In the next second, the giant crab’s pincer met the elemental black snake head-on. However, the collision between the two behemoths didn't produce the expected impact; instead, the black snake instantly dissolved into a mass of black mist under the strike.
Not only the fearful mermaids but even the giant crab was momentarily stunned, thinking its opponent was incredibly weak.
But before they could celebrate for even two seconds, the mist transformed into countless pitch-black claws, flooding the entire sea area indiscriminately.
The dense dark elements were omnipresent, penetrating the giant crab’s solid shell and acting directly on its fragile internal organs.
The giant crab, despite its formidable defense, lasted only a few seconds before completely losing its life under the erosion of the dark elements. The mermaids huddled beneath the crab's shell fared even worse.
The moment those black claws touched them, the terrifying dark elements utterly destroyed their bodies. Even their thick, hardened skin offered no protection.
When the explosion of dark elements finally dissipated, the scene on the seabed reappeared before everyone’s eyes. At that moment, it was as if the entire ocean floor had been muted; it was terrifyingly silent.
Within a radius of dozens of meters centered on the giant crab, every creature caught in the blast had been turned into a greyish-black statue.
They swayed slightly with the movement of the waves. At the slightest collision, they crumbled like dry biscuits, turning into a floor of debris.
Starlight looked at the terrifying effect of his magic in shock, swallowing hard.
This spell also came from the collection in the central area of the academy library, one of the ultimate techniques left behind by an Archmage named “Dark Nightmare.”
Unlike the primitive and crude spells used by Taros, the dark elements in this Archmage's research had many different applications.
The black snake from earlier was just one variation. With sufficient mana, one could even summon multiple black snakes to launch an all-out attack from every direction.
Starlight had used the spell with a trial mindset, but he hadn't expected that with the empowerment of the Dark Elemental Mark, the spell would erupt with power far exceeding what was recorded in the books.
If he had truly summoned several black snakes regardless of the cost, Po Kong and the others nearby would have certainly been caught in the crossfire. This thought left him with a lingering sense of fear.
“I’d better use this thing sparingly in the future...” Starlight thought to himself.
The distant mermaids who hadn't been affected remained dazed for a few seconds before collectively letting out shrill screams. This time, Starlight could clearly hear extreme terror in their voices.
The deaf-defying sound waves traveled far through the water once more. Even the two giant mermaids locked in combat with Po Kong and the others stopped their movements at the loud noise.
“What’s wrong with them? Get lost!” Taking advantage of his opponent’s distraction, Po Kong kicked the giant mermaid away.
Instantly, the mermaid’s mountain-like body flew like a cannonball, crashing straight into its companion who was fighting Xia Duo.
Xia Duo caught Po Kong’s movement out of the corner of her eye. She gracefully reached out and grabbed a strand of seaweed that had been enhanced by Moen, allowing its sway to pull her away from the spot.
The two giant mermaids, unable to react in time, collided with a loud thud and fell clumsily toward the seabed below.
Before they could even push themselves up, more seaweed bound them like pythons, locking them firmly in place.
“These mermaids... they seem to be summoning more of their kind again! Sister, we can't stay here any longer!” Moen said, looking up after binding the two giant mermaids tightly.
By then, Starlight had recovered from his shock. He quickly swam over to the three and spoke in an urgent tone.
“They aren't just summoning their kin. Something else is coming—something we absolutely cannot withstand!”
He had a premonition that things were about to spiral out of control, and a trace of anxiety crept into his voice.
“How do you know that?”
Xia Duo frowned, sounding puzzled. She had just started enjoying the fight and hadn't even settled her score with Po Kong yet. Why the sudden retreat?
In her eyes, although the mermaids were numerous, they weren't exactly unstoppable. She didn't understand why Starlight would use the phrase “absolutely cannot withstand.”
“I don’t know how to describe it. It’s just a vague premonition... if we don’t leave now, the consequences will be dire!”
Starlight didn't know how to explain this ethereal feeling. He couldn't exactly claim to have prophetic abilities, could he? That sounded too unreliable.
However, Po Kong stood firmly by his side and nodded in agreement.
“Little Star’s sixth sense is very accurate. It’s never a bad idea to trust him. Let’s get out of here quickly; I’ve had enough of this stifling underwater combat anyway.”
“Fine, then. Since you both put it that way... But Po Kong, we haven't finished our match yet! That one just now doesn't count!”
Seeing the situation, Xia Duo didn't insist further. She simply glared at Po Kong and spoke coolly.
“Fine, fine, it doesn't count~” Po Kong replied with a wry smile, nodding quickly.
As they spoke, an anomaly appeared in the cold seawater in the distance. From afar, it sounded like a massive school of fish was approaching at high speed.
“Hmph, I didn't expect it to actually come! Starlight, move us a bit further. We can't let the mermaids figure out which direction we’re heading!”
“Right, no problem!”
After Starlight agreed, Po Kong and the other two placed their hands on him again, letting the spatial bubbles envelop them.
With his previous experience, the distance Starlight could cover with Instant Movement was significantly greater, though it still hadn't reached his desired effect.
After a series of over a dozen consecutive teleports, the four finally stopped beneath a massive coral reef.
For one, Starlight’s mana couldn't sustain such frequent teleportation; these dozen movements had consumed more mana than all the spells he had used previously.
Secondly, his companions couldn't handle the discomfort caused by such rapid, continuous travel through space.
Aside from Po Kong, whose superior physical constitution left him only slightly dizzy, Xia Duo and Moen both looked as though they had just stepped off a violently tossing boat, their faces pale.
“Thank goodness! We’ve finally stopped... We should be far enough away now, right?” Xia Duo breathed a long sigh of relief, leaning her hand against the nearby coral.
“I didn't calculate the exact distance, but I think we’ve teleported several kilometers. Those mermaids shouldn't be able to catch up so quickly.”
Starlight, exhausted, panted as he spoke, immediately beginning to recover his mana.
“According to my father’s notes, the underwater current should have a very obvious whirlpool-shaped entrance. But I haven't seen any whirlpools along the way. This ruin is limited in size; we just need to screen a few more locations...”
Moen kept her eyes closed, silently adjusting her state while quickly organizing the information in her mind for the group.
“Um... Little Crescent, sorry to interrupt, but the entrance you’re talking about... you don't mean that thing, do you?” Po Kong, who had been on guard, had climbed to the top of the coral reef. He pointed toward the area behind the reef as he spoke, having seemingly discovered something.
Hearing this, Starlight and the others immediately joined him at the top of the hill-like coral. They all froze the moment they saw what Po Kong was pointing at.
A massive rift, thousands of meters long, had appeared on the nearby seabed. It looked like the mouth of a giant beast, lying silently on the ocean floor.
And at the center of that abyssal maw, a constantly rotating whirlpool led directly into the depths of the rift.
Rate on N.U.
