Chapter 115

Episode 115. The Sixth Supernatural War (3)

****

The operation had no choice but to continue into the night.

We couldn’t withdraw just because the sun had set, not knowing when that mysterious ship from China might return.

Even the assumption that it’s from China is just speculation. It was a ship disguised as a Chinese fishing vessel, but in reality, we have no idea where it came from or who it belongs to.

The Support Department Head picked up the phone.

“Is this the Headquarters Command Center?”

[Headquarters Command Center, Advisor An speaking. Looks like another overtime night, huh? You could’ve left this simple task to the lower ranks.]

“Well, Advisor An. How many science officers in the country are capable of underwater combat?”

[No idea.]

The Support Department Head shook his head.

“Aside from Dr. Kim, I doubt there are any. Even the science officer of the Catfish team only has a master’s in oceanography. It’s only right for Dr. Kim to go.”

There’s more to it.

Even deploying just one or two ships costs billions, and with Korean government ships joining the operation, someone has to coordinate. There’s no other option but for the Director to be on-site.

[Good luck.]

“Ugh, I’m dying. I get seasick easily, and now it looks like I’ll be spending the whole night on the deck.”

****

The sea was pitch black. We tried shining flashlights around, but it was like holding a single candle against a black storm.

Sensing new prey, eel-like fish began circling the Special Forces. Watching the swarm of tentacle-like creatures made me nauseous.

Disgusting.

“We’re going in.”

From a distance, a large, unidentified fish was scraping the seafloor.

[Looking at the damage concentrated on the lower part of the ship, it seems like it hit a mine. Though it’s hard to tell just from this.]

We entered the ship one by one.

A wall of marine life greeted us. Whether they were resting or there was another reason, countless fish were swimming inside the ship.

[There are signs of extension. Probably done by the people who were here just moments ago. Let’s look for anything unusual inside the ship first.]

The Catfish Team Leader paused.

[Huh, they left the extension behind…?]

No way they left it. They must still be here. I quietly loaded my needle gun, and the other Special Forces members followed.

“Turn off all the lights. We’ll move stealthily. The augmented reality in the diving helmets will show us what we need to see.”

****

Underwater, nothing changes. Using night vision equipment, we moved with all lights off, guns at the ready. It was my first time fighting underwater.

[Catfish-1. I’d like to evacuate you, but staying with the Special Forces is the safest option right now. Please understand, Director.]

“I have no intention of running away.”

[Take cover.]

The enemy seemed to have noticed something. A faint red flashlight glow appeared in the distance. Following the Catfish Team Leader’s hand signals, I took cover behind the ship’s interior structures.

What happens if you get shot in the deep sea?

Would the bullets be less effective underwater? Or would the needles just pierce through? We don’t have any bulletproof gear.

If you bleed in the ocean, the blood would dissolve in the water and not clot properly. There might be no way to stop the bleeding. If it’s a limb injury, maybe a tourniquet could work.

Come to think of it, if a bullet hits the chest, water would flood into the thoracic cavity. That would mean instant death.

I pressed myself closer to the wall, following the Catfish Team Leader’s hand signals. I heard the sound of water being stirred. Someone’s coming this way. The Team Leader pulled out an awl from his belt. I did the same.

Silencers don’t work underwater. If we fire a gun, anyone within a kilometer with acoustic equipment would know we’re here.

They probably already know. But they’d specifically know we’re here with guns.

The enemy was approaching with flashlights, which suggests they’re less equipped and prepared than us. The Team Leader and I watched as the enemy slowly approached…

Two enemies passed in front of us.

The Team Leader lunged forward like lightning, stabbing one. After a few seconds of bubbles, the enemy stopped moving. The one in front of me tried to run, but I stabbed their leg with the awl.

The Team Leader, having dealt with one, stabbed the second from behind. Just as I had wondered earlier, the enemy died instantly as their chest was pierced.

A reddish-brown liquid clouded my vision.

The two bodies twitched, either from rigor mortis or adjusting to the water pressure. But dead is dead.

[This is Catfish-1. Two enemies eliminated.]

There’s something I need to check. I stabbed the bodies once more with the awl to confirm the kill, then detached their breathing apparatus to inspect it.

They were carrying needle guns, similar to ours, usable underwater. Upon closer inspection, they might even be the same model.

There should be some writing somewhere. Ah, found it. I can’t read Chinese, but I know this is simplified Chinese characters.

“This is Catfish-6. Confirmed that the eliminated personnel were using Chinese equipment.”

Though I doubt anyone other than the Team Leader heard me, it was worth a try.

[Are they Chinese?]

“Well, it’s written in Chinese, so probably.”

But whether they’re from the Chinese government, a private company, or a hostile group, I have no idea. I can’t read Chinese.

There’s probably no such information written there anyway.

[Let’s move. Hide the bodies somewhere. The enemy might have noticed their comrades are dead, so be extra cautious.]

I nodded.

By the way, I heard the enemy ship trying to salvage the warship had already withdrawn. Is there an enemy submarine somewhere? Or are they planning to come back later to retrieve their personnel?

Maybe they just abandoned them.

I wondered if we should’ve captured or interrogated them, but attempting communication without knowing the enemy’s identity would’ve been too risky.

****

We advanced again into the darkness. The water was still murky. The ship’s interior walls were completely covered in coral and barnacles.

Night vision goggles on land make everything look like broad daylight, but the diving helmet’s night vision performance was disappointing. It only highlighted analyzed footage from the camera in augmented reality.

How many enemies are there?

We’re six. I doubt there are more than that underwater. We don’t know what the enemy wants or what they’re doing.

[Enemy spotted!]

This time, there’s no way to hide. I immediately started shooting. The enemy tried to counter, but… they were a step too late. They were no match for us hiding in the dark without lights.

The bodies floated away in the water. The enemy’s flashlight illuminated the red streaks of blood spreading in all directions.

[This is Catfish-1. Two more enemies eliminated.]

I clenched my teeth. My heartbeat was so loud I could barely hear the comms.

The fear of combat was one thing, but more than that, the darkness and the endless abyss of the seafloor were terrifying. The ship, filled with grotesque creatures like the corpse of a leviathan, didn’t help ease the fear.

[Are you okay?]

“I’m fine. Let’s continue the operation.”

There can’t be many enemies left. We’ll move to the next phase of the operation: finding out why this ship sank and what it was carrying.

The ship’s interior was so dark you couldn’t see an inch ahead. Turning off the night vision would leave only blackness. The occasional fish brushing against my clothes was the only unnerving sensation.

We’ve been through countless missions and nightmares, but nothing is as terrifying as the sea.

****

[Surcouf-class Submarine Cruiser]

[Author: Support Department Head Lee Hwa]

[Written aboard the Pine Man Ship. Apologies for the rushed document. Please understand. Headquarters Command Center, please assist with the investigation.]

[First off, congratulations on the overtime, everyone.]

[Information from the survey results. A ship over 100 meters in size, with a long deck and large turrets. The only ship class that fits this description, to my knowledge, is the Surcouf-class submarine cruiser.]

[I assume it’s of French origin.]

[However, the Foundation’s records from World War II are incomplete. It’s possible they were intentionally hidden.]

[And this is just my speculation, but I doubt the frontlines of the Supernatural War were drawn as history records.]

[There’s little evidence of large-scale naval battles around the Korean Peninsula during the Pacific War. I suspect this ship sank during the Korean War.]

[Things are getting complicated.]

[Whose ship is this? Is it French? Or does it belong to the Foundation?]

[If it’s French, which France during World War II does it belong to? Why did this ship participate in the Korean War?]

[Most importantly, whose side was it on, and what was it fighting? Just the People’s Army? That doesn’t seem likely.]

[Let’s try to salvage the entire ship if possible.]