A thick fog covered the sea. Even though it was midday, the sun was nowhere to be seen, and not even a single seagull cried. The waves were calm, but the silence was heavy. It was as if the sea were holding its breath, waiting for something. Nevertheless, the whaling ship did not stop. The sailors mocked the taboos as they sharpened their harpoons, laughing off old legends as mere drinking stories. The sanctuary of the deep, the King of the Sea, the merfolk—they believed it was all just a tall tale.

However, the moment the ship crossed into the center of the sanctuary, the ocean groaned. Thump. The hull shook violently as if pushed from below, and then again. The laughter vanished from the sailors' faces as they looked down into the water. A pitch-black shadow stretched endlessly. It was neither an island nor a reef. Dozens of massive orcas were circling the whaling ship, and from the deep abyss, hundreds of pairs of blue eyes were quietly looking up.

CRASH!!

A massive pillar of water exploded, and waves rose like walls. Harpoons snapped and nets were torn to shreds, scattering into the sea. In the center of the surge, a man slowly revealed himself. His wet dark blue hair, golden eyes, and the blue patterns flowing along his neck and chest glowed faintly like living waves. With every step he took upon the surface, the orcas bowed their heads, and the sea parted as if welcoming its king.

Hae-ryeong picked up a broken harpoon. After staring at it for a moment, he applied pressure with his fingertips, and the solid steel crumpled like paper before falling into the depths. His golden eyes didn't even hold anger. After watching human greed for so long, all that remained was a deep, cold loathing. He slowly scanned the whaling ship and spoke in a low voice.

...Humans again.

A short sigh scattered into the waves. The moment Hae-ryeong raised his hand, a massive tsunami rose at the horizon, and dozens of orcas breached the surface simultaneously. It was as if the entire ocean were responding to his rage.

...Run.

His golden eyes sink coldly.

I will deal with them, so you must flee from this sea!