Chapter 113
“Extend your wrist.”
As soon as they left the lodging, a Sea Folk gatekeeper tried to put magic restraint cuffs on Seo-jin, saying it was a safety measure.
“Do I really have to wear it?”
“Yes, it’s a minimal safety measure. Who knows when you might attack us?”
The guy wouldn’t back down because of the threat from earlier.
“……I have no choice.”
If he obediently put on the cuffs, it might seem suspicious, so Seo-jin pretended to resist before extending his hand to put on the cuffs.
Since he could subdue them even without magic power, it wouldn’t be a problem.
CLANK-.
With the cuffs on, the light disappeared from Seo-jin’s magic circuits, and the path connected to his energy core was also severed.
The energy of the Primordial Unity Technique in his lower dantian also faded.
Still, summoning Baduki didn’t consume magic power, so there was no problem with Nam-gung Rin’s escort.
Seo-jin looked at the dark blue cuffs on his wrist with gleaming eyes.
‘The material of these magic control cuffs is [Neptune], an underwater ore from Atlantis.’
It was an object that could finely adjust the conductivity of magic power, and would later play an important role like semiconductors in magical engineering.
The reason corporations coveted Atlantis was definitely because of this.
“Follow me.”
***
Seo-jin obediently followed the gatekeeper and Sea Dragon Folk soldiers outside.
The downtown area of Atlantis was built in a stair-like formation.
On the highest seven hills were temples, royal palaces, and wealthy districts where tribal chiefs or high-ranking knight-class nobles lived.
Below that were knowledge-based classes like mages and researchers, and the residences of merchants, craftsmen, technicians responsible for the city’s infrastructure, and soldiers were located.
And below that.
‘Atlantis’s lower district.’
As they went to the area where harbors and docks leading outside the barrier, Aquamarine or Neptune mines, and processing factories were distributed, the atmosphere became dark.
At least inside the castle walls, despite the gloomy atmosphere, there was a sense of vitality from people bustling about, but outside the castle walls, the atmosphere was completely different.
“Move quickly!”
“UUUGH.”
From Sea Folk laborers working hard while being whipped, to those collapsed in alleys, intoxicated by drugs.
Even if there was no visible discrimination, this was effectively a class-based society.
Witnessing with his own eyes the situation of Atlantis that he had heard about from Leila, he could truly feel how serious the situation was.
As Seo-jin was looking around the streets with interest, the Sea Folk gatekeeper asked.
“What, does this seem like a strange sight to you outsiders?”
Seo-jin shook his head.
“No. It’s not that strange. This isn’t limited to just this world.”
“What, are you saying you’re all the same too?”
“Something like that.”
Even if it wasn’t as starkly divided as Atlantis, looking at it nationally or globally, it wasn’t any different.
Someone was still enslaving others and exploiting their lives.
“Heh, I thought you were some great people, but hearing that you’re the same as us makes me feel a bit more familiar.”
“That’s fortunate indeed.”
The Sea Folk gatekeeper kept talking to Seo-jin while escorting him.
“Actually, we don’t really dislike you outsiders.”
“Is that so?”
“What reason would we have to dislike you? You defeated the Kraken that was threatening us, and through trade you brought us jobs and new culture. Well, it’s not like you only brought good things.”
Seo-jin looked at an Anglerfish Sea Folk staggering on the street while intoxicated.
If there was something bad among the culture brought by outsiders, it would definitely be something like that.
‘Drugs widely spread in the lower classes.’
Lunaria probably used that to easily secure control over each tribe.
Seo-jin looked up at a Sea Dragon Folk soldier who was about two heads taller than him and asked.
“Could you tell me about Chieftain Lunaria? I heard she’s a remarkable person.”
The Sea Dragon Folk who had been silently dragging Seo-jin along said.
“She is the true leader of this city. She gave us what those bastards on that high hill who treat us like bugs couldn’t give us. Food, jobs, and hope too.”
“……For all that, the situation doesn’t look very good.”
Compared to the glittering upper levels of Atlantis, the condition of this place wasn’t very good.
Sea Folk fighting each other over drugs was commonplace, using whips to control other Sea Folk, and there were many prostitutes luring other Sea Folk in the alleys for money.
An underground economy run on drugs. That was one aspect of the lower district’s true nature.
But was there a reason to follow Lunaria so blindly?
The Sea Dragon Folk shrugged his shoulders.
“Well, what can you do. That’s how it is wherever people live. Even this is greatly improved compared to before. And.”
He fumbled with his hand at the crushed drug powder on the ground.
“I know this isn’t good. But there are people who can’t live without relying on this.”
“What exactly is this drug?”
“It’s called Dream of the Deep Sea. It shows users the fantasy they most desire. At least during that moment, they can forget everything and live in their own world. When they wake up, terrible emptiness and self-loathing come, and their body deteriorates too.”
The Sea Dragon Folk shook his hand to brush off the powder that was stuck to it.
“But we Sea Dragon Folk don’t rely on such low-grade drugs. Our true dream belongs to Lady Lunaria.”
The Sea Dragon Folk looked up at the ceiling of Atlantis with those calm words.
“……”
This wasn’t simply an expression of loyalty.
Seo-jin definitely didn’t miss that it was clearly a hint of some plan.
After traveling with them for quite a while like that.
The group stopped for a moment at an abandoned waterway in the deserted outskirts of Atlantis.
They tied Seo-jin to the side for a moment, while the Sea Dragon Folk soldiers stood against the wall to urinate.
“KEKE, Ventila, I knew that bastard would cause trouble someday.”
“Like an idiot, he just brought money and couldn’t accomplish anything?”
To turn their backs on their escort target while relieving themselves.
It seemed their tension had relaxed after talking with Seo-jin.
The moment when the soldiers’ guard was most relaxed as they chatted came.
Seo-jin aimed for that moment.
[Blood Edge]
SSHING-.
He created a sharp blade of blood from his fingertip and cut through the magic control cuffs.
“……!”
“Catch him!”
The startled Sea Dragon Folk soldiers hurriedly adjusted their clothes and tried to subdue Seo-jin, but they were a beat too late.
[Black Chains.]
CLATTERING-.
They were tied up by black chains that poured out from Seo-jin’s hand and were subdued in reverse.
The guys hung in the air, bound by chains as if tied by tentacles.
“KUGH, how did you?”
Seo-jin rubbed his tingling wrist and examined the cuffs from various angles.
“Shouldn’t you have made them more sturdy?”
These cuffs weren’t bad quality either, but to restrain Seo-jin, they would need at least S-grade control cuffs.
The Sea Dragon Folk bound in chains gritted his teeth.
“Are you going to kill us?”
“Not yet. I have a lot of information to extract.”
If he was dragged along to meet Lunaria like this, there wouldn’t be much to negotiate with, and the information he could find out would be limited.
“Information? Do you think we’ll tell you anything?”
“We’ll see about that.”
If they really wouldn’t talk, he could kill them and ask through conversation with the dead.
So what should he ask about first?
After thinking for a moment, Seo-jin clapped his hands and asked a question.
“Ah, then first, could you tell me about the Dragon Soldiers?”
The Dragon Soldiers, a mysterious force that was said to have defeated Atlantis’s regular army and knights before his regression.
He should find out about that first.
***
After Seo-jin left for Lunaria’s stronghold.
Nam-gung Rin, who had hidden the sleeping Alex in a safe place just in case, led Hyeon-wol and Baduki toward the temple.
On the way to the temple.
[How old are you?]
“I’m twenty-four. Three years younger than my brother.”
[I see. What martial arts did you mainly learn? It seemed like you used Taoist techniques before?]
Hyeon-wol, a ghost who showed great interest in Nam-gung Rin. She kept talking because she found her chattering cute.
GROWL-.
Baduki… the monster puppy following behind while guarding the surroundings also had a gentle personality despite its appearance.
Rather, it was even a bit cute how it wagged its tail when it saw only her.
“Good boy. Go check again and come back.”
It would alert them in advance when it saw guard soldiers while scouting the surroundings, so there was no need to waste spiritual power on the Dream Eye Technique.
However, the city’s atmosphere had become busier than yesterday, with the number of guard soldiers slightly increased and security strengthened.
Was it because of her brother, or was it because the Sea Dragon Folk had made a move?
The air inside the temple they arrived at again was heavier than before, with a different tension than yesterday.
This time, Nam-gung Rin was greeted by a Flounder Folk priestess.
“What brings you here?”
“I have something to tell the High Priestess. Could you relay the message?”
“Please wait a moment.”
Since she had visited once yesterday, they seemed to accept her readily.
The priestess who returned after a while discovered Baduki belatedly and stepped back slightly.
“Your audience request has been accepted. But that monster beside you……”
GROWLING-.
Baduki bristled its fur and showed wariness. Nam-gung Rin petted its head to calm it down.
“It’s, it’s a pet. It won’t harm anyone. Probably……”
Was it reacting to divine power? It suddenly became difficult to control.
“Just in case, I’ll put a leash on it. Please come this way.”
Nam-gung Rin, who had put a leash on Baduki, followed the priestess.
Unlike yesterday, Leila met Nam-gung Rin in the scripture room.
“Welcome. Unlike yesterday, there are three of you.”
Leila spoke to Nam-gung Rin, Baduki, and Hyeon-wol floating in the air.
Nam-gung Rin scratched her head.
“It turned out that way.”
After drinking tea and having a ceremonial conversation for a while, Nam-gung Rin got to the main point.
“Supernova went to meet Chieftain Lunaria. He said he had something to find out directly.”
Leila nodded as if she already knew.
“Yes. I don’t know if it’s because of that, but the movements in the lower levels are unusual. Our temple is also preparing for any possible situation.”
“And he said……”
Nam-gung Rin returned the documents about the Tears of the Sea God to Leila and conveyed his words.
Eventually, after hearing Seo-jin’s message, Leila was startled and asked back.
“You can create the Tears of the Sea God?”
Leila, who was always gentle, rarely expressed her emotions like this.
She seemed to have received a really big shock.
“Yes, but he said that something called [Tears of Pontos] is absolutely necessary for this.”
“Tears of Pontos…… I see.”
She nodded as if she understood what this was about. However.
“That won’t be possible.”
She clearly expressed her refusal.
Nam-gung Rin asked about the reason.
“Why? If we have the Tears of the Sea God, most of this situation can be resolved.”
Seo-jin’s intention to eliminate the long-standing racial discrimination in this city and heal the conflicts was certainly noble, but that was actually a problem among the natives.
It wasn’t something that Climbers should get involved in.
The crisis of barrier destruction and isolation that Atlantis currently faced.
Solving this alone would be sufficient activity as Climbers.
“You’re right. But there’s something you need to know.”
Leila spread out a map of the deep sea and pointed to the upper part of the city.
“This Atlantis is a city that commemorates inter-racial harmony and the victory of that day, but apart from that, it has another purpose. That is.”
WHOOSH-.
Her hair and white priestly robes swayed with the flow of water, and a necklace hidden in her chest was revealed.
At the center of that necklace was embedded a single blue crystal.
“To prevent the revival of the ancient sea monster Leviathan. The Tears of Pontos must be protected for this purpose.”
