Guardian of the Depths
Chrrrk. Splash. Splash.
Yoo Taejeong, who had descended to the sea off Wando's coast, muttered as he gazed at the rising sun.
"From here, it doesn't look all that strange."
The sea as seen from inland had been utterly serene. Gentle waves and a soft breeze. A clear sky without a single cloud. There wasn't the slightest sign of an approaching storm anywhere.
"Guess I'll go check it out anyway."
Taejeong launched himself back into the air and pressed onward. Flying through the refreshing sea breeze, he suddenly thought of So-young.
He'd been too busy scraping by to ever take her anywhere near the ocean. She'd grown up fast and never asked, but as her big brother, it was only natural he'd want to show her places like this existed.
Next time, I should take her to Wolmido. Now that I'm a hunter, getting in should be no problem.
Korea was a controlled nation. Or rather, it had no choice but to be. Starting with the random teleportation portals, there were still countless unresolved field dungeons. The coastline was the same. Monsters swarmed the waters even now, and protecting civilians from them had become the guilds' duty.
So the only places civilians could go were the developed cities. Somewhere like the monster-infested sea was out of the question. But now that Taejeong was a hunter, he could roam pretty much anywhere. Especially places where his guild held shares—he'd have even easier access.
It wasn't long before he was flying again.
Whoooosh—!
A fierce wind whipped up a whirlpool, making his body wobble. Far ahead loomed dark storm clouds and sheets of torrential rain. Below, waves the size of houses churned wildly.
"That's where it starts, huh."
Taejeong considered getting closer but shook his head and steeled himself. Crashing from the gale winds wouldn't be an issue, but the lightning striking from all sides was another story.
He began a slow descent, summoning his navigator right above the water's surface. The blaster on his back disengaged, and something massive enveloped his body. A sudden weight pulled him down, and the craft sank into the sea with a thud.
"Oh ho. So this is the submersible mode."
From inside, the craft looked like a capsule. Round portholes on either side, a straight panoramic window up front. Sticks where his hands went, and ahead of them, a console with displays.
"This is even cooler than the Protector. Probably 'cause it's fully sealed. Feels like I'm really piloting something."
Taejeong felt like he was inside a tiny spaceship. He'd never seen one in real life, but it was just like the ones from cartoons he'd watched as a kid. The Protector wasn't this enclosed, so it felt refreshingly novel somehow. Like driving your first car.
"Gerard, set coordinates for Jeju Port."
Acknowledged. Coordinates set for Jeju Port on the bottom-left first display.
"Got it. Okay then, let's take her for a slow spin."
He ramped up the output, and the craft began gliding forward. His controls were cautious, like handling a baby.
The external searchlights were on full, but visibility underwater was poor. The storm above blocked any light. But it wasn't a problem. He had the sharp AI Gerard, plus top-tier radar and deep-sea navigation.
His first underwater voyage went smoothly. The murky waters that had been hard to see at first were now manageable. And he'd learned something new: the craft had an autopilot system. Thanks to that, he could cruise in auto mode comfortably.
"How long till we get there, roughly?"
At current speed, about 10 hours. At max speed, around 6.
"That's a haul. Max output's four times the mana draw right now, yeah?"
Affirmative.
"Should've brought some work. Never hunted for 10 hours straight—maybe some mental training."
He was just leaning back, propping his head, when an alarm blared from the left display.
Beep! Beep! Beep!
Straightening up, Taejeong checked it and asked Gerard.
"What's on radar?"
Something approaching.
"Switched to wide-range sonar detection, right?"
Affirmative.
"Monster then. Disengage auto—I'm driving."
Autopilot disengaged.
Gripping the stick again, Taejeong kept speed while eyeing the left panel.
500 meters. 300. 100… 50, where are you?
He slowed at 50 meters, scanning all around. Radar showed the blip down to 10 meters.
Where?
As Taejeong peered out every window for the target, Gerard's alert came.
Below.
"Below?"
Bam!
The instant he spoke, a massive force slammed the craft. The impact was so fierce it shot upward over ten meters.
"Ngh. What the hell's that strong?"
Incoming again.
"Not falling for it twice."
Taejeong seized control, thrusting output forward. Glancing back, he spotted it.
"What is that thing?"
What loomed before Taejeong was a massive wall. A faded yellowish-brown wall pocked with holes. As he pondered what it could be and reached for the stick, a huge hole yawned in the center, revealing... an eye.
A gigantic eyeball the size of his craft. That's when Taejeong realized: the sea's guardian, the Giant King Octopus.
A colossal beast 30 meters long. The one he'd most wanted to see after memorizing sea monsters the past few days.
"They said it was rare, but am I just lucky?"
Tentacle incoming from 45 degrees.
"Huh."
Reacting to Gerard's warning, Taejeong banked left. A massive tentacle sliced diagonally past.
Damn, it is huge. A direct hit would be game over.
Precarious as it was, Taejeong's eyes gleamed with curiosity, not fear. He'd doubted such a giant existed from the guidebook pics. 30 meters was incomprehensible to him. But seeing it? Awe-inspiring.
If a grade-3 colossal like this was this big, what about grade-1 or special? He whistled, dodged another tentacle easily, then closed in on the eye again.
Time to end the show. He knew the weak spot.
"Target lock: that eye."
Target set.
"Load torpedoes."
Torpedoes loaded.
"Bye-bye, squid-face."
With that, he hit the fire button. Bubbles erupted as two small torpedoes launched from tubes on either side. They snaked toward the target like serpents before slamming into the massive eye with a huge blast.
Boom boom boom!Pop!
The shockwave pushed the craft back briefly. Then came the death notification.
You have defeated the Giant King Octopus.
You have acquired 5,000,000 EXP.
"Oh, even an item."
Having dispatched it easily, Taejeong opened his inventory to check. There sat a massive, waterlogged clam in the second row, first slot.
Pulling it out with both hands, water dripped, carrying the fresh sea scent.
"Look at that freshness. Gotta be about 20 inches."
Too big for both palms. Second-best drop from octopuses: a mana stone inside.
Small ones fetched 1 to 5 billion won. Prices varied by size.
"This one's gotta have a good one."
To check, Taejeong fiddled with it, trying to pry it open. No dice—it was shut tight. After a few tries, he summoned his powered exosuit. The added strength popped it open.
Revealed: a baby-fist-sized gem. Bigger than expected.
"This'll go for 3 billion at least? Bigger than the one from Crescent Moon Plateau."
Nice haul. Covered the round-trip mana cost easy.
Thrilled by the bonus gift, he resumed sailing with a grin.
Underwater offered more sights than surface travel: unknown fish, occasional monsters. Some spots were pitch black, but better than endless ocean horizon.
Soon, drowsiness hit.
"Up since dawn—no sleep. Need a nap before action. Gerard."
Yes, Master.
"Wake me if radar pings a monster."
Sleep easy.
"Thanks."
He set Gerard as alarm, switched to autopilot, leaned back, and dozed off.
How much time passed?
Master.
"Hm?"
Arriving at Jeju Port soon.
"Already?"
Rubbing his bleary face, Taejeong checked his watch. Exactly four hours gone.
"Felt like a quick nap, but time flew. No issues?"
One approaching monster, but I veered off—no need to wake you.
"Good job."
Stretching, he prayed for quick docking. Moments later, speed dropped sharply, and something huge appeared.
"That's... a ship?"
It was the hull's underside. Passing it, the craft reached the port and surfaced. To the right: a massive ship and old docks.
Deactivating the skill, Taejeong blastered into the air. Eyeing the ship closely, he muttered toward the inland.
"This isn't abandoned... someone's here?"