Chapter 965 |
Chapter 965
The seabed, untouched by humans since the world's creation, silently screamed as it began to crumble softly.
Rumble…
A pitch-black hole, which had been concealing itself, revealed its presence. Pale dust rose heavily like fog, and the pressure of the water that pressed down on the body intensified.
The horrific entities lurking within the cracks began to stir. In the land that was collapsing, or already fallen, the creatures beyond the crack thrashed and wailed desperately, trying to escape.
The movement that would have originally torn through the solid seafloor and caused a shock had been quickly mitigated by Yuder's power. Although the seabed did receive the impact, it wasn't significant enough to propagate far and cause an earthquake. As the monsters writhed to escape through the cracks, Yuder's power only accelerated the crumbling of the seabed.
Yet, not all the surrounding land had crumbled. Apart from the sections collapsed by Yuder's power, massive rocks, which had long supported the sea floor like pillars, lurked everywhere like reefs. Whenever some of the monsters collided with them, massive shocks trembled the entire ocean, screaming.
Every hair on Yuder's body stood on end, feeling as if the whole world was on the brink of tearing apart.
Amidst this, Yuder did not blink an eye, focusing his entire being, continuously drawing out his remaining strength.
It was strange. Despite his intense concentration, he felt as if his consciousness was split in two, able to cherish the moments spent alone with Kishiar as if they were eternal, even finding joy in it.
He was not afraid of anything, nor was he worried about anything.
Yuder, like one who had forgotten everything, relentlessly drew more strength. The power surrounding his body flared visibly, even in the darkness, causing turmoil. Even the rocks of the seabed, which seemed unshakeable, finally gave in and crumbled away bit by bit.
The creatures within the crack thrashed, entangled with the collapsing land. Some, trying desperately to escape, were crushed under the weight of the land, while others, like pieces of a larger monster, continuously filled the gaps.
It was a scene reminiscent of a power struggle on a board, albeit on a much larger scale.
Each time the monsters, writhing to escape from within and around the crack, came into contact, Yuder's power met equal resistance. The sensations that assaulted him were ferocious, as if tearing his flesh apart, yet Yuder did not stop. No sensation felt greater than the subtle stimulation of Kishiar's fingers entwined firmly with his in the darkness.
"..."
As if sensing his thoughts, the grip on his hand grew stronger.
Yuder, in response, gripped the entwined hand tightly and gently closed his eyes.
And finally.
Roar, rumble...!
Yuder's power successfully pierced through the monsters and the crack, seizing control over the entire sea bed that had concealed them. The land, crumbling and scattering as if bowing down to the mere human force pressing upon it, finally began to form a vast hole, large enough to contain an entire city, both ferociously and gently.
If someone could have observed this tremendous spectacle from outside, as if looking down upon a small stage, they would have likened it to the sight of the land around a small hole in the sand being swiftly sucked in and sinking.
The last crack buried in the ground was exposed, presenting a perilous moment where it seemed everything inside would spill out.
Yet, it was also a moment of opportunity, with the highest chance that the entire sea bed wouldn't be completely overturned, even while pulling in the enemy.
Yuder thought quietly to himself.
'Now.'
At that precise moment, Kishiar's power was unleashed.
Though no signal was exchanged, the power exerted exactly when Yuder wished, smoothly and swiftly brushed past them, heading straight for the crack to reach the portions that had emerged.
'----!'
The chunks of monsters that Yuder's power could never properly touch or pull out resounded with a roar-like vibration.
The entities, previously entangled in disorder, lacking any definite form, and emerging from the crack, suddenly ceased their movements as if caught by an invisible colossal hand.
Only Kishiar could understand and wield Yuder's will in this world, his power.
Yuder hoped that Kishiar's power would meaningfully affect the monsters, as he had intended.
Shortly after.
Roaaaaar!
From below, the flow of water surged, indicating the outcome had begun to manifest.
Yuder instinctively knew that Kishiar's power had effectively reached the monster chunks.
Using the pushing and pulling force to make the masses of monsters buried in the sea floor's crack come out completely downwards before causing an earthquake, taking advantage of the gaps beyond the hole created by Yuder to turn in a direction other than the sea floor.
Of course, Kishiar's power was not absolute enough to bind and move the entire massive mass of monsters trying to escape from the crack in one go. Even if his power had been completely unspent until now, it was a task so difficult that its success could not be guaranteed.
However, once anything in the sea submerged, it became difficult to go completely against the natural flow of the vast nature.
Yuder believed that If Kishiar's power could properly exert itself along such flow, there was a sufficient possibility of succeeding in this seemingly impossible task without using tremendous power. It was a chance that might be difficult even for others to attempt, but possible for Kishiar.
And Kishiar, living up to such expectations, used his power at the perfect moment, not only going with but fully riding and utilizing the direction of the massive flow of water caused by the collapsing land and the events unfolding due to Yuder's actions.
Swooosh!
The mass of monsters, half emerging in the form of tentacles and stretching long towards the enemy, was caught off guard and swayed heavily as it was caught by the 'pulling' force combined with the flow of water.
Even a very small pebble, if tripped over properly, can cause a giant enemy to fall and break its nose. The maneuver Kishiar placed had exactly that effect.
In the blink of an eye, the flow surrounding the crack changed. The terrible things that had been thrashing against nature without restraint could not withstand the pulling force and began to shake, wobble, and then tangle wildly.
Thus, in an instant, the monster chunk seemed no longer to be escaping the crack of its own accord, but rather appeared as if being forcibly dragged out by someone's hand.
This process did not hinder Yuder's power, which was simultaneously continuing to collapse the land and trying to free it from the influence of the monsters. It shook the monsters with a miraculous strength, seamlessly blending with Yuder's double-edged task.
The sea, filled with foreign matter due to the aftermath of the collapsed land, was like a dangerous terrain where one could not see even an inch ahead. Enemies filled all directions, and among them, the most dangerous ones were unpredictable in where they might strike from. Continuing to exert force in such an environment, without any armor for protection, was akin to a madman risking his life.
Yet, neither Yuder nor Kishiar sought to retreat from this peril.
The two disparate powers merged, struggling to achieve their goal, and at times, striving to protect each other's vulnerabilities.
Even as the turbulent currents threatened to sweep them away, causing shocks that felt as if their bodies would fly off and wounds were inflicted, their strength never ceased, desperately fulfilling their duties.
In the midst of this chaotic situation, so disorienting that it was hard to ascertain what was happening or whether they were successfully extracting the monsters from the crack without further significant damage, Yuder kept his eyes closed, focusing on just one repeating thought. It wasn't anything grand.
He did not want to lose the grip on this hand he was holding.
That was all he thought about, not allowing anything else to occupy his mind...
Finally, the reverberation of the seabed ceased.
The Cavalry members, who had been using all their strength to protect themselves, could now cautiously catch their breath and relax their exhausted bodies.
Just trying not to be swept away by the tremendous flow from below had been so draining, it felt almost lethal. Steiber bit his lip, looking down at the dark abyss below without even glancing at his own body, which was bleeding from newly acquired wounds.
'...I don't even have the energy to wonder or be surprised about what's happening anymore. Are Yuder and the Commander alright?'
Despite knowing how exceptional they were, the magnitude of the vibrations had been so great, he couldn't help but worry. Yuder had said that if his plan succeeded, the monsters would come up this way. Had it worked?
If not, monsters would soon emerge from the crack buried in the ground, causing a massive undersea earthquake, and they would have to prepare for death.
'I'm prepared for that, but...'
He inevitably thought about the family he had left behind.
'I told them when I wrote my will before coming here, even if I die, don't mourn too much, but be proud.'
Surviving by going to the surface now might extend his life for a moment, but it would never be a proud path for his wife and children, nor for himself. That’s also why he never backed down, despite having many opportunities to escape.
It was at this moment, as Steiber painfully opened his eyes, that he caught a glimpse of the man who had come with their Commander, moving his lips as if to speak and pointing downwards. Following his gesture, Steiber's gaze dropped just as an unmistakable massive flow and vibration rose again from below.
'-----!'
Within it, a long, serpent-like chunk of monsters was also rising towards them.