Chapter 85: Promise to the Future (5)

Deep Sea Fish Hunting Specialty Broadcast

EP.85 Promise to the Future (5)

“Wait a minute. Wait, wait.”

At Hunter Han Siwoo’s sudden outburst, everyone was quite taken aback and requested to pause the screen.

Although they were organizations that had reached their peak in the sea and on land respectively, it could be said that there was virtually no interaction between them.

While Parang intentionally avoided it, one might wonder why the other members didn’t.

There were several reasons for this.

First, the issue of timing. This is actually the biggest factor.

If we roughly outline the timeline of Oceanos and the Slayers, we can see that their time axes are intertwined in an almost exquisite manner.

Summer 2018, six years ago from now. 19-year-old Yu Parang, one month after her awakening, meets Diego and Vertea in the waters off Pohang, quickly becomes friends with them, and forms Oceanos.

Half a year later, Hunter Han Siwoo awakens, makes a brief splash in the news as an S-class personal skill holder, and then registers with the association as a C-class hunter.

A year after that, a year and a half after Oceanos was formed, the seven members are complete.

Two months later, Hunter Han Siwoo breaks the record for the fastest S-class promotion, earning the title of ‘Supernova’.

Up to this point, Oceanos was essentially no different from a underwater hometown association, so any connection with Han Siwoo was out of the question. Han Siwoo didn’t even know they existed, and to Oceanos, Han Siwoo was nothing more or less than ‘a hunter who often appears in the news’.

And then another year and a half passes, 3 years since Oceanos was formed, 2.5 years since Han Siwoo’s awakening.

Hunter Han Siwoo steadily follows his path as a protagonist, starting to make his name known worldwide, and the high-risk gate specialized strike team ‘Slayers’ is launched to the world with five members.

Meanwhile, on Oceanos’ side, an unprecedented event occurs where Alice Melville is captured by a Titan and dragged to the bottom of the sea. Oceanos goes berserk, scouring every ocean in the world for about a year, consumed by madness.

Naturally, Hunter Han Siwoo wasn’t even on their radar during this period.

A year later in that state, 2022.

All members of the ‘Slayers’ gather, and Hunter Han Siwoo becomes the most notable figure in the world.

Oceanos gives up on tracking Alice with heavy hearts and creates a tombstone to honor her.

In the process of searching every sea in the world to find her, they realize that there are far too many unimaginable monsters sleeping in the depths of the ocean, and they take the form of a secret organization that prioritizes confidentiality above all else.

Two years pass in that state, and in 2024, Hunter Han Siwoo ascends.

This is roughly how it went.

There really was no reason for them to be connected.

Oceanos had no reason to look for Han Siwoo, and Han Siwoo had no particular reason to look for Oceanos.

“I really never dreamed we’d make an appearance like this…”

“I know. Why is our name coming up here?”

“Well, considering what’s about to happen, it makes sense.”

That’s a fair point. If you think about what the Slayers went through after this, if they had met Oceanos, the situation would…

“No, I still don’t think we’d have a chance.”

Sure, we could have handled the previous pit and the swarm of monsters much more easily, but that eye, honestly, even if we all rushed at it, could we win?

Even now we can’t be sure how things will turn out, so what about Oceanos at the time of the Slayers’ ascension?

“You never know. Maybe we gave them some incredible reward after meeting us.”

“Well, that does make sense in its own way…”

Oceanos fell into confusion.

And just as Oceanos was confused, the Slayers too were in their own sea of confusion.

“Wait, what exactly is Oceanos? An artifact? A monster?”

“Could it be people?”

“Who would have a name like that? Besides, it doesn’t seem like there would be people here specifically.”

“We don’t know that, do we? Whatever the reason, we’ve never been here before. It wouldn’t be strange if there were beings living under the waterways.”

“Well, that makes sense too… but I’m even questioning if this is Earth in the first place.”

True to those words, above them, monsters were swimming in circles, just like sharks circling their prey.

The appearance of each one was so bizarre that it could hardly be considered something from Earth.

“What do you think, Siwoo? Say something.”

“I… honestly, I’m not sure either. I still can’t grasp the situation well, and I have no idea what Oceanos is.”

Hunter Han Siwoo’s expression hardened.

Parang could see very intense emotions forming in his eyes. Regret, sorrow, sadness.

“Still, we can’t just stay like this. Let’s move and try to do something. Since we’re underwater, our top priority should be to get to the surface.”

But despite all these trials, there was still a glimpse of the will to move forward.

“Right. We can’t just sit here like this.”

“We’ve overcome worse adversities before. I believe we can overcome this too.”

Just as they were about to head to the surface.

“Oh right, Siwoo.”

“Uh, yes?”

“What’s the reward for the previous quest? Regardless of the outcome, we did ascend after all. The quest has moved on to the next one too.”

That makes sense. The status window clearly states that the Slayers have ‘ascended’.

He looked into the air for a moment, then said with a slightly surprised expression,

“World, Evidence, Resistance, Departure… These…”

“Yes, aren’t those the artifacts you created?”

“…That’s right.”

‘So this is how they retrieved the artifacts.’

Unlike the Slayers, Parang wasn’t particularly surprised. After all, she already knew that the Slayers had retrieved their artifacts, and it was just that the method turned out to be through a quest reward.

While it’s questionable whether such a quest should exist or how it could be so unreasonable, well, considering the unfairness Hunter Han Siwoo experienced in the original work, it’s not particularly surprising.

What really shocked Parang to her core was the ‘method of receiving the reward’.

“Uh, Si, Siwoo? Th-there!!”

In the direction Charlotte pointed while shouting, appearing from far away with a blurry silhouette were about twenty Capulus.

The sight of them slowly approaching the Slayers in neat rows and columns was incredibly bizarre.

However, their size was smaller than what Parang had seen before, with their length and width being only about 1m.

It’s exactly the size of a table.

And they really did function as tables, with the Slayers’ artifacts placed on top of each Capulus.

Everyone was quite surprised by this rather dramatic entrance.

The Slayers had their reactions:

“I’ve been trying to stay calm, but this is really disconcerting.”

“What are these things? Are they even alive?”

“Is it really okay to touch this…? It feels very unsettling…”

Oceanos had their own reactions:

“Wh-what? Why are they coming out here?”

“Those damned eyeball monsters seem to be everywhere.”

“Pit, swarm, or whatever, I’m most curious about the identity of those things.”

Even Han Siwoo, the owner of the quest, seemed a bit intimidated by their bizarre appearance, hesitant to touch the artifacts.

He cautiously picked up his main weapon, ‘World’, with an uncomfortable touch.

“Hmm… It doesn’t seem to have any strange curses. Still, just to be safe, it would be better if we all cast a purification spell before taking them.”

“Given that it’s a quest reward, I’m not sure if that’s really necessary… But alright. If it’s your advice, we’ll follow it.”

So all the Slayers, with slightly uneasy expressions, began casting various spells like purification, cleansing, and washing on their respective artifacts.

And in that brief moment.

Shurururu-

Aira witnesses Hunter Han Siwoo carefully using a skill to erase his presence.

It’s thanks to Aira being a scholar. Like Vertea, the scholars in this world mostly have stats specialized in detection or investigation.

Meeting her eyes, Han Siwoo gives a wink and quietly leaves with the Capulus that brought ‘World’.

“Huh? What’s he doing now?”

“Well… Maybe he’s going to the bathroom.”

“Parang, please…”

“What? I was being somewhat serious.”

Carefully, hiding her own presence, Charlotte went in the direction where Han Siwoo disappeared. The scene that appeared before her was.

Well, nothing special.

Just Hunter Han Siwoo sitting on a protruding part of the ground, resting.

And next to him, a Capulus floating still, without any movement.

“…Siwoo.”

“Ah, Charlotte. You came.”

“You… you know something.”

Charlotte’s voice trembled slightly.

“…That’s right. I understand this situation better than anyone right now.”

“I’m not doubting you at all. But, you must surely understand that I have so many questions I want to ask right now.”

“Of course I understand, Charlotte. But you, being as smart as you are, must also understand why I’m going to these lengths.”

“…You can’t tell me, right? Of course, I know.”

Charlotte’s voice trembled as her gaze lowered slightly.

“…I’m sorry, Charlotte.”

“You know all too well the only way to hurt me.”

Charlotte closed her eyes and took a deep breath.

“Are you, are you trying to shoulder something alone again? Like you always have?”

She raised her head and spoke softly.

Given Hunter Han Siwoo’s past actions.

He’s very greedy, having shouldered many difficult tasks alone on this journey.

Charlotte fears that at the very end of this arduous journey, she might once again see him sacrificing himself for something, and that she might once again only be able to watch.

“…Yeah. It’s something only I can do, something I have to do.”

“Why are there so many such things in this world?”

“I know, right? It’s damn frustrating.”

“…Just promise me you won’t leave.”

“I promise.”

“Is there anything I can do to help?”

At those words, Hunter Han Siwoo quietly stood up and placed something in Charlotte’s hand.

“This is…”

“That’s right. It’s a ring identical to the one you’re wearing now.”

“What should I do with this?”

“Keep it until the very last moment. Until the very last moment.”

“…Alright.”

Charlotte nodded towards Han Siwoo with a voice that seemed to have firmed her resolve.

“Now, let’s go back.”

“…Okay.”

Charlotte and Han Siwoo returned to where their companions were waiting.