Chapter 507
Chapter 507
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Translator: Ebonarch
Chapter: 507
Chapter Title: Aquarium (7)
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1.
There was a room in the cathedral for the priests and bishops to stay in.
It was a crude bed, just a wooden frame covered with cloth, but compared to other places, it was downright luxurious.
They had scouted a few spots for rest, but the only things passed off as beds were heaps of straw like the ones Si-woo had slept on during his stable days.
They could have searched every nook and cranny for something better, but now wasn't the time to leisurely shop for beds.
"Shall we organize the information?"
"Sure."
Si-woo and Deneb took turns sharing and jotting down the intel they'd gathered from last night's fierce battle—or rather, game of tag—onto paper.
"First off, there's just one monster in this aquarium. Matches the records in the literature."
"Seems like it's in the sea during the day and only active at night. Along with that school of flying fish."
"A beast that size rampaging all day in this cramped space would be too much to handle. Next, time. Not sure how long the day lasts, but night is about four hours."
"Only that much? Felt like at least eight hours... ."
"I started counting midway, so it's pretty accurate."
Deneb pressed her fingers to her forehead, eyes squeezed shut. She looked utterly exhausted.
It made sense. After unleashing such massive magic, she'd sung Si-woo her Song of Vitality, then joined the counterattack herself.
Even Si-woo, the physical fighter, was hit with drowsiness as his adrenaline faded. No surprise for the refined countess.
And yet, she'd been calculating the time amid all that.
The Jemernai were indeed Jemernai.
"As I said earlier, maintaining a pocket dimension this size comes with restrictions."
"In this world's case, spatial limits, day-night splits for activity restrictions, and forcing the same day to repeat over and over."
"There has to be a pillar holding this space together... . In this case, probably the octopus itself."
"Pillar?"
"In Gehenna terms, it's like the 'Gate' in Border Town. Controls access and supports all of Gehenna as the central core."
"So... in simple terms, we have to take down the octopus to get out?"
Si-woo tilted his head, and Deneb elaborated.
"Exactly. I kept checking the ley lines and water veins the whole time we were running. Where they intersect properly usually gives away the answer."
"I was too busy fighting to notice. Impressive."
"Nothing impressive about it. Midway through, I was just dead weight. Anyway... ."
Deneb spoke with a wry bitterness.
Was that why she seemed so drained of energy?
From midway on, she'd just clung to Si-woo while fleeing. It must have bruised the countess's pride.
"There are no ley lines or water veins here. Unlike Gehenna, which was naturally woven into harmony, this is an unstable space crudely cut out. And even after everything got smashed to bits, the pillar didn't collapse... . Only one answer."
"Yeah, makes sense."
As she said, by the time the octopus retreated to the sea, no part of the city was left intact.
Buildings were gone, and the terrain itself had changed.
"Could the pillar be in the sea?"
"Even if it is, I don't want to fight that monster in the water. It won't look any different from its octopus-like appearance."
"Agreed."
At least it didn't swim through the air like the flying fish school, or they couldn't have escaped like this.
Hard to imagine how threatening that massive body would be, moving freely underwater.
With that, the background summary:
- Day for rest, night for hunting. Each around four hours.
- Repeating day means no external changes or variables expected.
- To escape, destroy the 'pillar.' Prerequisite: defeat the Kraken.
They also compiled the Kraken's traits.
- Ridiculous size leading to immense strength and durability.
- Inherent magic resistance and rapid regeneration.
- Fortunately, no special magic or artifacts.
- Relatively slow but devastating single strikes.
That about covered it.
Si-woo hadn't spent the whole night just running either.
Armored up with ribbons, he'd repeatedly amplified himself over ten times, trying various approaches.
But despite his efforts, the results were clear.
"Seems like the worst matchup for me. And no Red Branch either... ."
Si-woo had always relied on improvisation, numbers games, and sneaky exploits in battles.
Filling power gaps by striking vulnerabilities.
In that sense, the Kraken was a nightmare.
Even slashing with Shadow Spears and swords via Foot Technique, its huge body and regen shrugged it off.
Grabbing a leg with ribbons for a tug-of-war nearly sent him flying like a stone from a slingshot.
Deneb's mana blasts dispersed off its scaled hide too.
If he'd had the Red Branch, he might've hoped for a Warp Field... .
A brute force blob immune to tricks and schemes.
Perfect counter to Si-woo, specialized in human and witch fights.
His prosthetic arm not fully settled, overusing mana left his left hand trembling since the fight ended.
Deneb sighed.
"I tried everything too, but no silver bullet. Thought about using resonant frequency to liquefy it from inside, but the volume's too huge... ."
"Problem."
"If only Sis were here... ."
Deneb's 'Dirge' yesterday wasn't a one-shot spell.
Ideally, it should've been echoed and amplified repeatedly by Albireo's 'Echo Barrier' for bombardment.
But Albireo wasn't here, and unlikely to show.
Bottom line: lack of firepower.
After this exchange, Deneb suggested a break.
"Timing right?"
"Yeah, we'll get the same day-night cycle, so plenty of time."
Unlike Si-woo, Deneb brimmed with experience and knowledge.
A skilled painter grasps the whole composition from a glance.
Her confidence had solid backing.
2.
They took a moment to look around the cathedral.
It lacked Gehenna's buildings' flash and grandeur, embracing austerity as virtue, but held a quiet beauty.
Deneb found wine in the basement storeroom and pocketed it.
Seemed unused sacramental wine.
Si-woo joked, "You didn't tell me the Persephone story?" She shrugged, "We confirmed you're no lowborn."
She pulled glasses from the sideboard and set up.
Old vintage meant heavy sediment, bland with sharp acidity—not top-shelf.
But like market scraps, it comforted after extreme mental and physical drain.
After toasting, the interrupted drinking session resumed.
"Si-woo, you're full of energy. After all that action."
"I've always pushed my body hard."
"Is that so?"
Truth was, Deneb was inwardly shocked by his performance.
She'd heard details of his clashes with the Witch of Desire.
Knew it implied matching force and magic.
But knowing intellectually versus seeing firsthand were worlds apart.
Last night, his back against the giant Kraken was awe-inspiring.
Movements breaking sound barrier, whirling like a windmill to sever tentacles.
Wielding dozens of ribbons freely.
The son-in-law she'd dismissed as a fool was sharply honed, more battle-hardened than her.
No meaningful damage, but she sensed echoes of Tiphereth Duke's inaction in his silhouette.
She realized she'd only subdued him before because he hadn't fought back.
Any real resistance, and victory wasn't guaranteed.
Yet he'd taken it meekly, without complaint.
Beating such a son-in-law silly...
Her feelings were mixed.
"Today, we'll try a different approach. Countess, how much mana do you have left?"
"...About thirty percent. Spent too recklessly."
She'd boldly burned half expecting a quick finish, but no finisher blow poisoned her now.
Witch mana wasn't rechargeable on a whim.
Even refined mana water required slow assimilation.
Daytime focus on recovery: 3-4 days estimated.
"Then we'll avoid direct clashes for a while, build mana, and plan a sure kill shot."
"......"
Si-woo laid out the plan matter-of-factly.
Deneb clamped her lips.
Right.
She knew a quick way through this bind.
From interrogating him in the dungeon, beyond twin ties, she'd learned of his mana recharge effect.
He could supply pure mana via ejaculation inside a witch, skipping assimilation.
"I'll draw attention for now. Countess, just focus on evasion."
That's why she worried.
A lecherous son-in-law might smirk, "Heh, no choice in this pinch, right, Deneb?"
That would've been a huge letdown.
But surprisingly, he hadn't hinted at that 'shortcut.'
Even opting for detours requiring him to bait repeatedly, risking life, he shouldered it calmly. No mention.
A new side she hadn't known.
"...Got it. We'll do that."
"Start mana recovery now?"
Feeling her shattered view of him mend slightly, Deneb let out a soft sigh.
"Ah... ."
She spotted Si-woo's left hand, trembling with fear and strain he tried to hide.