At Sea – Attack from the Depths
The tentacles slammed onto the deck once more, creating cracks and pushing the ship into a dangerously tilted position. The crew members screamed, trying to balance the remaining sails.
"Damn… this isn't just an ordinary kraken," Quartzis muttered, breathing heavily.
Feran, who had just landed on the deck, narrowed his eyes at the sea. He had managed to cut off one of the creature's tentacles—and now, he noticed something unusual…
"Altair… look at the severed tentacle."
They all followed his gaze. The severed tentacle that rolled onto the deck… wasn't gushing fresh blood. But blackish slime, mixed with a pungent, nauseating odor that stung their noses.
Altair stepped closer, his face hardening. "This… isn't a living wound. This is decay."
"This creature… is dead," Feran said softly.
Immediately, the atmosphere became much colder. The sea breeze felt frozen.
Lazric turned quickly.
"Don't tell me… this is—"
"Undead," Altair hissed.
A burst of dark magic suddenly exploded from within the sea. The kraken's tentacles went wild, not from pain—but from the impulse of an alien power. Its body was torn, parts of its flesh hanging like rags. The creature's eyes glowed a dull purple… empty. There was no consciousness. Only an external will driving it.
Altair raised the golden wall again, protecting the cracked side of the ship.
Feran did not answer. He had already jumped onto the remaining sail and slid towards the kraken's head. In one swift movement, he pulled out two iron daggers, plunging them into two sides of the monster's head.
From there, he focused mana into both his hands—creating a small electric field that triggered an explosion from within his daggers.
BOOM!
The kraken's head exploded sideways. Rotten fluid spread across the sea surface, making the air even more suffocating. But the creature still moved.
"It's not stopping!" Quartzis yelled in panic. "Even though its head—"
"Because it's not alive, it's just being controlled," Feran cut in, descending with heavy breaths.
Lazric opened a magic scroll. "I have one trick for a corpse like this… but it has to be at close range!"
Altair looked at Feran, then Quartzis. "If we combine destructive and purifying magic…"
"It has to be right at the center of the magic binding its body," Quartzis replied. "Usually… in the chest or lower abdomen."
Feran took a deep breath, then stepped to the edge of the deck.
"Hold the ship. I'm going down."
"What?!" Altair exclaimed. "You're going to—"
"I know the smell," Feran interjected. "I can find its core."
And before anyone could stop him, Feran jumped into the water.
In the Sea – Feran Fights the Sea Corpse
Darkness greeted Feran. Saltwater soaked his clothes, but his body remained stable. He dived quickly, passing through decaying flesh and floating bones. The kraken… was forced to keep moving. Its rotten heart—which should have decomposed—pulsated forcibly by dark magic, creating pulses that spread throughout its body.
Just below its massive ribcage, there was a mana core—a greenish-black sphere that pulsed faintly but strongly, gripping the remaining magical energy that forced the kraken's heart to beat.
"You won't force life… from death," Feran whispered.
He raised his iron dagger, the runes on its surface glowing dazzling red. As the dagger plunged in, the dark magic immediately writhed in rejection, like black roots trying to entangle his arm.
Feran gritted his teeth. His mana poured out instantly, shaking the core from within.
"Destroy."
BOOM—!
A red-golden explosion occurred at the bottom of the sea. The dark energy from the Kraken's body shattered like fragments of magical glass. On the surface, Altair, standing at the edge of the ship, immediately saw the large tentacles go limp… falling one by one into the water, then slowly sinking.
On the Ship – Moments Before the Explosion
Altair still stood at the ship's edge, looking out at the sea anxiously. He gripped the ship's mast with one hand, as if ready… but then—
"Aren't you going to follow Feran?" Quartzis asked.
Altair sighed. "I… can't swim."
"…Huh?"
Lazric glanced over. "You… literally a metal man who can lift golden pillars, but you're defeated by water?"
Altair rolled his eyes. "Grandfather never taught me how to swim."
They all turned towards the sea. And just then…
Red-golden light burst to the surface. The seawater split for a moment by a wave of energy.
And suddenly…
SPLOSH!
Feran emerged from the sea like a flying silver fish, landing with a splash on the deck. His clothes were soaking wet, his hair plastered to his face… but his expression remained flat.
"The core is destroyed," he said calmly.
Altair approached, wet from the spray of waves, and held his breath.
"Crazy… You're awesome, but… you're really wet, seriously."
Feran turned slowly. "Do you want to switch places?"
"No thanks. The sea and I… are not friends," Altair replied quickly, then stepped back,
avoiding the puddles of water.
After the Kraken Was Defeated
The ship began to calm. The sea was silent again, but the rotten smell still lingered.
"If that wasn't a living creature… who moved it?" Quartzis muttered.
Feran stared at the empty sea. "Whoever it was… they're not on the surface."
Altair gazed far out, his breath heavy.
"If this is just the beginning… then what awaits at the end of the ocean is much darker."
In the Middle of the Sea – After the Kraken Attack
The waves began to calm. The ship—though cracked, torn, and bearing the marks of battle—still floated. But no one was laughing. They were busy. Ropes were re-tied, torn sails patched up as best as possible.
Feran and Altair helped reinforce the sides of the ship that had almost broken, while Quartzis and Lazric gathered scattered items.
But from behind the helm, a booming voice filled the air.
"YOU'RE CRAZY! ALL OF YOU ARE CRAZY!"
Captain Dargo—with a flushed face, hair disheveled by the sea wind—descended the main deck, pointing at the half-broken mast.
"YOU JUST CAUSED HALF OF MY SHIP TO SINK! AND THIS IS ONLY HALFWAY! YOU STILL WANT TO GO TO THAT FORBIDDEN LAND!?"
Altair and Feran looked at each other.
"Captain, calm down first, that was just—"
"JUST A SMALL OBSTACLE!?" Dargo roared. "THAT WAS A CREATURE FROM THE SEA OF HELL! ONE MORE LIKE THAT, WE'RE DEAD, UNDERSTAND!?"
He pointed at the broken mast.
"WE DON'T HAVE SPARE WOOD THAT BIG! ALL THE SHIP'S RIGGING IS ALMOST BROKEN! DO YOU WANT ME TO FLOAT ON A PLANK, SCREAMING FOR HELP TO SHARKS!?"
Altair lowered his gaze for a moment. Then slowly raised a hand.
"As for the mast… I can fix it with… gold."
Silence.
Captain Dargo stared at Altair as if he had just heard the most foolish sentence in his life.
"…Gold?"
"Yes, I can reshape it into a mast of the exact same size, even stronger."
Captain Dargo took a step forward. His eyes narrowed. Then…
"GOLDEN YOUTH! DO YOU THINK GOLD IS THICK ENOUGH!? GOLD IS SOFT! AS SOFT AS MY HEART WHEN I SEE MY SHIP DESTROYED!"
He pointed a finger at the sea.
"IF THERE ARE PIRATES, THEY'LL SEE A GOLDEN MAST—DO THEY THINK: 'OH HOW BEAUTIFUL'? NO! THEY'LL BITE THIS SHIP LIKE MAD DOGS!"
Altair was silent. Feran stepped forward.
"How about… iron? Or steel?"
The captain was silent. His nostrils flared. His eyes looked at Feran for a moment.
"…Steel might work. But it's heavy, too heavy for a light ship like this."
"Don't worry, I can adjust its weight and shape," Feran interjected.
"Still heavy!"
"We'll make the bottom part out of a light mixture. I can help," Quartzis chimed in. "Don't panic, Captain, it's just one voyage."
"And after this, there won't be any more requests to forbidden lands," Lazric quickly added. "And if necessary, we'll give… a reward."
"…A reward?" Dargo frowned.
"A gold reward," Quartzis answered, glancing at Altair.
Altair sighed. "Yes… I can make gold bars. However much you want, as long as you take us to our destination."
Captain Dargo froze for a moment.
Then he let out a long sigh, as if releasing all the burdens of the sea from his shoulders. He looked at the fallen mast, then at the sky. Then…
"By the waves and rum baba… you're all troublemakers."
He turned to Altair.
"Make the mast. But this time… make sure it's strong enough to be hit by a god."
Altair nodded.
Feran turned to Quartzis. "You know… this is only halfway."
"Heh, and already halfway crazy," Quartzis replied with a grin.