“Are you alright, Aquaz?” Baker asked her. “I’m fine. But what about you, Baker? That was an incredibly powerful spell you cast,” Aquaz replied. “I’ll be okay after a bit of rest.” Baker groaned, his voice thick with exhaustion. A deep sense of depletion had settled over his entire body, leaving him feeling utterly drained. Aquaz was not much better. They had both pushed themselves to their limits, drawing upon reserves of power only attainable through perfect preparation and meticulous planning. Even Aquaz, who rarely ran out of divine energy, found herself nearly emptied after the ordeal. Baker looked out at the ruined expanse of the sea, a heavy silence lingering between them. Ketal was out there, still fighting the last of the sea apes. Watching him, Baker let out a hollow laugh. “Honestly, did we even need to be here?” Aquaz could not find it in herself to disagree, and she gave a rueful smile instead of an answer. ɴᴇᴡ ɴᴏᴠᴇʟ ᴄʜᴀᴘᴛᴇʀs ᴀʀᴇ ᴘᴜʙʟɪsʜᴇᴅ ᴏɴ NoveI(F)ire.net Despite Baker’s formidable magic, about ten sea apes had survived his attack. Now Ketal faced them alone, and the battle was shockingly one-sided. I always knew he was strong, Aquaz thought. Ketal had defeated Ashetiaar, Demon of Oppression—a feat few could even dream of accomplishing. The way he had toyed with that demon during their fight was almost insulting to the creature’s power. He had also aided the Church of Kalosia in vanquishing another formidable demon, earning the personal acknowledgment of a god. Aquaz had long known Ketal was on another level entirely, yet the strength he displayed now far exceeded anything she had ever imagined. “How is he this powerful...?” she murmured. It seemed Ketal’s power was far beyond that of an ordinary Transcendent, his strength reaching heights that even the mightiest warriors could not fathom. For someone who had already surpassed the bounds of ordinary men, even among the Transcendents, Ketal was in a league of his own. Ketal... he’s a barbarian from the White Snowfield, Aquaz reminded herself. He is a being from the Demon Realm, and now, one Demon Realm native was effortlessly overpowering another. It made her wonder what exactly existed in that White Snowfield. The surviving sea apes shrieked, lunging at Ketal in a wild frenzy. With barely a thought, Ketal swung his fist. The ocean itself trembled from the impact. One of the apes, caught squarely by the shockwave, exploded in a spray of blood and flew far out into the distance. It slammed into the ocean floor, never to rise again. These were monsters tough enough to survive Baker’s magic, and yet Ketal dispatched them in a single blow. Two more apes darted in from both sides, grabbing onto Ketal’s arms. Their intent was obvious—they wanted to tear him apart. They strained, muscles bulging as they tried to pull him in opposite directions. But the attempt was doomed from the start. With a lazy motion, Ketal swung his arms, effortlessly flinging the apes around as if they were children’s toys. He spun them once, twice, then slammed them into the sand. An explosion of grit erupted, and both apes lay dead, blood pouring from their mouths. The leader of the apes, unable to bear the sight of its kin dying, charged at Ketal with a speed that put the others to shame. Its massive feet pounded the ground, its fist swinging with devastating force. Rather than dodge, Ketal met the attack head-on, his own fist arcing out to intercept. Their fists collided with a resounding crash, sending the leader tumbling away. Ketal flexed his hand, measuring the strength of the blow. “You really are strong,” he muttered. The leader was on an entirely different level from the others. He guessed that even a Transcendent Swordmaster like Maximus would find the fight challenging. “But that’s all you have,” Ketal said, shaking his head. The leader roared and sprang to its feet. With a guttural bellow, it leapt into the air, aiming to crush Ketal beneath its weight. Ketal, completely unruffled, reached up and grabbed the ape’s head in midair. Without hesitation, he drove the beast straight down, slamming it into the ground. The ape howled in pain but forced itself upright, charging again with relentless ferocity. “Tenacity. That’s the key to surviving in a harsh world,” Ketal said. “But if you don’t have the strength to match that drive, it’s just suicide.” He swept his leg out, sending the leader sliding backward across the ground. The beast crumpled and sat there, unable to rise, whimpering in agony. “I can’t believe what I’m seeing...” Aquaz breathed, staring at the battle in disbelief. The leader was, without a doubt, fearsome. Aquaz herself would not be confident in a one-on-one fight. And yet Ketal was toying with it as if it were a nuisance. That leader ape’s strength has to be on par with the highest of the Transcendents, she thought. Baker, too, could only watch with his mouth agape. The leader reared back, its muscles swelling as it bellowed in rage. This time, it threw its full power behind its attack. Ketal took the punch directly, his body unmoving, not even shifting an inch. He seized the ape’s arm, twisted, and forced it to its knees. Ketal’s eyes were cold, devoid of pity. This... This is another being from the Demon Realm, he thought. They were supposed to be ancient primates, born in the depths of the ocean during the same era as the White Snowfield. Is this really all there is to them? He felt a wave of disappointment. Nano, the other Demon Realm denizen he had met, was unique. Nano’s power was not overwhelming, but it had a strange ability to substitute and transform anything it touched, which had intrigued Ketal. On the other hand, these apes had nothing special about them. They were not particularly strong or clever; even Nano’s power, alone, was far greater than all of them combined. At best, these creatures were simply big apes adapted to live at the bottom of the sea. There were plenty of monsters like them back in the White Snowfield. They were so mundane that Ketal did not even feel a flicker of excitement. “I was hoping they’d have some kind of trump card,” Ketal said, his voice tinged with boredom. “But it looks like that’s not the case.” He drove his fist into the leader’s chest. The shockwave rippled through the ocean. The leader ape coughed up blood but stubbornly tried to lunge forward once more. Ketal clenched his fist again. Another mighty shockwave tore across the ground, powerful enough to push Aquaz and Baker backward even from a distance. The leader stood there for a moment, then collapsed to its knees, blood pouring from its wounds. In the end, only Ketal was left standing. The monsters that had plagued the City of Merfolk were utterly annihilated. Ketal smiled faintly. “It’s over.” “Y-yeah,” Aquaz stammered, nodding her head in disbelief. The sea apes were no more. No monsters remained to defile the City of Merfolk. Kukulitan, having regained his composure, returned to the city with the other merfolk in tow. He shouted, his voice echoing throughout the shattered city. “To everyone hiding in the city—don’t be afraid! The sea apes are gone! We’ve taken back our home!” One by one, merfolk cautiously emerged from their hiding places. Their faces were pinched with fear at first, but as soon as they confirmed the monsters were truly gone, relief flooded their expressions. They embraced each other, weeping and laughing in relief. Many had died, but half the city’s population remained. It was a terrible loss, but given how close they’d come to annihilation, the outcome felt like a miracle. Survivors expressed their joy simply by being alive. Then, all at once, they flocked to thank their saviors. “Thank you! Thank you!” “It’s all thanks to you!” The merfolk ran to Ketal’s group, offering tearful words of gratitude. Even Aquaz and Baker, who were still exhausted, smiled at the heartfelt thanks. Nothing was sweeter than the genuine gratitude of those they had saved. The sailors who had been caught up in the ordeal stood awkwardly off to the side, but even they received thanks from the merfolk, who overwhelmed them with relief and joy. Kukulitan, leader of the merfolk, bowed again and again. “Thank you! Thanks to all of you, we have reclaimed our city. We’ll prepare the relic I mentioned as soon as possible, but... it may take a little time to find. The city is half-ruined, so searching for it won’t be easy.” The monsters had destroyed the city’s buildings, turning them into crude nests. Everything was in shambles. For now, the priority was restoring the city to a livable state. Aquaz nodded at Kukulitan’s request. “We’ll help with the reconstruction.” “Thank you... Thank you so much,” Kukulitan replied, overwhelmed with gratitude. With three Transcendent helpers, the rebuilding progressed at an astonishing pace. The merfolk cheered, singing praises for their heroes. Every night, the city burst into celebration. They still had not counted all their losses, but the merfolk let themselves rejoice in survival. They mourned the dead, but gave themselves fully to the joy of being alive. It was as if all their troubles had ended, and nobody dared ruin the illusion. Everyone joined in the festivities, sharing food and song and laughter under the glowing lamps of the rebuilt city. Once the worst of the damage had been repaired, Aquaz finally approached Ketal. “I’ll head into the Demon Realm to make sure everything is clear.” “You mean you’re going down into the deep?” Ketal asked her. “Yes,” she replied, nodding. “The sea apes came from a trench much deeper than the city. Even with the leader dead and all the rest wiped out, I think we need to check the source and make sure nothing is left lurking below.” She had originally planned to go alone, but Baker had quickly volunteered to join her. “That’s very brave of you,” Ketal said. “Really? Thanks,” Baker replied, looking pleased with the compliment. “Are you sure the two of you can handle it by yourselves?” “We’ll be fine. You’ve done enough, Ketal. Why don’t you stay here and rest for once?” Truthfully, Ketal had lost all interest in the sea apes. He might have been curious if the place had turned out to be a new location in this fantasy world. However, he had no desire to chase after another Demon Realm, especially after leaving the White Snowfield. “Take care, then,” Ketal said. “Don’t worry. The apes have terrible hearing, so as long as we stay hidden, they’ll never notice us,” Aquaz replied. From their earlier battles, they had learned that as long as they concealed themselves completely, the monsters could not find them. With that knowledge, Aquaz and Baker disappeared beneath the waves. Ketal saw them off with a wave, watching until their figures vanished below the surface. Kukulitan approached Ketal, noticing for the first time that he was alone. “Where did your companions go?” he asked Ketal. “They went down to check the trench,” Ketal replied. “The Demon Realm’s base?” “That’s right. They wanted to make sure there were no more threats left.” Kukulitan nodded, looking awestruck by their dedication. “It’s incredible that they would go themselves just to make sure. Truly remarkable.” Yet there was no fear in his face. Most of the monsters had come up to attack the city, so at most, only a few stragglers could possibly remain below. With Aquaz and Baker together, Kukulitan was confident they could handle anything. Ketal felt the same. With those two, even if any sea apes had survived, they would be more than enough to deal with them. Yet, as he watched the city bustle with life, Ketal’s expression was troubled. Something doesn’t feel right, he thought. The invaders who had attacked the city were all gone. The problem should have been resolved completely, yet something gnawed at him. Is this really all there was? Even without him, two Transcendents could have handled the crisis alone. He wondered if this truly was the best the Demon Realm had to offer. He remembered Nano—the unique being from before. Nano had been able to avoid detection even by Transcendent senses, and its power dwarfed the sea apes’. These creatures, by comparison, were ancient, living in the ocean depths since the days of the White Snowfield. And Ketal couldn’t believe their power was only at this level. It wasn’t that they were weak. Their intelligence might even be on par with humans. And in the unique environment of the ocean, they would be a nightmare to fight. But for Demon Realm Anomalies, they seemed strangely feeble. There were only a few dozen of them, at most. No. That can’t be, Ketal thought. There’s no way that’s all there is. The feeling of unease persisted, a prickling certainty that something was wrong. Ketal had learned through countless battles never to ignore that instinct. Then, it struck him. The Quest completion window had not appeared.