Chapter 166: The Sea Well
The point was this.
In my mind, the plans of the past Kim Shin-hwa remained.
Don't hesitate and just open the door.
The sea well was a gate created for Dagon's descent.
If the gate opened, Dagon would descend.
But even if I opened it, Dagon wouldn't be able to descend since it wasn't ready yet on its side.
Exactly.
The deep-sea people had completed the sea well and were waiting for the right time for Dagon's descent, the day when the stars would align.
If I opened it today and exhausted all the power of the well, Dagon wouldn't be able to descend.
From Dagon's perspective, it would be like trying to catch a bus, only for it to leave earlier than scheduled.
And the next bus wouldn't arrive for another thousand years.
There would be quite a few problems arising as a consequence of opening the gate, though...
But it couldn't be helped.
This was the only way to prevent the most damage.
It was a gateway connected to the abyss.
Now that it was open, something immense was bound to happen.
For example...
Grrrrr- Screeeeech- Kueeeeeek-
From the other side, something immense was climbing up the well and it was emitting overwhelming magical power. Perhaps Dagon was startled by the sudden opening of the gate and it sent one of its avatars. Or maybe a random monster nearby had been startled and crawled out.
Though I could prevent Dagon from emerging, if I left things as they were, even more powerful deep-sea people than the True Person of the Tortoise might come through that gate.
Something even bigger might come through, but that's a problem for future Kim Shin-hwa to handle with some masterful skill, right?
Ugh. Past Kim Shin-hwa hadn't decided how to deal with it. The plan was basically to go with the flow!
Whoosh—
And this was the solution I came up with.
The magic stone bomb left my hand. It started spinning as it sliced through the air.
It was a crude device, almost similar to a piece of a necromancy golem.
Honestly, it didn't have to be this specific device to achieve a similar effect, but...
Whoosh—
The magic stone bomb flew in an arc.
I could predict what would happen in a few seconds. My brain which was now pumping out adrenaline at an incredible rate made everything around me feel slow.
Whoosh—
This device was designed to convert pure magic stones into explosive force.
As expected, its power increased exponentially with the number of magic stones added.
That's why I had Doldol pour in a huge amount of magic stones.
But that wasn't the only fuel.
First, there was the magical power I infused into the magic stone bomb.
And then...
Rumble—
The sea well itself would become the source of explosive energy.
The magical power accumulated over decades by the deep-sea people.
The dozens of deep-sea people I forced into the well all at once.
The sea well's gate opened. That well was not just a simple pit; it was a gate connected to a part of the abyss.
Rumble—
An enormous amount of deep sea magic overflowed that it was clearly visible even to the naked eye.
The energy that had remained in the metaphysical world was drawn into the physical world and it transformed into something more intuitive and tangible—like seawater, gold, fish, monsters, impact, explosions—
Some of it was seeping into the body of Yong-soo who presided over the Dragon King Festival.
"Grrrrr—"
Crack— Snap—
The body of Yong-soo who had once been an imperfect deep-sea hybrid transformed dramatically. Yong-soo's body mutated as if time had been sped up; he grew scales tougher and stronger than any deep-sea person with menacing claws and fluttering gills.
Yong-soo not only became a complete deep-sea person but was also undergoing changes beyond that. He would either become the strongest deep-sea person in history or perhaps even a vessel for Dagon, just as Jang Hyeon-deok once had.
"Red—"
Kkiiiiieeeeee!
—Now!
I couldn't finish the sentence, but Red understood my intent. Red began absorbing the magical power infused in Yong-soo's body at an incredible speed.
"Ugh!"
Yong-soo's body, which had been on the verge of further growth, began to contract instead.
Kyaaaaah- Kuaaaaah-
The sounds of massive and dangerous monsters crawling up from the depths of the well. There were more than just one or two. If they emerged, not only Paju but the entire world would be thrown into chaos.
Bang!
Clang— Clang— Clang—
This was the sound of the magic stone bomb striking the inner walls of the well and bouncing off as it slowly descended deeper and deeper into the well.
The magic stone bomb was about to explode. Although it was a crude and simple device, everything that had been set up until now would cause an immense chain reaction.
[Sound Wave Distortion]
————-!!!
Boom? Thud? Crash?
Was it something like that?
A horrific noise erupted, one so intense that it was imperceptible to human ears. Vibration. Shock. An earthquake. Instinctively, I triggered my magic to protect myself.
The magic stone bomb had exploded.
A tremendous amount of shock and an overwhelming surge of magical power burst forth explosively. It was too much! Red couldn't handle the massive amount of magical power with its absorption efficiency. The magical power that couldn't be absorbed was instantly converted into physical force. A tremendous impact radiated in all directions. Ugh, I'm going to die!
[Protective Circle]
[Spell Enhancement: Maximization]
[Spell Enhancement: Multicasting]
Swoosh!
The child of darkness wrapped its tendrils around me to shield my body.
————-!!!
Was it a crash? Or a bang?
The scene of the well springing out at a speed too fast to see.
Though I couldn't perceive it with my ears, the impact was so terrifying that it shredded the protective barriers I had created. If the child of darkness hadn't protected me, I wouldn't have survived.
I sent part of my consciousness to retrieve Red.
"Kkiiiiiieeee!"
Red came flying out of the well's body.
"Don't come here! Just go back to the village!"
I channeled magical power into the child of darkness.
"Let's get out of here!"
Whoosh—
The child of darkness was infused with my magical power, enhancing its speed and defense. Good. Let's run!
Soon, this village will be wiped off the map!
Swoosh—
I was wrapped in its tendrils and dashed like that down the mountain.
————-!!!
Was that a roar? Or a boom? Or maybe a crash?
An enormous amount of water surged out of the well, the pressure was terrifying. In just a second—no, in 0.1 seconds—the dam shattered into pieces. A white pillar of water shot into the sky. It was as if a hole had been punched through the earth.
A massive volume of water surged out, far beyond what the well could contain. Not just the well, but the ground split open, and the mountain was torn apart. Unable to withstand the water pressure and shock, the ground itself was launched skyward.
Like a volcano erupting with lava, the earth rose into the air, spewing an immense amount of water.
"Creak—" "Creak—" "Creak—" "Creak—" "Creak—" "Creak—" "Creak—" "Creak—" "Creak—" "Creak—"
The child of darkness gnashed its teeth with hundreds of mouths. The sight was so bizarre that even this surreal creature felt fear. Or was it excited? Either way, calm down, little one. If we stay here any longer, we'll die!
————-!!!
Was that a hiss? Or a roar? A rush of water?
Water poured down from the sky. This wasn't rain. Trees snapped and the earth crumbled.
From the cracked earth, an immense amount of water erupted, surging out to engulf everything around it. The huge wave overflowed and covered the mountains before spilling in every direction.
A torrent of mixed debris—trees, soil, rocks, and the bodies of the deep-sea people—came crashing down. The real danger had not even begun.
The truly dangerous moment will be when the water pressure from that column weakens.
The water column still shot upward, as if it would pierce the sky and reach the universe.
The moment that immense amount of water returns to the ground, the real water hell, the true time of flooding, will begin.
Rumble! Boom! Crash!
"They did it!"
I shouted in overwhelming emotion.
Some of the necromancy golems that had been sent ahead had completed their tasks. The rest were heading down to the village to take care of the villagers.
Rumble—
This was a mountain.
Behind, an enormous wave was surging down, and though it might soon become part of the sea or a huge lake, for now, it was still a mountain.
And there, halfway up the mountain, a huge ship had appeared with uncanny precision.
It was the huge sailing ship the deep-sea people had prepared for the Dragon King's descent.
Originally, Dagon was supposed to board that ship and move to kill all the land-dwelling creatures on dry land. Ah—what a shame, though. Dagon missed the bus. He'll catch the next one, so he'll be about 1,000 years late!
That ship that was now without its master would become my precious lifeboat in this terrible situation.
Rumble!!
No matter how fast and strong the child of darkness was, there were limits.
The huge wave was about to swallow us whole. Water spray shot up.
Bam bam bam bam bam!
That was the sound of water droplets striking the protective shield! It was as powerful as shotgun pellets! Right behind us! We were about to be devoured!
I channeled a vast amount of magical power into the child of darkness who was running in my place and gave the command.
"Run!"
Boom!
The view shot upward at an incredible speed. The pressure on my spine and neck was excruciating.
"Aaaargh!!"
If I hadn't wrapped my body in magical power, this leap alone would have snapped my body like a twig.
At some point, I felt the pressure ease. It was as if time briefly stopped, and all gravity vanished. Sky. Mist. A feeling of weightlessness. A hint of exhilaration. This was the peak of the leap.
Then I began to fall again.
"Ugh—"
My vision spun wildly. The ship rushed toward me at incredible speed. The bizarre forms of the necromancy golems loomed closer. Through the eyes of one of the necromancy golems, I could see myself. I was controlling the necromancy golems by splitting part of my consciousness.
Kim Shin-hwa who was wrapped in the tendrils of the child of darkness as he fell gripped his mask tightly with both hands. As if he was afraid it might slip off. Come on, can't you make a more impressive descent?
Thud!
"Hah!"
We landed on the ship. There were three necromancy golems on board: Teeth, Shooter, and a normal type directly controlled by my consciousness.
The necromancy golem opened its mouth and spoke in my voice.
"Good. You did well. Now, I'm heading over there."
"What?"
"What?"
"Never mind, just go quickly."
"Alright."
Ridiculous. I'm even having a conversation with myself because I'm splitting my consciousness between too many things. Is this really okay?
Creak—
The atmosphere of the necromancy golem speaking in my voice changed. That's because it had begun controlling the other necromancy golems in the village.
Boom! Krrraaaash!
Ugh, this isn't the time to be thinking about that.
The ship began to be swept away by the waves. If a powerful wave struck a ship grounded on land, it would typically either be smashed to pieces or toppled over.
However, this ship that was powered by magic stones exerted a magical force, allowing it to ride the terrifying tidal wave.
Craaaaash!!
"Argh, damn it!"
Of course, during that process, the necromancy golems and I nearly got thrown off—
Ssshhh!
—but thanks to the child of darkness wrapping its tendrils around us, no serious harm was done.
"Aaaah!"
"The Dragon King! The Dragon King!!"
"Please save us! Please, save us!"
"Geukul Hutagan! Geukul Hutagan!"
Screams, cries, horror, and desperate pleas filled the air. The villagers were in a complete state of panic. Some even began reciting prayers to Dagon and Cthulhu.
It can't be helped.
A world-shattering earthquake. An enormous column of water surged toward the sky as if it would pierce the heavens. The torrential downpour that followed seemed as though it might tear the sky apart.
The Insu village which was already built on an unstable foundation had collapsed entirely.
The villagers were gathered in the center of the village under the protection of the necromancy golems.
A massive tidal wave was rushing toward them. In 20 seconds—no, 10 seconds—the villagers, with their frail human bodies, would be caught in its overwhelming force.
At that moment, I who was inside the necromancy golems thought to myself,
There's no choice but to run.
My consciousness was splitting again.
The necromancy golems reconfigured their appendages and increased the number of their arms.
Can we even run on such unstable ground? No, I had no choice but to trust my judgment.
The me on the ship will help with magic, right?
"......."
As I observed myself from a third-person perspective, I wondered: am I the type who likes to shift responsibility onto others without a plan?
Ah, who cares!
"Alright, run!"