bookpower 715. Rough Seas Ahead
715. Rough Seas Ahead
715. Rough Seas Ahead
The Underflow was a calm, tamed beast. But it could not be underestimated. Frost noticed a myriad of large creatures lurking beneath the waters as she went to take a closer look at the newfound world.
Rays of light cascaded through hundreds of sinkholes like a torch shone into a colander. It illuminated the darkness of the pellucid sea, reaching the sifting seabed where shipwrecks and jagged boulders moved like they had a mind of their own.
The seas of the Underflow could reach as far as two kilometers deep, with the average depth at 700 meters. Light typically dimmed past the 200-meter mark called the disphotic zone, or more commonly referred to as the twilight zone.
It was not a trick of Frost’s enhanced dark vision, but an anomaly in the waters that flowed here. The waveless sea carried them downstream at such a pace that Frost struggled to wrap her mind around how everything seemed so serene.
Oversized hermit crabs wore shipwrecks as their shells, and one look into the water revealed a gargantuan eye half the size of the ship. Frost’s eyes narrowed sharply as she returned the gaze, causing a school of hundreds of fish to break their eye-shaped formation.
“The Isolation Sphere is in effect.” Frost spoke to no one in particular, musing on how the horizon began to distort under the phenomenon of Terrel-Penrose rotation. “Dialed to one kilometer, so we’ll have just enough time to make adjustments if something appears inside of the Isolation Sphere.”
The aberrations of light startled those onboard. The world outside the influence of the Isolation Sphere contracted forwards in the direction they travelled, as if their field of view was narrowing.
Everything in front of them beyond the Isolation Sphere blue shifted as the world behind them decayed in a veil of red. Creatures unfortunate enough to enter the Isolation Sphere were forced to remain within their domain, unable to escape its confinements.
They were dragged along its edges like a giant net.
“Don’t be so alarmed, Captain.” Frost said to the sheep-girl. “All that matters is what’s happening on the inside. You can ignore everything out there.”
“Are we moving... faster inside of this place?” She warily asked.
“Is that even possible?” The fox-girl muttered.
“Let’s not question the obvious.” Autumn cut in from further away. The scholar in her was more impressed by the pale object in the middle of the ship than the anomalous behavior beyond the ship. “It’s happening right in front our eyes. Somehow, we’re moving at the same speed inside of the ship, but we’re moving faster on the outside. Garner at the waters. Look at how it eases in when it passes through the veil.”
Despite the waters moving quickly on the outside, it slowed down without a hitch when it entered the Isolation Sphere. In theory, the Isolation Sphere should have flooded immediately but it was able to expel the same amount of water. In fact, the water was not contained by the Isolation Sphere at all.
This was because the owner of the Isolation Sphere had the ability to choose who and what could freely pass through its boundaries. As a result, intruders needed to find the sole, hidden exit to escape.
“A time manipulation Gift?” The Ankou was humbled by Jury’s power.
“This is Atelier-Class magic, right? Stuff you only see with the deities and Atelier personnel. How does it –?”
“Some things are better left unanswered.” Frost kept her mouth sealed when it came to openly discussing Atelier secrets. “Deiman – Show me your injuries.”
She moved away from the edge of the ship and approached an injured Deiman. A thin, strand-like material stuck out from his right wrist
They were black and white, and clearly did not naturally belong inside of his body.
It was the first time Frost had noticed this on Deiman. She could have sworn she had already healed everyone on the ship alongside her Hired Arm, and yet blood continued to pool on back, drenching his pale, buttoned shirt that was taken from the ship’s storage.
By now his Corrupted Persona form had completely died out, and like Ber, he saw some physical changes. The first was that he now had two golden tails, one tipped white and the other black to match the small crystal stubs that grew from his upper back.
Furthermore, and most surprising of all was that the lance he possessed did not disappear even though his Corrupted Persona was unequipped.
It hovered before him, supporting his arm as he patiently waited for Frost’s help.
Deiman
< The Golden Fox >
Soul Rank: Blue | Association: The Golden Dawn
LEVEL : 50 ORIGIN : Demi-Human (Fox)
HP : 2,000
ATT : 40MAG ATT : 600ATT DEF : 100 MAG DEF : 100
MP : 5,000
RESIST : 20 AGI : 25
The Twilight Lance
< In darkness and light do we find balance in our illustrious scale >
ORIGIN : Chiaroscuro
AFFINITY : Hope/Despair
TYPE : Weapon
ATT : 1,600
MAG ATT : 1,600
< EFFECT: Whilst spinning, The Twilight Lance serves as a magical circle capable of supporting spells that the user would otherwise be burdened with >
//////// < CAUTION > ////////
< The Twilight Lance cannot be wielded by those with lesser or weak Wills at the risk of experiencing extreme psychological distress, disruption, or Ego Death >
“On it!”
Frost wondered if it was too rash to start shooting without confirmation, until she realized that a single lapse of judgement could result in losing everyone aboard. Furthermore, right as the cannons twisted to face the bow, hatches opened at the back of the massive ship ahead like eyelids.
The Captain spun the wheel, attempting to swerve out of the way, for she anticipated their attack.
“FIRE AS SOON AS YOU CAN!”
Frost’s foresight was all she needed to determine whether they were friend or foe. She saw spiked barrels spit out from the hatches, sealing their fate as she took aim and fired a single round.
*Bang*
A single bullet trail cleaved through the entire length of the Syndicate ship.
“BARRIERS! AT THE BOW!”
It exploded into a ball of shrapnel and splinters, leaving nothing behind as their ship ploughed right through its burning remains. They were luckily protected by a layer of green, transparent barriers. Flames were still able to slip through its sides, burning several.
That pain lasted for only a split second before they were healed with [Area Heal].
Their ship had heaved into the water by a full two meters due to the sheer recoil of De Jure. Had she fired a stronger bullet, then their ship would be in as much danger as her target.
“W-What kind... weapon...?” The Captain uttered.
“Starting to believe that she’s really the Head of the Nexus now?” Deiman asked a conflicted Autumn.
“Y-Yeah. No point questioning it now. Just one bullet...”
“CONCENTRATE!” The First Mate exclaimed, watching more newfound waves break against their ship.
It was an indicator that there were vessels ahead.
“MULTIPLE SHIPS AHEAD! THIS IS ENEMY CONTESTED WATERS!”
“The Ankou already said that it’s controlled by the Impuritas.” Frost loaded another round into the chamber of her smoking rifle. “Just keep the barriers up and let us deal with the ships! We’re two hours away now!”
“FULL SPEED TOWARDS WHERE THE RED LIGHTS GLOW!”
*Bang* *Boom* *Bang* *Boom*
*Bang* *Boom* *Bang* *Boom*
De Jure became hotter than a branding iron as bullets left its maw. It did not matter where Frost hit the ships; they’d all explode the same way. The sheer kinetic energy of the bullet and the violent vacuum it left behind caused most ships to implode upon impact.
Furthermore, it was never just a single bullet that came their way.
For every second that passed, a bullet hit its mark. People watched in utter awe as she plucked a crystal bullet from the thin air, loading her fire breathing weapon and accurately sniping a ship all in the span of a single second.
Twenty ships fell in a single minute. Survivors were dragged to the very end of the Isolation Sphere, churned by captured monsters and the accumulating island of shipwrecks behind. It would have been easier to let them pass through the Isolation Sphere, but Frost was not taking any prisoners.
The dead tell no tales.
At first, it was just Syndicate Ships. However, as they finally reached the reddened part of the Underflow –
“Something’s moving in the water!” Someone cried, pointing at a red, boat-shaped object in the distance.
“That... can’t be a ship. What is that?” Another said.
A crimson boat made from what appeared to be an amalgamation of flesh set sail. Giant limbs paddled it through the water as its eyes, which replaced the portholes of a regular ship, stared back like they had just spotted prey.
The bow of the ship was replaced with a battering ram in the shape of a humungous set of human teeth. It chattered as many tongues splurged out to lick its teeth in hunger. Frost didn’t need to see the stats to know exactly which Impuritas it belonged to.
“Hey – When did they get seafaring upgrades!?” Mae screamed.
Bone Voyage
Crimson Hunger
< Platter >
Soul Rank: Black | Impuritas: Crimson Hunger
LEVEL : 100 ORIGIN : Impuritas
HP : 25,000
ATT : 2,100MAG ATT : 2,100ATT DEF : 1,000 MAG DEF : 1,000
MP : 500
ESIST : 100AGI : 100
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