'Just great, as if the situation wasn't bad enough.' Jett thought as he watched in irritation while the octopus coated its entire body with a thick layer of Aura. The glow pulsed in the water like a heartbeat, distorting the currents around it. Rey's face showed the same disbelief.

They both knew what this meant. In WARBOUND, monsters using Aura wasn't new, but it only happened much later in the game. Mid-bosses in the early stages barely had the intelligence to form Aura shells, let alone maintain one this stable. Seeing it now felt completely out of place.

Rey:- "Snap out of it, Rey." Jett's tone turned sharp as he analyzed the faint hue of the octopus's Aura. "Judging from the color, it just broke into Master rank. Early Master, to be precise. What rank are you in?"

Rey grit his teeth. "Late Intermediate. What about you?"

Jett gave an awkward grin.

Jett:- "Late Master."

Rey froze.

Rey:- "What!? Since when? Is that why you sucked at mana control?"

Jett:- "Shut up, man. That's a thing of the past."

Their exchange ended abruptly when a shadow blurred in front of them. The octopus had already closed the gap.

Its massive tentacles cracked through the water like whips, slamming both boys at once. The impact was brutal. The pressure felt like being hit by a falling building. The current burst around them, sending them spinning across the seabed.

Rey coughed hard, his ribs aching. "I think I cracked a few ribs," he muttered, clutching his side, but before he could move, another tentacle slammed him downward.

The Aura-coated limb struck like a hammer, pinning him against the ocean floor. The octopus didn't hesitate this time. It lifted several of its tentacles at once, ready to crush Rey completely.

Strengthened by Aura, the octopus lunged toward Rey with lethal precision, its tentacles slicing through the water like whips. Rey could barely move, his body still recovering.

[Slow Curse]

The moment Jett's skill took effect, the creature's movements dulled. Its once lightning-fast strikes now dragged through the water as if weighed down by invisible chains. Each ripple slowed, each lash of its limbs became sluggish.

That brief window was enough.

[Iron Body]

Jett's skin glowed faintly with a metallic sheen as Aura coursed through him. He charged in, letting the tentacle strike his side. The impact sent a heavy shockwave across the water, but he didn't flinch. The tentacle coiled around him, but his Aura-hardened body held firm. He gritted his teeth, forced the tentacle apart, and slammed his fist into the octopus's head.

The hit barely made the creature flinch, but it recoiled slightly from the shock.

Jett: "Heal up already."

Rey: "Yeah, yeah, shut up."

[Quick Heal]

Rey's wounds closed fast as a green light wrapped around him.

Rey: "He's strong. Got any ideas?"

Jett: "Actually. Just follow my lead. I'll create an opening so you can land a big attack. Don't worry about its aura.

Jett darted forward again. The octopus lashed out with two tentacles. He sidestepped one, ducked under the other, but the third caught his arm.

[Mini Teleportation]

A flash of light, and Jett vanished, reappearing right behind the monster.

Rey saw the opening. He formed water around his palms, rotating it at high pressure.

{Water Drill}

Two spiraling drills shot forward, tearing through the water. The octopus dodged, twisting its body aside, but the attack forced its focus away from Jett.

[Water Blessing]

[Boost]

'Lets see what happens when not our Aura's clash. News flash, it's going to be bad for you.'

Jett's body surged with power. Aura burst from his fists as he drove his knuckles into the beast's side. The impact shattered its Aura layer, rippling through its body. This time, the hit hurt.

The creature howled and tried to recoil, but Jett grabbed one of its thrashing tentacles and twisted it down, then caught another with his free hand.

Jett: "Hit it with everything you've got!"

[Heavenly Blessing]

[Speed Boost]

Light flared around Rey as sacred energy surged through him. Jett's arms strained, his muscles tightening as he kept the creature pinned in place. The octopus thrashed, water exploding around them, but Jett held firm.

Jett: "Do it now! It can't move!"

Rey shot forward like a blur, slicing clean through the octopus in one motion. The water churned crimson for a brief moment before settling. He slowly took of part of its organ that followed him outside it's body.

Floating in Rey's hand was a glowing orange orb, pulsing faintly with energy.

He smirked. "Well, that's the end of that."

The orb cracked in his hand, dissolving into fine dust.

[You have leveled up]

Jett frowned, peeling off pieces of the octopus that stuck to his armor. "Was breaking the core necessary?"

Rey shrugged. "Come on, don't be a worrywart. Let's start gathering."

They swam deeper into the coral field, finding patches of the Lyk herb glowing faintly along the seabed. Some of the plants were stubborn, their roots buried deep in stone. It took steady work and coordination to pull them out without breaking the stems.

For an hour, they worked in silence, stuffing bundles of herbs into their rings. By the time they resurfaced, fatigue had set in.

Jett broke through the surface first, gasping. "Finally, air." He grinned weakly, taking in a deep breath. "Never thought I'd be this happy to see the sky again."

"Let's hurry and get these herbs to Marcella," Rey said, glancing toward the dock. He wasn't sure Jett even remembered their original task.

They climbed aboard, dripping wet and exhausted, only to freeze as several guards rushed forward, swords drawn.

"Don't move, intruders!" one of them barked.

'Crap,' Rey thought. He glanced at Jett, who already looked ready to strike.

Jett's eyes narrowed. 'A 30% reduction should still be enough for these guys.'

[Dark Shadow]

Before either could act, three guards suddenly collapsed. The sound of quick steps followed by blunt impacts echoed through the deck.

In less than a second, every guard was down.

Rey blinked. "Asher? What are you doing here?"

"It's a long story," Asher said, his tone calm but sharp. He turned to Jett. "Glad you could join us. We need to leave. Now."

"What about these guys?" Rey asked, nodding toward the unconscious guards.

"Them?" Asher's voice dropped cold.

He reached behind his belt, drew three daggers, and channeled Aura into them. The blades glowed faintly before he flicked his wrist.

"What are you planning to..."

The daggers shot forward with a soft hum, slicing through the air. In a blink, they pierced the guards' necks cleanly.

Blood spread across the deck, splattering onto Rey and Jett as the bodies dropped.

Both Rey and Jett watched in silence and shock. Not sure what they just witnessed.

*

*

*

Wondering why he killed the defenceless guards?

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