Chapter 127: The Depths Beneath: Awakening of the Sea God’s Army

“This is…”

It happened while we were running in the direction the Sea God had disappeared.

Riding Nightmare at the front, I came to a sudden stop.

The biggest reason was that we couldn’t spot any trace of the Sea God despite having run for quite some time.

But more than that, I couldn’t just ignore the field of bleached-white bones that filled my view.

“What is it?”

Runox, who arrived shortly after, approached me and silently stared at the field of white bones scattered around us.

“Aren’t those human bones?”

“I’m not sure…”

I dismounted from Nightmare and crouched down on the ground.

Something resembling a spine was buried in the mud, and around it, large and small bone fragments were scattered.

But that wasn’t all. The white bones covering this area weren’t just humanoid—they included remains of massive oceanic monsters as well.

“It has arms and legs, even fingers. But the head…”

“Could it be a goblin?”

“A goblin wouldn’t have such a long snout. And the end of it splits into several branches. Definitely a monster I’ve never seen before.”

“Could a new monster have been born under the influence of that strange mana…”

“That’s a reasonable thought, but doesn’t this seem a bit too odd?”

I silently stared at the spot Runox pointed to.

There, leaning against a large boulder, were human-like bones.

Unlike the others, they looked relatively undamaged.

But the size and shape were a problem. It was far too large to be called a human skeleton.

The long bone stretched between its legs was clearly a beastman’s tailbone.

But even that was absurdly big. The tail alone looked to be well over two meters long at a glance.

“That one’s snout is also long.”

Just as Runox said. The skull of what looked like a giant beastman had long, finger-like bones scattered near its snout.

Compared to the smaller specimen we saw earlier, this one appeared far more evolved.

“There’s a scripture from the Sea God Church here too.”

Runox, who had been wandering through the bone field, spoke up.

He picked something out from a mound of dirt—it was, just as he said, a scripture of the Sea God Church.

Its contents were now unreadable, warped by seawater. It was soaked and stuck with mud to the point that trying to open the pages would tear them apart. Drying and reading it would be nearly impossible.

“Time we head back.”

“Head back? Already?”

“Who could’ve known the Sea God would vanish so quickly? Rather than wasting time chasing something we can’t see, it might be smarter to return and learn more about the Sea God Church. We can also take some of these bones with us while we’re at it.”

“But we’ve come this far. We can’t just leave so easily.”

When I couldn’t even sense the Sea God’s presence, this magic had been unusable.

But now that I could clearly feel it, it was a different story.

I pictured a tiny star deep in my mind and snapped my fingers lightly.

Clack—!

A tiny star that would guide me to the right path.

The one that had once shimmered in a barren desert reappeared before me.

“That’s…”

“A spell called ‘Guiding Star.’ It always leads me to what I seek.”

“That magic isn’t in the Tower’s library.”

“That’s because I created it.”

To be precise, I had seen it in the magic left behind by a dwarf, and then I reshaped it into my own.

But I didn’t bother mentioning that part.

Just then, the small star hesitated for a moment before beginning to move.

It flew onward, over the field of bones, without pause.

“Is that light really pointing toward the Sea God?”

“Didn’t you say all magic begins with belief? I believe this star will lead us to the Sea God.”

“Hm. Alright. Let’s go.”

The moment a spellcaster loses belief, the magic loses its power.

That’s why I couldn’t allow even a sliver of doubt. As I followed the twinkling star, I imagined the Sea God’s silhouette.

The coral-covered area we passed through looked beautiful at a glance, but immense death loomed all around.

All the seawater—essential to marine life—had drained away.

We passed by massive creatures still twitching.

They looked pitiful, opening and closing their gills as if gasping for air. But there was nothing I could do for them.

We passed one enormous island after another.

The sight of the Morning Star that had been visible behind us was now gone.

Even so, the Guiding Star didn’t stop, and neither did we. We simply continued to follow.

How much time passed like that? When a layer of gray clouds began to cover the sky, the long stretch of the sea floor came to an end.

“This is…”

The end of the path. Below it stretched pitch-black seawater—so murky that we couldn’t see what lay beneath.

“Does this mean the Sea God is down there?”

“That’s what the Guiding Star says.”

The Guiding Star had entered the inky water.

It vanished from sight not because the spell had ended, but because the seawater was too dark and thick for its light to shine through.

“I really don’t want to go in there.”

“Another sea beneath the sea… Could this be the Sea God’s domain spoken of in the scriptures?”

I frowned and glared at the pitch-black water.

I couldn’t sense any unusual mana, so it didn’t seem like the water was altered by magic.

Just then, Runox, who had been silently observing the water, pulled an empty potion bottle from his robes and began collecting the black seawater.

As the bottle dipped in and began filling, black bubbles started to rise inside. At that moment, I caught a faint movement in the water.

Something was swimming freely in the murky depths—it looked grotesque. Alarmed, I reached out and grabbed the scruff of Runox’s neck.

“Wah!”

Startled by the sudden action, Runox flailed. At the same time, the black seawater splashed upward and a smooth arm shot out from the surface.

My heightened senses immediately analyzed the intruder.

The arm emerging from the surface resembled a human’s, but between its spread fingers were webbed membranes, and its skin was covered in tightly packed, fish-like scales.

Then, still dangling from my grip, Runox began drawing in mana.

He had quickly assessed the situation and was preparing to unleash magic on the unidentified monster.

The mana he released radiated a biting cold. As it gathered, it formed a long ice spear, which launched toward the monster.

Thwack—!

Crack—!

A direct hit. The moment the icy spear struck, the black sea began to freeze in parts.

I immediately flung Runox behind me and retreated with Nightmare.

Though we had dealt with one monster, I had sensed many more presences behind it.

Ssshhh—

Small waves began to ripple across the black sea—a sign that more monsters were emerging.

“This is…”

Grrrggkk—

One by one, grotesque creatures began poking their heads above the dark waters.

They looked like forced hybrids of humans and fish.

Their elongated faces had bulging eyes that moved in different directions, and fins on their heads wriggled like waves.

“I—I knew it…! The Sea God has been building a monster army here…!”

Runox gasped in horror as he raised his mana.

Several long ice spears began floating around him.

I couldn’t stay still either. I leapt off Nightmare’s back and drew my Ice Dragon Sword, which pulsed with a biting cold.

Shiiing—

As soon as the blade was unsheathed, its fierce energy spilled out.

The surrounding temperature dropped in real time, and the monsters, who had been eyeing us with killing intent, began backing away in fear.

Even though I hadn’t meant to, the overwhelming presence naturally radiated and dominated all living beings.

Such was the nature of a dragon’s aura.

But not all of them backed down. One stood firm—it was significantly larger than the rest.

It looked similar to the smaller monsters, but its snout extended and split into dozens of tendrils. Where its head should have been, it had something that resembled a squid or octopus.

“Phew…”

A cold breath escaped my lips. Right then, the Fire Dragon Sword at my waist rose on its own and floated behind me.

Though I wasn’t skilled with dual swordsmanship, I had devised a method: I’d wield one sword directly while manipulating the other with mana.

A clumsy imitation of the Yi-Gi-Eo-Geom technique.

The moment the large creature moved, the rest began crawling out of the sea.

Ssshh—

Waves surged forward. The black sea began to expand over the previously dried seabed.

Grkkk—!

I cut down a charging fishman.

As a blue flash burst from my fingertips and drew seven stars in the air, seven monsters ahead of me froze and shattered into white fragments.

Unlike the Ice Dragon Sword, which allowed precise swordplay, the floating Fire Dragon Sword moved more simply—thrusting, slashing, and returning.

This was my first time using it in real combat. It felt like having four or five hands doing different tasks at once.

“You… are you really a mage…?”

I didn’t answer Runox. I was too focused—enhancing my body, firing dozens of magic missiles, wielding two swords, and controlling the Fire Dragon Sword all at once.

Each individual monster wasn’t particularly strong.

But there were just too many. Even now, more kept rising from beneath the black sea. And the expanding dark waters were worrisome.

The vanished sea was returning.

That meant the Sea God was moving. I bit my lip and swung the Ice Dragon Sword with force.

Ssshhhk—!

Frost-colored mana spread wide, freezing dozens of monsters in place.

At that moment, the Fire Dragon Sword flew into the arc of my slash and collided.

Clang—!

The two swords—originally one—resonated together.

The resulting dragon’s roar was vastly different from that of any ordinary blade.

[Craaaaargh!!!]

The sound wasn’t just a growl—it was a full-blown roar.

The atmosphere vibrated violently, and blue lightning sparked into life.

Crackkk—!

When the storm of lightning faded, nothing could move. Time itself seemed to freeze.

Vmmm—!

The mana circle around my heart began to spin. As it accelerated rapidly, starlight emerged above it.

At the same time, the ambient mana converged behind me, forming a new mana circle.

The circle, wrapped in blue lightning, pulsed and began to spin wildly.

This was the original power of Storm Bringer, forming an external mana circle.

Then, above the Ice Dragon Sword, a ring of icy blue light appeared.

Above the Fire Dragon Sword, a ring of crimson flame emerged.

As the four circles spun in resonance, immense mana surged into my lower chest.

I frowned. The mana was gathering too quickly.

At this rate, I’d exceed my body’s limit before I could fully transform into a Dragonkin.

I had to release it now.

I immediately opened my mouth wide and expelled the immense mana gathering below my chest.

A blue flash, filled with starlight, shot straight forward.

As lightning entwined it, the sky—darkened with storm clouds over the black sea—split in two.