Chapter 4. What I Found Before the Treasure
The sea was unbelievably quiet.
Above, waves crashed, wind blew, and even the distant engines of fishing boats could be heard.
But once you descended far enough, every sound became faint, as though the water itself were pressing it down.
In the dark ocean where even moonlight couldn't reach, three men in black diving suits dragged a huge steel crate.
I stayed hidden behind a rock and watched them.
What the hell is this?
My reason for coming to Sinan had been simple.
I wanted to find treasures that had slept beneath the sea for hundreds of years.
Shipwrecks.
Gold coins.
Ancient ceramics.
Then make some money.
It was a little bit of romantic adventure for a forty-eight-year-old man.
But reality had gone strange from the very beginning.
The divers moved far too professionally.
One checked the current and surroundings from the front.
Another pushed the crate from behind.
The last kept sending signals through a device on his wrist.
They definitely weren't people diving as a hobby.
Even more suspicious was their destination.
An underwater cave cleverly hidden between rocks.
It looked difficult to discover even during the daytime.
At night, unless you already knew where it was, finding it seemed practically impossible.
They've done this more than once.
I followed them while maintaining a safe distance.
My current body was absurdly suited for something like this.
I didn't need to breathe.
I could withstand the pressure.
I could even see somewhat in the darkness.
The problem was controlling my strength.
I'd already learned that lesson in the alley back in Ulsan.
I'd lightly grabbed a wrist and broken it.
I'd given someone a small push with my palm and sent him flying several meters.
If I used my strength carelessly underwater, I might not merely subdue someone.
I could kill them outright.
Don't kill people.
I still wasn't absolutely certain they were criminals.
And even if they were, I had no intention of killing anyone recklessly.
Most importantly, the condition the Genie had mentioned still bothered me.
Maybe killing someone would make the abilities disappear.
Maybe harming an innocent person.
Maybe simply abusing the powers themselves.
Since I knew nothing, being cautious was the right choice.
The divers entered the cave.
I slowly followed.
The entrance was narrow, but the deeper I went, the wider the cave became.
The moment I saw the inside, my mouth opened in surprise.
Dozens of steel crates were stacked along the cavern walls.
Some looked new.
Others were old and covered in rust.
Several were even protected with waterproof covers.
This clearly wasn't a temporary storage area.
The divers put down the crate they'd brought and opened the lid.
It contained firearms.
Handguns.
Rifles.
Magazines.
And unidentified bundles sealed in plastic.
Drugs too?
I frowned.
For a moment, I considered simply ignoring everything.
I wasn't the police.
I wasn't the Coast Guard.
Getting tangled up with criminals would obviously be a pain.
But after seeing what was inside the crates, I changed my mind.
Where were those guns going?
Whose life would be destroyed by those drugs?
Things I'd only seen on the news were now happening right in front of me.
And I'm just supposed to walk away after seeing this?
Then a light came on deeper inside the cave.
I quickly pressed myself against the floor.
The three divers weren't alone.
More men were inside wearing waterproof equipment and small oxygen masks.
Several carried guns and short speargun-like weapons.
They came prepared.
They communicated with hand signals, apparently checking the number of crates and preparing another shipment.
I considered collecting evidence, then gave up.
Taking out my phone this deep would make filming difficult.
The light from the screen might expose me too.
I squeezed myself into a crack near the cave ceiling.
My stomach almost got caught between the rocks.
I forced myself inside and sighed internally.
I really do need to lose weight.
Looking down, I saw English, Chinese, and number codes written on the crates.
One had a small Korean sticker.
[Discarded Parts]
What a joke.
Then a small underwater drone entered through the cave mouth.
A camera on the front slowly scanned the cavern.
I flattened myself against the rock.
Its light passed directly beneath my face.
If it had risen even slightly higher, I would have been caught.
Once the drone moved away, I slowly descended.
Now I had to decide.
Should I simply memorize the location and report it?
The problem was how to explain myself.
I couldn't tell anyone I'd entered an underwater cave without equipment.
I had no evidence that could explain the exact location either.
And if they moved everything tonight, it would all be over.
Then there's only one answer.
Don't kill them.
Only subdue them.
Leave the goods where they were.
I stopped hiding and descended to the cave floor.
One of the divers spotted me.
His eyes widened behind his mask.
I raised a hand and mouthed,
"Hello."
All of the men moved at once.
A spear shot toward me.
Thunk.
It struck my shoulder...
and bounced off.
Oh.
Even I was surprised.
The second and third spears did the same.
The instant they touched my skin, they lost their force and fell to the bottom.
I slowly walked forward.
A man pulled out a knife and charged.
Too slow.
I gently grabbed his wrist.
Carefully enough not to break it.
The knife dropped.
Then I gave the back of his neck a small tap.
Tap.
His body went limp.
I hurriedly laid him down and checked his condition.
Alive.
Unconscious. Okay.
The others tried to escape.
I appeared in front of them in an instant.
Then I pointed toward the cave exit.
Terrified, two divers hurried outside.
At that moment, someone behind me fired a gun.
Bang.
A dull impact struck my chest.
It stung.
That was about it.
The flattened bullet slowly sank toward the seabed.
Even the tiny red mark on my skin disappeared almost immediately.
I really can't die.
It was fascinating.
But I was annoyed.
The man kept firing.
I simply approached him and grabbed the barrel.
A tiny amount of pressure from my fingers crushed the metal like clay.
His eyes looked ready to burst from his skull.
I lightly pushed his shoulder.
He flew backward and struck the cave wall.
I froze for a moment.
Then checked him.
Still alive.
Okay. He's unconscious too.
Another man nearby was trying to send a signal with his communication equipment.
I picked up a small rock from the floor and flicked it using only my wrist.
Tap.
The stone accurately shattered only the device.
If I'd played baseball, I could've made the Major Leagues.
While I was having that pointless thought, the man raised both hands.
I pointed toward the cave entrance.
He repeatedly nodded, then fled.
The cave became quiet.
Only the unconscious men and dozens of crates remained.
I inspected them one by one.
Weapons.
Drugs.
And cash.
Dollars.
Yen.
Yuan.
Korean won.
For one moment, I was tempted.
It belonged to bad people.
