SCRAH!!
The sound suddenly tore through the underwater city.
The ancient tunnels trembled.
The faint lights flickered one after another as a massive shadow moved behind the statue.
Katsa froze.
Michael slowly turned around.
Salim immediately reached for his bow.
Ikiro's eyes narrowed.
Then—
BOOM!
A massive creature erupted from the darkness, rising from behind the ancient ruins.
Its enormous serpent-like body curled through the water, its eyes glowing through the darkness.
"WHAT?!"
Ikiro immediately raised his hand.
"RETREAT! BACK!"
The group began moving away.
But the creature didn't attack.
Instead, its deep voice echoed throughout the entire city.
"No need to go anywhere."
Everyone stopped.
The creature slowly lowered its head toward them.
"I am Jaga..."
The ancient ruins seemed to grow quieter.
"...the Lord of Snakes."
Salim stared at him.
Then, surprisingly calmly, he pointed toward himself.
"I am Salim... the unhuman being."
Michael looked at him.
"Are we introducing ourselves with nicknames now?"
Salim glanced at him.
"It seemed appropriate."
Michael sighed.
"Of course it did."
Even Katsa couldn't help but look confused.
Ikiro stepped forward.
His expression remained serious.
"Who are you... and why are you here?"
Jaga's enormous eyes slowly moved toward the ancient book.
"I am the entity who was trapped inside this book..."
His voice echoed through the ruins.
"...by Lacod Darmen."
The moment he said the name—
Ikiro froze.
"Lacod Darmen?"
Salim's eyes widened.
He immediately thought about the ancient sword they had discovered.
That's the same name written on the sword.
Ikiro looked toward Salim.
"Lacod Junyu..."
He paused.
"...and Lacod Darmen."
The two names suddenly felt connected.
"The names are similar."
Jaga smiled faintly.
"Now that you have freed me..."
His enormous body shifted through the water.
"...I will do anything for you."
Ikiro didn't trust him.
"Why were you trapped?"
He stared directly at Jaga.
"Lacod Darmen is known as a hero. Why would a hero fight you?"
Jaga's expression changed.
"Lacod Darmen..."
His voice became colder.
"...is no hero."
Everyone became silent.
"He is a selfish being. He does whatever he finds good for himself."
Salim narrowed his eyes.
"Or maybe..."
He looked directly at Jaga.
"...you are not a hero."
Jaga slowly laughed.
"I, Jaga, am not a hero."
The water around him shifted.
"I am just a normal god."
Michael blinked.
"A normal god?"
Katsa looked at him.
"How is that normal?"
Michael shrugged.
"I don't know anymore."
Ikiro ignored them.
He continued questioning Jaga.
"Why are you trapped here? And how is this place underwater?"
Jaga looked around the ancient city.
For a moment, there was something almost sad in his expression.
"This used to be above water."
Everyone looked around.
The broken buildings.
The ancient bridges.
The massive statues.
The forgotten streets.
"This city..."
Jaga's voice echoed through the ruins.
"...was once the great NOCTHARIS."
Katsa's eyes widened.
"Noctharis..."
Jaga continued.
"The land of peace."
A pause.
"Love."
Another pause.
"Happiness."
The atmosphere suddenly felt heavier.
Then Jaga's expression darkened.
"Until..."
He stopped.
Ikiro immediately asked:
"Until who?"
Jaga's body began fading into the darkness.
"Until he happened."
Salim stepped forward.
"Who happened?"
Jaga's voice became distant.
"I can't speak much..."
His form continued disappearing.
"...my time is ending."
Everyone stared.
Then his final words echoed through the underwater city.
"The answer lies not in the book..."
A pause.
"...but in the city."
Jaga disappeared.
Silence returned.
Michael stared at the empty water.
"Wow..."
He looked around.
"He just came... and left."
Salim slowly looked toward Ikiro.
"Lacod Darmen is Junyu's dad..."
He paused.
"...maybe. Or something."
Michael crossed his arms.
"He is a great hero."
He looked toward the ancient city.
"I remember when I was seven. People used to worship him."
Katsa looked toward the place where Jaga disappeared.
Now there were even more questions than before.
"So... what is the plan now?"
Ikiro looked at the ancient ruins.
Then at the time.
"Time is ticking."
He pointed toward the deeper parts of the city.
"Salim. Michael. Go through the ruins."
Salim nodded.
"And when our oxygen runs out?"
"Return."
Ikiro looked at everyone.
"When everything is done, we regroup. We're in duos now."
Salim nodded.
Michael gave a small sigh.
"Fine."
The two disappeared into the darker ruins.
Their silhouettes slowly vanished between the ancient buildings.
Katsa turned toward the book.
Ikiro stepped beside her.
"Let's see this book."
Katsa opened it.
Page after page.
Nothing.
Another page.
Nothing.
Another.
Still nothing.
The ancient book was filled with words, but none of them seemed connected to their situation.
Ikiro finally stopped.
"The last chapter's name is..."
He looked down.
"The Destroyer."
Katsa leaned closer.
Ikiro began reading.
His expression slowly became more disappointed.
"This book is so boring."
Katsa looked at him.
"Seriously?"
Ikiro continued.
"It's just a random story about a king who finds his power, summons the great sword, and turns a land of violence into peace."
Katsa sighed.
"Let's hope the last chapter has something in it."
Ikiro turned the final pages.
Then he stopped.
The title appeared.
THE DESTROYER
Below it was a short passage.
Ikiro read:
"It holds the key to open the portal of the power of God..."
Katsa leaned closer.
"...the land where everyone is sealed..."
Ikiro's eyes narrowed.
"...the RUKEN."
Silence.
Katsa suddenly looked up.
"That's it!"
Ikiro stared at the page.
"Just ten words."
Katsa frowned.
"That's all?"
Ikiro thought for a moment.
"The Destroyer can open the Ruken, where high beings are sealed."
He closed the book slightly.
"And that's all we know."
Katsa looked at the next page.
"No."
Ikiro looked at her.
"What?"
"There's another page."
She turned it.
The writing continued.
"The Destroyer can be summoned by the energy of Lagus Laina..."
Ikiro's eyes widened slightly.
Katsa continued.
"...which is what the ores are made from."
She looked at Ikiro.
"That means..."
Ikiro nodded.
"Nothing new."
They both stared at the book.
After everything they had gone through, the ancient book had revealed only a few pieces of the puzzle.
Katsa closed it.
"In short..."
She smiled faintly.
"Never judge a book by its cover."
Ikiro nodded.
"At least we know something that might help us in the future."
Footsteps echoed through the ruins.
Salim and Michael returned.
Their oxygen tanks were nearly empty.
Michael immediately shook his head.
"There is literally nothing in the city."
He looked around.
"It's a great design, but it's way too dark to find anything."
Salim nodded.
"We searched as much as we could."
Michael checked his oxygen.
"And ours is ending."
Ikiro closed the ancient book.
The mystery of Noctharis had only grown deeper.
Jaga was gone.
The city remained silent.
And somewhere above them—
the 10,000 ores were already being activated.
Ikiro looked toward the surface.
"Time to head back."
The group began moving.
But none of them noticed the faint shadow moving deep inside the ruins...
A shadow that had been watching them ever since Jaga disappeared.
TO BE CONTINUED...