Omniscient Ocean Sunfish (7)

Under Lee Jihye's command, the Ghost Fleet unleashed a merciless barrage that utterly annihilated the Japanese warships. Not just me — Kim Dokja, Jung Heewon, and Lee Gilyoung all stood with their mouths hanging open, unable to tear their eyes from the spectacle unfolding before them.

Wasn't this the moment they said of Lee Jihye, "The girl who does not cry commanded the battlefield"?

Between the desperate chaos surrounding us, Kim Dokja's sharp rebuke, and Lee Jihye's struggle to overcome her trauma for the sake of her comrades and her own life — she looked genuinely magnificent.

"Hah… I'm dying here."

I stared blankly at Lee Jihye and her Ghost Fleet rampaging across the sea like mad things, then grimaced at the pain radiating through my body — a body riddled with wounds from the Japanese soldiers' attacks — and sank down where I stood. I bought a Mid-Grade Stamina Recovery Potion from the Dokkaebi Bag and downed it in one go.

"…Finally getting off this godforsaken ocean."

With Lee Jihye's performance, the Battle of Myeongnyang would wrap up without a hitch. All that remained after that was dealing with Theater Master Simulation in the boss room, along with the brainwashed Yoo Joonghyuk under his control — and then this Hidden Dungeon would be cleared.

"Uwaaah! Die! You oni bastard—!"

"Who the hell yells while trying to ambush someone?"

Slash.

I severed the neck of the Japanese soldier who'd crept up behind me with a katana in a single stroke. His headless body crashed noisily onto the deck, and the severed head went tumbling across the panokseon's planks with a wet roll.

"Definitely A-rank, huh. This blade cuts like a dream."

I smiled down at Barisada — a longsword etched with ornate golden patterns. It was a replica, and a degraded one at that, so one of its original unique abilities, Magic Nullification, had been downgraded to mere Magic Resistance. Even so, it was still an outstanding masterpiece of a sword.

"Huh? It's over."

It barely felt like any time had passed since Lee Jihye activated her Stigma, Ghost Fleet. She'd already cleaned everything up.

I got to my feet at the ending message and walked over to where the others had gathered around Lee Jihye. Jung Heewon was just extending a hand to Lee Jihye, who had collapsed onto the deck, gasping for breath.

"You did great."

"Unnie, your skill was insane."

"Urgh… the seasickness is back…"

The moment the fighting ended, Lee Jihye's face went deathly pale and she started dry-heaving. I approached her with a grin.

"Damn, our Jihye was incredible out there. You were flying all over the place."

"…Oppa. Heh! Of course — who do you think I am?"

Lee Jihye flashed me a brilliant smile and threw up a V-sign at the praise. But the smile looked a little strained, probably from the aftermath of the battle she'd just fought. She was clearly exhausted, putting on a brave face.

Still trying to act cool at her age, huh.

I chuckled at the sight of her and quietly ruffled her hair, then handed her a can of electrolyte drink I'd bought from the general store.

"Good work."

"…Yeah. Thanks."

I made sure not to forget Jung Heewon and Lee Gilyoung either — the ones who'd fought just as hard against the Japanese soldiers before Jihye awakened.

"Heewon-ssi, Gilyoung — you two fought brilliantly out there. Great work, both of you."

"You're one to talk, Jinwoo-ssi. Leading the charge on the front lines like that was pretty cool."

"Yeah, hyung was super awesome too!"

"Haha! You're gonna make me blush saying stuff like that."

We were chatting among ourselves when the theater screening the Battle of Myeongnyang began to shift.

Tszzzzt.

"Ah, looks like we're heading back to the theater."

Jung Heewon watched as the scenery blurred and transformed around us.

"Think nothing of it."

The general I respected expressing gratitude to me? An honor to the family name, that was.

Before we knew it, we were back inside the movie theater. Lee Jihye, completely drained from the battle, could no longer keep herself upright. She leaned her back against the theater wall and slid straight down to the floor.

"Ugh, I'm so dizzy."

Kim Dokja looked at her with a flicker of concern, then spoke.

"You rest here for a bit and catch up later. We'll go save Yoo Joonghyuk."

"But…"

"Just listen."

"She's right, Jihye. We'll go get your master first. Take your time coming up."

"Okay… thanks. Unnie. Oppa."

Lee Jihye thanked Kim Dokja and me for the consideration, then fully settled against the wall to rest. Watching her, Kim Dokja turned her gaze toward the escalator leading to the eighth floor.

"Everyone, only the final eighth floor — the boss room — remains. We're genuinely running out of time. Let's move."

We headed for the eighth floor where the boss room waited. Watching Kim Dokja chug a Stat Enhancement Ampoule as we rode the escalator up, it really hit me — we were about to fight Yoo Joonghyuk for real.

As she climbed the final steps, Kim Dokja froze, staring at something. The rest of us followed her gaze. There stood Yoo Joonghyuk with her back to us.

An opaque dome curved overhead like a miniature opera house, and in the center of the rooftop carpeted in green grass stood Yoo Joonghyuk's silhouette. Kim Dokja simply stared at her, dazed.

"Huh? Dokja-ssi, isn't that the Yoo Joonghyuk person? Didn't you say her life was in danger? She looks perfectly fine to me."

At Jung Heewon's words, Kim Dokja's expression twisted with frustration as she glared at Yoo Joonghyuk. And just as she started forward, ready to smack the back of Yoo Joonghyuk's head — I already knew why she looked like that, so I hurriedly grabbed Kim Dokja's wrist and stopped her.

"Jinwoo-ssi?"

"You can't go over there. There's someone who looks an awful lot like the boss sitting right over there. And does Yoo Joonghyuk look like the type to just stand around quietly?"

"………!?"

I looked toward the elderly gentleman in a navy suit sitting on a wooden bench deeper inside the eighth floor's Sky Garden. Kim Dokja flinched, then turned her head toward where I was looking.

Seated on the wooden bench, he looked at us, removed his hat, and offered a gentlemanly bow — complete with a smile that made my skin crawl.

"…Thank you for stopping me, Jinwoo-ssi. ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠That nearly went very badly."

"If you're that grateful, mind if I sit this one out? Honestly, I'm scared shitless right now."

"Absolutely not. Remember what you said back at Jurassic Park? We all live together, we all die together. I still remember that."

"My mouth is my worst enemy. Damn it…"

The moment I so much as tensed to bolt, Kim Dokja clamped down hard on my wrist and fixed me with a chilling smile. Running was clearly not an option.

The instant the system message appeared, a murky gray-green aura bloomed around Yoo Joonghyuk's body. Slowly, she turned to face us.

"We're completely screwed, aren't we, Dokja-ssi?"

"…Seems that way."

An already absurdly strong lunatic of a woman was staring us down with eyes full of murderous intent. Every hair on my body stood on end.

"Uh, I'm getting a strong feeling we need to dodge right now. Thoughts?"

"Don't ask the obvious — just move!"

We split sideways in a desperate bid to put distance between ourselves and Yoo Joonghyuk. But—

Before I knew it, she was right in front of me, resting a fist lightly against my stomach. A strange sense of déjà vu washed over me. And then, a beat too late, I realized.

Shit… this is Fajin…!

BOOM!

A crushing pain exploded through my gut, and my body was launched into the air.

CRAAASH!

"Ghk—! Cough!!"

My body slammed hard into the dome along the side of the Sky Garden, and the air was driven clean out of my lungs. Thankfully my breath came back quickly enough, but something wet and heavy was dripping from my mouth. I wiped my lips with my sleeve and found bright red liquid smeared across it.

"Crazy… monster gorilla bitch."

One hit. Just one hit, and I'd nearly blacked out. With trembling hands, I carefully cradled my stomach as I pushed myself up, cursing Yoo Joonghyuk under my breath.

"Jinwoo-ssi! You—!"

The moment I was blasted into the side of the Sky Garden by Yoo Joonghyuk's single punch, Jung Heewon activated Demon Slaying and charged straight at her.

"Heewon-ssi! You can't just rush Yoo Joonghyuk like that…!"

Kim Dokja frantically tried to stop her, but Jung Heewon ignored her completely and swung her blade at Yoo Joonghyuk.

Yoo Joonghyuk watched the charging Jung Heewon with empty, indifferent eyes — as if she already knew every move she was about to make.

Jung Heewon brought her sword down in a cleaving strike meant to cut Yoo Joonghyuk in a single blow, but Yoo Joonghyuk slipped past the blade with almost insulting ease.

In the same motion she dodged, Yoo Joonghyuk seized the wrist of Jung Heewon's sword hand in an iron grip. Jung Heewon's face twisted in shock as she tried to wrench free — she couldn't budge an inch.

"Kh…! Let go!"

Still gripping Jung Heewon's sword hand, Yoo Joonghyuk reached for her head. Jung Heewon recoiled in terror at the murderous intent radiating from that outstretched palm, throwing her body backward to evade.

Crack…!

Still bent backward, she drove a vicious kick into the arm holding her sword and hand, breaking free of Yoo Joonghyuk's grip. She tumbled into a backflip and managed to put some distance between them.

"Hah… hah…"

They'd only exchanged a handful of blows, and Jung Heewon was already showing signs of exhaustion. Yoo Joonghyuk glanced down at the arm she'd been kicked, then slowly turned her gaze back to Jung Heewon.

"Heewon-ssi! Get out of there right now!"

"What? What are you talking abou—"

Jung Heewon frowned at Kim Dokja's shout — and then her expression went blank with panic as Yoo Joonghyuk appeared right in front of her in the blink of an eye.

"Uh…?"

"Ugggh… I'm dead."

After resting for a while, Lee Jihye had recovered enough strength to start climbing the escalator in earnest.

The moment she finally reached the eighth floor and opened her mouth to call out to the others who'd arrived first, something came flying past her.

KRAAAASH!

"Kyaaah! Wh-what was that?!"

Something had rocketed past her so suddenly that she let out a girlish scream. Lee Jihye peered carefully into the rising cloud of dust, trying to figure out what had just flown by.

"…Huh? Heewon unnie!"

The thing that had been launched beside her was Jung Heewon. Lee Jihye called her name in alarm at how badly she was hurt, then scanned the Sky Garden to figure out what was going on.

"Kh…! Snap out of it, Yoo Joonghyuk…!"

"Haaah…!"

She saw her master, Yoo Joonghyuk, attacking Kim Dokja and Lee Gilyoung — and the two of them supporting each other as they desperately fended off her assaults. And finally—

"Oppa…?"

She saw Park Jinwoo against the side of the Sky Garden, coughing up blood and gasping for air.

"Lee Jihye! Yoo Joonghyuk is being controlled by that bastard right now! Go after the Theater Master!"

Kim Dokja spotted Lee Jihye arriving on the eighth floor and shouted at her. Lee Jihye locked a murderous glare on the Theater Master where Kim Dokja was pointing and charged straight ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠at him.

"You bastard — what did you do to my master…!"

Yoo Joonghyuk glanced at Lee Jihye rushing the Theater Master, then instantly brushed past Kim Dokja and Lee Gilyoung and lunged at her instead.

"M-Master?"

Lee Jihye faltered, clearly rattled by the sight of Yoo Joonghyuk charging her. That hesitation was all the opening Yoo Joonghyuk needed.

THWACK!

"Ghk…!"

Unable to recognize her own disciple, Yoo Joonghyuk drove a kick straight into Lee Jihye's face. Lee Jihye coughed up blood and crumpled to the ground.

"Hey… what kind of master kicks their own disciple that viciously? What if you'd wrecked my cute little sister's face? There's no dentist around to fix it, you know."

"………………."

Yoo Joonghyuk turned toward the voice behind her. There stood Park Jinwoo, still clutching his stomach. She immediately tensed her legs to charge him — and Park Jinwoo, catching the movement, reached behind his back and grabbed something.

"Ah-ah! Our Joonghyukie, freeze! Or you don't get this."

Park Jinwoo pulled a certain food item out from behind his back. Murim Dumplings.

"……………."

"There's a good Joonghyukie. Stay right there like a good girl. Or no dumplings — I warned you."

At Park Jinwoo's not-quite-threat, Yoo Joonghyuk's eyes locked onto the Murim Dumplings in his hand.

"…What the hell is ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠he doing?"

Kim Dokja stared at Park Jinwoo like he was a complete lunatic — standing there with Murim Dumplings in his palm, treating Yoo Joonghyuk like a dog. And she wasn't alone. Jung Heewon, who'd come to her senses, Lee Jihye, and Lee Gilyoung standing beside Kim Dokja all wore the exact same expression.

"Good girl. Behave and I'll give you these Murim Dumplings. Just wait patiently. Aww, our Joonghyukie is so well-behaved."

"………………."

Was it his imagination? Yoo Joonghyuk's body twitched, just slightly. But Park Jinwoo either didn't notice or pretended not to, carefully approaching the Yoo Joonghyuk who stood quietly staring at the dumplings.

"I'm not gonna hurt our Joonghyukie. So just calm down, okay? I trust you, Joonghyukie."

"…………you."

"Hm? What was that?"

Then Yoo Joonghyuk started muttering something under her breath. Park Jinwoo leaned in closer, asking as he approached the quietly mumbling woman.

"Whoa whoa, relax. Our Joonghyukie's a good girl. But what was that? What are you mumbling about?"

"……kill……you……"

"What have you been saying this whole time? Has our Joonghyukie gotten so excited about Murim Dumplings she can't even talk straight?"

Grab—!

Just as Park Jinwoo nearly reached her side, Yoo Joonghyuk's hand shot out and seized him by the collar in an iron grip. Startled, Park Jinwoo snapped his eyes up to her face — and found Yoo Joonghyuk's eyes staring straight into his.

Huh?

Whether the Theater Master's brainwashing had broken or her reason had simply returned, Yoo Joonghyuk glared at Park Jinwoo with pure, unfiltered rage and roared.

"I'll kill you—! Park Jinwoo—!!"

"Uh, shit? Hang on a second—?"