Monsters of the sixth and seventh rank?

Those numbers alone were enough to make her stomach twist.

She had faced strong beasts before dangerous ones, deadly ones.. but never anything near that level. A peak fourth-ranked beast was already enough to push her to her limits, and even those fights might left her half-dead. But sixth or seventh rank? Those were monsters that could crush her without even trying ..beings tens of thousands of times stronger than she could currently handle.

And Neptunia had said there would be many of them.

That thought alone made her pulse quicken, her heart thudding painfully against her chest.

For a brief moment, she actually considered turning back. The idea of charging into something so impossible felt like walking straight into death's embrace.

But then she looked at Razeal.

I can't leave now, she told herself. Not when I'm still relying on him.

He was her only real protection here.. her only shield in a world she didn't understand. She wasn't from Atlantis. She didn't even know the rules of this place, the creatures, or the structure of its endless seas. Without him, she'd be lost before she even made it past the first current.

And more than that, she reminded herself of why she had chosen to follow him in the first place.

The bloodline…

She had begged him once, pleaded even, to help her extract it.. to free her from what was buried within her veins. It was a decision she had made knowing full well the risks. Even if it meant her death in the end, she had already accepted that fate.

There was no turning back now.

Still, Neptunia's warning had shaken her. Preparation was necessary.. they needed rest, supplies, and a proper plan. Charging forward without it was suicide. She turned to look at Razeal, expecting him to agree. Surely even he would see reason this time.

But Razeal… was Razeal.

He simply stood there, his expression unreadable, and then.. with that same detached calm.. he shook his head.

"There's no need," he said flatly. "Don't worry."

He turned slightly, the dark glint in his eyes reflecting the faint blue light around them. "The faster we move, the better. You can tell me the details along the way. I'll form a plan while we're traveling."

He paused, glancing briefly at the two women. "And don't worry about protection. I won't let either of you get harmed while you're with me."

His tone was calm.. confident, almost reassuring but there was an edge of cold practicality in his words. "I need you both for now," he finished quietly. "So don't be afraid. Let's go."

Maria's eyes widened slightly, disbelief flashing across her face. "No," she said sharply, stepping forward before she could stop herself. "You should be a little more considerate about this! It's too dangerous to just rush in like that!"

Razeal didn't react.. didn't even turn toward her.

Maria clenched her fists. "We lose nothing by slowing down a little! Why take unnecessary risks?" she pressed, frustration leaking into her tone.

Her voice trembled slightly, not from fear of him, but from the sheer tension in her chest. "You're being reckless again," she said quietly, her voice hardening. "You've already proven you don't care what happens to others... don't make me pay for it too."

The words slipped out before she could stop them, her tone sharper than she intended.

Neptunia's eyes flicked between the two, her brow creasing. The tension between them was thick.. like an invisible storm building under the calm surface of the sea.

Then Razeal finally moved.

He turned his head toward Maria, his gaze sharp and cold enough to still her instantly. His voice was low but carried weight calm, commanding, final.

"I said we're leaving now," he said. "If you don't want to come, then stay."

Maria froze. His tone wasn't loud or cruel, but it hit harder than any shout could have. His eyes were dark, his expression as emotionless as stone.. as if he truly didn't care whether she followed or not.

Her throat tightened. For a moment, she wanted to scream at him to yell, to hit him, to make him feel something. But instead, she bit her lip so hard she almost drew blood.

"…Fine," she said finally, the word heavy with restrained anger. "Fineeeeeeeee!."

Her voice cracked slightly, but she turned her head away quickly, hiding the frustration in her eyes. She don't have a choice anyway, she thought bitterly. Not yet.

Neptunia exhaled slowly, watching the scene with a faint frown.

For a brief moment, she seriously considered backing out of this entire arrangement. The atmosphere between these two was toxic ..sharp and unpredictable. This didn't feel like a team. It felt like walking on a knife's edge, one wrong step away from being cut apart.

This is dangerous, she thought. Not just because of the monsters ahead, but because of him.

She studied Razeal for a moment longer the calm arrogance in his face, the unshakable certainty in his tone. Then she looked at Maria, silent and tense beside him.

They don't trust each other. Not even a little, she realized.

But even with all her concerns, Neptunia couldn't afford to back out. Not now. Time was slipping away, and she'd been waiting too long already. If she didn't move soon, others would reach the Royal Ocean ahead of her.. and she couldn't allow that.

Going alone would be suicide, but going with them… at least gave her a chance.

If things go bad, she thought quietly, I can always cut them loose and go alone.

Finally, she sighed and shook her head. "Alright," she said after a pause, her voice calm again. "Let's go, then."

Her tone wasn't enthusiastic, but it was decisive.

"Follow me," she said, glancing once at Razeal before turning away. "I'll lead the way."

Without another word, she began to move her body gliding effortlessly through the shimmering water, her yellow hair flowing like liquid sunlight behind her as she drifted forward.

"Can you swim?" Razeal turned his head slightly toward Maria as he asked the question, his tone casual but his gaze direct.

Maria stopped mid-motion, her sharp eyes narrowing in disbelief. "I'm from the Grave family," she snapped, her voice dripping with disdain. "This is my favorable domain."

Her words carried the weight of pride and irritation, as if the very act of him asking such a question was an insult in itself. Without waiting for a response, she turned away.. her long hair flowing behind her like strands of deep-water silk and drifted forward effortlessly through the water.

Razeal watched as she glided toward Neptunia, her movements smooth and controlled, almost like she was part of the sea itself. Neptunia swam beside her, graceful and natural each movement fluid, the water responding to her body as though it were obeying her will.

He exhaled softly, glancing down at himself.

How am I supposed to do that?

He wasn't embarrassed.. not really but it was… inconvenient. He had never learned to swim. There was simply no reason to, not in the world he had lived in before. And now, here he was walking along the sea floor while the two women drifted ahead like spirits of the ocean.

He frowned slightly, a rare hint of frustration in his otherwise calm expression. This is ridiculous.

He missed his shadow manipulation more than ever. The control, the freedom it gave him he could've used his own shadows to move effortlessly through the water, to leap, to flow with the currents. But now, with his dark mana completely drained, he was stuck using his body alone.

Still, he wasn't the type to be limited for long.

Bending his legs slightly, he pushed off the ocean floor with sheer force, propelling himself forward. The water resistance was heavy, but his strength was more than enough to compensate. His body shot upward and forward, cutting through the dense blue water.

It wasn't elegant ..not like theirs but it worked.

He used a mixture of brute force and instinct, kicking his legs and adjusting his posture until his body began to move more fluidly. Soon, he was no longer just walking or sinking but gliding.. not fast, but steady.

The women ahead of him seemed to notice, slowing down slightly, perhaps out of courtesy, letting him catch up.

Razeal's sharp eyes lifted to them.. to Neptunia's glowing silhouette, to Maria's fluid movements before focusing on the vast stretch of deep water ahead.

"There will be monsters in the way too," he thought quietly to himself, his mind already working, calculating.

The idea didn't scare him. If anything, it intrigued him. Every creature they faced would be another opportunity.. to test himself, to grow stronger, to level up the abilities he was still refining.

Particularly his Killing Intent.

That skill had always fascinated him... He was farr to evolving it but yeah. Maybe these deep-sea creatures would be exactly what he needed to push it to the next stage.

As his mind drifted through his thoughts

The question of why he had chosen to go forward instead of back.

He didn't regret it, but he wasn't blind to what it looked like. To Maria, to Neptunia, to anyone it would seem cruel, heartless even. Leaving behind Aurora, Yograj, and Levy without searching for them.

But he had his reasons.

First of all, the obvious one.. Yograj and Aurora were immortals. They wouldn't die, no matter what happened. Even if they were torn apart, crushed, drowned, burned.. they'd come back... So worrying about them was a waste of time.

That left Levy.

Razeal's sighed slightly slightly, just for a fraction of a second, before he shook the thought away.

He hoped Levy had survived. Dude wasn't particularly strong, but he was resourceful, and he'd been holding onto Aurora when they were thrown apart. That alone gave him a chance maybe not a big one, but a chance nonetheless.

If he had fallen alone, then yes ..he was probably dead. Ninety percent chance.

But if Aurora was with him… the odds improved. Maybe fifty-fifty.

And Razeal was fine with those numbers.

The problem wasn't whether he cared. It was time.

If Razeal went back, there'd be five seas to search through massive, endless stretches of ocean. Ahead, there are only two. So by probability, there's a 30–35% chance they might be in the direction he's already headed. The odds are lower, sure, but going back isn't really an option. It's not easy to search the seas it could take a year or more, a massive loss of time.. and there's still no guarantee they're even there.

Besides, they already had a plan to go at the Royal Ocean. If they're alive, they'll definitely try to make their way there. It might take a while, but that's their best shot at meeting again. Going back would only waste time and lower the chances of crossing paths later.

So, in the end, Razeal did what he had to do. It might seem cruel, but it was the best option available. He had to make a choice, and he made it.. the logical one.

Maybe he's cold, emotionless, or even heartless but it is what it is.

Is he sad about Levy, if Levy really did die? Maybe. Who knows. Razeal had plans for him, and he did care for that to some degree. His ego stings, of course he wasn't able to protect everyone. But he's never been the type to let feelings break him.

And it's not like he betrayed anyone. He protected them, tried to save Levy. It was Levy who chose to take that risk and run off. That was his decision.

Razeal can't really be blamed for that.. not that he would accept the guilt anyway.

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Thanks for reading, guys! Well, I'm trying to get my pace back up. Honestly, if no one had reminded me, I'd have totally forgotten I had plans to do some stuff here too 🤣. But again, it wasn't that important I can just add that stuff here and there later.

Don't forget to drop some Power Stones and Golden Tickets!

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