[Deep-Sea Escape Log, Day 42. Re-entering the city.]
ㄴScholar of Truth: So you’re finally going in properly now?
ㄴHealingIsViolence: Aren’t you going too fast? You’re weak.
ㄴBoozeIsLife: Don’t know what we’ll see, but don’t show us any weird weapons or whatever.
The moment I turned on the stream, the chat began scrolling up in a rush.
Not only that, but it seemed there were far more viewers than before.
That meant I was drawing that much attention.
“Today, the preparations are already complete, so we’ll move straight on to the next step.”
The submersible Sphere was already loaded with all the equipment, and there was plenty of food as well.
Jui and Asoluzn had boarded with me.
Whirr.
…And the automated robot, too.
I had learned the general information, and prepared measures accordingly.
Wooooong!
With the roar of the engine, the Sphere surged fiercely toward the force field.
It passed through the force field and advanced toward the other city without any interference.
[The direction of the ‘Quarantine Force Field’ is changing.]
Along with the mana diverter’s message, the Sphere entered the apocalyptic city.
On the screen, I could see the desolate city and the towering facility at its center.
“Let’s go straight there.”
“Yes.”
“Beep beep!”
After a brief maintenance check inside the parked Sphere, we set foot into the city.
As I stepped out of the Sphere, the desolate… stale, suffocating air filled my lungs.
Clack. Clack.
The accelerator device, a pistol at my waist, a mana rifle on my back. Lastly, I gripped my sword.
ㄴScholar of Truth: It’s only been about a month and a half, and yet your equipment has increased this much….
ㄴHealingIsViolence: Considering how dangerous it’s been, isn’t that fair compensation?
Even though I could see the chat continuously rising in one corner of my vision, there was no message from the Quick-Draw Sword Saint.
‘It’s a shame I can’t get swordsmanship advice, but it can’t be helped.’
After finishing all preparations, I began to move.
As I walked forward, leaving one footprint after another on the ground where debris had crumbled into something like sand—
“…Stop.”
Beep. Beep.
The first creature I had seen in the city, a Companion, appeared.
The Companion was still in the form of a three-legged machine, searching for a target to self-destruct against.
The moment I saw that Companion, a powerful intuition struck me.
“Whew… I’ll cut it down.”
ㄴScholar of Truth: What? No, you’ll die trying that!
I gripped the sword tightly and rushed forward with the accelerator device.
Before the Companion could recognize me as a living being, the strongest swordsmanship on the continent unfolded.
The objective was set, and the road was laid, so I advanced with mana.
Heizen-ryu, First Form.
Flash Dual Severance閃光兩斷.
Slice.
Without even the slightest noise, the sword cut through the Companion and continued onward.
Fwoosh—!
Because I had charged almost as if I were flying, sand-like debris sprayed up as I landed.
Through the cloud of earth-colored dust, the Companion slowly came into view.
Bee— beep beep.
“…It’s still standing?”
Even though I had clearly cut through its center, the Companion was still standing.
However, it no longer had the strength to charge.
Clack.
I immediately pulled the mana rifle from my back and fired.
Kwaaaang!!
Green mana gathered, then erupted.
High-temperature, scorching mana passed through the Companion.
Chiiiiik.
Where the mana rifle’s shot had passed, only the Companion’s outer shell remained.
“If I hadn’t cut it down, the mana rifle wouldn’t have killed it.”
If I had only used the mana rifle, it would have endured.
It would have nullified the attack with its outer shell and charged at me.
‘If that happened, the stream would’ve ended right there.’
It almost became a deep-sea autobiography instead of a deep-sea escape log.
I was glad I had instinctively realized I needed to cut it down.
“I think I’m getting a little used to this now.”
“…No, if you had made one wrong move just now, you would’ve died.”
Asoluzn, who had followed after me when I suddenly shot forward.
Jui was on top of Asoluzn’s head, happily playing with her black hair.
“…Are you okay?”
“Of course. As long as Jui is having fun, that’s enough.”
I was sure I’d heard in my previous life that women hated having their hair touched….
Well, animals must be different.
‘Would she hate it if I touched it?’
I was curious, but decided to try it later.
Exploration was more important right now.
ㄴScholar of Truth: But if you burn it like this, doesn’t that mean you can’t use it as material?
“That’s true, but it doesn’t matter. To use it properly anyway, I need other substances.”
I did have the blueprint obtained through the scan, but it was full of hidden parts. To use it properly, I needed to explore more.
“This time… I think we’ll still have to make use of Jui.”
“Beep, beee?”
At my words, Jui flinched in surprise and tightly grabbed Asoluzn’s hair.
…It hurts me too, but no matter how I look at it, you seem stronger.
ㄴScholar of Truth: Even so, that’s not right.
ㄴEducationMaster: As of today, I withdraw my support for Jui. From this day onward, I cast off the relationship of supporter; Jui and I become one body, one and the same. An attack on Jui will be considered an attack on me.
“No, please calm down…. Just listen to what I have to say, will you?”
“Boo, trash.”
“…Asoluzn? Where did you learn that—”
It took a while to explain sending Jui into combat.
But in any case, there was naturally a reason.
‘First, she’s stronger than me.’
ㄴScholar of Truth: That does seem true….
“Honestly, you could say that.”
“…Thanks so much for admitting it.”
…‘Second, each of us needs to be able to survive on our own.’
ㄴEducationMaster: It’s definitely necessary to be able to survive alone. Especially in a place like the deep sea, where there are so many variables.
“If it comes to surviving alone, I feel like Lady Aurora would be the first to go.”
“…I told you to stop saying weird things, didn’t I?”
In any case, for these reasons, I was able to put Jui at the front.
With Jui leading, Asoluzn and I walked behind her.
“Beee…”
Perhaps even standing at the front was hard for her, because she floated along all droopy.
Still, she didn’t run away, and continued forward.
Just as I was walking with full concentration in case anything went wrong—
“…Is the camera turned toward Jui?”
Asoluzn spoke beside me in a quiet voice.
“It is, but…”
“Then we’re not on screen?”
I turned my gaze, which had been fixed on Jui, and looked at Asoluzn.
Her red rose eyes stared straight at me.
“…We’re not.”
“Really? Hmm, I see.”
After leaving those words, she closed her mouth again, so I uneasily turned my gaze back toward Jui.
Jui was still floating listlessly, searching for a Companion.
Crunch. Crunch.
Only the sound of footsteps on the snow-like debris rang out.
How long had we walked like that?
Squeeze.
“…!”
A warm heat rose from the tips of my right fingers.
When I hurriedly turned my head, Asoluzn was smiling—no. More precisely, she was grinning mischievously.
“What? I’m just doing this because I’m a little scared.”
“……”
Asoluzn whispered softly.
…Somehow, since yesterday, she seemed to have grown even richer in emotion.
Playful, and good at expressing her feelings, too.
If a fox were alive and breathing, would it feel like this?
“…Focus. Something might go wrong.”
“It’s all right if we hold hands, isn’t it?”
“……Let go when it’s appropriate.”
“Hehe.”
And so, we walked while holding hands.
Just as the warmth traveling up through my hand began to make my head grow hazy—
“Beep, beep beep!”
Beep. Beep.
Two noises shattered my scattered thoughts.
Jui’s cry, and the operating sound of a Companion.
ㄴScholar of Truth: Ugh, what do we do….
ㄴEducationMaster: ㅠㅠㅠㅠㅠ
ㄴHealingIsViolence: Looks like she’ll handle it just fine….
Like the conflicting chat messages, Jui looked confused.
It was her first time dealing with this creature. However, after a moment of hesitation, Jui immediately moved.
Whoosh!
“…! Was she able to float that high?”
In an instant, she shot upward, leaving the Companion’s field of vision.
While the Companion merely searched for a self-destruct target—
“Huuuuh—”
Jui took in a deep breath.
The crown visible above Jui began to shine, and when that light reached its peak—
“Beeeeee—!”
Kwaaaaang!!
A white beam came crashing down, as intense as a thunderous natural disaster.
Dust from the debris burst up all around, and I felt an intense heat.
When it was all over—
“…Wow, I really am the weakest one.”
ㄴScholar of Truth: Jui is stronger, haha.
The Companion had lost its form and disappeared.
All that remained was a black pile of ash atop a shallow crater.
***
“Hurry up and move it! Hold it properly! Hey, hey!! You can’t do it like that there, you bastard!”
A place filled with the sound of ocean waves and the strained groans of dwarves.
There was one dwarf there, unusually tall, shouting orders at the top of his lungs.
Lord Parago, what should we do with this?
“Leave that alone. It belongs to the Sword Saint who’s coming this time.”
After the cargo-moving commotion on the ship ended, the dwarf in command entered a nearby building.
“Whew… Let’s take a break.”
He pulled out a bottle of rum from nearby and drank straight from it.
There was paperwork afterward, but at least to him, it must have been a needless lecture.
“Ah, damn… I don’t want to do paperwork. What the hell is this, tossing fun to the dogs….”
He wasn’t pleased, but as the one in command, it was absolutely necessary.
In the end, he came up with a clever plan.
[Deep-Sea Escape Log, Day 42. Re-entering the city.]
“As expected, Aurora is the best ASMR!”
It was a broadcast full of combat and explosions, but to him, it seemed to be a sweet sound.
And so, he worked while listening to Aurora’s explanations and Jui’s cries.
In the gallery, the regular username “BoozeIsLife” could be glimpsed.
“Ugh, why is there so much paperwork again….”
Letting out a deep sigh, he barely managed to flip through the documents and approve them.
As he slowly and surely went through the paperwork—
“…What? Why did this increase so much?”
Parago’s hand stopped on one document.
Its title was:
[The number of people suffering from Sea Distortion has increased.]
Sea Distortion, also known as sea madness.
It was not an actual disease, but if someone contracted it, they would begin behaving like a madman.
They might become extremely quiet, violently lash out like lunatics, or act strangely.
“This… You’d be lucky to see one case in ten voyages.”
So why, this time, were one or two people contracting it after only two voyages?
It was clearly an abnormal situation. Parago stared at that document for a long while.