After the sudden pull into the Creator's realm, Marco hadn't been the same. The conversation with the so-called vessel—Victor—echoed in his mind all day. The idea that the Creator was asleep, that war was coming, and that he had a part to play in waking a god—it was hard to grasp, even harder to ignore.
But what lingered more than the words was the feeling. Something had changed in him. It wasn't just in his thoughts or fears. It was physical. His body felt different. Stronger. He didn't get tired as easily. Tasks that usually left him sore or short of breath passed without effort. His senses felt sharper, though not in any dramatic way. It was subtle—an edge to everything. And when he paused and really focused, he could feel his blood moving inside him.
He thought of the old stories, the ones told by the villagers—stories of cursed beings who moved like shadows and felt the blood of others before they struck. Vampires, they called them. Marco had laughed at them once. Now, he wasn't so sure.
But he wasn't like the stories. There was no thirst. No loss of control. Just… potential.
That night, while lying in bed, he made a decision. He couldn't ignore this change, whatever it was. If this power was a gift—or a curse—he needed to understand it. And he couldn't do that in daylight, not around others. Questions would come too quickly.
So, starting tomorrow, after midnight, he would train in the jungle alone. No one would see and no one would suspect.
And maybe, in that solitude, he would begin to uncover what the Creator had truly awakened within him.
…
Liam already had some idea about the changes happening to him. It reminded him of vampires—stronger body, sharper senses—but there were differences. He didn't feel any thirst for blood, and there was no loss of control. It was more like an upgrade, something added to what he already had.
He stepped out into the yard with a book in his hand. It was an old text about vampires, filled with information on their abilities. He planned to go through the list and test each one to see what applied to him.
The faster he figured out what he could do, the sooner he could continue with his plans.
He started by focusing on his senses. The book mentioned life vision, so he covered his eyes for a few seconds, then uncovered them to test how well he could see. Next, he stood still and listened, trying to hear anything he normally wouldn't—movement in the trees, distant footsteps, insects.
He wasn't sure yet what this power would fully become, but one thing was clear—it was useful.
If that gathering that the vessel of the creator mentioned became regular and gave them power, he could use that to get stronger, faster than before.
He didn't trust the man calling himself Victor. Not yet. But he wasn't going to ignore the opportunity either.
For now, he would keep learning and preparing. The real work was just starting.
…
Alina sat on the roof outside her room, staring out at the quiet darkness that blanketed the village. Shadows stretched across everything, as they always did in this cursed land. But today, she didn't feel the usual heaviness in her chest.
She wasn't worried about who the Creator really was. That didn't matter to her. He had already saved her, saved her village. That was enough. Somewhere deep inside, she believed that once the Creator fully awakened, this land would finally be freed from its chains. And if she could help bring that day closer, she would. But for that, she needed to get stronger.
Without hesitation, she jumped down from the roof and started running toward the training grounds. Her boots hit the dirt as she moved past buildings and torchlights. When she arrived, she saw Arlasan in the middle of a lesson, guiding a group of young fighters through drills.
The moment she entered, the training slowed. Heads turned. Eyes followed her as she walked straight up to Arlasan.
"I want to train with you," she said, her voice steady.
Arlasan looked her over. He didn't say anything for a few seconds, then tossed the wooden sword he'd been using aside and grabbed the handle of his steel blade.
"I'm not going to go easy on you," he warned.
"That's what I want," she said.
She drew her sword. A faint golden light shimmered along the blade, pulsing as if it were alive. At the same time, she could feel her blood speeding up inside her veins, heat rushing through her limbs. Something had changed in her. The power from the Creator was real—and she intended to master it.
Arlasan didn't waste any more time. He stepped forward, blade ready.
The training had begun.
…
Arthur hurled his fifth sword with practiced force, and as it left his hand, the blade shimmered midair and multiplied into a dozen glowing replicas. They struck one of the Kraken's massive tentacles in unison, detonating with bursts of blinding light. The impact rippled through the thick, rubbery flesh, and the creature recoiled, its giant limb twitching in pain.
As he reached for his sixth sword, Arthur's eyes quickly scanned the chaotic battlefield. Leo, further out near the ghost ships, was cutting through the enemy with growing ease, slicing hulls and corpses alike. Laid and the rest of the crew had formed a defensive line on their ship, holding off the wave of insect-like monsters crawling from the Kraken's wounds. On the other side, Selina was engaged in a fierce fight against one of the colossal central tentacles. Her scythe danced through the air, cloaked in shadows, while three of the smaller limbs struck at her relentlessly, forcing her to move away from the main tentacle. Her crew held their ground, keeping the swarm of insects from overwhelming the ship.
So far, the momentum was on their side. But Arthur knew better than to get comfortable.
He drew his sixth sword, its hilt was engraved with light-forged lines. Spotting a vulnerable pivot on one of the limbs, he dove downward, slashing through a lump of muscle and splitting it cleanly. The severed chunk fell to the ocean below with a heavy splash.
Arthur didn't stop. He reached behind and pulled out his seventh sword, which shimmered and lengthened into a spear in his hand. With a deep breath and a flare of mana, he leapt into the air and hurled the spear downward. It pierced into the wounded tentacle, driving straight through muscle and cartilage. The weapon carved a path deep into the limb's interior, rupturing it and leaving a hollow tunnel through the Kraken's flesh. The creature let out a muffled, ocean-shaking groan as that part of its body slumped, barely functional.
Still airborne, Arthur clenched his jaw. This wasn't enough—not yet. If they were going to end this now, he had to move faster. He had to reach his final sword.
He gathered his strength and accelerated again, his aura intensifying. Around him, the battle raged on.
…
After destroying the fifth ghost ship, Leo prepared to rush toward the next target. Just as he took off, a massive tentacle whipped through the air, aiming directly at him. Despite its size and speed, Leo darted out of its reach, moving with agility. He twisted and rolled mid-air, dodging strike after strike. But no matter how fast he moved, the tentacle kept him too busy to go after the ships again.
He gritted his teeth. 'So that's the plan,' he thought. 'Keep me occupied while the ships go after others.'
While trying to maneuver around the tentacle, an explosion erupted behind him. An Arrow struck the side of one of the ghost ships, flames bursting across its deck. The wooden hull cracked and splintered.
"Leave those ships to us! Help the captain!" someone shouted.
Leo turned toward the voice. Laid and Briva stood at the bow of the ship.
He smiled and gave them a nod. "They're all yours."
With that, he turned his full attention back to the tentacle. This time, instead of evading, he lunged forward. His sword gleamed as he swung it in a wide arc, unleashing a Blood Slash. The crimson energy cut deep into the tentacle's side, severing a thick portion of it.
A hissing sound followed. From the wound, a swarm of insect-like creatures began pouring out. But Leo didn't give them the chance to spread. He held his blade steady. Drops of blood lifted from its edge, hovering mid-air. Then, with a gesture, they launched forward, each one like a bullet.
On impact, they exploded—small, precise bursts that tore into the swarm and the tentacle. These weren't ordinary strikes. Each drop had transformed into an explosive rune upon impact: Explosion Trap Bullets. The resulting blast incinerated the insects and charred the flesh around the wound.
As Leo continued cutting through the appendage, something caught his eye. The kraken's blood wasn't red—it was a thick, glowing green. Unnatural. Normally, he shouldn't be able to absorb blood like that, but it was worth the risk.
He drove his sword deep into the tentacle and waited. Slowly, he felt it—his sword was draining the blood. A grin spread across his face.
Without hesitating, Leo took off toward Arthur. "Arthur! Selina! Cut off three of the big tentacles!"
Arthur, already locked in combat, turned to him. "What? Why?"
Selina said second. "You do realize it regenerates, right? We need to sever it completely."
"No need," Leo said, eyes glowing red. "I have a plan."
He dashed toward one of the kraken's largest tentacles, weaving between toxic gas clouds and swarms of insects. His Blood Aura flared around him, neutralizing the poison before it could reach him. Once he was close enough, he raised his sword high.
"Blood Explosion," he whispered.
A massive crimson circle flared around him. A second later, part of the tentacle vanished with the circle. Even with his strongest spell, he hadn't been able to cut it entirely—but it was more than enough for what came next.
He sprinted toward the center of the remaining four tentacles.
Meanwhile, Arthur reached his target. He summoned his next weapon—Forty-One—then transformed it into a single massive blade. With one sweeping slash, he cleaved deep into the creature's flesh.
Selina followed suit. Two enormous shadow scythes formed in her hands, each held by towering phantom limbs. With a smooth, fluid motion, she cut deep into the other two tentacles in a single strike.
As Leo reached the center of the tentacle formation, he raised his sword again. Four streams of blood shot out, racing toward each of the open wounds. As soon as they touched, massive spell circles appeared—Gravity Traps. The pressure increased instantly, pinning the tentacles in place and halting the escape of more insects.
Then came the next phase. Blood along the tentacles shifted and solidified into thorn-like structures. They drove deep into the exposed flesh, connecting the wounds to Leo's blade. Slowly, blood began to flow—first a trickle, then a surge—as his sword absorbed it all.
The weapon pulsed with energy, glowing brighter with every second.
To keep the sword from overloading, Leo unleashed a barrage of Blood Slashes, to vent the excess power building inside the blade. He focused only on the existing four wounds, avoiding any new connections. Each slash sent arcs of blood energy tearing into the already-weakened tentacles, deepening the damage. Arthur and Selina joined in, striking relentlessly to widen the same wounds. For several minutes, the battlefield roared with fire, blood, and fury as they pushed the creature closer to collapse.
Eventually, Leo started to feel the strain. His vision blurred slightly, his breathing quickened. The sword's power was immense, but it came with a cost. The blood frenzy was taking hold. He needed to end this—now.
He turned to Arthur, who was still battling the upper part of one tentacle. "Arthur! Can you bring the upper tentacles closer to me?"
Arthur dashed over, already preparing a response. "I can try."
His sword shimmered again and transformed—this time into four massive chains. Each chain shot forward, wrapping around one of the tentacles and piercing deep into its muscle. Then, with a roar, Arthur began pulling them in.
The tentacles resisted. Even after all the damage, the creature wasn't done fighting.
Then Selina appeared beside them. "I don't know what you're planning, but I can help."
From her wrists, thorn-covered rose branches extended—four in total. They slithered across the water, growing larger with every meter. By the time they reached the tentacles, they were as thick as tree trunks. The vines wrapped around the limbs and drove their thorns deep.
With a synchronized pull, Arthur and Selina dragged the tentacles closer. Within seconds, the massive appendages were close enough to touch.
Leo didn't wait. He deactivated the blood absorption and whispered once more. "Blood Explosion."
A colossal circle erupted around him. The resulting detonation consumed everything within its radius—tentacle flesh, insects, poisonous gas—all obliterated in a single, devastating blast.
As the blood cleared, the battlefield fell into momentary silence.