The Main Characters That Only I Know

Chapter 146:

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Chapter 146

“Uh, um. Mr. Yu-hyun. Did submarines also appear in Moby-Dick?”

“Of course not.”

Yu-hyun answered Kang Hye Rim’s nervous question, but he shared the same feeling as her.

They had expected a fierce battle with Moby-Dick, but what actually revealed itself was a dark navy submarine that blended in with the deep sea.

It was not the first time they saw a submarine, but this was the world of the novel Moby-Dick. 

Submarines shouldn’t exist when steam engines were not even developed yet.

‘Then what the hell is that?’

It was definitely a submarine. 

It was not just a mock-up, but a fully functional submarine.

‘Was this not the world of Moby-Dick?’

Yu-hyun stared at the submarine with a stiff expression. 

There was no way that submarines could appear in Moby-Dick. But he remembered the Pequod and Captain Ahab, and Ishmael the sailor. 

It was clearly Moby-Dick.

The other collectors were also bewildered. They had thought that the creature was a giant monster, but it turned out to be a submarine. 

That was hard to accept even for their common sense.

They all swallowed their saliva and looked at the submarine. 

Then, there was a movement from the submarine.

[Ah, can you hear me?]

From the top of the submarine, a structure popped out and a human voice came out of it.

[You gentlemen have attacked this ship ‘Nautilus’. Do you know that?]

“What?!”

“Nautilus?”

The collectors widened their eyes at the name of the submarine. 

Yu-hyun was no different.

He quickly realized what was going on.

“It seems that we have come to a fusion-type world of thoughts, not a normal one.”

[Fusion-type? What is that?]

Fusion-type world of thoughts.

A rare case that appears with a very faint probability among the various worlds of ideas that exist in the world.

While a normal world of thoughts is composed of a single story, this fusion-type world of thoughts is a place where multiple stories are mixed together.

Of course, it was much more difficult and demanding than a normal world of thoughts.

“Do you think that’s possible?”

Yu-hyun shrugged at Park Cheol-oh’s question.

“Don’t you see for yourself? What story does that Nautilus submarine come from? This place is not just Moby-Dick’s world. It also includes the world of Jules Verne’s novel, Twenty Thousand Leagues Under the Sea.”

70 meters long and 8 meters wide. 

The Nautilus, a submarine that weighs over 1,350 tons and cannot be easily made with 21st century science.

‘This is not good.’

He had unintentionally attacked the Nautilus. 

Yu-hyun, who knew what fate the whaling ship that mistook the Nautilus for a monster and aimed at it in Twenty Thousand Leagues Under the Sea had met, couldn’t help but be nervous.

[I don’t know what your purpose was for attacking this ship, but if you continue to antagonize this ship, we will respond accordingly…]

“Damn it, you noisy bastard.”

A sudden outburst of profanity.

Everyone’s astonished eyes turned to Ahab. 

No one in this place had imagined that Ahab would spit out such profanity.

[…Who are you?]

“I’m the captain of this Pequod, Ahab.”

[Captain? You?]

“Yes. And I’m the one who stuck a harpoon into your weird ship.”

Ahab pointed to his chest with his thumb. 

His smiling face, revealing his teeth, was full of wildness, but it made anyone who saw it shudder.

He should have apologized even if it was too late, but what was he doing?

[Is it okay for a captain to be so rude?]

“Go to hell. What do you mean rude? The rude ones are you guys who sneak around in our hunting ground.”

[Our hunting ground? That’s funny. Do you think there is such a thing in the vast sea?]

“Of course. For me, that is.”

Ahab’s momentum was not pushed back by an inch as he glared at the submarine. 

No one could approach Ahab even though they had to stop him.

That was proof of that.

The voice from the submarine also couldn’t hide its absurdity.

[A captain acting like that. How barbaric.]

“Do you want manners? This is ridiculous. I’m a person who has no manners at all for people who don’t talk face to face.”

[You dare say that after attacking us without reason? How shameless.]

“Shameless? Hahaha! Yes! I’m shameless, so what? What about you? You’re a coward who doesn’t even fight back after being attacked, and a shy lady who doesn’t show her face when talking?”

[I warn you. If you provoke us any more, you will pay a corresponding price.]

“A corresponding price? That’s interesting. I’ll get to see what kind of people you are who came into our hunting ground without permission.”

The atmosphere was not good.

Ahab was ready to start a fight with the Nautilus at any moment.

The Nautilus would also dive as soon as it was attacked and clear out the whaling ships one by one from the deep sea.

No matter what happened, it would be Yu-hyun’s party who would suffer if they fought.

They didn’t want to kill each other before fighting Moby-Dick.

“Wait a minute.”

“Huh? What is it? Get lost.”

Ahab frowned as he saw Yu-hyun approaching him, and then pushed him away with his hand. 

Yu-hyun didn’t back down despite his attitude that seemed to chase away a peddler.

“We need to talk right now.”

“Dialogue? Did you say dialogue? Why should I talk to that scoundrel who trespassed into my territory?”

“Because, that’s the only way to make your revenge much easier.”

“Oh?”

Ahab smirked and gestured for Yu-hyun to continue with his chin.

“I’ve seen your strength, captain. Even at the lowest estimate, you could easily kill any ordinary whale with one strike.”

“You’ve seen well.”

“But do you have the same confidence against ‘that thing’?”

By ‘that thing’, Yu-hyun obviously meant Moby Dick, Ahab’s nemesis.

As Yu-hyun hit a sore spot, Ahab frowned. 

He suddenly felt a phantom pain in his severed leg.

His foot that was cut off along with the shipwreck in the stormy night.

The part of his body that disappeared into its belly, as if it was still being chewed by its teeth.

Ahab glared at Yu-hyun with a growl.

“Do you think this Pequod will crumble under that beast?”

“I can’t guarantee that. If you really had faith, you wouldn’t have brought four other ships with you. You would have come alone.”

“…”

Yu-hyun’s point was accurate. 

Ahab was a cocky and confident man, but he was also a person consumed by revenge.

However, his thirst for vengeance was not very passionate and hot like others.

Rather, it was cold and icy like the glaciers of the North Sea. 

The part that was unseen under the surface was much bigger than what was visible.

“Captain Ahab. Do you really think you can catch it with these five ships?”

Yu-hyun respected Ahab’s strength. But that was just personal strength. 

He would fail. He had to fail.

‘Otherwise, there would be no reason for the first and second expeditions to fail.’

If things went on like this, Ahab would fail his revenge. 

And the ship would sink and everyone would die.

“If you truly want revenge, you need to swallow your pride.”

“You talk too much for a guest.”

Ahab stepped closer to Yu-hyun. 

His whole body emitted a killing intent.

“Yu-hyun!”

“This bastard!”

Kang Hyerim and Kwon Jia reached for their swords, but Yu-hyun stopped them with his hand. 

He took a deep breath and stood in front of Ahab defiantly.

He thought he was big from afar, but Ahab was much bigger up close. 

Yu-hyun was not short, but he had to look up slightly. He seemed to be almost 2m tall.

Ahab raised one eyebrow as if amused.

‘He has some guts.’

Ahab admired the courage of Yu-hyun, who did not avert his gaze. But that was all. Yu-hyun had not convinced him yet.

“Ahab, captain. What did you come here for?”

“Revenge.”

“Against whom?”

“Of course, that damned white whale that tore off my leg.”

“Then you must have seen it, and you know well. How strong and huge it is.”

“Of course I do.”

“So, are you confident with ‘just’ this much?”

Ahab could not answer Yu-hyun’s question. 

The part that made him most anxious was the uncertainty of whether he could defeat it with this much power.

“Let us help you.”

“What?”

Ahab thought for a moment that he had misheard Yu-hyun’s audacious words.

“I said we’ll help you.”

“Ha ha. Listen, you look like a greenhorn. You don’t know what you’re saying, do you? Do you think we’re playing some kind of game here?”

“I’m not saying this out of ignorance. If you really want revenge, I’m just telling you why you need to accept our help.”

Yu-hyun knew the ending of the Moby-Dick novel well. 

The Pequod is destroyed, Captain Ahab harpoons Moby-Dick, but is dragged into the sea by the harpoon line.

If he couldn’t dissuade Ahab here, this worldline would surely fail.

“What if I don’t want to?”

Ahab said that as if to provoke Yu-hyun. He felt a firm will that he would never compromise with anything like negotiation.

Yu-hyun thought about what to say here. 

Ahab was a very macho man. 

And he had a strong pride, and even the strength to match it.

It was impossible to overpower him with force. And he didn’t seem to like people who talk too much.

‘An eye for an eye, a tooth for a tooth. If he comes out with his pride and bluffing, I have to do the same.’

Yu-hyun decided on an answer and said to Ahab in a challenging tone.

“Then fine, let’s die together.”

“What?”

“What are you saying?!”

“Are you crazy?!”

The collectors and sailors who were listening quietly shouted at Yu-hyun.

[The spirits are puzzled by your words.]

[Some spirits like your boldness.]

“Don’t you want to? Then what, it doesn’t matter. Let’s all die together. We don’t know when or where that monster whale will appear, so let’s just keep each other in check and fight until we all go into its belly hand in hand. That should do it. You’ll be satisfied when you find your remaining leg inside it, right?”

“You…”

When he mentioned his severed leg, Ahab’s face turned fierce. 

His clenched fist trembled as if he would smash Yu-hyun’s head at any moment.

Yu-hyun did not show any tension. 

He did not avoid Ahab’s gaze and stared back at his eyes.

“Listen, captain. Don’t be so proud. Do you really want revenge?”

“What…”

“I mean real revenge, something you have to do whatever it takes to achieve. You have to bow your head to your hated enemy, and ask for help from someone you think is below you. That’s what revenge is. If you can’t do it alone, you have to borrow someone else’s power, or do something.”

“…”

“For your goal, you don’t care about the means or methods. That’s revenge.”

Ahab did not answer.

He looked at Yu-hyun with an odd expression that was hard to tell what he was thinking.

He scanned Yu-hyun from head to toe several times.

Everyone looked at them with tense faces as they confronted each other.

Ahab, who had been glaring at Yu-hyun as if he would kill him a moment ago, soon loosened his fist.

“Fine.”

And he left those words and went straight to the railing of his bow.

“Hey! You, the captain of that mysterious ship!”

[What’s going on? They were about to fight among themselves, but did they change their target?]

“What do you know about Moby Dick?”

[…Of course. That’s what we’re chasing after.]

The collectors gasped at that answer.

“What? The Nautilus is chasing Moby Dick?”

“No, was that what Twenty Thousand Leagues Under the Sea was about?”

Ignoring the reactions around him, Captain Ahab smiled and said.

“What a coincidence! I was also planning to catch that beast!”

[Is that true?]

“Hey. Are you blind or something? If not, why do you think I dragged this whaling ship all the way to this far sea?”

[I see.]

“Hey, old man! I have a proposal for you!”

[…Old man?]

“You sound so weak, it’s obvious you’re an old man. We’re going to catch that damned white whale. If we have the same goal, you should at least agree to join me!”

The collectors’ faces darkened again.

He asked them to join hands, but now he was picking a fight with them?

The sailors who live in the sea have pride as high as the sky. Asking them to join him was an insult to them.

They wouldn’t have anything to say if he attacked them with anger.

“What do you say? Are you in or out?”

[I don’t like your tone.]

“Haha! That’s a coincidence! I don’t like your tone either! You always talk as if you’re looking down on me!”

[I don’t want to associate with you, but I admit your strength is impressive. You pierced through the hull of this ship. So I’ll join hands with you on one condition.]

“What is it?”

[Don’t order me around. That’s all.]

“Is that so? Then I have one condition too!”

[What is it?]

“If we’re going to talk, show me your face. That’s basic courtesy, right?”

Everyone looked at him with disbelief. Who was he to talk about basic courtesy?

But the other party seemed to have gotten used to Captain Ahab’s eccentric personality, and didn’t show any reaction.

[…Fine.]

With that, the Nautilus, which had only its tip sticking out, surfaced completely.

Crash!

“Whoa?”

Ahab’s eyes sparkled as he saw a man standing at the front of the Nautilus, the cockpit made of reinforced glass.

He was a sturdy-looking old man. 

He wore a uniform that fit his body perfectly and had a steady gaze that did not waver. 

His white beard and gray hair did not hide his integrity.

The old man took off his hat and said,

“I’m the captain of the Nautilus. Nemo is my name. You’re a barbarian.”

“I’m the captain of the Pequod. Ahab is my name. You’re a landlubber.”

That was the moment when a new member joined the hunt for Moby Dick.

“Oh no.”

Yu-hyun had a feeling that things would be quite difficult from now on.