The Beast Had Achieved Its Goal.
The abyssal sea fell into a suffocating silence.
No current stirred. No life dared whisper.
Upon the shattered remains of the seabed lay the colossal beast—its titanic form sprawled like a fallen god. Countless tentacles stretched outward in every direction, draped across broken stone and sunken ridges like mountain ranges dragged into ruin.
Its massive eyes were closed.
Yet even in stillness, its existence pressed upon the ocean with unbearable weight—like a divine will that refused to fade.
Then—
Energy surged.
It did not flow gently, nor did it ripple.
It rose.
Violent. Invisible. Relentless.
Layer upon layer, unseen tides coiled around the beast's immense body, spiraling tighter and tighter as they refined what it had devoured—its nourishment… its prize.
El-Mond.
The ocean groaned under the pressure of that transformation.
Time passed.
Slow. Heavy. Unforgiving.
Then—
Twenty minutes later—
Its eyes snapped open.
A thunderous ROAR erupted from its depths, tearing through the ocean like a cataclysm given voice. Water twisted violently. Pressure zones collapsed in waves. Ancient boulders, untouched for millennia, shattered into fine dust beneath the sheer force of its cry.
Its enormous tentacles lashed outward in wild frenzy.
They smashed into the seabed.
Split stone apart.
Carved deep, jagged scars across the ocean floor as though the world itself were being punished.
Yet—
There were no wounds upon its body.
No signs of injury.
Its aura remained vast. Oppressive. Unchallenged.
Its power had not diminished.
If anything… it had grown.
And still—
Every roar was filled with agony.
Not the agony of flesh.
But something deeper.
Something wrong.
The beast thrashed—violently, desperately—its movements losing rhythm, descending into chaos. What began as fury became struggle… then desperation.
Seconds stretched.
Nearly a full minute passed.
Then—
One by one—
Its raised tentacles fell.
Heavy.
Powerless.
They crashed against the ruined seabed like collapsing pillars, no longer guided by will.
The ocean trembled.
Its colossal eyes—once deep and consuming—began to fade.
The darkness within them drained away… replaced by an empty, hollow white.
Its vast body stiffened.
Then slackened.
Numb.
Still.
Silent.
Dead.
---
At the Same Moment — Light-Years Away
Beyond the distant world of Yanxi—
A seven-story pavilion stood in quiet elegance, nestled between two peppermint flowering trees whose pale blossoms shimmered beneath silver moonlight.
The surrounding garden bloomed in tranquil splendor—orchids and pink roses swaying gently, their fragrance drifting through the air like a soft enchantment.
At the very top of the pavilion—
A woman lay upon a dark blue bed.
Her long red hair flowed around her like strands of living flame, radiant as burning silk. Her hazel eyes, though closed, carried a depth that spoke of ancient power and untold years.
Her skin was smooth—warm ivory, flawless and serene.
A delicate red string dress clung to her figure, tracing her form as a faint, divine glow shimmered softly across her body.
Then—
Her eyes opened.
She sat upright in a single, fluid motion.
Her gaze shifted sharply to her right.
There—upon a glass bed stand—
Lay rubble.
At its center rested a shattered glass sphere.
And within its fractured remains—
Frozen in broken fragments—
Was the image of a colossal octopus head.
Her expression darkened.
The temperature in the room plummeted.
The air itself seemed to freeze.
"WHO DARES."
Her fist clenched.
A terrifying wave of power exploded outward.
It swept through the pavilion like a celestial tsunami—walls trembling, air distorting, the garden beyond bending under its invisible force.
Flowers bowed.
Trees screamed.
Even space itself quivered under the pressure.
In the next instant—
A figure appeared.
A woman clad in black leggings and a hooded top materialized within the room, immediately dropping to one knee. She pressed her fist into her palm, bowing deeply.
"Master?"
Her voice was steady—
But cautious.
The red-haired woman did not turn.
"What have I told you all?" she said coldly.
The kneeling woman stiffened.
"I— I mean… Sister. What is wrong?"
Silence followed.
Then—
The oppressive aura began to withdraw.
Slowly.
Like a receding tide.
The red-haired woman's brows furrowed.
Realization struck.
Her lips parted slightly.
"…Oh no."
"Sister!" the woman in black urged, lifting her head, green eyes sharp with concern. "Are you alright?"
The red-haired woman rose to her feet.
Her presence stabilized—but the gravity of her expression remained.
"Tell everyone to prepare," she said.
Her voice was calm.
Resolute.
"We are going on a trip."
The woman in black vanished instantly—without a trace.
Left alone—
The red-haired woman stepped toward the pavilion window.
She gazed out into the endless expanse of stars, her expression unreadable.
"…Yanxi," she murmured softly.
"I hope it's nothing."
The universe did not answer.
It remained silent.
For now.
---
To Be Continued…