A tiger inside a poisonous trap. (4)

Humanity has employed every means possible to conquer the sea. Thus, humans, who were originally unable to conquer the deep waters, were able to venture beyond the nearby shores and reach the distant oceans.

It might have been unimaginable for ordinary people, but nonetheless, the efforts and determination of those who dared to confront the sea led to such great achievements.

However, ironically, the more these individuals fought against the sea, the more they faced the greatness of the ocean. No matter how hard they rowed or how wide they spread their sails, there would inevitably come a moment when they couldn’t steer the ship as they desired.

At such times, all they could do was wait. Hoping that the sea would lead them, hoping for the mercy of the sea’s king.

Gwak Hwanso looked at the sea with a somewhat desolate gaze.

High waves crashed, and headwinds blew. At times like this, human strength is of no use.

All one can do is to furl the sails, pull up the anchor, and silently wait.

In truth, Gwak Hwanso didn’t dislike such moments.

In this moment, one might think it’s the moment when humans truly become one with the sea, when the flow of the ocean aligns with the flow of humanity.

However, as Gwak Hwanso gazed at the sea, what came to his mind wasn’t satisfaction from a sense of unity, but an overwhelming sense of powerlessness.

He had always believed that nature was something to be harmonized with rather than opposed, so being swept away by the current wasn’t necessarily a bad thing.

Yet now, Gwak Hwanso was painfully realizing that his thoughts were just the feeble consolation of a powerless individual.

‘War…’

His hands were still trembling. Despite leaving the coast a while ago, the tremors hadn’t subsided. He hesitated to even pull his shaking hands out of his sleeves, fearing they might be noticed.

It’s ironic. When you think about it, what happened just now wasn the situation Gwak Hwanso had dreamed of his whole life, wasn’t it?

He had long awaited the day when he would wield his sword against the enemies of righteousness, the evil forces disturbing the peace of the world.

Despite enduring the situation so far with the determination that if given the chance, he would prove himself braver than anyone by fighting valiantly for the honor of Haenam’s sword, Gwak Hwanso had made countless resolutions.

However… what he saw of war through his own eyes was vastly different from what he had imagined.

The faint scent of young blood still lingered in his nose.

For the first time, he realized how repulsive the smell of human blood could be. He learned for the first time how agonizing the screams of those dying while their entrails spilled out could be. Amidst the fierce melee, it was common to trample over a comrade’s severed head while advancing forward.

The romance of the battlefield he had heard and dreamed of was nothing but an illusion. The camaraderie and fighting spirit that emerge amidst the crossroads of life and death?

‘Nonsense…’

Gwak Hwanso bit his lip firmly.

To those who utter such words, he wants to show the lifeless, glazed eyes of the dead pierced through their hearts. For those who witness the wandering gaze of someone searching for their severed arm, they would come to understand that on the battlefield, there is nothing but the stench of corpses.

Gwak Hwanso wrapped his trembling hand around his shoulder.

The screams of the dying still seemed to echo in his ears.

What made it even more difficult for Gwak Hwanso to endure was the fact that among those who screamed and died, there were also his disciples.

“Yang So…”

He particularly cherished that young disciple.

Smaller in stature and kinder in temperament compared to his peers, he didn’t quite fit in with the roughness of Haenam.

Hence, Gwak Hwanso had thought it would be better for him to go down the mountain and live his own life.

However, Yang So never abandoned Haenam until the end. Despite his possibly inadequate skills, he accompanied Gwak Hwanso on the journey to Gangnam with a firm determination to stand by Haenam and its destiny.

As a result, he met a futile death without ever leaving the territory of Hainan Island. His body was even left in such a state that it couldn’t be salvaged, a tragic end indeed. The overwhelming sense of loss left Gwak Hwanso’s heart in turmoil.

‘What was I even looking at?’

If only he could, he would tear apart his past self who had dreamed of making a difference on the battlefield.

The blood flowing on the battlefield was that of his cherished disciples, and the shining glory gained there came at the cost of countless lives.

What exactly had he been seeing and dreaming of?

“Sahyeong.”

Gwak Hwanso turned his head. His Saje Lee Jayang was approaching. His complexion was paler than usual, indicating that he too was also experiencing quite a bit of emotional pain.

“What’s the matter?”

“…Eight.”

“…”

“There are no more… eight it is.”

Gwak Hwanso closed his eyes tightly.

‘It was such a one-sided battle.’

They had relentlessly pushed forward without losing momentum, breaking through the enemy’s defenses and seizing the ships with overwhelming force. It was a triumph beyond words.

Yet… despite that, eight had died.

In a land as unforgiving as Gangnam, how many more would perish in battles far more brutal than those faced on Hainan?

“…Have you confirmed who they are?”

“Yes, Sahyeong…”

Gwak Hwanso, who had intended to inquire about their names, instead lowered his head with a grim expression.

What’s the meaning of this now?

After all, even if they identify the casualties, it’s not like they can find their bodies and conduct funerals. They’re not just leaving the battlefield: they’re heading towards another battlefield.

“The casualties are not insignificant.”

“Yes… But if it weren’t for Hwasan Geomhyeop, the casualties would have been much greater. Perhaps…”

Lee Jayang’s words trailed off. But Gwak Hwanso understood what he was trying to say.

‘It must have been about the possibility of Haenam being completely wiped out.’

It wasn’t a wrong assumption.

Even if they managed to seize their ships quickly, if they had been pursued and caught before they could move far enough, there was a high chance that everyone would have become fish food.

It was Chung Myung who single-handedly prevented that worst-case scenario.

“Thinking about it now, it was indeed a reckless endeavor.”

“Yeah, it was.”

“If I had known it was such an operation, I would have refused to participate.”

“You might have.”

Gwak Hwanso’s response remained consistently calm. At that, Lee Jayang’s face twisted.

“Aren’t you angry, Sahyeong? We almost died in that operation! And because of that reckless plan, Sajes suffered, too!”

Gwak Hwanso stared at him without responding. Lee Jayang clenched his jaw tightly.

“Are you blaming them for their deaths?”

“…No, that’s not what I meant…”

“And if they had told us from the start that things would turn out like this, you probably wouldn’t have joined in either. If that had happened, where do you think we would be now?”

Lee Jayang couldn’t respond. By now, they would likely have been fighting in their home base, facing death one by one. While there was no guarantee that this journey to Gangnam could save Haenam, it was undeniable that it had prolonged their lives, at least for a little while.

‘There was no way they could have told us in advance.’

It’s not something you can easily accept just by hearing it. It’s something you can’t believe until you see it with your own eyes.

Who in the world would believe that one person could hold off the main force of Maninbang and buy time? That’s why they couldn’t say anything. A truth that no one believes is worth as much as a truckload of lies.

“They weren’t in the wrong. If anyone was, it was us, blinded by the fact that we were heading to Gangnam and failing to properly assess the situation.”

“Well…”

“Can people who came from the mountains know when the water is receding? No, did they even know that the water was receding in the first place? It’s something you and I should have thought about. Because of our stupidity, we almost killed everyone. And now, are you going to blame others instead?”

“… “

“People without the skills couldn’t even properly do what they were so enthusiastic about. And now, are you going to blame innocent people again?”

Lee Jayang bit his lip until blood seeped out, his face contorted in anguish.

Gwak Hwanso understood the sight of Lee Jayang’s ugly state. There was nothing Sajes could do. How could they comfort themselves for the loss of the innocent disciples they shouldn’t have lost, feeling weak and foolish? Knowing it’s not right, yet still wanting to find someone to blame, wanting to resent, that’s human nature.

“I’m sorry, Sahyeong.”

At that moment, Lee Jayang bowed his head towards Gwak Hwanso.

“I…,”

he said, closing his eyes tightly,

“…was foolish and cowardly.”

“Jayang,”

Gwak Hwanso began, then lowered his head too.

He understood Lee Jayang’s heart better than anyone else. Moreover, Lee Jayang prided himself on being the most pragmatic person in Haenam. The shock must have been immense, to say the least.

A brief silence hung between them. Just as Gwak Hwanso was about to break the awkwardness with some words, Lee Jayang spoke again.

“Sahyeong.”

“…Go on.”

“How can they… do that?”

Lee Jayang said with a bewildered expression on his face.

“I don’t understand. How can one remain composed in such a situation? Even after seeing Maninbang…”

He trailed off, sinking into silence. It was evident how deeply shaken Lee Jayang was.

It must feel disheartening and perplexing, having lived beneath the clouds only to leap onto them, only to find an endless expanse of sky above.

“How can one be so composed in such circumstances? And how can one not be afraid?”

“Do you know who they are?”

Gwak Hwanso asked, raising his head slightly.

Understanding strength is somewhat easier. They are strong, and they are weak. There’s no need to find reasons for that. With more training and effort, one might narrow the gap to some extent.

But…

Even now, it’s vivid in his eyes. It’s the sight of Chung Myung charging alone against hundreds of troops who were rushing at him like crazy.

‘Could I ever become as strong as that person?’

Gwak Hwanso already knows the answer.

“One thing’s for sure, while we were just rotting in our grievances on this island, they’ve been shedding blood on the battlefield.”

“Even though those mainland big shots, have been mocking us for being pretentious with no backbone…”

Gwak Hwanso chuckled dryly.

“The real fools were us. The ones who’ve never properly swung a sword to kill someone.”

“Sahyeong…”

“You wondered how they could fight like that.”

Lee Jayang looked at Gwak Hwanso with a puzzled expression. Gwak Hwanso’s gaze was fixed far away, towards the land of Gangnam.

“Right now, we may not know, but we’ll soon find out,”

Gwak Hwanso’s face stiffened coldly.

“We must realize. If we don’t, we’ll only die there.”

Lee Jayang nodded slowly.

Their journey had only just begun. If they could survive and break through Gangnam filled with Sapaeryeon… perhaps then they might come to understand even a little of the battles that had taken place on the mainland.

“I can only hope for that,”

Gwak Hwanso closed his eyes silently.

After calming his turbulent heart for a while, he belatedly asked, as if the thought had just occurred to him,

“How is Chung Myung Dojang?”

“…They’re currently removing the needles lodged in his body and stitching up the wounds.”

“Removing needles?”

“Yes. There were over ten needles lodged in his body, longer than fingers. The doctor said, if he were an ordinary person, he would have died over ten times more…”

Gwak Hwanso paused for a moment.

“He seemed fine…”

“… It seems otherwise,”

replied Lee Jayang, his voice tinged with defeat.

Gwak Hwanso’s gaze shifted towards the cabin.

Having silently watched the cabin where Chung Myung was being treated for a while, he sighed deeply.