EP.6 They Can’t Be Stopped Easily (1)

 

After what felt like an eternity.

 

“Sa… saved….”

 

Yuna could see the sky.

 

“I’m alive….”

 

The sun, half-submerged on the horizon, was setting the sky ablaze.

 

Yuna thought it was the most beautiful sunset she had ever seen in her life.

 

She stepped onto the dock, and as soon as her feet touched the ground, she collapsed.

 

“Hah… Hah….”

 

Around her, journalists who had heard the news swarmed, and Hunter Association security personnel were trying to keep them at bay. An ambulance was parked to one side, adding to the chaos.

 

And the person who had made it possible for Yuna to see that sunset stood before her. It was Parang.

 

“Are you alright?”

 

At those words, Yuna tried to pull herself together. She didn’t want to show any more weakness.

 

‘Care.’

 

A low-level self-healing skill. It wasn’t enough to heal wounds properly, but it could replenish the energy she had exhausted in extreme situations.

 

“Ah, yes… Thanks to you, I’m fine.”

 

In truth, she wasn’t fine. She had just survived a life-threatening ordeal. The fact that she was even somewhat okay was due to her naturally strong mental fortitude. Anyone else might have been deeply traumatized.

 

“I’m glad. I was worried something might happen because it was such a bad experience.”

 

“Ah….”

 

It wasn’t just bad; it was horrifying.

 

The Nautilus, almost half-destroyed, was still floating on the surface.

 

How it had managed to reach the surface in that state was a mystery.

 

Yuna felt her consciousness fading. The emotions she had felt at that moment were still vivid.

 

“Don’t go below 500 meters from now on. Officially, the monster fish layer starts at 700 meters, but some of them come up occasionally, so it’s dangerous.”

 

However, she couldn’t stay like that forever. Yuna had an exceptionally strong mental fortitude. She quickly regained her composure and shook off the unnecessary emotions.

 

Then she bowed deeply at a 90-degree angle.

 

“Thank you so much. If it weren’t for you, I don’t know what would have happened… I will definitely repay this kindness. Here, this is my business card. I’m S-rank crafting hunter Shin Yuna.”

 

An S-rank crafting hunter was someone even the world government kept an eye on. She had countless S-rank and A-rank hunters indebted to her.

 

There were plenty of ways to repay the favor of saving her life.

 

Parang took the business card and stood there blankly. Yuna, curious about the lack of reaction, straightened up.

 

Only then did Yuna get a proper look at Parang. Until now, she had been too out of it to really see her face.

 

Parang was a beauty with cat-like features. Her slightly sharp eyes were striking. The black bodysuit that revealed her figure made her look like a charismatic spy from a movie.

 

“…”

 

Her posture and expression, as if she were contemplating something, only enhanced that atmosphere.

 

What was curious was that, despite having just come out of the water, her face and hair showed no signs of being wet. This contrasted with the water droplets on her bodysuit.

 

In fact, if she were to list all the curious points, she could talk all day. She refrained from bombarding her savior with questions out of respect.

 

But she could at least ask for her name. There would be plenty of opportunities to ask more questions later.

 

“Excuse me, may I ask your name? I feel bad not knowing the name of the person who saved me….”

 

Realizing her oversight, Parang quickly introduced herself. No matter how much of a savior she was, she shouldn’t be rude.

 

“Ah, I’m Hunter Yu Parang. I live nearby and followed you because I was worried when I heard you were going into the monster fish layer.”

 

Parang spoke of diving into the 700-meter abyss teeming with monsters as if it were a simple errand.

 

In truth, for Parang, it was easier than an errand.

 

Regardless, Yuna was deeply moved.

 

She had followed her all the way down with the intention of protecting her from the start.

 

“Thank you so much. I will never forget this kindness. Please feel free to contact me anytime.”

 

She had a mountain of questions. But her head was too dizzy today, so she decided to meet again in a few days to talk and think of ways to repay the kindness.

 

As Yuna was about to leave after bowing several times, Parang called out to her as if she had remembered something.

 

“Oh, and if possible, could you leave today’s broadcast replay up? I want to use it to show people how dangerous the monster fish are.”

 

It was a rather difficult request for Yuna. It was a traumatic experience for her, and it wasn’t a flattering one. Knowing this, Parang asked very cautiously.

 

Yuna thought for a moment.

 

‘Oh, right. The broadcast.’

 

She had completely forgotten that she was broadcasting. It wasn’t strange that she hadn’t thought about it during the ordeal; anyone who did would be unusual, not Yuna.

 

Reflecting on what she had done, what scenes had unfolded, and what might have been captured on camera, Yuna decided,

 

“Alright. I’ll do that.”

 

She accepted the request without hesitation. Honestly, she wanted to see the footage from a third-person perspective, to see the scenes without being entranced, and to gauge the viewers’ reactions as she ascended to the surface.

 

Yuna’s mental resilience was remarkable. Her near-obsessive curiosity was a bonus.

 

With that, the two parted ways, each returning to their respective places.

 

Yuna returned home and immediately uploaded the full version of the live broadcast replay to T-tube.

 

She also sent the video to her editor, who had been recycling highlights due to her two-week broadcast hiatus.

 

Thanks to real-time backups on her home computer and the independent setup of all broadcasting equipment inside the submarine, the broadcast had continued smoothly even as the submarine was being crushed. The control tower, her studio, had kept the broadcast running to seek help.

 

Her team had been frantically contacting every underwater hunter they knew right up until Parang appeared.

 

Naturally, after uploading, Yuna watched the replay herself, starting from the moment she encountered the glowing pillar until just before Parang appeared. She wasn’t interested in the earlier parts.

 

Watching herself on camera was eerie. She had gradually and naturally become entranced by the glowing pillar, to the point where it was hard to pinpoint when it started.

 

The glowing pillar was still beautiful on screen.

 

Next, she watched the part she was most curious about, the period when she had been unconscious, waking up to pray, and then passing out again, all while being brought to the surface.

 

After calmly reviewing the entire replay,

 

“Hah, haha, what is this….”

 

She could only laugh in disbelief.

 

“Don’t touch anything out of panic, just stay still.”

 

After she lost consciousness, Parang disappeared off-screen.

 

“…I imagine many of you were surprised by my sudden appearance. I am Yu Parang, a B-rank underwater hunter.”

 

Like a police officer arriving at a crime scene, she calmly explained the current situation while maneuvering the submarine.

 

“The monster you just encountered is called a Galecus. It lures its prey with light and drags them into the deep sea. It was an extremely dangerous situation.”

 

“I’ve been watching the broadcast from the beginning. I was scouring the nearby sea, ready to intervene if a monster appeared. The peculiar rock you saw around 250 meters helped me track your path.”

 

“You might be wondering how you can hear my voice. It’s one of my skills.”

 

“Rank doesn’t matter for underwater hunters. Because…”

 

She even addressed all the potential questions viewers might have, explaining everything clearly.

 

She had a talent for explaining things.

 

“…That’s all. The deep sea is extremely dangerous. While the known monster fish layer starts at around 700 meters, the real danger zone begins around 500 meters. I recommend not going below 300 meters for safety.”

 

And with a very neat closing statement. The broadcast ended with the sound of her tapping on the hatch, waking up a drooling, half-asleep Yuna. The control tower must have ended the broadcast.

 

Having confirmed everything, Yuna collapsed onto her bed.

 

It wasn’t late, but she was exhausted. Too many things had happened.

 

Before falling asleep, she turned on her phone while lying in bed.

 

She intended to check the community and news one last time before sleeping.

 

As expected, the internet was abuzz in real-time.

 

[ What the hell, is that what monster fish are like? ] [4]

 

[ Galecus GIF collection ] [9]

 

[ If those things are really that dangerous, thumbs up lol ] [23]

 

[ Were we really diving above those things? ] [10]

 

Discussions about the monster fish.

 

[ I was so scared for Shin Yuna ] [3]

 

[ If it weren’t for that underwater hunter at the end ] [8]

 

[ I felt cosmic horror in real-time watching the broadcast ] [17]

 

Talks about the terrifying situation.

 

[ Underwater hunters <- They’re really insane lol ] [23]

 

[ Doesn’t Yu Parang do any broadcasts? ] [11]

 

[ I thought a savior was descending ] [32]

 

[ Is it even humanly possible to be there without any gear? ] [8]

 

Yuna scrolled through the comments, feeling a mix of relief and curiosity. The world had witnessed her ordeal, and the reactions were pouring in.

 

[ Is this the hunter named Yu Parang? Looks exactly like them ] [10]

 

And the discussions about Hunter Yu Parang.

 

The entire community was still ablaze with today’s events.

 

When Yuna checked T-tube, the replay she had uploaded earlier had already surpassed 700,000 views and was rapidly approaching 1 million.

 

Even though it was a full-length replay of the broadcast, the viewership was immense. Yuna was reminded of just how much attention she had garnered.

 

Intending to just check a few posts before sleeping, Yuna opened some community threads.

 

[ What the hell, is that what monster fish are like? ]

 

[ Author: Runssini ]

 

(GIF of an octopus sticking to a bald man’s head. Likely an auto-attached image.)

 

I thought monster fish were just big fish? Why is something the size of a building trying to lure people into the sea? Have we been swimming and treasure hunting above those things all this time??

 

─The force was really something, yeah.

 

─What kind of people hunt those things?

 

─Seriously, the size is unbelievable.

 

─According to the hunter’s explanation, it lures other monster fish to its nest. Sounds like a horror story.

 

[ Galecus GIF Collection ]

 

[ Author: Heungokshin ]

 

(GIF of the Galecus first appearing in the distance.)

 

(GIF of the Galecus getting closer as Yuna approached.)

 

(GIF of the Galecus at its closest.)

 

It’s really beautiful…

 

─And you thought to make GIFs of this?

 

ㄴ But it’s really pretty.

 

ㄴ True, but considering the chaos, it’s a bit much.

 

ㄴ As long as everyone survived, why be so bothered?

 

─Seeing it like this, its size is just overwhelming. It’s like an entire apartment building glowing underwater, of course it draws attention.

 

ㄴ Is it really the size of an apartment? How big is it?

 

ㄴ It’s 70 meters.

 

ㄴ How do you know?

 

ㄴ The underwater hunter Yu Parang explained it in the replay.

 

[ Is this the hunter named Yu Parang? Looks exactly like this girl ]

 

[ Author: LifeCube ]

 

(Photos of the “Pohang Bag Girl.” Pictures of Parang confidently heading to the Hunter Association with a sack larger than her body.)

 

(Photos of Yu Parang captured on the broadcast. Though the lighting is poor, she does resemble the person in the earlier photos.)

 

─Looks exactly the same, right? Blue hair and blue eyes aren’t exactly common.

 

─Not just uncommon, it’s rare enough that having even one person in Korea with those features wouldn’t be surprising.

 

─Wow, she’s really pretty. Didn’t notice on the broadcast.

 

─What’s with the photos above? When were they taken?

 

ㄴDon’t you know the “Pohang Bag Girl”?

 

ㄴWhat’s that?

 

ㄴIt’s a meme that’s been going around for years about someone carrying a sack bigger than their body near the Pohang Hunter Association.

 

ㄴSo, was she carrying monster fish in that sack?

 

ㄴProbably, lol.

 

─She looks so happy carrying that sack, lol.

 

ㄴWho wouldn’t be happy going to get paid, lol.

 

─Isn’t she also the “Gyeongju Fish Tank Girl”?

 

ㄴWhat’s that now?

 

ㄴ(Hyperlink. Clicking it shows photos of Yu Parang exploring the Gyeongju Mangja Cave Dungeon while inside a fish tank.)

 

ㄴ???????

 

ㄴWhat???????

 

“Eh?”

 

Yuna’s image of Parang was slightly shattered at that moment.

 

And when she checked the time, oh my, it was 3 AM.

 

She had spent four hours reading the community posts in her current state.

 

Communities can be scary like that.

 

[ You have (327) unread emails. ]

 

She ignored them all. They were probably interview requests or something similar.

 

Yuna closed her eyes and tried to sleep.

 

It had been an incredibly eventful day.

 

Meanwhile, Yu Parang.

 

“Hmm….”

 

She was also watching the replay that Yuna had uploaded.

 

However, what caught her interest wasn’t the screen but the chat.

 

She focused on the chats that had come up while she was salvaging the submarine.

 

Among them, one chat stood out too much to ignore.

 

─Deep sea, this is really dangerous;;

 

‘Perhaps…’

 

Maybe the way to keep people from diving into the deep sea lay here.

 

Parang, who had recently been enjoying internet broadcasts, had at least some insight.

 

From her perspective, the way she had handled the submarine salvage process was quite decent.

 

She had only given a rough explanation of the situation to prevent chaos from escalating, but it had ended up being a coherent explanation of the current situation.

 

If she were to start her own broadcast to show people just how dangerous the deep sea was…

 

With that thought, Parang took her eyes off the screen.

 

She then went to her gallery and carefully looked through the drawings of monster fish she had made.

 

Her eyes stopped on the drawing of the Galecus she had drawn last time.

 

“Then, maybe…”

 

Parang closed her eyes and quietly fell into thought.

 

And the next day.

 

[Hello. This is Hunter Yu Parang, who helped you yesterday. I am very concerned about the current diving craze and the accompanying dangers…

 

…so I was wondering if you could help promote my deep-sea exploration broadcast.]

 

Yuna received a long text message.