[Vol. 7] Chapter 48: Battle on the Island
Right above where the priestess was trapped in the deep sea, ten thousand meters below, another royal palace stood, a secret chamber personally built by Willipol.
Two conflicting beliefs, two different visions of the future. Neither knowing where their path would lead. Their heated argument had long since turned into an all-out battle.
"Slash!"
Like a fleeting shadow, Hongyan drew her sword in an instant, slicing through the bizarre tentacle rushing toward her. But the attack failed to deal a fatal blow. The moment its advance was halted, the severed tentacle wriggled and regenerated, growing a new tip as if unharmed, lunging at her once again!
She barely managed to roll out of the way in the confined space, dodging the attack. Amid the chaos, the swordswoman stole a quick glance behind her.
"How much longer!?"
"Just hold on a little more! At least… at least fifteen minutes!"
The response came from a middle-aged man with short golden hair, known as the Pirate King. Despite the tension, his sharp intellect remained evident.
He stood at the very limit of proximity, just one meter away from Princess Nitila. In his hands, the [Book of Truth] floated in midair, emitting a glowing aura that slowly merged with the invisible barrier surrounding the princess, gradually breaking into it.
Willipol intended to offer his own daughter, who carried the purest royal bloodline of the Mingjiao tribe, as a sacrifice to the god he worshipped. Using another [Book of Truth] and extensive preparations, he seemed to have forged a connection with that deity, even gaining the ability to summon part of its power.
The invisible shield enveloping Nitila's body was a manifestation of that divine power, something beyond mortal capabilities, a force that only a true god could grant.
That was why, among everyone present, only Rashid Bachiri, who had also been acknowledged by the [Book of Truth] and could wield a fraction of divine power, had any hope of breaking through the barrier. He was the only one who could free Nitila and put an end to Willipol’s ritual.
But it was clear that success wouldn't come instantly.
Time was running out. Everyone in the chamber could sense it, something terrifying was continuously pouring into Princess Nitila through the ritual. Not only had she fallen unconscious again, but even her once pure blue-white hair was darkening, taking on the deep hues of the abyss.
If Rashid failed or was interrupted… then…
"Aahhh—!"
"Slash!!"
The thief girl, who had been skillfully dodging and distracting a swarm of tentacles, made a small mistake. Just enough for one of the seemingly sentient appendages to seize an opportunity and nearly land a successful attack. But in the blink of an eye, Hongyan's sword flashed, cutting through the threat and saving her from danger.
The two women instinctively moved back-to-back, forming a tight defensive stance. Taking advantage of the brief moment, Hongyan scanned the battlefield to check on the others.
"Phew, that was close! Thanks!"
"It's fine… just be more careful."
Meanwhile, Queen Anies and her personal guards were holding the line on another front, fending off the tentacles that had emerged from Willipol. The monstrous limbs had nearly encircled the area where Princess Nitila was being held.
The elite merfolk warriors were incredibly strong, no weaker than the two of them. However, the chamber was far too cramped. The tentacles, now covering the entire ceiling, made movement difficult, forcing them to split their focus between evading attacks and protecting Rashid so he could complete the ritual. They weren’t losing yet, but the pressure was building, and their defense was starting to strain.
Instinctively, Hongyan thought about the object Miss Violet had secretly entrusted to her before leaving.
Should she use it now?
The thought flashed through her mind like a spark, but she quickly dismissed it.
No. Not yet.
According to Miss Violet, it was a final trump card. Something that could turn the tide in a desperate situation. But things hadn’t reached that critical moment just yet. It would be reckless to play her last hand so soon. Besides…
Her fingers tightened around the hilt of her sword.
As long as she wasn’t completely cornered, she wanted to rely on her own strength to push through.
Power gifted unconditionally from a higher being wasn’t necessarily a blessing. Perhaps, to someone like Miss Violet, offering such a boon was as effortless as breathing, without expecting anything in return. But if she allowed herself to become dependent on it, she might lose something even more valuable.
"Qiaoqiao."
"Huh?"
The thief girl, who had been grinning and flashing her dagger at the approaching tentacles, instinctively turned her head, though it was obvious she was feeling a little uneasy inside.
Among everyone present, only she and Hongyan were fully aligned with Violet’s faction. They were also close friends, which naturally made their teamwork much more smoother.
"What? Are we retreating?"
Hearing that, the swordswoman rolled her eyes, sighing in mild exasperation.
"If you dare run now, just wait until Miss Violet comes back and scolds you into the ground. We're allies, how could we betray everyone at such a critical moment?"
"Yeah, but that doesn’t mean we have to throw our lives away, does it? The boss told us to prioritize our own safety before we left… Alright, alright, I get it. It’s not that bad yet. So what’s the plan?"
While fending off the incoming tentacles from their respective sides, the two women smoothly switched positions, keeping their low-voiced conversation going without pause.
"This space puts us at too much of a disadvantage. No matter how many tentacles we cut down, they just keep coming. Instead of wasting energy trying to wipe them all out, we should focus on using the environment to buy time. It’ll be much easier that way."
"Oh…"
Le Qiaoqiao glanced up at the ceiling. Willipol’s tentacles had completely taken over the upper part of the chamber, writhing like a mass of venomous snakes. Just looking at it was enough to make her skin crawl.
She had been to this place once before during their investigation of the royal palace. Though she never quite understood why an island identical to this existed deep in the Ghost Sea, it didn’t change the fact that she was familiar with the layout.
As someone who knew Hongyan well, Qiaoqiao immediately grasped her plan. Without wasting words, she reached into her pocket, her fingers tightening around something small.
"How long do you need?"
"Five seconds is enough."
"Got it!"
With that, Qiaoqiao pulled out several small, marble-like objects and hurled them forcefully at the ground.
"Boom!!!"
A thick cloud of smoke instantly spread from the impact point, engulfing both women in its haze. The tentacles that had been relentlessly attacking them suddenly hesitated, pausing mid-air as if momentarily confused about what was happening.
But in the very next second, a swift figure burst out from the smoke, instinctively drawing the attention of most of the tentacles. The momentary indecision vanished as they lunged after their new target, kicking off a frenzied chase in the cramped chamber once again.
"Heh, come catch me, you ugly freaks!"
Compared to before, Le Qiaoqiao was now surrounded by a faint, shimmering dust that left a glowing trail as she ran, scattering in the air with every movement. In the dim chamber, she looked like a dazzling, multicolored butterfly flitting about, instantly capturing the attention of nearly all the tentacles, including many that had been attacking the merfolk warriors.
Though this made the pressure on her skyrocket, forcing her to dodge one deadly close call after another, she didn’t need to hold out for long.
Willipol’s tentacle-infested form seemed to have lost some of its rationality, completely fixated on the bright, elusive target. And just before the mindless pursuit could adjust, a devastating sword aura erupted from the depths of the smoke, sharper and more powerful than anything before!
"[Absolute Sword: First Form]!"
"Shhhngg!!!!!"
The sword energy sliced through the smoke in an instant, cutting down countless unsuspecting tentacles in its path. It then struck the upper section of the chamber, shattering the specially reinforced walls and sending massive chunks of debris crashing down. Tentacles that had covered the ceiling were buried beneath the falling rubble, severing their grip on the battlefield.
Nearly half of the underground chamber collapsed from the sheer force of Hongyan’s attack, even tearing through to the surface. The resulting opening allowed a wave of dim but significantly brighter light to flood in, instantly making the space feel far less suffocating.
"Hah…!!!"
With the attack unleashed, the swordswoman took an exaggerated deep breath, her briefly pale face regaining its color. Wasting no time, she turned and shouted at the others.
"Everyone! Now’s our chance, get to Mr. Rashid, quickly!"