Chương 680: The Kraken in the Lake

When night fell, the storm came with it. The first scream tore across the deck above the cabins, swallowed almost whole by a crash of thunder. Luke was in his room. One heartbeat later, he stepped onto the [Teleportation Pentagram] and appeared on deck, his hand already going for the kukri.

"My arm! My arm!" Hugo screamed, his voice breaking with panic.

"Help me!" A Stalker was dragging him over the railing, its fingers hooked deep into his flesh. Luke didn't waste a second. The kukri cut through the air and struck the creature cleanly, forcing it to twist away and let go of Hugo for a split second. But there wasn't just one. More shadows climbed over the sides of the ship, long-limbed and soaked, their hungry eyes catching the lightning. Charlie emerged from the cabin area like a moving wall.

Her fist slammed into one creature's chest and sent it flying off the ship like an empty sack.

"Where are the maids?" Eleanor appeared right behind her, already firing arrows without pause.

"Protecting Anne," Evangeline said, moving into formation.

"I'll heal you," Jack said, pointing his wand at Hugo. Angie appeared next, charging the Stalkers already spilling onto the deck. In seconds, the entire ship had turned into a battlefield. Erza carved a path forward, spinning her scythe. The blade sang through the air before splitting one of the creatures in half.

"Assassin's party members, background extras, stay close." Eddie, Stephen, and the others obeyed without arguing. Eleanor glanced toward the edge of the ship, where more shapes were crawling up.

"That's a whole swarm. This is going to be a long night." Erza smiled, resting the scythe on her shoulder for the briefest second.

"Good thing I'm not sleepy." By the time the sun finally rose, the deck was covered in bodies. They spent the morning throwing Stalker corpses back into the water, one by one.

"Oh, come on," Roland complained, dragging one by the leg.

"We cleaned the whole deck yesterday."

"The blood from these things doesn't come off with water," someone muttered.

"You have to scrub it."

"I can make a powerful soap, don't worry," Stephen said. Charlie, at least, had made progress during the night. Charlotte Vespertilio's 2nd Class [Black Ash Fighter] reached Level 89! (+18 STR, +8 INT, +7 END, +6 VIT, +6 PER, +5 AGI, +5 Free Points) That afternoon, Luke went to Stephen's laboratory. The place reeked of alcohol, herbs, and things that probably should not have been mixed together.

"Can you build that still I asked for or not?" Luke asked. Stephen stood surrounded by flasks and metal parts, then sighed.

"What you're asking for isn't just alchemy. I'd have to build the equipment, then enchant it so it works the way you want."

"You make rum on a ship. I believe in you."

"I believe in me too, but usually only when alcohol is involved." Luke glanced sideways at Erza's maid, who stood in the corner of the lab like an armed statue.

"And does Erza's servant stay here all the time?"

"My duty is to protect the ship," she said without moving a muscle.

"The Stalkers are coming more often. So I'm here." Stephen flashed a crooked smile.

"Actually, she adores me. Any day now, she'll fall for my charms." The maid moved so fast his smile died halfway across his face. In one sharp motion, she pinned him to the wall and pressed a knife to his throat.

"I am not here to play games."

"I-it was a joke, darling," Stephen said. She did not move the blade away. After a few seconds that stretched too long, the maid released him.

"I'll be back in five minutes." She left the lab without looking back. Luke stared at Stephen.

"I wouldn't mess with those maids, Mr. Harper."

"I couldn't resist. Force of habit. Or she's the dominatrix type. No judgment there. I'm actually into it." A knife flew through the open door and buried itself in the wall, right beside his face. Stephen froze.

"I think we should change the subject," he said.

"Agreed." Luke shut the door.

A few hours passed before Luke stopped in front of Evangeline's door and knocked lightly.

"Come in," her voice called from the other side. He opened the door and found a battlefield made of fabric, thread, and needles. Scraps of every kind littered the floor, hung over chairs, sprawled across the bed, and clung to places they had absolutely no business being. Mannequins occupied half the room, dressed in pieces at different stages of completion.

Spools had rolled between the furniture, and an overturned box of needles on the floor made it clear Evangeline was taking the idea of leveling her Profession very seriously. Luke stood there for a second, judging whether there was anywhere safe to step.

"Can I talk to you for a minute?" Evangeline nodded without stopping what she was doing. She pulled a thread tight between her fingers, cut the end with her teeth, and only then looked at him. Luke stepped inside and closed the door behind him. He looked for a place to sit. There wasn't one. So he stayed standing in the middle of all that creative chaos and drew a breath.

"I'm sorry… for hiding what happened to Angelica." The words came out rough. Luke wasn't used to apologizing. Not like this. But there was no mockery in his voice. No attempt to dodge the weight of it.

"She was your friend. I should've told you." He looked away for a moment, then met Evangeline's eyes again.

"And not just because she was your friend. Because you're… my friend too." Evangeline set the fabric down on the table and crossed her arms. For a few seconds, she only looked at him. If you spot this story on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation.

"Apology accepted." Luke blinked.

"Wait. What?"

"Did you want me to judge you?"

"No. But…" He rubbed the back of his neck, uncomfortable.

"I took too long because I was ashamed. But I was ready for a lecture. I messed up. You deserved better." Evangeline's expression softened a little, though she stayed serious.

"It's fine. I talked to Angie. Two weeks is a long time when there's that much to say." She took a breath.

"It wasn't your fault. You would've been trapped in the tutorial if she hadn't helped you. I know why it happened." Luke said nothing.

"Part of me was hurt that you hid it from me," she said.

"Really hurt. I don't trust many people, Luke. But I trusted you guys."

"I get that." His answer came out low, without irony.

"I'm sorry for that too."

"But you're forgiven." Evangeline uncrossed her arms and leaned back against the table behind her.

"It wasn't your fault. Part of me spent all this time feeling guilty too. Thinking maybe, if I'd been there with you, she'd still be alive." She pressed her lips together for a moment, and Luke didn't interrupt.

"In the end, the ones who really killed her were Bartholomew and Paul. Not you." Her gaze sharpened.

"And you brought her back. Even if it's only a small part of her." The weight Luke had carried to that door finally loosened. It didn't disappear, of course. Things like that never went away that easily. But it became lighter.

"You have no idea how good it is to hear that." He let out a slow breath.

"At first, I thought it was strange that, with the way the group was split up, you ended up as Angie's partner in the Beacon, especially after the truth came out. But maybe it helped you carry some of it too." Evangeline stayed quiet for a moment, looking at the scattered fabrics, the unfinished clothes, and the mess she had made while trying to keep herself busy. Then she shrugged.

"Yeah. I guess it did." She picked up another piece of fabric.

"And, well… it's not every day your crush comes back from the dead." Luke frowned.

"Wait. What?"

"What what?" Evangeline asked without looking at him.

"You said something."

"Did I?" She raised her eyes for an instant, far too serious for someone innocent.

"I'm not sure what you're talking about." Luke kept staring at her. Evangeline simply went back to sewing, pretending to be absurdly focused on the thread between her fingers. The silence in the room was almost as loud as the confession she was pretending she hadn't made.

Later, Luke stood at the bow of the ship, watching the sea ahead. The water there was a crystalline blue, so clear it looked fake. Farther on, the difference between the currents was visible. On one side, the sea was bright and luminous. On the other, it turned dark, heavy, almost motionless.

"There's a sandbar ahead. Ships are stuck on it," he said, pointing. As they drew closer, they saw several ships trapped there. Some were partially destroyed. Others sat still in the water, their crews working on repairs. They didn't look hostile, just exhausted. Luke's ship approached carefully.

"Heading for the beacon?" a man called from one of the nearby ships.

"Same as all of you," Eleanor answered. The man gave a dry laugh.

"This sea is a trap. There are dangerous creatures out there. Ships farther ahead got attacked." When they reached the sandbar, Luke went down with Joanna and Jack. The healer only came because he wanted to feel solid ground again, even if it was just a patch of sand surrounded by water and problems. People were cutting wood, patching hulls, and dragging broken parts around. The smell of salt, sweat, and wet timber filled the place.

"What happened to your ship?" Luke asked one of the men.

"We were attacked." The man lifted his tired eyes.

"If you're going to the City of Waves, I don't recommend taking the crystal waters. Go around through the dark water."

"And why not?" Joanna asked, even though she could already guess the answer. The man pointed at his ship, its hull torn open in more than one place.

"You see what happened? We only stayed afloat because another unlucky ship took the hit before us."

"By what?"

"Sea Guardians." A second man came over carrying a makeshift harpoon.

"If it had been just one of those things, we would've handled it. But there were several." He looked them over with interest.

"I'll take metal. Got anything to trade? I need to make more of these."

"We don't," Luke replied. When he returned to the ship, he told the others what he had learned. The crew gathered on deck while the crystalline sea gleamed beside them, too beautiful an invitation to be safe.

"So what do we do?" Eleanor asked.

"Go around and avoid the crystal waters, or not?" Erza and her group stayed silent. They didn't interfere with decisions involving the ship. Anne looked toward the dark water, uneasy.

"Dark water… safe, but… it will take longer."

"We're going through the crystal water," Luke said. Jack slowly turned his head toward him.

"Are you sure? Like, absolutely sure?"

"Haven't we fought Sea Guardians before?"

"Yes, but so did those guys. And they still got caught." Jack pointed at the stranded ships.

"The guy from the next ship said six guardians hit them at once. He only escaped because he dumped corpses into the water." Luke looked at the clear sea, thoughtful.

"I need more Sea Guardian corpses for experiments. We won't go too deep into those waters. Just enough." Ulric crossed his arms.

"I know the ship is yours, but those guys were lucky they managed to get it to the sandbar for repairs. One bad hit and we sink. And I'm pretty damn sure I'd get swallowed by whatever the hell a Sea Guardian is." The soldiers from Lagras, despite having no say in the decision, made it very clear which direction they preferred. Luke stayed silent for a moment. Without the spectral beast, I lose almost every edge I had against multiple Sea Guardians. If five show up, this gets ugly.

At the same time, now he had Erza, Angie, and the maids to help in combat.

"We're taking the crystal sea," he decided. And the ship moved on. Near dusk, the flora beneath the water began to glow. Even at night, the sea kept its unnatural clarity. Mountains of reef rose below them, beautiful and threatening, while the depths around them sank into a darkness that seemed to have no end. Eddie was sitting with Layla, watching the stars, when Stephen appeared carrying a bottle.

"Want a drink, Mr. Pumpkin?"

"No, thank you, Mr. Harper. But I'll take coffee." Eddie turned to look at him.

"That invention of yours that makes perfect coffee… when will it be ready?" Stephen looked at Luke.

"I had to delay it a little because of the boy's project. But I promise I'll finish it. You'll taste the best coffee in the world, brewed to perfection." Most of them were eating dinner on deck when something slammed into the ship. Plates slid. Cups fell. Wood groaned.

"Did we hit something?" Joanna asked, running toward the helm. Angie's wings appeared, and she took off at once. Luke saw through her eyes. From above, the clear surface revealed a shadow moving beneath the ship. Angie raised her spear and hurled it with force. The weapon plunged into the water, crackling with lightning, and shocked whatever it hit below.

"No," Luke said, rushing to the rail.

"It's a Sea Guardian."

"What now?!" Isolde shouted.

"I've got it." He jumped. The cold swallowed him. Luke activated his new skill and saw the Sea Guardian swimming beneath the hull. The creature was large, fast, and used to fighting in that environment. He tested his new powers as he fought, learning their range, how the pressure affected him, and how his body moved this deep underwater. The monster dragged him deeper. Below, a vast forest grew over submerged mountains. Among the reefs and shadows, Luke saw several Sea Guardians.

Each one swam through its own territory, like predators respecting invisible borders. In the end, he killed the creature. When he returned to the surface, he found everyone staring down from the edge of the ship. Luke started climbing the hull, soaked and in no hurry.

"What the hell, man?" Ulric said.

"You were gone for ages. We thought you got eaten or something."

"So we're turning back, right?" Joanna asked.

"No." Luke climbed onto the deck, water running from his clothes.

"There's treasure down there."

"Treasure?" Erza said. Luke looked at her.

"Didn't you say you wanted to level up? There are a lot of those things swimming down there." He gave her a cold smile.

"Still want to level up?"

Five days passed. Luke made progress. He reached level 96 in the [Demonic Predator] class and level 93 in [Arcane Witch]. During those days, they hunted several Sea Guardians. At first, it was difficult, but they soon developed strategies. They lured one at a time, isolated the creature, and brought it into a position where the group could restrain and kill it with relative safety. Relative, because they were still sea monsters capable of ripping a ship apart if given the chance.

Charlie also tested the skill she had chosen upon reaching level 95 in [Blood Death Knight]. On top of that, she reached level 90 in her second class. From the list of rejected skills that appeared, she chose the evolution of [Steel Fist]. [Steel Bastion (Ultra-Rare)]: Through [Steel Fist], by channeling a considerable amount of mana and stamina into your fists, you can unleash blows of immense power.

These charged punches can break metal, shatter stone, and damage armor, making this a formidable skill against both enemies and physical obstacles. With this enhancement, however, your fists also become defensive tools, functioning like shields that can block strikes and heavy impacts. That night, Luke found Charlie on deck.

"I'll be gone for a while," he said.

"Gone gone?"

"All night. I'll be back in the morning." Luke looked toward the crystal sea, where the light of the submerged flora still pulsed beneath the surface.

"I'm doing what I told you about." He walked to the edge of the ship and jumped. The water closed over him, smothering every sound. Luke began to sink, swimming deeper and deeper until he reached the Sea Guardians' territory. There was a mountain down there. It took him a while to understand why such territorial creatures all seemed, somehow, to act as if they were protecting the same place. There was something inside that mountain they didn't want anything getting close to. Then this is the place.

Luke sat on a rock floating in the water and settled into a meditative posture. Inside the world of his soul, he walked through the city until he reached the lake where the kraken remained.

"Today's the day we fight, you bastard." Luke stared at the dark surface.

"Now it's a duel." The monster waited at the bottom of the lake.

"Let's see who breaks first." And Luke activated his new skill.