13.Golden Skies,Black Depths

Chapter 13: Golden Skies, Black Depths

The fire sizzled softly, its warm orange glow flickering against the dark canvas of night. Roasted bird and skewered frog meat crackled over the embers as Moon, Kai, and the rest of the group sat together in a rare moment of peace. They hadn't eaten properly in nearly two days. Hunger made the simplest meal taste divine.

"Damn, Lisa!" Moon said, his mouth half-full. "You sure this bird didn't graduate from a five-star kitchen?"

Lisa laughed, wiping sweat from her brow. "If it did, it probably flew straight into the fire. You're welcome."

Kai nodded appreciatively, chewing with a soft smile. "It's really good. Might just be the best meal I've had since we got to this godforsaken Expanse."

Moon raised a brow. "Is it that good... or are we just starving?"

Everyone chuckled.

Just as they finished the last of their roasted meal, a soft golden hue began to creep into the sky. It shimmered faintly, the edge of the darkness retreating.

Kai narrowed his eyes. "Looks like dawn's finally breaking. We should put out the fire and move. The sooner we reach the base, the better."

James, brushing crumbs off his shirt, chimed in. "Actually, if we stick close to the riverbank, we might avoid most essence creatures. They rarely patrol near moving water in the early morning."

Kai considered the idea for a moment, then nodded. "Fair point. I wouldn't mind some peace after the past few days. Let's take the riverside path."

As they began packing up, Moon glanced around. "By the way, which stage are you all at right now? Just curious."

Violet answered. "We only arrived in the Expanse a few days ago, so we haven't faced too many creatures yet. Honestly, this is our first time this far out. We used to stay within 300 to 400 kilometers of the base, but the hunters there cleaned out all the strong beasts. We mostly got stuck with tiny ones that barely gave any essence points."

Kai chuckled. "So you jumped from 400 km to 1300? That's not a leap—it's an expedition."

Nate laughed. "Yeah, well... it wasn't on purpose. We were chasing a creature and lost track of distance. Ended up deep. We did manage to take down a vulture-looking thing, though. Rookie-stage essence creature. Took all five of us."

Moon nodded. "Still counts."

They had just begun walking when Kai suddenly stopped in his tracks, his eyes wide. Moon heard him gasp and spun around.

"What happened?!"

Without a word, Kai summoned a shimmering blue katana into his hand. Its edges glowed faintly, whispering through the air as he moved it.

The others froze.

"Why did these two brothers always make us gasp, like it's 3 times already in just mere hours?" Lisa asked, blinking.

Kai turned the blade, admiring its perfect balance. "It must've dropped from the last creature we killed. I didn't notice it until now."

Moon grinned. "That means you can fight with the your 100% now, without a katana or spear. I can't even imagine you fighting."

Kai gave a small nod, the blade humming softly as he sheathed it.

"Wait," Oliver asked, peering closer. "That blade... what kind of beast drops a katana like that?"

Moon quickly answered, "Cryo Rhino."

Everyone stopped. Lisa's eyes widened. "You both took down a Cryo Rhino?! Those things are nightmares. Even Fighter-stage hunters hesitate to engage them!"

Moon nodded, casually.

Lisa frowned. "But... you're both rookies. How did you manage that?"

Kai shrugged. "It wasn't easy. We almost died, honestly." He scratched his nose nonchalantly, as if recalling a mild inconvenience rather than a brush with death.

The five friends exchanged glances. They used their system interfaces to inspect the katana Kai was holding—and sure enough, it had the Cryo Rhino signature.

But Moon and Kai didn't have a scratch on them.

It didn't add up. A battle with a Cryo Rhino should've left visible injuries—bruises, blood, even a limp. Yet both brothers looked completely untouched.

Still, none of them said anything. If anything, their respect for Moon and Kai quietly deepened.

---

Three hours later, the sun was fully above the horizon, casting long shadows over the landscape. Despite the light, the cold still lingered in the air. The group trekked cautiously along the riverbank, weapons ready.

Kai held his katana. Lisa spun her three-section nunchaku in short bursts. James, known for his kicks from the Aegis Academy, needed no weapon. Oliver carried a sturdy spear, Nate wielded a massive greatsword, and Violet whispered quiet incantations—her fingers glowing faintly.

Moon walked weaponless, relying solely on his fists for now.

They were walking along what the map referred to as "Holy River Bank"—, but the location was strategic. River to the left, forest to the right.

Suddenly, they heard a splash.

A small fish leapt from the water towards them.

Oliver instinctively thrust his spear. It pierced through the fish with ease.

Everyone exhaled.

Violet laughed. "I really thought that was some monster. Turns out it was just a—"

Before she could finish, a thick black tentacle shot out of the river and wrapped around her waist.

In one fluid motion, she was yanked into the water. Her scream turned from a laugh to a terrified gasp in the blink of an eye.

"Violet!" James shouted.

Without hesitation, Kai dove toward the river. His body blurred.

If someone had measured his speed at that moment, it would've broken the sound barrier. He sprinted across the river's surface, water splashing beneath his feet like stepping stones. But the tentacle's speed underwater was faster than even him.

Moon turned to follow but froze. His hands instinctively clenched. Lisa stood next to him, clutching her weapons.

Moon grabbed her weapon . "Stay here. Don't jump in. You'll just get in the way."

And with that, he dove into the river.

Like Kai, he could run across the surface, but the moment he hit deeper water, he dived straight in.

Below the surface, they saw it.

A massive black octopus—over 15 meters long excluding its tentacles—was coiled around Violet's unconscious body.

Moon's heart pounded. She's not moving... oxygen deprivation or the pressure... or fear...

Kai was circling the creature, searching for a weak spot.

Then it happened.

In a blink, the octopus snagged Kai and began pulling him down.

But Kai wasn't some random rookie.

Back when he lived at Alhuwalia Clan, he was known as one of the best sword users of his generation.

With calm precision, Kai sliced through two tentacles, maintaining his rhythm.

Moon reached the beast too. Instead of slashing, he used Lisa's nunchaku to latch onto a tentacle and pulled with brutal force.

The octopus was dragged nearly 10 meters toward the shore, but it retaliated, flinging Moon deeper into the river.

He tried to summon his electric element—but froze. His last traumatic memory flashed in his mind: fried like a chicken, helpless.

That fear returned, paralyzing him for a moment too long.

Black Octopus didn't miss this chance he grabbed Moon ,Moon Start throwing his punches but this doesn't even put a bruise on that octopus. That octopus start Smashing Moon's head on the river floor and stones .

Kai saw Moon being smashed head-first into a rock. Blood bloomed in the water as his brother went limp.

Kai's eyes sharpened. Not again.

He raced toward the octopus and aimed for its eyes.

The octopus flung him away violently—spiraling him back toward the shore.

It wasn't random.

The creature had learned. If Kai slashed its eye, it would lose its advantage—and a huge chunk of energy would be needed to regenerate. So it threw him out of range.

Back on the shore, the rest of the team could barely see what was happening. But they noticed something.

A blue blur, soaked men , came crashing toward them.

It was Kai.

Before he hit a rock, James, Nate, Oliver, and Lisa braced themselves, catching him just in time.

Kai, after seeing how he was saved by them, thanked him ,and slowly removed the top of the tracksuit and dropped it on the ground , his skin was torn off ,his bare muscles were clearly visible ,covered in blood .

Seeing this Lisa and others gasp again , they haven't gotten this injured before , Only seeing Kai made them shiver .

Kai eyes start wetting .

Tears mixed with rage.

He whispered, "Not again, you filthy essence creature."

And with a roar, he sprinted back toward the water.

His speed surpassed 500 meters per second.

To be continued...