"It's quiet."

"Too quiet."

"I'm retreating to drop Ayu off."

"Chiara, Wang, maintain at least 500 meters above the water level at all times. Report any anomalies."

"Anomalies? I doubt that bastard wants to be seen. It's probably waiting to ambush us, just like its minions."

"Let's give it a couple more minutes. If there's no reaction, then… Alonso, can you initiate?"

"Hey, why is it always Alonso? I can do it."

"Ayu, while I have nothing against that… you do realize you can't fly, and you'll be dead if you fall in the water, right?"

"Fall in the water? Maybe you," she laughs. "I can run on water."

"Oh… that's interesting. But it makes sense. If you're already counteracting 80% of your body weight, then by dynamically redistributing the remaining force at each point of contact—basically treating every step like a micro-adjusted force application—you should be able to maintain surface stability without breaking through—"

"Chiara, I love the enthusiasm, but maybe save the lecture for later? I'm gonna go say hi to the boss now, okay?"

"Show-off," Ayu switches to a private channel. "Remember the promise."

I send her a thumbs-up as I drop her off near Lukas and the others.

"Let's give it more time first."

"I'll be gaining momentum. Just let me know when to move in," I say, already accelerating through the air.

The scenario has certainly changed. The Isles now feels like a much more fitting name—if not for the fact that the largest remaining piece of land is barely 100 square meters. The rest? Scattered fragments, sparsely distributed across the map, almost like stepping stones intentionally placed to keep us moving.

Did The Tower not account for the fact that we could fly at this point? That would be nice… but something tells me it won't be that easy.

I push forward, feeling the wind resistance build around me, the sheer force pressing against my body like an invisible barrier.

Each slight movement of my limbs sends subtle shifts through the air, the pressure adjusting around me as I cut through it.

I have to admit, it's a good spot for a flight. The endless ocean stretches beneath me, vast and deceptively serene. But… why is it so calm? What kind of abomination is lurking down below?

"Well… let's get to it—Alonso."

"On it."

I fly to the edge of the map, gradually lowering my downward acceleration until it perfectly cancels out gravity, keeping my vertical velocity at zero while maintaining full momentum in the horizontal. I hover just 30 meters above the water, the stillness below me unsettling.

I take a deep breath.

"Be ready to react. Push Overdrive, don't risk it," Ayu's voice echoes in my head.

I smile, sending her a mental kiss and a thumbs-up.

I push beyond full-state.

A pulse surges through my body. The world sharpens, every detail crystallizing into hyper-clarity. The ocean's surface becomes an intricate web of shifting currents, each ripple a whisper of something unseen below.

I accelerate forward with everything I have.

The moment I surge forward, the ocean reacts. My sheer velocity disturbs the surface, sending concentric waves rippling outward in my wake.

At first, they are shallow disturbances—displacement waves spreading like thin scars across the water. But as my speed climbs, so does the intensity.

The sheer force of my movement starts generating surface gravity waves, the energy spreading outward in long, rolling undulations, distorting the once-pristine calm.

Still, nothing.

Seconds pass. No movement. No response.

I keep pushing forward, my momentum building. Faster. The rush of air roars past me. The ocean stretches endlessly in every direction, but no sign of life stirs below.

Not even the usual octopuses.

I glance down. The abyss beneath remains undisturbed. Silent.

Is 30 meters too high? Or am I not close to it?

I lower slightly, descending to 20 meters above the water, adjusting my trajectory, sweeping across a wider area. The wind whips against my armor as I carve through the sky, my eyes and waves scanning every possible disturbance.

Still nothing.

Just as I consider speaking, it happens.

BAM!

A massive spiked tendril erupts from the water at blinding speed, lancing toward me like a harpoon.

Instinct kicks in.

I shove my force output to the side, twisting my entire body at the last possible moment. The tendril barely misses—so close that the air it displaces slams into me like a shockwave.

Shit. That was fast.

The scent of salt and something fouler—organic, rotten—hits my nose.

I realign, only for my waves to catch something else. A glint—movement.

A spike.

The tendril suddenly expels one of its jagged spikes, launching it straight at me like a projectile.

No time to dodge.

I cross my swords in an X and brace.

The impact slams into me, rattling my arms with bone-crushing force. I grit my teeth as I'm thrown back, the sheer kinetic transfer knocking me further off-course.

Cold mist sprays over me, droplets clinging to my hair and chest.

I use the momentum. I let it carry me, rolling through the air, then stabilize.

The water below is still again.

The silence returns.

This narrative has been purloined without the author's approval. Report any appearances on Amazon.

What the…

"Are you okay?"

"What was that?"

"Did it launch something? A ranged attack?"

I steady my breath, dialing Overdrive back down to full-state as I ascend.

My eyes lock onto the spot where I was ambushed.

Nothing. Just the lingering ripples from its last movement. No further disturbances.

"It has tentacles. It's fast. The tendrils have spikes, and it can launch them. The projectile speed is roughly 258 km/h. The trajectory slightly adjusts mid-flight, so don't expect a straight shot. It's possible it has some form of wave manipulation, similar to how we control our bullets."

I exhale, still scanning the water.

"Furthermore… it's a fucking coward."

"Well… this is a tricky one. Fighting it in the water is a big no. So the question is… how do we bring it out?"

"What if instead of Alonso alone, I go with him?" Wang suggests.

"Hmm… more people engaging it isn't a bad idea, but… let's study its attack pattern first." Lukas pauses. "Alonso, can you engage it a couple more times? Are you confident?"

"Can I retaliate?"

"NO."

Ayu…

I sigh. "At your orders, captain."

I push Overdrive again.

The world sharpens instantly. My body surges forward as I dive toward the water, keeping my altitude just low enough to bait the creature out.

The ocean remains eerily still.

Then—movement.

A spike-laced tendril erupts from below, snapping toward me like a spear.

I twist mid-air, the salty mist whipping against my skin as the tendril barely misses, the sheer force of its movement carving a deep wake into the water below.

The scent of churned brine fills the air.

I immediately shift my trajectory, diving at a sharper angle. Another tendril lashes out—faster this time. I roll sideways, the moisture clinging to my armor flung outward as I narrowly evade the strike, then pull up just in time to dodge a third attack from another angle.

It's quick, but I'm quicker.

A flurry of spikes launches in rapid succession, slicing through the air at unpredictable angles. I bank hard to the right, forcing myself into a rapid spin, the rush of wind and water hammering against me as I weave through them.

I stabilize mid-air, mist trailing from my armor as I push back into a climb.

The moment I break away, the ocean stills again. No movement. No follow-up.

Same pattern. Same ambush. Same retreat.

"Well… it's predictable at least."

"It seems, in this state, it only attacks with its tendrils and those launched spikes. It would be useful to know if the spikes are limited or if it can regenerate them, but let's assume the worst-case scenario."

Lukas pauses, calculating.

"For now, there's not much to do but provoke it. Alonso, send the images to Chiara and Wang. Wang, you'll assist Alonso in dodging the spikes. Chiara, you'll shoot the tentacles with the bullets. Let's see if spilling a little blood gets it to surface."

I transfer the images—snapshots of its previous attacks—to Wang and Chiara. They confirm back.

Seconds later, they reach my position, hovering next to me.

I glance at Wang. We nod.

Time to move.

I dive first, cutting through the air in a sharp downward arc. Wang follows a second later, positioning himself slightly to my flank.

The ocean remains still. Waiting.

Then—attack.

A massive tendril erupts from the depths, its jagged spikes gleaming under the fractured sunlight. The sheer force of its emergence sends a blast of seawater spraying into the air as it lashes toward me.

I twist mid-air, angling my swords outward.

My left blade slides against the incoming limb, redirecting the impact just enough for me to slip past while using the momentum to vault higher. Wang shifts instantly, sweeping behind me in a perfect counter-movement, forcing another rapid dodge as a second tendril bursts forth.

I kick off the air using my wave-enhanced momentum, flipping over the tendril just as it whips past.

Wang mirrors me, dodging upward as well, his rapid acceleration bursts allowing him to manoeuvre easily in the air.

Third strike incoming.

The air pressure shifts. I brace.

A volley of spikes launches—fast, erratic. Wang intercepts, his sword flashing as he deflects two in quick succession. I roll mid-flight, my body twisting as another spike narrowly misses my ribs, the whistle of its velocity sharp in my ears.

And then—

A sharp crack rings out.

A single bullet slices through the air.

It punches straight into the exposed flesh of the tentacle—Chiara's shot.

For the first time, we see it.

A thick spray of blue blood erupts from the wound, scattering into the water below.

The creature reacts.

A deep, guttural roar vibrates through the water, making the very air around us tremble.

I barely have time to register it before more tendrils surge upward, the attacks coming faster, wilder, the spikes launching in rapid-fire succession.

I dive again, my body twisting in a controlled spiral to weave through the chaos. Water clings to me, seeping through the gaps in my armor, the cold pressing against my skin.

Chiara fires again. And again.

Each shot lands, each impact sending another spray of blood into the ocean.

The water churns violently.

And then—everything stops.

The ocean rises.

A massive wall of water surges upward.

But this isn't just another wave.

A monstrous shadow looms beneath the surface, growing, ascending, rising like a nightmare given form.

Then, in one colossal explosion of water and rage—

The boss emerges.

October 24, 2024 - Shanghai, China

"Oh my god…"

A woman covered her mouth, her voice barely above a whisper.

Across Shanghai, an unnatural silence fell. The streets, always loud with the hum of traffic and the murmur of millions, seemed to pause in collective disbelief. Faces

lit by the glow of massive LED screens, thousands stood frozen, eyes locked onto the impossible.

"What kind of monster is this…?"

The beast loomed above the ocean, its sheer scale defying everything they had ever seen. Tendrils, thick as buildings, coiled and uncoiled, sending sheets of water crashing down like liquid mountains. Eyes—dozens, no, hundreds—glowed like molten embers, each blinking with eerie, synchronized intent.

Then, its maw opened.

A spiraling abyss lined with endless spokes, twisting inward like a grotesque vortex. The sheer depth of it made the human mind recoil.

A young boy gripped his father's hand, voice trembling. "Baba… is that a new movie?"

His father didn't answer.

On the largest screen in the city, Emilia Cortez blinked, her lips parting slightly—almost speaking, but stopping herself.

A sharp inhale. A small shake of her head, as if trying to process what she was witnessing.

"...Ladies and gentlemen…" Her voice, usually so confident, wavered. She exhaled sharply, steadied herself. "I… I don't even know how to begin describing what we're seeing."

She took a deep breath.

"All I can say is… this is real. This is The Tower."

The crowd inhaled as one.

"We are witnessing a being that shatters every concept of scale we have ever known. A creature so vast, so alien, that even our mightiest predators… are nothing more than insects in comparison. What we are seeing is, in essence, a real-world kaiju—something that rivals the legendary Godzilla in sheer scale, existing within The Tower."

A sharp silence.

Then—the camera cut to them.

Three figures, moving like streaks of light across the air. The Climbers.

Emilia exhaled. Her voice was steady now.

"And yet… here they stand."

The camera zoomed in on their forms, dodging tendrils, weaving through impossible death.

"Not as prey…"

The beast screeched, its roar splitting the air as another bullet tore through one of its glowing eyes, bursting it in a spray of eerie, blue-tinted blood.

"But as hunters."

Far above, in the Shanghai Tower penthouse, a middle-aged man stood before a massive screen, the city stretching behind him in a sea of lights.

The monstrous beast roared, but he barely flinched.

His eyes were locked on one man.

Wang Jian.

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