I Transferred to the SSS-rank Crafting Field - Chapter 29 - Do you know the cries of the sea (3)
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- Chapter 29 - Do you know the cries of the sea (3)
Chapter 29
07 – Do you know the cries of the sea (3)
“When I woke up, I was on the beach. I lived here and there, trying to survive, but I couldn’t help but starve. That’s why I’m so small.” Atera trailed off.
“So, Farran also…eventually…” Tears dripping down his face, the sea spirit hugged Atera.
When I looked sideways at another sniffling sound, I saw the dokkaebi making Cha Taeyang’s shoulder damp.
This was all part of the scenario, but I couldn’t help but feel heavy-hearted from the tragic story.
“Is the merperson named Farran dead?” Choi Kwon-young, that emotionally dry person, asked tactlessly.
The sea spirit roared loudly, and our heads began to ache. “A sea person that makes a wish turns into seafoam and disappears. You ignorant surface dweller.”
“You horrible-kim-seobang! You don’t ask questions like that!”
Even though he had been scolded by these two supernatural beings, Choi Kwon-young remained calm. His words triggered a sudden realization.
The faded scales at the bottom of the lake. I’m sure the explanation for that is…
: The scales of a mermaid. As payment for a wish, they have lost their iridescent colors.
‘As payment for a wish’…! Choi Kwon-young looked at me and smiled, as if he had the same thought.
“Astrona-nim, about that wish…” I started.
“Call me Astro. I never allowed you to speak to me in the ways of your people.”
“Ah, yes, Astro-nim. What on earth is a ‘wish?’ I saw countless scales underneath the lake. What did so many of the seafolk wish for?”
After agonizing for a while, the sea spirit reluctantly opened his mouth. The ensuing story stunned me.
“The seafolk summoned the avenger…?” I murmured.
“How fun–the Sheila NPCs fabricated the main quest.” Choi Kwon-young quipped.
According to Sheila’s NPCs, the avenger was described as a sudden calamity that struck their city one day. They were unfamiliar with the reason behind this misfortune; the city declined and its denizens wept.
That was all a lie?
“How is that possible? I’ve never heard of this.”
“It’s definitely unclear.”
“The quest bell rang, but it wasn’t the whole truth?!”
My forehead throbbed as this story directly refuted the established World’s Towers theory.
“My poor children became seafoam, praying for Sheila’s downfall. If it weren’t for you Players, that wish would have come true.”
The Players were Sheila’s heroes as well as enemies who interfered with the seafolks’ revenge. I could understand why the sea spirit went wild at us.
And suddenly, the floor’s name came to mind.
“The 16th floor — Seafolk.”
Could there have been different possibilities on this floor? If the Players had misunderstood the context, leading to a change in the main quest’s flow…
No, this was nothing more than my vain delusion. Perhaps my heart was shaken by the regrettable story I heard.
The Tower’s system is absolute. If something could have been changed, then why did the raid team struggle so hard to find the main quest and snatch victory.
“Astrona. I… want to go see Oceanbloom,” Atera said.
“Why are you so hesitant? That’s not so difficult to achieve. I’ll take you there–that and more.”
“Spirit-nim, us too! Take us as well!”
Perhaps because Cha Taeyang was around the same age as Atera, the sea spirit was quite generous to her. Cha Taeyang and the dokkaebi cheered when he nodded.
“You all should follow me as well. I’ll tell you the rest of the story at Oceanbloom.” The sea spirit gestured at Choi Kwon-young and me with his chin.
“Guild Leader-nim, the flower petals…” I started.
“You really don’t know anything, huh? If you hold a scale from the seafolk in your mouth, you can breathe underwater.”
The scales really had that sort of effect? As I listened to the explanation, I couldn’t help but wonder at how much more effective they were than the flower petals.
I put the scale I already carried under my tongue as per the sea spirit’s instruction. Cha Taeyang received the scale retrieved from Oceanbloom.
Choi Kwon-young, who had skills that worked underwater, gave up his scale to Atera.
“I’ll be fine.”
“Athena, can you breathe underwater?”
“Yes, Astrona.”
At Athena’s quiet response, the sea spirit, incredibly moved, spun around with Atera in his arms.
Choi Kwon-young watched the scene before him with his arms crossed over his chest; he then entered the lake without saying a word. The party followed him into the water.
As the spirit had assured us, we were able to breathe and move underwater without any inconvenience by holding onto the scales in our mouths.
Cha Taeyang, who was quite adept with using her body, overtook me. As befitting someone who had a reputation for being a Hunter who specialized in underwater combat, Choi Kwon-young had already arrived at the bottom of the lake and was waiting for us.
–How are you able to swim so well?
–I’m not that good.
–The landpeople might not know this, but to seafolks a 16-year old may as well be a fetus. Still, you’re so competent. You should be proud of yourself, hm?
Astrona wasn’t exaggerating. Though as an unawakened person, she was a little slow, Atera moved more freely than anyone else in the water.
The sea spirit, who had now transformed into a small whale, hovered around me and forced me to answer his question. When I nodded, the sea spirit flourished his tail.
–Hm? Something’s changed?
The sea spirit, who arrived at the lake bottom at a leisurely pace, examined the circuit.
Was it because I touched it? There was no way to convey this underwater, so I merely flapped my arms and legs about, trying to signal my interference. Perhaps I looked amusing as Choi Kwon-young and Cha Taeyang stared at me as if I were some monkey in a zoo.
–You ignorant landperson. Speak. Use your words.
–How can I speak in the water… Huh?
Was this another effect of the scales? I spoke as usual, and I was able to communicate the same way as the spirit.
–Ah! I tweaked the circuit yesterday.
–How could you… That’s an old art no one knows these days.
–I have some knowledge of magitek.
The sea spirit glanced at me with dubious eyes.
‘Even if I look like this, my magitek skill’s rank is A! I’m a certified expert, according to the system.’
–I personally confirmed yesterday that it works well. You can use it twice in the future without any problems.
Only after he heard my assurances did the sea spirit rein in his suspicions.
Suddenly, a chill ran down my spine, and I looked back. Choi Kwon-young gazed at me with a sly smile.
‘What’s wrong with that guy?’
The sea spirit infused his mana into the circuit. I was a bit anxious that the spirit might request that I provide mana, but thankfully that wasn’t the case.
—Athena, hold on tight.
And, just like yesterday, the lake was illuminated by the light emanating from the circuit.
[mgs_box] Entering the special field, ‘Seafolk’s Cradle (A+)’. [/msg_box]
I hurriedly closed my eyes before my vision could flip as the world around me changed, however dizziness still made my head throb.
–Wow! Atera, quick–open your eyes!
The unchangingly beautiful coral forest welcomed us.
Cha Taeyang took Atera’s hand and looked around. Atera, who was being dragged around by the older girl, hardened her expression when she saw the letters on the floor. Cha Taeyang opened her mouth–
–That writing…Can you read it?
Atera hesitated for a long while.
Seeing that, the sea spirit spoke instead.
–Oceanbloom withers; the landpeople become crueler, day by day. This is our revenge. Our grief.
–So, Kim-seobangs are the same no matter what realm you’re in.
–Indeed. Ignorance and greed are part of human nature.
Choi Kwon-young chuckled bitterly. The dokkaebi made a dull ringing thud and did not hide her discomfort. Atera’s face was also shaded–perhaps she was thinking of Farran.
‘The one who wrote that probably turned into seafoam, huh?’
To try and comfort Atera, the sea spirit swelled its body. A giant whale, made from the gathered seawater, twirled and did tricks in front of the despondent young girl.
–Athena, ride atop me. Let’s go to Oceanbloom.
–C-Can I do that?
–Of course. You, over there. You may come aboard as well.
Cha Taeyang, who had been looking at Atera with envious eyes, quickly clambered onto the whale. The two children’s cheeks were flushed red.
The sea spirit swam to Oceanbloom without looking back at us, even once.
–Guild Leader-nim, we should move as well.
Suddenly, Choi Kwon-young and I were left alone.
The saying that higher-ranked beings are often whimsical was undoubtedly true. The evidence was right in front of me.
As if he knew what I was thinking, Choi Kwon-young smiled and spouted some nonsense like ‘If you get on my back, we can travel faster.’
I countered–
–I have no desire to do so. Go on ahead, I’ll follow you slowly.
–How cold.
–You shouldn’t speak so insincerely…
At that moment, a system message popped up.
–Reward: Medea’s Tear (A), Atera’s trust
It seemed that Atera had arrived in Oceanbloom.
The quest’s rank had previously been hidden, but it seemed that this quest was A-rank after all.
‘In the future, there’ll be more high-level quests.’
The road ahead was bound to be harsh for a C-class Hunter. For a moment, I swelled with worry. I shook my head from side to side to try and disrupt those thoughts.
With this, I was one step closer to a hidden piece.
‘Let’s just focus on that for now.’
TL: Can we just talk about how sweet Astrona is to Aterra? And Cha Taeyang? He’s like a grumpy old man that only melts his cold heart for children.
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Lol a grumpy old man seems pretty accurate