The storm hit with relentless force, waves crashing against the ship as it struggled to stay on course. The wind howled, driving the rain sideways, and the once-calm sea had transformed into a chaotic expanse of dark, churning water.
At the helm, Julia gripped the wheel tightly, her knuckles white as she fought to keep control. Over the roar of the storm, she shouted, "Kai, help Adan with the sails! Tank, get up here—I've got a plan!"
Tank, a hulking, bear-like creature with muscles rippling under his fur, lumbered to the helm, taking over the wheel from Julia. The ship's bow plunged into a trough, splashing everyone with icy water. Kai darted toward the sails, joining Adan in a struggle to keep them from tearing apart.
As Julia scanned the deck, her eyes locked onto Stella, who was clinging to the railing, drenched and pale. Julia's brow furrowed. "Where's Elijah? I need him up here now!"
Stella, shivering, managed to point toward the chaos of the stormy sea. Julia squinted through the rain, and her eyes widened as she spotted a familiar figure.
Elijah was standing on the water, his arms spread wide, facing down a monstrous sea creature. Over the din, his voice rang out, bold and fearless, "FOOD! COME TO ME!"
Julia's jaw dropped. She slapped her forehead in disbelief. "That idiot... could he not wait until AFTER the storm to play?" She sighed heavily, watching as a massive wave engulfed Elijah, pulling him out of sight.
"I swear, I hope he drowns," she muttered, though she knew deep down that nothing as simple as a wave could take Elijah down.
She turned back to the helm, a staff materializing in her hand, glowing with a faint blue aura. Summoning her mana, she gathered the wind around the ship, the air crackling with energy.
With a swift motion, she unleashed a powerful burst, propelling the ship into the sky, soaring nearly 1.5 kilometers above the ocean's surface. For a moment, they were weightless, suspended in the storm's eye, before crashing down into calmer waters where the storm's fury hadn't yet reached.
"Alright, everyone! We're out of the worst of it. Let's get moving!" Julia commanded, knowing they couldn't stay still for long.
After the Storm
Ten minutes later, the crew was breathing easier. Kai stretched, yawning as he leaned against the mast. "Finally, we're out of that damn storm. Now I can go back to sleep."
Adan laughed, adjusting his drenched clothes. "You're pretty confident, huh? What if another sea monster shows up?"
Kai smirked, closing his eyes. "I'm not worried. Elijah took care of the last one, and I doubt another would dare show up." But his eyes snapped open as a sudden thought struck him. "Wait… where is Elijah?"
Stella, pale and seasick, looked up and answered weakly, "Uh... we kind of left him... fighting that sea monster..."
"What?!" Adan and Kai shouted in unison, disbelief etched on their faces.
Julia, wringing the water out of her hair, sighed. "Relax. Elijah's fine. That sea creature was nothing to him."
Kai's eyes blazed with anger. "You idiot." In a flash, he was in front of Julia, his face inches from hers, voice low and dangerous. "You KNEW he was still out there, and you left him behind anyway?"
Julia's expression hardened. "If I hadn't acted, we would've been swallowed by the ocean. And who in their right mind starts a fight with a sea monster in the middle of a storm?"
Kai's hand drifted to the hilt of his sword, his eyes narrowing. "So you just abandoned him, huh?"
"Elijah isn't weak. If I stayed, Adan and Stella would have died," Julia retorted, matching Kai's glare.
Kai's rage simmered, but he didn't draw his weapon. He took a deep breath, trying to calm himself. "You have an incredible sensing ability. Yet you noticed nothing, did you?"
Julia hesitated, stepping back slightly, feeling the tension in Kai's posture. "What are you getting at?"
Kai's eyes were sharp, as if seeing right through her. "Elijah is reckless, but he's no fool. He would've sensed us trying to escape and caught up—unless something was keeping him. Did you ever wonder why?"
Julia's face contorted in confusion. "I... I didn't think of it. He seemed more interested in that sea monster than anything else."
Kai pressed on, his voice steady and unyielding. "In the last two days, we didn't see a single sea monster, despite there being so many below. So why would a King-Tier creature suddenly attack us?"
Julia's mind reeled, trying to make sense of his words. "What are you talking about?"
"Elijah sensed an Emperor-Tier beast at the center of that storm, right where we were headed," Kai explained.
"That's why the King-Tier attacked, and that's why Elijah was in the water in the first place. The Emperor-Tier beast didn't attack us, which means we had a chance to grab Elijah and escape… but instead, someone decided to cut and run."
Julia's eyes went wide with horror. "No... it can't be…" She hastily checked a device on her wrist. Relief washed over her as she saw a faint, pulsing signal. "He's alive… but he's hurt, badly."
Adan, who had been silently listening, leaned in. "How can you be sure?"
"We're all linked through these devices," Kai said, holding up his own watch-like device. "It shows the location and health of each of us."
Adan's eyes widened as he checked his device, seeing an image of Elijah's body, along with his exact coordinates. Julia's heart sank as she read the status—Elijah had lost an arm and a leg. Though they could be regenerated using healing pills, if he lost too much blood, he might not survive.
"Turn the ship around, now!" Julia ordered, sprinting back to the helm. "We're going back for him. This time, raise the sails higher so they don't rip apart!"
Far Below, in the Deep Ocean
Elijah was deep underwater, surrounded by a shimmering, translucent shield. He was breathing heavily, his eyes narrowed as he watched the shadows moving around him.
'Damn it… if it weren't for these gloves, I'd be dead by now,' he thought, wincing at the pain shooting through his body. 'Who knew a creature like this could lock space itself…'
A dark shape slithered through the water, circling him. A voice, cold and mocking, echoed around him. "What kind of treasure lasts this long?"
"Don't even think about trying to break it, or you'll regret it," said a smooth, feminine voice. A figure emerged from the shadows—a girl with snow-white hair and silver eyes, looking no older than seventeen.
The water seemed to part around her, leaving her completely dry. She stared at Elijah, her expression almost amused, as she floated closer, passing through the shield effortlessly.
"It seems the young master of the Dominic family is here on this planet. I thought you'd be more impressive, but I must say, I'm disappointed."
Elijah glanced up at her, grimacing. The girl's ethereal appearance was almost unsettling—her clothes fluttered as if in a gentle breeze, despite being underwater.
She continued to examine him with a mix of curiosity and disdain. "We need to patch you up before those gloves of yours decide to kill us all."
The sea monster shifted uneasily. "How could mere gloves be so dangerous?"
The girl's lips curled into a knowing smile. "These gloves are embedded with runes higher than Tier 5. If this young master's life is at risk, they'll unleash a blast powerful enough to obliterate everything within a 50-kilometer radius."
Elijah managed a weak smile, his voice barely a whisper. "Nice to meet you."