Chapter 61: The Big One

Chapter 61: The Big One

The vast and blue sea.

The sea, with a gentle breeze blowing, created small waves, hiding its blue inner thoughts.

Regardless, the water’s surface was so calm that it felt like boats should be crowding it.

However.

Contrary to that feeling, the vast sea was eerily quiet.

At first glance, it might have looked like a scene with nothing particularly unusual.

The sea was wide, and the surface was covered by rolling waves of blue and dark seawater, as implied by the phrase “the boundless ocean.”

But if this was the seashore where land could be seen, not the middle of the boundless ocean, it would be a bit different.

The sea near the land was bound to have deep traces of humans.

Close by, there would be beaches and villages where people reside.

Far away, there would be fishing boats leaving for fishing and naval vessels patrolling the coastal waters.

However.

On the beach, there were only traces of people having been there until recently, but no sign of human presence could be found.

In the village where life’s noises should have been heard, only an eerie silence flowed.

Not even the fishing boats that should be gathering seasonal seafood and the naval vessels that should be patrolling with them were seen.

In the sea that even exuded a somewhat ominous atmosphere, only birds seeking food left behind by the people who existed there were seen fluttering around.

The white birds seeking food seemed to be stained with a dull color for some reason.

Only the air, mixed with the salty sea smell, seemed to awaken me to the reality that this was real.

In the space that had been so quiet.

A pitch-black vehicle was seen driving on the road.

The vehicle driving on the coastal road, as if not feeling the dissonance with its surroundings, sped by without stopping.

The vehicle felt foreign in this quiet space.

As if that foreignness had stimulated something.

The calm sea suddenly began to feel noisy.

The white birds, as if sensing some danger, left their food and flusteredly flew in a flock in the opposite direction of the sea.

At that moment.

*Kuuuung...*

The water’s surface ripples as if an earthquake had occurred.

That massive tremor soon created rough waves.

The waves that hit the land swallowed up the remaining traces of humans.

As if that wasn’t enough, it revealed greedy fangs, but no prey they wanted was seen in the sea.

*Chwaaak!*

The sea’s sudden fangs were also revealed towards the black vehicle driving on the coastal road.

But it wasn’t an ordinary vehicle; the black vehicle drove through the water and continued on the road, but it couldn’t help but slow down.

The vehicle that briefly slid and creaked as if skidding seemed to move on as if nothing had happened, but.

*Baam!*

Soon, with a huge sound, it was as if a bomb had exploded.

A gigantic silhouette burst out from the sea.

The silhouette that burst out with a wave incomparably larger than before draped its huge and heavy body over the coastal road.

In the dark shadow, darker than the mere darkness that it created, the black vehicle that didn’t manage to escape was faintly visible.

The vehicle, whose speed had been reduced by the water stream, seemed to have sensed the crisis and increased speed regardless of the slippery road.

Soon.

With an unintelligible, bizarre cry.

The huge form poured down where the vehicle had been a moment ago.

*Crunch! Crack!*

The road was bitten off where the vehicle had been with the purpose of swallowing it.

On the road torn off by that huge mouth, a wound remained as if crushed by something enormous.

*Eujuk eujuk.*

Meanwhile, the vehicle that had briefly faltered quickly left the scene.

The whale, too, without chasing the vehicle, rushed towards the blue girl who was standing still on the coastal road.

Opening its huge mouth.

The girl, as if relieved that the whale was targeting her, disappeared into the whale’s mouth while holding the doll and the small girl resembling her in her arms.

*Kwa-dududuk!*

Dust rose, and the surrounding ground that couldn’t withstand the whale’s weight bulged.

Even the rising dust couldn’t hide the whale’s body.

*Passuk.*

The whale that had been burying its heavy body on the ground eventually wiggled its slow body and slowly rose into the sky with the dust.

It was as if swallowing the blue girl was truly its only purpose.

The ‘whale’ that devastated the surroundings leisurely swam in the sky.

And disappeared into the gathering dark clouds.

The blue girl seemed absurdly small to fill the whale’s belly.

But the whale seemed satisfied.

...For now.

In the sky where the whale and blue girl disappeared, helicopters belatedly appeared and noisily disturbed the surroundings.

One of the helicopters that flew in a flock landed near the vehicle that had stopped after going a short distance.

Those who got off with a stretcher put the woman who fainted with blood flowing from her head onto the helicopter.

The scruffy man who got out of the driver’s seat was with them, too.

The man looked at the woman on the stretcher with a devastated face, then thought of the whale and blue girl that had disappeared beyond the sky and sighed.

All the man could do right now was.

Hope the woman was safe.

And hope the helicopters he called would find the whale’s location.

...Lastly.

The blue girl was swallowed by the whale. Even though it seemed impossible, he dearly hoped she was safe.

He felt he had to.

Because thanks to the blue girl’s choice, he and the woman could promise a next time.

Dark.

Dark and damp.

Realizing I was in a situation similar to a sewer but even worse, I laughed.

But I don’t particularly regret it.

Because of that thing, Seori Han got hurt.

I thought I wasn’t very attached to her, but I might have been relying on Seori Han more than I thought.

Well... the normal man who was driving... no, Kim Cheonsu, too.

He didn’t let go of the steering wheel in that situation, so he shouldn’t be called a normal man but should be properly called Kim Cheonsu.

Anyway.

I seemed to have entered the whale’s belly.

The only fortunate thing is that Daesik and Sosik are with me, too.

However, the whale, which clearly seemed to be targeting me, might attack the car again because of the two left in the car.

It felt quite reassuring.

...I hope this isn’t a double suicide.

Well... for now.

I’m alive, aren’t I?

I decided to think positively.

Now then.

...What do I do now?

Somehow, I felt like I had become Pinocchio, swallowed by a shark.