Chapter 130: The Fall of the Sea God

​The aftermath of Meteor was overwhelming.

When the blinding light of the explosion finally faded, a salt plain stretched out before me.

The sea that had covered everything had evaporated under the heat of the Meteor.

No living merfolk remained. The ones that had been burned beyond recognition had turned to ash and scattered with the wind, mixed with the white salt crystals.

I frowned and glared at the Sea God.

Its body, having taken a direct hit from Meteor, was in tatters.

Dozens of tentacles that once rolled over the sea were now curled inward, scorched as if roasted by fire.

Part of its massive head had been torn open, exposing its inner organs.

■■■■—!

The Sea God let out a violent roar. As its curled tentacles began to move by force, the creature lunged forward, dragging itself across the salt plains using its many limbs.

Kugugugung—!

It felt like an entire island was shifting.

I grabbed the Fire Dragon Sword and mounted Nightmare’s back.

“Run!”

Fwi-hi-hiing—!

If possible, I didn’t want to fight that colossal thing in close combat.

Until my mana recovered, I would keep running and prepare another large-scale spell. That was the basic strategy to deal with the Sea God.

“Runox!”

“Don’t worry about me!”

Runox quietly drew up his mana. As his blue robe fluttered like it had been caught in a storm, I charged out of the island atop Nightmare.

The Sea God, rushing toward Nangnang Island, turned its attention toward me.

It meant the creature’s full focus was on me now.

Kwahhh—!

The Sea God’s tentacle lashed out, slamming into the ground.

Vibrant, multicolored corals shattered and scattered into the air along with the salt crystals.

“Guh…!”

Even though it had simply swung a tentacle, the impact was immense.

The spot it struck was caved in as if a bomb had gone off, and the ground trembled violently.

Then it happened.

From the place the tentacle had struck, black seawater began to erupt. When that water splashed over the Sea God’s body, it began to regenerate.

The skin on its head, which had taken a direct hit from Meteor, began to regrow.

The tentacles that had been seared off by the intense heat sprouted anew.

Boom! Boom! Boom!

The Sea God thrashed with its regenerated tentacles, pummeling the ground around it.

Wherever its limbs touched, black seawater burst forth.

Shwaaaa—!

The sea began to rise once more.

I summoned the Ice Dragon Sword that floated behind me and grasped it.

A chilling cold enveloped my entire body, and the red scales covering me turned blue.

The seawater rising around Nightmare’s feet began to freeze.

Jjeojeojeojeok—!

Nightmare didn’t stop. It ran across the sea. As it moved, the Ice Dragon Sword’s cold left a frozen trail behind us.

The path it created remained solid until Nightmare had passed.

True to its name, the Sea God was terrifyingly powerful when immersed in seawater.

Now submerged once more, its speed increased dramatically.

Its long tentacles stirred the sea, raising furious waves.

Kwahhh—!

Dark seawater surged into the sky.

I immediately used Blink, escaping with Nightmare out of the wave’s reach.

The black waves surged in succession.

It seemed to be trying to catch me with sheer force, sending out dozens of tentacles to create countless waves.

Kwahhht—!

Waves surged from all directions—east, west, north, south.

I pulled Nightmare’s reins and expanded the Ice Dragon Sword’s cold across a wide area.

Jjeojeojeojeok—!

The scattered frost spread rapidly, and the waves looming above all froze at once.

Nightmare galloped through the frozen waves.

Just as we emerged from the icy wall, an indescribable sensation rippled through the air, distorting the space itself.

It felt similar to the magic of spatial manipulation—like the moment I had traveled through the tower using Haven’s spell.

Paat!

In a flash of sudden teleportation, I found myself directly in front of the Sea God.

And I was alone.

Nightmare had been left behind, still between the frozen waves.

At that moment—almost as if it had been waiting—the Sea God’s tentacle came crashing down.

Kuuung—!

One blow.

Just one strike from its tentacle shattered the mana barrier surrounding my body and slammed me beneath the black sea.

The full plate armor I had worn just in case was destroyed in an instant. And with that realization came excruciating pain.

Bubururuk—!

A groan escaped my lips, bubbling up in white foam.

I quickly checked my condition beneath the black sea.

I could still feel my arms and legs.

The magic circle in my heart and my control over the Ice Dragon Sword and Fire Dragon Sword remained intact.

I immediately cast a healing spell and used Blink to teleport above the sea.

Paaat—!

As I burst through the water and my vision cleared, another enormous tentacle came flying toward me.

But I wouldn’t fall for it again.

Using the starlight mana spread around me, I blinked once more.

And reappeared—right above the Sea God’s head.

I spat out the seawater that had entered my mouth and grimaced.

The sound of realigning bones echoed strangely from within my body.

A significant amount of mana had been consumed due to the continuous use of Blink and recovery spells, but fresh mana poured in to fill the void.

The Sea God didn’t allow me even the briefest respite.

Whenever I tried to use Blink to create distance, he would instantly pull me back in front of him with a strange force, attacking me with his countless tentacles.

In less than a second, space flipped several times.

From within the ocean to the sky, then from the sky onto the Sea God’s tentacles.

With each sudden shift in perspective, the situation grew more dizzying.

Vwoooom—!

It happened just as I had blinked into midair, where there was nothing around me.

The Sea God’s tentacle, whipping toward me, slowed noticeably just before it could strike.

Ssshhhh—!

Snow began to fall from the sky. Winter had arrived.

Craack—!

Everything the white snow touched began to freeze.

The blackened sea. The Sea God’s massive body, which had been mid-swing with its tentacles.

The Sea God’s enormous eyes darted around, searching for the one who had caused this phenomenon.

Standing where his gaze landed was a single mage draped in a blue robe.

In that moment—

Craack—! The blue ice encasing the Sea God’s body began to break apart. At the same time, Runox’s urgent voice rang out.

“I… I can’t hold it for long…!”

Just as he said, the inner world Runox had summoned couldn’t restrain the Sea God for much longer.

Even now, shards of ice were falling off the Sea God’s body.

But it was enough. The opening Runox had created gave me just enough time to unleash another high-tier spell.

I landed atop the frozen sea and gripped the Ice Dragon Sword.

It trembled, as if resonating with the cold that Runox had summoned.

At that moment, a single star flickered in my mind.

Among countless worlds, a spell said to rival the supreme fire magic, Meteor, surfaced in my memory.

Extreme subzero frost. A spell that blanketed the world in eternal winter.

Legends claimed that the cold it emitted could even freeze time itself.

White frost settled on the blue scales that had sprouted along the back of my hand.

When the red robe I wore also took on a layer of frost, four magic circles roared to life.

Fweeeeeng—!

■■■■—!

The Sea God’s fierce roar erupted once more.

The ice covering his tentacles shattered, and his massive body began to stir.

Exhaling a frosty breath, I calmly looked up at the Sea God.

Kashpa’s mana spread widely, beginning to dominate the area.

Runox’s mana, which had previously manifested the inner world, lost its grip as it was overtaken by the encroaching blue frost.

Rummmbble!

Dark thunderclouds surged overhead. Black clouds, sparking with blue lightning, swirled and spun into a massive vortex.

Crack—!

At that moment, the remaining ice on the Sea God’s body shattered completely, and tentacles burst out from within.

I didn’t dodge the attack.

There was no need.

The spell was already complete.

Just before the tentacle could strike me, a massive ice pillar slammed down onto it.

Thud—!

And it wasn’t just one.

From within the swirling clouds, a cascade of giant ice pillars rained down endlessly.

Boom boom boom—!

Dozens of ice pillars pierced the Sea God’s body, freezing it in place.

The creature’s eerie wail faded into the air as its movements came to a complete stop.

Letting out a low sigh, I lightly swung the Ice Dragon Sword, shaking off the frost that had settled on me.

“That… that spell…”

Runox approached, crossing the white-frozen sea. Nightmare was with him. Just then—

Craack—!

The Sea God’s frozen body shook violently, and a massive tentacle burst out from within.

“You’ve got to be kidding me…!”

Just as shock overwhelmed me, a gigantic wolf, just as massive as the Sea God, descended from the sky.

The moment its enormous paw crushed the Sea God’s frozen body, a pillar of white light erupted around them.

Kwaaang—!

The Sea God’s tentacles flailed violently in resistance, but it was clear he couldn’t escape the wolf’s power.

As the white pillars of light converged around both the Sea God and the wolf, a brilliant flash burst out—

And the Sea God vanished.

All that remained in his place was a small orb of light.

A voice came from the great wolf. Though it still lacked any real presence, it looked down at me—no, at us.

“…Haa.”

I exhaled deeply and slumped over. I had just overcome a massive obstacle, and the tension drained from my body.

That’s when it happened.

A strange power flowed from the small orb of light, and it began to be absorbed by the Ice Dragon Sword and the Fire Dragon Sword.

“…What is this…?”

I looked down at the two swords in response to the wolf’s words.

The divine energy of the Sea God had been consumed by them—both blades now glimmered with a faint, radiant glow.