Chapter 173: Voyage (4)

Boom!

The sea erupted with a thunderous roar, sending violent tremors through the ship. The force was so much greater than when the harpoon had struck earlier. Every single crew member was thrown across the deck, sliding helplessly as the vessel pitched and swayed.

For one heart-stopping moment, it seemed certain the ship would capsize. The deck tilted at a perilous angle, loose ropes and crates tumbling as men clung to anything they could find. Then, by some miracle, the ship righted itself, narrowly avoiding disaster.

“What the—?!” Valkran stared in utter disbelief at the roiling, churning sea. The water was still foaming, bubbling with a strange, unnatural energy.

To think that just a single blow could shake the entire ship like this—what kind of monstrous strength could do such a thing?

Valkran thought as his mind struggled to process the scale of the threat.

The sea slowly settled. Ketal, now back on deck, peered over the rail into the depths below. He spoke quietly, almost to himself. “It’s gone.”

“Did you... did you defeat it?” one of the crew managed to ask, his voice shaky.

“No. It ran away,” Ketal replied. “That thing is surprisingly resilient.”

He had held back, controlling his strength because the ship was so close to the monster. Even then, the force of the attack, dampened further by the sea, should have been enough to tear apart a giant whale from the inside out. But that monstrous ape had managed to escape.

Despite their relief, a chill crept into the faces of those around Ketal. They wondered what kind of nightmare creature could survive an attack like that.

Just moments ago, a massive ape had been gripping their ship from beneath the waves. No one wanted to dwell on what would have happened if it had not let go.

A chorus of uneasy murmurs rippled among the crew. It felt as though they had stared into the heart of a nightmare and barely survived. Aquaz stood near the rail, gazing out at the fading turbulence in the water. Her voice was low, awed. “So that’s what’s been ruling these seas...”

It was a lifeform the likes of which none of them had ever seen.

“It’s unbelievably tough,” she added.

Neither her attacks nor Baker’s magic had managed to pierce its hide. The situation had been too urgent to muster their full power, but even so, that was no ordinary toughness. And, more troubling still, the beast had evaded their senses completely.

Baker shook his head, muttering in disbelief, “How can something like that even exist?”

It was a lifeform utterly beyond their comprehension—a creature straight from the Demon Realm. This was what it meant to face the Anomalies of the Demon Realm.

Valkran gritted his teeth, forcing himself to focus. “First, we need to repair the ship. Water is flooding in below.”

They had managed to drive off the monster, but the cost was clear: the hull had been ripped open. If they did not act fast, the ship would soon sink. Panic broke out among the crew as the severity of the damage finally sank in, and men began to rush about, scrambling to make repairs.

“I’m afraid we don’t have time for that.” Ketal’s calm, unhurried voice cut through the chaos. He was gazing out at the distant horizon, eyes narrowed in concentration. “This isn’t over.”

“What...?” Aquaz said, only to follow Ketal’s gaze and freeze.

Far out across the waves, the surface was splitting, parting in three places at once. Three giant primates surged toward them, each churning up the water in their wake.

“They’re not alone...” someone whispered, horror dawning on their face.

The monstrous ape was not a solitary beast—it was part of a group. Now three of them advanced, moving with terrifying speed. The crew could only scream in terror and despair. One of those things had nearly destroyed them; three would mean certain doom.

If there was any consolation, it was that the beasts were no longer trying to sneak up on them. There was, at least, a sliver of time to act.

Aquaz reacted instantly, raising her hands skyward as she chanted, “Material, Chapter 1, Verse 1. The radiant domain of gold is born!”

A blinding light exploded around the ship, forming a shimmering golden barrier. It was the same sacred power she had once used to withstand the might of the demon Ashetiaar.

The apes collided with the shield, unleashing a violent shockwave that rattled the entire ship.

Their enormous fists battered the glowing barrier from beneath the waves. Jagged cracks began to spread, shimmering across the shield’s surface.

Aquaz’s eyes widened in disbelief. “How can this be?!”

Even though Aquaz possessed a natural advantage over Ashetiaar thanks to her holy power, a demon of her caliber couldn’t break Aquaz’s divine shield, which showed just how terrifyingly strong these apes truly were.

Still, the divine shield held. Though cracks spread and the strain increased, it continued to protect the ship, buying them precious seconds.

It was just enough time for Baker to begin chanting his spell.

“O star beyond the heavens, I open a path so your domain may descend upon this place! Rain of stone, fall upon my enemies!”

A rift tore open in the sky—space itself bending as the blazing, molten core of some distant star became visible for an instant. Then, from that fiery world, a torrent of meteoric stones erupted, raining down upon the sea beasts with unstoppable force.

The entire sea boiled and churned. The magical assault was devastating, a true demonstration of power from a Transcendent mage.

The crew gasped, awestruck by the spectacle. No ordinary creature could hope to withstand such an attack.

Yet, when the waters calmed, the apes emerged once again.

Their hulking bodies bore only shallow cuts and bruises—the most Baker’s magic had managed to inflict.

“That’s impossible,” Baker muttered, horror dawning on his face.

They should have been obliterated, but instead, the beasts seemed only angrier. They reared back and unleashed a shrill, deafening cry that echoed through the water.

The unearthly sound vibrated through the hull, making everyone flinch. Beneath the waves, the apes began hammering the divine shield with renewed fury. The cracks spread, threatening to shatter the barrier at any moment.

Ketal’s expression grew troubled. “This isn’t good.”

“Can you drive them off, Ketal?” Aquaz called urgently. She knew what he was capable of; surely, he could handle three if he could defeat one so quickly.

He shook his head, face grim. “I could, but the ship won’t survive. When I fought one, the ship nearly capsized. If I go all out against three, the entire vessel will flip for sure.”

“We might survive,” he continued, “but the crew won’t.”

Aquaz clenched her fists in frustration. “But...”

“Besides, even if we drive them away, it won’t solve the real problem,” Ketal said quietly.

“What do you mean?” she asked him.

Ketal nodded toward the horizon.

There, stretching across the sea, a mass of dark shapes was approaching—dozens of monstrous figures closing in from every direction.

Aquaz’s blood ran cold. “No...”

“It must have been a call for reinforcements,” Ketal said softly. “That cry wasn’t just a threat—it was summoning its kin.”

The sea was turning black with their numbers. The crew was too paralyzed by terror to scream.

For a long moment, Ketal said nothing, deep in thought. Then he turned to Valkran. “This ship is big. There must be emergency escape boats, right?”

Valkran nodded, regaining his composure. “There’s one below deck, just in case.”

“Then take me to it,” Ketal ordered. He glanced back at Aquaz. “I need you to hold them off a little longer.”

She nodded, determination hardening her features. “I’ll do my best.”

𝒻𝑟𝘦𝘦𝘸ℯ𝒷𝑛𝘰𝓋ℯ𝘭.𝘤𝘰𝘮

Ketal and Valkran hurried below deck, moving quickly through the corridors to the storage hold. There, nestled among crates and barrels, sat a sturdy lifeboat.

Ketal examined it, nodding. “Big enough. We’ll all fit.”

“But how do you plan to get us out?” Valkran asked him. “If we try to slip away quietly, they’ll notice right away.”

Valkran was right. They were still in the beasts’ territory. Any attempt to escape by sea would be doomed.

Ketal considered for a moment, then balled his fist.

“There’s only one way.” Ketal swung his arm, not toward the water, but up—straight into the air.

***

Back on deck, the situation had reached its breaking point.

The apes howled, hammering the shield with relentless force. The cracks widened, splintering in all directions.

Aquaz gritted her teeth, focusing every ounce of her willpower on maintaining her divine barrier. Still, it was only a matter of time.

Suddenly, the sound of shattering wood echoed up from below deck.

“Ketal?” she called.

From the jagged hole in the deck, Ketal emerged, effortlessly hoisting the emergency boat overhead.

“Sorry. That took longer than I expected,” he said, his voice as calm as ever.

“No, it’s fine! But I can’t hold much longer—what’s the plan?”

“We’re all leaving. Get everyone aboard,” Ketal ordered.

The crew wasted no time. Panic lent them speed, and they scrambled into the lifeboat. It was a tight fit, but everyone managed to squeeze in, hearts pounding with desperation.

“Aquaz! You too!” Ketal shouted.

She hesitated only a moment before leaping in beside the others.

The instant she landed, the shield finally shattered.

A chorus of dreadful noises rose from below as the beasts tore into the sinking ship. Planks and beams snapped like twigs, the monsters devouring everything in their path.

Baker was shaking with fear. “What now? Are we just supposed to wait for them to eat us next?”

“If we try to escape by water, they’ll spot us in seconds,” Ketal said calmly. “So we’re not sailing—we’re flying.”

“What?!”

“If you don’t want to join the dead at the bottom of the sea, hang on tight.”

It took the crew a moment to grasp his meaning, but as Ketal braced himself, gripping the side of the lifeboat, realization dawned. In a flurry, they clung to the boat, tying themselves down with ropes as best they could.

Ketal dug his heels into the deck, bent his knees—and leapt.

The lifeboat shot into the sky, propelled by an inhuman force. The remains of the main ship split apart, splintering and collapsing into the ocean below.

The crew screamed, clutching the sides of the boat as they soared higher and higher.

Valkran looked down, breathless. From above, he saw dozens of apes swarming the wreck, tearing through the debris, and devouring everything in sight.

As the boat arced through the air and began to descend, Ketal called out, “Baker!”

“Y-yeah?!” Baker stammered, torn between terror and awe.

“I can’t guarantee a soft landing. I’ll need your help.”

Baker nodded shakily, already beginning to chant. “Open! Let the empty space between the stars manifest!”

Just before the boat hit the water, a void appeared beneath them, cushioning the fall.

With a shuddering lurch, the boat landed gently atop the sea, bobbing on the waves as the magic dissipated.

They had survived.

Ketal grinned in satisfaction. “Not bad.”

Baker could only stare at him in disbelief. “Next time, a little warning would be nice...”

But Ketal just patted his shoulder. “You did well, Baker. That was perfect timing.”

The mage’s annoyance melted into a sheepish grin, pleased by the compliment. The rest of the crew, realizing they were alive, collapsed in exhaustion and relief.

“We... we survived...”

“What the hell just happened...?”

For a while, no one said anything more. They simply sat in stunned silence, letting their nerves settle.

Eventually, Valkran roused himself, peering at their surroundings. “Where are we?”

Ketal shrugged. “I just jumped in the direction of the City of Merfolk. I’m not exactly sure where we landed.”

Valkran looked around, paling as he realized the full truth. Their ship was nowhere to be seen. The jump had carried them far beyond its wreckage—further than anyone could have imagined possible.

“No wonder we can’t see the wreck,” Aquaz said softly. “The apes must have devoured every last piece.”

“What do we do now? There’s nothing around us. No landmarks, no ship, nothing,” Valkran said, shaking his head in disbelief. He fumbled with the equipment, quickly realizing the grim truth. “We lost the compass when we flew. And there’s no food...”

Ketal simply looked at him, unfazed. “Do you really think there’d be any supplies left after all that?”

There was nothing but open ocean—no land, no coordinates, no food or water. They had survived, only to become castaways adrift on the endless sea.

The crew’s elation quickly faded, replaced by mounting anxiety. Valkran let out a bitter laugh. “Maybe we should try fishing.”

Ketal shook his head. “That won’t be necessary.”

“What?”

“Because someone’s come to greet us,” Ketal replied. Before anyone could panic, thinking the apes had followed them, Ketal raised a hand, signaling for calm. “It’s not the apes. This is someone who belonged to the sea long before they did.”

A soft splash echoed from beside the boat.

From the water, a woman emerged. The crew stared in shock, hardly daring to breathe.

“I wondered why the sea, which should have remained silent, was so noisy tonight. Now I see old friends have arrived. I’m curious how you managed to reach this place on such a tiny boat,” the woman said.

She was half-clothed, her beauty both enchanting and unearthly. Where her legs should have been, she bore the powerful tail of a fish.

Ketal grinned, his heart pounding with anticipation. “It’s good to meet you.”

The woman smiled in return, her gaze steady. “Greetings, humans. I am Mero, a survivor from the city now ruled by those apes. You may know us as merfolk.”