Sunlight flooded David's room. For a place like the Realm of Fate, it felt unnaturally bright. Rising slowly, David opened his sleepy eyes, stretched, and made his way to the shower.
The bathroom was surprisingly spacious. Grabbing a brush, he carefully cleaned his teeth before stepping beneath the hot streams of water. His body loosened, weariness faded, and for the first time in what felt like ages, he could finally breathe. After finishing, he dressed in the clothes prepared in the room: a kimono-like top and black trousers. Tying his hair back into a ponytail, David stepped outside.
When he descended, he found Lucy, Emma, and Leo seated together at a table. Walking over, he greeted them:
"Good morning, everyone."
"And to you as well," they answered almost in unison.
David sat down beside Emma. But no sooner had he settled than he noticed the three of them looked tense—almost petrified.
"What's wrong?" he asked.
Leo lifted his gaze.
"A high-ranked demon is approaching… right up to the barrier itself."
David looked around in surprise. The tavern was nearly deserted, and those who remained were pale and grim.
"So what happens then? It's not like it can break through the barrier," he said uncertainly.
Leo sighed.
"David, you don't understand how dangerous high-ranked demons are. Their mere presence alone is enough to kill a weak human—or even a lesser demon."
"Hmm… so it really is that dangerous," David muttered, frowning.
Lucy added anxiously,
"And the barrier… will it protect us?"
Emma shook her head.
"The barrier itself, yes. But as for the aftermath… no one knows."
A heavy silence settled over their table. No one dared to speak until suddenly, a voice like a siren blared across the city:
"Attention! A high-ranked demon is approaching! Be prepared!"
"I repeat! A high-ranked demon is approaching! Be prepared!"
The four of them quickly stepped outside. An oppressive stillness hung over the vast city. It felt as though the citizens had already resigned themselves to death.
Then Hao Wen emerged. His powerful aura swept away the despair, and the warriors straightened their backs. There was no noise, no panic—only grim resolve.
All of the Awakened in the city turned their eyes toward the ocean. The ships that had once bobbed there had already sailed to safety. Only the whistling wind broke the silence.
Everyone held their breath. Even the four outside the tavern stood frozen, waiting for the inevitable.
Suddenly, a colossal storm surged from the sea. Warriors shielded their faces and mouths from the cutting wind. From the watery abyss rose whirlpools—one after another, massive, each more than thirty meters wide. Four of them aligned in a square, and from their centers emerged crimson tentacles, as if soaked in blood.
Slowly, they reached toward the barrier.
"Good heavens…" Hao Wen breathed, eyes wide in shock. "That's no mere beast. It's a sentient being…"
His words rattled the Awakened. Fear flickered in their eyes.
At that moment, a letter appeared beside David, sent from Poseidon:
"Without the aid of a god, you cannot defeat this creature."
Reading it, David frowned.
"So what should we do?"
The reply came immediately:
"Do not worry. Your leader can handle it—at least in theory. He forged a contract with a most unusual god."
David's eyes shifted to Hao Wen. A thought flashed through his mind:
"Can he really…?"
The tentacles probed gently at the barrier, as though studying it. Then three of them twined together, forming a ring, and struck. The ground shook violently.
"Damn it!" Hao Wen shouted. "It's targeting the upper section! That's the weak point of the barrier! All units—don't let it break through!"
He snatched up a radio.
"Open fire on the tentacles!"
"Roger!"
Turrets rose from the ground. Taking aim, they unleashed a hail of bullets. The rounds tore into the flesh—not dealing much damage, but enough to weaken the monster noticeably.
Meanwhile, Hao Wen summoned a spear from the spirit realm. It blazed crimson, like living flame. Seeing the tentacles falter, he soared into the sky and drove the weapon down in a powerful strike.
The tentacles writhed and twisted in unison.
"So… wound one, and the others share its pain," Ha
o Wen realized quickly. "If that's the case, then we just have to keep striking!"