"Are there people from the Third and Fourth Underwater Bases? Did they come to the Second Underwater Base by any chance?"
"Sure, there are a few here, and... I heard there are some at the First Underwater Base too. We did kill a few who didn't listen, but we gathered those who followed orders in a corner."
...That's good. They didn't kill everyone who came by elevator. Then, would it have been okay to come up by elevator? ...No. We already came by the stairs. One of those dead people could have been me. I wasn't caught by Saebyeol. So, it's fine. How much of an advantage it is that they don't know about our existence... Strategically, I'm not sure. Yujin hesitated and said,
"Then... why does the Infinite Church want to kill people? They don't have to kill them, right? The underwater bases can be given to the Infinite Church. They just need to let the people escape."
I quickly nodded at Yujin's words. Right. The underwater bases are yours. Whether it's the Chinese team, the Russian team, or the Japanese team, whoever wins the fight gets them. Let the others escape and go home. Tyler said, looking perplexed,
"I'm not sure, but to perform the Infinite Day ritual, many people need to be in the building, and a certain number of people must die. They used to use fish, but on Infinite Day, it has to be people. It was originally supposed to be at midnight tonight or tomorrow morning, but when the Fourth Underwater Base was suddenly destroyed, they thought it was a good thing and everything happened. Only the Infinite Church people survived, and the others can be said to have died because of the Fourth Underwater Base."
Indeed, it's fitting for a cult. They sacrifice people. ...No, it's ridiculous. Even people from 1,500 years ago knew the value of human life and used clay figurines instead of human sacrifices. Who are you to kill people?
"Wasn't it your doing to launch missiles at the Fourth Underwater Base?"
Seojihyuk asked Tyler, irritated.
"Missiles? Who launched missiles at the Fourth Underwater Base? What? Was I the only one who didn't know?"
Tyler looked at us, frowned, and said, sounding aggrieved.
"Why would the Infinite Church destroy the Fourth Underwater Base? Before the bases were built, I could understand, but destroying an underwater base built 3,000 meters below the sea is literally marine pollution. Who will clean up all those concrete chunks, dust, and debris? What about the marine life living there? If the mining pipes burst and oil or gas leaks, who will take responsibility? Even now, the radioactive pollution from Japan decades ago hasn't been resolved. If this underwater base is destroyed, the North Pacific Ocean will be a mess."
...I was stunned by his surprisingly sensible words. Yujin said,
"You don't care about people dying for religious rituals, but you care about marine pollution."
Caught off guard by her sharp words, Tyler blurted out,
"Well, as long as I'm not the one dying, it's fine."
Seeing that we had no more questions, Tyler fidgeted and closed his mouth. When Seojihyuk asked Tyler about communication, he said that they had cut off the internet and phone lines when they occupied the underwater bases. They use radios to communicate between bases, and for the Second and First Underwater Bases, they send people directly. Shinhaeryang projected the layout of the First and Second Underwater Bases on a pad and said,
"Point out the areas where your followers are mainly located."
Several areas were already marked in blue. Tyler looked at Shinhaeryang with obvious dislike but then pointed to the First and Second Underwater Bases, marking them with red dots. The map started to be colored in red, which was quite different from the blue areas. The blue areas were probably marked by the man we met at the Third Underwater Base.
"I only know about the Second Underwater Base. Will you let me go if I color everything?"
Tyler grumbled while coloring and asked. Shinhaeryang shook his head.
"No. You're coming with us. If there are followers in places you didn't choose or if we encounter others unnecessarily, you will have betrayed your religion. I don't know how much your religion cares for its followers, but we can check if they shoot traitors."
Tyler's mouth dropped open. Mine did too. Then, Tyler hastily erased a few red dots. Seojihyuk was holding Tyler's gun, checked if it was loaded and unlocked, and placed it next to him. He then put a pistol he had obtained at the Third Underwater Base on the sink and called me and Yujin over.
"Which of you has always wanted to fire a gun?"
When neither Yujin nor I answered, Seojihyuk sighed and asked again,
"Or which of you has better concentration?"
"Um, I don't know."
"I'm not sure."
Yujin and I were taken aback by Seojihyuk's question. Shouldn't that be determined by a brainwave test? Seojihyuk then said to Yujin,
"Yujin, try holding it. How does it feel? I didn't think it would be heavy, but people who don't exercise say guns are heavy. Do you feel short of breath, weak in the legs, or cold sweat?"
"No."
"...I'm letting go."
Seojihyuk said, sounding uncomfortable. Yujin, holding the gun with a terrified look, asked,
"What if I shoot it by accident?"
"...Just don't shoot your toes. Yujin, put the gun back on the sink. Good. Now, Mohyun, try it. How does it feel?"
"Heavier than I thought."
"Did you think it would be like chopsticks?! Hold it tightly! Your hand is weak?! Where did you learn to put your finger like that?"
His attitude was completely different from when Yujin held the gun. Damn. To prevent any accidental trigger pulls, I noticed he was keeping his finger straight. Seojihyuk asked,
"Action movies."
"What kind of movies do you like, Yujin?"
"Disaster movies?"
"...Mohyun is holding the gun. Keep the barrel pointed at the ground, and only fire when I tell you. Keep your finger like that. If you pull the trigger now, the bullet will fire, so don't even think about it. Only shoot when I tell you to."
Holding the gun felt like holding a grenade. I never thought a gun would be so heavy. It was heavier than when I filled my large tumbler with coffee. ...I think Seojihyuk gave me the gun not only because we now have four guns but also because my hands don't shake. Of course, who would want to be treated by a dentist with tremors?
Holding the dark, heavy gun made me feel queasy and indigestive. My eyes couldn't leave the gun. I had an absurd thought that if I looked away, the barrel would spin and point at me automatically.
Yujin, feeling aggrieved, said softly, "I don't shake when I hold tweezers!" Seojihyuk nodded and said, "I don't shake when I hold chicken legs," which irritated Yujin.
Tyler's map coloring seemed almost finished. As Shinhaeryang examined the patchy map, Baegae-young, for the first time, asked Tyler, gun to his head,
"Why did you come this way? People rarely come to the deep-sea aquarium."
"...Why should I answer?"
Tyler laughed mockingly. The moment I heard this from the sink, I completely forgot about the gun in my hand and turned to Baegae-young. Despite Tyler's arrogant answer, Baegae-young was smiling. It was the first time I saw her smile like that since the utility room.
Baegae-young slightly turned her head to look at Shinhaeryang. When their eyes met, Shinhaeryang simply blinked once. Baegae-young, still smiling, lifted her hand to Tyler's ear and removed the attached translator. Then, she spoke in a soft voice in Korean,
"Do I look easy to you? A small Asian woman under 160 cm holding a gun, does it look like a toy to you? How easy and stupid do I look? Huh? Do you think I'm deaf just because I have breasts? You even think about treating me like a dog in front of someone with a gun? You answered well to our team leader, that idiot, and people who have never held a gun. Do you think my voice is broken just because I have breasts? Huh?"
Her question was very sweet. Moreover, Baegae-young had stopped her translator, so everything was in Korean. I felt a chill run down my spine, imagining what would happen next. Tyler, with his translator removed, didn't understand what Baegae-young was saying but assumed she was saying something nice because of her gentle tone.
"What are you saying? Do I look good to you? You like it when I smile, don't you? Take off your clothes," he said in English. Baegae-young, after touching Tyler's hair, suddenly hit his cheek with the gun's barrel. The hard metal struck his soft cheek.
"Ow!"
Holding Tyler's hair, she pulled him back and, with one hand on the gun, repeatedly hit his forehead and eyes. Tyler, reflexively raising his arms to protect his face, could only move his wrists, which