Chapter 172: Voyage (3)

Ketal’s strength was uniquely exceptional, not just among those onboard but throughout the entire continent. At least, Aquaz had never seen anyone else capable of matching his raw power.

As an inquisitor of the continent’s largest religious order, dedicated to the Sun God, she had encountered numerous mighty warriors. Yet, not one had demonstrated a strength even remotely close to Ketal’s. It wouldn't be an exaggeration to say that his power was truly one-of-a-kind.

And yet, someone this strong can't handle Myst,

Aquaz thought incredulously. The idea seemed like a tasteless joke.

As the ship moved onward, the scattered debris from the recent battle gradually disappeared behind them. Baker, watching the fading wreckage, shook his head in disbelief.

“To think that was a magic weapon. And you caught and threw it back barehanded.”

“Hm?” Ketal tilted his head. “It wasn’t just an ordinary harpoon?”

“You didn't notice?” Baker stared at Ketal, even more bewildered. “That harpoon pierced right through Aquaz’s defensive barrier, yet you thought it was ordinary?”

Apparently, something of that magnitude had seemed insignificant to Ketal. With a sigh of disbelief, Baker explained further.

“That was definitely a magical weapon, and a very well-made one crafted by the Mage Tower. It wasn’t just forged from regular materials, but intricately combined magic with physical substance. Its power far exceeded normal weapons—such weapons are usually reserved for major sieges.”

As a mage from the Mage Tower, Baker easily recognized the harpoon’s craftsmanship. A single strike from such a weapon could effortlessly sink a large ship.

“Oh, so it was something special,” Ketal remarked casually, then frowned slightly. “But why would pirates have something like that?”

“Most likely stolen from a merchant vessel,” Valkran interjected, approaching them. “I recall hearing that Kakan’s crew had looted some valuable weapons recently.”

“Ah, a spoils-of-war situation. But why design it specifically as a harpoon?” Ketal wondered aloud.

“Probably commissioned to hunt sea monsters like Krakens,” Valkran explained. “Unlike whales, Krakens can't be harmed by normal harpoons.”

Ketal’s eyes immediately widened. “Kraken? Such creatures exist here?”

“Yes, they dwell deep in the ocean. They're incredibly challenging to hunt, difficult to transport, but a successful hunt ensures enough wealth to live comfortably for a lifetime.” Suddenly realizing he'd sparked Ketal’s interest, Valkran hesitated, then added, “Actually, there's supposed to be a Kraken somewhere near here, beyond the City of Merfolk.”

“Oh? Interesting.” A slow, eager smile spread across Ketal’s face.

Valkran felt an unsettling chill run down his spine.

Oh no. Did I just tempt him into hunting a Kraken after we're done here?

Valkran immediately regretted mentioning it.

Their voyage continued without further issues. At one point, the crew nearly drank contaminated water, but Aquaz quickly purified it through prayer. Impressed by her divine powers, several sailors approached her afterward, curious about the teachings of the Sun God. By the time the journey concluded, some sailors had already decided to convert, eagerly awaiting their baptism. Aquaz gladly explained the doctrine to anyone interested.

𝗳𝚛𝗲𝕖𝚠𝚎𝚋𝗻𝗼𝕧𝗲𝐥.𝚌𝚘𝐦

Eventually, they arrived at their destination.

“We’re here,” Valkran announced gravely, looking across the empty sea. It was a place far from any landmass, deep within open waters.

***

“This is the boundary,” Valkran said, voice tense.

No vessel that crossed beyond here ever returned. Only a single survivor ever made it back, but he had lost his mind completely, ending up a broken shell of a man.

“Proceed slowly,” Valkran commanded.

“Aye, Captain.”

The sailors moved carefully, nervously scanning their surroundings, eyes wide with tension. Each was alert, desperate not to miss any sign of danger.

But soon, their vigilance yielded confusion.

“Everything seems...normal?” one of the sailors said.

“I can see fish swimming beneath us clearly,” another replied.

“The wind is gentle, and everything seems perfect.”

To anyone unfamiliar with the area’s reputation, this place would seem entirely ordinary. Valkran was visibly confused.

“What’s going on?” Valkran asked himself.

“Are you sure we're in the right location?” one sailor cautiously asked him

“I’m certain,” Valkran snapped. “I’ve robbed plenty of ships heading to the City of Merfolk. There’s no chance I’ve gotten this wrong.”

They were undoubtedly near their intended destination. Still puzzled, Valkran scanned the surrounding waters again, then suddenly paused, realizing something odd.

“Why aren’t there any shipwreck fragments?” Valkran asked quietly.

Numerous ships had reportedly sunk around here. By now, wreckage and debris should have littered the ocean, clearly visible in all directions. Yet, as far as they could see, the ocean surface was completely clear.

“Could the currents have carried everything away?” Aquaz suggested hesitantly.

“No,” Valkran replied firmly, shaking his head. “It’s far too clean. At least some fragments should still be visible.”

Something wasn’t right.

Everything seemed as if nothing unusual had ever occurred here—which itself was deeply unsettling. Valkran narrowed his eyes, clearly wary.

“Let's keep moving. We'll probably find something as we get closer to the City of Merfolk,” he ordered.

“How far is it exactly?” Ketal asked him.

“Just one more hour,” Valkran replied.

“Do you have a way to summon or contact the merfolk?”

“Usually, once we're close enough, the merfolk come up to greet us,” Valkran explained. “But given the circumstances, who knows what’ll happen this time? We’ll have to go see for ourselves.”

“Perfect,” Ketal grinned broadly.

They continued forward, sailing slowly and cautiously, but nothing happened.

Feeling increasingly uneasy, Aquaz turned toward Baker. “Baker, do you sense anything at all?”

“No,” Baker replied tensely. “I haven’t picked up anything unusual.”

“Same here,” Aquaz confirmed.

Both Aquaz and Baker had extended their senses thoroughly—down to the ocean floor itself. If there were any anomaly or hidden danger, they'd immediately notice it. But neither detected anything suspicious, which only added to their unease. It was as if they couldn’t detect a knife held just below their throats.

Then, for just a brief moment, Ketal’s expression shifted oddly—an expression no one else noticed.

And suddenly, the ship jerked to a halt.

“Whoa!”

“What the—!”

The abrupt stop sent sailors stumbling and sprawling across the deck. Valkran cursed in irritation.

“Did we hit a reef?”

“No reefs in sight!” the lookout shouted back nervously.

“Then what happened?”

“Let me try steering us away!” the helmsman shouted urgently, turning the wheel with effort. Yet no matter how hard he tried, the ship remained fixed in place, as if wedged tightly by some invisible force.

Panic quickly spread among the crew.

“What’s going on?”

“How is this happening?”

Desperate, Valkran looked toward Aquaz and Baker, but both shook their heads helplessly.

“I sense nothing,” Aquaz said grimly.

“Neither do I,” Baker echoed.

“What in the world is going on, then?” Valkran muttered anxiously, rushing about the deck searching for answers. Aquaz, too, quickly scanned their surroundings.

Then she paused, noticing something strange.

“Ketal?” she asked him.

Ketal stood silently by the railing, peering down into the water with a thoughtful expression.

“Do you see something down there?” Aquaz asked cautiously, stepping closer.

“Come and see for yourself,” Ketal replied.

Puzzled, Aquaz leaned over the railing and followed Ketal’s gaze into the water below. Immediately, her expression froze.

““What? What’s wrong?” Baker asked nervously, hurrying over to look as well. His face drained of color as soon as he saw beneath the waves.

Realizing something was terribly wrong, Valkran and the other sailors quickly gathered around, gazing downward into the ocean. Each of their faces turned stark white with shock.

“Oh god...” Someone gasped softly, too terrified even to scream.

One sailor began trembling uncontrollably, stumbling backward. “A—a monkey...?”

“Hmm,” Ketal murmured with intrigue, calmly observing the enormous figure below their ship.

Beneath them, clearly visible through the clear water, was indeed a monkey—a giant primate swimming effortlessly, massive limbs rhythmically moving. Its powerful arms firmly gripped the bottom of the ship.

They hadn’t struck a reef at all.

Instead, this giant ape had caught hold of their vessel, preventing any further movement.

Valkran let out a shaky groan.

“A primate... living deep beneath the sea.”

They had just encountered one of the Demon Realm’s monstrous Anomalies.

***

At that moment, everyone onboard understood clearly. This enormous monkey beneath their ship was responsible for sinking every vessel that had ventured into these waters.

No one dared to speak, let alone move. The sailors held their breaths, terrified that even the slightest noise or movement might provoke the creature. An eerie silence enveloped them.

It felt entirely foreign—something beyond their comprehension. The sailors’ hearts pounded frantically in their chests, the oppressive silence only adding to their panic.

After several tense moments, Aquaz spoke slowly and quietly, her voice barely above a whisper. “Baker, can you detect it yet?”

“N-no,” Baker stammered nervously.

Both Aquaz and Baker had their senses extended to the maximum, yet neither could detect the creature at all.

“But how is that possible...?” Aquaz muttered.

It made no sense. Any creature from the Demon Realm should have clearly registered in their magical perception.

A wave of shock and dread swept through everyone onboard, except Ketal, who observed the giant ape with intense curiosity.

“It really is big,” he murmured appreciatively.

The monkey was massive—at least half the size of their large vessel. Its thick, brown fur swayed gently underwater. Two enormous eyes, each big enough to swallow a person whole, calmly stared upward toward them.

So this is another Demon Realm Anomaly,

Ketal thought. The tense standoff lasted for several suffocating seconds.

Then, finally, the creature began to move.

The hull suddenly shuddered beneath their feet. Realizing what the monkey intended, Valkran urgently shouted, panic clear in his voice:

“It’s trying to break the ship!”

The giant ape tightened its grip on the ship’s hull. With an awful groan, the wood strained and water began to seep through the cracks. Valkran instantly realized how so many vessels had met their end in these waters. The monkey simply seized and tore apart ships from beneath, causing irreparable leaks. Ships sunk by leakage left no chance for resistance.

Panic erupted onboard as sailors, finally breaking their terrified silence, screamed and scrambled helplessly.

“Aquaz!” Baker called urgently.

Aquaz immediately stepped forward, swinging her arm outward with authority.

“O Great Sun God, grant your servant the unwavering light that strikes down my foes!”

Brilliant rays of golden light instantly pierced the waters, striking the giant monkey squarely between the eyes. With a deafening crash, the creature was pushed back slightly.

But Aquaz’s expression remained grim.

Not even a scratch?

she thought.

Despite the direct hit, there wasn’t a single drop of blood visible on the creature’s face. Yet, Aquaz’s attack had bought Baker enough time to gather his mana. He quickly completed his chant.

“Freezing winds of a distant star, unleash your frost upon the ocean depths!”

At his words, the very space beneath them opened, unleashing an intense blast of frigid cold. Within moments, thick ice formed around the monkey, instantly trapping it in a dense glacier-like prison.

Yet, it still wasn’t enough. With a look of annoyance, the monkey merely furrowed its massive brow. A moment later, cracks spread rapidly across the glacier. The ice exploded apart in countless fragments.

Baker’s face paled with shock and disbelief. “Impossible!”

Two Transcendents had attacked—albeit hurriedly—but the monkey wasn’t harmed at all.

Now visibly irritated at the interruption, the monkey’s expression twisted into pure fury.

“Kiiiiiiiiieeeeek!”

A shrill, unearthly scream echoed through the water, directly piercing their ears. Despite the scream originating beneath the waves, it shook every sailor to their core. Several fell to the deck, clutching their heads in agony. It was a howl that belonged to something fundamentally alien.

Just as the monkey tightened its grip to rip apart the hull, Ketal vaulted smoothly over the railing, launching himself directly toward the ocean.

“Sorry, but I can’t let you destroy this ship,” Ketal muttered.

Curling one massive fist, Ketal plunged downward, driving a thunderous punch directly into the sea.

A colossal explosion erupted, blasting water high into the air.