Chapter 457: Round Two, Start!
Night Terror communicated with Black Mamba through a series of sharp gaze.
There were too many of them to fight outright, but they needed to assess the threat before making a move.
They moved closer to one of the larger shapes, a massive creature far larger than the one Jeci had fought, that dwarfed even the ship above.
It was covered in scales that glistened with an unnatural light, and its eyes glowed a deep, ominous red.
Before they could react, the creature let out a low, rumbling growl that reverberated through the water.
The sound was a warning, a territorial claim that sent smaller creatures scurrying away even though they had the same agenda-moving towards the ship.
Night Terror and Black Mamba held their ground, but they knew they were at a disadvantage. This creature was ancient, and its power radiated through the ocean like a pulse.
Back on the ship, Northern stirred from his sleep, sensing the disturbance in the waters below. His connection to Night Terror and Black Mamba allowed him to feel their unease, and he quickly rose to his feet.
The peaceful slumber he had enjoyed was now a distant memory, replaced by the familiar weight of responsibility.
He stood up and disappeared, appearing on the deck of the ship, the cool morning breeze brushing against his skin.
The sky was painted with hues of orange and pink as the daystar began its slow ascent.
But the beauty of the morning was overshadowed by the tension that hung in the air. Northern could feel it-asides whatever was going on in the depth of the sea, a storm was brewing behind those small and gentle waves.
Jeci, too, had awoken, her body sore from the intense training she had subjected herself to. She found Northern standing at the edge of the ship, his gaze fixed on the water below. There was a quiet intensity about him, a calm before the storm that made her uneasy. "Another one is coming?" Jeci asked, her voice hoarse from exhaustion.
Northern nodded, his eyes never leaving the water. "Something powerful..." he squinted his eyes as he continued, "I'm currently assessing the situation with Night Terror and Black Mamba... but I fear this will be an even strenuous battle than the last"
He gave Jeci an intense frown, "I won't let you join"
Jeci in response looked down dejectedly, "I'll only be a hindrance to you anyway"
Northern looking at her, immediately felt sorry for talking to her like that. But she raised her head a second later, her eyes contorting into a frown of resolve as she spoke.
"But I don't plan to be a hindrance forever, one day, I will be strong enough to fight a threat you cannot fight, at least not at that point and I will die protecting you"
Northern looked at her with a slightly stunned expression, his mouth agape.
Then he blinked once and closed his eyes softly with a smile, "Alright then. Go rest, let me take care of this"
Jeci swallowed hard, she had declared but the weight of her earlier failure was still fresh in her mind.
She had pushed herself to the limit, and yet it wasn't enough. She tightened her grip on her spear, feeling the familiar weight of the weapon in her hands.
Northern looked at her longer, his expression softening. "You did well last time, Jeci. Don't let doubt cloud your mind. We all have our limits, but it's how we push past them that defines us."
Jeci nodded, though the words did little to ease the knot of tension in her chest. She had resolved to grow stronger, but the time to prove it was not now, she gripped her spear even tighter and walked back into the tower.
Northern watched her go inside, afterwards he turned forward.
As if the disaster was waiting for Jeci to go inside-as she did, the water beneath the ship suddenly began to churn violently, waves crashing against the hull with increasing force. Northern's eyes narrowed as he sensed the approach of something massive. Night Terror and Black Mamba broke the surface, leaping onto the deck in one fluid motion.
Night Terror let out a low growl to Northern as he knelt on the deck, Black Mamba looked at his senior for a moment and also fell to his knees, mirroring it the exact same way Night Terror had.
Then he tried to speak, "Enemies... powerful... intense... numbers...enormous"
Northern smiled watching the monster he created learn, it filled his heart with a new kind of joy.
But there was no time to dwell on that feeling, he looked back at the ocean with a fierce face. From the depths, the massive creature Black Mamba and Night Terror had seen earlier emerged, its colossal form breaking through the water with a deafening roar.
It was unlike any creature Northern had encountered before, (except the Chaos Spawn and the wormhole)—a fusion of ancient oceanic beast and dark, primordial energy.
Its body was covered in jagged scales that pulsed with an eerie light, and its eyes burned with malevolent intensity
Behind it, smaller creatures swarmed, following it like it with a frenzied hunger.
The ship was surrounded, trapped in a circle of predators that were ready to tear it apart.
'Just how mad is the Kirithon for the crappy hell?'
Northern's mind raced as he assessed the situation. He frowned, and made sure in his mind that if he will be fighting the monster this time, he better does it to the bitter end and finish it. He didn't want that unreasonable monster to come for him again when he is living his life in the Central Plains, although it was pretty clear that this was the las time they would be meeting.
Northern was sure that the moment he left this sea and defeated the Kirithon, he would finally be free. This was clearly his las ordeal.
But never did he ever imagine that a creature he just casually fought because he wanted to show off to some girls would end up hating him so much and cause him so much hassle.
He gritted his teeth in irritation and summoned his twin bladed staff this time.
"Black Mamba, Night Terror, right behind me"
As he flew into the air, the two of them followed like shadowy streaks.