I felt alone. Truly alone. The vast expanse of the raging sea stretched in every direction, its dark, churning waters a mirror of the chaos within me. The sky was a canvas of swirling grays and blacks, torn apart by jagged streaks of lightning that illuminated the storm's fury for mere seconds before plunging everything back into darkness. The waves towered above like liquid mountains, their frothy peaks glistening ominously before crashing down with a force that rattled my bones. The air was thick with the scent of salt and ozone, the bitter taste of seawater clinging to my lips. The storm was a living beast, its deafening roar—a cacophony of thunder and howling wind—drowning out even my own desperate thoughts. And Crystal—she was nowhere to be seen. The one person I could always count on had vanished into the tempest. I was fighting this battle solo, floundering, sinking deeper with every second.
"Why is my luck always so bad?" I complained, as another wave slapped me across the face, the icy water stinging like a thousand needles. My eyes burned, vision blurred by the relentless assault of rain and sea spray. Panic surged through me like an electric current. I kicked frantically, muscles screaming in protest, trying to keep my head above water, but unlike earlier where I had controlled my fear and followed the waves, the ocean now seemed intent on swallowing me whole. My limbs were heavy, weighed down by exhaustion and the sodden armor clinging to my body. The cold seeped into my bones, each shiver stealing precious energy. The fear gripped me harder now, like icy tendrils wrapping around my thoughts, squeezing out any semblance of calm.
I had to think, I had to act—but how?
A memory core tried hard to form. It almost solidified in my hand. I heard a voice talking.
"The sea doesn't yield to force," the old mariner had said, his weathered face etched with lines of hard-earned wisdom. "It embraces those who respect it, consumes those who defy it." But the core shattered, my mind was too scrambled to grasp anything useful. The words slipped away like water through my fingers. And that was the worst part. I wasn't just losing crystal; I was losing me. This floor didn't want me to recover my memories.
A sharp pain hit me as my health ticked down—10%... 7%... 5%. The crimson numbers flashed on parchment in the corner of my vision, as crystal continued to blather on in broken common. I was bleeding out, not fast, but enough to send a jolt of panic through me. My heartbeat thundered in my chest, each beat a desperate plea for survival. Another breath, another coughing fit, and the cold water felt like daggers in my lungs, each inhalation a battle against suffocation.
I fought against the panic, struggling to stay in control. "Stay calm. Breathe. Think." The mantra repeated in my mind, a fragile tether to sanity. But the only sound was the roar of the wind, and then, faintly, Crystal's voice, somewhere in the distance, whispering phrases about the sea, the cleric, and something about bending.
[Rod... you have to bend... like the willow, not break... the sea listens...]
"Crystal!" I tried to call out, but my voice was swallowed by the gale, torn from my lips before it could even form. Was she really there, or was my mind conjuring illusions? Her words echoed in my head, elusive yet insistent. "Bend, don't break... the cleric knows the way..."
Desperate, I scanned the tumultuous waves for any sign of her. Lightning cracked across the sky, illuminating the jagged horizon in stark whites and silvers, but there was nothing—just the endless, heaving ocean and the relentless assault of the storm.
"Think, Rod, think!" I chastised myself. "What would Crystal do?" She was always the clever one, finding solutions where none seemed possible. Memories of our past adventures flooded my mind—her laugh as she outsmarted a dungeon's traps, the confident gleam when she gave me a solution to our problems. "The cleric knows the way..." she had said.
"Wait—the cleric!" Inspiration struck like a bolt of lightning. My abilities! In the chaos, I'd forgotten I had them. I reached deep within, summoning whatever magic I could muster. With trembling hands, I attempted to cast Heal, hoping to stabilize my plummeting health. A soft glow enveloped me, warmth spreading through my limbs as the spell took effect. My health inched up—60%... 70%... but it wasn't enough. as it started ticking down again. 69%... 68%...
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The storm seemed to sense my defiance. The winds howled louder, waves rising higher as if enraged by my small victory. I needed something more, something powerful enough to turn the tide—literally.
[Smite the darkness...] Crystal's voice whispered, barely audible over the storm's fury.
"Smite..." I echoed. It was risky, but I had no choice. Gathering the last vestiges of my mana, I focused intently, feeling the divine energy coalesce within me. I cast Smite, thrusting my hands forward as a searing bolt of light erupted from my fingertips, cutting through the torrential rain like a beacon.
The brilliant light illuminated the ocean around me, piercing the inky darkness. For a moment, time seemed to slow. Beneath the surface, I glimpsed something extraordinary—a vast, shimmering structure. A city. It was otherworldly, an ethereal glow reflected through the dark depths. Enormous towers spiraled upward, their crystalline surfaces refracting the light of my spell into a kaleidoscope of colors. Intricate structures connected by luminescent pathways formed a labyrinth of alien architecture. Bioluminescent flora swayed gently in the currents, casting dancing shadows across the underwater metropolis. Domes of glass encased entire districts, within which I could see shadows moving—were those people? Creatures? The city's heart pulsed with a rhythmic light, like a giant heartbeat echoing through the sea.
My breath caught, awe momentarily eclipsing fear. But as the light of the Smite spell began to fade, a massive shadow detached itself from the city's outskirts, moving with alarming speed.
Before I could react, the water around me churned violently. A monstrous creature burst forth from the depths, its massive form towering over me even as I struggled to stay afloat. It was like nothing I'd ever seen—a grotesque fusion of a killer whale and an angler fish. Its enormous maw was filled with razor-sharp teeth, each the size of a dagger, and a luminescent lure dangled from its forehead, casting a sickly green glow over its slick, black skin. Its eyes were cold, predatory orbs that locked onto me with deadly intent.
"Great. Just what I needed," I muttered, heart pounding. My Smite spell must have struck it, drawing its ire. The beast let out a guttural roar, the sound vibrating through the water and rattling my very core.
The creature lunged, jaws snapping dangerously close. I dove underwater just in time, feeling the rush of displaced water as its teeth clamped shut where my head had been moments before. The cold engulfed me, and I opened my eyes to the sting of saltwater, the world a blurry haze. The beast circled above, its massive tail propelling it with terrifying agility.
"Think fast, Rod!" I needed a plan. My mana was nearly depleted, but perhaps I could use that to my advantage. I reached for my belt, fingers fumbling as I retrieved a small vial—Potion of Mana Restoration; I had still had a couple left over from what klericho had given me in the previous run. Popping the cork with my teeth I gagged as I swallowed the potion and a mouthful of salt water., Warmth flooded my veins as my mana surged upward—enough for three, maybe four spells.
Breaking the surface, I gasped for air, just in time to see the beast charging again. With renewed vigor, I cast Smite. A crackling spear of electricity arced from my outstretched hand, striking the creature square in the face. It recoiled, a screech of pain tearing from its throat as the smell of burnt flesh filled the air.
"Yes!" I shouted, a surge of adrenaline coursing through me. But the victory was short-lived. The beast shook off the attack, its lure flickering before flaring brighter, the glow intensifying. The water around me began to heat up, bubbles rising to the surface.
"That's not good..." I realized too late. A beam of concentrated energy shot from the creature's lure, slicing through the water toward me. I barely managed to cast Shield, a golden barrier materializing just as the beam struck. The impact sent me hurtling backward, the force shattering the Barrier and leaving me dazed.
I splashed back into the water, disoriented. The beast was relentless, circling for another attack. I needed to end this—now.
Diving beneath the waves, I swam toward the creature, dodging swipes of its massive tail. My lungs burned, but determination pushed me forward. Closer... closer... At the last moment, I thrust my palm forward and cast Smite once more, the divine energy exploding from my hand directly into the creature's underbelly.
A blinding flash enveloped us both. The beast let out an agonized roar, thrashing violently as the water around us boiled from the energy. I was thrown back, the shockwave propelling me until I hit something with a sickening Crunch. I blacked out.
[You have used a Checkpoint Coupon. This does not count as a run. You have not been reset to your last stable location, as you have not encountered a stable location in this world. You will ‘respawn’ in 10 minutes.]