"This isn't good… My core is almost completely drained. I feel dizzy, and everything is spinning."
Sara stubbornly clung to her sword, even though she was disoriented and suffering from a pounding headache. Her only strength in that moment was her sheer will to survive.
The currents of the black sea were relentless, battering her with force and sending sharp pain through every muscle in her body. At least she didn't have to hold her breath like her companions, though it was hardly a comfort.
It was a strange sensation: water seeped through every opening in her armor, drenching her body as the world spun around her. Her weakness grew with every passing second, the lack of essence in her core weighing on her like a boulder. The most peculiar thing was the way she received oxygen.
It didn't seem to come just from her lungs but from every cell in her body. Her adaptation had completely altered the normal function of her breathing, replacing it with something strange yet functional. Even so, the discomfort lingered—a mix of tingling, pressure, and exhaustion.
The massive stone body continued to move forward, slow but steady, as the dark water engulfed it almost entirely. Sara knew they still had several minutes left before reaching the surface.
She quickly glanced at her companions: all of them were desperately fighting to hold on. Nephis stood firm, her hands gripping her weapon with unshakable determination. Caster, though outwardly calm, showed signs of fatigue in the subtle shifts of his eyes.
Sunny was on the verge of collapse, clinging to his sword with all his might. Meanwhile, Kai and Cassie were in the worst shape—the charming archer was visibly losing strength, and the blind girl clung tightly to his arm.
Sara frowned as she noticed Kai's grip weakening. It was clear he wouldn't last much longer.
"Damn it, idiot. You shouldn't have tied yourself to the girl if you planned on dragging her down with you," she thought bitterly as the world continued to wobble in her mind.
Sara's own grip was beginning to falter as well. She had underestimated what it meant to completely drain her core. Even so, her body—trained to human limits—kept her going, like a machine running on its last reserves of fuel.
Bubbles escaped her mouth as she regained some clarity. With immense effort, she let go of her sword with one hand and reached for a nearby crevice.
White sparks began to dance around her as she summoned another sword: simple, with a curved blade and a hilt tinged with a faint pink hue. Without wasting time, she drove it into the crevice, securing an additional point of support.
A small grimace of pain crossed her face as she repeated the movement. She released her main weapon, grabbed the new one, then unsummoned the first only to bring it back a moment later.
This slow but methodical process allowed her to maintain her position as the water pressure tried to rip her away.
Once she stabilized herself, she quickly looked to her right. Kai was barely holding on, his eyes starting to close—a clear sign he was losing consciousness. If he let go, he would drag Cassie down with him, dooming them both.
"Why are pretty people always idiots?" she thought bitterly. Then, the image of Grey crossed her mind. "Well, not all of them are."
Repeating the same process, Sara moved quickly and precisely toward the two of them, her urgency growing with each passing second. Kai was clearly on the verge of blacking out.
"How is the girl holding on better than you, idiot?"
With one final push, Sara reached them just in time to intervene. As Kai lost his grip and began to fall into the abyss of the black sea, she grabbed him with one arm, pulling him toward her and securing him tightly.
Cassie, already feeling the weight of the archer dragging her down, clung to the stone's crevices with all her might. Her expression was a mixture of effort and pain, her trembling hands holding on, but her determination never wavered.
However, when she didn't feel the full pull she was expecting, she looked up and saw two sets of runes describing attributes. A wave of relief washed over her as she realized she wouldn't have to bear Kai's weight alone.
...
Suddenly, the colossal giant began to ascend. The waters pressed everyone forcefully against the hard surface of the statue's mutilated neck, relieving them of the need to hold on with all their strength, but exacting a toll with suffocating pressure that crushed their bodies.
As the giant emerged, Sara felt a slight tremor in the stone—barely perceptible but enough to alert her. It was as if something massive had collided with their colossus carrier. A cold shiver ran down her drenched spine.
"This isn't going to be a pleasant surprise, is it?"
When they finally broke through the black sea's surface, everyone gasped desperately for fresh air, filling their lungs with much-needed oxygen. They were exhausted, both physically and mentally, but none of them could afford to rest.
Nephis and Caster stood with effort, while Sara placed Kai beside Cassie, ensuring both were safe before standing herself. Effie remained seated, one knee raised while the other leg stretched over the rock, recovering from the journey.
Sunny rose slowly, letting large drops of water fall from his dark armor, which resembled finely embroidered leather robes. Sara noticed a small frown on his face as he walked toward Nephis.
Just as Sunny reached Nephis, Sara felt the familiar shift in the air, that slight alteration that always warned her of imminent danger.
She quickly stood and walked toward them with light, silent steps, raising a hand to stop any sound or movement. Both looked at her in confusion, but Sunny seemed to catch on, his eyes widening slightly in understanding.
Sara remained still, sharpening her now-recovered senses, ignoring both the giant's movements and the noise of the black sea. Then she felt it: an overwhelming, terrifying presence lurking nearby.
"A nightmare creature? Where is it watching us from?"
Focusing on the sense of imminent danger, she pinpointed its source. Somewhere below the edge of the giant's neck, she could feel a horrifying presence.
Nephis continued to stare in her direction as Sunny followed her gaze to the edge of the stone neck. The dark night cloaked the world, but their eyes managed to pierce through the shadows.
Sara noticed a shadow climbing up the edge of the neck, merging with Sunless's missing shadow. Moments later, Sunny carefully moved noiselessly to stand face-to-face with Nephis.
He gently touched Nephis's shoulder, whispering something into her ear as he stood on tiptoes to reach her. Sara couldn't help but smile faintly at the sight, though it quickly faded when she saw Sunny summoning a sword.
With a signal, Sunny gestured for Sara to follow him to the edge of the giant's neck. There, the two of them gazed at a translucent abomination rising from the depths.
The creature was massive, the size of a train, its gelatinous body covered in writhing tentacles that seemed alive. Within its semi-transparent mass, the figure of a human skeleton was faintly visible, as if trapped at its center.
---
END OF THE CHAPTER! LET'S GOOO!
How's it going, everyone? I finally managed to write another chapter; it was tough, but I got it done.
Anyway, I wanted to pitch an idea to you all. How would you feel about setting a goal of power stones to release a chapter quickly? Something like a [0/50] power stone target for an immediate new chapter.
This would help me gauge your support for my fanfic and motivate me to write more.
It's just a suggestion, but if you're into it, I'll start implementing it in the next chapter.
Let me know your thoughts!