''It looks like a giant squid.''


    That was Neo''s first thought.


    Perhaps Christian knew what Neo was thinking because he said,


    "A dangerously powerful giant squid. Anyway, you can see in the darkness?


    "I expected it since you have the Darkness element, but isn''t too much?


    "You can kill ghosts, control Darkness, breathe underwater, and climb 500 meter trees without a break.


    "Is there anything you can''t do?"


    "There are plenty of things I''m incapable of. Though, I''m nning to learn them all."


    Neo''s answer exasperated Christian.


    At that moment, Neo saw the kraken move.


    It opened its eyes slowly and met his gaze.


    …!


    "Dodge!"


    Neo pushed Christian out of the air bubble and dodged backwards as fast as possible.


    Suddenly, tentacles shot out of the trench.


    They moved as fast as bullets and pierced the air bubble where Christian and Neo were moments ago.


    If Neo waste to react, they would''ve died then and there.


    Christian chanted Spells.


    A translucent blue armor formed around Neo.


    At the same time, a shield andnce of water materialized in Christian''s hands.


    The weapons crystalized into ice.


    Christian stuck hisnce against the shield.


    A powerful ripple spread out.


    The kraken let out a frenzied shriek when it heard the noise and attacked Christian.


    He swam between its attack and conjured ice shields to block attacks he couldn''t dodge.


    While the kraken was distracted, Neo dived downwards at full speed.


    He coated his de in the Aura of Death and Darkness.


    Just as Neo was about to sh, the tentacles attacking Christian split up.


    Half of them shot towards Neo while other half kept Christian busy.


    ''Fuck! We split up since it would''ve been easier to attack it!''


    ''But it used our n against us!''


    Neo spun on his position and swung his de while using a weak Aura sh.


    The tentacles suddenly became slower.


    They were alive and kicking.


    Neo used the chance to enter Christian''s range.


    Several tentacles attacked him from multiple angles.


    He would''ve been crushed alive if not for Christian''s ice shield appearing around him in the nick of the time.


    The ice shields froze the tentacles.


    Neo struck the frozen tentacles and they shattered only for the kraken to regenerate them a secondter.


    Christian struck his shield again and used another taunt.


    The kraken was not fooled this time.


    ''We can''t attack its main body since it''s too far! These tentacles aren''t letting us close the distance!''


    Neo had toe up with a n quickly.


    …


    Cisco River Bank


    Zoe stood at the edge of the river.


    The surface of the water rippled continuously and powerful shockwaves continued to hit the river bank.


    "They started fighting."


    She, while hidden, could see dozes of fishermen around the river.


    All of them were waiting for the result of the battle.


    "I''m telling you they will die!"


    "We should''ve just epted the sea god''s wrath and given more sacrifices to appease them!"


    "We are doomed! Those kids angered the sea god!"


    The fishermen wailed.


    Hearing them made Zoe sick.


    "I can''t believe they are so stupid."


    Despite her thoughts, she let out a smile.


    "Still, it''s true that lunatic and his team will fail."


    She took out a red pill from the bottle and flicked it to the center of the river.


    The pill dissolved quickly.


    "With this, they will fail their mission even if they manage to survive.


    "I wonder if the other guys dealt with Mars and hisckey."


    She moved away from the river and returned to her base.


    …


    Under Cisco River


    Christian and Neo continued to dodge the attack while trying to get closer to the kraken.


    Suddenly, both of them sensed a change in the water.


    It was a small change and... something eerie.


    The kraken''s eyes turned red.


    It let out a roar.


    Christian and Neo stiffened.


    They were unable to move.


    The roar immobilized them.


    Neo noticed the kraken, crazed,ing out of the trench.


    The monster filled the water with ck ink.


    While their visibility was reduced to null, a massive tentacle stuck Christian.


    He was thrown backwards like a baseball hit with a bat.


    Neo barely had time to react himself.


    He used the Aura of Darkness to lessen the impact.


    The tentacle hit him.


    The ice shield was torn apart like paper.


    The mes of Darkness reduced the force of the attack slightly and the Ocean''s Embrace saved Neo from being ttened like a pancake.


    Still, he was hurled into the riverbed at breakneck speed.


    ''Fuck.''


    Neo''s body screamed when he tried to move.


    He looked above.


    The river was filled with ink and the visibility was zero.


    But.


    Neo could tell.


    ''That fucker is trying to go out of the water!''


    He didn''t know why, but the kraken had clearly gone berserk.


    ''This is bad.''


    If the kraken went out of the water and destroyed a settlement, Neo''s team would not only lose the mission, they will have to pay penalty too.


    Neo swam upwards like a bullet.


    Another tentacle came out of the inky water and flew towards him.


    He cancelled the Ocean''s Embrace and focused on Aura of Darkness only.


    The ck mes reduced the impact enough for Neo to grab the tentacle.


    He used the tentacle''s momentum to reach the river bed, and he sunk his feet into the floor.


    Neo tightened his muscles and pulled the tentacle.


    ''Come down!''


    Veins burst on his limbs.


    He tried to wrestle the ginormous kraken inside the water.


    Just when another tentacle was about to hit him, Christian returned.


    He rammed into the kraken.


    The monster lost its bnce.


    It was just for a moment, but it was enough.


    Neo turned around and pulled the kraken over his head, and smashed it into the riverbed.


    Shockwaves rippled non-stop.


    It was as if a thunderstorm arrived.


    Neo clenched his teeth and swam towards the kraken.


    The monster was sted into the floor.


    Its mouth, which was usually hidden beneath its body, was in the open.


    Neo dived inside.


    Hundreds of teeth greeted him when he stepped into the kraken''s mouth.


    They came down at him like a grinder.


    Neo unleashed his Aura of Darkness and used the Ocean''s Embrace.


    He triggered the Necrotic Touch to wreak havoc from inside.


    Christian, outside, used his weapons to use ram attacks andnce thrusts.


    Both of them continued their assault without giving an inch to the kraken.


    The monster stopped moving.


    Christian waited for Neo toe out.


    Minutes passed…


    Nothing happened.


    Just when Christian thought the worst, Neo tore open the kraken''s stomach and stepped outside.


    He was covered in green blood.


    ''It smells,'' Neo mouthed with a displeased expression.


    A smile bloomed on Christian''s face.


    He came down to Neo and created an air bubble to talk.


    "We won thanks to you."


    "I didn''t do it alone."


    "Still, I will apologize for looking down on you when we started the mission.


    "I would''ve failed if you weren''t there to help me."


    "That''s why we are a team. You help me, I''ll help you."


    Neo hit Christian''s chest lightly and smiled.


    "Let me devour the monster before we return."


    "Okay."


    Jack had told Christian about Neo''s tendency to use Darkness to absorb the monsters.


    He was not surprised.


    Neo was about use the hand signs when a voice appeared inside his head.


    Let me…. eat it…


    I''m hungry….


    He nodded.


    "How should I do it?"


    No answer came from Obitus.


    Neo followed his instinct.