The violence of the sea.
Mindless, emotionless, purposeless, reasonless—pure, overwhelming force and brutality.
That horrific, deathly sea, as if born a deity, pursues me.
‘But it’s not fully manifested.’
It’s the weakest of Dagon’s avatars.
Granted, its sheer power and size dwarf the others.
But considering its overall stats, its abilities are horribly unbalanced.
Moreover—
Kugugugung—
Its collapsing body constantly rebuilds as fast as it falls apart, but remains unstable.
‘This never happened in the game.’
Probably because of the Feast’s Sacrifice trait? Otherwise, it wouldn’t have manifested so crudely. It tore open the ruined Sea Well entrance and forced its manifestation.
If it holds on just a bit longer, it’ll collapse under its own power.
‘The problem is I don’t have that time.’
In the distance, I see a jet-black line.
It’s closing in, stretching into a plane.
The great seawall. Not much time. A monstrous barrier twenty meters high and ten meters thick. At this rate, we’ll crash into it.
‘Gyaaaaaaa!!’
It accelerates.
Already a gargantuan behemoth, surging with mountains of seawater.
“Uugh, damn it!”
There’s even less time now!
I summon mana and push the mana-stone engine powering this ship to its limit.
Kugugugug!!
The ship speeds up.
I frown and gaze back toward the trail of Pale Wave, toward Insuma Village.
‘I never thought I’d actually use this.’
I project my consciousness far ahead—to my summoned ally bound by a soul pact.
Gugugugug—
My vision shifts. A hazy blur clears.
I’m viewing the world through Denchi’s eyes. My mind merges with Denchi’s blunt thinking. I check Denchi’s status and say,
“Ugh, still underwater. Good work. You’re the only one who can do this.”
I guide Denchi’s body—ramming his iron girders into the ground and slowly but steadily advancing. It’s around here. I make out the terrain through the churning mud.
Buildings entirely collapsed. Some barely standing. Partially ruined ones. Using the village map in my mind, I triangulate my position.
“The chief’s house is that way. No time. Sorry, but speed up.”
Udududuk—Pududuk—
Tremendous pressure, localized whirlpools, debris pushed by currents. I feel Denchi’s body being stripped away.
The chief’s house stands half-collapsed. Denchi clears the debris blocking our path with raw force. Crumble—The last building succumbs to the vortex and vanishes.
And that—
Grugugugugug—
Even underwater, I hear it clearly.
A metallic screech, like steel grinding or teeth gnashing.
The vault. The one holding cursed gold in its hull.
“You’ve been busy too.”
Before the Dragon King ritual, I ordered the vault:
Merge all your gold into one.
Using Denchi’s arm, I lift the vault.
Kugugung!
Denchi’s feet dig into the ground.
“Damn. The ground here is too soft.”
Is there another way? The water level’s lower, but carrying this out is a stretch.
“All right! Red Head, let’s go!”
The downpour is unbelievable. Impossible for any ordinary flying beast to break through—but our Red Head can.
“Kiiiii!”
Through Red Head’s eyes I see its wings grown larger and stronger, its tail undulating behind it.
‘Thanks to absorbing the Sea Well’s mana from Yongsu’s body.’
Just like last time with the ocarina, another evolution might be triggered. This isn’t Pokémon, though.
Still, I’ve never raised a blood-based familiar like this... but now’s not the time for that.
Though it hasn’t evolved further, its mana reserve and conversion efficiency skyrocketed. As a closely related type, it can even cast different-attribute spells.
“All right, Red Head, look there—see those hard protrusions rising above the water?”
Underwater, Denchi has woven girders and debris into a support structure.
“Right. I’ll handle the mana control. You blow a strong gust—ready?”
“Kiiiii!”
Red Head channels its mana into the iron-gird girder supports.
I seize that mana instantly—focus it, imbue it with properties, convert it—shaping it into coherent magic.
[Ice Cavern]
Wheoooosh!!
Red Head’s breath becomes a deadly gale of frost.
Crrrack-crrack—Whrrrack-whrrrack!!
The iron-gird supports fuse with surrounding water into a massive iceberg.
“Yes! Well done! You’re the best, Red Head!”
What had been a mere line of barrier now stands as a grand, solid wall. Soon this ship will slam into it.
‘Or get caught before then.’
‘Gyaaaaaaa!!’
“Good grief.”
The shards of my split consciousness are already snatching mana wildly.
To reserve mana for the spells I’ll send out, I must conserve it—sharpen every rune and gesture I’d normally skip.
“Thunder (雷)... Strike (搏)... Inscribe (銘)... Draw (引)... Path (道).”
Not a real chant but a fragmentary sequence. I’m ◈ Nоvеlіgһт ◈ (Continue reading) not recreating a game spell.
Runes and glowing rings—mana lines materialize in midair.
I’m forging a new spell.
Inspiration wells up non-stop. I share ideas with my other shards, refining the magic’s form.
“One—”
Kiiing—Crash—Patzchut!
A huge ring of lightning forms far behind the creature.
“Two—”
Another.
“Three—Four—Five—”
One more. And another.
I chain ring after ring of lightning, as if building a path to the foe.
Thud—Thud—
I strike the iceberg with Denchi’s fist.
‘That should do it.’
Click—Click—
Denchi, lumbering up the iceberg with the vault, is now reduced to a skeleton of girders—so stripped his name almost doesn’t fit. He moves as if only an exoskeleton remains.
Emerging from the water, I see Red Head shouting in my voice—praising itself enthusiastically. It’s pleased with itself.
Honestly, I don’t share that sentiment. Me praising my own joy... this can’t last long. I need to finish quickly.
Thud!
Upon the iceberg stands me—well, Denchi bearing me. Denchi locks his body to the girders protruding from the ice. I turn to the vault and say,
“Open it.”
Kiiiiiik—
The vault clicks open—my modified Arcane Vault from [Recognition]. Inside, a massive hoard of cursed gold fused into one.
Giiiiig—
A gigantic spear of cursed gold emerges—an impossibly long, thick shaft no vault could normally hold.
Better called a golden column than a spear—a colossal, sharpened pillar of gold. Or a barista’s bullet.
“Oh, nice, huh? The on-ship Kim Sinhwa says you make the projectile and I fire it?”
“It feels weird to call it Kim Sinhwa.”
“Does it matter? I used to do Kim Sinhwa Fight alone before.”
“Hmm.”
I ignore “him” and prepare the magic.
‘A bullet, huh.’
The on-ship Kim Sinhwa keeps sending fresh inspirations and tweaks. Not hard.
I have inspiration too. I share it with the other two shards and draw forth mana.
Precise tuning is key. Automated skipping isn’t enough. I chant slowly, like singing.
“You, born of a sea’s curse, yet your essence is clearly gold, a vessel for mana. By radiance I command you: refine your form like diamond, become the arrow that destroys evil. By radiance I command you again: purge your karmic taint, become the arrow that eradicates corruption. By radiance I command you again...”
Not a typical chant but a bestowal of power. Not recreating any game spell.
Zing! Zaggagagazang!!
The spear’s surface is carved—mantras and runes to slay evil etched across its length.
I’m crafting another new spell.
“All right, Red Head. You’ve worked hard all day. This should be the last task. You’ve never been home, right? When you go home, Sanghyeon will make you something delicious.”
“Kiiiii!”
Red Head replies emphatically, beating its wings in gusto.
“Good. Same approach as before. Breathe in deeply; when I say so, blow out once. I’ll handle all the critical controls.”
“Kiiiii... Shuuuup!”
Red Head inhales. Absorbing surrounding mana, it inflates like a massive red balloon.
But this is tricky. Both other KhimSinhwas keep tweaking the magic’s form. Argh, enough! Do it as I first planned!
“Ugh... but since it’s changed, no choice.”
I adapt my magic to the new form created by the other shards—fresh inspiration floods in. Ah, now I see why they changed it. I can’t stand that.
I share the idea and chant. Sadly, Red Head has no hands to seal runes.
“Go! Explode! Burst forth! I’ll launch you! Destroy! Destroy! Destroy! Fly! Fly out and pierce the foe! Go! Fly! Go! Burst! Burst! Burst!”
Not a chant but a declaration of will. No need for elegant phrasing—this isn’t a game spell.
Mana roils around Red Head like waves.
I’m forging yet another new spell.
“Railgun—shall we call it that?”
We’re basically building a colossal cannon.
—Shipboard KhimSinhwa forming the barrel.
—Golem-possessed KhimSinhwa crafting the projectile.
—And fused into Red Head, I handle the propellant and firing.
“Uaaah!!”
I summon mana and steer the ship further west.
The seawall isn’t straight. Chopyeong Island and Munsan jut out—detouring there buys more time.
But we lose speed doing so.
‘Gyaaaaaaa!!’
“Damn it!!”
We’re about to be caught!
[Ice Jade]
Kwarurururu!!
A gigantic sphere of ice hurtles at Pale Wave. Thwak! Thwakthwak!
It shatters part of its form—but relative to its mass, the impact is tiny. Not enough. Just a little longer! Either we get caught or ram into the wall!
Either outcome!
My three perspectives send unified signals.
“All set!”
“Take this!”
“Yeah, fire now!”
Rapidly, I seal complex runes and realign the lightning “rail.”
“Thunder... Draw...”
And in another location, I issue my final command to the projectile.
“By radiance I command you: follow the path of Indra’s lightning...”
And flying high, I gather the last spark to fire.
“Explode—Fly—Exterminate—”
Pazzzzzzzzzt—
Kwaaaaaaaaaaang!
A flash that could incinerate every optic nerve—then the golden arrow streaks forth at impossible speed. Rain vaporizes instantly; air rips along its path; a death-wail roar erupts.
Kieeeeeeeee—
In unison with Red Head’s vision, I shout—no, my thought travels faster than any voice. All three of me, after all.
‘Damn, he’s dodging!’
‘Gyaaaaaaa!!’
Pale Wave notices the howl of the incoming arrow and twists its massive body. The ship jolts—I lose my balance, but risk the fall and cast a spell.
“Don’t you dare flee!”
[Chains of Domination]
Swish—Swoosh!!
And the Child of Darkness aids me.
“Don’t go!” “Don’t go!” “Don’t go!” ... fourteen times in all.
‘Gyaaaaaaa!!’
Finally, my fired arrow strikes its back.
Kwaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaang!!
A supernal impact so extreme the raindrops all bounce back skyward.
“I hit it!”
My voice erupts from Red Head’s beak.
“Maybe I overfed it?”
My voice replays through the golem.
“Aaaargh!”
That’s just me screaming.
Pale Wave’s massive form is thrown into the air.
Unable to withstand the projectile’s shock, it soars skyward—fitting, given its forward momentum and the push from behind.
And where it lands—
Krawakwakwakwak!! Krawakwakwakwakwak!!
It smashes into the seawall.
Tsupapapapapapa!!
The warding talismans and binding seals embedded in the wall react.
Crackle—Kwaaaang! Kwaaaaaaaang!!
Explosions roar without end.
“Huh. So that’s what happens.”
“Honestly, we all saw it coming, right?”
“To be frank, I doubted one puny projectile could do it.”
Urrrrrk—Rumble—Rumble—
The cacophony goes on, an earthquake.
That aftermath... I assume it’s what I think.
“Oh, that?”
“...Don’t do that.”
Kwarurururu—Kwaaaaang! Krawakwakwak!
The seawall collapses.
Finally, the most oblivious among my three selves remarks,
“Well, Future Kim Sinhwa will deal with it somehow.”
