abcnovels
Chapter 151:
Chapter 151:
Chapter 151:
Chapter 151
“Huh?”
Someone blurted out that sound without realizing it.
[The spirits do not understand what you are talking about.]
The spirits who were watching this scene and listening to the conversation carefully were also the same.
They could not believe that Yu-hyun shouted to run away instead of fighting at the place where they had to plan how to hunt Moby Dick.
It was such a confident word that someone almost shouted “Let’s do it!”.
Only two people nodded their heads in this confusing situation.
“As expected.”
“Is that so?”
Captain Ahab and Captain Nemo.
Only these two people noticed Yu-hyun’s intention.
Captain Nemo looked at the distant sea where Moby Dick disappeared and said.
“He means to lure him first from our side, using the temperament of the one who hunts us.”
“That’s right, Captain Nemo.”
Moby Dick is a hunter of the deep abyss.
He never let go of the prey he had chosen. He retreated at first because he was injured by the unexpected resistance, but he would come back soon.
Even if we ran away with all our strength, Moby Dick would chase us to the end.
“But where do you plan to lure him?”
“The first thing I thought of was shallow water.”
Moby Dick was too big to move freely in anything but deep oceans.
He was a devil of disaster that had nothing to fear on the sea surface, but what about in shallow water where his body was hard to bear?
“It’s shallow water, but still a few meters deep, and something like that. The first thing that comes to mind is somewhere close to land. A canyon where he can follow us to the end would be ideal. By any chance, is there any island or land nearby?”
Yu-hyun asked for confirmation, but the answer that came back was not very positive.
“How could there be?”
“This is the vast sea. Even if there were other islands or lands, it would take weeks to get there.”
“Do you think that monster will leave us alone until then?”
This was the middle of the sea, too far from the continent.
They did not think they could go there safely even if they knew the location of the nearest land.
Yu-hyun did not answer. But he did not panic either.
There was always a solution to every situation.
Because his skill [Victor of the Battlefield] that he gained from participating in the siege of Constantinople was activated.
At that moment, Captain Nemo, who had been listening quietly, stepped forward.
“There is one. There is a suitable place not far from here that you mentioned.”
“Is that true?”
“Captain, don’t tell me?”
“Are you talking about that?”
The Nautilus crew exchanged their eyes with each other and showed their embarrassment at Nemo’s words. When other people were curious about their reaction, Captain Nemo ordered his lieutenant to bring a map and spread it out.
“Here. There is nothing on the map yet, but there is a huge rock island here.”
“Uh, uh?”
“Here?”
Some of Ahab’s crew also recognized the place on the map.
Nemo’s finger pointed to a skull drawn on the map, warning them not to go there.
“The Graveyard of Wrecks!”
They hesitated to even utter the name as if it was scary just to think about it.
The only ones who could not join in the conversation at all were the collectors.
Yu-hyun felt that he needed more explanation from Nemo.
“What is the Graveyard of Wrecks? It sounds like a place where many ships sink.”
“That’s exactly what it is. This place is literally a graveyard for ships floating on the sea. The currents nearby are irregular and there are reefs where huge whirlpools always hit.”
“…You crazy bastard. You want to go there now? To that devil’s island?”
Ahab snorted as if he could not stand it anymore.
Running away to a reef area full of whirlpools was like jumping from the tiger’s mouth into the wolf’s den.
Especially for seafarers who were pregnant with the sea, the shipwreck graveyard was a place of fear, just like Moby-Dick.
The devil of the ocean or the devil of the reef? There was no way to choose between them.
“I’d rather stay here and fight that damned whale. It’s a dog’s death to run away and sink without a fight. I’ll pass.”
“What nonsense are you talking about? Who said we’re going to sink?”
“Hey, old man. Do you not remember what you just said? That place is a shipwreck graveyard. It’s a cursed zone where every ship that passes by sinks without exception.”
“That’s how it was until now. But you seem to be missing something. The reason why this place is dangerous for seafarers is not because there’s a devil on that island. It’s because they lack information.”
“What?”
“It’s faster to see for yourself than to hear it from me. Lieutenant, bring me the new map.”
“Yes, sir!”
The square captain’s order was immediately followed by a burly sailor who unfolded another map.
The eyebrows of Captain Ahab rose to the sky when he saw the contents of the map. It was the same for some of the sailors who had eyes to see.
“That, that’s the map of the shipwreck graveyard!”
“Not only does it show the location of the reefs, but even the current markings are perfectly done?”
Some of the novice sailors, like Ishmael, did not understand why everyone reacted that way.
He asked his harpooner friend Queequeg, who was standing next to him.
“Queequeg. Is that map really that amazing?”
“Ishmael. Are you asking me that seriously? That’s not just amazing. That’s a treasure that you can’t buy with millions of gold in this world!”
The novice Ishmael, who had many dreams but little knowledge, asked in confusion.
“Is it that much?”
“Of course. That shipwreck graveyard is a symbol of horror for sailors, like hell itself. No one knew what it looked like because there were no survivors, and it was only rumored. But what if there’s a map of that place, and even with current markings?”
Some of the people who heard Queequeg’s words realized the value of the map for the first time.
The square captain turned his gaze to Queequeg’s voice, and then saw the innocent boy standing next to him, Ishmael. He opened his eyes wide for a moment.
It was very brief, and the square captain returned to his original expression, but Yu-hyun did not miss that moment.
“You ignorant fool. You should know. With this map, this island is nothing to be afraid of.”
“…Ha. This is interesting. A map of a place that no one has ever explored before.”
“That’s because we can do it.”
The square captain pointed to the Nautilus and said so.
As he said, ordinary ships would either hit or be hit by reefs, but the Nautilus was different. They could travel inside the sea and know the existence of reefs, and they could explore the island without sinking like other ships.
The square captain used this advantage of being a submarine to figure out the structure of the shipwreck graveyard and complete the corresponding map.
“This is like dreaming with my eyes open.”
“So what are you going to do?”
“Well, since we have a map now, there’s nothing more to say. Judging by the details, it doesn’t seem like a lie. The target is set for the shipwreck graveyard.”
The sailors swallowed their saliva.
They were heading for the shipwreck graveyard, a place that no one had ever been to before and was only rumored!
It was a mixture of fear and anticipation for an unknown world.
Most of the people gathered here were men who had staked everything on the sea.
The fact that they were going on a new exploration was enough to boost their morale.
Yu-hyun smiled inwardly as he felt the atmosphere change.
‘That’s good.’
He was worried that his plan would fall apart before it even started, but it turned out better than expected.
‘Besides, whirlpools in the shipwreck graveyard. Is that maelstrom that appeared in 20,000 Leagues Under The Sea?’
Maelstrom also appeared in 20,000 Leagues Under The Sea, but it actually refers to Moskstraumen, a giant whirlpool that occurs in Norway Sea in reality.
It is the most powerful whirlpool in the sea and a hole in the ocean.
If you get caught up in it, no ship can ever escape.
‘Whatever the case, it’s a great relief that we have a place where we can lure Moby Dick.’
The important thing was what came next.
“Will he obediently follow us as we wish? That’s the biggest question, isn’t it?”
The people who heard Yu-hyun’s murmur closed their mouths. It made sense. If he was a simple-minded beast, we could just lure him and be done with it, but Moby Dick was different.
That cunning white devil would sense something strange if we tried to lure him too blatantly.
“Why are you thinking so hard? Of course he’ll come.”
It was Ahab who stepped forward confidently.
“Why?”
“Because he’s been circling around us since yesterday.”
It was at that moment that Ahab said so.
Woo woo woo woo woo woo woong???!!!
From the far horizon of the sea, that sound shook the water and rattled the ship below.
The sailors’ faces turned pale as they recognized where and who the sound came from.
Ahab felt the slight breeze and smiled, showing his teeth.
“He’s restless now. He’s been keeping a distance where he can barely smell us, but he’s watching us closely. That’s the proof.”
“Isn’t he afraid to attack us?”
“He must be cautious. He was surprised by our strong counterattack yesterday, so he seems to be wary. But even so, he doesn’t give up on us. That means he might have hurt his pride too. It must have been humiliating to be beaten by his prey.”
What would a hunter feel when he was beaten by his prey?
Especially Moby Dick, the white devil, the scourge of the sea?
How low would the pride of the king of this sea, who had nothing to fear, be?
‘He must be ashamed.’
Moby Dick was watching us while keeping his distance. Considering that Moby Dick had intelligence and thoughts, he must be furious.
A murderous intent to kill the insolent prey who wounded him.
And at the same time, a wariness that he might get hurt again if he rushed in recklessly.
“I see. I guess we don’t have to worry about him not coming.”
“Right? He’ll definitely come. He has no choice. He’s wounded in his pride. He might endure it for now, but if we try to run away, he’ll go crazy and chase us.”
He’ll chase us without thinking?
Even though it was just a guess, the people who imagined Moby Dick tensed up and swallowed their saliva.
They all remembered what happened to the ship that grazed his massive body.
“Then it’s settled. We have to lure him to this shipwreck graveyard and take him down.”
“The way there is as planned by Hado. But it won’t be easy. There’s no room for mistakes. Even a slight slip-up could make us unable to escape from the clutches of the current.”
“Hah! You’re underestimating us too much! If we have Hado, this kind of reef island is nothing!”
The operation was built up step by step like building a wall. The gaps that occurred in between were filled perfectly by the collective intelligence of the group.
“Is this it for the operation? Well, it’s still crude for something we worked hard on.”
“It’s nothing more than raising the probability of winning as much as possible when we’re bound to die if we fight. This alone is enough to call it a miracle.”
“The important thing is still what happens after.”
There was no point in arguing about the effectiveness of the operation now, when it was already irreversible.
All they could do was hope that everything would go according to plan.
“The operation starts after noon passes. We have to act like we don’t know anything until then. Got it, Nottang?”
“You idiot. How can you be sure that he won’t attack us again in the meantime?”
“He won’t. He has to be careful too. He’ll just watch us as long as we don’t move. Trust me.”
“Then it’s decided.”
Operation name
The operation begins when the sun is at its highest point, just after noon.
“Get ready in your minds until you move!”
Ahab shouted and ended the meeting. The sailors gathered with their acquaintances and discussed what was ahead or prepared themselves mentally.
“O God, please save this lamb.”
“Stop talking nonsense. We’re going to live. We’re going to survive and live on.”
Some prayed to God with a small cross in their hands, while others swore they would never die and lit up their will.
Among them, there were Queequeg and Ishmael, who encouraged each other.
Yu-hyun recalled the scene he had seen in Constantinople before.
Beings bound by stories. They could be seen as non-existent, but Yu-hyun did not think so.
‘What is existence?’
They were not made of flesh and blood, but of stories. Did that make them non-existent?
‘Then what about me?’
Yu-hyun became a Teller. Tellers were not usually living beings. They also seemed to have bodies at first glance, but they were all composed of stories.
‘Are beings composed of stories real or fake? Are life forms created by stories alive?’
The question soon melted away like snow.
Yu-hyun realized through himself and the sailors who longed for life.
They were all living people.
‘Everyone wants to live.’
Even if they survived here, no one knew how splendid and cool their remaining lives would be.
Some might succeed, while others might suffer a worse life than now.
The future was unknown. No one knew what would happen to anyone.
Still, people moved forward to the future. Even in a life worse than death, they desperately survived and kept walking.
Because they were ‘living humans’.
“Hey.”
“Oh. Captain Nemo.”
Nemo, who should have returned to the ship right away, did not leave and spoke to Yu-hyun.
“What is it?”
“I wanted to have a conversation with you for the last time, because I don’t know what will happen when the operation starts. Do you have time?”
Captain Nemo winked at the Nautilus and said that.
“My ship. Let’s talk on the Nautilus.”