Beacon of Light in the Dark Sea

Chapter 123

Is there a reason why they had to name the sports facility inside the North Pacific underwater base after a snake god? I heard the dental clinic name Deep Blue was taken from the name of a great white shark, but why a great white shark? Come to think of it, why did they name the four buildings of the underwater base after the four guardian deities? Are all names chosen by vote, like when they named the island Daehan-do? Or can someone pay to name them?

… With so little information, everything seems suspicious if you start doubting.

“What are you thinking about?”

Yoo Geum-yi was staring at me blankly. Around us, Tumanako, Yoo Geum-yi, and Kang Soojung were sitting or lying down resting next to Henry, but they turned their heads towards me at Yoo Geum-yi’s question. I answered while sitting on the floor:

“I was thinking that the sports center’s name might be too grandiose.”

“Isn’t the pronunciation quite pretty? I heard they decided by vote in the early days, but nowadays each country probably takes turns naming things.”

Listening to Yoo Geum-yi’s words, Kang Soojung lay on her side, propping her chin with her arm, and said:

“I heard there was quite an uproar after seven countries threw fits when Korea named the island, and it’s been chaotic ever since.”

“Why, why?”

Tumanako asked with a yawn while lying face down. As if Tumanako’s yawn was contagious, Kang Soojung answered while covering her mouth:

“They seem to have thought that naming something was a mark of ownership. The eight countries kept unnecessarily checking each other, so I heard it was tough for the people at the underwater base at that time. I came in the middle, so I don’t know much.”

Kang Soojung, who had been explaining that there was pressure to somehow include each country’s language in the underwater base as much as possible, closed her mouth with a big yawn. Tumanako, who was trying various styles by running her fingers through Henry’s hair, looked at me and asked:

“What’s the name of the dental clinic?”

“It’s Deep Blue. They say it’s named after a large, famous shark in the North Pacific.”

“Sounds like a name that might reflect shark biologists’ opinions. There’s even a skull here. There are some people in the world who are crazy about sharks.”

The person obsessed with jellyfish answered nonchalantly as if it wasn’t about her. Yoo Geum-yi, who had visited the dental clinic before, yawned and stretched her arms towards the ceiling.

So the job of shark biologist actually exists in the world. Well, there must be people who research specific organisms, so there must be people who only research sharks. Then am I a human dentist? Kang Soojung stroked her chin and said:

“Deep Blue, huh. Did the Americans name it? Whatever it is, they probably named it after something that makes a splash related to the sea or water.”

Tumanako thought for a moment and said:

“The name of the beauty salon where I stay is also unique. It’s called NÜWA.”

“What does it mean?”

There must be some meaning to it. At my question, Tumanako’s face brightened a bit. I could feel her confidence in answering about something she knew well.

“They say it’s named after a famous Chinese god. It has one lower body, but the upper body has separate male and female heads. If such a god came to get their hair done, I think we’d have to charge double.”

It must be a god I’m not familiar with. Lee Jihyun, who had gone out to help Baek Ae-young and just returned, lightly climbed over the mountain of steel desks and exercise equipment and said:

“That’s Nüwa. It seems Chinese people probably named the beauty salon.”

“Nüwa?”

I’ve never heard of it. What would I know about Chinese gods? Lee Jihyun shook her head vigorously and explained briefly:

“There’s a Chinese legend that says Nüwa and Fuxi, a female and male respectively, with human heads and snake bodies, created the world.”

Tumanako shrugged and said:

“It seems to mean ‘create beautiful hair,’ so I think it’s a good name. I also like that it seems to imply that both men and women can visit the salon. There’s even a picture of Nüwa next to the salon entrance?”

Hearing Tumanako’s slightly proud tone, I recalled Deep Blue and said:

“It’s the same with Deep Blue. There’s a large great white shark skull in front of the Deep Blue entrance.”

“Wow. I’m jealous. It would be cool if my salon had such a statue in front too. If we ever come back here, I’d like to go see it.”

I felt a bit embarrassed at Tumanako’s sincere appreciation. If I had known Tumanako earlier, I might have shown her around the dental clinic, even though there’s not much to see. But really, there’s nothing worth showing. What is there to see in a dental clinic?

“I’d like to ask Tumanako for some advice on the dental clinic’s interior design. Were there any strange items in the beauty salon?”

The dental clinic is full of Greenland shark pictures. Sharks are not only scary-looking, but the photos are also dark and gloomy, so I took them all down and stashed them in a corner, but I think some of the people who visited the dental clinic over the five days might have thought I was a Infinity Church believer. I wonder if the beauty salon also has such bombs planted inside. Tumanako thought for a few seconds and answered:

“Hmm. There were Medusa busts and shark sculptures in the salon, but I secretly got rid of them as soon as I arrived. They’re cool, but they don’t fit in a beauty salon.”

“Our dental clinic has a great white shark outside, but inside, there were framed pictures of Greenland sharks hanging on the walls.”

“That’s how they slowly isolate you.”

Seo Jihyuk, coming out of the shower room from afar, dusted off his hands and said:

“That’s how those cult bastards typically operate. They secretly spread their symbols everywhere, surround people with cult members, and gradually push out normal people.”

Shin Hae-ryang came out of the shower room last, bringing the bound Infinity Church believer they had taken earlier. His hands and feet were tied, and his mouth was completely gagged, and he was carried like luggage and placed next to the shower room entrance. Apart from looking terrified, there were no visible external injuries, which was somewhat reassuring. Shin Hae-ryang looked at Baek Ae-young and asked:

“The door?”

“I’ve broken it.”

Seo Jihyuk quickly went and turned off the switch on the wall, and the sports center, without sunlight and no other light source, became dark and quiet. Shin Hae-ryang looked at the people and said in a low voice:

“As I explained before, now we just need to wait. Let’s wait quietly.”

Then people remained silent in the darkness without conversation. While some people were sitting on the floor in tension, others were lying flat on the floor.

Kang Soojung, who hadn’t heard any explanation because she had gone with me to meet Kim Ga-young, also remained silent. More precisely, she was furiously writing something on her pad quietly, and when she showed it to Baek Ae-young, Baek Ae-young took Kang Soojung’s pad and typed [Wait here quietly like dead mice and leave when signaled], showing it to me, Seo Jihyuk, and Kang Soojung.

Kang Soojung frowned and then lay down on the floor, using Baek Ae-young’s arm holding the pad as a pillow. Seo Jihyuk showed no reaction other than blinking twice.

… Alright. It seems I’m the only one who doesn’t understand this situation. I crawled over to Shin Hae-ryang, who was sitting on the floor, and asked in the lowest voice possible, almost like breathing:

“What are we waiting for? It seems I’m the only one who doesn’t know.”

“The enemy is armed. We are unarmed.”

“I see.”

Shin Hae-ryang, who had nodded slightly, closed his mouth. I waited, but there was no word for 30 seconds. Is this the end of the explanation? It’s frustrating.

“Please explain a bit more.”

Shin Hae-ryang, who hesitated for a few seconds, answered quietly:

“… You said in the broadcast that Engineer Teams Na and Ra are armed and attacking people.”

“Yes, that’s right.”

“When unarmed people know they will encounter armed individuals in the near future, there are three possible actions they can take.”

There are three options? Are there two more options besides getting shot? I shuddered slightly at the memory of facing a gun barrel at close range. I asked Shin Hae-ryang in an even lower voice:

“What are they?”

“The first is to avoid. Quickly leave the danger zone and escape far beyond the enemy’s field of vision before they recognize you.”

As soon as I heard Shin Hae-ryang’s answer, I felt like prey. The first option has never been successful. If I had escaped well, I would have already left the underwater base. Moreover, I’m not even a good runner.

“What’s the second?”

“When there’s no clear escape route, you need to find a safe place. You should hide somewhere the enemy can’t easily enter.”

Where is a safe place? As far as I can see, there’s no such thing as a safe place in the underwater base. There are only places that haven’t been destroyed yet or are less submerged in water.

“And the third?”

“If you can’t run away or hide, you have to fight back. You need to use everything you have to counterattack. We are in the second situation.”

“… So we’re quietly hiding in a safe place, hoping the armed enemy will pass by?”

“Yes.”

“You mentioned earlier that the door was broken…”

“If they try to invade, they’ll have quite a hard time.”

They’ve piled steel desks and exercise equipment densely in front of the door as a barricade. Moreover, the door itself was as heavy as the ones used in the dormitories, so even if that door opens, it would be difficult to break through the barricade and enter immediately. Lee Jihyun, lying flat on the floor, pushed away the bothersome Seo Jihyuk with her foot and said, moving only her lips:

“It’s cramped. Roll to the side.”

“Boo-hoo. You’re so mean.”

Watching Seo Jihyuk, who made a fake crying sound, roll towards the wall, I pointed at the wall with my finger.

“What if the armed people don’t come through the door but shoot at the wall?”

The action movie in my head imagined the Engineer Team Ra people simultaneously shooting wildly at the wall, and the thin wall that seemed to be made of paper not being able to stop the bullets, leaving people’s bodies full of bullet holes like Emmental cheese. It wasn’t a particularly good imagination for mental health. In response to my question, Seo Jihyuk’s voice, tinged with laughter, was heard near my ear:

“Our team leader has messed with the walls several times, so our team poured concrete into the walls here.”

Yoo Geum-yi, hearing this, giggled “hehehe” and then, startled by her own laughter, hurriedly covered her mouth. Soon, the interior of the sports center became as quiet as a mouse. I whispered to Shin Hae-ryang:

“Wouldn’t the two Engineer teams unite to attack the people here?”

“That won’t happen. Although I don’t know why this situation occurred… The leader of Engineer Team Na is an elitist who would have returned to his home country before a situation arose where he’d have to shoot someone with his own hands. And as for Ha-yoon, the leader of Team Ra… I don’t think she would have voluntarily taken up arms.”

Kang Soojung said in a voice as low as the wind:

“They didn’t get along well usually, so let’s see how friendly they can be while holding guns.”