CHAPTER 763: CHAPTER 763: THE KRAKEN

The journey to the Elven Continent was halfway through. Days had passed since they escaped the Curse of the Sea, and the fog was now far behind them. Clear skies and deep, endless waters stretched across the horizon.

The ship cut smoothly through the ocean, powered by spiritual arrays and steady hands. The guards were relaxed, chatting quietly as they carried out their duties. Even Sylvheriel, who usually kept to herself, had taken to standing at the front of the deck, eyes closed, enjoying the breeze.

But peace was not made to last.

It started with the waves—gentle at first, then suddenly rough.

The sea churned. The sky dimmed. A shadow darker than night began to rise from the deep.

The ship rocked violently.

"What is going on?"

"Why did it turn dark all of a sudden?"

"Yeah, the day had barely started; how could it be dark?"

The guards wondered out loud, sitting up and walking up to the edge of the ship. Wuhan also stood on the raised platform above the living quarters and looked at the source of darkness with a grim look on his face; his fingers were tightly wrapped around the wooden wheel of the ship.

There was a dark patch in the sea before the ship. That patch was so big that not a single guard could see the end of it.

Then it appeared.

A slimy surface, like a patch of land that slowly grew to the size of a mountain and continued to emerge without stopping.

The mere presence of this thing had caused the atmosphere to change and the sky to darken.

The air was thick with moisture and dense with qi that did not belong to anyone.

A giant figure loomed above the water—towering, massive, terrifying.

A giant octopus-like beast, each tentacle as thick as a tower, rose into the air. Its eyes glowed like moons, and its body cast a shadow over the entire ship. The spirit pressure it gave off made the ship creak in protest.

Even Wuhan’s face turned serious. "A Peak Rank 7 Spirit Beast... a kraken," he muttered.

The guards drew their weapons without hesitation, but their hands trembled. Captain Black Sword actually stood up straight for once, his straw hat falling off in the wind. Sylvheriel’s body was tense, her instincts screaming of danger.

The beast stood there like their death sentence. It was so tall that it even crossed the tallest mountains and towers Wuhan had seen in his life.

The suction sacks on the tentacles of the beast were as long as half the ship. It did not even need to try to sink them down to the bottom of the bottomless sea.

Every guard was trembling with beads of sweat dripping down their strained forehead. Their raised spears that were bloody from the beasts they had killed on their way here shook with their bodies but refused to lower.

As everyone had expected, the beast attacked.

With each moment that passed, their tension only grew with the heaviness of their breath.

But the beast didn’t attack.

It just stared.

Its massive eyes swept across the ship slowly, looking at each person on board. Or at least... that’s what everyone thought.

But Noah knew better.

It wasn’t looking at them. It was looking at him.

Noah met its gaze calmly, unmoving. The ship creaked again as the beast leaned closer, its massive head just meters away from the deck.

Then... it spoke.

A deep, monstrous sound, full of echoes and ancient tones, rolled across the sea. The language was nothing any of them had ever heard—guttural and strange, like the sea itself was speaking.

The others couldn’t understand a word.

Noah did.

Without saying anything else, he stepped forward.

"I’ll handle this," he said simply, and before anyone could react, he leapt over the side of the ship and dove straight into the sea.

"Noah!" Wuhan shouted, reaching out—but it was too late.

The sea rippled.

The massive beast, the kraken, stared for another moment—and then vanished into the waves after him, its massive body slipping beneath the surface without a sound.

Silence fell.

Panic spread.

"What is he thinking?" Sylvheriel said, stunned. "Even someone like him—"

But before she could finish, the water stirred once more.

A shape broke the surface.

Noah rose slowly from the sea, first his head and then the rest of his body. He appeared to be flying upwards, but when the slimy gray skin surfaced beneath his feet, everyone took a deep breath of shock.

Noah came back, but he was not alone; he was standing on something.

He was standing on the top of one of the kraken’s tentacles.

The tentacle lifted him gently, like a wave carrying a feather.

The beast fully revealed itself again, but this time, it didn’t feel threatening.

It felt... calm.

The kraken’s massive eyes glowed softly as it gazed at Noah, who stood tall and unharmed.

The creature bent slightly, its body language unmistakable—it was showing respect.

"He’s... standing on it," one of the guards whispered.

"It’s not attacking," said another.

Sylvheriel stared in disbelief. Then, suddenly, her expression changed. Her eyes widened as realization dawned.

"...Of course," she murmured. "The chosen of the World Tree..."

Everyone turned to her.

Sylvheriel looked toward Noah and spoke firmly, her voice steady now.

"Those blessed by the World Tree are not just favored by heaven. They are friends of the natural world. Benefactors of all living things. Spirit beasts and animals recognize their aura. Unless forced... they will never harm someone like him."

Wuhan looked at her, then at Noah, eyes filled with thought. The guards were silent, watching in stunned admiration.

Noah stepped off the kraken’s tentacle, descending back onto the deck like stepping down a staircase.

As his feet touched the wood, the massive beast let out a deep, rumbling sound.

It turned its gaze to the ship one last time.

"Farewell..." In a strange, broken version of human speech, it spoke a farewell. "Friend... of the sea..."

Then, with a powerful splash, the kraken slowly sank beneath the waves, disappearing into the depths.

Noah said nothing. He simply walked to the edge of the deck, leaned on the railing, and looked out over the sea as if nothing had happened.

Wuhan joined him after a long silence. "Is there anything you can’t do?"

Noah smirked slightly. "I still get seasick sometimes."

Captain Black Sword groaned and sat back down. "Next time I think I’ve seen everything, you people raise the bar again."