Chapter 767: Kal'tsit, I want to... go to Lungmen! You're Hoshiguma disguised as a char siu cat, aren't you?
"Ha!!"
With a grunt of exertion, Gladiia drove her weapon through the carapace of a grotesque sea creature, the force of the blow sending shockwaves through the surrounding water. Again, Gladiia shattered a group of Seaborn with her spear, their fluids staining the tide a sickly color.
She quickly retreated, her movements a blur of grace and lethality.
Fighting Seaborn here, on their turf, would only be an endless endeavor. The ocean was infinite, and so were they.
She wasn't foolish enough to fight until she was unable to leave. Her stamina was vast, but not limitless.
Because she still had her own objective—a mission etched into her very bones.
To go ashore.
To find the other Abyssal Hunters who might have survived the catastrophe.
She found a gap in the writhing mass of tentacles and claws and rushed outwards, her silver hair trailing behind her like a comet's tail.
But the Seaborn seemed unwilling to let her leave. To them, Gladiia's body carried the scent of a blood relative—a deliciously evolved specimen they desperately wanted to reassimilate.
"..."
Gladiia's expression was cold, her red eyes narrowing as more shapes emerged from the surf.
It seemed she wouldn't be able to leave unless she killed all the Seaborn on this coastline. A daunting task, even for a captain of the Abyssal Hunters.
Just as she was about to engage in a fierce fight, preparing to unleash her Arts, a figure appeared before her without any warning.
There was no sound of teleportation, no displacement of air. He was just... there.
It was a man with no discernible racial features common to Terra—no horns, no halo, no animal ears.
Gladiia's first impression of him was that he might be an Aegirian like herself.
But his skin lacked the pallor of the deep dwellers, and his demeanor... it didn't match the stoic desperation of her people. He looked too relaxed. Too clean.
Suddenly, the man said faintly, looking at the horrors emerging from the waves, "The Seaborn are actually quite cute, in a grotesque sort of way."
"???"
Gladiia's body tensed, her grip on her spear tightening until her knuckles turned white.
He actually thought the terrifying Seaborn were cute? Was he insane? Or just blind?
However, in the next instant, her eyes widened, disbelieving what was happening before her.
Ren simply blew a breath. A casual, almost lazy exhalation.
Whoosh.
"Gah!!!"
All the Seaborn on this coastline screamed in unison—a sound that wasn't physical but psychic, a death knell that vibrated in Gladiia's skull. Their bodies instantly turned to ash, disintegrating as if they had been touched by the sun itself.
Not a single one remained!
The cloying, fishy smell of the sea monsters also vanished, replaced by the crisp scent of ozone.
Gladiia had no idea what had happened. Her combat instincts were screaming that this was impossible.
Ren turned around and said nonchalantly, dusting off invisible lint from his shoulder, "Sorry, I just dislike strong fishy smells. Ruins the appetite."
"..."
Gladiia did not relax her guard. If anything, she was more on edge now than when facing the swarm.
"You... are you an Aegirian?"
"No, I am human. But it's fine, even if I tell you, you might not understand the distinction."
Ren waved his hand dismissively and said, "Abyssal Hunter Gladiia, are you looking for other Abyssal Hunters?"
Gladiia's pupils constricted sharply. Her name. Her title. Her mission.
"Abyssal Hunters, and me... how do you know?"
"Let me introduce myself. I am Ren, a friend of Skadi."
"Skadi's... friend?"
Gladiia was stunned for a moment. The image of the solitary, aloof Skadi having a "friend" was harder to process than the instant annihilation of the Seaborn. But then, her training kicked in. She pointed her long spear directly at Ren's throat.
"Lies do not bring you trust. Skadi does not make friends."
Ren smiled calmly, ignoring the weapon inches from his jugular.
He could understand her actions. Trust was a luxury the Hunters couldn't afford.
"You don't believe Skadi can make friends, but it's the truth. She's actually quite clingy once you get to know her."
He spread his hands in a gesture of harmlessness. "Besides, I'm leaving now. Whether you believe it or not doesn't matter to me."
"..."
Gladiia stared at Ren, whose expression remained completely unmoved. For a long time, the only sound was the gentle lapping of the now-empty waves. She then chose to lower the spear in her hand.
It wasn't that she completely trusted Ren.
It was because Ren showed no hostility. And more importantly, if he wanted her dead, she would already be ash like the Seaborn.
"Skadi... where is she?"
"Rhodes Island. But I don't have the leisure to answer twenty questions. Do you want to come with me? If I'm in a good mood, I can take you to see her."
Ren proactively invited her.
After all, she had such long legs and a fierce elegance; leaving her here to rot on a desolate beach would be a waste of talent. And aesthetics.
"Where to? And state your purpose. Then I will consider it."
"Lungmen. The purpose is simple: I am very fond of you."
Lungmen.
Gladiia had heard of it. A mobile city of the Yan.
But... fond?
Her delicate brows furrowed slightly. "What aspects are you fond of? My combat ability? Do you want the Abyssal Hunters to become your weapons?"
That was the only thing she could think of.
Abyssal Hunters were weapons. Besides their strength to fight the Seaborn, they had no other value in the eyes of the surface dwellers.
However, Ren gave her a completely different answer.
He retorted with a scoff, "Do you think I need you Abyssal Hunters with my power?"
At the same time, he pointed his finger at the sea.
Boom!
Under Gladiia's horrified gaze, the sea trembled.
It wasn't a wave. It was a separation. The ocean split open, revealing the seabed miles below.
At the same time, she saw countless "children"—the Seaborn lurking in the deep—dissolve into nothingness in the chasm of the parted sea. They didn't even have time to scream.
This scene, like a biblical natural disaster summoned by a flick of a finger, gave Gladiia her first glimpse of Ren's true power. And she knew, instinctively, that this was just the tip of the iceberg.
It was a power even greater than the "Gods" of the Seaborn she had spent her life fighting.
"You... who exactly are you...?"
...
Meanwhile, at the Lungmen Guard Department (L.G.D.) Headquarters.
"Has Ren arrived yet?"
Hoshiguma's face was full of doubt. She paced back and forth, her heavy shield resting against her desk.
She hadn't seen Ch'en actually contact him on his phone, so she couldn't help but suspect that Old Ch'en was teasing her—or perhaps hallucinating from stress.
"It shouldn't be taking this long."
Ch'en was also puzzled. She checked her terminal again.
It had been a while now. With Ren's privilege to traverse worlds and his immense power, arriving here from wherever he was should have been instantaneous.
Old Ch'en didn't seem to be teasing her either. Her anxiety was genuine.
Hoshiguma pinched her chin and speculated, "Could it be that he encountered something and was delayed? A dimensional traffic jam?"
"This..."
Worried, Ch'en hesitated for a moment and then decided to ask directly in the Chat Group.
[Ch'en: Ren, did you encounter something? You're late.]
[Ren: Heh heh, I met an Abyssal Hunter on the way.]
[Skadi: !!!]
Splash!!!
Skadi, who was soaking in the bathtub at Rhodes Island, enjoying the rare sensation of warm water flowing over her skin, suddenly stood up. Water cascaded off her pale form, splashing onto the tiled floor.
She saw the message. An Abyssal Hunter!
It was a compatriot! A sister in arms!
[Skadi: The Abyssal Hunter you saw... who is she?]
[Exusiai: An Abyssal Hunter? Someone like Skadi who deals with the Seaborn? So is it someone Skadi knows? Another silver-haired beauty?]
[Ren: Her name is Gladiia.]
[Skadi: Gladiia...]
Skadi's red eyes flickered with intense emotion. The Second Captain. The swift one. She certainly remembered her. She thought she was the last one.
Stepping out of the bathtub, dripping wet, she didn't even bother to dry off properly.
She quickly pulled on her clothes—her hat, her coat, grabbing her massive sword.
Skadi, radiating a furious aura of determination, rushed out of her room and stormed towards Kal'tsit's office. Operators jumped out of her way, startled by the usually quiet Hunter's intensity.
"Boom!!!"
The office door was violently flung open, slamming against the wall.
Kal'tsit, who was reviewing medical files, looked up calmly. She narrowed her eyes, looking at the imposing Skadi. In the shadows behind the doctor, the terrifying spine-monster Mon3tr emerged, its mechanical eyes flashing red in warning.
"Skadi, what are you doing? You know the penalty for damaging Rhodes Island's public buildings. It will be deducted from your salary, leaving you penniless for a while."
"..."
However, Skadi had no desire to think about LMD or penalties right now.
She slammed her hands on Kal'tsit's desk, leaning forward.
"I want to go to Lungmen! Now!"
...
Back in Lungmen.
Ch'en looked up from her screen.
"Ren said he arrived."
"Arrived?"
Hoshiguma looked ahead at the door, but there was no one there. "Where? Is he invisible?"
"Arrived."
The voice came from behind her.
A large, warm hand rested on her shoulder.
"Hoshiguma, long time no see. You look as sturdy as ever."
Turning her face, Hoshiguma saw Ren. He was standing right there, hugging her side like a good buddy, smiling at her with that infuriatingly charming grin.
"!!!"
For a moment, Hoshiguma, the tough-as-nails Oni tank of the L.G.D., was so flustered that she didn't know how to respond. Her face heated up.
"Uh... well, l-long time no see, Ren."
"Hoshiguma, are you feeling unwell?"
This shy demeanor surprised Ch'en. She blinked, looking at her partner.
Anyone who didn't know better would have thought Hoshiguma was being impersonated by that troublesome rich cat, Swire. The Hoshiguma she knew would have laughed and slapped Ren on the back hard enough to bruise.
"Cough, it's nothing! Just... caught off guard."
Hoshiguma straightened her expression, shaking off the sudden girlishness. Her gaze, scanning the corner of her eye, fell upon the woman standing next to Ren.
Her expression instantly became serious.
Both to change the subject and to ask earnestly, she lowered her voice. "Ren, you seem to have brought a dangerous person."
Just standing there, Hoshiguma could feel it. The aura of countless battles Gladiia had experienced. It was sharp, cold, and relentless. It was the scent of the apex predator of the deep.
Very dangerous.
Her body's Oni cells screamed that Gladiia was a threat on a completely different level than the usual thugs they dealt with in Lungmen!
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