Chapter 16: The Adventure of Roe (10)

As the day of our expedition dawned, a sense of determination filled the air in Eldan. Momoa rallied us together, his voice resolute as he spoke of avenging their fallen comrades.

"Today, we will vanquish those monsters who dared to harm our people!" he declared, his words met with thunderous cheers and roars of agreement from the gathered villagers.

The group chosen for the expedition consisted of myself, Jono, Momoa, Belz, Lowena, Ediz, Lero, Mero, Xea, and Zam. We were the strongest in the village, entrusted with the task of confronting the mind-controlling squid monster.

Everyone said goodbye to their loved ones before we set off to fight the mind squid. As we gathered our gear and prepared to depart, Cain approached us with a solemn expression.

"Take care, everyone, and don't die," Cain said, his voice tinged with concern. Then he turned to me, his eyes locking onto mine. "Apostle Roe..."

"Yes, Cain?" I responded, curious about what he wanted to say.

Cain hesitated for a moment, as if weighing his words carefully. "Apostle Roe, I seen glimpses of your power, and I have faith that you can lead us to victory."

I nodded, feeling the weight of his words settle on my shoulders. "Thank you, Cain. I'll do my best to protect our people and defeat this threat." I vowed silently, not just as Roe, but as their god too: I promise to protect my people, my children.

With our farewells said and our mission clear, we set out from the village, the resolve of each member burning brightly.

As we journeyed onward, I couldn't help but reflect on Belz's progress. Although she still struggled to replicate my techniques. However, she's gradually understanding the spell structures of it without circles, bit by bit. Talk about geniuses, huh?

Anyway as we walked forward, we felt excited and a little nervous. And By the way this was the start of my fight against the squid monster, and I'm prepared for whatever came our way.

Then Momoa led the way, his eyes scanning the surroundings for any signs of danger. "Stay alert," he cautioned, his voice low but firm.

And as we made our way through the dense forest, the sounds of nature providing a stark contrast to the intense focus and determination of our group. 

Then We approached the sea where the mind-controlling squid was, a sense of unease settled over us.

Momoa signaled for us to spread out and search for any clues. We moved cautiously, our senses heightened, ready to spring into action at the first sign of danger.

"Everyone, stay focus," Momoa instructed, his voice firm. "We don't know what we're dealing with yet."

Belz stood beside me, her eyes filled with determination. "We can do this, Apostle Roe," she said, her voice steady.

I nodded, sharing her resolve. "Yes, we can. Remember what we've trained for." But deep down, I was nervous. What if something happened to them? Well I couldn't die because this body was just an avatar and I could just respawn again, But they were not like me. They were just normal mortal Eldoan.

Then suddenly, as we ventured further, we found something unexpected. The mind-controlling squid lay in the sea, dying, with deep cuts marring its body.

"What is Happening?" Jono whispered, his voice tinged with awe and fear.

Momoa's eyes narrowed. "I don't know, but we need to be careful." 

"Look at this," Ediz called out, pointing to a series of strange marking claw on the ground. "These don't look like anything I've seen before."

We gathered around the markings, examining them closely. They were unlike anything I had encountered in Eldan before

"These markings... They're not made from Eldoan," Belz observed, her brow furrowed in concentration.

Momoa nodded in agreement, his expression grave. " Indeed, These markings are unlike anything Eldoans would make."

As we thought about what this new discovery meant, we felt a strong sense of urgency.

Then suddenly the creature emerged from the lake, a wave of shock and horror washed over us. It was like nothing we'd ever seen before – a mix of an octopus and a person, all twisted and monstrous. It looked like a nightmare come to life.

[The creature looked like a scary mash-up of a human and an octopus. Picture an octopus's smooth, wavy movements mixed with a twisted human-like upper body. Its arms were a weird combo too: two slimy tentacles and two human-like arms with sharp, shiny claws. Basically, it was a total nightmare, straight out of a movie.]

As the creature emerged from the lake, gasps and murmurs rippled through our group.

 Jono's eyes widened in disbelief, his mouth agape as he stuttered, "What... What is that?"

 Momoa's expression hardened, his grip tightening on his weapon as he muttered, "What is this?."

 Belz took a step back, her hands trembling slightly as she whispered, "I've never seen anything like it."

Lowena and Ediz exchanged worried glances, silently communicating their fear.

Lero and Mero stood frozen, their faces pale with shock.

 Xea and Zam clutched their weapons tightly, readying themselves for whatever came next.

 Each of them was frozen in shock and fear, unable to comprehend the horrifying sight before us.

I felt a pang of guilt and responsibility surge within me as I realized that this abomination was the result of my own actions. Had my decisions as a god led to this mutation? 

"We are the people of Eldan," I said, my voice steady despite the turmoil within me. "Who are you!!."

The creature seemed to ponder my words for a moment before responding, its voice a guttural growl that sent shivers down our spines. "Eldan... yes, I remember now. The memories of this squid... they are clear. You Eldoans are the inhabitants of this world, the ones who have dared to cause such abomination towards the sea."

With a firm voice, I repeated my demand, locking eyes with the creature. "I ask again, what are you?"

The creature's response sent a chill down my spine. "I am the higher species, an ultimate being," it declared with a hint of pride.

The enormity of my mistake hit me like a ton of bricks. How could I have been so blind to the consequences of my actions?I created this Creatures because I wanted to give the people of Eldan a tough challenge, but instead, I created this monster who had God Complex.

And also, I didn't know that this creature could evolve something like this.

A Monster that evolved through consumption and absorption, growing stronger with each victim it claimed. And now, it stood before us, a living nightmare incarnate.

But Now, I had to accept the truth—I had unleashed an intelligent, insatiable predator upon the world, and the consequences would be dire.

Before I could even think of an words, the creature spoke again, cutting through the silence like a blade. "Wisdom, power, words—these are but fragments of the truth I seek," it declared. "What lies beyond the sky? What mysteries await us beyond the confines of this world?"

Oh, crap! This guy wants to delve into the mysteries of the universe? Damn, I haven't even finished fleshing out those planet yet, and now he's talking about galaxies and stuff? If he finds out that those planet are nothing but rocks and landscape, he's gonna be so disappointed. Ugh, I need to come up with something fast before they realizes this whole cosmic thing is just bland and not that mysterious at all.

Before I could formulate a response, Jono's voice broke through my thoughts. "Then what do you want from us?" he demanded, his tone tinged with defiance.

The creature fixed its gaze on Jono with such intensity that it sent a chill down my spine. "hmm well perhaps," it mused, its voice filled with a deep curiosity, "by consuming you and your companions, I could unlock more about this world and its mysteries."

 Driven by disgust for the creature, Zam couldn't contain himself any longer. He lunged towards it with fierce determination.

"You monster!" Zam's voice rang out, his grip tightening on his spear as he conjured flames with his other hand, forming a fiery circle. With a quick motion, he chanted, "Fire spear," and his weapon ignited with flames, casting an orange glow around him as he prepared to strike.

Momoa shouted a warning, but it was too late. Zam, driven by his resolve, charged forward. "Zam, STOP!" Momoa's cry reverberated through the chaos.

Yet, before Zam could comprehend, the creature struck, its arm piercing him in a heartbeat.

 The creature struck with incredible speed. Zam's eyes widened in shock, pain etching across his face. The fiery glow around his spear slowly disappear as his body weakened, succumbing to the creature's attack. Our cry echoed with despair, a heartbreaking response to the tragic turn of events before us.

"You bastard!" I exclaimed, channeling my fury into the elements without the need for elaborate incantations. With a quick motion of my hand, I summoned a powerful gust of air, sending the creature tumbling backward with a pained cry.

"Aurg!" the monster roared in frustration as its tentacles aimed directly at me, poised to strike.

Reacting quickly, Belz summoned her water magic. "Aqua Shield!" she exclaimed, her voice strong and confident. Instantly, a protective barrier of water formed between the creature's tentacles and me. The shimmering shield blocked the attack, giving us a brief moment of safety from the creature's assault.

I turned to Belz in astonishment. "You can use magic without chanting or drawing circles?"

She chuckled. "It's not quite as grand as yours, Apostle, but I think I'm getting the hang of it," she said with a smirk. "Besides, I wanted to keep it a surprise."

Before I could respond, the monster interjected, its voice filled with curiosity rather than anger. "Interesting... what are those things you did? Hmm... perhaps by experiencing those techniques firsthand, I could come to understand the fundamentals of this so called'magic' you said."

[Meanwhile Momoa Sides]

Momoa pleaded desperately, tears streaming down his face, kneeling at Zam's side. "Zam, look at me. Please, don't die. Please..."

Weakly, Zam managed to speak amidst his pain. "Momoa... I've lived for 400 years. Even if I die now, I have no regrets."

"Zam!" Momoa cried out as he watched Zam close his eyes.

Momoa's cry echoed, a desperate wail of anguish. Then, one by one, Jono, Lowena, Ediz, Lero, Mero, and Xea joined in, their tears mingling with the saltwater of the sea.

"No, Zam!"

"Please, Zam!"

"Zam, don't leave us!"

Jono's voice quivered as he uttered the words, "Grandpa Momoa... Grandpa Zam..."

Momoa's grief transformed into resolve as he stood up, his eyes blazing with determination. "I will kill that monster, no matter what it takes," he vowed, his voice laced with steely determination.

To be continued