Chapter 137. Initiation (1)
“Welcome aboard the Nautilus, Kang Yujin.”
The person who greeted Kang Yujin after he boarded the submarine was a Chinese woman who looked to be in her mid-fifties.
“My name is Zhang Qinghe. I’m the captain of this vessel. I hope we get along.”
“Likewise.”
She was speaking Chinese, but thanks to the automatic translation item Ma Taesu had provided, communication wasn’t a problem.
So she’s the one continuously maintaining this submarine-type Constellation Armament.
Constellation Armaments had different stages of manifestation.
At the highest stage, ‘Maximum Manifestation,’ the Contractor could use the full power of the Constellation Armament without any restrictions.
In other words, this woman could summon the Nautilus freely without any time limit.
Of course, she still needed enough stamina to maintain it continuously.
“By the way... if I lose consciousness, the Constellation Armament will disappear and everyone aboard will have no choice but to drown. So if anything happens, please protect me first.”
"..."
“Haha. Relax. That’s just a joke I always make.”
That was far too terrifying to be called a joke.
What would happen if Zhang Qinghe accidentally dozed off in the middle of the trip?
Maybe I should wear a life jacket the entire time...
While Kang Yujin was thinking that, Ma Taesu spoke beside him.
“Captain Zhang travels between Korea and China once a week, delivering supplies, letters, and other goods. It wouldn’t be an exaggeration to say that Korea’s continued exchanges with China are one hundred percent thanks to her.”
“One hundred percent is a bit much. Let’s say ninety-five percent. Haha.”
Zhang Qinghe laughed heartily.
“We’ll be traveling through the deep sea where marine monsters don’t usually appear. It’ll take several hours to reach China, so get some rest in the meantime.”
And just like that, Kang Yujin’s first submarine journey began.
I’m bored.
Less than an hour after departure, Kang Yujin was already feeling restless.
Just as Ma Taesu had proudly claimed, the Nautilus’s interior facilities were excellent.
But there was nothing to do.
Apparently, the original Nautilus had possessed a library filled with books, but it seemed the collection itself had not been recreated.
It would have been better if he could at least talk with Ma Taesu, but Ma Taesu had left, saying he needed to discuss business with Zhang Qinghe and the other Black Dragon Society executives.
Can’t be helped...
In the end, Kang Yujin headed toward the dining hall.
He was getting a little hungry anyway.
He figured he could eat something, then find a quiet corner and sleep.
But the instant he entered the dining hall, a strong smell hit his nose.
What the hell?
The place was packed with people.
Kang Yujin had thought there weren’t many passengers aboard, but apparently most of them had gathered here.
They didn’t seem to be eating.
Instead, they were sitting in small groups, gambling with cards and mahjong tiles.
The sharp smell filling the room came from the alcohol and snacks they were consuming while gambling.
The ventilation apparently wasn’t good enough to clear it out.
"..."
Kang Yujin walked inside anyway.
He had been told that food would be available in the dining hall whenever he wanted.
Whether the Black Dragon Society members were gambling or drinking had nothing to do with him.
He could simply eat and leave.
"..."
"..."
As Kang Yujin entered, several people stopped what they were doing and frowned at him.
Unlike Captain Zhang Qinghe, her subordinates didn’t seem particularly friendly.
Should I order first instead of looking for somewhere to sit?
With that thought, Kang Yujin started toward the kitchen.
Then a man sitting nearby deliberately stretched one leg out and blocked his path.
Kang Yujin stopped.
Laughter immediately broke out around him.
“Heh. What’s he gonna do?”
“Step over it? Go around?”
“Let’s bet! Fifty thousand Coins says he goes around!”
“One hundred thousand says he tries stepping over and trips!”
“Hey, Korean bastard! If you back away like a coward, you know what happens, right? We’ll cut your balls off!”
“Now that I look at him, he’s kind of pretty. Hey, come over here and pour us some drinks!”
Rough voices mixed with the smell of alcohol.
Inside the enclosed dining hall of the submarine, the atmosphere was filled with open hostility toward Kang Yujin.
“Hey, brother. You seriously sent Kang Yujin to China all by himself?”
Lee Gyu, the ‘Murderer with Two Axes,’ had come to visit for the first time in a while.
He sat down on the floor and spoke to me.
“You should’ve sent one or two more with him.”
“I already told you. The others have things to do in Korea.”
I answered casually.
“And Ma Taesu is going with him.”
Lee Gyu folded his arms and tilted his head.
“Ma Taesu... I don’t really like that guy.”
“Really?”
“Something about him smells suspicious.”
"..."
To be fair, there was something unsettling about Ma Taesu.
Publicly, he claimed that his relationship with Pandemonium was nothing more than trade.
But in reality, he had secretly joined hands with Belial, one of Pandemonium’s important executives.
Of course, Belial was relatively friendly toward humanity, so perhaps there was no major problem.
But why exactly was Ma Taesu cooperating with him?
It couldn’t simply be for profit from trade.
Is he using Belial to increase his own influence?
Ma Taesu wanted to rise higher within the Black Dragon Society.
That was also why he had worked with Kang Yujin to build achievements in Korea.
But was that really all?
I’ll probably learn more through what he does in China.
While I was thinking about that, Lee Gyu spoke again.
“By the way, did they board that ship that goes underwater?”
“Yeah. A submarine.”
“I heard you can’t see inside those with an Observer.”
“That’s right.”
At the moment, Kang Yujin wasn’t visible on any of my Observer screens.
It was impossible to see inside a submarine traveling deep beneath the sea.
“Hmm...”
“What?”
“There’s something bothering me.”
Lee Gyu scratched his back.
“I know there’s a troublesome bastard among the people who ride that thing.”
“A troublesome bastard?”
“He’s contracted with a Constellation I know.”
If Lee Gyu knew the Constellation, it was probably someone related to Water Margin.
“One of my old comrades was a monk.”
“A monk?”
“His name was Lu Zhishen. You know him?”
“Lu Zhishen...!”
Lu Zhishen was one of the most famous straightforward, rough-and-tumble characters in Water Margin, alongside Lee Gyu.
Despite being a monk, his entire body was covered in flower tattoos, earning him the nickname ‘Flower Monk.’
He had a strong sense of justice, but like Lee Gyu, he was hot-tempered and violent, constantly getting into trouble.
He could be called the original archetype of the hulking, unruly warrior monk.
He was also one of the most popular characters in Water Margin.
“His Constellation name was ‘Flower-Tattooed Monk,’ right? You’ve probably seen his name around the Capital Region a few times.”
“Yeah. He even left a comment during the Kaesong battle telling us to come to China next.”
The A-rank Constellation ‘Flower-Tattooed Monk.’
He had been watching Kang Yujin’s group fairly often lately.
“That guy’s temper is pretty bad. He’s really violent.”
“You’re one to talk.”
“But his Contractor has almost exactly the same personality as Lu Zhishen.”
“Because of a Skill?”
