Ch.5Swimming Saint

The splashing ripples spread across the water’s surface.

“…I wonder how much further we need to go.”

Eila turned her head to look back at the path she had traveled.

The sun had already set.

All around was silence and dark obscurity.

The light from the moon and stars above, reflecting and shimmering on the undulating water’s surface, created a dreamlike atmosphere.

Walking like this, memories of the past suddenly came to mind.

Back then, it was bustling.

Back then, it was full of energy.

A journey that was fun, so much fun.

“…”

Her steps halted.

This isn’t right.

The past is just the past.

Now, she needs to focus on what needs to be done.

She continued walking.

Quite some time had passed.

The enchantment [Water Walking].

Literally, an enchantment that allows one to walk on water.

Except for one drawback, it’s an extremely convenient enchantment.

The problem is that this drawback causes the enchantment to break immediately if the subject moves above a certain speed.

That’s why Eila had no choice but to walk like this.

If she could run at full speed, she would have arrived long ago.

“Map.”

A translucent map appeared.

Eila skillfully manipulated it, drawing a line between her current position and the place where she started walking.

“…I’ve drifted to the right.”

The sea is vast.

There are no landmarks to determine direction.

At most, there might be occasional reefs along the way.

If she hadn’t been checking the map, she would certainly have moved in the wrong direction.

If she jumped up at full strength, she could see which way to go, but that would break the Water Walking enchantment.

Sacred Arts, unlike enchantments that require reciting each incantation, can be used quickly like magic through abbreviated incantations or specific gestures like forming hand seals.

For example, instead of reciting the [Purification] incantation, it can be activated by snapping fingers while saying [Purification].

In the case of [Water Walking], the gesture is tapping the ground with the tip of one’s foot.

If [Water Walking] breaks, she can’t return to the water’s surface without diving into the sea and tapping the bottom.

She could recite the incantation, but she had long forgotten the incantation for [Water Walking].

Incantations are so long; it’s better for mental health to quickly forget those that seem unlikely to be used.

If only there weren’t such restrictions, she wouldn’t have to worry like this.

Why do such restrictions exist anyway?

Sighing, Eila began walking to the left.

If she walks diagonally like this, then checks her position again and continues, it should work.

With each step, there was a splashing sound.

Through her shoes, she felt a strange sensation—like stepping on hard rock, yet sinking into something soft.

She turned her head to look back at the path she had traveled.

It was meaningless.

She just wanted to do it.

As she turned, she saw the black sky and the equally black sea.

Stars were embedded in the sky, emitting light, while the waves in the sea broke and shimmered.

Where does the sky begin, and where does the sea end?

The darkened horizon blurred the boundary between sky and sea.

‘I like you, Eila.’

‘Not as a comrade, but as a woman, I like you.’

Ah.

She looked up at the sky.

A moon split in half.

Not just the sun, but the moon is also singular here.

Her chest felt cold.

It’s cold.

It hurts.

Why?

At night, by the sea, under the moonlight.

Someone holding both my hands, shouting with a bright red face.

Such a happy memory, yet why does my chest hurt so much?

She reached out her hand.

It was an unconscious action.

Perhaps, would someone take my hand—

“…As if that would happen.”

Her hand merely cut through empty air.

She turned around and continued walking.

The sound of splashing water and occasional waves.

Thanks to that, she wasn’t lonely.

That’s what she wanted to believe.

She kept walking.

In the distance ahead, something came into view.

Darkness, rippling.

Probably clouds.

And the presence of clouds means…

“There’s land.”

Who would have thought Leo’s useless trivia would be so helpful.

Eila gave a bitter smile.

Leo. The youngest in the party.

The last member recruited by the Hero despite everyone’s opposition.

Back then, she had questioned why a thief was needed in the party.

“I shouldn’t keep doing this.”

She laughed.

Old memories intertwine and resurface together.

The more she dwells on pleasant memories, the lonelier this walk feels.

Just as she sighed and was about to step forward—

“Ugh?!”

She felt a wet sensation around her ankle.

Startled, she looked down to see something wrapped around her left ankle.

Seaweed? That’s what she thought for a moment.

“Ngh, ugh!!”

With a sudden force pulling her body, Eila firmly planted both feet on the water’s surface.

Her body was slowly being dragged below the surface.

Specifically, her left ankle.

The thing binding her left ankle was writhing.

“This is…”

A tentacle.

“Urgh!!”

She felt tremendous strength.

Eila found herself in an unexpected tug-of-war with the tentacle.

They were evenly matched in strength, but…

‘This could be dangerous.’

If this power struggle continues, I’ll be the one to lose.

Eila broke into a cold sweat.

[Water Walking] had one more weakness.

It was a structural issue.

The principle of [Water Walking] was maximizing buoyancy; it wasn’t about making water solid, but about floating on water while walking.

Its operating principle implied that if a sudden heavy weight was applied, one could sink downward.

Even without the enchantment breaking.

And that meant being crushed by the water pressing from all sides.

Water that felt incredibly solid due to the enchantment.

‘What should I do?’

Eila blocked her nose with her index finger and thumb, then exhaled through her mouth.

A bluish light enveloped Eila’s face.

The [Underwater Breathing] enchantment.

“Soon.”

Eila raised her right foot high.

Then she forcefully struck the water’s surface, striking the tentacle wrapped around her ankle.

With a tremendous shockwave, Eila’s body shot up into the sky.

Now [Water Walking] was broken.

“I’m coming to see you.”

Her body, having soared into the sky, plunged into the water.

It’s time to start swimming.

***

“Emergency! Emergency!!”

Busan.

14th Naval Base.

Countless alarms and flashing lights blared.

“Report!”

“Yes sir! A Kraken has been spotted in nearby waters. At its current speed, it’s expected to reach the beach around 7 o’clock.”

“Damn, what’s its size?”

“Fortunately, it’s not that large. Estimated size is orca-class.”

Orca-class.

Not the size of an orca, but large enough to prey on orcas.

“That’s somewhat fortunate. We’ll eliminate it before it fully matures. How many torpedoes do we have left?”

“All are loaded, sir.”

“Good. Prepare for departure.”

Dungeons appeared regardless of location.

Naturally, many dungeons formed deep in the sea.

As long as dungeons persisted, the sea was no longer humanity’s domain.

Monsters emerging from dungeons roamed the seas as if they owned them.

Megalodons, Charybdis, Scylla.

And Krakens.

Predators of the deep with massive bodies and countless tentacles swimming through the ocean depths.

Stories of a single Kraken destroying an entire fleet are still commonly heard.

However, that applies to fully matured Krakens.

According to current satellite observations, this Kraken is still young, having recently emerged from a dungeon.

It’s smaller and likely has fewer tentacles at its disposal.

That means it can be killed with a barrage of torpedoes.

Nevertheless, Krakens are dangerous.

It must not be allowed to leave the sea.

To minimize damage, it must be finished before it reaches the shore.

The ships departed.

They headed toward the red dot indicating where the Kraken was expected to be.

Soldiers stood in formation on the deck, holding their weapons.

The presence of a Kraken meant there might be a gate nearby in the sea, which implied other monsters besides the Kraken might be in the water.

For example, merfolk.

The soldiers’ purpose was to protect the ship from such monsters.

The ship’s speed gradually decreased.

Everyone was tense.

A voice came through the speakers.

They were approaching the vicinity of the Kraken.

Just as the slowly decelerating ship came to a complete stop—

-BOOM!!!

“Whoa?!”

“Wh-what’s happening?!!”

With an explosion, a water column shot up.

A clear and thick pillar, visible even in the dark night, stretching high.

As the water column gradually lowered—

-CRASH!!!

The ship rocked.

It was an enormous wave.

“What the hell?!”

“Did a bomb go off or something?”

Murmurs spread across the deck.

In contrast, a heavy silence descended in the bridge.

The location where the massive water column appeared was the estimated position of the Kraken.

“The signal, it’s gone?”

The silence wasn’t just because of the water column.

Right after the water column disappeared, the Kraken’s signal also vanished.

This result indicated either the Kraken had died or had fled beyond the detection range during the brief time the water column appeared and disappeared. Everyone held their breath.

Whether it was an opponent that made the Kraken flee or one capable of killing it.

Either way, it was worse than the Kraken.

“Damn, is there something wrong with the radar?”

“Nothing is showing up on the radar… Wait, what?”

“What is it?!”

“Something is moving at high speed! The estimated destination is… here?!”

“What?!!”

THUD.

The ship shook.