063 ATTACK OF THE WATER SERPENT

063 ATTACK OF THE WATER SERPENT

Leo promptly patched the bug on the Kappa.

Suddenly, the Kappa's massive size began to shrink until he was the height of a human.

"You broke my curse! You are my friend forever. My name is Letcha. They call me Letcha the Kappa," the creature introduced himself.

"I am Lilleo Gullee," Leo replied with a smile.

Letcha opened the shell on his back just enough to tuck the Rose inside, her head peeking out from behind him before he pushed her inside.

"Will he kill her in there?" Kasshyek asked.

"Don't worry, I've put in a hundred horses in there before and they live", Letcha replied.

Letcha had a special magic space between his back and his turtle shell which could store stuff and women like magical spaces. With careful steps, Letcha climbed aboard their ship, the Rose hidden inside his shell as he joined Leo on deck.

"Are you sure you're giving the Rose to me?" Letcha asked, his tone hopeful.

"Yes, she is yours. She is my offering, but I don't want her life. This is a mercy for them to be given to you provided you don't take her life yourself," Leo explained.

"Friends forever! I won't let harm get to her," Letcha proclaimed.

"What happened to you? How did you get cursed?" Leo asked Letcha.

"That's a long story," Letcha said, shaking his head.

Suddenly, the river below them erupted, splitting open like a wound.

The ship lurched violently, the hull cracking as monstrous waves rose like the teeth of a hungry beast. Howling winds tore through the air, shredding the sails and sending debris flying in all directions.

"We're sinking!" Kasshyek shouted, panic evident as waves crashed over the deck, flooding the ship.

"Damn it, what do we do now?" Leo demanded, glancing frantically at the chaotic scene around them.

Yun-Yun's eyes lit up as an idea struck her. "Leo, can your Friend Forever take the Roses and the soldiers into his turtle shell space?" she asked urgently.

Leo turned to Letcha, the turtle demon standing nearby. "Can you carry my people—both the Roses and the soldiers—until we reach safety?"

Letcha's eyes sparkled with interest. "You've got more Roses on board?" he asked, his tone suddenly eager. "What's in it for me if I help?"

Leo's voice hardened. "I've already lifted your curse. Isn't that enough?"

Letcha considered this, then smirked. "I'll take the Roses, but not the soldiers."

Leo crossed his arms firmly. "No deal. It's all or nothing—both the Roses and my soldiers, or the agreement's off."

Letcha grumbled, weighing his options before finally relenting. "Fine, but you'll owe me a favor for saving so many lives."

"Deal," Leo snapped. "Just do it now, and we'll discuss favors later!"

Without wasting another moment, the Roses and soldiers hurried onto the deck. Letcha extended his massive back, and one by one, they were transported into the magical space within his turtle shell.

Leo turned to Yun-Yun as the last of the group disappeared. "Yun-Yun, go inside with the others."

She shook her head, her expression resolute. "No, I'll manage on my own."

"Hide in there first you can come out later when its safe", Leo suggested.

"Alright."

Reluctantly Yun-Yun went inside Letcha's magical space with the others.

As the chaos of the sinking ship unfolded around them, only Leo, and his new ally, Letcha, remained on deck, bracing themselves for whatever came next.

-----

The ship cracked apart with a thunderous roar, sending Leo hurtling into the turbulent waves. Gasping for air, he clung to a splintered plank, his body battered by the churning water.

Nearby, Letcha, unaffected by the chaos, floated effortlessly, his turtle-like form unbothered by the sinking vessel.

From beneath the frothing waves, something enormous began to rise.

A monstrous serpent emerged, its scales a putrid green that gleamed even in the dim light of the storm. Its grotesque face, twisted with malice, featured pitiless black eyes and venomous fangs that dripped with anticipation.

"What the hell is that?" Leo gasped, struggling to maintain his grip on the plank.

Letcha, now perched on a piece of floating debris, paled as he stammered, "It's... it's been hunting me. For days. And now it's found me!"

Floating markers appeared in Leo's vision as he locked eyes with the beast:

Name: ???

Race: Water Serpent

Magic: Cakra Svad, Tier 4

Animosity: 100%

Leo groaned, his pulse quickening. "Oh, fantastic. A murderous sea serpent with a grudge."

The creature let out a bone-chilling screech, its cavernous jaws snapping open as it surged toward them with terrifying speed.

"Swim! We're going to die!" Letcha wailed, kicking futilely at the water as though it might somehow propel him away faster.

Leo's mind raced, and he summoned a barrage of magical projectiles, hurling glowing stones at the serpent. The stones streaked through the air like blazing comets, bursting against the beast's armored hide. But the serpent was barely fazed by it, the thick scales deflecting the attacks like pebbles against a fortress.

"Damn it!" Leo growled. "Why isn't this working?"

Letcha threw him a withering look. "You're using Mula spells? Against that? You might as well be throwing snowballs!"

Leo clenched his fists in frustration. His Cakra Mula spell, while decent against most threats, was laughably ineffective against a monster of this caliber. Even after advancing to Cakra Svad, his spell's magic wasn't strong enough to match the beast's might.

"Now you see why I've been running for my life!" Letcha snapped.

Leo glanced at him, his voice sharp. "What did you do to piss off a monster like this?"

Letcha hesitated, then blurted out, "I... I ate her eggs!"

Leo's jaw dropped. "You what?! You absolute fucking idiot!"

The serpent screeched again, its eyes blazing with fury as it lunged toward them, its colossal body slicing through the water like a blade.

"Swim!" Leo shouted, kicking furiously. But against the surging tide, they were like ants caught in a flood.

"This is hopeless," Letcha gasped, his breaths coming in panicked bursts. "We're going to die!"