C1039
'I have seen Krakens a few times before, but...'
Raon exhaled heavily as he observed the Kraken hiding beneath the brown sand.
'I have never seen one this big before.'
He had seen Krakens before when he was on Alice's ship hunting Kaivar and during his stay in Montiro to destroy the Black Tower. Those Krakens had been massive enough to easily destroy sailing ships, but they were still at the level of monsters.
'But this one is different.'
The Kraken before his eyes was of such extraordinary size that it could carry an entire city on its back.
'And it also possesses blood energy.'
The Kraken was not only terrifying for its immense strength and speed derived from its massive body; it also concealed a chillingly dark blood energy. Even he would find it difficult to confront this creature underwater.
-Additionally, it is using concealment techniques.
Wrath frowned, noting that even with aura perception at the Grandmaster level, it would be difficult to locate the hidden Kraken.
'That's not concealment magic; it's a natural ability of an octopus.'
Raon shook his head as he looked at the brown sand.
-Huh? An octopus skill?
'Octopuses have special pigments and muscles that allow them to change the color and texture of their skin to blend into their surroundings.'
The Kraken's ability to camouflage and match the color of the sand was not a magical power but rather an innate ability of octopuses.
-However, of course, this one is harder to find than an ordinary octopus.
The fact that he needed the Azure Clear Eye to see it suggested that it was using ocean mana and magic to erase even the slightest traces of its presence.
[Is that a Kraken...?]
Roenn swallowed hard, seemingly shocked by the unimaginable size of the Kraken.
[Is it really a Kraken? I've never seen one this huge before.]
Evelyn, despite having seen many Krakens before, blinked in confusion, saying she had never encountered one of this size.
[Whether it has grown through magic or was born this way, we should not think of it as a normal Kraken.]
This creature was unlike the Kraken monsters they knew; it was more akin to the true monsters of myths and legends.
[And that makes sense.]
This explained everything: why there had been no sea monsters or fish since the turtle rock disappeared, and why the headquarters of the White Blood Religion was located beneath this underwater valley where it shouldn't be; it was all due to the presence of this monster.
[This won't be easy.]
Roenn bit his lip as he observed the sand moving slightly with the Kraken's breathing.
[I have no confidence that I can dodge its tentacles.]
He let out a low groan, noting that using aura to dodge the tentacles would reveal their position to the White Blood Religion.
[Me neither.]
Evelyn let out a short sigh while gripping her diving suit with her fingers.
[Even with magic, it's impossible to breach that magical barrier without leaving traces.]
She furrowed her brows, saying that the magical formations were too densely interconnected to analyze easily. A low growl escaped as the fur of the Sea Spirit trembled completely, apparently scared of the Kraken. No, looking at its expression, it seemed more frightened of the Leader of the White Blood Religion inside the headquarters than of the Kraken.
[Let's retreat for now.]
Raon turned his head as he patted the Sea Spirit's back.
[Already?]
Evelyn's eyes widened in surprise. She seemed to want to stay and examine the magical formations more.
[If they are protecting this so thoroughly, they might notice our presence from the fish we tossed earlier. We've gathered important information, so retreating now is the right decision.]
Although he wanted to investigate the surroundings further, it was better to retreat and observe the situation, as they couldn't predict how the White Blood Religion would react.
[I agree.]
Roenn raised his hand in agreement.
[I will lead again.]
He turned around and began to return the way they had come, suggesting they move immediately.
[Let's go as well.]
Raon held onto Evelyn and followed Roenn up the ocean valley.
[Can't we come here every day?]
Evelyn's violet eyes turned toward him.
[I love feeling your warmth like this.]
She exhaled excitedly, saying she wanted to be close like this all the time.
[This is the last time.]
Raon gently pushed Evelyn away, saying he wouldn’t support her next time. The Sea Spirit, having left the valley, seemed to stop trembling and exhaled softly as it rested its paws on his shoulder.
[Good job.]
Raon smiled weakly as he petted the Sea Spirit's head. Having decided to retreat, they moved quickly without lingering thoughts about the headquarters of the White Blood Religion and returned to the beach near the port.
"Ugh."
Raon tossed his wet hair back as he took off the diving suit.
"Is it already dawn?"
Perhaps due to the tension from finding the headquarters of the White Blood Religion and the Kraken, more time had passed than they realized.
"Ugh..."
Evelyn sank into the sandy beach, shutting her eyes tightly.
"I didn't expect it to be hidden so deep. This won't be easy, will it?"
She wrinkled her nose, saying it seemed difficult to penetrate.
"Yes. No matter how we attack, we're doomed to be detected."
Roenn nodded as he shook off his diving suit.
"Assassination is impossible without inside information."
He rubbed his forehead, saying they would be discovered before they even entered the headquarters.
"Let's call it a day for now."
Raon clicked his tongue briefly and left the Sea Spirit, which was still clinging to his shoulder, on the sand.
-Hmm...
Wrath stroked his chin and let out a deep sigh.
'Why are you worried too...?'
-That looks quite delicious. It would be good roasted or boiled.
He was already salivating at the thought of eating the Kraken.
"Ah..."
Raon let out a deep sigh and approached the Sea Spirit.
"You must have been scared; thank you for coming with us."
He patted the Sea Spirit's head as he expressed his gratitude.
"Kyaang!"
The Sea Spirit licked his hand as if to say it was okay. It felt like fresh seawater touching his fingers.
"Wait!"
Evelyn suddenly raised her hand as she looked at him.
"What is that child's name?"
She asked while picking up the Sea Spirit that was shaking off the water.
"Name? I don't know either."
He had only called it Sea Spirit, so he didn't know its name.
"What?"
Evelyn's jaw dropped in disbelief.
"You have treated it so rudely and don't even know its name?"
"Rudely? When have I treated it rudely...?"
"That's rude! The poor creature was trembling but still guided us to such a dangerous place, and you don't even know its name..."
She looked at him with disdain, as if wondering how he could be so inconsiderate.
"Well, I didn't have time to learn its name, and it's not even a spirit contracted by me..."
"Contract? Don't you have any affection at all? This is too much!"
Evelyn hugged the wide-eyed Sea Spirit tightly, expressing her disappointment.
"No, I mean..."
-Now that I hear it, you've been quite harsh.
This time, Wrath interrupted his words.
-This time, I agree with the crazy woman.
He murmured that it was also his fault for not having thought about it until now.
"Hahaha!"
Roenn burst into laughter as he organized his diving suit.
"Everyone else is in Master Raon's palm, but Lady Evelyn is the complete opposite."
He nodded emphatically, saying it was an interesting relationship.
"That's right! It's a special relationship!"
Evelyn smiled brightly, murmuring in agreement.
"Not at all."
Raon shook his head firmly and looked at the Sea Spirit in Evelyn's arms.
"Do you have a name?"
"Kyarung?"
The Sea Spirit shook its head as if to say it had no name.
"Then..."
Raon nodded as he looked at the spirit whose fur changed color with the sea.
"How about Haerang? It means 'sea wolf.'"
"Kyaooooo!"
The Sea Spirit let out an adorable howl like a true wolf looking up at the sky, clearly pleased with the name. The spirit howled three times in succession, and a blue light emanated from its body as its cotton-like fur grew longer. Now it looked less like a wolf and more like a fluffy puppy.
Although its appearance hadn't changed much, the ocean energy emanating from Haerang had notably intensified. It felt as if a shallow sea had transformed into a deep ocean.
"What is this?"
Raon let out a confused breath while watching Haerang cry out in happiness.
'Did it change that much just by receiving a name?'
It was astonishing that it had grown so much just by receiving a name, without even forming a contract.
"It seems that it is not an ordinary spirit."
Evelyn squinted her eyes as she patted Haerang's now softer fur.
"Well, someone like the Leader of the White Blood Religion wouldn't use an ordinary spirit."
He nodded, saying that just the fact it could withstand the blood energy of the Leader proved it was not ordinary.
"Haerang. We will return tonight, so I count on you again."
Raon told Haerang to rest while he let it back into the sea.
"Kaooo!"
Haerang squinted its eyes and nodded, seeming happy to have a name.
"Are you going again tonight?"
Roenn's eyes opened wide as if wondering if that was prudent.
"Yes. We need to investigate thoroughly. Even a slight improvement in the chance to defeat the White Blood Religion is worth it."
Raon raised his hand as if to say it was obvious.
"You're right."
Though Roenn shared the same thought, he could only manage a soft smile, unable to speak hastily.
"I also have many things to check regarding the magical formations. However..."
Evelyn licked her lips, saying she wanted to analyze the magical formations protecting the White Blood Religion.
"How about going in two days instead of tonight?"
"Two days? I don't mind, but why?"
Raon tilted his head, asking for the reason.
"This..."
Evelyn raised her finger to point at the diving suit she was wearing.
"I want to make some improvements."
-----------------------------------------------------------
Knock knock.
While the 10th Apostle was working, someone knocked on the office door.
"Come in."
When he gave permission to enter, a blonde woman dressed in a white robe opened the door and entered the office.
"What is it?"
The 10th Apostle asked about her business without looking away from the documents he held.
"Something got caught in the Kraken's barrier a while ago."
The blonde woman bowed her head as she reported the Kraken's movement.
"...An intruder?"
The 10th Apostle looked up as he crumpled the document.
"No. According to the guards, it was just a dead fish. It seems it had been carried by the current."
The blonde woman shook her head, insisting that it was definitely not an intruder.
"Normally we would have handled it ourselves, but since security has been reinforced..."
She bowed again, apologizing for bothering him with something so trivial.
"Do fish normally come to this area?"
The 10th Apostle frowned as he smoothed out the crumpled document.
"Sometimes it happens with the currents, but it's very rare."
The blonde woman lowered her voice, saying it happened occasionally.
"..."
The 10th Apostle narrowed his eyes as he looked at the blonde woman.
"I was about to order increased security..."
"No."
He cut off the blonde woman's words as he stood up.
"I will inspect it personally for the next few days."
The 10th Apostle headed for the door, saying he would personally stand guard and observe the situation.
"What? There's no need to go that far..."
The blonde woman's eyes widened in surprise.
"No, this is the right thing to do."
The 10th Apostle shook his head firmly.
"With the 9th Apostle dead and the Blood Spirit Ship destroyed, Zieghart or the Five Kings might be on the move."
He opened the door and went out, saying it was right for him to personally check.
'With their great work so close to completion...'
The 10th Apostle clenched his fist as he looked at the headquarters' sky, covered in a misty fog.
'We can't let a single rat escape.'
He bit his lip deeply and headed towards the observation post where he could monitor the outside.
***
"Here!"
Before entering the sea, Evelyn held out a diving suit that glowed with a deeper blue color.
"What is this?"
Raon blinked as he looked at the new diving suit Evelyn was handing him.
"I added invisibility magic to the diving suit."
"Huh?"
He let out a surprised breath as he examined the diving suit Evelyn had given him.
"Didn't you say before that the magic was too heavy to work?"
"I improved it."
"In such a short time?"
"I got a hint from the Kraken."
Evelyn smiled brightly, saying she used magic similar to how the Kraken changes its protective color.
"It's not perfect invisibility magic, but in the water, it will be even harder to detect."
She wiggled her finger, saying that unless a Transcendent looked directly at them, it wouldn't be easy to find them.
"That's incredible."
"Of course it is! Magic is always about creating something out of nothing."
Evelyn straightened her back and lifted her nose proudly, pleased with the praise.
"Thank you."
"You don't need to thank me between us."
She waved her hand, saying that thanks weren't necessary.
"Then shall we go?"
"Hahaha! Alright."
Roenn seemed pleased with the new diving suit, shrugged his shoulder once, and entered the sea. As Raon and Evelyn followed him into the water, Haerang leaped sharply like a marlin, as if it had been waiting for them. It seemed even more energetic after receiving its name and growing.
Haerang moved its tail as if offering to lead the way and advanced through the sea.
"Let's go."
Raon smiled faintly as he followed Haerang back to the valley where the White Blood Religion was located.
'This place feels unsettling every time we come here.'
The blood energy dissolved in the water was so subtle that even a Grandmaster would have trouble detecting it, and just touching the water felt unpleasant.
'Fortunately, nothing has moved.'
The Kraken and the headquarters of the White Blood Religion remained in place, seemingly unaware of their visit two days ago.
'Today we need to get closer and examine... Hm?'
Having been here before, he was about to move more relaxedly, but he stopped, making a fist to signal Evelyn and Roenn to halt.
'I feel like someone is watching us.'
Though not looking directly at them, he could sense a highly skilled person scanning the area.
'Wrath. Did you feel it too?'
-Of course, I did.
Wrath nodded as if wondering why Raon needed to ask.
-It's not the octopus today...
He raised his hand to point towards the headquarters of the White Blood Religion.
-There is someone inside observing this area.
Wrath frowned, saying he was certain of it.
'This gaze wasn't here two days ago. Then...'
Raon frowned as he looked at the headquarters of the White Blood Religion.
'It means they noticed the fish entering their barrier.'
It seemed the security had been reinforced after the fish they tossed hit the barrier two days ago.
'That's fortunate.'
For their gaze to reach this far, they must be quite skilled. If Evelyn hadn't placed invisibility magic on these diving suits, their position would have been discovered immediately.
'The security is tighter than expected. Whoever it is, someone cold-blooded is in charge of the defense.'
Since they were reinforcing security despite having magic, barriers, and a monster like the Kraken for protection, it was clear that a calm apostle was in charge of the defense.
[What's wrong?]
[Someone is observing this area right now.]
Raon explained the situation to Roenn and Evelyn, saying they should observe the headquarters from a greater distance than yesterday.
[The Five Demons certainly live up to their name.]
Roenn let out a sigh, impressed by their capabilities.
[It's fine as long as we haven't been completely discovered.]
Evelyn waved her hand, saying she could still see the magical formations from this distance.
'Fortunately...'
Raon nodded as he looked at the headquarters of the White Blood Religion glowing softly.
'We haven't been detected.'
If their identities had been discovered, the Leader of the White Blood Religion or an apostle would have rushed out immediately. The increased security and new surveillance showed they were only at the suspicion stage.
'Then what I need to do is...'
Simply gather information. Raon turned to the closest possible distance, thinking about how to penetrate the defense system of the headquarters.
[...]
Roenn and Evelyn also observed the headquarters of the White Blood Religion and the Kraken hidden beneath with serious expressions, each considering what they could do.
[Let's go back now.]
Sensing dawn approaching, Raon gestured for Roenn and Evelyn to leave.
[Okay!]
[Understood.]
The two nodded as if they had finished their observations and followed him out of the sea.
"Ah..."
Raon let out a heavy sigh as he took off his diving suit.
"We gathered information, but I don't know what to do with it."
Returning to Zieghart and reporting the information wouldn't be difficult, but he still couldn't figure out how to attack the headquarters of the White Blood Religion. Though not in the deep sea, it was still quite underwater, and breaching this ancient fortress protected by magic and the Kraken seemed impossible.
"I feel the same..."
Roenn furrowed his brow deeply.
"No matter how much I think about it, I don't see a way."
He shook his head, saying that even entering, let alone assassination, would be difficult. As he clicked his tongue at the rare sight of Roenn's worried expression, Evelyn and Haerang finally emerged from the sea.
"Thank you, Evelyn. If it weren't for you, we would have been discovered immediately."
He extended his hand, saying they were able to avoid detection by the White Blood Religion thanks to Evelyn's improvements to the diving suits.
"..."
Unlike her usual self, she didn't rush toward him but instead stared intently at the sea.
"I think it might work."
Evelyn nodded, suggesting something might be possible.
"What do you mean?"
Raon approached Evelyn with wide eyes.
"Attacking the headquarters of the White Blood Religion..."
Evelyn smiled as she raised her slender finger.
"I think it might be possible."
"Really? How?"
His eyes widened at something he hadn't even considered possible.
"Like I said before..."
Evelyn smiled brightly as she pointed to the diving suit she had given them today.
"Magic is the art of creating something out of nothing."
-
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