Rygar dove into the sea, holding his breath, with Tsukikage wrapped in lightning as he pursued the Kraken. The ocean was a dark and relentless abyss, but he cut through it like a bolt of lightning slicing through a stormy sky.
As he neared the colossal creature, Rygar attempted to mimic one of the monster's techniques. He raised his sword and slashed at the empty space, concentrating:
'Chain Lightning.'
The electricity did not travel in a straight line but spread through the water like a web of shimmering threads, multiplying and covering the ocean in a deadly flash. The Kraken roared, its body electrocuted from all sides. Although Rygar's attack was weaker than the monster's, it was enough. Its wounds were worsening, its regeneration hindered by the petrifying poison that slowly stiffened its movements. Normally, the Kraken would resist such a poison without difficulty, but with the grievous wounds Rygar had inflicted, its body was giving in.
Rygar then halted his pursuit, watching as the Kraken swam toward the depths, the vastness of the ocean seeming to tremble with its movements.
He realized that if he blindly chased the Kraken, he wouldn't land a fatal blow. But now, he still had an opportunity. He channeled his power to manipulate the water around him.
Controlling so much water under the sea's pressure was complicated, but he had the advantage of knowing how ocean currents worked.
'Ocean currents can form due to three factors: tides, winds, and differences in temperature and salinity... I can control all three with magic.'
Rygar grinned. He didn't need to part the sea like Moses in the Bible. He would do better.
Below them, a deep-sea trench stretched like the gaping maw of a ravenous titan.
He manipulated the tides, conjuring a violent whirlpool of currents that spiraled in furious torrents. Underwater tunnels of increasing pressure formed, all converging into a single path—directly toward the Kraken. The colossal being was sucked in by the brutal force of the current, dragged deeper and deeper.
Rygar watched the magnificent scene unfold, thoroughly impressed.
'This spell deserves a name... Let's keep it simple: Ocean Current.'
Then, Tsukikage exploded into flames underwater, its fiery aura protected by a Barrier to prevent the water from extinguishing it and to add even more pressure. Rygar gathered an absurd amount of energy, focusing extreme heat at the tip of his sword—a technique he had used once before against the Black Troll. Under the ocean's crushing pressure, reaching enough speed for a fatal strike was nearly impossible, as water resistance was far stronger than air resistance. But he had a solution.
Rygar launched himself into the ocean current, using the sheer force of the water to propel him at ridiculous speeds. To withstand the pressure, he created a Barrier around himself and, at the same time, used Burst Step consecutively, each explosion of fire and wind launching him even faster.
Then, something even more astonishing happened. The water around him momentarily parted as he accelerated, creating a gas bubble around him using Wind Magic. It was the phenomenon of supercavitation, a hydrodynamic effect that occurs when an object moves at extreme speed in a fluid, drastically reducing water drag and allowing him to reach previously impossible speeds underwater.
Blazing through the ocean like a comet of purple fire, he illuminated the abyssal depths. The Kraken finally noticed him and roared, its voice making the entire sea tremble. Its tentacles glowed with pure electricity, unleashing a massive chain lightning attack.
But Rygar did not hesitate. He tore through the electrical discharges, ignoring the pain and using his healing magic as much as possible. With his Barrier reinforcing him, he endured the lightning and, finally, he collided with the Kraken.
The tip of Tsukikage pierced one of the monster's open wounds to the hilt. Rygar grinned.
A purple explosion of flames burst from the tip of the azure sword, illuminating the ocean once more.
The impact sent him flying, but he was prepared. His Barrier magic protected his body, but his right arm was completely burned, flames devouring his flesh. He clenched his teeth, enduring the pain as he searched for the monster. The dense steam and raging currents distorted his vision, but he activated his Magic Eye.
And he saw.
The Kraken, still alive. Almost half of its body had disappeared, obliterated by the impact, yet it still roared, its colossal mouth opening as it lunged at Rygar.
He didn't think twice. He conjured the strongest lightning bolt he could.
Thunder exploded across the ocean.
The creature howled in pure agony, its body trembling violently as it crashed against the abyssal wall. Rocks crumbled around it, the ocean boiled with the electric discharge. The Kraken pushed its resistance to the limit, its glowing, rage-filled eyes locking onto Rygar.
By instinct, the warrior averted his gaze, avoiding the monster's hypnosis, and continued firing lightning for several seconds that felt endless.
The Kraken sank deeper and deeper into the abyssal wall, shattering the rocks around it, but still roaring. Until finally, its colossal cry grew weaker... and weaker...
And then, it ceased.
The sea fell silent.
Rygar held his breath for a few seconds, just to be sure. The monster lay there, lifeless, crushed into the ocean trench. Only then did he allow the tension in his shoulders to ease.
But he couldn't relax.
His breathing was at its limit. He turned and shot toward the surface, his body burned and exhausted.
He had survived.
And the Kraken was dead.
Rygar propelled himself toward the surface in a frantic burst. His body was spent. This time, he had truly come close to exhausting his mana, especially after that continuous lightning barrage. Every muscle ached, begging for rest, but he ignored the pain and continued his ascent, cutting through the vast blue expanse with speed.
As he broke the surface, a great jet of water rose around him, and he gasped, filling his lungs with much-needed oxygen. A searing pain burned in his chest as he inhaled deeply, the extreme effort taking its toll. His body was a mess of wounds, covered in cuts, bruises, and burns, but he was still standing. Still alive. And victorious.
A laugh escaped his lips, a rough, exhausted chuckle that soon turned into triumphant laughter. The taste of victory was intense, intoxicating. He lifted his head toward the stormy skies surrounding him, watching the dark clouds swirl chaotically, lightning flashing like enraged beasts. It was as if the ocean itself was mourning the fall of its ancient sovereign.
Rygar glanced around with his magic eye just to be cautious, and after seeing no immediate danger that would force him to conserve mana, he decided to change the mood of this landscape.
With a decisive motion, he raised his hand to the sky and concentrated his mana. The wind around him roared in response to his call, swirling and intensifying until it formed a colossal hurricane. The air currents intertwined, growing in power, and with a single command, Rygar sent the cyclone surging against the clouds, tearing through them violently.
The darkness that shrouded the sky was ripped apart, and like an explosion, the clouds were hurled in all directions.
The sun pierced through the celestial breach like a divine triumph, its golden rays bathing the now-calming ocean. The light reflected off the water, creating a spectacle of golden shimmer over the deep blue sea.
Rygar hovered in the air, propelled by his barrier and wind magic, feeling every beam of sunlight warm his battered skin.
A smile of pure delight spread across his face. There was something indescribable about this moment, an absolute sense of freedom filling every fiber of his being. The wind howled around him, the remnants of the storm now reduced to a wild breeze that only amplified the grandeur of the scene. He looked at his hands and noticed something strange—his control over Touki felt different. More natural. Stronger.
What happened? He wondered, intrigued. The battle had pushed his body to the limit, forcing him into a state where his life energy reacted instinctively. Had he, without realizing it, advanced even further in mastering Touki?
But this was not the time for introspection. He began to fall, gravity pulling him back toward the ocean. Amid the fresh air and the comforting sunlight, another realization crossed his mind.
The loot.
His gaze turned to the depths below, where the colossal corpse of the Kraken lay, lodged in the abyssal wall. The legendary monster was dead, its era ended. But within that titan… there might still be something of value.
Rygar closed his eyes for a moment and murmured a silent prayer, trusting in his luck.
"I hope the magic stone is still intact... though it's unlikely."
Then, he gathered his energy, activating Wind and Water magic to allow him to breathe underwater, and dove once more, returning to the depths to claim his reward.
The water was still warm, and random currents formed, stirred by the lingering aftermath of the battle. Now calmer, Rygar swam through the waves smoothly, easily maneuvering past the whirlpools that appeared suddenly.
Some parts of the water still carried electricity and heat, causing steam to rise from the depths.
Blocks of ice floated, solidified by thermal shock, while fragments of rock and coral littered the ocean floor, clear signs of the destruction caused by the fight.
He swam down to the abyss and once again reached the immense corpse of the Kraken. However, upon closer inspection, he noticed something astonishing—the body was still regenerating! Yet, without a doubt, it was dead. Its mutilated skin trembled slightly, trying to mend itself at an incredibly slow pace.
Rygar frowned. Given enough time, could the monster revive?
With his magic eye activated, he analyzed the remains of the abyssal titan. In his old world, he knew that octopuses had three hearts, but this Kraken had nine! Five had been completely destroyed by fire and electricity, while the remaining ones lay inert. Its body hid secrets Rygar could hardly begin to comprehend.
After pondering this discovery, he returned to his primary objective—the Kraken's magic stone. Digging through the creature's innards, he finally found the mana core.
The orb was massive, about seventy centimeters in diameter, and a deep, dark blue. But it was in pieces.
Shards of crystal gleamed in Rygar's hands, revealing that they had likely been shattered by the very lightning bolt that helped him defeat the monster. He sighed, resigned, but still gathered the precious fragments.
His next goal was to retrieve Nighthunter. Rygar swam toward one of the Kraken's eyes and pulled out the dagger, still coated in petrifying venom.
He truly hadn't expected the effect to work so well on a creature like this. The venom was slow-acting, but when it took effect, it was absolutely lethal.
Finally, he looked at the Kraken's immense body and realized the incalculable value before him. The eyes, blood, flesh, hearts, tentacles, ink sac... everything was incredibly valuable. If he left it here, other sea beasts would soon feast on the carcass, wasting his fortune.
He pondered for a moment and made a decision: he would seal the body and return to retrieve it later.
First, he used ice magic to completely freeze the Kraken and the water around it. It took some time, but before long, the body had transformed into a colossal ice sculpture in the depths.
Next, he activated his earth magic, sealing the abyss around it and hardening the rock to the maximum. The underground sealing would ensure that no hungry beast would dig its way to the body.
As a final precaution, he drew magic circles around the aquatic tomb, isolating any scent and placing an invisible barrier around it.
Perhaps it was excessive, but Rygar knew this corpse was an invaluable treasure, and his ship had no way of transporting it now—after all, the Kraken was five times larger than the boat.
Finishing his work, he took one last look at the abyss, then at the vast ocean. The sea hid unbelievable secrets, and Rygar could barely wait to uncover them all.
He smiled.
'I will eventually discover all of them!'
Rygar emerged from the water in a whirlwind of energy, the ocean's surface reflecting the last remnants of the storms that had now almost dissipated.
Rygar thought as he looked at the clearing skies. 'Of course, the hurricane must have helped, but the storm had already calmed after it died. Could its mere presence have been evoking storms? How would that work?'
He brushed those thoughts aside and focused on finding the ship.
He rose into the air, propelled by wind and the barriers he created beneath his feet. From above, he took a deep breath, allowing his beast-like senses to pick up the lingering scent trail left by the boat.
Time had passed. He had fought for hours, and in that period, the ship had certainly moved on without him. However, that wasn't a problem. He landed gently on the water and, without hesitation, dashed forward, running across the ocean at high speed.
His strides were precise and rapid, creating a fleeting trail of ice that dissipated shortly after his touch. He couldn't help but smile, noticing the similarity to a character from his past life—Aokiji. All he was missing was a bicycle to complete the scene.
As he ran, his eyes and ears remained sharp, alert for any threats from the sea. After all, this ocean had just proven it harbored unimaginable monsters.
Yet, even amidst his vigilance, his mind was occupied with reflections on his own combat power.
The strength of warriors in this world fluctuated strangely.
For example, he was convinced that a Sword Emperor could kill him quickly in direct combat, not giving him any time to use magic.
Even with all his strength and endurance, he would hardly match such a warrior in speed and refined technique.
However, he also couldn't imagine a Sword Emperor defeating that Kraken.
That was because the battle against the sea monster had not been an ordinary fight. He had been free to use large-scale magic, exploit the environment to his advantage, and fully unleash his creativity.
Against a fast and technical opponent, he wouldn't have that luxury. His jump barriers, his lightning attacks, the Hellish Slash... many of his techniques were still not refined enough to be instantly executed.
In a speed duel, every fraction of a second was crucial. But against the Kraken, he had been able to use all of them without hesitation.
But a King-level warrior shouldn't be my match now. His advancement in Touki was the reason. After that fight, he realized that few King-level warriors could truly threaten him now—unless they attacked by surprise.
Since he started regaining his 'control' over Touki two weeks ago, he had been eliminating possibilities for the issue.
He didn't fully understand what the real problem was, but he knew he was getting closer to an answer.
The more he tried to control and dominate his beastly side, the more his body refused to obey. It was almost as if he was creating a conflict between what he was and what he thought he was. After his incident at the Joylore mansion, he had tried to suppress this savagery as much as possible.
But during the fight against the Kraken, he had completely surrendered to the instinctive sensation of a predator hunting its prey. He let his instincts guide him in battle, and for the first time in a long while, he felt truly free.
It wasn't that he needed to behave fiercely all the time, but… he began to think that maybe he had been trying to deny an essential part of himself.
Something that had been part of him since coming to this world—something he had ignored and treated as a problem when it didn't have to be.
Lost in these thoughts, he continued his run across the ocean, creating ice platforms to leap from time to time, drawing ever closer to the ship.
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