As the black tentacles surged upward, they writhed as if dancing. Seeing this, Benson rushed to the wheel and turned it sharply to the left, but the boat's displacement and the violent tides of the river made it impossible for the sailboat to slip past the giant tentacles without taking damage.
Whoosh! Whoosh! Splash!
"Fuck… I thought Mrs. V1 said the incident reported in the news was just an accident."
...
Just then, the tentacles lunged forward, aiming straight for the sailboat. With all his strength, Benson yanked the wheel to the right, narrowly avoiding the deadly strike. The giant tentacles only managed to smash through the mast, causing the large banner to tear loose and fall.
Benson quickly assessed the situation.
"The other officials are heading to Betyl by aeroplane, while we took the ship and ran into this ridiculous mess… shit." He glanced around and continued grimly, "And no one here has a combat Order except me. Fuck… and I'm only at phase eight."
At the same time, under the storm that resembled a cataclysm, the tentacles crept closer, wrapping themselves tightly around the ship. The tides suddenly grew heavier, as if something unseen were pushing against them.
Whoosh! Splash!
Turning back, Benson noticed William chanting a spell—but it was completely useless. The tentacles constricted even tighter around the vessel. Then, as the sailboat struggled to stay afloat, something emerged from the water.
It had a wet, purple face covered in countless tentacles.
It had red eyes that stared coldly ahead, it also had a yellowish-green liquid that dripped down its features.
It was an octopus head!
...
As they witnessed the scene, the crew members, who had been panicking before, quickly drew their pistols and fired.
Bang! Bang! Bang! Bang!
One by one, several white bullets engraved with intricate patterns shot out, striking the creature's head. William, meanwhile, continued chanting his spell, causing the river to dance violently together.
Seeing this, Benson struggled to turn the wheel, but the ship was already tightly wrapped in the tentacles.
Crack!
Suddenly a sharp crack sounded as he forced it.
"F**kshit!" He silently cursed.
Leaving the wheel, he took out his pistol and took his shots.
Bang! Bang!
At that moment, William altered his chant, reciting another spell:
"Spring comes,
Autumn shines,
Gentle breeze full with life,
Wind of day, same today,
Guide me with stunning grace."
...
In the next instant, a giant wave rose from the river and crashed down, engulfing both the octopus-headed creature and the ship.
...
The waves gradually settled, and the ship slowly emerged from beneath them. With their hair soaked and plastered to their faces, the crew began coughing as they looked around in a daze. Fortunately, there were no immediate signs of the beast.
Suddenly, a tentacle burst out from the river. Before anyone could react, the waves surged forward once more, an effect caused by William. Forcing the ship away, and pushing it far from the octopus.
Still breathing heavily through the storm, Benson looked at the departing figure of the octopus.
For a moment, he saw a girl with long black hair falling loosely over her face, her head lowered as if deliberately hiding her features!
She had no body—only a floating head suspended above the water. A yellowish liquid coated her face as she drifted silently.
...
Meanwhile, inside a cathedral, they stood a holy altar, with rows and rows of chairs filling the hall. Directly opposite it, the windows were closed, yet the image outside was still visible.
The image showed alot of trees swaying as howling winds passed through them. The atmosphere and sky was chaotic as though it was the end of the world.
At the same time, cheerful squeaks of little children echoed as they ran around and played in the room. Watching over them was a nun dressed in a black gown with a white headdress.
Suddenly, a boy with messy orange hair slipped between two pews.
"Watch where you're going, Bailey." The nun quickly said.
"Haha, Bailey can't even run properly," a girl with slightly plaited orange hair teased.
Bailey frowned and quickly stood up.
At that moment, a man wearing a white robe and a golden crucifix emerged from a room opposite the left pew. He had messy brown hair, tired eyes, and carried himself with a serene, holy air. Spotting him, the children immediately ran toward him.
"Bishop Klint, can you tell us one of your stories?"
Klint looked slightly surprised and scratched his neck. "I'm kind of busy right now. Maybe later?"
With their eyes practically beaming, they said in unison,
"Please."
...
The nun, holding a child in her right arm, stepped forward and approached Bishop Klint.
"Hehe, children, you're disturbing the bishop. There's always a next time—he's busy," she said gently.
Klint coughed lightly and smiled.
"Don't worry, hehe… maybe a minute won't hurt."
He crouched to meet the children's eyes.
"Just take your seats."
Excitedly, they ran to the front row. Klint chuckled softly, then stood and gestured for the nun to join him. Together, they walked forward.
...
Reaching the front, the nun took her seat beside the children as they waited eagerly. Klint looked at each of them and smiled warmly. The sound of howling winds and pattering rain sounded as he finally began.
"Once upon a time, in the Age of Beginnings, the Creator awoke from darkness and fused with the Word, changing the world as we know it."
Bailey quickly shouted,
"We already know that story!"
"Not quite Bailey, just listen." Klint said with a chuckle. He continued with a smile, "After the Creator fused with it, the world became as we know it. The remnants of the Creator formed gods and angels. But what if I told you that a part of the Creator's fragments was stunted and didn't become anything?"
The nun raised her brows slightly in surprise, clearly having questions.
Klint continued, "The small fragments waited, and over the years, they slowly began taking other fragments from the corpses of gods or angels… until he finally became whole and awoke in the Age of Steampunk."
He paused and then asked the children,
"What do you think the fragment would do or become after becoming whole?"
A girl with black hair and pink dimples shyly raised her hand. Seeing her, Klint pointed. "Yes, little girl. What do you think?"
The girl stood up, twirling her sweater nervously, and said,
"I think he'll get married, be happy, and enjoy many pleasures he lacked!"
Klint nodded slowly and smiled.
"Everybody give her a round of applause for her effort."
Applause filled the air as the girl returned to her seat.
Klint smiled again. "You have alot of courage, but that's not what he did. Upon awakening, the fragment didn't pursue fleeting pleasures; he simply became something everyone feared—a devil. Looking at him is like gazing into the abyss, 'his' presence like a devil in disguise. A devil who changes fate according to his rules, reshaping and bending reality with a smiling face. He became a very dangerous being who manipulates humans and steals their fragments as he did with others."
Startled, Bailey blurted out, as he squeezed his trousers. "Sir... that's scary." He paused for a moment, then asked. "Does 'it' have a name?"
Klint smiled calmly. "Abel." As soon as he said that, thunder cracked, illuminating his face slightly. "The Angel of Gamble."
...
After that reveal, panic spread across the children's faces. Noticing this, Klint smiled.
"I'll be taking my leave. Until tomorrow morning prayers."
He walked to the right side of the pew, where a door awaited. Placing his hand on the knob, he turned it and stepped inside.
The room beyond was faintly dark, lit only by a few torches along the walls.
"Hm," Klint thought inwardly.
"But what connection could Abel and St. Mary have for her to feature him in one of her works?"
He continued walking, his brows slightly raised.
"Why did she refer to him as her friend?"
...
In the land of Betyl, the crimson glow of the morning spilled through the window as Lumian fried bacon in the kitchen. As the contents continued frying, he heard his name being called.
"Lumian, hope the food is ready by now?"
Lumian sighed and replied,
"Kelvin, if you really want to go to work early today, come and finish the cooking."
He continued frying and added with a chuckle,
"Or perhaps we can call the 'big boss' of the house, Laura."
Kelvin didn't respond, which Lumian knew he wouldn't. Kelvin was not the usual "best chef." Lumian chuckled to himself and kept frying.
About an unknown period of time, he realized something strange. He had no memory of waking up, nor did he remember getting rid of that terrible headache or doing anything afterward.
Curious, he looked out the window. Children wearing sweaters, to shield themselves from the atmospheric change, were seen walking hand in hand with thier parents. But something was wrong.
They were not moving. It was as though time itself had stopped!
Lumian began to panic, as he gulped a mouthful of saliva. He slowly turned his head backwards, only to see Laura and Kelvin standing behind him. They looked different, as they had a purple milky jelly-like colour, oozing down to their neck.
They also had their necks slightly dislocated! The scene was so grotesque that thier eyes were practically bulging out.
Slowly, they approached him. Lumian stepped back, avoiding their steps, until he suddenly fell. His face was filled with terror, as he slowly crept backward.
Suddenly, Laura's mouth twitched.
"Lumian… why… why don't you have control over your own dreams?"
As soon as he heard that, Lumian awoke on his chair in his room.
...
Lumian quickly sat upright. Sweat covered his forehead as he held his head.
"F**k… another weird dream… no… this isn't normal," he thought inwardly. "This must be an attack from a deity or spirit after my life!"
He stood up, as rain still patterned against the window beneath the dark night sky.
"I need to divine this immediately. Maybe going to the building and reviewing that method to learn proper divination would be better," he thought, before gripping the door handle and stepping out.
...
Under the gentle tapping of rain, Lumian walked quietly through the hallway and stopped at a door. He opened it softly.
Inside, his brother was sleeping soundly.
Lumian closed the door gently.
After that, he went to Laura's room. Seeing her curled up on her slightly large bed, he smiled faintly.
Returning to his own room, he let out a small chuckle.
"Thank Skywalker… it was only a dream."
...
Morning soon arrived, and Lumian made his way to a building.
He wore a black coat and a black hat. His hair wasn't slicked back; instead, it fell naturally over his face. He also wore golden glasses and a golden wing-shaped necklace.
Approaching the woman behind the desk — who had purple eyes and a professional demeanor — he stopped before her.
"Good morning, sir. How may we help you?" she asked respectfully.
Lumian flashed a friendly smile.
"Yes, it is indeed a good morning. I would like to perform a divination."