Chapter 146
Chapter 146. The Orca Tribe
Kaiman somehow managed to wring at least some warm water out of the First Mate of FM, shoved it inside his black hood, and drank it.
Slurp.
Ellarion, seated beside them, quietly and attentively listened to the conversation between Yul and Kaiman, perhaps because he felt a sense of expectation that a solution had finally been found after the long, uncertain voyage.
“Is there a way to bring him back from the dream?”
-It’s possible, though there are a few issues.
“For example?”
-Let’s start with a definition. What do you think a dream is?
“A random state of brain activity where part of the brain wakes during sleep apnea?”
-What a completely hopeless and insane definition. I can tell you’re a monster of pure reason with not a shred of sensibility.
Ignoring Yul’s protest that he wasn’t a monster, Kaiman continued.
-In this world, a dream is a passage through which one can experience another world.
“An interesting perspective.”
At Yul’s words, Kaiman shook his head.
-Each race has its own dreams, and the dreams of the sea elves exist in the Eternal Sea. Normally, one wakes up from a dream, but if something on the other side of the dream pulls the dreamer in, that changes things.
Something on the other side of the dream. If Kaiman was right, it would be something that lived in the Eternal Sea.
“So?”
-We have to enter that dream directly. And rescue him in person.
Kaiman conjured the completed equipment into the air using illusion magic.
-This is a Dream Anchor implemented through simulation magic.
“A Dream Anchor? It just looks like an ordinary rope with a hook at the end.”
-When you descend a cliff, don’t you hook something above and tie the rope to your body before going down? It’s the same principle. You hook it into reality and enter the dream. Your physical body doesn’t move—only your mind travels.
“You’re telling me to sleep with that attached?”
-That’s right. 12,500 karma.
When Yul paid him the karma, a golden crystal formed in the air.
Skilled, Kaiman dismantled it, then used an ordinary rope nearby to break it down and reassemble it, materializing the device.
After creating several ropes in midair, he turned to Yul.
-I made multiple in case one snaps.
“What happens if it snaps?”
-You’ll have to return on your own. To the starting point. I’ll teach you a few tricks.
“Then…”
At that moment, Ellarion, who had been quietly listening, spoke.
“I would like to go as well.”
Yul and Kaiman turned to look at him.
“If I come along, we may be able to bring the captain back more easily.”
“Can you leave the ship empty?”
“My subordinates are excellent. If they were to go independent, each of them could become a captain somewhere.”
As Yul hesitated, Kaiman spoke.
-If there’s another sea elf, you won’t lose your way. If you’re the same race, you’ll share the same dream foundation.
“Can you make one more?”
He made his decision. Ellarion would enter the dream with him.
However, there was something that had to be done first.
-That’s possible, but as I said before, he’s too weakened. He won’t last long as he is now.
“Let’s go to where the Healing Spring is. But it’s in shallow waters.”
-Then we’ll have to solve the breathing issue too.
The Orca Tribe was in shallow waters. Though, since they made their homes in underwater caves, it wasn’t exactly shallow.
The Wing Vessel turned and headed toward the Great Azure Ocean. Even after the Heaven and Earth Resonance, that particular location where the orca village had been remained intact.
The only difference was that all the orcas were gone.
…Or so it seemed.
Yul tensed at the unfamiliar magic he felt from the orca village. It wasn’t just one or two. What he sensed was the magic of the Deep Sea.
“There’s something there. I’ll go check it out.”
Yul quickly used Polymorph and dove into the sea.
The magic of the Deep Sea was distinctly different from that of the Great Azure Ocean.
A dense, murky haze flowed outward. It was a kind of magic he felt like he had encountered before.
It was clear that those things had occupied the orca village.
At that moment, a black figure appeared in the distance. A creature shrouded in shadows charged at him with unmistakable hostility.
-Die, Deep King Tribe!
-Hm?
Blades formed of pitch-black shadows shot out in six directions, spinning as they flew.
Dodging the six spiraling shadow blades, Yul realized the identity of the voice.
-Tuania!
-That’s right! I am the last leader of the Orca Tribe! And I will no longer be swayed by you, Deep King Tribe!
The orca swung its shadow blades at sharp angles. Its color was so dark that it was almost impossible to make out.
-It’s me, Yul!
-Nonsense!
After deflecting Tuania’s attack, Yul quickly pulled back and shouted.
-When we were young, we went to the orca shrine in the north! That’s where we met Rukit!
-…!?
The attacking black figure faltered.
-Before we parted ways, you said you’d go ahead and save the orca village!
-…Are you really Yul?
-Yeah. You saw me undergo Ascensio from a jelly octopus before, remember? It’s the same now. Only the shell changed, from an orca to the Deep King Tribe, through Ascension. Inside, I’m still Yul.
Slowly approaching, Tuania suddenly struck Yul with her tail without warning.
-You idiot!
-Guhk! Still hits as hard as ever!
It felt exactly the same as when he had been struck by Tuania back when he was an orca. For Yul, it felt like recovering a fragment of lost memories.
-What the hell happened? The Heaven and Earth Resonance—what happened after that?
-I should be asking you. The orca village was empty. Where have you been all this time?
-Tell me what happened to you first.
-You first.
-You do it first!!!
Smack.
After taking a hit, Yul gathered his thoughts.
-After we parted… well.
There was too much to explain, and he wasn’t sure where to start.
There were too many things that had happened; he didn't know where to start.
How he had become the axis of the Heaven and Earth Resonance due to the four divine artifacts. The tremendous events that followed. How the world had been remade while he slept for ten years.
He summarized and explained the events that had occurred. He only touched upon the major points, such as having a Communion with Lucian and helping him, as there were simply too many details. Explaining things like the Sky Island or the Arctic would only be a headache.
-So that’s what happened. I thought you were dead, or perhaps that you had headed for the Moon.
-I could have gone, but I didn’t want to be dragged along.
That place had felt dangerous from the start.
Since Yul had been the main pillar of the Heaven and Earth Resonance, he hadn't ended up like the sand sharks that turned into aberrant monsters during Ascension, but he likely wouldn't have been able to even breathe in the presence of the terrifying Aeons up there.
-Where were you, Tuania?
-When the Heaven and Earth Resonance happened, I immediately returned to the orca village.
Back then, right after parting with Yul, Tuania had gone straight back to her village to take care of her tribe first.
The sensation of the sea being pulled up into the sky. Countless sea creatures, as if entranced, followed it.
Many from the Orca Tribe followed that path of seawater leading into the sky and disappeared toward the Moon.
The elders of the tribe, key figures—even the Matriarch Lancia—vanished along that path.
The moment she realized it was a grave problem, she decided she had to move in the opposite direction.
Into the Deep Sea.
-That’s when Girakul appeared.
-Girakul?
-Since I was young, there was always a pitch-black snail lingering around me.
It was an illusion only Tuania could see. It appeared whenever she was dreaming or when her mind wavered.
And it showed her visions—visions in which she ultimately lost all of her beloved kin.
-Then that power you have as well?
The ability to manifest a black aura. He had never asked about its origin before, but now he could.
-Yeah. I got it from Girakul. He helped me little by little.
-Was it with good intentions?
-No.
Then Tuania continued.
-It seems Girakul was trying to take control of the entire Orca Tribe.
Girakul stopped merely appearing indirectly and began to reveal himself openly, exerting his influence.
Everyone could see the creature now.
With his help, Tuania led the remaining members of her tribe down into the Deep Sea.
They descended to a place where the magic of the Deep Sea existed, beyond the reach of the Aeons.
Except for those who had been bewitched by the frenzy of Ascension, all of them successfully reached a hidden refuge prepared by Girakul.
It was a deep-sea cave of some sort, with a circulating air pocket that provided air, freedom from external enemies, and abundant prey.
-There was just one thing missing. Light.
-Light?
-As we stayed there longer, our bodies began to mutate. We became more attuned to the darkness, and our forms started to change. It felt as if we were becoming a different species.
Their skin gradually darkened, and the white markings on their faces slowly shrank.
At first, the changes were only that much. But at a certain point, Tuania realized that Girakul had played some kind of trick.
-So what happened?
-I cut down his terminal—that snail. Once I saw through his schemes, I declared our contract void and left unilaterally.
At that point, Tuania had become the leader of the Orca Tribe, so it wasn’t difficult for her to lead her people back out into the outside world.
-And that was the end?
-Not quite. Girakul is persistent. His attacks will begin... just like this
Tuania pointed at a clawed appendage with a blade, emerging from a shadow reflected in the seawater.
It shot out in an instant and attacked her. Tuania skillfully destroyed it with a flick of her tail.
-It interferes like this intermittently from within the shadows. For me, it’s an attacks but for the other orcas, it takes the form of temptation.
-……!
There had been no sign of anything, yet an attack came from somewhere.
-It seems the ones of our tribe I led have mutated into a species called “Deep Sea Orcas.” The advantages are that we can dive as deep as those massive sperm whales, we can wield the power of shadows, and we’re free from the influence of the Aeons. The downside… would be that we’re still under Girakul’s influence.
-Is there a way to completely break free?
-We have to kill Girakul. But he’s probably deep in the depths, deeper than you can even imagine. And on top of that, he seems to be called something like... a powerhouse of the deep sea?
-Oho.
Yul recalled a quest from his list: defeat at least one powerhouse of the Deep Sea.
-Mind if I take care of him?
-You’re not an orca anymore.
-But the Orca Tribe is still a place I once belonged to.
-Did you get stronger after becoming part of the Deep King Tribe?
-I’ve become stronger beyond your imagination.
He explained that even his current body was just a split body. If he awakened his main body…
-……I won’t refuse your help. But more importantly, what’s that ship above? You brought it, didn’t you?
-Ah. I forgot to explain. Can we use the Healing Spring for a bit? That was our original purpose.
-Why the Healing Spring?
-There’s a sea elf who needs to be submerged in it.
-……??
After finishing the story about Arurion, Yul obtained her permission and decided to bring him over.
-You said he’s a land-dweller. Can you bring him here?
Instead of answering, Yul used Telekinesis to create a force field and brought Arurion and Ellarion down from the ship.