Chapter 116
RUMBLE! SPLASH!
A storm raged across the northern sea.
Lightning split the sky while violent waves battered the ship.
Thanks to the captain and crew Gahen had provided, however, the vessel continued forward without being swept away.
Sea monsters circled in the distance.
Even though the ship itself was enormous, those creatures were so huge that it looked small by comparison.
One of the sailors, busy adjusting the sails, snorted in satisfaction.
"Hah. Serves those damned monsters right."
"If we didn't have this Current Stone hull, they'd have rushed over and swallowed us whole by now."
"Expensive things really are worth the money."
Because the bottom of the ship had been reinforced with Current Stone, the sea monsters couldn't easily approach.
Installing it had delayed their departure, but even considering that, it had already proven its value.
According to what Suhyeok had heard earlier, the material was incredibly rare.
They even called it gold beneath the sea.
The captain, who had spent forty years sailing, claimed even he had never seen it before.
Not bad.
Has it been about three days now?
At this speed, we'll arrive soon.
Suhyeok stood alone, looking out over the sea.
Then he heard footsteps coming from inside the cabin and turned slightly.
It was Bong Taesu.
"Are you feeling all right?"
"Hoo..."
"Miss Yumi did something with Mana inside my body, so I'm doing a little better."
"Honestly, being out here is easier than staying inside."
Once someone possessed a certain amount of Mana, things like seasickness usually stopped affecting them much.
Lee Yumi and Kim Hyuna were perfect examples.
"Whoa, look over there."
"That whirlpool's huge."
"If we got sucked into that, we'd seriously die."
"Yeah."
"The captain really is skilled."
"He's avoided every one of those so far."
The two were chatting casually on deck.
Lee Yumi in particular had been using gravity magic continuously to reduce the ship's rocking.
Despite constantly using Mana, she looked completely fine.
Bong Taesu, on the other hand, had been suffering terribly.
Until recently, he'd been practically bedridden.
Right.
You were always like this.
It wasn't just ships.
He'd been the same on griffons and wyverns.
Every time he rode one, he'd make such a fuss that everyone else suffered with him.
Several minutes passed.
Taesu's complexion still wasn't great, but he'd adapted enough to speak normally.
"Hyungnim."
"Are you really sure that guy is doing what he's supposed to?"
"I'm worried he'll go back there and screw something up."
He was talking about Stark.
It made sense that Taesu was worried about sending him back so easily.
There was always the possibility of something unexpected happening.
"Don't worry."
"I made sure there won't be any problems."
"...Well."
Taesu nodded.
"He definitely changed a lot compared to when we first saw him."
They'd had two days before the deal with Gahen.
And what had they done to Stark during that time?
Nothing particularly complicated.
Just like Suhyeok had done to Benz on the 10th floor...
They beat him mercilessly.
At first, Stark resisted.
Just like Benz had, he screamed his father's name and threatened them.
The people captured alongside him also shouted at them to stop.
Lee Yumi looked at her palm longingly.
"Haa..."
"I still can't forget how satisfying that felt."
"That guy really had a face made for getting hit."
"Right, Hyuna?"
Kim Hyuna nodded.
"...Honestly, yes."
The two stood on the opposite side of the deck, staring nostalgically at their hands.
At first, both had refused to hit him.
Then...
...Wait.
This is kind of fun.
One hit became two.
Then three.
Four.
Before long, they'd gone past ten.
If anything, they'd ended up hitting Stark even more eagerly than Suhyeok had.
Bong Taesu had simply watched, complaining that they were too violent.
Even the Dark Elves had stared at the two women in admiration.
Sella's expression was something else.
As the beating continued, Stark's attitude changed almost instantly.
If he'd been allowed to pass out, perhaps it would've ended there.
But he couldn't lose consciousness.
He could only feel the pain.
So he quickly lowered his head and began begging pathetically.
P-Please spare me! Ugh!
S-Spare me...!!
The others reacted the same way.
Once they realized their turns might be next, they immediately shut their mouths.
Except for one person.
The captain of Stark's guards.
If you're going to hit someone, hit me instead!
Deputy Chief! Endure just a little longer!
I'll save you!
Suhyeok had recognized him the moment he saw him.
His name had been...
Jakal.
Before the regression, after Gahen swallowed the Sea Dragon Stronghold and spent years tyrannizing the eastern sea, Jakal had formed a resistance force.
In the end, he failed and died at Gahen's hands.
But no one had been more loyal to the Sea Dragon Stronghold...
Or to the old Chief.
He had also been one of the very few people who genuinely tried to reform the worthless Stark.
"Even if something dangerous happens to him, the guard captain who went back with him should protect him for now."
"I also gave him a separate task."
Taesu blinked.
"I was too busy watching all that beating to notice."
"You gave him something else to do?"
The night before the exchange, while Stark was unconscious, Suhyeok had given Jakal a single task.
Expose and eliminate Gahen, the man who had killed the old Chief, in front of everyone.
Of course, Suhyeok hadn't told him to use force.
That would've been impossible from the start.
And they couldn't simply declare that the will and every other document had been forged either.
But there was one thing left.
The corpse of the dead overall Chief.
On the 60th floor, before a corpse was cremated, a sacred ceremony was held over the sea.
Since he had been the head of the Sea Dragon Stronghold, every faction would likely gather for an elaborate funeral.
That would be their chance.
Before the regression, no one suspected anything, so there was no way to discover the truth.
This time is different.
I already taught Jakal how to check.
Bong Taesu looked around.
"By the way, where did Leon go?"
"He's usually stuck to you all day, but I haven't seen him."
"Did something happen?"
"You don't need to worry about him."
"He's probably keeping a close eye on Stark right now."
"Ah."
"So that's where you sent him."
Taesu scratched his chin.
"Then who's filming you, Hyungnim?"
The moment he finished speaking, the air flashed.
A familiar figure appeared.
"Ook-ook!"
Uji held a camera in his hands.
The last time Suhyeok had seen him, the monkey had looked half-starved after suffering through all kinds of hardships.
Now he looked considerably healthier.
Damn, feels like it's been forever since we saw him lol
Most of us don't watch the 10th floor much, so there wasn't really a reason for him to appear.
At least he looks like he's doing okay now. Before, I felt guilty just watching him through the screen;;
LMAO
