The moment the water consumed me, I activated my Saturn's Hourglass Ring to pause time for an hour at the expense of glory.

Glory (-100): 7,670

The sudden change in futures thanks to the Chrono Loop necessitated I restrategize. It was a little hard to think when performing a cannonball on a sea centaur’s face, which now contorted in shocked agony beneath me.

Okay, I thought, observing the hundred Ichthyocentaur around me, time to plan. I couldn’t stay in this frozen hour much longer than a minute, lest I run out of air. It would only be a few seconds of observing millions of futures and deciding on the best course of action.

My Historical Insight recalibrated, showing me how dangerous my situation had become. I would experience my first blackout of time soon after I resumed normal time. I had expected this to happen after the three day trial finished, but perhaps because I was forced to intensely use my mind again thanks to the Chrono Loop I would get to experience it much earlier.

I would need to take out as many as possible upon my return and defend myself. The futures adapted to this new path, and I focused my attention on the most likely one for survival.

Let’s do this.

I would have received some serious, almost lethal damage had I not activated my Shadowmail as time resumed normality, negating all damage at the constant draining of my health. The first thing the leading Ichthyocentaur did was stab me with his enchanted trident. His translucent and gilled face was joyous with murder as he thought he gave a killing blow. Thanks to my armor, it passed right through and he was shocked by my electrical aura zapping the water around me.

More tridents attempted to skewer me to no avail. A few of the Ichthyocentaur became stunned for two seconds from my aura.

They were in for a rude awakening.

I clapped my hands together and unleashed a shockwave, scattering the dozens of Ichthyocentaur around me and further frying them in the water. Their translucent skin crispened beneath the water. None of them died as a result, but they were drained of health because of it.

Man, I really love that ability.

Running out of air and time, I swam with all of my might and lightning dashed the rest of the way to the beach. My body propelled out of the water as I was flung onto the wet sand marked by thousands of Medusa’s statues.

I was just beginning to stand to my feet, alone on the beach, when my mind had what felt like a mini seizure. The second it finished, the first of the Somnia appeared from the shadows.

At first I thought it was just another statue on Medusa’s Island. Afterall, the well sculpted man looked exactly like a statue. His curly hair reminded me of Sporus, and his build was rather impressive as he posed without clothing. However, instead of a marble material, it looked like it was carved out of a liquid black obsidian. And instead of standing still like a good statue, he was advancing on me, fists clenched and ready to kill me.

As he approached within ten meters, the world around me began to change, and I began to feel immediately drowsy, especially if I made eye contact. Though my Shadowmail was active, I was mentally affected by the sleep demon. The rain-soaked sand beneath my feet began to sink like quick sand, sucking me in. As I struggled to escape, the Somnia made no sounds as it glided across the sinking sands to destroy me.

If I did not escape this very moment, the Somnia would be on me. He would pound against my shield with his black marble fists. To my benefit, this would harm him slightly and I would receive no damage, but with each touch of his dreamy flesh, my stamina would drain in leaps.

Stamina: 140/190

Stamina: 90/190

Stamina: 40/190

Stamina: 0/190

In four blows I would be done for, stuck in the vortex of quick sand and lacking the stamina to escape. This would allow the Somnia to seize me with his hands, which would quicken the pace of sleep inducement. Instead of it taking five minutes in his presence to fall asleep, it reduced to only fifteen seconds, the same amount of time if twenty of them joined together to attack me.

If I fell asleep, all would be over. I would be hand delivered to Caesar and tortured in his dreamworld, forever, while Sporus and Umbra would similarly be overwhelmed by the increasing Somnia that pursued them. They would be defeated quickly, and would endure the same punishment for resistance. As for Cleopatra, Caesar would inform me that he would take very good care of her, making me sick with violent rage and envy.

Stolen from its rightful author, this tale is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.

I could not fall asleep.

Before the Somnia could seize me and smother me with sleep, I summoned a lightning bolt to fling me to the stormy skies. I zipped past Umbra and Sporus, who were busy roasting and sniping any Ichthyocentaur that dared pop their heads out of the water.

“You okay?” Sporus yelled as I landed on Umbra’s back to recover for a second.

“Dream demon on the beach,” I said, pointing to the Somnia. The black marbled demon waited patiently for me to return, watching me with cold, indifferent eyes. I quickly informed them of how fast they were at sleep inducement, and the physical nightmares they could weave when awake.

“They will only increase in number the further our days stretch,” I said, seeing the near futures.

Anyway to defeat them? Umbra said as he roasted another patch of the sea with his flames.

“Unleash your fire on him down there. They hate light. They will only attack us at night for now, when their powers are at their height. Though, they will grow in power the longer we go without sleep.”

You got it, Umbra said, deflecting a string of tridents thrown at us as he dive bombed the Somnia and gushed flames all over where he stood.

Chillingly, the Somnia made no sound as it died. Once Umbra finished roasting it and released his flames, the Somnia was nowhere to be found. If I had to guess, he had been reabsorbed into the shadows, where he and his brethren would return from once we stepped foot on land during the night.

“I didn’t want to sleep on the floor anyway,” Sporus said, his humor as black as the night. “Or at all, for that matter.”

After two days of no rest and fighting in the water, the thought of sleep was like dangling a liquor bottle in front of an alcoholic. I closed my eyes in chagrin, being careful not to keep them closed too long. It was best to not think about it.

With the Somnia kept at bay for now, we returned our attention to the clicking Ichthyocentaurs below. Sporus and Umbra had wiped out a good forty of them, most of them from my wounding that were then largely annihilated by Umbra’s quick dives into the water, where he tore apart many with his claws. The frequent submersions made for a very unhappy Sporus, who looked on the brink of misery and throwing up.

The remaining sixty thrashed deep in the oily waters like frenzied piranha, desperate to destroy us but careful not to be above the surface where they’d be most vulnerable.

Ahead of us, Typhon shook the sea with a growl of dissatisfaction. He would not wait long to eviscerate us with lightning bolts and volcanic debris.

I waited just long enough so that I would have the stamina to pull off the next move.

“I’ll use lightning to draw them up,” I explained. “They’re going to swim to the surface once I start. When they do, Sporus, take them out with your bow, and Umbra, unleash your fury.”

Save some for me to eat, Umbra replied as I jumped off his back.

I let myself fall till I was only a few feet from the dark waters. Ii didn’t want to give away my plan, so I opted for hovering above the water with my Boots of Mercury. I would have thirty seconds to pull this off.

I wouldn’t need that long.

If not for their albino like skin, I wouldn’t have seen them coming all at once, tridents ready to puncture me. I turned on my Shadowmail at the last second and pulled off four moves simultaneously as the Ichthyocentaurs leaped up from the sea and collided into one another to stab me, failing to harm my immaterial shadow.

First, I activated my Minotaur’s Horn, doubling my attack damage and speed. I then activated my Chain Lightning and Piercing Rain abilities, throwing the pila at three half submerged Ichthyocentaurs. In the same breath, I summoned a lightning bolt from the heavens and slammed it into the thickest grouping of Ichthyocentaurs. As the lightning bolt and pila struck their targets, sending a spider web of electricity throughout the immediate area, I turned off my Shadowmail and blocked the last several tridents flying at me with my shield.

The spray of lightning and reflected damage immediately destroyed a good portion of the sixty remaining. For those that lived, they rose to the surface as planned, desperate to be free of the surging waters.

“Now!” I yelled, flying up to the surface with my wings. As Umbra swept beneath me, releasing a wall of flames on the sea horse centaurs and Sporus sniped four of them, I chugged one of my stamina potions so I could utilize another lightning bolt.

For those Umbra didn’t kill in his fire attack and subsequent dives, this would finish them off.

With half of my stamina restored and my heart thundering as loudly as the storm around me, I summoned a lightning bolt twice more and hurled them with all of my rage into the waters. The electric splashes cinched the lives of those that remained. The only sounds that followed was the hissing steam from their floating and burnt corpses, along with the pounding rain.

The resulting strength gains added more muscle to my already steadfast and sculpted body, making it slightly easier to hold my head up through the exhaustion.

Strength (+380): lvl 27 (190/280)

Intelligence (+10): lvl 9 (30/100)

Glory (+1,200): 8,870

Level: 60 (570/620)

Skill Points (+2): 3

Umbra swooped under me at the last second to catch me.

On second thought, they smell repulsive now that you’ve cooked them, Umbra said, flying around Medusa’s Island. I kindly give them back to you, Maximus.

“Too kind,” I said, taking a deep breath. My stamina had drained in throwing so much lightning and performing my combat special powers. Luckily, we would have ample time to recover.

“So, what’s next?” Sporus said, keeping his eyes trained on Typhon, who was now flapping his wings extra fast, sending violent gusts of wind and waves to the island.

“Now we endure the storm for two days. He will try to drown us with nature before sending the final wave of enemies on the third day.”

I take it he’s not only sending bigger waves? Umbra asked as fatal sea waves began to demolish the shores, wiping out all of the statues. They would grow in size and ferocity, and I would have to guide Umbra to avoid them.

To answer for me, a lightning bolt shot straight down from the black clouds, singing Umbra’s red nose.

Neptune’s trident! Umbra shouted, barrel rolling away.

“He’s going to throw everything he’s got for the next forty eight hours. Sporus, grab the Café Aeternum. We’re going to need it.”