Chapter 223: Into the Blue Expanse

Chapter 223: Into the Blue Expanse

The ship bounced across the ocean's surface, its crystalline prow smashing into waves as they pushed it harder, faster than it should have been safe to ride. And Kai, moving before he could think about what he was doing, leapt over the side into the crashing waves.

Three things hit him in quick succession.

First he felt the impact of the water's surface, then once he plunged underneath, the metal cable around his waist tugged him backward. The cable was all that kept him from being left behind, because they were still racing at top speed away from their pursuers. Not that there was any time to think about that: the third thing he felt after jumping off the side was the monster closing around him.

The monstrous eel that had been trying to drain the crystals on their hull now latched on to him. First coils that tried to drain his mana, then large teeth on his shoulder that tried to drain his blood. Behemoth's Heart was able to defend him from both, but underwater being pulled at high speed, he didn't have many good options.

Of course, Kai had kept Isulfr's Bite with him, just in case the monster was a real threat, but based on the strength of this one, that would be too easy a solution. Unless he improved his underwater combat, he'd have a serious problem when they ran into the larger threats.

For a start Kai headbutted the eel, but the motion was too slowed in the water. It slithered back, wrapping around his arm instead - which was a mistake. Kai unleashed Tyrant's Claw, chopping apart the eel without even needing to move his arm. Now he let his teeth snap out, consuming the pieces whole before they could be left behind.

Barely a meal... he needed to eat the four other eels that were now speeding toward him.

They were fast enough to race ahead of the ship, so being dragged behind it made him an easy target. Two of them moved to intercept while the other two circled around behind him. Kai tried to swing his hand forward and stop the attack before it started, but underwater Tyrant's Claw failed to make enough headway. Once it was slowed down, the eels easily slipped around it.

He managed to turn around, grabbing one of the eels before it could reach his back. The other three got through and struck as one. Their stingers managed to penetrate his skin and he immediately felt the poison injected into his body. It might have been lethal, if not for Behemoth's Heart and all the poisons he'd subjected his body to. Kai squeezed his hand, crushing one of the eels, but then another eel wrapped around his face.

Before that point, he'd been breathing using Sahagin's Lungs, one of his less powerful monstrous abilities. With his mouth completely covered, he might actually suffocate. Most likely he wouldn't get a chance, as all three eels were doing their best to drain him and gnawing on his neck.

Instead of ending it with a single bite, Kai struggled to grab them or at least land a blow. He was too sluggish in the water and the eels were damn fast, so he ended up flailing. What did he have left? Kai had kept an empty slot in his soul where his new Baleful Breath went, since he wasn't sure how well it would work underwater. In theory he could draw on one of the others... and all at once he had his solution.

Kai drew on Direurchin's Spikes and tried to manifest them. He couldn't change his body that quickly, but spikes of mana emerged from his back and neck. All three of the eels were partially speared by the mana and Kai made quick work of them after that.

He heaved himself over the side of their ship and deposited the dead fish there, then untied the cable from his waist. In the process he checked the mechanism extremely carefully, just in case it showed any damage or wear. Ostensibly it was used to dredge up things much heavier than him, but he wasn't going to take the risk of something breaking and him being left behind.

His mind returned to the cultivators, as it so often did. Even when he strained his eyes - which were substantially enhanced at D-rank Physique - he couldn't see any sign of them. Zae Zin Nim claimed that they were still in pursuit, though, so they couldn't relax.

"The ship's running better now that the eels aren't latched onto the crystals." Omilaena stood at the front of the ship, still wearing one of her fancy dresses despite the circumstances. She glanced over her shoulder at the dead fish. "That's lunch, I assume?"

"I already ate," Kai said. "Want me to cook them?"

"I'll handle it. Take over here."

A large disc embedded with crystals was built into the front of their ship. It could be used to steer, but more importantly it allowed someone to flood the engine with their own power. When Omilaena let go, their speed began to drop rapidly, so Kai hastened to grab it and began feeding his own qi into the engine.

"Where's Zae Zin Nim?" he asked.

"Cultivating inside, where else?" Omilaena rolled a glimmer of metal across her fingers and it became a needle much larger than the usual, which she used to spear through the fish like a spit. As she spoke, she lit an alchemical flame in the hardened pit to cook them. "We really need to have her take more turns. I have chakra to spare, and you seem to be able to go all day, but she needs to pull her weight."

"Isn't that what she's trying to do? Those Earth Soul cultivators will be a big problem if they catch us, but if she manages to break through to the same stage..."

"I'm telling you, we aren't going to fight them now. Unless we screw this up, we can reach Rosemount and give them the slip."

"I guess I need to ask about that." Kai was gripping the wheel and driving them forward, but he had no idea where they were going. Nothing but ocean in all directions. "I felt you pivot earlier. That makes our heading... north? Isn't there nothing much to the north but ocean?"

"Oh, it's a very specific part of the ocean." Omilaena gave him a self-satisfied grin. "The easy part of the trip is over. We're headed straight for the Blood Current."Visitt novelbin(.)co/m for the latest updates