Kairav's hazel eyes widened in shock as the towering waves before him suddenly parted like a massive curtain of water.
Two enormous hands crept out from behind the parted sea, followed by the gradual emergence of their owner—a towering, ten-foot-tall humanoid figure composed entirely of glowing, transparent blue water.
Like a predator pouncing on its prey, the creature plummeted toward Casildo with its gaping maw, ready to devour his head in one ravenous bite.
Luckily, the burly young man reacted just in time, launching himself into the air and delivering a powerful punch straight to the creature's face.
However, the moment his fist connected, a terrible realization struck him—his attack was utterly ineffective. His knuckles merely passed through the watery body, as if he had punched nothing but air.
Smack! Splash!
In an instant, the creature dissolved into a massive surge of water, crashing down into the ocean like a collapsed wave. It merged seamlessly with the surrounding seawater, vanishing without a trace.
Both young men were left dumbfounded, staring at the turbulent sea in stunned silence.
"Casildo! That thing…" Kairav gasped, running toward his companion, still reeling from the shock.
But Casildo ignored him completely. His sharp brown eyes scanned the water's surface with unrelenting vigilance, searching every inch of the ocean.
"How many jellyfish did we see earlier?" he asked seriously.
"Ten!" Kairav answered instantly. "Why?"
Casildo's usual smug expression shifted into one of unease. "That means we have ten monsters to fight."
"Get away from the water!"
Before Kairav could even process the warning, Casildo grabbed his wrist and yanked him backward, pulling him away from the shoreline with incredible force.
Yet, despite their swift retreat, misfortune struck as swiftly as the wind.
Before their feet could touch the dry sand, ten monstrous figures erupted from the sea, their mouths wide open, lunging straight for them.
Growl! Growl!
Kairav barely had time to react before one of the creatures' gaping maws loomed directly in front of his face. His body froze in terror, his mind convinced that this would be the last thing he ever saw before death claimed him.
But just a split second before the monster's jaws could snap shut around his head, Casildo's strong hand seized the collar of his clothes.
Without hesitation, the muscular young man hurled Kairav through the air, effortlessly tossing him out of the water's reach. The smaller young man crashed onto the sand with a painful thud.
Pain radiated through his back as he groaned in frustration. "Damn it, Casildo! Couldn't you be a little gentler?!"
"I just saved your life! You wanna complain about that?!" Casildo shot back, his voice strained as he single-handedly fended off the horde of attacking monsters.
With a powerful stomp, Casildo sent a tremor through the ground, causing the surrounding coral boulders to rise into the air. His fists clenched tightly, and the sharp sound of cracking stone echoed in rapid succession.
Crack! Crack! Crack!
The suspended boulders fractured violently, splitting into large, jagged shards.
Casildo then crossed his muscular arms over his chest before flinging them outward, releasing a massive wave of energy that sent the stone projectiles hurtling toward the attacking creatures.
[ Rock Rupture Assault ]
The shards of coral shot through the air like deadly missiles, bombarding the monsters with incredible force.
But it was useless.
The solid projectiles passed through their liquid bodies without resistance, as though striking nothing but mist.
Kairav's mind raced. "Is it because their bodies are made entirely of water? That means they share the properties of a liquid—making them impossible to grasp or destroy like solid objects…"
Casildo, however, gritted his teeth in frustration. His attacks had no effect. With another powerful stomp, he leaped back toward Kairav.
Kairav's frustration matched his anxiety as he watched the ten monsters advance toward them, their gaping maws dripping with seawater. His gaze flicked toward the holographic screen displaying their descriptions.
He wracked his brain, searching through his knowledge of aquatic cryptids.
And then, it clicked.
Euntei Iek. Otherwise known as the Blue Jellyfish Monsters—an endemic species rumored to be urban legends, ruling over the waters of the Mystic Tides Strait.
They usually appeared as clusters of drifting blue jellyfish, their bodies swaying with the waves.
Fishermen claimed that these creatures would slither aboard their ships by climbing up dangling anchor ropes.
Unnoticed, they would creep across the decks, slinking up the masts until—At that moment, their bodies would swell into massive, water-like masses, instantly engulfing the entire ship and dragging it into the freezing depths below.
In their more aggressive form, the Euntei Iek would take on humanoid shapes, attacking in groups, and devouring their victims alive.
And unfortunately, that was exactly what Kairav and Casildo were facing now.
Casildo launched himself at the monsters again, fists swinging with renewed determination.
"Failed Product! Instead of standing there, do something useful!" he barked.
Kairav suddenly snapped his fingers as an idea struck him. "Bro! Piss on them!"
Casildo froze mid-action, turning to glare at him incredulously. "What the hell did you just say?!"
"I'm serious!" Kairav yelled, urgency in his voice. "A friend of mine researched these things! According to legend, fishermen who encountered the Blue Jellyfish Monsters drove them away with urine!"
Casildo, in the middle of dodging another attack, shot him a look of sheer disbelief. "You think piss is more effective than my terra element techniques?!"
"Look at my punches! They're doing nothing! I can't even touch these Depths Abominations!" Casildo countered.
Casildo clenched his jaw as yet another one of his powerful strikes went straight through the monster without causing any damage.
Smack! Smack! Splash!
Unfortunately, the same did not apply when the monsters struck back at Casildo.
Every movement of their watery bodies still carried a significant impact, just like a solid object delivering a powerful blow.
They could easily grab and touch their enemies, forcing the burly young man to endure multiple strikes from the massive water hands that relentlessly ganged up on him.
Since he struggled to counterattack, he was left with no choice but to rely on his agility, dodging as best as he could.
But unfortunately, misfortune still found its way to him.
A deep growl rumbled from a monster as it lashed out, its massive hand closing tightly around Casildo's throat, lifting him off the ground with terrifying ease.
"Casildo!" Kairav shouted, immediately rushing toward him.
But before he could take another step, Casildo shot him a desperate glare and barked out, "Stop! Don't make this worse!"
His voice was strained, his breathing growing labored as the monster's grip tightened around his neck.
Veins bulged against his skin as he struggled for air.