The kelp parted like a curtain, and something vast moved beyond.
At first, Haruka thought it was a trick of the light. Then she saw the teeth.
Rows of jagged ivory glistened as a serpentine head swayed in the gloom. Its eyes glowed ember-red, scanning the water. Spines ran down its back like broken coral shards.
DUNGEON BOSS DETECTED: KELP MAULER (Lv.5)
HP: ████████████████
Special Attacks: Vortex Pull, Frond Snare, Crushing Jaws
Haruka's HUD flashed red.
"This… this thing's huge!" she gasped.
"Stay calm," Soren murmured, slipping his rune-dagger free. "We'll kite it into open water and burn it down before it calls reinforcements."
"Kite it?" Haruka asked, heart pounding.
"Make it chase us," Mirelle said sharply. Her rod-tool thrummed as she adjusted glowing runes. "Don't get caught in its fronds. If it snags you, you're done."
The Kelp Mauler shifted, uncoiling from a mass of kelp stalks. Its tail lashed, sending currents strong enough to shove the party backward.
"Haruka, bait it!" Soren barked.
"I—okay!"
She fumbled in her satchel and pulled free a shimmering lure: Hydra-Splash. It pulsed faintly in her hand, like a living heart.
"Marine Gust!" she cried, flinging the bait. A jet of water carried it straight toward the monster's maw.
The Mauler's eyes fixed on her.
It opened its jaws and roared.
The water vibrated, and Haruka's HUD screamed:
VORTEX PULL ACTIVATED
A violent current tore through the kelp, dragging Haruka toward the beast.
"Haruka!" Soren shouted. He surged forward, stabbing his dagger into a kelp stalk to anchor himself.
Mirelle slammed her rod-tool into the seabed. "Kelp Barrier—NOW!"
Fronds shot upward, forming a dense wall between Haruka and the Mauler's jaws. The current lessened slightly.
"Reel yourself in!" Mirelle yelled.
Haruka's fingers fumbled for her rod. She twisted it hard, reeling furiously. Her arms burned.
The Mauler lunged, its jaws snapping shut inches from her boots.
"Too close," she panted.
"Focus!" Soren barked. "We're not out yet. Mirelle, snare it. Haruka, time to hit it with everything you've got."
The Kelp Mauler reared back, thrashing wildly.
New Skill Unlocked: Tidal Bind (Lvl.2)
• Summons enchanted ropes of water to entangle dungeon creatures.
"I have… something new," Haruka said breathlessly.
"Use it!"
She raised her rod. "Tidal Bind!"
Ropes of water surged out, wrapping around the Mauler's jaws and tail. It writhed, roaring in fury, as Soren darted in to slash its underbelly.
"Keep it restrained!" he shouted. "We almost have it!"
The Mauler's HP bar plummeted: ██████████░░░░
CRITICAL HIT: +50 XP
"Now!" Mirelle activated her rod-tool, firing a concentrated jet of water into the beast's gills.
With a final shriek, the Kelp Mauler shuddered and dissolved into glowing fragments.
DUNGEON BOSS DEFEATED
Loot Acquired: Kelp Mauler Fang (x1), Abyssal Thread (x3), Kelp Core (x2)
XP Gained: +300 XP
Haruka: LEVEL UP! Lv.1 → Lv.3
Haruka's body felt lighter as a wave of warmth spread through her chest.
New Passive Unlocked: Water Sense
• Detect nearby aquatic hazards within 10m radius.
The team emerged onto a floating platform lit by amber lanterns. Haruka sank to her knees, clutching her rod.
"I thought I was going to die," she whispered.
"You didn't," Soren said with a faint grin. He crouched beside her. "Not bad for your first boss run. Most newbies never make it past the Mauler."
Mirelle knelt, inspecting the Kelp Mauler Fang in her inventory. "You froze up back there," she said bluntly. "Next time, don't wait for someone to yell at you. Trust your HUD. Trust your instincts."
Haruka bit her lip. "I… I will."
"Good." Mirelle straightened. "You'll need to. The next dungeon's worse."
Later, as Soren and Mirelle discussed loot distribution, Haruka sat at the edge of the platform, staring into the water. Her reflection wavered with every ripple.
It felt real. Too real.
Why can I feel the pull of the water? The sting in my arms from reeling?
A chill ran down her spine as a whisper echoed in her mind:
"Deeper… deeper… you belong to the ocean now."
She shivered and gripped her rod tighter.
Back at the crafting station, Soren slapped a schematic down on the table.
"You've got two options," he said. "Combine the Mauler Fang and Kelp Core to make a Reinforced Reel—it'll make boss fights easier. Or craft a Spectral Lure to boost rare spawns in the next dungeon."
"What would you do?" Haruka asked.
Soren smirked. "Reel first, lure later. Can't catch anything if you're dead."
Haruka nodded. "Reinforced Reel, then."
The crafting animation sparked to life, threads of blue magic swirling around her hands.
CRAFT SUCCESSFUL!
Reinforced Reel (Lv.3) Equipped
• +5 STR when reeling
• Reduces line tension loss by 30%
As the warmth faded from her fingers, Haruka felt it deep in her bones: she wasn't the same girl who had stumbled into Nereid's Arcadia yesterday.
She was an Aqua-Arcanist now. And the ocean wasn't done with her yet.