Turning his head back to see the massive head of the Kraken emerging from the water, closely following him, Liam felt a chill down his spine. He couldn't believe it could swim that fast. He kept speeding up, running as fast as he could. Suddenly, a shout echoed:
"Liam... run as fast as you can!"
"It's that old man's voice..." Although Liam didn't understand why old Michael said that.Because he was already running at full speed.
"Damn it... just run, right?" Liam tensed his muscles, his leg muscles tightening as much as possible. He ran at top speed, even though he knew it would drain his energy and allow the Kraken to catch up with him. But it could help him gain a significant distance from it for now.
"That's enough..." Michael realized this was his chance. With that, lightning energy enveloped the spear in his hand. Bright blue lightning streaks ran along the length of the spear, emitting a dazzling light and crackling sounds of electric charges. He took his stance and then hurled the lightning spear toward the Kraken's head on the surface of the sea. The spear flew through the air, disappearing quickly, leaving a trail of light behind.
The Kraken seemed to realize its prey was getting farther away. Enraged, it began to speed up, but at that moment, its body was struck by a shock. Following that shock was excruciating pain coursing through its body. From the spear embedded in its head, electric currents continued to spread throughout its body, causing a burning sensation, trembling, and paralysis. It stopped pursuing Liam, instead trying to pull out the spear that was tormenting it. But as time passed, its resistance weakened. And finally, the moment of complete stillness arrived. It was dead, its entire body charred by the heat of the electricity.
From a distance, Liam grew tired and exhausted. Having run beyond his limits, his whole body ached, and he gasped for air, struggling to take in every breath. He collapsed and looked back. No longer was there the terrifying image of the Kraken he had feared, only a charred black octopus.
"Did the old man do that...?" He panted as he spoke. Fortunately, he had run as fast as he did; if he had maintained that speed, the Kraken would have caught him due to its momentum and electrocuted him. He sat down to rest for a few minutes, regaining his strength.
"Thank you, Liam..." a voice sounded nearby.
Liam reflexively looked toward the source of the voice. It was none other than Michael. He smiled wryly to himself.
"In the end... it's all because of me..."
"No... it's my fault..." Michael frowned, feeling somewhat angry with himself. Liam had lost his memory, and now he had no knowledge of monsters or this world. Not to mention that he had left the kids here. He had wanted to give them some space to get to know each other. Ever since James's parents passed away, the boy had thrown himself into training, neglecting the world and making friends with the other kids in town. But he hadn't expected so many unexpected events to occur this time. For a brief moment, he had forgotten what kind of world this was, which only strengthened his resolve to take action soon.
"Alright... we need to deal with this Kraken before nightfall."
Then he took out a knife, infused it with lightning energy, and began dissecting the Kraken. After a while, he pulled out two hearts the size of a human head.
"Take it." He threw one of the large hearts to Liam.
Catching the heavy heart, Liam couldn't help but be a bit surprised. He hadn't expected this creature to have two hearts. Curiously, Liam asked:
"Is this its core?"
"Of course not... The core is an energy stone that forms inside the heart. However... this is only an E-rank monster..." Michael calmly replied, then started heading toward the ship.
"So, what's the use of this heart?... And how can I tell that it's an E-rank monster?" Liam immediately cradled the heart and ran after Michael, asking.
"The use of it?... Naturally, it's for eating... And as for knowing its rank, you need to be able to sense it." He added, "I'll teach you that later."
"I mean, the Kraken has plenty of other delicious parts to eat, right?" Liam frowned slightly, still puzzled by the thought.
"Oh, I forgot... you don't remember anything right now. The heart is the easiest and tastiest part to eat from an evolved monster... The other parts are quite tough and chewy. This is a very expensive delicacy for the wealthy families, especially when it comes to seafood." He was a bit surprised at how quickly his memory had slipped.
"I see..." Liam scratched his head, deep in thought, remembering the moment when he had slashed hard at its tentacle. That made him shudder.
"Alright, we should head back... It's getting dark." Michael pulled up the anchor and steered the ship back toward the shore.
"It seems we'll have to buy a new boat..." he sighed as he looked at the state of the vessel.
Liam leaned against the side of the boat, watching the sun set over the sea, and sighed. His mind was filled with countless thoughts. So many things had happened to him. Just a few days ago, he had been hanging out with his friends. But in truth, aside from that friend, there were very few people he cared about in that world. Even if he died, they would forget him.
"I hope he'll be okay with my death... After all, he still has many people to care for."
Suddenly, the sound of footsteps approached. Liam turned around, and in front of him was James. The tanned skin was still there, but gone was the usual scowl. Now, he was completely calm. His wounds seemed to have healed completely... Recovery potions are really convenient...
"I'm sorry..."
With a somewhat bewildered expression, Liam hadn't expected that to be the first thing he would hear from James. He had thought James would come to reprimand him for his previous actions. He had even prepared to apologize to him.
"For what...??"
"For everything..." James replied bluntly. He added, "I shouldn't have said and done those things to you... And thank you for saving my life."
He truly regretted his previous actions. He shouldn't have judged and treated people based on their appearance. Thinking about Liam's courageous actions in saving him despite the danger, even after James had acted poorly, made him reflect on his own parents. He couldn't help but feel ashamed and humiliated. He was determined to change his ways. Now, he extended his hand toward Liam as a gesture of gratitude and an apology.
"Ok... Anyway, it's mostly my fault..." Liam scratched his head and extended his hand to shake James's.
Michael, standing in the distance, steering the boat, smiled slightly and stroked his beard as he watched the two boys make peace after the unnecessary conflicts.
"At last, James has returned to his former self..."