Meanwhile,
Jake stared at the cracked core.
Dark energy still leaked weakly from the wound where his sword had pierced it, but the once-threatening pulse had clearly weakened.
The bloated body of the Drowned Stalker remained still in the water, no longer thrashing or releasing its oppressive pressure.
Jake's grip on the hilt tightened slightly before he pulled his sword free.
The blade slid out with a faint resistance, trailing a thin stream of blackish fluid into the surrounding water.
He watched the core for another second and noticed that it no longer reacted.
Then a quiet sense of relief spread through his chest.
'…Haa… It's over.'
Without lingering any longer, Jake turned his body and kicked off the water, swimming upward toward the surface.
The darkness of the deep gradually lessened as he rose, the faint light above growing clearer with every stroke.
He kept his sword in hand, still alert out of habit, but the tension in his body had already begun to ease.
