Dragon Raja 3; Chapter 108: Greenland’s Shadow (2)

Dragon Raja 3

The Maniakh turned off its gas turbines, attaching mooring chains on both sides of the hull. The ship was towed into the floating platform’s dock, large enough to accommodate the entire vessel. The dock doors closed, and lights along the sides illuminated in succession. Men in black clothing stood along both sides of the dock, bowing deeply: “Welcome, Young Master, to inspect the Sumeru Throne!” Their voices echoed in the immense enclosed space, sending shivers down one’s spine.

A gantry crane moved in, lowering a gangway. Chisei led Caesar’s team, accompanied by Crow and Yasha as bodyguards, and ascended in an elevator toward the upper floors. All Lu Mingfei could hear was the buzzing of rotating fans. There was a salty tang of seawater everywhere in the massive floating structure. Somewhere, water trickled before being sucked away by an omnipresent drainage system. The floating platform rocked with the waves, and even on the steel-plated, seemingly flat path, it felt like walking on a soft slope. Lu Mingfei clung to the railings, afraid that a larger wave would send him tumbling down the stairs.

“Don’t worry. The Sumeru Throne is fully digitized. If the waves become too large, the lower diversion valves will open to release the wave’s force,” Chisei said.

“But the depth of this sea area exceeds 8 kilometers. You can’t drop anchors, so how are you anchoring these platforms?” Caesar asked.

“Still with anchors, but without needing 8-kilometer-long chains. The Japan Trench was formed due to the collision of two plates, with extreme depths only occurring at the plate boundaries. Outside of these areas, the seabed isn’t as deep,” Chisei replied. “Sixteen iron anchors are securing this floating platform to the seabed.”

They reached the top of the Sumeru Throne, and standing there felt like overlooking Shinjuku from the terrace of Awakening Temple. Layer after layer of waves crashed against the bottom of the platform, occasionally splashing up in towering white froth. The Sumeru Thrones were also connected by steel cables, which would stretch taut like harp strings in the wind, only to slacken again afterward. On top of each floating platform stood men in white combat uniforms. The wind from the rotors of all-weather helicopters was as fierce as the sea breeze, plastering their hair against their heads. It looked like an army awaiting inspection.

“So many people?” Lu Mingfei was shocked. “Does the support team really need to be this large?”

Chisei took a loudspeaker from Crow and climbed to a higher position. “Tonight’s mission, I leave it to you!”

His voice carried across the sea, and all the men on the platforms responded in unison, “We will give our all to fulfill the family’s mission!” The overlapping voices of over a thousand men drowned out even the sound of the waves.

“For this operation, the Kansai branch forms the Wind Unit. Their task is aerial surveillance of the entire area. If anyone attempts to interfere with the deep dive, the Wind Unit will retaliate. Additionally, they will drive away unrelated ships,” Chisei explained.

Crow fired a blue flare, and the helicopters took off, scattering in different directions to scan the sea with their searchlights.

“The Kanto branch forms the Fire Unit. They are responsible for firepower defense. We’ve equipped them with small patrol boats outfitted with twin heavy machine guns and single-person missile launchers, along with a Type 97 lightweight torpedo. With their protection, even a cruiser will be kept at bay.”

A red flare shot into the sky, dock gates on the platforms opened, and patrol boats moved across the waves, twin machine guns sweeping across the water.

“The elite members of the Fūma clan make up the Forest Unit, stationed on our perimeter. They’re manning fishing boats equipped with underwater listening devices and weather monitoring systems. Their job is to monitor the surrounding waters and warn us in advance if the weather turns hazardous.”

Crow fired a green flare, and distant lights flickered in response—signals from the Forest Unit stationed far away.

“As for this platform, it forms the Mountain Unit, which I personally lead. All members are top talents from the Iwa-ryu Institute. The Mountain Unit will support the deep-diving vessel throughout the entire process. We’ll remain here regardless of whether the wind reaches level 8 or level 12, or whether the waves are 2 meters or 20 meters high. We are always ready to rescue you and welcome your return. That is what the Mountain Unit stands for—steadfast as a mountain,” Chisei declared. “The family has mobilized a thousand-strong team to escort your descent. Please leave everything other than piloting the submersible to us!”

“Is all of this really necessary?” Caesar puffed on his cigar. “It’s just a dive, but all these preparations make it seem like we’re heading into battle.”

“Someone once told me that a teacher of the killing sword would always ask students before they first hold a sword, ‘Have you thought it through? If you’ve chosen to grip the hilt, never let go, because the day you let go will be the day you die,’” Chisei said calmly. “You could interpret this as the Japanese way: treating everything as a battle, always pushing yourself to stand at the edge of a cliff. One step back and you fall into an abyss, but by staying on that edge, you might survive. This isn’t about catching coral or shells; what we might face is a monstrous being at the level of an Emperor-class dragon. If it surfaces, even the combined efforts of the Wind, Forest, Fire, and Mountain units might not be enough to destroy it.”

The seawater parted as a crane hoisted up a heavy refined sulfur bomb. It was painted in a bright yellow color, shaped more like a stout cigar than a traditional bomb, with a small tail fin that seemed out of proportion to its thick body.

“It’s like a chibi version,” Lu Mingfei said.

“This shape withstands pressure better. You definitely don’t want the sulfur bomb being crushed by water pressure halfway down, do you?” Chisei replied. “Its propulsion system and guidance capability are very limited, allowing it to travel about one kilometer underwater. But at that range, the detonation is absolutely safe for you. It isn’t designed to kill dragons with sheer explosive force but rather with the penetrating corrosion of refined sulfur and mercury. Oh, by the way, it’s codenamed ‘Momotaro.’ We have thirty minutes until the scheduled time, during which Iwa-ryu Institute will complete the final checks and warm-up of the Trieste. You have thirty minutes of free time—feel free to chat or take a nap, but I recommend you use the restroom, as there’s no space for a toilet in the submersible.”

He took out his phone and dialed a number: “Professor Schneider, this is Chisei from the Japan Division reporting. The dive team has reached the designated position, and we are awaiting orders from headquarters.”

On the other end of the call came a terrible wheezing sound, like a broken bellows forcibly pulled open. The person’s lungs were already full of holes; students at Cassell College described his breathing as “like listening to a dry corpse being resurrected.”

“Let me finish this cigarette first,” Professor Schneider said faintly.

Cassell College headquarters, central control room.

The place had been cleared today, and Schneider sat alone in the middle of the hall. He pulled a small tin box from his pocket, filled with golden tobacco. For Schneider, tobacco was akin to poison, and everyone at the college knew this. Due to some strange illness, Schneider’s respiratory organs had severely deteriorated, forcing him to rely on assisted breathing equipment. He had to drag an oxygen tank wherever he went. Yet now, Schneider skillfully rolled a neat cigarette—an act of a seasoned smoker. But after taking a deep puff, he immediately coughed violently, as though trying to expel his entire lung.

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