Squeeeeeeak-!!
As Han Siwoo burst out of the cave, he swam up, up, and up with unimaginable speed.
His velocity was double what it used to be during battles beneath Hawaii. He was almost as fast as Parang.
Climbing from the very bottom of the Mariana Hive to the top is about 30km.
Since the top of the Mariana Hive is 5km below the surface, Han Siwoo was technically residing in a cave 35km deep underwater.
By the way, there are also Monster Fish living around. As I said countless times, the environment here is significantly different from the original Earth.
In the blink of an eye, Han Siwoo escaped the Mariana Hive and dashed in one direction like a gust of wind.
Surprisingly, Capulus was moving at a speed similar to Han Siwoo’s.
‘How is it moving so fast in the water…?’
He thought to himself.
‘Well, it’s not too surprising.’
They were distantly related—almost as far removed as distant cousins, but still somewhat connected to that Kraken.
‘Actually, thinking about it, maybe they’re a little closer…’
He pondered, trying to establish the relationship between Capulus and Kraken.
“Hey, up ahead, up ahead!!!”
A woman’s urgent voice came from behind, belonging to Capulus.
Whoosh!!
Snapping back to reality, Han Siwoo found himself swimming toward a massive stone pillar. He twisted his body in a near-acrobatic maneuver and barely avoided the pillar.
“Ah, thanks, Melville.”
“Don’t just space out like that; it won’t do you any good. Why were you zoned out this time?”
“Nothing, really. Just thinking about the relationship between this handle and the Kraken.”
“Seriously, you think about the weirdest things…”
“So, what do you think their relationship is? Have you ever thought about it?”
“Well… since it came from me, you could think of it as ‘the fur that escaped from the rat that lived where the Kraken visited.’”
“Ooh…”
Han Siwoo marveled softly. It was a fitting analogy when you consider the context, except for one part.
“Do modern rats eat Kraken flesh?”
“I’ve told you a hundred times. Back then, I had to survive, so I had no choice. If you’ve never been caught by a 1km sea monster and dragged into the depths, then shut your mouth.”
“Well, I have almost been absorbed by the Kraken daughter with my status screen destroyed.”
“Seriously, you’re just trying to avoid a point…”
After some playful banter, Han Siwoo finally reached a destination.
What stood before him was a gigantic cliff.
So enormous that he couldn’t see the top, bottom, left, or right; it was simply a vertical expanse.
Han Siwoo stood still in front of the massive wall and glanced up briefly.
In the middle of the massive cliff, he noticed a small indentation.
As he approached, he saw that the indentation was big enough for a fist to fit in. The unique aspect was that it had a perfect hemispherical shape.
“Is this it?”
“Yeah, that’s it. If my instinct is right, it should be inside.”
‘Instinct, huh.’
If her instincts said so, then that was just a fact.
That’s what Han Siwoo felt as well.
“Alright then. If it’s your instinct, it must be inside.”
He carefully touched the hemispherical indentation.
“So we made it, but now what do we do?”
“Ah, hold on a second.”
One of the three floating Capulus approached Han Siwoo.
“Smash this.”
“…This?”
“Stop complaining and do it quickly.”
“Isn’t that a bit too reckless?”
“Hey, do you reverently respect the hair that comes from your own body?”
“Umm…”
At a loss for words, Han Siwoo simply followed her instructions.
A moment later, with a loud crash, one Capulus smashed apart, revealing a breathtakingly beautiful, round blue gem.
The fragments of the destroyed Capulus sank smoothly into the depths.
“Stick it in that indentation.”
“Hmm…”
“Why the pause?”
“I’m just surprised it’s such a classical method. Sticking a gem in a hole in the wall.”
“I didn’t make it, so if you want to complain, go complain to that eyeball.”
“When I went to complain, it wouldn’t even talk to me.”
“Ugh, that damned mouth…”
Han Siwoo chuckled as he inserted the blue gem into the indentation.
Then, whooooom—
A massive design glowed blue around the indentation, revealing itself.
Next came thud thud thud, rumble rumble rumble—
The circular-patterned wall opened like a diaphragm, exposing the space behind it.
What lay revealed was an immensely large cave. It was like the entire inside of the cliff was completely hollow.
Not only could Monster Fish fit in here, but there was also enough space for two Hives.
“Hmm, it’s too dark to see well.”
“Eh, dark? You managed just fine in that pit.”
“That’s because I’m a returnee, and I had that combat sense.”
“Anyone listening would think you’ve returned dozens of times already.”
“Grr…”
For the first time, Han Siwoo’s mouth was shut tight as he reluctantly entered the cave with a slightly vexed expression.
[Skill ‘Waterproof Sanity’ is active.]
Even in the pitch blackness, a message surfaced.
“Oh, I guess so.”
“Go down to the bottom and take a slow look around. Check it out and come right back.”
“Just check? Anything else?”
“Forget the rest; just checking is fine.”
Han Siwoo, the Hunter, nodded and quietly swam down.
How far down did he go? He finally reached the bottom and began to look around slowly.
“Isn’t this too vast? It would take a lifetime to explore.”
“I’ll bet you ten Capulus that you’ll panic and hastily flee from the cave within ten minutes.”
“What nonsense…”
“No, wait, that actually makes sense.”
Considering what they were looking for, it wasn’t nonsense at all.
‘Did I say something silly…’
He was about to see something very likely.
The greatest fear is the fear of the unknown, but sometimes what you know can still be scary.
Not that it’s scarier when you know it; just scary, period.
And just then…
Thud.
He felt something where he was cautiously stepping.
[Run away.]
[Run away.]
[Run away.]
Seeing the insistent pop-up, his heart began to race a little. It reminded him of that day’s memories.
“Did you bump into something?”
Alice asked.
Han Siwoo quietly touched whatever was in front of him.
[RUN AWAY.]
Now the letters were bold and red.
He whispered under his breath.
“I think so.”
“Good. Don’t try to look closely, and if possible, don’t touch it. Follow the thickening tendril.”
“…Okay.”
Han Siwoo quietly ascended along the tentacle with the utmost caution, moving up and up.
The slender tentacle grew thicker, reaching a diameter of almost 20m.
[Run away run away run away run away run away run away run away run away run away]
‘Damn, just shut up…’
It was already a chilling experience, and the status screen was only doubling his fear.
Unintentionally trembling as he followed the tentacle, Han Siwoo finally reached a certain point.
The place where the tentacles all connected. The central part. To put it simply, the core.
Once shining blue, it had now completely lost its light.
‘The Kraken’s…core.’
As he repeated the name in his head, an overwhelming emotion washed over Han Siwoo.
Awe, fear, dread, terror, terror, terror, terror, terror.
“You must not attempt to comprehend the incomprehensible understanding. Open your eyes to the understanding that you cannot even comprehend…”
“Damn. I knew this was going to happen…!!”
The very instant Han Siwoo took in the sight of the lightless Kraken core, he displayed abnormal symptoms, and Capulus forcefully pressed down on him from above, knocking him out cold.
Then, it carried him out of the cave.
“No way, is it right to just collapse and not even try to escape…?”
Holding his heart, which was thumping uncontrollably, Alice chastised Han Siwoo.
Kraken’s death confirmed.
“Ugh, my head…”
“What, what’s wrong? You okay?”
“Ah, yeah… I think it’s the Influence of Memory from earlier. If I rest a bit, I’ll be fine. What about you, Xiao?”
“Fell asleep. It wasn’t a big shock, so a little rest should do.”
“Thank goodness, phew…”
Parang lay quietly in the tank, organizing the memories they had seen earlier.
The ring Han Siwoo gifted, the sword stuck in the ground, the ascension ritual, that darn Capulus, damn…
Thinking about fitting everything together made her head throb.
‘And that eye.’
She had felt it distinctly when she first saw it in Kang Yuri’s memories; that eye definitely relates to the Kraken.
This time, she felt it even more strongly and clearly.
That eye must have encountered the Kraken. What they did when they met was a mystery, though.
There was no evidence. The lack of evidence was, in itself, evidence.
It was simply an instinctual awareness rising from within Parang.
‘Ugh, my head hurts.’
At least she had one more useful reference.
‘She must have seen everything by now.’
Vertea, fully recovered first, had gone to check on the memories contained within the ‘Evidence’ she received from Alexandra.
What had Alexandra heard that allowed her to peaceful accept death in such a desperate situation?
Who was the being that spoke to her?
Being smart, Vertea might quickly figure everything out and start briefing Parang. It was a one-sided wish, though.
‘Any time now…’
Boom!!
“Yikes!! You scared me!!”
Barging in with a sound like an explosion was Vertea.
With a face filled with excitement, she gripped the ‘Evidence’ and swiftly strode toward Parang.
“Uh, um, if you handle that carelessly, it might break…”
Parang’s warning went unvoiced.
“This is something you need to see.”
With a firm voice, Vertea pressed the evidence against Parang’s forehead without hesitation.
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