"What's going on?"
"Our ship hit something!"
"In the middle of nowhere in the open sea?"
Teachers and supervisors continued their bewildered conversation.
Bam!
Amidst this, screams erupted as the ship swayed. People on board grasped onto railings, bracing themselves. The relentless rocking felt like someone was purposefully shaking the entire ship. As Sihyun staggered, about to fall from the swaying ship, Haru, holding onto the railing, grabbed Sihyun's arm, steadying him. The tilting body straightened up instantly.
"Are you okay?"
With a concerned question, Sihyun couldn't even nod. Scenes from his dream flooded his mind. First, the ship tilting, and now...
Swiftly, Sihyun looked up at the sky. What used to be a starry sky now gathered ominous clouds.
"H-Help us!"
"Help!"
Starting with a child's cry, the fear of the kids spilled out. Amidst the chaos caused by the sudden incident, the bewildered children called out to the teachers, who frantically scanned the surroundings, trying to regain composure.
"Everyone, please calm down! It seems like the ship just hit-"
Screams cut off the teacher's words. The ship rocked again. Frustrated, a teacher turned towards the navigator, their expression contorted.
"Why on earth is it shaking?"
"It seems something is holding onto the ship from below!"
"This accelerated ship?"
Shock spread. Listening to the conversation, Sihyun furrowed his brow. Suddenly, in the middle of the ocean, the ship stopped, as if something grabbed hold of it. This was something unheard of in his world. His blue eyes showed a hint of movement as he looked down below the ship's surface. A dark, tumultuous sea met his gaze. Then,
Splash!
A colossal octopus limb emerged from the sea.
"Aaaah!"
"Kraken! It's a kraken!"
"Evacuate the students to the cabins!"
It seemed like that creature was the culprit shaking the ship.
The teachers, once startled by the sudden appearance of the kraken, quickly regained their senses and directed the evacuation. Amidst the chaos of screams, the massive limb began breaking the shield enveloping the ship. Sharp sounds pierced Sihyun's ears.
The creature that shattered the shield grabbed the ship. Witnessing a sight he never imagined, frozen, Sihyun was grabbed by Haru, who was following the teacher's instructions to evacuate.
"Let's go."
Haru seemed surprisingly calm. Recalling the recent situation, Sihyun wondered if this was anything like his nightmare. However, it was entirely different. Was that dream just a nightmare after all? Lost in thought, as he glanced back, a white hand covered Sihyun's view.
"The kraken we met in the sea is close to a catastrophe class. There's nothing we can do."
"...."
The clear voice delivered a sobering statement.
We're still warning level. Sihyun remembered the end-of-month evaluation. The danger levels they faced in the virtual reality during the first month-end evaluation were said to be irregulars whose abilities were adjusted through program settings.
"These irregulars put in for this month's evaluation were implemented to train you in case you encounter irregulars in the future. Even though they were portrayed as danger levels, in fact, all abilities were set to warning level or lower. Please don't overestimate your capabilities against danger levels."
The principal's warning to Class A, which had encountered a considerable number of danger levels, came to Sihyun's mind. Sihyun grabbed Seo-woo's wrist, holding his breath.
"I get it."
He never thought he could handle this situation from the start. It was just concerning how different it was from the nightmare. Would he throw himself into this madness? Facing a kraken with a power close to catastrophe level in the sea, while being only at warning level in abilities himself, he felt utterly incapable, especially when the teachers outside would be overwhelmed.
Sihyun lowered Seo-woo's hand that covered his view. As he turned to look at him, the ship shook again. It was the kraken's doing.
"Ugh!"
As the ship swayed, Seo-woo and Haru grabbed him from both sides.
"Hurry."
Realizing the seriousness of the situation, Haru, with a firm and concise voice, urged them. Sihyun quickened his pace, prompted by Haru.
"I've reported to the association!"
"The reinforcements will arrive soon! Prioritize the students' safety and hold on!"
Desperate voices of the teachers echoed from behind. Among the teachers who accompanied the school trip, there were only two A-class individuals. Even with separate support from the school, there were only five A-class awakened individuals combined.
Typically, it required at least two A-class individuals to deal with danger levels. Five should have been enough. However, the problem was they were in the sea, facing a kraken.
Close to catastrophe level.
Danger and catastrophe levels weren't just a simple one-level increase. Just with one word change, the manpower needed for resolution and the damage increased several times over.
Is everything going to be okay?
Glancing back at the teachers, Sihyun entered the cabin. Gun-woo and Seo-woo, who were in another room due to the circumstances, entered with him.
"You're here."
Hamin, holding onto the window frame, stood inside the cabin. Despite being occupied with a game in his room, he seemed to have been alone amidst the chaos.
"What on earth is happening?"
Brushing his hair back, he asked with a puzzled expression. Sihyun, facing away from him, opened his mouth.
"A kraken appeared in the sea. Teachers and association members are dealing with it."
"Insane."
Hamin gave a brief, concise assessment, but his violet eyes betrayed his confusion, hinting at the unexpectedness of the situation.
Who would expect such an experience at any school?
Kang Sihyun never anticipated encountering a Kraken on his first-ever math trip. Assessing the potential sins from his past life, he shut the door and clung to the bed. With the Kraken around, the ship's stability remained uncertain, making it impossible to sit casually.
Suddenly, the colossal tentacle swept through the window.
"Scream!"
The kids shrieked as the tentacle struck the cabin. Thankfully, no damage, but the windows were dampened. Thud! More than four limbs rose above the vessel.
"Cut the limbs from the damn thing!" the teacher yelled.
The creature, now partially on board, writhed, teachers restraining it. In the dim, cloudy sky, the scene felt apocalyptic to Sihyun.
Thump!
As the teachers united against it, the Kraken seemed distressed, its limbs slamming the ship. Every hit hinted at the ship's descent.
Amid this forced movement, Sihyun struggled to find his balance.
"How's the Association's support?"
"Not enough resources due to the rift! Can't rely solely on the crew onboard…"
"It's the Kraken!"
"Students are here!"
Frustrated teachers rushed toward the Kraken. It seemed chaos had spread beyond this area.
The silver lining amidst the misfortune was that half of the eight limbs were severed, and the Kraken was fatigued. It was a winnable battle, given time.
However, Sihyun couldn't easily relax.
"Why?"
"Are you scared?"
Curious, the kids asked, observing Sihyun's restless behavior. While they reassured him the Kraken would soon be defeated, his worry wasn't about that.
Since seeing this ship initially, he felt a similarity to a nightmare, a premonition. But as night fell, unexpected clouds gathered, and the ship rocked.
Just like in the nightmare.
Of course, there were differences from the dream, so he couldn't be certain. Yet, if this situation mirrored his dream, if it was a prophecy.
'It' hadn't appeared yet.
Surveying those watching him, Sihyun glanced at five boys as an image of a massive hand overlaid them.
"…Anyone familiar with human-like Irregulars living in the sea."
"What?"
"All of a sudden?"
"Are you crazy, wanting to study in this situation?"
Hamin's words furrowed Sihyun's brow. He could express his feelings like that. But saying his nightmare mirrored the current situation might label him insane.
Thud!
Familiar with the swaying ship now, Sihyun clung to the bed. Wrinkles creased his composed forehead.
"So, nobody knows?"
"...."
No response. The kids seemed unaware, causing Sihyun's gaze to shift outside.
Whish! Due to the broken barrier, a strong wind hit the ship. Watching the windows rattle, Sihyun tousled his hair.
"This is insane."
From a math trip to a disaster movie scene. Listening to the teachers' battle cries through the breached window, it was only after a while that the shaking stopped, and the tilted ship returned to normal.
-Geueueu.
The defeated creature fled into the sea.
As it slid below the ship, the pursuing teachers lowered their weapons. An employee rushed to restore the barrier in the control room. The strong winds ceased. Then, relieved, the teachers gathered the kids.
Responding to the call and stepping out of the cabin, Sihyun surveyed the chaos. The once luxurious deck was now a mess due to the Kraken's rampage. It was a scene of devastation from the agency's perspective.
Feeling needlessly sorry for something he didn't cause.
Approaching the teachers cautiously, they hurriedly checked the students. Confirming everyone's safety, the teachers sighed in relief.
"We almost had a huge problem."
"Yeah, thankfully, they assigned awakened individuals from the Association…"
The teachers conversed while the kids huddled, crying. Amidst the semblance of order, Sihyun bit his lip.
Is this the end?
Really?
His skeptical eyes glanced over the broken railing, focusing on the distant, foggy sea.
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