Shadow Slave

The surface of the cursed sea seethed and boiled, then exploded into the skies. Following the disappearance of the gargantuan tentacle, six others appeared from beneath the black waves. They rose and loomed above the marching colossus like twisted mountains, blocking the clamor of the storm for a fleeting moment.

Sunny gritted his teeth and stared at the terrible image, trying to comprehend the scale of the approaching battle.

How were tiny humans supposed to survive the fight between titans?

A second later, the tentacles collapsed from the skies to assail the stone giant. Because of their size, it seemed as if they were moving in slow motion. However, Sunny knew that it was just an illusion.

Four of the arms of the unseen leviathan submerged back under the water to coil around the legs and the torso of the colossus, while two remaining ones slithered toward his hand.

The ancient statue continued to walk south, seemingly unperturbed by the furious assault of the terrifying dweller of the depths. It batted one of the tentacles away, and allowed the other to wrap around its wrist.

"Hold fast!"

Sunny didn't register whose shout that was, but followed the advice and grabbed onto the Stone Saint even tighter.

'Curse it all!'

In the furious roar of thunder and blinding lightning, the stone giant suddenly staggered and slightly careened to the side. The tentacle that was coiled around his wrist had tensed, trying to pull the hand down.

hiding in its black, oily, bulbous flesh was so harrowing that several cracks appeared on the surface of the ancient stone. It almost looked as

the giant turned his palm and grasped the tentacle, then

of the stone giant in return. For a few moments, it wasn't clear which creature was more devastatingly powerful. But then the fingers of the colossus slowly submerged into the black flash, sending rivers of dark, fetid blood spilling down into the

torn to shreds and

couldn't see through the black waters of the cursed sea, but he could vividly imagine two

to have worked. The pace of the walking statue slowed, as if it had to struggle against an unimaginable weight that was

'Not good…'

his feet, Sunny could feel the vibrations running through the ancient stone. The giant was trembling, as if straining to move his colossal body with all his strength. The circular platform they were hiding on slowly began to slope to the side, allowing

furious storm grew even stronger, as though celebrating the battle between two enormous creatures. The hurricane wind crushed into the cohort, pelting them with rain and seawater. The thunderclaps merged into one continuous, deafening roar, and the flashes of lightning

ancient statue shuddered and changed its angle. It was almost as if…

widened. He instinctively understood what was about

the

followed his command and fell to her knees to thrust a hand into a crack in

under! Hold your

'Here we go again!'

leaned forward and dove under

Then, the cohort was once again in the cold embrace of the cursed sea. Only, unlike the previous day when they had to cross the canyon, this time they were being pulled deep into the void of

rush past him, Sunny held on for his dear life and waited. If he was right about what the

the pressure of the black water grew heavier and the cold of the lightless void seeped into his bones, the circular platform suddenly stopped and swayed lightly. Despite being submerged deep

'Gods, gods!'