Chapter 432: Kraken (3)
To have his moves anticipated…
…This was the worst-case scenario.
Jinhyuk stared at Lothain, far behind him.
The man was laughing maniacally, clearly having prepared a number of contingencies in the short time frame.
That was ‘Cain’s Stone Dagger’.
One of the primordial blades capable of wounding divinity.
Though Lothain wouldn’t be able to wield such a relic properly, simply activating it would unleash power beyond expectation.
What Lothain wanted wasn’t to kill the Kraken but to create an opportunity to escape. And if he could make it look impressive, he would undoubtedly gain immense attention and admiration from the masses afterward.
Yes, that’s exactly what he was aiming for.
From start to finish.
He remained as predictable as ever. Jinhyuk’s lips curled upward.
[Strong magic power has been detected from the relic.]
[The 9-star barrier ‘Magic Sharing’ has been activated!]
[‘Spear of Atlantis (Single Use)’ and ‘Shard of Vimana’ are merging!]
The powerful magic served as the energy source to recreate an origin weapon.
The Spear of Atlantis, retrieved from his subspace inventory, and the Shard of Vimana, acquired from Nirasha, began to merge.
‘Woooong!’
An intense, erratic light pulsated.
Creating a purple-grade relic was near impossible—a realm few could even approach.
Even Orun, the famed royal blacksmith, had aged ten years just working on Balmung.
But there was no time to hand it off to Orun now.
‘I have to do it myself.’
Focus.
Calm and steady.
Jinhyuk tempered the materials using the ‘Breath of the Fire Dragon.’
‘Fwoosh!’
The blazing red flames melded different kinds of magic together seamlessly.
Finally, it was complete.
[The relic ‘Spear of Atlantis’ has been crafted!]
A softly glowing purple spear now rested in his hand.
It had taken only 30 seconds, but the sweat drenching his body and his ragged breathing made it feel like he’d fought for hours.
Thankfully, Lothain had used both relics, making this task far less complicated than it could have been.
“Thank you, Teresa. Thanks to your information about the relics, things went much smoother.”
“I-I’m glad… but shouldn’t we deal with ‘that’ first?”
Teresa pointed with a pale face.
‘Rumble…’
The Kraken was slicing through the water, heading toward them.
With their positions swapped, it was now obvious that they would be the primary target.
And with the Kraken enraged, the danger was far greater.
“Hyung!”
“Oppa!”
Lee Taemin and Yoo Yeonhwa shouted in urgency.
Neither the hovering drones nor the ship’s cannons could slow the Kraken down.
Still, Jinhyuk’s expression remained composed.
“Don’t worry.”
With the Spear of Atlantis complete, the battle would soon shift in their favor.
[The Merfolk have answered your call!]
‘Whoosh!’
The waves began to churn in peculiar patterns.
—
The rulers of the 29th floor.
The Merfolk were a mysterious and harmonious race residing in the Tower.
Though they had been driven back by pirates due to the loss of Atlantis’s relics, they hadn’t forgotten the glory they once built.
Their unique ability to manipulate water currents, ‘Will of the Tides’, now dominated the sea.
The Kraken’s massive body tilted to the right.
Away from the White Pearl, it began moving toward Lothain’s fleet.
“Bye-bye,” Jinhyuk said, waving at Lothain.
“W-what the hell is this?! What trickery is this?!” Lothain’s voice was filled with disbelief.
His triumph turned into a noose tightening around his own neck.
Having used up both relics, he now had no cards left to play.
“Fire! Do whatever it takes to stop it!” Lothain screamed.
‘Boom!’
‘Bang!’
Cannonballs imbued with divine power pelted the Kraken, but it was like ants challenging an elephant.
Out of options, Lothain resorted to his final desperate measure.
“Teresa!”
The saintess of the Holy Cross Knights.
If anyone could save them, it was Teresa, who had sacrificed everything for the sake of others.
“…….”
For a moment, Teresa’s pupils wavered.
But she didn’t move forward.
She had made up her mind.
She would no longer act for the benefit of those who only sought to exploit her.
“T-Teresa?”
When even his last hope faded, Lothain’s face turned ashen.
“Deputy Commander!”
“It’s coming!”
“What should we do?!”
The cries of panic grew louder.
And then…
‘BOOOOM!’
The Holy Cross Knights’ ship was torn apart.
—
‘This will help Teresa grow stronger.’
Jinhyuk glanced at Teresa, who was trembling beside him.
It was painful now, but it was the right decision for her future.
Her kind heart wanted to save everyone, but reality wasn’t so forgiving.
For now, though, the priority was to capitalize on the synergy with the Merfolk.
“Hero!”
From the water, Salmon Sushi poked its head out.
Behind it, countless Merfolk warriors appeared, weapons in hand.
“Ooooh…”
“To see the Spear of Atlantis again with my own eyes…”
“He truly is the hero from the legends. So gallant…”
The Merfolk’s faces were filled with awe and reverence.
They had regained their long-lost symbol of Atlantis, and their spirits soared. Fighting alongside the successor of the great hero who had once saved their kind, their morale reached the heavens.
Jinhyuk stood atop the ship, overlooking them all.
Eyes brimming with admiration and trust met his gaze.
If that’s the case…
It was time to show them.
What a true leader could achieve.
[Unique Ability ‘Core of the Legion’ has been activated!]
A pyramid structure built under a single apex.
The ability to command an entire collective was an overwhelming force in group battles.
Good. The groundwork was laid perfectly…
…Ahem.
Jinhyuk cleared his throat.
Now, how should he approach this?
A slightly emotional tone would work best. He raised his gaze to the sky, thrust his chest forward, and clenched his fist tightly.
“The great Medrey always told me this: There must never be walls or discrimination between races.”
His low, resonant voice spread across the silent sea.
“And to those who witness such injustices yet possess the power to change them… if they have the pride to make a difference, they must never ignore it!”
Jinhyuk turned his gaze sideways.
Members of the Veteran Corporation were gagging as if they’d heard something they shouldn’t have.
“Even my companions here, though far from perfect, have always drawn their swords for the weak. They are precious allies who would leap into the flames at my word. Look at the spirits beside me, beings who only form contracts with those in harmony with nature!”
“Mogiii?”
“Who said I’d jump into flames for you?”
“Master, I’d appreciate it if you didn’t speak so casually about nature.”
Grumbles and complaints arose from every corner, but Jinhyuk dismissed them without a second thought.
“Fight this calamity alongside me. As Medrey once did, I too will always stand by your side.”
“Uwaaaaah!”
“We’ll stand with you until the end!”
“Glory to the Merfolk! May the hero receive the blessing of the gods!”
[Morale has increased by 100% due to unwavering faith!]
[Attack and defense have increased by 20%.]
[Understanding of ocean currents has increased by 20%.]
[The Merfolk warriors have joined you!]
‘Rumble!’
The Merfolk began to move.
The waves surged violently, spiraling around the Kraken.
A direct frontal assault would be futile.
But with detours and new paths created by those who understood this ocean better than anyone, victory was within reach.
The tides shifted once more.
Merfolk mounted on seahorses began to drive back the great white sharks and jellyfish in their path.
‘Thud! Thwack!’
Arrows imbued with water energy rode the currents, striking their targets with unerring precision.
Their ability to change direction mid-flight left the enemies defenseless.
“Groooooar!”
The Kraken roared as its minions fell one by one.
It thrashed wildly, desperate to crush even one of the elusive pests darting around it.
Yet the Merfolk evaded every strike, their agility proving too much.
The Kraken seethed. Its rage boiled over, but it wouldn’t last forever. The Merfolk’s stamina was finite.
Then it happened.
The Kraken froze mid-motion.
“…Grrr…”
From deep beneath the ocean floor, far below this battleground, it felt a similar kind of energy to the Merfolk’s magic.
It was faint, but unmistakable.
Atlantis.
The city of the Merfolk.
So, they still had a sanctuary.
Its massive body began to descend rapidly toward the depths.
‘Boom!’
In mere minutes, it reached the ocean floor, where the grand city of Atlantis appeared before it.
The sanctuary of those wretched creatures it had been fighting.
But something was off.
“…??”
There wasn’t a single Merfolk in sight.
The warriors were likely fighting above, but the elderly and children should have remained within the city.
This was unprecedented.
In all the underwater cities it had destroyed, such a scenario had never occurred.
As if they had predicted this invasion from the start.
The Kraken’s gaze shifted.
At the center of the city, a faint energy was emanating—something the Kraken initially mistook as the Merfolk’s magic.
But this…
It was unlike anything it had seen before.
A six-pointed star, ancient and cryptic.
Even the Kraken, with its centuries of existence, couldn’t fully grasp the nature of the barrier.
It could only assume it was some kind of dimensional connection.
Though not yet fully activated, the Kraken’s instincts screamed at it to destroy the formation.
Slowly, its massive tentacle reached toward the barrier.
At that moment…
‘Woooong!’
A brilliant light flashed from above.
[The relic ‘Spear of Atlantis’ has been unleashed!]
In the distance, that detestable human aimed an attack.
Laughable!
No matter how powerful a relic might be, it couldn’t possibly kill the apocalyptic embodiment that was the Kraken.
It might hurt, but it was an injury the Kraken could endure.
It faced the approaching spear head-on.
But then…
“Grooo…?”
The sight before it shattered all expectations.