CHAPTER 150: [BUY US MORE TIME]

’What do I know about octopuses?’

Eli’s mind was spinning. His heart pounded like a drum, every beat echoing through his skull.

He stared at the writhing monster—its massive body restrained by vines and threads, its black, rubbery flesh slick under the faint blue light of Zaira’s illusion.

He was grasping at straws.

He had never cared about marine life. He wasn’t the type to remember biology lectures or random ocean trivia.

All he knew was... what? They had eight tentacles? They squirted ink? Or was that squids?

Eli’s jaw tightened. ’God, I don’t even know anymore.’

And even if he did know, what good would it do? This wasn’t some harmless sea creature—it was a dungeon-class monster, a thing that broke every law of nature and logic. Real-world biology didn’t mean shit here.

He exhaled sharply, his throat dry.

Still... knowing how it functioned—even a little—was important. Every creature, no matter how powerful, had a pattern. A weakness. Something.

Just like the ogres. Just like the priest statue.

There was always a way to kill it.

He just had to find it before they all ran out of strength.

"Anything?" Mio’s voice broke through the ringing silence, tight with strain. His hands were trembling as he held his threads steady, but his eyes—sharp, desperate—were locked on Eli.

Eli blinked, snapping out of his thoughts. All eyes were on him now. Zaira, pale and shaking. Mel, panting, green veins glowing faintly beneath his skin.

And Kairo—still, steady, unreadable—watching him like the answer was already written behind Eli’s eyes.

He swallowed hard. "I’m... I’m looking for weak points."

The words came out steadier than he felt.

He forced his gaze back to the octopus. The monster’s massive body twitched against its restraints, the vines tightening around its limbs.

Its slick tentacles lashed uselessly in the water, the illusion confusing its aim.

Eli’s sharp yellow eyes tracked its movements, watching the way the threads cut through its flesh, the way the wounds sealed too quickly.

’The tentacles regenerate instantly. So that’s not it.’

He scanned upward. The main body was protected by layers of muscle—too dense for even Kairo’s attacks to pierce deeply.

’No blood, either. It’s like its entire body is just flesh...except...’

Eli’s eyes stopped at one spot.

The creature’s head. More specifically—its eyes.

Two massive, glowing red orbs, wide and erratic, darting in every direction, trying to track enemies that weren’t even there. The illusion was driving it insane.

But even through the chaos, Eli saw it—tiny pulsations at the edge of its sclera. The faint shimmer of mana focusing inward, not outward.

It was gathering energy there. Channeling it.

A core. Or something close to it.

He raised a hand, pointing. "The octopus doesn’t have blood in its tentacles. It regenerates too fast, and it absorbs mana attacks. Right now... the only thing we can pierce—really pierce—is its eyes."

For a moment, silence fell.

Everyone stared at him. The air felt heavier, thicker.

"The eyes?" Kairo’s voice finally broke through. His tone wasn’t mocking, but it carried weight—testing Eli’s certainty. "Are you sure?"

"Will stabbing the eyes kill it?"

"No," Eli said after a long pause, forcing himself to steady his breath. "I don’t believe stabbing the eyes will kill it. But—" He exhaled sharply, gaze flicking toward the bound monster.

"It’s our best shot to blind it, or at least throw off its aim. It might buy us time... or tell us more about how it works. If it stops regenerating there, then maybe its weakness isn’t in the tentacles at all—it’s higher. Closer to the head."

His voice was quiet but confident, steady despite the exhaustion burning in his chest. The others listened.

Mio’s threads still glimmered faintly in the air, the vines creaked under strain, Zaira’s illusions shimmered like heatwaves—but all their eyes were on him.

When Eli finally looked back at them, he realized he’d stopped breathing. He waited—for judgment, correction, something.

Kairo was the first to move. He gave a single nod. "That’s a good idea."

Mio let out a short breath, nodding too. "I agree. It’s better than anything any of us could think of right now."

"Mm," Mel hummed in agreement, his usual grin returning faintly despite the blood running down his temple. "Kid’s got a point."

And then—

Zaira groaned. "As much as we all love to praise Eli and his genius plans," she said, her voice wobbling with strain, "can we please start now while I can still keep this thing under control? I feel like I’m about to pass out. We just got Mel back, we don’t need another one collapsing!"

Mel lifted an eyebrow, panting. "For the record, it’s your fault I feel like shit right now. You just had to push me into the water, remember?"

"And I already apologized the second you woke up!" Zaira shot back, her voice cracking between anger and fatigue. "You wanna hold a grudge now? Seriously?"

"Maybe I do," Mel said, his vines twitching dangerously as if to emphasize it.

"Captain!" Zaira yelled, pointing at him mid-illusion. "Mel’s being petty again!"

Eli blinked, momentarily forgetting the giant monster looming in front of them. He turned to Kairo—who had just sighed, the sound heavy but almost amused—as he rubbed the bridge of his nose.

For the first time since entering this hellish dungeon, Eli caught the faintest hint of an eye roll from the infamous Crimson Shadow.

He almost smiled.

"I’m just gonna say what Captain’s probably thinking," Mio cut in, his voice taut but laced with dry humor, "you’re both being petty right now."

"But Mio—!"

"Focus on the octopus, Zai," he deadpanned, tightening his threads.

"This is why your sister gets all the girls, even though she’s a girl herself!" Zaira snapped, her voice breaking slightly under pressure. "You suck at talking to women!"

"YOU—!" Mio’s jaw dropped, his hands twitching as his control nearly faltered.

"Quiet," Kairo said, voice low but firm, a commander’s tone that silenced everything. His brows were furrowed, his patience clearly fraying, but there was something else beneath that usual steel—something softer.

Relief.

’He’s... relieved,’ Eli realized, watching Kairo’s expression shift just slightly as he turned his gaze away from the bickering hunters. ’They’re all still joking, still arguing. Still alive.’

Eli exhaled, a faint smile tugging at his lips despite the chaos.

’Now it’s lively again. That’s good.’

And judging by the way Kairo’s shoulders relaxed—just barely—Eli could tell he was thinking the same thing.

Zaira huffed, her illusions flickering faintly with the movement. "Fine," she muttered under her breath, though her tone made it clear she wasn’t fine at all.

Mel huffed too—but his had more smug satisfaction in it, the corner of his mouth twitching upward when Zaira shot him a glare sharp enough to cut glass.

For a second, amidst the blood, exhaustion, and the monster’s guttural breathing in the distance—it almost felt normal.

Almost.

Because the peace didn’t last.

Not even a heartbeat later, the water trembled.

A low rumble echoed through the cavern, deep enough to vibrate through their bones.

The octopus twitched, muscles convulsing beneath the vines and threads that bound it. Its skin rippled, the once-calmed body suddenly surging with movement again.

The water erupted in violent ripples.

Zaira’s eyes widened. Her illusion cracked—literally fractured like glass—as her knees buckled. The glow around her hands sputtered, and she gasped, stumbling backward as her legs gave out beneath her.

"Zai!" Mio and Mel’s voices collided in panic, both lunging forward to catch her.

"I’m—fine!" she croaked out, though her trembling hands betrayed her. "I’m fine, but please—hurry. I’m serious now. The octopus—it’s waking up—!"

Before anyone could react, Eli felt Kairo move beside him.

Fast.

The shift in air pressure alone was enough to make Eli flinch. Kairo stepped closer, his arm slipping away from Eli’s waist as he crouched slightly. His movements were measured, deliberate, controlled—even in the chaos.

Then, to Eli’s surprise, Kairo gently lowered him down into the shallow water, positioning him between Mio and Mel.

"Kairo?" Eli’s voice was tight, confused. "What are you—"

"Stay here."

Kairo’s tone was low but commanding—no hesitation, no doubt. His black eyes burned faintly red in the dim light as he looked at Eli.

"I’ll handle the eyes. It’s still bound, which means I can get close enough without risking your life. I don’t need you for this part."

Eli blinked, the words hitting harder than he expected. Not because Kairo was dismissing him—but because of the way he said it. Calm. Confident. Like it was already decided.

"But if I do need you," Kairo continued, "you’ll know. Just yell—loudly. Got it?"

Eli’s breath caught. He nodded. "O-Okay."

"Good."

Kairo straightened, his soaked clothes clinging to his form as the red glow of his aura bled faintly around his skin. He turned to the rest of his squad, his voice cutting through the rumble of the awakening beast.

"In case it gets free—if it starts chasing or attacking—" His tone hardened, his authority sharp as a blade. "Run. All of you. Don’t hesitate. Don’t try to fight. I can take care of myself."

"Captain—" Mio started, his threads twitching uncertainly.

"That’s an order."

The words hit with finality.

Mio swallowed his argument, clenching his jaw. "Understood."

"Got it," Mel muttered, though his vines curled tighter in agitation.

Zaira just nodded weakly from where she was half-supported between them, her voice barely a whisper. "Yes, Captain."

Eli, still kneeling between them, looked up at Kairo—his figure half-lit by the faint red aura, water glinting around him like molten glass.

He nodded once, firm but quiet.

"I understand."

Kairo gave him a single look in response—steady, unreadable—and then turned toward the monster.

The octopus’s massive eyes snapped open fully, glowing with violent red light. The water around it churned, dark and wild.

Kairo didn’t flinch.

He stepped forward, every stride slicing through the water like a blade.

’I hope this works.’ Eli thought, heart hammering in his chest as he watched the man’s silhouette close in on the writhing beast. ’At least...just to buy us more time.’