Turning Chapter 949
The members no longer had the glowing bracelets, so instead, they tied luminous threads around their arms. Though the light they emitted was much dimmer than that of the bracelets, it was better than nothing.
Yuder then used the power of water to push Steber upward along the safest possible path. No matter how dark the surroundings, as long as Steber remained within Yuder’s power, there was no risk of losing his way.
Shortly afterward, the rest of the first team began to ascend one by one along the same route Steber had taken. It wasn’t long before the second team, who had been waiting above, began to descend in turn—so there was never a moment Yuder was left completely alone. That meant Steber had successfully reached the surface and completed the first part of Yuder’s request.
Yuder was counting heads when he grabbed the last remaining member of the original team by the shoulder just as he was about to leave. The surprised man turned around, wide-eyed and clutching his head.
...Yuder? What is it?
Yuder moved his lips clearly enough for the other to read them.
Dover. Go up and deliver one more message.
Now? What kind of message?
After you’re up there—if another big tremor happens—I’m going to try something. I’ll need help from all of you above.
Help...?
Yuder didn’t go into detail about his plan to chop up the monster’s tentacle-like limbs and push them toward land. There were very few people like Kishiar who could grasp an entire concept—and predict several steps ahead—from just a single phrase. Time was too short to explain everything now, so instead, Yuder conveyed only the exact instruction that needed to be followed.
When a tremor hits, push force toward the land. All of you. Together.
By "all," you mean... even the wind-users?
Yes.
Why me and not Steber...
Mumbling with a hint of confusion, Dover seemed to reach some kind of conclusion on his own and nodded.
Never mind. You must have a reason! Got it. I’ll do it.
...
As long as you’re not about to hit me again, I’m good with anything.
Now that he mentioned it, Dover had been the one who accidentally struck Yuder’s head earlier when tossing him a glowing bracelet. That must’ve been why he had clutched his head in alarm when Yuder grabbed his shoulder. Watching Yuder’s silent expression, Dover gave an awkward smile and quickly disappeared upward.
That idiot stayed to the end because he’s the most capable after Steber... I hope he delivers the message properly.
Yuder had deliberately chosen not to entrust this part to Steber. He knew Steber wouldn’t have accepted it easily if he had heard the plan. Despite being somewhat recovered, Steber was still burdened by the weight of being on his first deployment, being a drinker, a deputy commander, and the oldest member of the Cavalry. If he’d suspected Yuder was about to attempt something reckless and uncertain, he wouldn’t have left him alone.
Still, the one who could reach the surface fastest, and the one I could trust to convey exactly what I meant, was only Steber. And he could get his hands treated, too—two birds with one stone.
From the strain of having used much more power than usual during actual combat, Steber’s hands were already a little sluggish. It wasn’t enough for others to notice, but Yuder, who had always observed him closely, could tell.
Yuder! What do we do now? I heard the search is done.
The second team members who had arrived for the shift looked solemn. Unlike the first team, which had specialized in reconnaissance and sustained underwater endurance, this second team was composed of members with more offensive prowess.
In other words, exactly what was needed right now.
Yuder looked over their faces. Unlike the previous team, these ones were well-rested, fully equipped with glowing bracelets, and brimming with energy from having waited above.
You won’t see it now, but down there is the monster and the fissure we need to deal with.
When Yuder slowly pointed downward with his finger, the members swallowed hard. Still, they wouldn’t be able to see much with just their small bracelet lights.
Don’t worry. It’s just a big jellyfish-looking thing.
...
Sometimes, withholding excessive information was actually more helpful in battle. Even an enemy that could be handled with ease became more frightening in darkness, where the imagination feasted. In this crushing, pitch-black underwater pressure where every movement was a struggle, it was better to keep them focused rather than burdening them with unnecessary fear.
Besides, unless they collected the bracelets again and detonated them like before, there was no way to show the enemy’s full form anyway.
Soon, I’ll provoke that thing into attacking us. I’ll assign each of you a position—don’t move from it. When I give the signal, all of you attack the spot I indicate. No other attacks allowed. Only water blades.
Yuder explained in detail the size of the tentacle-like limb they’d be attacking, how it moved, and how best to respond. Fortunately, the first team had already faced it several times, and valuable data had been gathered.
The members carefully memorized the information that Yuder conveyed using lip movements and hand signals, then asked with puzzled expressions:
...That’s all we need to do?
Yes. That’s it. Once you cut it, don’t do anything else. I’ll take care of the rest.
So we just hold position and slice anything that comes our way when you give the signal. Got it. I’ll get ready.
The task might seem overly simple now—but the members didn’t question Yuder’s instructions. They moved exactly as told. Their trust weighed heavily on Yuder’s shoulders, just like the trust of the first team who had passed down their glowing bracelets.
After surveying everyone once more, Yuder gave a short hand signal to the team.
—Begin.
The others raised their hands in response.
Yuder positioned them carefully to avoid any accidental injuries from blind attacks. Then he descended to the lowest point and sharpened all his senses toward the fissure lurking in the darkness.
The timing of the monster’s tremors is unpredictable, but we confirmed earlier that it can be provoked to attack first. That’s all that matters.
An ominous vibration trickled out from the fissure, turning into a current that brushed against his skin. In other words, the source of that flow was the creature itself. Yuder committed the direction to memory and summoned all his strength.
He remembered exactly how Steber had used his power to search earlier—and how the monster had reacted to it. Even if he couldn’t kill it directly, provoking it with a similar method was well within his reach.
Yes. I can do it, too.
Yuder’s water-based power spread downward, vast and sharp. Similar to Steber’s technique, but even more refined and honed.
Unlike the others, Yuder’s power still weakened the closer it got to the monster. Still, he managed to hit the tentacle zone—just barely.
— ....
Several long, breathless minutes passed in silence.
Then came the reaction.
— Ruuumble... Ruuuummmble...!
The sensation was like throwing a stone into a still lake—an ominous tremor began to stir. Just like when the tentacle had responded to Steber’s earlier power.
Yuder counted silently. His nerves were strung tight, and the counting helped him stay calm. Then—when his maxed-out senses finally caught a signal—
—Now!
Yuder sent a signal of invisible force through the water. At the same time, a massive, transparent tentacle—thick as a tree in the Great Forest—lashed toward them like lightning.
But the members were ready.
Hundreds of sharpened water blades /N_o_v_e_l_i_g_h_t/ launched all at once in the same direction. Yuder joined them, firing off hundreds of his own blades. Even if his own attack didn’t inflict much damage, it could disorient the monster enough for the others to land solid hits.
— WOOOOOO!
Unlike the first team, who had been busy dodging, these attackers went all in. The tangled, rope-like tentacle was shredded in an instant. It still flailed and tried to strike back, but the wave of water blades—faster, more numerous, and coordinated—overwhelmed it.
As the chaotic assault continued, Yuder watched the sea fill with hundreds, then thousands of severed fragments.
Though it looked like a single mass, each part was independently alive.
Even separated, the pieces still moved—just as Yuder had predicted.
And now—it was time to send them to the surface.
Yuder closed his eyes.
While the others continued attacking, the water around him began to tremble all at once.