Chapter 105: 10-Quad. How to Rip Apart a Submarine
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 105: 10-Quad. How to Rip Apart a Submarine
"A hundred million per kilo, huh?"
The monster’s corpse vanished, leaving a shower of items in its wake. A smile tugged at Seo-un’s lips as he hoisted a dorsal shell the size of a wide wooden plank. It was heavy—at least thirty kilograms.
In addition to the shell, a leather pouch containing beef jerky and small, grain-like objects called gallstones appeared.
[Ding! Giant Turtle’s Gallstone. Consuming this removes mild status ailments.]
With their first hunt on the island complete, they wrapped up their first day of farming.
"Now that we know this island hasn't been touched yet, let’s head back."
Seo-un tossed three Cubes he had brought from Earth toward the shore where the rest of the group waited. Two large barracks and one small tent unfolded instantly, completing their base camp.
"I’ll get dinner ready. Go bring the others."
"Got it, Hyung."
At Seo-un’s word, Gi-chan ran to the shore to fetch the group.
Lyle, who looked like he was struggling to keep his head from spinning, was being carried on Rimin’s back. Seo-un, busy with meal prep, stepped forward to take the boy from him.
"Seasickness is no joke."
Having suffered from severe motion sickness as a child, Seo-un knew the pain all too well. He carefully set Lyle down, took out a Giant Turtle’s gallstone, and popped it into the boy's mouth.
Since it was Seo-un feeding it to him, Lyle swallowed it immediately without even asking what it was. Rimin, standing nearby, watched with curiosity.
"What is that?"
"A gallstone from a Giant Turtle. It’s supposed to clear up mild status ailments."
Before he could even finish his sentence, Lyle, who had been lying there with a deathly pale face, bolted upright. A refreshing sensation cleared his head, and his nauseous stomach settled instantly. Lyle looked at Seo-un in amazement.
"Hyung! This stuff is incredible!"
"You okay now?"
"Yes! It feels like the seasickness was washed away with cold water!"
"Good. Let’s eat, then."
Seo-un ruffled Lyle’s hair—the boy still looked like he’d witnessed a miracle—and returned to the cooking area.
"What is this? It’s obviously meat, but..."
Dump was already drooling as he hovered around the grill Seo-un had set up. It made sense; they had been fighting and starving all day. Even if they weren't as bad as Lyle, the rest of the team had been nauseous enough that they couldn't even stomach a light snack on the ship.
"It’s called Samgyeopsal."
The moment Seo-un lit the charcoal in the two large grills and laid out the pork belly brought from Earth, Dump’s eyes sparkled.
"Sa... Samgyeopsal. It has a nice ring to it. I bet it tastes even better."
Sizzle.
Leaving Dump to admire the sound of the searing meat, Gi-chan set up the disposable plates and tables, putting out water and sodas.
"Oh! Carbonated drinks!" Dump was already there, grabbing a can Gi-chan had set out. "This one has a lovely fruity scent."
Ignoring the gluttonous man for a moment, Seo-un grilled nearly six kilograms of meat and brought it to the table. The feast began.
With fresh vegetables kept crisp in the subspace, hot rice, and even Ssamjang and oil dipping sauce, everyone was busy following Seo-un’s lead in making wraps. The appeal of Ssamjang, in particular, seemed to transcend worlds.
"I’ve never tasted anything like this in my entire life," Juriel admitted. Even as a member of the noble Ronis family, she was thoroughly impressed. "To be honest, I used to think grilling unseasoned meat was a barbaric practice only the Sisul tribe did... but this flavor is magnificent."
Juriel was so moved she even confessed the slight prejudice she had been harboring. After they finished their hearty meal, Seo-un gave his orders.
"We’ll rotate the watch in groups of three. Everyone else, get some rest. We start farming tomorrow before sunrise."
And so, the first day passed.
At dawn the next day, Seo-un checked the magnetic field and immediately woke the team.
"Everyone, get ready. We’re going to finish farming quickly and move In-Circle."
Moving In-Circle while leaving the outer areas—where there were relatively more islands—meant giving up potential farming opportunities.
"Is that necessary? Why?" Rimin asked.
"Instead of wandering around the small islands on the outskirts, it’s better to aim for the larger islands further in."
Looking at the map, the inner islands were fewer in number but much larger in scale. Seo-un pointed to a ping on the map and continued.
"Here. We’re going to camp at this spot, where the central island is blocked by smaller islands from three directions."
"C-Camp? You’re giving up on farming?"
"Yeah."
"But why?"
"I’m sorry to the mages, but I need to strengthen our combat power."
As confusion clouded Rimin’s face at Seo-un’s cryptic words, Nam Sa-gwang broke into a smile.
"He means he’s going to personally oversee your training."
In an instant, the eyes of the martial artists widened. Receiving direct instruction from a master of the Nature Realm who had achieved Rejuvenation was a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. Jin Long, who had been training with his fellow disciples while their busy master was away, felt his heart race.
The reason Seo-un was rushing to finish farming was simple.
[930/1000]
.
.
.
[Barrus --> Jin Chuiyan (Killed with swordsmanship.)]
[Skus --> Gianil (Killed with swordsmanship.)]
[Senrurk --> Zhang Ren (Killed with swordsmanship.)]
The moment he saw that string of names, he realized that increasing their immediate strength would be far more helpful than farming. The Devil Twins were already formidable enemies, but now there was also the man known as the King of Kurena, a madman who lived up to his reputation. Seo-un felt the urgency.
Most of all, he was worried about Juriel. She was the daughter of a famous family in Cresen. He couldn't help but wonder if she would be able to fight at full strength against the King of her own empire. If she were from Earth, he wouldn't have worried, but because she was an Otherworlder, it weighed on his mind.
That was why he hadn't mentioned the list he saw last night. She would find out eventually, but he wanted to minimize her agitation for as long as possible.
Gi-chan was primarily a mage, but he was also learning martial arts, so he had no complaints. Lyle practically worshipped the ground Seo-un walked on, so he naturally agreed. Even Juriel, whom he had worried about, nodded without much protest.
"If it raises the squad’s power, a little delay in farming isn't a problem at all. We can always 'farm' the squads that come In-Circle after they've finished with the surrounding islands."
As expected, she understood the concept of human farming perfectly.
"Then let’s finish up here and move out."
They split into two groups and began clearing the large island. It didn't take long. After hunting the local creatures and the occasional Giant Turtle, they finished farming the large island and its surrounding islets by sunrise.
"We managed to farm everything except the island where we sank the enemy ship," Gi-chan said as he organized and distributed consumables like recovery scrolls.
Seo-un nodded. "This should be enough for a few battles. We have Lyle’s healing, too."
This was why high-level players avoided fights immediately after dropping in Cloyd Survival. Even if you won, if the damage was too great, it was hard to recover, leading to a drop in combat power and delayed farming. However, having a dedicated healer on the team eased that burden significantly.
"I also found quite a few repair items. I think we’ll be fine even if we head there in a straight line."
"That’s exactly what I was planning."
For a while, they enjoyed a leisurely voyage through the blue sea. Even the teammates who had been seasick were now able to enjoy the trip thanks to the Giant Turtle’s gallstones.
Thump!
In the middle of their sailing, a heavy thud echoed, and the ship shook violently.
[Ding! The hull has sustained 14% damage. Flooding has begun due to a breach in the hull. Maneuverability is reduced by 32%.]
While everyone was still reeling from the impact, something breached the surface dozens of meters away.
Splash!
What leaped out of the water was an ironclad vessel that resembled a dolphin. Seeing the ship with a prow as sharp as a needlefish’s beak, Juriel screamed.
"A Haesujeong! That’s dangerous!"
"A H-Haesujeong?!"
As Gi-chan asked in shock, she explained with a stiff expression.
"It’s a vessel developed by the Tawa Empire. It’s a submersible that can travel underwater. They can stay submerged for over thirty minutes and are incredibly fast."
"I’ve only heard stories about them. This is my first time seeing one," Dump added.
Seo-un glared at the ship as it leaped over the water like a flying fish before diving back into the depths.
"They’re coming back!" Gi-chan shouted, preparing his magic. The moment a green light flashed over his eyes, he yelled, "Already...!"
Thump!
The ship shuddered again. Notifications rang out, warning of further hull damage and increased flooding. As Gi-chan’s gaze followed the underwater vessel that had just punched another hole in their ship, Seo-un threw himself into the water.
"Hyung!!!"
Gi-chan screamed at the sudden, impulsive action, but Seo-un had already disappeared beneath the surface.
Entering the dark water, Seo-un saw the enemy ship turning in the distance, preparing to charge the Caravel once more. The enemy ship, spotting Seo-un in the water, charged at him as if mocking his effort. Trailing bubbles as it raced through the depths, the vessel looked like a fired dart. It was much faster than the Caravel.
Watching the enemy ship barrel toward him, Seo-un’s eyes grew cold.
Boom! Screeeech!
Just as the ship was about to impale him, Seo-un struck out with his left palm, propelling his body rapidly to the side. As the enemy ship grazed past him, Hamit—now transformed into a trident—left a long, jagged gash along its hull.
Tsk, I guess I can’t rip the hull open with just this?
—It’s plated with magic-treated mithril. Its durability is quite high.—
Hamit immediately briefed him on the ship’s material. Seo-un’s lips twisted into a smirk as he watched the enemy ship pull away.
"W-What is that?!"
"Damn! That was close. We almost got a hole in the hull."
"Just follow them from a distance. He can’t stay underwater to protect the ship forever."
While the crew inside the Haesujeong exchanged these words, one player, using vision magic to look behind the ship, began to stammer.
"T-T-That’s impossible!"
"What is it...?"
The player who turned around to see the commotion also lost his words. A mysterious creature with a human upper body and a fish’s lower body was chasing them like a demon, brandishing a trident.
"What is that thing?!"
"A Siren?!"
"No! It’s him!"
"G-Get to the surface...!"
Clang!
No sooner had the strange creature vanished than a sound that made their hearts sink echoed through the vessel. At the sound of the impact, the pilot swerved the ship left and right, trying to breach the surface.
Crunch! Shhhhh!
Finally, three holes were punched through the ceiling, and water began to pour in frantically.
Crunch!
As more water flooded in and the players panicked, one of them screamed.
"L-Look ahead!"
In front of them, a massive whirlpool-like current was forming. The giant current began to suck in the Haesujeong, which was already faltering from the breaches in its hull. Watching the current finally swallow the enemy vessel, Seo-un gritted his teeth.
Dammit!
Seeing the approaching current, Seo-un quickly abandoned the enemy ship and swam backward.
—Everyone, look at the map!
At Seo-un’s voice over the team chat, the players reflexively opened their maps. Their faces turned pale.
"The... The Turbulent Sea region?"
"It’s a whirlpool!"
The Turbulent Sea region was rapidly expanding on the map, marked in ominous blue.
—Run!
—The priest...
—I’m fine! Protect the ship and the team!
Rimin didn't hesitate; he turned the wheel and accelerated. The Caravel began to flee the rapidly expanding zone. Gi-chan threw repair items onto the deck, fixing the damaged hull to restore their lost maneuverability.
The Caravel narrowly escaped the edge of the Turbulent Sea and came to a halt. A merman holding a trident leaped out of the water and landed on the deck. A few teammates prepared to attack, thinking it was a monster, but they breathed a sigh of relief when the merman transformed back into Seo-un the moment his feet hit the wood.
"That transformation technique is truly remarkable."
Jin Long smiled, clutching his chest in relief. Seo-un gave a brief nod and looked out at the Turbulent Sea that was now ravaging the entire area. Watching the dark clouds and the thousands of whirlpools that had appeared just a few hundred meters away, he felt a sudden surge of fear.
An instinctive dread of nature.
"Are you afraid?" Nam Sa-gwang approached Seo-un and asked in a low voice.
Seo-un nodded honestly.
"Challenging the Nature Realm is a process much like walking into one of those terrifying aspects of nature."
Seo-un couldn't find the words to respond to that cryptic yet profound statement.
The whirlpools, which had lasted for about thirty minutes, vanished in an instant as if they had never existed. The dark clouds disappeared, revealing bright sunlight, and the once-mad sea turned calm.
"Let’s go."
Only then did the teammates, who had been lost in the aftermath of that overwhelming sight, begin to move at Seo-un’s command.