Chương 55: Umibozu

Ch 55 - Umibozu When they emerged on the other side of the portal, they found themselves standing on a sandy beach overlooking an expansive stretch of bright blue sea. At first glance, it could easily have been mistaken for a popular holiday destination. Vasia led the team across the beach, passing scattered rock formations along the way. Despite being an A-rank Rift, they encountered no snarling monsters. It was easy to see why the Eternal Flame Guild had designated the dungeon as a Harvest Rift.

For the past year, they had gathered its resources with little resistance. But with the Rift now on the verge of collapse, it was time to claim its greatest treasure: the boss's core. Arriving at a solitary torii gate standing in the sand, they stepped through it, and the world changed. The clear blue sky vanished beneath layers of dark, churning clouds, and the once-calm sea transformed into a mass of violent, crashing waves. The warm beach became cold and desolate, while pale ghost fire drifted through the air.

None of the flames reacted to their presence, floating aimlessly as though the group did not exist. Curious, Reid reached out and brushed one with his fingertips. The instant he did, faint whispers in an unfamiliar language echoed through his mind. He couldn't understand a single word, but the fear in those voices was unmistakable.

"Please refrain from touching anything inside the Rift," Hyo-ri said.

"You're fortunate Ghost Fire isn't hostile. Not everything here will ignore you."

"My apologies," Reid said, lowering his hand. They continued onward, climbing a weathered stone staircase until an abandoned shrine came into view. Its once-crimson paint had faded beneath years of salt and sea wind, while cracked wooden pillars struggled to support the partially collapsed roof. A frayed shimenawa hung above the entrance, its paper streamers yellowed and torn. Vasia stepped up to the purification basin and performed the customary cleansing ritual.

One by one, the others did the same before gathering in front of the offering box. Vasia took a coin from her pocket, dropped it into the box, and rang the weathered bell once. She bowed twice, clapped twice, then lowered her head in silent prayer. The rest of the team mirrored her movements. Reid hesitated only briefly before following suit. He reasoned that the First Light would not be so narrow-minded as to condemn him for paying respect to another faith while carrying out his duty.

He offered no prayer of his own, however. Whoever was enshrined here was not the god he worshipped, and he found himself wondering what thoughts filled the minds of his companions. The ritual soon came to an end. Vasia performed the final bow, and every Ghost Fire surrounding the shrine blazed with pale blue light. One after another, translucent figures emerged from the flames. Clad in weathered robes beneath ancient suits of armor, their faces remained hidden beneath wide-brimmed hats.

They stood before the shrine, repeating the same prayer the group had just performed. Then they turned and shambled toward the storm-tossed shore.

"Let's go," Vasia said. Her wolf padded beside her as the team followed the ghosts. In the distance, the outline of a ship emerged from the darkness. Its weathered hull possessed a ghostly translucence, seeming to exist somewhere between the living world and the afterlife. The wandering spirits climbed aboard, and Vasia gestured for the others to do the same. Moments later, the ghostly vessel set sail. Driven by the wind, it glided across the dark sea.

The aged hull creaked over the rolling waves while seawater lapped against the bow.

"Prepare yourselves," Vasia said.

"We'll reach the boss arena soon. According to the team that first discovered it, the Umibozu surfaces around twelve kilometers from shore. The spirits will try to speak with it first, and while they're occupied, we'll take our positions. As for you, Mr. Whitfield, stay aboard the ship and leave the fighting to us." Reid nodded. As the ship sailed farther from the coast, the currents grew more violent. Rain poured from the darkened sky, and lightning flashed between the storm clouds.

By then, the shoreline had dwindled to little more than a faint line on the horizon. Then the ocean swelled. A colossal figure rose from the depths, its massive form seemingly woven from darkness itself. Towering nearly a hundred meters above the waves, the creature resembled a human silhouette, though its face possessed no features beyond two glowing circular eyes that stared down upon the ship in utter silence.

One of the sailors stepped forward and shouted toward the monster in a language none of the Awakeners recognized.

"Move!" Vasia said. Beside her, the wolf transformed into a great eagle that seized her by the arm before soaring into the storm. At the same time, Hyo-ri rose into the air and extended a hand toward Aiden. Telekinetic force enveloped him, lifting him off the deck and guiding him toward the battlefield. Adalynn remained aboard beside Reid. He watched the exchange between the ghost and the Umibozu. What exactly were they saying? Were they reenacting events from long ago?

Although he couldn't understand their language, the despair in the spirit's voice was unmistakable, while the Umibozu offered no response. Eventually, the ghost fell quiet and lowered its head. The Umibozu began to sink beneath the waves. Enjoying this book? Seek out the original to ensure the author gets credit.

"Now!" Releasing her grip on her familiar, Vasia plunged toward the giant's head and drove her spear into it. Hyo-ri launched Aiden forward with her telekinesis. He cracked his long whip around the Umibozu's neck, the weapon stretching far beyond its natural length before tightening like an anchor. Using the momentum, he flung a volley of throwing blades that buried themselves deep in the monster's chest. The Umibozu roared in pain and thrashed violently.

The sudden movement sent Vasia flying, but her familiar swooped in and caught her before she could fall, while Aiden managed to keep his grip on the whip. Strands of Adalynn's long platinum hair began to glow, then detached from her head as if alive. They rapidly lengthened into countless threads that coiled around the Umibozu's limbs, binding the creature in place. Realizing it had been restrained, the Umibozu bellowed.

Towering columns of seawater erupted from the ocean and surged toward the airborne Vasia and Hyo-ri. Hyo-ri twisted aside in time to avoid the attack, but the eagle was a fraction too slow. The pillar struck the eagle head-on, blasting both it and Vasia through the air. Hyo-ri darted after them to catch Vasia, while her familiar righted itself with a powerful beat of its wings and let out a piercing screech.

"Lael!" Vasia called. Lael folded its wings and plunged like a falling comet. A deafening boom echoed across the battlefield when the eagle slammed headfirst into the Umibozu's face, forcing the monster to stagger backward. Using the opening, Aiden swung upward with the momentum of his whip. A small knife left his hand as he shouted, "Enlarge!" The weapon expanded into a huge blade. Hyo-ri caught it with her telekinesis and, with a sharp thrust of her hand, hurled it toward the Umibozu.

The giant tried to twist away, but Adalynn tightened the glowing threads wrapped around its limbs, holding it in place just long enough. The enlarged weapon buried itself deep in the Umibozu's chest, eliciting a pained roar that stirred the sailors. They turned toward Reid and Adalynn in unison, their mournful expressions twisting into fury. Katanas slid free from their scabbards. Adalynn's eyes narrowed.

"Please stay behind me, Mr. Whitfield!" Countless glowing threads burst from her hair and swept across the deck, entangling the charging ghosts before they could reach them. Several spirits, however, slashed through the bindings and continued their advance. Adalynn met them head-on, dodging between flashing blades while her rapier darted forward in sharp thrusts, dispersing one spirit after another. Even so, there were simply too many of them, and several ghosts slipped through her defense.

Reid, however, was far from a helpless Healer. Sidestepping the flurry of sword strikes, he drew his handgun and infused each bullet with a trace of Sacred Light. Golden muzzle flashes lit the deck. He fired in quick succession, every shot finding its mark and dispersing the charging ghosts with unerring precision. Meanwhile, the battle against the Umibozu raged on. With Adalynn distracted by the ghosts aboard the ship, the threads binding the giant gradually loosened until the boss finally broke free.

Grasping the weapon embedded in its chest, the Umibozu ripped it out with a roar and swung it at the airborne Awakeners. The sheer force of the swing unleashed a violent gust that sent Aiden hurtling through the air, though Hyo-ri caught him with her telekinesis before he could be flung away. The Umibozu then raised both arms toward the storm before bringing its hands together in prayer.

Dark clouds gathered overhead as lightning crackled between them, and moments later, countless bolts rained down upon the battlefield, forcing the Awakeners to scatter.

"Lael! To me!" Vasia shouted. Her familiar answered the call. Instead of colliding, the two were swallowed by a brilliant flash of light. When it faded, a pair of majestic eagle wings had unfurled from Vasia's back, while her hands and feet had transformed into sharp talons. She circled the Umibozu at incredible speed, each pass whipping the surrounding winds into a raging vortex.

Then, using the swirling clouds as cover, she shot through the eye of the tempest and drove her spear straight into the monster's chest, tearing a gaping hole through its torso, far larger than the wound left by Aiden's enlarged weapon. The Umibozu released one final unearthly cry before crashing toward the water. Just before its body disappeared beneath the waves, Hyo-ri caught it with her telekinesis, suspending the corpse above the water. By then, the fighting aboard the ship had come to an end.

Adalynn and Reid had dispersed nearly all of the sailors, while the few who remained no longer showed any hostility. Instead, they let out mournful cries that echoed across the deck. A frown crossed Reid's face. Something felt off.

"Grrrrrrrk!" The world trembled. The currents grew violent, and the sky fractured overhead. At the center of the raging waters, a whirlpool rapidly formed.

"Not good!" Vasia yelled. She flew toward the ship, grabbing Reid and Adalynn by the arms. Hyo-ri did the same for Aiden. Vasia beat her wings with all her strength while Hyo-ri strained to pull them away with her telekinesis, but the howling winds only grew stronger, dragging them inexorably toward the center of the whirlpool. Despite their efforts, they continued to sink deeper into its grasp. Arcs of energy then erupted from the center, revealing a portal.

"It's a Double Dungeon!" Aiden shouted over the roaring wind. The pull intensified. An instant later, the portal consumed them. Reid felt the familiar sensation of his body being stretched as he passed through the portal. When it released him, he stumbled onto the floor of a damp cave where coral and seaweed covered the surrounding rock walls. He rubbed his nose with a sigh. To think they had stumbled into a Double Dungeon.

According to the reports, the A-rank Rift's mana fluctuations had remained stable, showing no indication that it could evolve into an Irregular Rift. Then again, Rift monitoring technology was still far from perfect. Perhaps they had simply been unlucky. He only hoped they could get out quickly before Evan started worrying. Stepping out of the cave, Reid came to an abrupt halt. Beyond the rocky opening stood an enormous palace complex.

Massive white walls enclosed sprawling grounds, while jade-green roofs crowned the ornate buildings, their ridgelines adorned with intricate golden dragon ornaments. Curiosity drew Reid forward as he crossed the stone pathways and passed beneath the grand entrance. Inside, the corridors extended ahead, their crimson pillars supporting intricately carved beams high above. He continued deeper into the palace until he reached a vast audience hall, its open floor stretching out in every direction.

At the far end of the chamber stood a raised platform, where a colossal figure lay coiled in slumber. A dragon.