Beacon of Light in the Dark Sea-Chapter 154

Watching Tumanako’s jaw muscles as he quickly chewed and devoured the candy, I nodded. To think I’d have the chance to hear about New Zealand mythology while living my life. The myth I’m most familiar with is about eating mugwort and garlic to transform from a bear into a human, but I wonder how people from other countries would react if I told them we’re descendants of bears.

As I lifted my head after checking if John Doe was breathing properly and if his pulse was beating, I saw an English sentence I hadn’t noticed before in the elevator. I must have been too out of it to notice such a thing when I first got on this elevator.

Our home is girt by sea

…I’m not sure why they engraved such a message here. Is it meant to remind you that this elevator is surrounded by seawater, so you should be aware of your current situation?

Looking at the elegantly engraved English text, I thought that all the phrases engraved in elevators seem a bit odd. After hearing my opinion, Tumanako looked at the elevator wall once and said.

“Ah, that? It’s probably a line from the Australian national anthem.”

Oh, I see. The impression it gives when you don’t know it’s from a national anthem versus when you do is quite different. But still, the impression of being surrounded by seawater doesn’t go away. To shake off the eerie feeling, I started to focus on the people around me.

The Engineering Team D members were exchanging opinions on which route to take in the Third Undersea Base for the best chance of escaping. Tumanako and I made eye contact. The dentist and hair designer, newcomers to this undersea base, kept their mouths shut and quietly listened to the engineers exchange opinions.

Various routes were being discussed, but I sighed in relief when I realized that none of them prioritized the hidden stairs.

Just thinking about climbing those stairs again was exhausting. …Not that I like elevators either.

Listening to why they don’t prefer moving via stairs, I learned that if the stairs connecting the Second and Third Undersea Bases are as I described, they could be isolated in the middle if attacked simultaneously from above and below. Baek Ae-young explained that it’s because you can’t deviate to other places while climbing the stairs. …I see, the stairs can be viewed as a dead end. Moreover, Shin Hae-ryang glanced at Tumanako and me and added that it would consume a lot of time.

The danger I’m thinking of is slipping and falling while walking on the stairs, but these people’s perspective is slightly different from that of an ordinary person like me. They don’t seem to consider the potentially fatal exhaustion and the misery that makes you not want to live anymore while climbing those 4,200-odd stairs as particularly important.

They probably think that way because they’re in good shape, but I’m not. I hate stairs. I’ve already made a plan not to climb stairs for about 5 years. When I get home, I’m going to write “Don’t climb stairs” as next year’s New Year’s resolution.

It seems that Shin Hae-ryang initially insisted on the stairs with over 3,000 steps because, despite such dangers, he thought it was safer than choosing the elevator in that situation. So how is it better to go this time? The three of them are now armed with guns and there are no injured people with bad legs. They can go as they wish without major constraints.

Looking at the map of the Third Undersea Base, the three of them each threw out a comment. If it were me, I’d go like this and that. If it were me, I’d hide here and take out everyone coming up. They’ve probably posted a few people as sentries here. If they have any brains at all, I’d definitely hide at this point and ambush people coming and going. But if they’re cult members, they might really not have brains, right? Would someone with a brain join a cult? Aren’t you underestimating the enemy too much? Aren’t you overestimating the enemy? The only thing I’ve underestimated is the size of your head. I didn’t know it wouldn’t even fit a helmet. Why are you bringing up my head size? I’m suddenly being personally attacked! Team leader! Don’t tattle to me.

Although there was some idle chatter mixed in, all three quickly agreed on going to the Third Undersea Base’s escape pod port. It seemed they were willing to fight even if armed Infinity Church people were guarding it. Tumanako quietly listened to the three’s judgment and his eyes gradually sparkled. Then, with a slight smile on his pale face, he said to me.

“There’s a hair salon near the escape pod port, could we go there for just 2 minutes? There are snacks there, and my plant pot too.”

“Plant pot? You grow plants?”

“It was a gift from a friend when I said I was starting work here. It’s a small Rhaphidophora, and that friend probably gave it as a gift out of concern that I might stay inside the undersea base all the time. With the meaning of taking the pot and going outside the base for a while to get some sunlight. Hair designers live in the salon during work hours, eating hair and smelling all kinds of chemicals. When they go home, they just lie down exhausted.”

Growing plants is a good hobby. It’s good for both mind and body. On our home veranda, my younger brother planted things like lettuce, green onions, and basil. We harvest them occasionally, and I’m always surprised at how fast the green onions grow. If you water them and forget about them for about a week, they grow as long as a palm.

I don’t know what the Tumanako is talking about is, but it seems he’s growing it for good habits and happiness, not for eating. Thinking about Tumanako doing photosynthesis with his plant pot under the sunlight made my heart feel warm.

I felt like some of the sadness and despair I had been feeling were being washed away. Just like choosing a path far from escape to release the jellyfish. Tumanako might be able to board the escape pod while holding the gifted plant pot in his arms.

Hearing about growing plants reminded me of the most recent memory of seeing a flowering tree floating submerged in seawater. That was… which room was it again? Finally remembering the room’s owner, I asked Shin Hae-ryang with a bit of guilt.

“The plant pot in your room was floating, pickled in seawater.”

The plant’s owner replied nonchalantly.

“I see.”

There was no sign of sadness at the tragedy.

“Shouldn’t it not touch seawater?”

I asked that because I’ve never given salt water to the plants on the veranda, and Shin Hae-ryang simply said.

“I don’t know much about plants, but probably not.”

Maybe I should have fished it out and put it on the desk. Seo Jihyuk, who was plastered to the wall next to the elevator door due to Shin Hae-ryang’s gesture, said irritably.

“You’re talking about the plant pot Sato gave as a gift, right? I had a bad feeling about it, but it’s good it’s dead now.”

Tumanako, who grows plants, frowned at Seo Jihyuk’s rough tone. It seemed like he might uproot Seo Jihyuk’s head pot if he said a few more wrong words. Shin Hae-ryang shrugged and said.

“But the flowers are pretty, aren’t they?”

“If someone gave me something like that as a gift, I would have smashed their head with the pot as soon as I received it.”

Baek Ae-young stuck to Shin Hae-ryang’s back. Then she told me and Tumanako to step back and stick to the wall as much as possible. Tumanako quickly went and stood next to Baek Ae-young.

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Then I guess I should stand behind Seo Jihyuk. I hugged John Doe lying on the elevator floor and moved away from the center. It seemed that the three were preparing for the possibility of being shot at as soon as the elevator doors opened, just like before. As I barely managed to drag John Doe to the corner, I asked.

“What kind of gift did you receive to react like that?”

The flowering tree itself didn’t seem problematic from the outside. Seo Jihyuk watched me dragging John Doe to lean against the wall as much as possible and answered with a sigh.

“It’s oleander. Oleander.”

After asking the question, I realized I don’t know much about plants. I’m not sure what that is, but it doesn’t seem like a plant used for salad greens. Is it ornamental then? Seo Jihyuk leaned his head against the elevator wall and said to me in an aggrieved tone.

“Jihyun still teases me about it sometimes. That Sato guy came saying he had a plant pot as a gift for the team leader, but the team leader wasn’t there and Jihyun and I happened to be there. I told him I’d pass on the pot and to leave it and get lost. Well, it was fine up to that point, but I guess it was a bit shocking for Jihyun when I wrapped a scarf around my hand and yanked that flowering tree out of the pot.”

“You pulled the tree out of the pot?”

“Of course, I had to look for any cameras or bugs that might be hidden in the soil or leaves, right?”

Seo Jihyuk answered as if it were obvious. I guess in this undersea base, when you receive a flowering tree as a gift, you have to shake out the pot and search it. It’s quite different from my common sense. A bit dazed, I asked Seo Jihyuk just in case.

“Did you find anything?”

“No. That’s why I was treated like a crazy person.”

At those words, Baek Ae-young giggled, and Tumanako, who was listening next to Baek Ae-young, burst out laughing as if in disbelief. Seo Jihyuk pushed my chest back with his arm to make me stick to the wall and said.

“I don’t like that guy.”

Hearing Seo Jihyuk’s complaint, Shin Hae-ryang laughed lightly and said.

“He doesn’t like you either.”

“That’s good. He doesn’t like you either, Team Leader, so let’s dislike him together.”

Shin Hae-ryang said to everyone.

“Get ready to leave. We’ll arrive at the Third Undersea Base soon.”

“What about Mr. John Doe?”

He’s completely unconscious. What are you planning to do? Shin Hae-ryang asked, a bit flustered.

“Should we take him with us?”

It sounds like he’s used to knocking people out and leaving them depending on the situation. It’s exactly the same as how Baek Ae-young looked in the laundry room. Hey, how can you leave a person lying on the street, no, on the elevator floor like this? I can’t adapt to this undersea base. I feel like I’ll never be able to adapt.

“We can’t just leave him here, can we?”

“He might shout and call for people.”

With those words, the elevator arrived at the Third Undersea Base and the doors opened with a soft sound. Shin Hae-ryang cautiously surveyed the surroundings, realized there was no one, and went out towards the Third Undersea Base corridor. Seo Jihyuk did the same.

The two checked to the end of the corridor facing the elevator and signaled that everything was clear. Only after confirming that no one was there did they signal for Baek Ae-young and the rest to come out into the corridor.

I dragged John Doe out by his upper body, pulling him out of the elevator. And while doing so, I felt an incredible sense of déjà vu. Wait, aren’t my actions similar to what I’ve done before?

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