Having sailed the lawless seas, their discipline had completely eroded. Liquor bottles were scattered everywhere, and the putrid smell of rotten fish stung the nose. Seoryeong kept curling up her body, feigning fear. As soon as military boots approached, she plunged a knife into the opponent’s instep and immediately kicked his chin upwards. [Ugh…!] She then shot out the lights one by one that she had previously targeted, shattering the bulbs into pieces. Instantly, darkness like a net enveloped the surroundings, and angry shouts in sharp Mandarin echoed from all directions. [Catch that crazy woman…!] The rifle bullets fired indiscriminately hit empty bottles, sending shards of glass scattering. Bullets rained down on the ship’s hull, and Seoryeong hid behind parts of the fast ship for cover.
“Hoo…”
The person who taught her how to neutralize armed enemies with just her bare hands was none other than Lee Wooshin. He taught her that martial art directly.
“Ugh, ugh…!”
She twisted a man’s arm until a snapping sound was heard, then slammed her fist into his face. The surroundings were dark, the ship rocked occasionally, but Seoryeong didn’t care. She kicked her opponent hard in the stomach.
“Agh…!”
Seoryeong chose not to kill, but made sure her opponents couldn’t fight anymore. She crushed their joints.
“Graaah…!”
With brass knuckles on both hands, she struck the collarbone of an opponent who lunged at her. They were smaller, weaker, and their gazes weren’t as sharp as Lee Wooshin’s. Of course, their body’s center of balance was easily disrupted, and their reaction speed was slow. Even while fighting several soldiers at once, only one man’s shadow appeared in her mind. Bang, bang, bang―! Bang, bang―! The soldiers now fired rifles from both sides, narrowing the distance. As bullets whizzed past, Seoryeong jumped while holding onto the ship’s railing, and used the momentum to kick their heads.
“Ugh…!”
She rolled on the deck, then caught an opponent’s back knee and twisted it in the opposite direction.
“Hah, hah….”
Even to herself, her body felt too sensitive. Seoryeong regulated her breathing, her chest rising and falling, but she wasn’t afraid even when facing larger opponents. On the contrary, every cell in her body tensed up, and her fighting spirit surged.
“Ugh, aaargh…! Aargh!”
She bit her opponent’s wrist and dislocated his shoulder.
“Ugh…, ugh…!”
Her flexible leg slammed into an opponent’s temple, and her elbow bent his arm outwards until it broke. Her concentration continued to increase. Dark place and large men. For some reason, her stomach felt nauseous, but this kind of fear—her body moved as if it was used to dealing with it. Her head and blood felt like they were expanding, and that sensation pressed strongly from within. Seoryeong gritted her teeth. Only a dark instinct completely controlled her.
“――.”
Drops of blood began to stain her face. She shot her opponents’ legs, or hit their heads until they were bloody. Without hesitation, she took them down one by one. Faster, more ruthless, wilder than before. This wasn’t the technique Lee Wooshin had taught her.
“…….”
Suddenly, she felt so uncomfortable that her fingers trembled. But before she could think about it, bang bang bang—gunshots echoed again. Seoryeong immediately lowered her body and climbed upwards. She climbed onto the wheelhouse with all her strength, hid behind the anchor chain, then fired a single shot from her pistol. Then, she hit the hook with the cutter until it broke and released the coiled chain. Screeeech—the sound of metal echoed as the anchor went down. The massive chain slid down at high speed like a giant snake and directly struck the soldiers below.
“Aaargh―!”
A heavy thud was heard simultaneously with a large vibration that spread across the deck. Those were their last screams. Finally, the loud shouting subsided, and only disappointed groans could be heard from various directions. These drunken bastards really deserved it…. Seoryeong got up, holding her trembling knees, then went back down to the deck. She collected all the scattered rifles and threw them into the sea, then destroyed the navigation instruments in the wheelhouse.
“Haa….”
Finally, the ship became quiet. Seoryeong sat on the edge of the ship’s railing, regulating her still heavy breathing. Then she unintentionally looked at the back of her hand.
“…….”
Her bones were swollen, her skin was peeling, and her fists were covered in other people’s blood. That strange feeling from earlier, what was it really? As she tried to recall that sensation, a chill crept down her spine. Like a survival instinct that had been ingrained in her body for a long time. Could it be… related to the childhood memories that Kiya mentioned? But Seoryeong shook her head. That was a choice she had already discarded. Something she decided never to delve into. She mustn’t look back again. Then, what should I do now? The problem has become too big. It would be better if I just got caught. The ship sinking in the darkness slowly swayed with the current. As she sat resting, she felt like a large sun was rising behind her. From her back to her neck, to the back of her head. The sudden bright light made her eyes widen. Suddenly, the silent deck also shook violently due to a strong wave.
“――!”
Something was approaching. A bright light like a pupil swept across the surface of the ship, making Seoryeong immediately get down from the railing and lower her body. The sound of a large engine from a distance approached quickly. Another Chinese ship? Reinforcements? Or maybe… Her heart pounded as if it would jump out. It briefly looked like an ordinary fishing boat. Seoryeong closed her eyes tightly and took a deep breath, waiting. If it was indeed an ordinary ship, hopefully they would just pass by without noticing. Jeobak, jeobak—the sound of soft boots crossing the railing and approaching her.
“……!”
She cursed inwardly, taking out a knife from her pocket. If she loaded bullets now, the sound would definitely attract attention immediately. A tall shadow approached slowly under the moonlight. A large figure that seemed to be a man, checked the corners of the ship with a flashlight, then clicked his tongue softly when he saw the fallen soldiers.
“What a mess.”
“……!”
Wait a minute…. That voice…. As Seoryeong turned her head quickly, the flashlight beam pierced her eyes like a needle. Ugh…! She frowned but still stared at the figure without backing away. Am I dreaming? Her head suddenly went blank, unable to think anything. The knife fell from her hand just like that. Just now I… what did I just see? Kim… Hyeon? Her eyelids trembled.
---
“I told you, that guy is potentially dangerous, right?”
About twenty-one days ago, Lee Wooshin pulled back the curtain hanging like a drape and entered a Chinese restaurant. This place is a restaurant that recently closed down somewhat forcibly. It’s a mess because rumors are circulating that it used to be a secret Chinese police station. The wallpaper is scrawled with graffiti by local residents using spray paint, and the floor is littered with empty drink bottles. The detached door hinges creak every time the wind blows, and someone has ripped out the light switches, leaving only tattered wires. In the middle of the ruined restaurant, Joo Seolheon sat upright, not allowing a single strand of hair to fall out of place. Lee Wooshin approached, his feet crunching on broken glass beneath his shoe soles. The Assistant Chief, carefully observing one of his legs, pulled out a chair for him, but Lee Wooshin didn’t sit.
“I’ll bring Han Seoryeong back. She almost caused trouble just now.”
The Assistant Chief inhaled the cigarette that had been dangling from her lips. The exhaled smoke resembled a sigh, while the cigarette’s flame burned the white filter, causing Lee Wooshin to frown. Seeing this, the woman sneered as if mocking him.
“Are you talking about her going to Equatorial Guinea?”
“She deliberately boarded that ship to escalate this issue into a diplomatic matter. I’ve already confirmed everything.”
“Ha…!”
Joo Seolheon pressed her temples with the hand holding the cigarette.
“Han Seoryeong hasn’t given up in the slightest.”
“…….”
“If she does do something, it will definitely be something bigger. Do you think she’d just stop here?”
Damn it, I forgot about that… Blue veins bulged on the back of Lee Wooshin’s hand, which was resting on the back of the chair. For a week, he hadn’t been able to contact her, and he already knew very well what Seoryeong was up to. With just the information Heo Channa leaked to the Chinese police, Seoryeong’s goal was clear, and who she wanted to call upon, even at such a great risk. But what hit him harder wasn’t that she lied and went to Equatorial Guinea—it was the reason she left his injured self... because of Kim Hyeon. She kissed me like that, then secretly thought about Kim Hyeon instead?
“I will go as Kim Hyeon.”
“……!”
For a moment, Joo Seolheon’s face hardened, but it quickly returned to normal.
“Currently, the police are preparing a disguised fishing boat. It seems they want to blame everything on North Korea, and have even started contacting businessmen in the Yellow Sea region. Judging by appearances, it looks like those people from Blast SA will be secretly killed, and they will only take their valuables.”
If there was one thing Han Seoryeong overlooked, it was that Lee Wooshin was a veteran agent. He had used more than ten different aliases, and was particularly famous in the Three Northeast Provinces region. He was a former contract killer no less notorious than Heo Channa, and had even infiltrated the Chinese police as a pet, so as soon as he revealed that identity, local information flowed in immediately. What Han Seoryeong really needed to be wary of wasn’t the corrupt local forces, but the fishing boat that would depart later. And Lee Wooshin planned to infiltrate that boat.
“Don’t tell me... you’re using your old identity?”
“The weapons I have... besides a fake name, is there anything else?”
“…….”
“Time is very urgent now.”
During his week in the hospital, Lee Wooshin had also found a new translator to send to Beta Team. Someone who was loyal to him, had foreign language skills, and had basic training to survive even if thrown into the sea. That person was Dong Jiwoo, who had been on medical leave since the tear gas incident at the Grand Hotel. Feeling bad for his trainer, he lowered his head deeply. Lee Wooshin quickly pulled him in forcefully, gave him a used overhead mask that looked disgusting and a spare action camera. But that wasn’t enough.
“If this issue blows up, you’ll be the only one in trouble, Chief.”
The light from passing cars occasionally illuminated Lee Wooshin’s face slowly clockwise, then disappeared.
“So, hand over Kim Hyeon’s face to me.”