The Weight of a Hero (5)
After all the twists and turns, I finally arrived at Busan Port.
“Thirty minutes until departure!”
A booming naval voice rang out across the dock.
Captain Um Il-seop, the deck officer in charge, stepped forward.
“For the purpose of luring the sea monster, we will carry out a two-day, one-night security operation!”
Countless navy personnel stood in neat formation before him.
Behind them, I tilted my head up.
That’s massive.
The ship stretched about 150 meters long and 17 meters wide. An 8,200-ton Aegis combat destroyer of the Republic of Korea Navy—the Lee Seong-gye—was moored there.
What was all that time I’d spent working in a factory for, if not this? The moment I saw a vessel that huge, I was practically lost in the beauty of it.
Ballistic missile defense. Multifunction phased-array radar. Infrared detection. Electro-optical tracking. The Lee Seong-gye was a cutting-edge destroyer, packed with the most advanced technology available.
In particular, it was equipped with an integrated SONAR system developed by the Agency for Defense Development, making it especially strong in anti-submarine warfare.
In other words, it was perfect for detecting and tracking something lurking beneath the sea—like the Dirty Kraken.
Um Il-seop pointed somewhere off to the side.
“The ship you’ll be riding is over there.”
It was a narrow little patrol craft with the number 616 painted on the bow. As an aside, the navy didn’t use the number 4 on its vessels, because in East Asian cultures it reminded people of the character for death.
“It’s an upgraded version of the existing Chamsuri-class fast patrol boat,” he explained.
The craft wasn’t especially powerful, but it boasted speed and agility that large ships simply couldn’t match, making quick turns and sudden maneuvers with ease.
“Once it reaches maximum speed, it can leap over the water like a skipping stone and soar like a flying squirrel. It should definitely help with this operation.”
After finishing his explanation, Um Il-seop turned to us.
“Are those the selected personnel behind you?”
“That’s right.”
“I see one more person than I expected.”
Me, Geumwi Daejang Park Yu-tae, Mun Dal-su from the Dio Guild, the youngest, Jang Na-ik, and my contemporary, Lee Ji-jun.
And one more had joined us.
An unwelcome guest we’d met on the way here.
Na Sang-min, the Dio Guild mad dog.
He muttered with the face of someone chewing on shit.
“Damn. Every time I get tangled up with Choi Yongki, I feel like I’m getting dragged into a mess.”
Honestly, this was a good thing.
How often did I get a chance to team up with an S-class hunter?
With Na Sang-min joining us, we’d gained a thousand soldiers and ten thousand horses before even facing the Dirty Kraken.
“It just worked out that way. Could we fit all six of us on board?”
“Hmm. Understood.”
A piercing whistle suddenly shrieked through the harbor.
Heo Da-yeong, standing beside me, flinched so hard she drew in on herself.
The thick power cables connected to the dock were disconnected one by one.
“Fifteen minutes to departure!”
There was a shared tradition among navies around the world: the five-minute culture. When a ship departed, there was always a mountain of work to do, so everything had to be prepared in advance.
“Departure crew, take positions!”
The navy’s voice rang out again.
“Positions and readiness reported complete!”
Thunderous replies echoed back in perfect call-and-response.
“First mooring line crew, positions and readiness complete!”
“Second mooring line crew, positions and readiness complete!”
“Third mooring line crew, positions and readiness complete!”
“YTL crew, positions and readiness complete!”
…
The youngest on our team, Jang Na-ik, gaped with his mouth hanging open.
“Wow. That’s incredible.”
I had to agree.
Watching the navy move in such perfect unison made me feel an involuntary sense of awe.
On the other hand, Lee Ji-jun pursed his lips.
“What, so they’re basically just supporting the hunters anyway?”
“Hey, Lee Ji-jun.”
“Huh? …Yes, Hunter Na.”
At Na Sang-min’s call, Lee Ji-jun froze stiff.
“Awakened people aren’t the only ones who matter. They’re doing their part too. Don’t get cocky.”
“……Sorry.”
Well, now.
For once, Na Sang-min was saying something that didn’t fit his usual character at all.
Even Lee Ji-jun, proud as he was, wilted in front of an S-class hunter.
I’d thought this hastily assembled team would be a complete circus, but perhaps…
They’re better coordinated than I expected.
“Five minutes to departure!”
Um Il-seop came over to me.
“Hunter Choi. The commander has issued a special order for this operation. We must absolutely annihilate the sea monster and return victorious. I wish you the best of luck.”
“Thank you for trusting us and cooperating, Captain Um.”
I shook his hand.
This was our second meeting since the Busan naval base.
Seeing him up close, I thought he looked like a sea general through and through—dark skin, eyes burning with fire.
“Don’t overdo it. Like I said, I’ll be the one fighting at the front.”
Um Il-seop suddenly fell silent, then spoke again.
“My father was in the navy too. He died fighting a monster during a mission.”
He reached into his chest pocket and pulled something out.
It was a bronze coin engraved with the symbol of the navy’s anchor.
Time had left its marks all over it.
“It’s an heirloom passed down from my grandfather. My father always gave it to me whenever he went out to sea, telling me to return it to him when he came back.”
So it was a lucky coin, then.
Um Il-seop held it out to me.
“I’m entrusting this to you, Hunter Choi. Please make sure you return it to me later.”
Handing over something precious meant a great many things.
I trust you.
And I hope you survive.
I took the navy coin and tucked it away.
“I promise.”
The bridge connecting the dock and the ship was removed.
“One, two! Heave!”
“One, two! Heave!”
Thick mooring ropes linking the ship to land were hauled up.
And then, at last, a whistle sounded, signaling the beginning of the real voyage.
“Departing!!!”
As the tugboat pulled the destroyer, the Lee Seong-gye slowly drifted away from shore.
The military band that had been sent to see off the crew began to play.
“Hunters, this way please.”
A navy sergeant led us forward.
The five hunters, myself included, climbed aboard the Chamsuri fast patrol boat.
Unlike the massive Lee Seong-gye, the little craft cut swiftly through the waves and raced ahead.
The patrol boat made a half-turn and headed back to its original position.
Only then did the Lee Seong-gye approach us.
The navy staff sergeant who had boarded the patrol boat with us said, “We’ll perform a ship-to-ship salute.”
We’d been informed of this in advance.
Now that the hunters had joined the navy, we were expected to follow naval protocol.
Na Sang-min clicked his tongue.
“Tsk. What a pain in the ass.”
A ship-to-ship salute is when vessels at sea exchange salutes upon meeting. Normally it happens naturally when their courses cross, but this time they’d deliberately turned back to show respect to the Lee Seong-gye, which carried hundreds of navy personnel.
Mun Dal-su stood at the edge of the patrol boat.
“Let’s get this over with quick.”
The stance for the salute was simple.
Grab the life line with your left hand.
Then line up with the four navy noncommissioned officers and the six Busan hunters.
The Lee Seong-gye came gradually closer.
The navy sergeant lifted the microphone.
“Every sailor taking part in this maritime operation is a comrade. Carry out your duty with the resolve to defend the seas of the Republic of Korea.”
The Lee Seong-gye loomed before us, so close it felt like I could reach out and touch it.
At the moment when the massive warship and the small patrol boat faced each other.
“We are one. Victory!”
We answered in unison and rendered our salute.
“Victory!”
“Victory!”
“Victory!”
The same was true aboard the Lee Seong-gye.
The long line of navy personnel saluted us as we passed.
The youngest on the team, Jang Na-ik, pressed his lips together with obvious emotion.
“Wow… that’s kind of moving!”
Against the blue sea, the giant warship sliced through the surface like a spaceship parting the ocean.
In this situation, where every second mattered, I finally understood why they bothered with such a cumbersome thing as a ship salute.
Two navies facing one another, exchanging salutes. In that moment, trust and respect naturally took root, and comradeship was forged.
Before I knew it, my chest had swelled, and something hot had begun to burn in a corner of my heart.
That’s damn cool.
They carried out their duty, accepted responsibility, and sailed straight toward a life-or-death battlefield.
What could possibly be more impressive than that?
“Right.”
I lowered my saluting hand and paid my final respects to the Lee Seong-gye.
The lingering warmth of that ship salute refused to fade.
Soon after, several other small and medium-sized vessels departed for the sea.
They, too, would be cruising the waters as bait for the Dirty Kraken.
Facing the rough sea wind, I steeled my resolve.
Just wait.
I’d finish this today.
Three hours into the Dirty Kraken mission, the endless sea was peaceful beyond belief.
Lee Ji-jun sighed.
“I’m about to die of frustration. I can’t even smoke.”
For safety reasons, anything related to fire was prohibited on board.
“Whi-iiist!”
As if trying to replace his craving for cigarettes, Lee Ji-jun started whistling.
The navy sergeant stopped him immediately.
“No whistling while underway.”
“What, am I not allowed to do anything? Why not whistle?”
“It sounds similar to the kind of noise that comes before a storm. Whistling on a ship is considered a kind of offense against the sea.”
“Seriously?”
Lee Ji-jun clicked his tongue.
“I’m going to sleep. Wake me when that squid bastard or whatever shows up!”
He disappeared inside the ship.
Na Sang-min was already snoring soundly.
We’d set out with solemn resolve, but the Dirty Kraken still hadn’t shown itself.
“Uwaeek!!!”
From somewhere nearby, someone gagged and vomited.
It was Jang Na-ik, bent over toward the sea.
Team leader Mun Dal-su patted his back.
“Good grief. You’re getting seasick even after taking motion sickness medicine? You all right?”
“I’m fi— Uwaeek!!!”
The ship rocked constantly with the waves.
People were sensitive to different degrees, and for some, simply being on a boat for a long time was torture.
Still, I was beginning to get restless.
Is it planning to drag this out?
Is it hiding because it’s scared?
Is it watching us, waiting for a chance?
I imagined every possible situation from the Dirty Kraken’s perspective and worked through the strategies it might be using.
Park Yu-tae stood at the bow, staring fixedly into the water.
It was as if he were searching every inch of the sea for the Dirty Kraken hidden beneath.
Unexpected.
Of all of us, the Geumwi Daejang was the most devoted to the mission.
I walked toward the bow.
When I looked more closely, I saw that he was sipping from a bottle of cola.
“Thirsty? What have you been drinking all this time?”
“Want a sip?”
He held out the bottle.
The moment I brought the opening to my nose, a strong whiskey scent hit me full in the face.
“Alcohol?”
“Shh! Quiet. You don’t want the picky navy guys catching us, do you?”
Park Yu-tae winked.
Just as drunk driving was forbidden, alcohol was naturally banned aboard a navy ship defending the sea.
“It’s Basilisk-infused liquor. It numbs your tongue and your pain receptors. Heh heh. Have a sip.”
“I’m fine.”
“Aw, come on. Don’t be like that.”
He insisted again.
“It’ll relax your body too, so just down it.”
Then he said something strange.
“Don’t be scared. They’re probably scared too.”
He pointed out at the sea.
“This isn’t a contest of strength. It’s a contest of nerve. Remember that. Whoever has the bigger balls decides the winner.”
The smell of liquor was pouring off him.
His face was flushed red.
When did he get this drunk?
Like a hawk swooping down on its prey, Mun Dal-su suddenly thrust his face into our conversation.
“Sniff, sniff! What’s that smell? I’ll take just one sip too…”
Mun Dal-su had once suffered from severe alcoholism.
I grabbed the bottle and hurled it into the sea.
“Ah! My booze!”
“Ah! My booze!”
Park Yu-tae and Mun Dal-su shouted at the same time, as though they’d rehearsed it.
That was when it happened.
“T-there’s trouble!”
A navy sergeant came running up in a panic.
“We’ve received word from the Lee Seong-gye that they’ve spotted the Dirty Kraken!”
So it had finally happened.
The long wait had paid off.
“Where is it?”
“Sixty-five miles away, to the northeast.”
“Then let’s move immediately!”
“Th-that’s the thing…”
The sergeant was sweating coldly.
Come to think of it, he had said it was trouble the moment he ran over.
“What is it?”
“The Lee Seong-gye is engaging the Dirty Kraken.”
Engaging it?
The Lee Seong-gye’s job was to lure the Dirty Kraken out.
Once they’d drawn it into the open, they were supposed to retreat immediately.
“Why are they fighting it?”
“I-I’m not sure… The line of communication was cut off partway through.”
Had the navy ignored the plan and acted on its own?
That seemed unlikely.
Then that meant…
Something unavoidable must have happened.
I did the math in my head in an instant.
Sixty-five miles was more than a hundred kilometers.
“How fast can this patrol boat go at full speed?”
“Fifty-five knots. Around one hundred kilometers per hour.”
About an hour to the destination.
Too slow.
There was no telling what might happen in the meantime.
I grabbed the sergeant by the shoulder.
“Let’s fly like flying squirrels.”