Rokan's words were enough to move the seafolk.
"It's nothing much, but I've prepared a few things. You must have suffered without supplies for so long."
But he didn't stop there. Confirming it had landed perfectly, Rokan dumped everything from his inventory.
All sorts of food, potions, antidotes, and other consumables.
It was a bribe tailored to a people forced into self-sufficiency, plagued by the sick and dying.
He had packed them tight to max out his weight gauge, planning to win them over and skip the minor quests. As he piled them up, the seafolk's eyes trembled.
"This is a gold needle! We can cure the petrification and save Iorona!"
"There are eye drops too! These will work for your eyes."
"Mid-level antidote potion. If only we'd had this sooner...!"
The seafolk buzzed at the rare glimpse of civilization's benefits.
Items that cured status ailments were essential for them, no question.
"Don't make a scene!"
At that moment, the one who had brought Rokan shouted to calm them. He seemed to be their leader.
"We understand your intentions and those of the investigation corps. We'll put these goods to good use."
Unlike the excited others, he treated them as something they were rightfully owed.
Compared to their long years of effort, it was nothing—and these were supplies they should have been receiving steadily from the start.
And no individual could have prepared this much, so they took it as the corps' will.
But that didn't matter. All Rokan wanted was access to the undersea tunnel.
With a light nod, he directed them to move the items, and the towering pile vanished in an instant.
"But that's that, and testing your qualifications is another matter. You know that, right?"
'Damn, no dice...'
He'd hoped their relations might improve enough to skip the qualification test, but the man was stubbornly principled.
'Well, that's why they're still guarding this place.'
Disappointing, but getting this far was lucky enough.
A wrong word, and he'd have been booted without a chance. Even if allowed to stay, he'd have started with tedious high-difficulty quests yielding no rewards to rebuild relations.
And one slip-up there would mean expulsion.
So he should be grateful just for the chance at the qualification test.
"Of course."
"Shall we do it now?"
"If possible, yes."
The undersea tunnel was meant for special individuals who met the qualifications from the start.
If anyone could pass through freely, clueless fools might cause disasters—and the tunnel required "power" to operate properly.
That's why the seafolk here imposed qualification tests, allowing use only upon passing.
"I, Aide, manager of the undersea tunnel, shall test the qualifications of human true berserker Rokan."
The man who had brought Rokan here—Aide—announced the test and shifted his gaze.
Affinity was one thing; the test had to be fair.
Vowing impartial judgment per ancestral promises and rules, he issued the first trial.
"The first test is proof of value. Prove you are worthy of crossing to the Central Continent! Pass!"
'Huh?'
What kind of situation was this? Aide declared Rokan's pass the moment he stated the test.
"An investigation corps member has already proven sufficient value. No need to belabor it."
It wasn't wrong, but it still felt like they were cutting him slack.
Normally, he'd have to prove strength, wisdom, or utility via a crafting sub-job, but Rokan got a free pass.
"Thank you."
"The second test is proof of honor. Prove you are no villain! Pass!"
'No way.'
The second test: proof of honor.
Honor meant assessing the subject's character.
Like a stress interview, they threw special scenarios at you and judged responses—but the problems and interpretations were so varied there was no single right answer. It was the test Rokan had dreaded most.
Yet he passed this too. This wasn't just slack; it was outright favoritism.
"No need for such a test on one who has built honor and fame. Besides, guards sacrifice for others, so you're trustworthy."
Good excuse. Rokan had fame stats stacked up, after all.
He still held the garrison title and PKK accolades, so ruling him no villain wasn't premature.
'It stings a bit, though.'
Of course, Rokan didn't see himself as a saint, so it pricked a little.
To the Golden Lion faction, maybe—but to the Black Dragon Legion, he was devil incarnate.
As those thoughts crossed his mind, Aide issued the next test.
"The third test is proof of respect. Honor the souls of the countless who sacrificed to build the undersea tunnel, and show your commitment to its maintenance and repair. Pass!"
Third test: passed!
A moment of silence for the tunnel builders? Rokan could've done that a hundred times. But Aide acknowledged it via his earlier moving words.
Without that sentiment, he couldn't have offered them comfort and apology.
The usual proof of commitment was gathering repair materials, but since Rokan had given far more valuable items freely, it counted retroactively.
"Your gifts will help many."
'It's going too smoothly—starting to make me nervous...'
But the favoritism ended there. The fourth test was the real deal.
"The fourth test proves you can defend the undersea tunnel in an emergency. Go outside and hunt a merman!"
"Understood."
Merman hunt!
Mermen were level 195 merfolk. Unlike the female mermaids, they specialized in close combat.
The catch: hunt it "in the water."
On land, he could lure it ashore and dispatch it somehow, but leaving the area reset the test.
So he had to exit through here, hunt the merman, then return—all underwater, where breathing and movement were hampered. Extremely tricky.
Even in his past life, many gave up or struggled here.
All abilities dropped, movements slowed drastically—while mermen, built for underwater life, zipped around far faster.
Overcome that and kill one in the depths?
Without water-breathing skills, it sounded like suicide.
"Guess I have no choice but to try."
The silver lining: no time limit on Aide's test.
Especially with resurrection registered here, he could die fighting and respawn locally for endless retries.
That could backfire too, but for Rokan, dead set on breaking through, it was a boon.
"Mermen... no real攻略 either."
Merman attack patterns were simple enough.
They used speed and tridents to stab and flee.
Not huge damage to high-defense types, but you could die from endless needle pricks.
Breath limits underwater, and attacks barely landed.
'With this much power, maybe it connects.'
With power on another level from his past life, vague hope stirred as Rokan moved out.
Guided to the passage from the undersea tunnel to the outside—i.e., the water—he received a conch shell item.
[Merman Summoning Trumpet][Magic]
A trumpet to summon mermen. Originally for merman communication, seized by the seafolk.
-Summons Merman
No need to hunt far; blow this to call one right away.
"Alright, let's go."
No point dawdling when time wouldn't spawn solutions. Rokan began the challenge at once.