Descent into the Deep Sea Trench

"Alright, stop here."

We'd been sailing for less than ten minutes before we reached the vast open ocean, where we checked our gear. In the process, I turned the stream screen back on, which I'd forgotten about.

"You guys know it well. I'll turn the screen off again until the donations hit one million won."

"Ha-eun."

"Y-yes! I'll ban them right away!... "

Sorry, but I've gotten used to the swimsuit by now. Dragons adapt quickly, after all. Of course, if you ask if it's not embarrassing... well, it is.

"For some reason, it's okay in front of you guys."

"They're probably the types who can't even talk to girls normally. And right now, it's just through a monitor. Thinking of it that way makes it not so embarrassing."

"No, seriously?"

I chuckled at the flood of intense chat messages and turned back to the compass. It trembled, unable to lock on a direction forward or backward. Is it right below us here?

"Is it down there?"

"Seems like it. Sigh... If the Association had just given us the money, this would've been easier."

When I came up with this plan, I had suggested it: I'd just depolymorph and go wild, so lend me ten billion won. But even with my influence, that was too much for a mere team leader. Plus, even in the open ocean, if I went all out, the terrain might change, so we couldn't rule that out.

We needed another way.

"Alright, let me explain the plan."

I fiddled with my Hunter Watch, pulling up a paint-like screen. Then I roughly sketched the sea and the boat.

I ignored the chats lightly and drew the Leviathan, then jabbed a dot.

"Terra and I will dive into the sea. You two wait on the boat, and when it surfaces, we all attack together at once."

Terra, who had been sitting quietly next to Ha-eun, turned her creaky neck and spoke up.

"A-are you talking about me...?"

"Yeah, you."

"W-why... me ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠of all people...?"

"I need some ancient earth dragon power. And the pressure down there would crush humans."

I felt a bit sorry for her, but it couldn't be helped. Needs must.

"What do we do once it surfaces?"

"You and Ha-eun figure that out. You're the sea battle expert, right?"

"You mean synchronize our attacks."

"You usually go solo. Won't be lonely this time."

"No one is lonely at sea."

Salao said that, picked up his harpoon, and approached Ha-eun.

"Ever caught ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠fish before?"

"Uh... if you mean fishing... no..."

"I'm a fisherman. A fisherman's job is to catch fish. But first..."

He looked into her eyes, his expression twisting slightly, as if recalling an unpleasant memory.

"Park Sang-hyuk. That man was utterly useless in that regard."

"..."

"Can you do it, miss? If you're not confident, I'll handle the fishing alone."

Ha-eun's eyes trembled. She glanced quickly between me and Salao. But I had nothing to say. She had to decide her own path.

"...I'll do my best."

She looked thoroughly intimidated. Salao turned to open the boat's storage compartment and murmured lowly.

"Don't be scared. Have some confidence. With that mindset, you'll never make a fisherman."

I shrugged as I eyed him sorting the gear after that remark.

"People with strong egos always talk so harshly or tough. Guess that makes me the nice one."

"Ah~ Getting pissed off because of the viewers. Gotta end the world."

"S-sis!"

"Kidding, kidding."

"Even as a joke, don't say that!... "

Hmm. Her spirits are up a bit.

"Keep answering loud like that from now on, Ha-eun. You ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠always deflate without me."

"Th-that's..."

"Cheer up. Aren't you the one I made a contract with?"

"...Got it."

Thud-

"This side's ready. Take an underwater radio too."

"Good. Let's start then?"

I took the radio and did some stretches like warming up. Then.

Squish-

"Eek?! G-Goldie-nim, wait-"

"I'll be right back up, so wait here. You too, Ha-eun."

"Y-yes."

"Gyaah!"

I grabbed Terra and plunged straight into the sea.

Splash!-

"How much deeper do we go? I'm diving while using sight magic."

Checking with magic, we'd already descended over 1,500 meters. The water was getting cold.

"Sea trench...? Isn't that super deep?"

"Gotta go faster then."

That's why Terra and I came down here alone. Dragons ignore pressure and all that. No decompression sickness for us. Specialized divers might be fine, but someone like Ha-eun could be at risk.

"Goldie-nim, look at that."

"Huh?"

As we kept descending past 2,500 meters, Terra pointed to one side. A massive fish that looked like an anglerfish.

...Looks pretty vicious.

Gurgle-

The moment I thought that, its eyes suddenly shifted to us.

"Huh...?"

Then it lit up the glowing lure on its head brightly.

"What the...?"

The second I saw the chat, I compressed the water behind me and blasted forward. Closing in instantly, I grabbed its glowing lure tentacle and forehead in a panic.

Crunch! Snap!-

Ripped it right off.

As it writhed in pain, I clenched my fist. Right as I was about to punch.

"Goldie-nim. Looks like-"

"...Yeah. They're everywhere."

Up, down, left, right. Sharp gazes from every direction. And all different kinds. Some like eels, others like puffers.

"Can't be helped."

"Kill 'em all?"

"Yeah. And Terra, this is the deep sea anyway, right?"

I smirked. This was more fun than expected. A strange sense of... liberation? Awakening my instincts.

"Go wild."

"Understood."

Flash!-

Told to go wild, Terra closed and opened her eyes. Revealing her Dragon Eye. Guessing her intent, I used the water as a foothold and shot forward.

Whoosh-

Water parted at high speed, forming a small barrier ahead. I stopped abruptly in front of the eel thing.

Bang!-

The released compressed water slammed into it.

...Eyes lifeless, sinking—passed out or ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠dead. I scanned around quickly. Six visible. Swarming from all sides, I swung my arm like whipping something.

Compressed water whips lashed and grabbed the giant fish. But for every one down, two more from behind. As I raised my arm to blast everything with water body synthesis.

Whoosh!- Slash!-

A massive linear breath shot from my side, slicing through them. Fish touching the line were bisected cleanly. I turned and said.

"Too slow."

"Not criticizing."

Earth dragon. Terra had depolymorphed, revealing her true form in the deep sea.

"Wipe them all out."