The Behemoth from the Deep Sea

The sun blazed brilliantly overhead, and the waves surged below.

A massive white whale cut a sleek, glistening line across the vast sea. On its broad back, Hermione sat with a book resting on her lap, her head tilted upward to enjoy the fresh ocean breeze, softly filtered by the protective enchantments of Black Magic. She inhaled deeply, savoring the salty, open air.

"What should we eat~"

Behind her, Kai Adler was busy setting up a small table on the back of his Patronus. It was nearly lunchtime.

This marked their second day after departing Singapore. They had explored the city, restocked food and water, and then resumed their voyage.

"You can have anything you want," Kai responded, tapping his suitcase.

The suitcase concealed far more than it appeared—a magically expanded space with room enough to store supplies for weeks. Besides essentials, most of the space was stocked with food and water.

With their current speed atop the Patronus, they could easily reach land in three days, but it never hurt to be prepared.

"Emmmm…"

The little witch tapped her chin thoughtfully, her brown eyes—mirroring both sea and sky—reflecting mild indecision.

"How about we eat the same thing as yesterday? What was it called… hotpot?" she suggested brightly.

Kai Adler raised a brow. "I seem to recall a certain someone fanning her tongue yesterday, swearing she'd never eat it again because it was too spicy."

Hermione gave him a sharp glare, and Kai immediately raised his hands in surrender.

With a flick of his wand, an iron box much larger than the suitcase squeezed out from its enchanted opening. As it hit the open air, frost instantly bloomed across its surface—the temperature clearly frigid.

This was a makeshift refrigerator Kai had crafted with Freezing Charms, ensuring their food wouldn't spoil on the journey. It was simple magic—a transfigured box reinforced with enchantments. Temporary, yes, but enough to last the trip.

Kai retrieved a frozen slab of lamb, slicing it deftly into thin rolls. Hermione, ever meticulous, set up the hotpot with practiced hands, arranging side dishes and sauces with the same care she applied to brewing potions in Professor Snape's class.

Soon, the rich aroma of simmering hotpot drifted across the open sea. Red oil bubbled in the copper pot as Hermione eagerly fished out a slice of lamb with her chopsticks, dipping it generously into the spicy sauce before taking a hearty bite.

Kai smiled, watching the flush rise on her cheeks from the spice, her determined chopsticks already reaching for more.

Such was the addictive nature of hotpot…

His gaze drifted upward to Luna, gliding overhead, her sharp eyes scanning the horizon like a sentry. "Want some more?" Kai called out.

Hearing this, Luna swooped down, but as soon as her eyes caught sight of the bubbling pot, she veered off with impressive speed, her head shaking furiously.

The day before, driven by curiosity, Luna had tried pecking at a leaf from the pot. The tingling sensation had left her tongue numb even now.

Hermione giggled. "It's clearly delicious."

Luna only flew higher, her small, defiant eyes practically saying, 'I may not read much, but I'm not that foolish.'

After the meal, Kai reclined, one leg bent, a cup of black tea in hand, absentmindedly toying with a rusty ring in the other.

It was the same ring that had triggered his Black Magic senses at a street stall back in Singapore. At first glance, it resembled nothing more than a corroded copper trinket.

But the oddity came when he tried cleaning it with a Scouring Charm. The rust vanished for mere seconds before rapidly returning. Ordinary? Not even close.

Hermione leaned against him, her head comfortably resting on his shoulder, eyes cast upward toward the endless blue sky and vast ocean.

"It's so peaceful… No one around for miles. Feels like we're the only ones left in the world," she murmured, content.

"It's not just us," Kai replied softly, his expression unreadable.

Hermione blinked, confused. "You mean Luna?"

He shook his head, stood, and with a wave of his wand, packed away their setup, save for the hotpot. He summoned an inflatable boat, pulling Hermione into it as the hotpot floated beside them, gently bobbing in the sea.

Hermione sat, bewildered, watching him dismiss the white whale Patronus. "We're resting now? It's still midday."

"Not resting," Kai said, motioning for patience, his eyes scanning the horizon.

Hermione followed his gaze but saw nothing but the endless sea.

"What are we—?"

She didn't finish her sentence.

The water ahead began to churn. The calm surface rippled, then rose in gentle, swelling waves. The inflatable boat rocked softly, prompting Hermione to clutch Kai's sleeve, wide-eyed.

Something massive stirred beneath them.

Kai instinctively pulled Hermione behind him, wand already in hand.

Suddenly, a tentacle emerged, brushing the side of the inflatable boat. But rather than causing instability, the tentacle's touch calmed the rocking, steadying them. It withdrew just as swiftly, but the brief moment was enough for them to glimpse its full appearance.

"Wow!" Hermione gasped in awe.

The tentacle was… beautiful.

Its translucent skin shimmered like glass, revealing streams of glowing blue fluid coursing within. Beneath, semi-transparent, milky-white suckers reflected the sunlight like pearls.

Moments later, the colossal owner of the tentacle surfaced—a giant octopus.

Its exposed body stretched easily over ten meters long, streamlined and elegant, its skin completely see-through, revealing a mesmerizing system of flowing blue liquid.

A crystalline structure pulsed faintly within its spindle-shaped body, circulating the liquid through its form. Large, obsidian-like eyes, strangely intelligent, watched them from either side of its head.

This was no ordinary sea creature—it radiated powerful Black Magic.

But oddly enough, neither Kai nor Hermione felt fear. Instead, they sensed grace, curiosity, and… innocence.

Luna descended rapidly, expanding to full size, feathers fluffed, screeching fiercely to protect her master.

Surprisingly, the massive octopus recoiled slightly, clearly startled by Luna's defensive display.

Kai raised an eyebrow.

He could feel the sheer magnitude of the creature's magic—it rivaled Old Man, his most formidable mentor.

And yet… the octopus seemed blissfully unaware of its own strength.

Curious eyes studied them, before slowly drifting… toward the hotpot.

Kai Adler sighed.

Even ancient magical beasts, it seemed, couldn't resist the allure of good food.