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Chapter 172: Voyage (3)

Ketal’s power was unique, even on a continental scale.

At least Aquaz had never seen anyone handle such power.

As the Inquisitor of the Sun God, having witnessed all sorts of formidable beings, she had never seen anyone like him.

It was not an exaggeration to say that he was truly one of a kind.

‘Yet he can’t handle the mysteries.’

It felt like a very low-quality joke.

As the ship moved forward, the debris scattered across the sea gradually disappeared beyond the horizon.

Baker, who was watching it, muttered incredulously.

“It was a magical weapon, yet he grabs it with his bare hands and throws it away.”

“Hm? Wasn’t it an ordinary harpoon?”

“…You didn’t know?”

Baker was even more flabbergasted by that remark.

A harpoon that could even penetrate Aquaz’s defenses was thought to be ordinary.

For Ketal, such strength didn’t hold much meaning.

Baker explained with a bewildered expression.

“It was probably a magical weapon. One made properly in the Magic Tower.”

Not just a weapon designed as a material, but a magical weapon combining magic and material.

Its power was on a different level compared to ordinary weapons, used only in large-scale sieges.

The harpoon that had just flown was one of those magical weapons made in the Magic Tower.

As a magician of the Magic Tower, Baker could tell it had the power to sink a huge ship with a single strike.

Ketal looked intrigued.

“So that’s what it was. But why did a pirate have such a thing?”

“They probably got it while looting a cargo ship. I remember hearing that Kakan had acquired a valuable weapon before.”

Valkran interjected to explain.

Ketal nodded as if understanding.

“It was the result of piracy. But a harpoon shape. Why make a weapon in that form?”

“Probably to hunt creatures like the Kraken. Unlike whales, ordinary harpoons don’t work on them.”

“A Kraken?”

Ketal’s eyes widened.

“Are such monsters real?”

“They exist in the deep sea. It’s very difficult to catch them and transport them, but a successful hunt can make you enough money to live off for half a lifetime.”

Valkran added with realization.

“Come to think of it, there’s supposedly a Kraken near here, beyond the mermaid city.”

“…I see.”

Ketal smirked.

Seeing that expression, Valkran shivered for a moment.

‘…I hope he’s not thinking of hunting the Kraken after this is over.’

He regretted saying anything.

They continued on their way.

After that, there were no particular problems.

They almost faced danger from polluted water, but Aquaz’s purification prayer solved it.

The crew was amazed by the power of the great god.

Some of them went to Aquaz to hear about the doctrines of the Sun God.

After this was over, they would receive baptism.

Some were already preparing to convert.

Aquaz gladly explained the doctrines to them.

Eventually, they arrived.

“Here we are.”

In the middle of the sea, where there had been no contact.

* * *

“This is the boundary.”

Ships that crossed here never returned to land.

Only one survivor had come back, and he was completely insane, a wreck.

“…Proceed slowly.”

“Yes.”

With the crew’s tense faces, the ship moved slowly forward.

They scanned the surroundings quickly to catch anything unusual.

And they realized.

“…It doesn’t look like there’s any problem?”

“The fish are visible beneath the sea.”

“The wind is calm. The breeze is normal.”

To an unknowing person, it looked like an ordinary sea.

Valkran was perplexed.

“What’s going on?”

“Did we get the location wrong?”

“No. Sorry, but I’ve often looted ships heading to the mermaid city. I can’t have missed the coordinates.”

This was definitely near the mermaid city.

As Valkran frantically looked around, he noticed something strange.

“…Why are there no shipwrecks?”

Many ships had sunk here.

Given the number, debris should have been scattered everywhere.

But there was no wreckage in sight, even beyond the horizon.

Aquaz spoke up.

“Maybe they drifted with the currents?”

“No. It’s too clean for that. Some remains should still be there.”

Something was off.

It was as if nothing had happened.

And that was very strange.

Valkran squinted his eyes.

“…Let’s keep going for now. Something will appear near the mermaid city.”

“How far is it?”

“Just one more hour ahead.”

“Is there a way to call the mermaids?”

“Normally, they’d come out to greet us as we get close… but given the unusual situation, I’m not sure. We’ll have to go and see for ourselves.”

“Sounds good.”

Ketal smiled broadly.

They continued to advance, and nothing happened.

Feeling something was off, Aquaz looked at Baker.

“Mr. Baker, do you sense anything?”

“No. There’s nothing on my detection.”

“Same here.”

Both of them had extended their senses widely.

They were probing deep into the sea, ready to detect any problem immediately.

However, nothing came up.

While it was a relief, it also felt uneasy, like not realizing a blade was at one’s throat.

Then, at a certain moment, Ketal made a peculiar expression.

Nobody noticed.

As the ship continued forward, it suddenly came to a halt with a jolt.

“Whoa!”

“Whoa!”

The sudden stop made the pirates stagger.

Valkran frowned.

“What is it? Rocks?”

“No, there were no rocks when we checked the visibility!”

“Then what is it?”

“I’ll try turning the ship.”

The helmsman turned the wheel, but no matter how much he turned it, the ship wouldn’t move.

It was as if something was stuck.

They panicked.

“What is this?”

“What’s happening?”

Valkran urgently looked at Aquaz and Baker, but both shook their heads.

“I don’t sense anything.”

“Neither do I.”

“What the hell is going on?”

They moved to find the cause.

Aquaz also looked around.

And she found it.

“Ketal?”

Ketal was standing by the railing, staring intently at the sea below.

“Is there something down there?”

“Do you want to see for yourself?”

Aquaz, with a puzzled look, gazed down in the direction Ketal was looking.

Her expression froze.

“…Ah.”

“Hm? What’s wrong?”

Baker also checked the direction they were looking at, and his face turned pale.

Realizing that they were looking at something, Valkran and the crew approached them.

When they looked into the sea below, their faces also turned white.

“…Ah.”

Someone swallowed hard.

They couldn’t even scream.

One of the crew members trembled and stepped back.

“A…monkey?”

“Hmm.”

Ketal looked at the sea under the ship with a curious expression.

There was a monkey, swimming with massive legs and holding the ship with its hefty arms.

It wasn’t a rock they had hit; the monkey was holding the ship.

Valkran groaned and muttered.

“A primate… alive in the deep sea.”

This being of the forbidden land was right under their ship.

* * *

They all realized that it was this monkey that had sunk the ships coming near here.

No one dared to speak.

They were afraid that any movement might provoke the monkey, so they didn’t even blink.

It was alien to them.

Something they couldn’t understand.

The crew felt like their hearts would stop.

Aquaz spoke slowly.

“…Mr. Baker, can you detect it?”

“N-no, I can’t.”

Baker stammered.

Both Aquaz and Baker had kept their detection spells active, yet the monkey still wasn’t showing up.

“…How is that possible?”

If it had even a bit of mystery, it should have been detected.

Shock and fear gripped the ship.

Only Ketal was examining the monkey with interest.

“It’s huge.”

The monkey was incredibly large, about half the size of the ship they were on.

Its brown fur swayed with the waves, and its enormous eyes, large enough to fit a person inside, looked up at them blankly.

‘Is this another existence of the forbidden lands?’

The suffocating standoff lasted for several seconds.

Finally, the monkey began to move.

Crack.

A disturbing sound started to resonate from under the ship.

Realizing what the monkey was doing, Valkran shouted urgently.

“It’s trying to break the ship!”

Crack. Crack.

The monkey was gripping the ship harder.

The bottom of the ship creaked and started to leak.

Only then did Valkran understand how the ships had sunk.

The monkey was gripping and tearing at the bottom of the ships.

With water leaking in, there was no way to resist.

The crew, unable to hold back their screams, started to move frantically.

“Aquaz!”

With Baker’s shout, Aquaz moved, swinging her hand fiercely.

“Oh Sun God! Shine your light on my enemies without mercy!”

Zing!

With her words, a beam of light struck down.

The mighty divine power hit the monkey square between the eyes, and with a crashing sound, the monkey’s body slid back.

But Aquaz’s expression remained grim.

She opened her eyes wide.

‘Not even a scratch?’

There wasn’t a single drop of blood from the monkey’s forehead where the light had struck.

Baker, who had used Aquaz’s intervention to gather his mana, shouted quickly.

“O freezing environment of the star beyond! Descend upon the sea below!”

Crackle!

With his chant, the spell manifested.

The space opened, and an intense cold spread, freezing the sea around the monkey instantly, forming a glacier.

Crack!

But it was no use.

The monkey, trapped in the glacier, frowned as if annoyed.

The glacier trembled and quickly cracked.

Crash!

The glacier shattered.

Baker shouted in shock.

“That’s impossible!”

It was an attack from two superhumans.

Though they hadn’t been able to attack properly due to the urgency, to not leave even a scratch was beyond belief!

The monkey, irritated by the interference with its goal, distorted its face.

[Screeeeech!]

A horrific scream echoed.

Even underwater, the howling struck their ears directly.

The crew covered their ears at the inhuman sound.

As the monkey grabbed the bottom of the ship fiercely, Ketal grabbed the railing and launched himself into the sea.

“Sorry, but I can’t let you destroy the ship.”

Ketal clenched his fist.

As he fell, he struck down with his fist.

The sea exploded.