Phaenora's instincts screamed as the Krepsunas surged toward her.
She leaped off the water's surface, the movement so quick and forceful it sent ripples cascading outward. Kicking off the air with a snap of her foot, she created a powerful shockwave that tore through the stillness of the lake to change her direction. The water below erupted in violent chaos as dozens of massive slashes surged from the water, cleaving through the Krepsunas.
The exoskeletons, which had been impervious to most of her attacks earlier, cracked and split like fragile glass under the sheer force of the water slashes.
Limbs, mandibles and fragments of armor scattered in all directions, the dismembered bodies of the Krepsunas sinking into the lake's depths. For a moment, there was silence, only the sound of water lapping against itself in the aftermath. Phaenora landed lightly back on the surface, her feet skimming across the shimmering ripples.
But that moment of reprieve was fleeting.
A wave of unease rippled through her as she sensed something stirring beneath the surface. Whatever lay below had been dormant.
Until now.
"Something's coming," she muttered, her voice tight as her instincts flared again.
Without a second thought, Phaenora bolted toward the pearl. Her strides across the water's surface were fast as she reached the colossal artifact. The white pearl radiated an overwhelming presence, its smooth surface gleaming like captured moonlight.
She touched it, activating the inventory skill. The air around the pearl shimmered as a starry portal appeared. Slowly, the pearl began to shift, its massive size making the process agonizingly slow. Essence drained from Vastarael's reserves in a steady stream but the weight of the pearl demanded more. It was like a siphon that plunged deep into Vastarael's essence reserves through their shared link.
Phaenora gasped as the cost became clear.
"A quarter of his essence... for this?" She gritted her teeth, forcing herself to maintain the connection as the portal finally absorbed the last of the pearl's massive form.
The moment the artifact disappeared, she sent a telepathic message to Vastarael.
'I've got it! Sorry for the essence drain, Veneri, but this thing's ridiculous. I'm—'
Her thought was cut short as the lake roared beneath her.
From the depths, a titanic wave surged upward with terrifying force. The water split apart like a beast awakening from a centuries-long slumber, the sheer scale of the wave blotting out the faint light of the lake's surface. The energy it carried slammed into Phaenora like a hammer, sending her hurtling across the water.
She screamed, her body flailing uncontrollably as the wave tossed her around like a rag doll. She desperately tried to regain balance, kicking against the air and water in a futile attempt to stabilize herself. The force of the wave was relentless, throwing her in chaotic spirals. Each impact against the water sent shockwaves coursing through her body.
The final blow came as she hit the lake's shore with devastating force. Her body collided with the ground, the impact sending a massive shockwave rippling outward.
The ground cracked beneath her as dust and debris exploded into the air. Phaenora's breath was knocked from her lungs, her entire body wracked with pain as she crumpled against the shattered shoreline.
Her vision blurred, the world spinning wildly as she tried to orient herself. But her senses—sight, sound, even her connection to Vastarael—were utterly scrambled. The ringing in her ears drowned out all other sounds, her limbs trembling as she struggled to push herself up.
"V...Veneri..." she whispered, her voice hoarse and barely audible.
Her hands clawed at the ground, fingers digging into the dirt as she tried to regain focus. But her body refused to cooperate, the shockwave and the sheer force of the impact leaving her completely disoriented.
It was like she was hit by a very powerful bomb on her head.
She lay there, gasping for air, her mind racing as she tried to comprehend what had just happened. Whatever had risen from the lake was beyond anything she'd anticipated. And now she was vulnerable, her body battered and her senses shattered.
And yet, through the chaos, one thought burned in her mind.
"I have to move. I have to help him—"
Slowly, she raised her head, her breath catching in her throat.
Her eyes widened in disbelief.
Dozens of meters above the lake's surface, Vastarael was suspended midair, his body outlined against the shimmering backdrop of the moonlit water. But it wasn't his precarious position that sent a cold chill racing through her.
It was the titanic beast looming below him.
The creature was beyond anything she could have imagined. A massive manta ray, its wingspan stretching hundreds of meters, glided through the air as though it owned the skies.
Its body shimmered with a bioluminescent glow, veins of eerie blue light coursing through its sleek, obsidian skin. Its gaping maw opened wide, a cavernous void lined with rows of jagged, translucent teeth, each the size of a being.
The beast's sheer size was incomprehensible. It dwarfed the lake itself, its shadow stretching far across the water's surface. Its movements were deceptively graceful for something so enormous, each sweep of its colossal wings sending powerful gusts of wind rippling across the landscape.
The aura it emanated was suffocating that it pressed down on Phaenora's chest.
It was a Scavenger Rank, a predator of the Divine level. A rank so far above them that even seasoned Divines would struggle against its might. And here was Vastarael, an Ascender prince, facing it head-on.
Her heart stopped when she saw him clearly. His body was battered and torn, his once radiant golden essence now flickering weakly around him like a dying flame. His white hair, normally pristine, was matted with blood and grime. Worst of all, he was missing his left arm, the limb severed cleanly at the shoulder. Blood streamed down his side, mingling with the water droplets that clung to his skin.
"Veneri..." she whispered, her voice trembling.
Her stomach churned with dread as her mind raced. How had he lost so much blood and was still standing? How was he even alive?
Vastarael's expression was grim, his golden eyes blazing with rage even as his body faltered under the strain. The massive manta ray lunged at him, its gaping maw closing in with terrifying speed. At the last second, Vastarael thrust his remaining hand forward, his essence flaring as he summoned a colossal water bubble.
The shimmering sphere encapsulated the creature's head, distorting its breathing and disrupting its smooth aerial movements.
He used Water Flood and controlled it into a massive water bubble stretching for dozens of meters in diameter.
The manta ray recoiled, thrashing wildly in midair. Its wings beat the sky with violent force, creating shockwaves that rippled through the lake and sent smaller Krepsunas scattering in panic. The bubble wavered under the immense pressure but Vastarael held it firm, his jaw clenched and his breath labored.
With a sharp kick against the air, Vastarael propelled himself backward, streaking toward the shore. He crashed onto shore with a shockwave, forming a small depression from his area of impact.
Phaenora pushed herself to her feet, ignoring the screaming protests of her body. Her vision blurred but she kept her focus locked on him. He landed on the shoreline with a heavy thud, his knees buckling under his weight.
"Veneri!"
He was a wreck.
His chest rose and fell in shallow, uneven breaths, and his essence flickered so faintly it was almost gone. The stump of his left arm was crudely cauterized, but blood still seeped through the makeshift closure, pooling beneath him.
His right hand trembled as he braced himself against the ground, his knuckles white with strain. His skin was now pale and slick with water and blood. Cuts, bruises and deep gashes marred every inch of him.
"Veneri, what were you thinking?! You—you're—"
She couldn't finish the sentence. The sight of him like this, broken, barely holding on, sent a wave of panic crashing over her.
He turned his head slightly, offering her a weak but defiant smirk.
"You... got the pearl, didn't you? You almost died huh?"
"Don't you dare joke right now!" She snapped, her eyes glistening with unshed tears. "You're half-dead, Veneri. You... you lost your arm!"
He closed his eyes briefly, his smirk fading as he exhaled shakily.
"It's fine... I just... need a moment..."
"A moment?" Phaenora's voice rose with incredulity. "You need more than that! You need—"
She stopped as his body swayed dangerously, and she instinctively reached out to grab him.
The ground beneath Phaenora trembled as her instincts screamed at her to move, to protect, but it was too late. A massive wave of water shot towards them, propelled by a violent, unseen force.