Dawn's pale light revealed the ruins of Cyllene Bay—once a vibrant port, now little more than broken docks and half-submerged foundations. Beyond lay the sea's glassy expanse, the waves tinted in the burnished gold of morning.
> SYSTEM NOTICE
Current XP: 272/400 Level: 10
Next Unlock: "Abyssal Thread Weave" at Level 11
Seal Integrity: 101% (Overcharge Warning)
Cedric stood at the water's edge, boots sinking into damp sand. Lynne knelt beside him, inspecting a battered chest containing diving equipment: a leather bellows, air-infused potions, and a mesh net for collecting the final fragment. Elric and Kerran remained onshore, bow and sword at the ready.
"The Sunken Temple is a day's swim from here," Lynne said, voice low. "We'll need these." She lifted a sealed leather pouch. "Air potions—for five minutes of breath. After that… it's down to your lungs."
Cedric pocketed a potion. "Understood." He gazed out over the bay, where coral-stained pillars jutted from the shallows. "Let's go before the tide shifts."
---
Descent into the Deep
They waded waist-deep, then opened a path through the knee-high waves. Cedric downed his potion and plunged beneath the surface. The world shifted: muted light, muffled sounds, and the chill of saltwater. He activated Quick Strike reflexively, but there was no blade to swing—only the cold embrace of the sea.
Lynne followed, the Memory Core secured in a magically sealed pouch strapped to her chest. Bubbles trailed from her nostrils as she held her breath, guiding them toward a submerged archway.
> Threat Scan: Yellow-Blue
Ambient Mana: High (Abyssal Residue)
Recommended: Proceed with Caution
The arch led into a grand hall, its stone still etched with depictions of Threadkeepers binding sea magic. At the far end hovered the Abyssal Warden: a sinuous form of kelp-wracked stone and swirling currents, eyes glowing phosphorescent green.
Cedric's lungs burned. He kicked forward, stirring sand into a murky swirl. The Warden sensed them, coiling into an upright stance that displaced water like a tidal wave.
> Threat Scan: Red-Black
Estimated Level: 11
Host Level: 10
Breath Remaining: 120 seconds
---
Battle Beneath the Waves
The Warden struck first, sweeping a limb that sent Cedric tumbling against a coral-encrusted pillar. Pain exploded in his shoulder. He kicked off, racing toward a fallen column to regain composure.
Lynne, beside him, began weaving a Trace Overload barrier—tiny motes of light dancing through the water. The Warden's form flickered, water currents slowing around its arms.
Cedric seized the moment. He summoned Abyssal Thread Weave, calling threads of deep-sea mana to coil around his blade. The currents around him hummed as his sword glowed with briny green light.
He launched himself forward, Quick Strike propelling him through the haze. His blade struck the Warden's torso where barnacle-like armor cracked. The creature bellowed, shockwaves rippling outward—sand and silt swirling.
> Damage Dealt: 91 (Critical—Barnacle Armor Fractured)
Warden Reaction: Staggered
The Warden lashed back with a tendril, forcing Cedric to roll against the seabed. Sharp coral cut through his cloak, but he rose, lungs screaming. The final seconds ticked away.
Lynne reached into her pouch and hurled a second air potion at Cedric's mouth. He caught it just as bubbles, "Drink!" The potion dissolved in his throat, filling his lungs with precious air.
"Now!" Lynne cried.
Cedric launched himself upward, thrusting the Abyssal Thread Weave–enchanted blade straight into the Warden's core. A silent explosion of water and mana radiated as the Warden's form collapsed into drifting seaweed and shattered stone.
> XP +215 (Abyssal Warden Defeated)
Current XP: 87/500
LEVEL UP! Level 11
HP +55, MP +30
+3 Skill Points
New Unlock: "Abyssal Thread Weave" Active
---
Claiming the Final Fragment
With the Warden subdued, the hall stilled. Cedric turned toward a raised dais where a faint glow pulsed beneath a basalt slab. Lynne pried at its edges, revealing the Tidebreaker Pearl—a lustrous orb swirling with oceanic threads.
He gingerly lifted the Pearl, cradling it as if it were a living creature.
> SYSTEM NOTICE
"Tidebreaker Pearl" Acquired (Fragment 007/∞)
Seal Integrity Restored: +9% → 110% (Critical Overcharge)
A tremor rippled through the temple as the Seal's overcharge radiated outward—waves of energy distorting the water above. The archway groaned.
Cedric exchanged a grave look with Lynne. "We've done it. But we must hurry."
They swam upward, surfacing just as the Sunken Temple collapsed beneath a surge of mana. Elric and Kerran drew them onto the shore, eyes wide.
Lynne cradled the Tidebreaker Pearl. "All seven fragments… The lattice is complete."
Cedric nodded, feeling power swell in his chest. But in the back of his mind, a new warning pulsed: the Infinite Maw—awakened by the overcharge—stirred in the abyss.
He sheathed his sword, fist tightening around the Weaver's Heart. "Our final challenge awaits above. We go home—then we face the Maw."
As the tide lapped at their feet, Cedric and his allies set their sights on the horizon, where destiny—ancient and terrible—awaited.