EP.4 Shin Yuna (1)

 

Two weeks had passed.

 

“Sigh…”

 

Parang closed her eyes tightly as she looked at her phone screen.

 

The diving craze showed no signs of abating. In fact, it was blazing even hotter.

 

Every day, more artifacts were discovered, and even more people were diving into the sea.

 

“Wow, everyone, do you see this? This is a real artifact, right? Oh my god, wow…”

 

In the LIVE video on her phone screen, a body-enhancement streaming hunter was excitedly showing off a genuine artifact he had found.

 

Streaming hunters were those who broadcasted their hunter activities live. While it wasn’t their main source of income, it could be a decent side income, and for some, their broadcast earnings even surpassed their commission earnings, depending on the size of their channel.

 

Of course, who could resist watching a live broadcast of someone fighting a dragon?

 

Hunter live streams had quickly become the world’s number one content, surpassing professional sports.

 

And in the current climate, the hottest trend was undoubtedly diving broadcasts. Silo Corporation swiftly modified existing products and released underwater broadcasting equipment to the market.

 

Not only that, but electronic devices with waterproof and pressure-resistant options were also being released in droves.

 

Mass-producing electronic devices with such options would have bankrupted any company long ago, if not for Silo.

 

Surprisingly, Parang had a stake in that business. After a few experiments and a bit of blood drawn during a visit to the Silo research lab with an agent who had come to discuss a close partnership, underwater speakers and microphones were released just two days later.

 

Thanks to this, Parang also obtained an underwater phone. Now she could watch T-tube while lying underwater.

 

It was a model that worked even 4 kilometers below the sea. Naturally, it wasn’t a product available on the market but a custom-made one. It was more than enough as a gift from her research lab tour.

 

Parang scrolled through T-tube while lying underwater.

 

Most of the videos were vlogs like [Scuba Diving Day 1], and the rest were all diving broadcasts.

 

Parang had recently taken a liking to these diving broadcasts.

 

It wasn’t out of concern that “What if this broadcaster encounters a monster fish and people panic?!”

 

She had those worries until last week, but now she simply enjoyed watching the diving videos. Since she only operated in the East Sea, she found vicarious satisfaction in watching shallow waters in other regions.

 

She could swim there herself, but it was a hassle. The closest shallow sea was the Yellow Sea, which required swimming around the Korean Peninsula. Quite the extensive swim.

 

Parang never considered traveling by land.

 

Anyway, she felt relieved seeing that people had been enjoying safe diving experiences for two weeks without encountering any monster fish. After all, no one (except those who had been diving as naturally as breathing) had ventured to the depths where monster fish resided.

 

It was difficult to go that deep, and there was no need to. Artifacts and gold bars were being found at depths of just 50-100 meters.

 

‘Why are gold bars even showing up…’

 

The deepest anyone had gone so far was 300 meters.

 

So, there was no need to worry about people dying because of monster fish. Sure, there were 2-meter-long sharks even in shallow waters, but that was their problem to handle. Parang’s concern was solely to prevent harm from monster fish. In other words, ‘Since no one has the ability to reach the monster fish layer, I don’t need to intervene with those playing in the shallow waters.’

 

But why, one might wonder.

 

Why is it okay for someone to get bitten by a 2-meter shark but not by a monster fish?

 

That’s because there are some creatures that must never be known to the world.

 

Not weaklings like Bellua, but the ‘real’ ones. The ones whose mere existence could cause people to lose their will and bring chaos to society. These otherworldly calamities slumbered in the deep.

 

Only six people in the world knew this.

 

The underwater hunters who had witnessed ‘those things’ and survived. They had agreed never to disclose this information and to bear the burden themselves.

 

It was a truth too immense for humanity to handle.

 

And even if humanity knew, it wasn’t like they could do anything about it.

 

Parang was one of those six.

 

Neither the Hunter Association, the world governments, nor Silo… well, Silo might know for some reason, but no one else knew this information.

 

And so far, only six people had access to this information. It was a relief.

 

However, that relief was short-lived. As Parang lay underwater, fiddling with her phone, a newly started live stream title caught her eye.

 

[LIVE – World’s First 800m Dive]

 

Parang was so shocked that she dropped her phone.

 

It hit her face, but it didn’t hurt because she was underwater.

 

She quickly picked up her phone and opened the broadcast.

 

The screen showed a familiar location.

 

‘No way…’

 

This was near her neighborhood.

 

Parang dropped her phone again. She tried to dodge it but decided it was better to just let it hit her face.

 

In an instant, a splash of water erupted, and Parang disappeared.

 

S-rank crafting hunter, Shin Yuna.

 

She was in a great mood right now.

 

The reason was simple.

 

[Currently 25,320 viewers are watching.]

 

‘25,000…!’

 

Three times her usual audience was watching her broadcast.

 

As soon as she saw the news about the Slayers’ ascension, a content idea popped into her head. She started working on it the next morning and finished it yesterday.

 

What did she make? A submarine.

 

Today, she planned to dive down to 800 meters in the submarine she had built herself.

 

Just like in any other hunter story, an S-rank crafting hunter was at the top of the hunter caste.

 

Borrowing a Silo lab was as easy as breathing for her. Of course, it wasn’t free.

 

Anyway, she had even tested the submarine for pressure resistance in the lab. The hull started to buckle at the 1km mark.

 

Even if she set aside the treasure and artifacts, exploring the unknown depths of the ocean was an exhilarating prospect.

 

Yuna had perfectly captured the excitement of 25,000 viewers.

 

And Yuna’s heart was pounding 25,000 times more than usual.

 

Trying to hide her trembling voice, she began her broadcast.

 

“Hello everyone~ It’s Shin Yuna on July 3rd.”

 

─ Finally, you’re broadcasting, you little…

 

─ Yuna Punch! Yuna Punch! Yuna Punch! Yuna Punch!

 

─ After abandoning us for two weeks, you come back with an 800m dive, LOL. Seriously?

 

“You can’t say I abandoned the broadcast. I clearly posted that I was working on something amazing for two weeks and would show it to you.”

 

The chat was filled with various emojis.

 

─ ‘ㅇㅇ’ donated 1,000 won! Thank you~! –

 

[ tq Are you really diving to 800m? Not 80? ]

 

“Yes, that’s right. Today, I’m diving to 800 meters.”

 

─ How are you going to dive to 800, you crazy…

 

─ Did you bring an underwater hunter?

 

─ What’s that?

 

─ There’s such a thing.

 

“I’ve heard of underwater hunters, but I didn’t bring one today~. Besides, I don’t even know where they are.”

 

Underwater hunters. Hunters who operated in the sea. Yuna knew of their existence.

 

They were an extremely rare profession, with only about twenty in all of South Korea. They had been featured in extreme job interviews and documentaries.

 

They were like modern-day hermits. People knew they existed, but no one really knew what they did or cared much about it.

 

─ So when are you diving? Hurry up, I can’t wait.

 

─ Crazy dive concrete;;

 

“Hold on a bit. What do you mean, ‘can’t wait’… You’re getting a temporary ban.”

 

After confirming that the chat was sufficiently heated, she turned the camera from her face to the dock.

 

“Ta-da~! Let me introduce the Nautilus~!”

 

─What the heck is that?

 

─Is that a submarine?

 

─It looks like a submarine.

 

─Is it what I think it is?

 

“Yes, it’s exactly what you think. I spent the last two weeks building this.”

 

─’ㅇㅇ’ donated 1,000 won! Thank you~! –

 

[ Crazy… crazy… ]

 

As expected, the reaction was explosive. Yuna smiled with satisfaction as the atmosphere grew more lively.

 

─Did you really build that by yourself?

 

─Wasn’t building an airplane last time enough for you…

 

─What airplane? LOL

 

─There’s such a thing.

 

─If it exists, tell us, damn it.

 

“Yes, building an airplane wasn’t enough, so I made this~. It can dive to a minimum of 1km, and oh, I need to bake more, but I want to ride it first, so I’ll just go.”

 

─Explain before you dive LOL

 

─The engineer’s nature never changes LOL

 

─I believe you. You must be Shin Yuna.

 

“I’ll explain once I’m inside. Wow, this is… amazing….”

 

This was real. Forget the broadcast; she was dying to get inside the submarine she had built. She was so overwhelmed with emotion that she even felt a tingling sensation in her lower abdomen.

 

Quickly boarding the submarine and sealing the hatch, Yuna adjusted the broadcasting equipment.

 

Soon, the broadcast screen switched to the submarine’s interior cam.

 

The inside of the submarine, designed for a single occupant, was the stuff of dreams for many men and so-called engineers.

 

The rough steel interior walls, a plush-looking leather chair, dozens of levers and gauges surrounding her, and the subtly gaslight-inspired interior lighting, along with the steel grating protecting the front glass window, all contributed to the aesthetic.

 

The camera view was split into two. The main cam, positioned at the top of Yuna’s chair back, captured the view of the sea ahead, while the sub cam, fixed to the ceiling, showed the entire interior of the submarine. The broadcast screen was filled with the main cam view, with the sub cam displayed in a smaller window at the bottom right.

 

─’ArongSatae’ donated 5,000 won! Thank you~! –

 

[ This crazy woman actually made the submarine in a steampunk style… ]

 

“Steampunk is life, everyone.”

 

─The main cam view is awesome, for sure.

 

─But it looks a bit small. Can it really dive to 800 meters?

 

─Are you new? She’s an S-rank crafting hunter.

 

─Oh, then I get it.

 

─Why is an S-rank crafting hunter doing a live broadcast?

 

─We can’t see her face!!!

 

“I already confirmed it can dive to 1km at the Silo lab. And my face is visible on the sub cam, so why are you saying you can’t see it?”

 

─How are we supposed to see with that tiny screen!!

 

“Hey, watch your language. Speak properly.”

 

─How are we supposed to see with that Yuna-sized screen!!

 

“Get out.”

 

The viewers were overly excited to see her return after two weeks.

 

Normally, such comments would warrant a ban, but she was in a good mood, so she let it slide with a temporary ban.

 

“Alright~ Everyone, prepare for the dive~!”

 

She had always wanted to say that line.

 

─Yes, Captain!!

 

─Yes, Captain!!!!

 

─Yes, Captain!

 

And so, the submarine carrying Yuna began to sink into the sea.

 

 

 

Illustration of Shin Yuna

 

 

 

 

Name: Shin Yuna

 

Residence: South Korea

 

Personal Skill: ???