Devouring the Abyss
The deeper we went, the dimmer the light became. The World Tree's massive branches blotted out the sky, chasing away the summit winds and sunlight, replaced by thick, humid air that clung to my skin like a damp shroud. Lounging on Kar's back, rummaging through my subspace, I lifted my head and realized the surroundings had already grown murky.
Getting this close after scouting makes the air feel totally different.
Moss had given way to clusters of fluorescent mushrooms dotting the branch surfaces, their faint glow speckling the darkness. Kar slowed, murmuring low.
"M-Master. It's coming into view."
I poked my head out and peered below. A colossal cavern yawned open—a natural tunnel burrowed deep into the World Tree's heart. At its floor stretched a black, still water surface. Far vaster than it had seemed flying overhead during recon, the water swallowed light whole, pitch-black and eerily calm, blurring the line between liquid and void. Not a ripple. Not a sound. Just an immense, silent darkness lurking there.
Kar landed on a branch at the lake's edge, hunching low. "I'll wait here……"
"Yeah, do what you want."
I hopped off his back and strolled toward the water. Spreading a thin layer of mana under my talons let me step lightly onto the black surface. A chill seeped up from below, cooling my feet. I opened my subspace and pulled out the spice box. Popping the lid released the briny tang of rock salt and the sharp bite of pepper, mingling with the lake's muggy air.
A grind of rock salt and pepper on those tentacles would really bring out the umami.
As I pondered combinations, inhaling the aromas, a faint vibration rose from beneath my feet. Something huge and slow was approaching through the water.
Here it comes.
The instant I snapped the lid shut—
Boom—!! The surface erupted, pitch-black tentacles surging from every direction. Wrist-thick and lightning-fast, dozens coiled around my legs, arms, and torso, squeezing tight. The spice box nearly slipped from my grasp; I clutched it reflexively. A pull dragged me downward.
Getting reeled in, huh.
Instead of thrashing, I inspected the tentacles wrapping me. Sleek, firm black surfaces. Pressing a talon yielded springy resistance, and sniffing close revealed no fishy stink—just the heavy, dense aroma of the deep sea.
Freshness looks good.
As it tugged me under, I nipped off a bite. Crunch—! Chewy. The elastic texture burst with salty, savory juices flooding my mouth. Still alive and twitching, it only confirmed the freshness.
Sashimi would be perfect.
A telepathic voice pierced from below the surface.
……Wh-What in the world are you doing?!
I chewed another mouthful before replying. "Tasting it."
T-Tasting it?! You're eating my leg……!
"Pretty fresh. Nice umami."
I'm trying to drag you into my domain……!
"Yeah, I know. I'm being pulled in, right?"
The water crept past my ankles, up my waist, chest, and over my head. The moment it submerged my ears, all sound vanished. Dragged deeper, the world turned to cold, inky blackness. Pressure crushed in from every side as the tentacles yanked harder.
My eyes adjusted to the dark, revealing a vague shape below. A massive black mass blanketed the lake floor, tentacles radiating outward, a heavy pulse of mana throbbing like a heartbeat at its core.
Big one.
Better end this before going deeper. I released the polymorph.
Whoosh—! In the tight, dark water, my jet-black feathers exploded outward. My six wings unfurled, snapping the tentacles free in a burst. Pent-up mana erupted, flooding the lake with blue lightning flashes.
I converted all my internal mana to thunder and unleashed it into the water. Crackle—!! Lightning went berserk on contact, racing through the conductive depths, forking into every crevice.
Kraaaaaah—!!
Abysal's telepathy screamed like a death cry. The lightning arced through every tentacle, burrowing straight to the body. They convulsed and twisted, suckers pulsing in the electric glare.
Lightning illuminated Abysal's true form—far huger than the glimpse in the dark. The thin tentacles that breached the surface were mere scouts; these were log-thick, suckers gleaming densely across the body.
……No way—that was polymorph?!
Before it recovered, I fired a second bolt—not scattered this time. I focused the wingtip thunder into a thin spear, piercing Abysal's core dead-center.
Kaboom—!! The shockwave rocked the lake floor, twisting its body. But unlike Ignar, Abysal didn't tank it head-on. It contracted, retreating toward the bottom using the momentum.
The lake's pressure slammed in all at once. Whoosh—!! Water crushed like a vice, strong enough to pulverize rock. A single wing flap detonated mana, blasting the pressure apart in an explosive current.
Weaker than Ignar, it seems.
True to its sly reputation, it instantly clocked that brute force wouldn't work.
W-Wait! I don't want to be your enemy!
I can let you travel anywhere via the waterways! Information too! Please, stop the lightning……!
A severed tentacle fragment still dangled from my beak, torn free during the polymorph. As Abysal yammered, I chewed it, ink from the dispersing water seeping in. Unexpectedly good—salty, rich, perfect for a deep sauce base.
This could make a killer sauce.
Are you even listening?! Let's negotiate……!
I ignored the bargaining. Turaka and Ignar had pleaded too at the end, but I'd tuned them out.
……This beast—doesn't even intend to negotiate!!!
Realizing talks were futile, Abysal cut off. The lake flooded black with ink. Vision vanished entirely, even my lightning swallowed by the murk. Its mana fled rapidly—escaping via a waterway linked to the lake floor.
Running away.
Post-core senses sharpened; even through the ink, I felt the water's flow, waterway forks faintly.
Heading that way.
I blasted thunder to seal the entrance. Crackle—!!
How……?!
It veered to another. Sealed. Another turn. Sealed again.
How can you sense the waterways in the ink?!
It just shows up.
Not "sight" exactly—more like sensing flows, stops, forks, blockages.
Abysal seemed to grasp escape was impossible. It unleashed every remaining tentacle in a final stand, pressure surging anew.
I flapped my wings wide. Mana detonated, rippling outward through the water. Crackle—!! Kaboom—!! Lightning exploded along the currents, unraveling the tentacles' strength. Ink burned away in the flash, revealing Abysal's convulsing, shrinking body.
Wings spread, I summoned a gale. The underwater blast shoved water aside, carving empty space around the body. Descending into the void, talons clamped its mass.
W-Wait……! I'm still useful……!
Crunch—! The lake fell silent as water rushed back in. Limp tentacles sank away. Ink settled, clarifying the depths. With Abysal's mana gone, the lake's own glow rose from below, vision returning.
Too easy compared to Turaka or Ignar.
I rocketed from the surface. Water sprayed as I landed on the edge branch, spotting Kar craning his neck, eyes bulging.
I dropped the dangling body mass onto a nearby rock and pecked off a sample. Crunch.Less snap than live tentacles.
The fresh chewiness had faded—pity, but sashimi or stir-fry would work. More curious about the core.
Probing the colossal body with my beak, I traced mana concentrations. Midway along the trunk, a heavy throb snagged my tip.
Here.
Cast polymorph, shifting human-form to land. A careful lightning prick near the ink sac unearthed a black, solid orb—dense as congealed darkness, cool and smooth, bigger than expected. Kar-sized.
Grazing it with lightning released a profound, alien deep-sea reek. I bit in. Cold depth slid down my throat, permeating my core. Lingering aftertaste; each chew unpacked layered mana, drowning my mouth in abyssal shadow.
I devoured the whole thing. Chill bloomed in my gut, icy streams coursing veins like cool rivers.
Sweeping chunks into subspace, I scooped lingering ink too. Salty, intense, unique. Sauce material.
Ink joined the haul.
"Kar, let's head home."
Kar, frozen on the branch, finally snapped to, flapping frantically. "M-Master! Are you okay?! When you got dragged under, I-I……!"
"Yeah, fine. Hop on?"
He slumped low; I mounted. His back felt extra droopy. Flap—!
Cool, pleasant chill spread softly within. Fresh from the dark, the sky above felt vast, profound.
Back at the nest, I dismounted, released polymorph, and curled on Turaka's hide. The cold essence diffused quietly.
Prostia's left.
Ice spirit. Body of ice crystals? Tricky to cook.
Think later.
Eyes closed; sleep pulled.
Morning sun bathed the World Tree summit. Eyes open, something felt changed. Mana flow shifted again. Nest humidity, branch sap, distant deep-lake currents—all sensed blind. Water anywhere extended my reach.
Stretching, light particles streamed from my wings, drifting through black feathers. Raising mana made them galaxy-swirl; lowering calmed them.
Not bad.
Kar dozed, then jolted awake. "M-Master! Good morning!"
"Caw."
(Yeah. Slept well?)
"Y-Yes…… But Master, your feathers are glowing……."
"Caw, cawrack."
(Yeah, it happened. Not bad, though.)
Kar blanked, then nodded resignedly.
I opened subspace, pulling Ignar meat and Abysal chunks side-by-side. Grilled Ignar with Abysal sashimi—what combo?
One Four King left: Prostia.
Kar drooped his wings. "……You're not heading out right now, are you?"
"C-Caw."
(Nah, rest today, tomorrow.)
Tears welled in Kar's eyes. "Thank you……!"
Couldn't fathom the drama, but whatever. Rest day. Time for Abysal sashimi trials.
Three of the Four Kings gone. The World Tree's mightiest vanishing quietly. The ripples across the tree? The oversized crow pondered Abysal ink sauce recipes, blissfully unaware.