Arknightcraft Modpack
Chapter 559: Someone Else Is Even More Anxious
The Emperor had long since lost track of how long they had been speeding across the sea.
Or rather—at this insane velocity, there was simply no room left to think about such things. Just gripping the railing with all his might to avoid being flung off into the ocean was already the absolute limit of what he could manage.
As for Kal'tsit and Nian, they were far from being as disheveled as the Emperor thanks to their own unique abilities. Even so, they couldn't help but feel a deep sense of astonishment at the sheer ability Steven was displaying right now.
There was no trick to it.
Anyone with eyes could see it clearly that Steven wasn't using any skill or technique whatsoever. He was simply rowing with pure, brute strength.
And that was exactly what made it so terrifying.
If that kind of power were applied anywhere else besides rowing… the consequences would be unthinkable.
"Kid's… built like a beast, huh. And that strength… it's honestly ridiculous…"
After hesitating for a while, Nian could only come up with such an awkward compliment. The truth was, Steven right now looked less like a person and more like some kind of monstrous powerhouse. Strength like that had already gone far beyond what any human could reach.
Who in the world could row a pair of oars with their bare hands and create a roar like a jet engine?
"…No matter what, he's on our side right now, so this kind ridiculousness is good."
Kal'tsit's expression was just as complicated.
She already knew Steven had a habit of doing things in completely unconventional ways, but this was still far too outrageous. With strength like that, why didn't he just push the boat directly?
At this rate, even if he fought a Feranmut barehanded, he might not lose.
Still, just as she said—it was precisely because he was currently on their side that this absurd level of power became a good thing. As long as it wasn't aimed at themselves, who wouldn't want a teammate like that?
"True enough. Honestly, I'm starting to think cooperating with Rhodes Island might not be something worth hesitating over anymore."
Nian turned to Kal'tsit with a faintly mysterious smile.
She could tell that Kal'tsit had only just brought Steven aboard Rhodes Island. As for whatever plans she had in mind, there was no way she'd told him yet. Otherwise, with Steven's personality, he wouldn't be smiling this carefree.
"And the thing you're trying to accomplish… with his help, it'd become much easier, wouldn't it?"
"The timing isn't right yet," Kal'tsit murmured softly.
"When the moment comes, I'll give him the freedom to choose for himself. For now, Rhodes Island needs a powerful ally like him to lean on."
She paused briefly before shifting her gaze forward.
"As for the matter at hand… that depends on whether he has a way to deal with it."
Carried by Steven as they tore through the waves and ventured deeper into the ocean, something finally began to take shape on the distant horizon—
An island.
Or rather, a volcanic island on the brink of eruption.
Thick plumes of smoke billowed into the sky, and the intense heat warped the air itself. Ash spewed from the volcano, blanketing the surrounding sea in heavy clouds that blocked out the sunlight entirely.
And yet, the island was far from shrouded in darkness.
From within, blazing rivers of magma and roaring flames illuminated the entire volcano, revealing its massive, awe-inspiring form in stark detail.
But the moment Kal'tsit laid eyes on it—
She felt it.
A strange sense of oppression… and despair.
The oppression was easy to understand—it was simply the instinctive fear humans felt in the presence of something overwhelmingly vast.
But the despair… that was harder to grasp.
It was like witnessing the final, desperate struggle of someone on the brink of death.
Even though it was nothing more than an island, it stirred a deep, inexplicable sorrow within her heart—one that refused to fade.
The aura of death lingered around the volcanic island.
The magma still churned. The volcano still burned with relentless heat.
And yet…
At this very moment, it resembled the last, fleeting brilliance before death—
Magnificent.
And unbearably tragic.
"Looks like the kid wasn't exaggerating. This island really is alive. And to be honest… I'm not even sure what state it's in right now, but the energy it's giving off—"
Nian paused for a moment, her gaze fixed on the distant volcanic mass.
"—even the complete version of me and my siblings from back then… probably couldn't compare to it."
The pressure Kal'tsit felt—there was no way Nian wouldn't feel it too. Even for someone like her, the sheer spectacle before them drew a genuine sigh of awe.
Sometimes, you just had to admit it.
The craftsmanship of nature could be terrifying.
What kind of circumstances could possibly give birth to a monstrosity like this?
And more importantly…
Even something this overwhelmingly powerful still couldn't escape the inevitability of death.
That alone was enough to leave Nian feeling a rare trace of melancholy.
"Oh, it's far beyond that, kid."
Now that they were approaching their target, Steven finally slowed the boat down. The Emperor, at last, was able to loosen his death grip on the railing and collapse back into a more human posture—retching slightly as he did so—while casting an indescribable look toward the massive volcanic entity drifting steadily across the ocean.
"Not even I have ever seen this kind of energy… or a creature this bizarre."
Among them, in terms of experience, only Kal'tsit—the mysterious lynx—could compare to beings like the Emperor, who were practically immortal.
And yet, even so…
None of the Beast Lords had ever encountered anything like this creature.
It was as if it had suddenly appeared in this world out of nowhere.
Otherwise, there was no way beings like them wouldn't have at least heard of a monster that carried such immense power.
At this point, the Emperor had absolutely no doubt in Steven's earlier claim—
That if this thing exploded, it could blow half the continent into the air.
Honestly, if it were buried deep enough… it might not just be the land. It could very well take the oceans with it.
Wipe the entire world clean and start everything over again.
That wasn't even an exaggeration anymore.
Just the creature's size—and the sheer density of energy radiating from its surface—was already this absurd. It was almost impossible to imagine how catastrophic it would be if that energy ever spiraled out of control.
And judging by the current situation…
That possibility was only becoming more likely.
Just as Steven had said, if this thing suddenly failed to catch its "next breath" and died on the spot, the energy sealed within its body would erupt all at once.
At that point, it wouldn't even matter whether you called it "death" or "detonation."
The result would be the same.
"I've got a feeling… there are some folks out there who are even more anxious than we are right now."
The Emperor glanced sideways at Kal'tsit. The two of them clearly thought of the same thing at the same time.
Unlike Kal'tsit's helpless expression, however, the Emperor couldn't help but feel a strange, almost bitter amusement.
"Now that I think about it, no wonder the Sea Terrors have been unusually quiet lately. Looks like those ancient things lurking in the ocean… are dealing with the exact same headache as us."
Kal'tsit shook her head slightly.
"This is no longer a problem for any single individual. It's something that concerns the entire world."
No one could afford to let that thing explode.
The only difference was—
Some were simply far more desperate than others.
"But have you considered what that also implies?"
Rubbing her temples, Kal'tsit's tone grew heavier—far less optimistic than the Emperor's.
"If those things in the sea could deal with it… do you really think it would still be roaming the ocean so openly?"
Her words hung in the air like a shadow.
The fact that even those who dwell in the deep couldn't resolve this situation was precisely what made it so terrifying.
"Still… for now, I think we should hear from the person with the most authority on this matter."
Kal'tsit's previously tense tone softened. Slowly, she shifted her gaze toward the black-haired young man who had just leapt back onto the boat.
At the very least, the one most likely to deal with this world-threatening disaster… wasn't showing even a hint of despair.
"…Why are you all staring at me like that?"
Steven rolled his shoulders, loosening up his arms after the intense strain of rowing at absurd speed. Walking back over, he dropped himself beside Kal'tsit and the others, following their line of sight toward the distant, moving volcano.
"I just dragged all of you here with my life on the line, you know? Shouldn't someone at least pour me a glass of beer or something? Or fine, I'll settle for a glass of water so I can wipe off the sweat."
Despite his casual complaints, his eyes remained fixed on the colossal figure in the distance.
Compared to Kal'tsit and the others, Steven clearly understood this thing far better.
Which was exactly why he knew that what they were seeing right now was merely it crawling.
If it were truly provoked…
That thing could rise upright like Godzilla and unleash all kinds of devastating attacks.
Back when he had only heard about it through Mostima's description, it hadn't felt particularly real. But now that he was seeing it up close, Steven finally understood just how terrifyingly enhanced this version of Zorah Magdaros was compared to the one in his memories.
That enormous body—
It wasn't just "big."
Even from this distance, he could clearly feel the tremors caused by its movement, like the sea and earth themselves were quaking beneath its steps.
And then there was the heat.
The sheer, overwhelming heat radiating from its body.
Just thinking about how this thing could explode at any moment…
Steven couldn't help but sigh inwardly.
If explosion was art, then this thing was undoubtedly the Mona Lisa.
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Note: Character Illustration is in this Google Drive:
https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/1iuyfwNVFHzIi9H4rWNT_lAm7jTSiah_M
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Tn: I updated the story daily, but if you want to see more chapter of this story ahead of time, please go to my Patreon.
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