The memory of his last encounter with a Multisquid surged through Atlas's mind like an uninvited storm—vivid, relentless, and haunting. This one, though, was different—bigger, stronger, and far more menacing. The sheer scale of its shadow twisting behind the waterfall’s cascade was enough to tighten his chest, making every breath a labor.

This wasn’t something he could handle, not with Ivan already battered and far from his peak. The thought alone sent an icy chill racing through him, and yet the environment offered no solace. The roar of the waterfall drowned out any attempt at reasoning, leaving only raw instincts to guide them.

The vortex of the waterfall intensified as they climbed higher, defying logic and gravity. The canoe tore through the surging water at a dizzying speed, easily surpassing forty miles an hour. The unnatural propulsion screamed of a magical force at play, but Atlas had no time to unravel its mystery. Every second was a countdown to survival.

He focused instead on the writhing swarm of tentacles ahead. Each one moved with terrifying precision, faster and more relentless than the last. They were closing in. The pressure was suffocating. He needed a plan—and fast.

Checking his Aether reserves, Atlas felt the familiar energy thrumming inside him. It was there, pulsing and ready to be shaped, though he knew its limits far too well. Still, it was enough to warp if necessary, enough to create an opening. Opportunities, however slim, existed if he could seize them. Yet, doubt lingered. Would it be enough against this monstrosity?

Ivan stood at the bow of the canoe, his posture slumped but his gaze locked on the monstrous tentacle emerging from the mist. A strange smile crept across his face, transforming into something euphoric. His eyes glazed over, and for a moment, he looked utterly detached from reality.

“You are no longer needed, Atlas.”

The words sliced through the chaos like a blade. Atlas snapped his head up, heart pounding. “What?”

It wasn’t just the statement—it was how Ivan said it. Calm. Final. And this wasn’t the first time. Yesterday, Ivan had uttered his name in the same unsettling tone.

Dread coiled in Atlas’s gut, cold and unrelenting. What did Ivan mean? No longer needed? If Ivan truly didn’t need him, then what? Was he about to be discarded? Betrayed? The thought of Ivan turning on him in the middle of this fragile vessel was as terrifying as the monstrous creature ahead.

But Ivan didn’t attack. Instead, a torrent of Aether began leaking from him, saturating the air with a palpable, volatile energy. Purple Aether coiled and surged around him, shrouding the canoe in a violent, otherworldly aura. The very air vibrated with raw power.

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Without warning, a sonic boom erupted behind them. The canoe rocketed forward, the sudden acceleration nearly hurling Atlas into the water. The speed was overwhelming, forcing him to wrap his body in Aether just to withstand the crushing pressure of the wind tearing past.

Ivan, unshaken, took a deliberate step forward. His boots touched the surface of the water, Aether pooling beneath his feet in intricate, molten-glass patterns. The stability and precision of his control were astonishing—far beyond anything Atlas had ever witnessed.

How many abilities did this guy have? Ivan felt less like a man and more like a force of nature. Against other humans, he would be unstoppable. That much was clear.

Ivan raised his hand, golden light swirling around his fingers. His voice was calm yet commanding as he spoke again, “My dear Vessel, close your eyes. You’re not needed for the fight here. The gods have put me here to save you.”

Before he could question it, Ivan summoned a massive golden staff, its length shimmering with an otherworldly radiance. Without hesitation, he vanished in a blur of light, reappearing mid-air, hurtling toward the Multisquid with an almost divine grace.

Atlas’s eyes widened as he watched the scene unfold. He wanted to close his eyes, as instructed, but curiosity kept them fixed on Ivan. The Multisquid’s monstrous tentacles lashed out at supersonic speeds, but Ivan didn’t flinch. He raised the staff, intercepting the first tentacle with a resounding crash that sent shockwaves rippling through the air.

Another tentacle whipped toward him, even faster than the first. Ivan blocked it again with effortless precision, the golden staff gleaming against the creature’s grotesque form. For a moment, the world seemed to hold its breath. Then, in an instant, more than forty tentacles surged toward Ivan from every direction.

Eyes sprouted from Ivan’s head—dozens of them, each tracking a different tentacle with unnerving accuracy. In the next heartbeat, the tentacles closed in, but Ivan moved like a tempest, his staff slicing through them as if they were made of air. Severed appendages fell into the churning water below, splashing violently as chaos erupted around them.

Atlas could hardly believe what he was seeing. Ivan had grown even more formidable since their last battle. Despite his injuries, his power seemed boundless. Each movement radiated an almost godlike authority, leaving Atlas both awestruck and uneasy.

The battle’s intensity grew as water cascaded around them, massive waves rising and falling in response to the clash of titans. Atlas braced himself as a torrent of water surged toward the canoe. He summoned Aether, the aquamarine energy colliding with the wave and splitting it apart. For a brief moment, he stood dry amidst the chaos, his gaze locked on Ivan.

Now in the water, Ivan moved with blinding speed, his sheer velocity causing the surface to boil. Each strike of his staff was a masterpiece of destruction.

A deep, resonant boom echoed from below, shaking the very foundation of the world around them. Darkness swallowed the depths, and a shadow shot upward with terrifying speed. Ivan twisted to the side just in time, the shadow missing him by mere inches and tearing through the space he had occupied a second before.

The shadow creature was back.