Chapter 52
Chapter 52. The Gathering of Heroes
From a very young age, how would one have felt if they had heard about their own future?
It would probably not have felt good. Even more so if it were a tragic fate.
When Tuania was very young, she once wandered alone while playing and strayed into a dark undersea ravine.
There, she encountered a creature whose upper body resembled a human while its lower body looked like a snail, and from that being she received a certain prophecy.
-You will live a life in which you keep losing yourself.
-A life awaits you where you lose love, family, and eventually everything, and go on living all the same.
-N-no, I don't want that.
-If so, then hone this technique.
Knowledge of the Stealth Form Fist, driven into her mind as if forcibly stabbed in. In truth, the foundation of her Stealth Form Fist came from there.
And as Tuania grew up, she realized that the Orca Tribe’s Stealth Form Fist and her own technique were different.
A strange sense of dissonance. After reaching adulthood, Tuania grew afraid of when the prophecy might come to pass.
Then she encountered that snail once again. This time as well, it was in a crevice of rock where some secluded, pitch-black darkness lay in wait.
-You?
-Yes. It is I.
-I haven’t lost anything yet.
The nameless being exuded an ominous aura, breathing seductive and wicked whispers into the air.
-The prophecy has not yet been carried out. It will come soon.
At that moment, a horrific scene rose before Tuania’s eyes. Countless orca lay dead in heaps. The silent sea was filled with corpses, and the Orca Tribe’s village had been destroyed without a trace.
-Why appear before me and say things like that? There are other orcas, too.
-Because you were born bearing that constellation of fate.
-Constellation?
It seemed the other had no intention of resolving her doubts.
-If I want to protect everyone, what should I do?
-By now, you must have realized that the combat technique you learned is different from the existing ones.
That was true. It was clearly different.
-The original name of that technique is the Dark Stealth Form Fist. Do you wish to avoid the prophecy? Then perfect it. If you master it completely, you will be able to avoid it for a time. Perhaps you may even evade the worst outcome I showed you.
-…….
A suspicious proposal from a suspicious being. Yet Tuania realized that this path was her path.
From childhood, Tuania had wanted to become strong. If she could obtain strength, she had no intention of refusing just because the other party was suspicious.
The essence of the Dark Stealth Form Fist flowed into her mind.
And soon, Tuania realized that something was going to happen to the Warrior Corps.
-If you leave now, you will lose something precious.
-But, I must fulfill my duty…….
About half of Tuania’s heart was filled with doubt.
It was good that she had been taught the Dark Stealth Form Fist, but would the future truly unfold as this being’s prophecy claimed? Not yet, at least.
However, after experiencing the Hive incident, Tuania lost her grandfather.
Having poured all her strength into the first battle, Tuania thought that if she had been just a little stronger than she was now, perhaps she could have protected her grandfather.
On the surface, she forced herself to appear bright, but after everything ended, Tuania shut herself away alone in a deep, dark cave.
While she was alone in that deep, dark cave, the nameless being appeared once more.
-Do you believe me now?
-I don’t trust you completely. But I know that if I had fully mastered the Dark Stealth Form Fist, the future would have been different.
-Then devote yourself to it.
Tuania hurled a sharp question at the being before her.
-If I perfect the Dark Stealth Form Fist, what do you gain?
-Let's just call it the fulfillment of a duty. Is that important?
-No. It's not very important.
Because to Tuania, protecting everyone was far more important.
* * *
Lancia, having succeeded in coordinating with the sea creatures, convened a conference that gathered all manner of other marine beings.
There were even hostile individuals present, making it a meeting that had not occurred even once in at least several thousand years.
Their objective was one.
To form an expedition to the ruins of the Age of the Gods.
The meeting was held in a vast, hollow undersea cavern.
Yul was also able to attend as a member. He looked around. Various diverse creatures were present.
‘Wow, it really exists, a mackerel.’
He hadn’t believed it when he heard that a mackerel was included among the Great Powers, but there really was a mackerel.
Normally, they formed schools, yet this one was alone.
It lingered around the edge of the conference hall, but no one approached it to speak.
He turned his head this way and that.
There were swordfish, spear-horn squid, orcas of the Orca Tribe, the Turtle Knights from the Turtle Kingdom, schools of sun flying fish, and narwhals with spiraling horns. There were even giant clams flying about, and, unbelievably, merfolk as well.
There were very few merfolk, but the sea creatures seemed not to mind them.
‘What is this, a grand assembly of sea creatures?’
It was diverse enough that one might feel like shouting, “Assemble.”
Even Yul, who prided himself on having roamed much of the ocean, saw mostly species he had never encountered before.
Among them all, the most striking was the massive Sea Dragon Tribe.
‘That’s something you’d only expect to see in the age of dinosaurs.’
Among them, a being called a Dragon Lord had come as a representative.
All four Dragon Lords had not come; it seemed only one had arrived, yet it was so enormous that it occupied about a quarter of the conference hall by itself.
As the sea creatures gradually all gathered, Matriarch Lancia stepped forward.
-First, I would like to express my gratitude to the many sea creatures who have gathered to participate in this expedition.
Lancia was speaking using a magic signal.
Unlike the ultrasonic waves used only by orcas and the Deep King Tribe, the magic signal was a kind of common language used by all sea creatures.
At the very least, there was no one here who could not understand it.
-Recently, you must have felt that strange things have begun to occur, even within your own territories.
Those “strange things” had not occurred only within orca territory.
Similar events were happening throughout the Great Azure Ocean, which was why everyone had gathered with a sense of gravity.
-We have identified the cause. It is the ancient ruins that were revealed due to the battles among powerful beings of the Deep Sea.
-It is said that what was revealed by the battle between the Sea God Kaidron and the Lord of the Abyss Abysarion is a ruin from the Age of the Gods.
At that moment, a turtle that looked quite elderly, with a white beard(?), stepped forward.
-I am Mujin of the Turtle Kingdom. We all know that much. However, we do not know the details. Could you explain a bit more? Why are the ruins a problem?
-Yes. According to the information we have obtained, an object called a Regulator inside the ruins is the main culprit causing these phenomena. This information was uncovered by the Deep King Tribe, and after multiple cross-verifications, it appears to be reliable.
-The Deep King Tribe!?
-A Regulator? Such an artifact exists?
Various sea creatures murmured among themselves.
-The Regulator is an extremely dangerous artifact, and ever since it was exposed while lodged within the ruins of the Age of the Gods, these incidents have been occurring. Our goal is to retrieve it.
-And after it is retrieved?
-We will hand it over to the Deep King Tribe. They have said they will handle it.
-Can they be trusted?
To the orcas, the Deep King Tribe was a trustworthy presence, but to other sea creatures, it was not.
-If that proves impossible, we may attempt to destroy it, or throw it to the very bottom of the Deep Sea, or move it onto land.
-……In any case, it’s better than leaving it in those ruins.
-But tell me, why can’t the Deep King Tribe handle it directly? Can we not ask for help from races stronger than us?
At that moment, someone spoke up. The Deep King Tribe, beings of the Deep Sea, were creatures stronger than any that lived in the Surface Layer.
At those words, Lancia shook her head.
-We cannot ask for help from beings of the Deep Sea. And even for the Deep King Tribe, it is impossible. Those ruins of the Age of the Gods are said to lie within another being’s domain. The domain of a powerful existence known as the Sea God.
-Then perhaps the Sea God…….
-Is that feasible? Is there anyone here who can persuade Sea God Kaidron?
The surroundings fell silent. There were no creatures here connected to that existence, and help from the Deep Sea could not be expected.
At that moment, a single mackerel abruptly stood up and left.
-This is a story that has nothing to do with me.
It was that mackerel said to have Great Powers-level abilities. As soon as it left, voices filled with discontent burst out.
-Such a selfish bastard.
-Let him die alone.
-To just walk out over such a major issue?
-Well then, is there anyone else dissatisfied with this meeting?
It seemed that was the last of it. In truth, this meeting had already been coordinated once beforehand before everyone gathered, which made that mackerel’s behavior all the stranger.
In any case, it did not affect the overall trend.
-We intend to form an exploration team to descend into the Deep Sea and investigate the ruins of the Age of the Gods.
-Can we not simply raise an army?
At the words of a swordfish, Lancia shook her head.
-The ruins of the Age of the Gods lie at a depth so extreme that only Deep Sea beings can reach them.
-Does that mean creatures who cannot go to the depths are useless?
-No. Please look here. Doctor, if you would. Please introduce the Deep Sea submarine.
-Everyone, please raise your heads.
Through a gaping opening near the top of the undersea cavern, an artificial machine appeared.
The moment Yul looked up, he let out a gasp of admiration.
‘What? Is that a real submarine?’
There was something so massive that one could easily believe it was a modern Earth-style submarine. Its size was enormous as well.
-W-what is that!?
-A submarine?
-That… isn’t that a legacy of the ancient Empire, something used by the Turusains?
-Oooo.
Then, from the submarine, a turtle with dark circles under its eyes climbed down and approached the conference hall.
-Eh, hello everyone. I am Dr. Kowalski. Eh, strictly speaking, this is a Deep Sea vertical maneuvering device that the Turusains are said to have created for rapid submergence and surfacing.
-Oooh?
“Although it was previously introduced as a submarine, strictly speaking, it’s a Deep Sea vertical maneuvering device. Our research team reconstructed it, and here’s what it can actually do: once you enter the device and set a desired location, a special magic operates to rapidly pressurize and depressurize, completing the process in about an hour. The original managed it in under five minutes, but with the technology we restored, this is the best we can do. That's why I've repeatedly asked for a bit more time and budget…….
-Ahem. Ahem.
Seeing the conversation about to drift off, the bearded turtle, Mujin, gave him a pointed look.
-Ah, anyway, using this device, we can transport a few individuals, but not too many.
As Kowalski finished speaking, Lancia continued.
-As you have heard, since only a small number can go to the ruins of the Age of the Gods, we must select heroes worthy of that task.
-I’ll go!
At that moment, a spear-horn squid sprang boldly into the center of the hall.
-It is Yalmuka, master of the Boundless Spear!
As the spear-technique enthusiast Yalmuka stepped forward, other creatures followed suit.
As their numbers grew too large, Lancia decided to send representatives based on recommendations.
‘They already decided roughly how many would go down in advance, didn’t they?’
Yul knew that Lancia was speaking after having already coordinated the lineup for the descent into the Deep Sea.
Since it had been decided beforehand, public opinion was favorable.
-Let us approve Yalmuka. There is no hero like him.
-In that case, I recommend Lord Timor, the True Word Dragon Lord, a member of the Four Dragon Lords!
-I also recommend Gehenna, the Conqueror of the North!
-I recommend Teller, founder of the Swordfish Assault Sword and one of the Three Grandmasters of the Archipelago Ocean.
Names of powerful figures Yul had never heard of were called out one after another.
Then suddenly, Lancia spoke.
-I recommend Orca Patroller Yul. He played a direct role in subjugating the Hive.
All eyes focused on Yul. Yet there were no objections.
-Good. Yul should be able to do it.
With the Orca Tribe agreeing first, the other races followed suit.
Yul himself could not quite feel it, but the great feat of subjugating the Hive seemed to wield tremendous influence among the sea creatures.
They continued selecting those who would descend into the Deep Sea.
After time spent back and forth in discussion, the process of choosing individuals came to an end.
Some were elected on the spot, while others were chosen despite not being present.
With appointments already settled beneath the surface, predetermined figures were named one after another, and the meeting proceeded smoothly.
Soon, the lineup of those who would descend into the Deep Sea was decided.