CHAPTER 151: [PULSING]

Eli’s breath hitched as he watched Kairo wade forward through the trembling water, each step slow but deliberate, the crimson glow of his aura burning faintly through the mist.

The octopus’s body loomed before him—massive, twitching, its eyes glowing like molten rubies trapped in ink. The air reeked of blood and ozone, every breath thick with the weight of mana.

Vines and threads still held the creature bound, but barely. Each movement made the restraints creak and shudder as if they were seconds away from snapping.

"Go, Captain!" Mel shouted, his voice strained. Green veins pulsed down his arms, the light from his Thornveil ability illuminating the murky water. More vines erupted around the monster’s limbs, coiling tighter with a whip-like crack.

"Get it, Ka!" Mio added, silver threads snapping taut around the beast’s thrashing tentacles. His fingers danced in the air, controlling every filament with precision. "We’ve got you covered!"

Eli didn’t move. He could only watch.

’I hope he’s able to get both eyes without the octopus getting free...’ That would’ve been most ideal.

His heart hammered in his chest, so loud it drowned out everything—the hiss of magic, the creak of vines, even the guttural rumble of the creature.

Then—Kairo moved.

He kicked off the water’s surface, propelling himself upward with explosive force. The impact sent ripples bursting outward, spraying mist into the air.

The crimson aura around him flared brighter, trailing behind like streaks of bloodied light as he soared. Every muscle in his body was coiled with intent—fast, precise, lethal.

The octopus shrieked, sensing the incoming threat, its tentacles lashing wildly—but Kairo was already there. He twisted midair, blade drawn back. The blood-forged sword shimmered under the faint light, the edge pulsing with red energy.

For a single heartbeat, the reflection of the blade danced across the monster’s enormous eye.

Then—

SHHK!

The sword plunged straight into the left eye.

A deafening, blood-curdling scream erupted from the creature, shaking the cavern walls. The sound was so sharp it made the water vibrate, sending shockwaves through the ground beneath them.

Eli flinched, covering his ears, teeth gritted as the sound stabbed through his skull. His danger detection didn’t flare—not yet—but his gut twisted violently.

Something was wrong.

He blinked through the spray, vision blurring, watching crimson fluid gush from the octopus’s ruined eye as Kairo ripped the sword free.

The S-Class hunter landed on one of Mel’s vines with perfect balance, his stance low, ready to strike again. But before he could move—

Eli felt

it.

That pulse. That deep, heavy vibration that came from the monster’s core.

The calm before the storm—gone in an instant.

"Mio—!" Eli’s voice sliced through the chaos, urgent and sharp. "Let go of the threads!"

"What?!" Mio’s eyes snapped to him, confusion breaking his focus. "Why would I—"

"Let go NOW!" Eli barked, cutting him off. The tone in his voice wasn’t a suggestion—it was pure command. The kind of tone that made even veterans obey without thought.

Mio froze for a heartbeat, then released his control. The silver threads snapped free, vanishing into the air.

Mel hesitated, eyes wide. Eli’s next words came in a rush, fast and low:

"If you don’t, you’ll be sent flying in three seconds."

That was all it took.

Mio didn’t question again.

His hands flicked once—swift, precise, practiced. The silver threads that had crisscrossed the cavern shimmered, then burst apart in a cascade of light.

For a moment, the air glittered with faint mana dust before it was swallowed by the mist, leaving only Mel’s trembling green vines holding the line.

"Captain!" Eli’s voice cracked, panic bleeding through as he turned toward Kairo—still poised on the highest vine near the monster’s head, the crimson aura around him flickering in the dark. "Come back! Now!"

Kairo didn’t hesitate.

The edge in Eli’s tone—sharp, commanding—was enough to make even an S-Class like him move without a second thought.

In the same heartbeat—

The octopus moved.

Its body convulsed violently, the water surging outward like a living explosion. The cavern shook as waves slammed against the walls, echoing with a deep, guttural rumble that vibrated in their bones.

’Shit—it’s breaking free—!’

Every remaining tentacle shot outward in a blur of black and red, slicing through Mel’s vines as if they were paper.

The impact sent fragments of glowing green mana scattering like shattered glass.

The bindings didn’t just snap—they shattered, bursting apart with deafening cracks that split the air.

One massive tentacle lashed upward, slicing through the mist toward Kairo with enough force to crush stone. For an instant, it filled his vision—then he moved.

Kairo’s body twisted, his aura flaring bright crimson as he launched himself backward.

The air rippled from the sheer pressure of his movement, water exploding beneath him as the tentacle slammed into the spot he’d been standing.

BOOM!

The impact sent a geyser of black water erupting skyward. Shards of rock tore free from the ceiling, crashing down around them.

Kairo landed hard on a broken stone pillar, boots skidding against the slick surface. His sword was already up, dripping with the octopus’s blood, eyes locked on the creature’s thrashing mass.

"Shit—!" Mel stumbled backward, clutching his arms as pain shot through him from the backlash of his shattered vines. He winced, green veins flickering out one by one. "It’s loose again!"

The octopus roared.

No—it screamed, a wet, guttural howl that made the very water tremble. The sound tore through the cavern like a physical wave, shaking the ground beneath their feet.

Eli felt it in his chest, deep and heavy, vibrating through every bone.

’This thing’s not dying quietly...’

Steam and mist swallowed the battlefield once more, and through it, the red glow of Kairo’s aura burned—steady, defiant, like a heartbeat against the dark.

Zaira’s illusion finally shattered—light cracking like glass before dissolving into mist. The faint blue shimmer that once wrapped her hands flickered erratically, sputtering out like a dying lightbulb. She dropped to one knee with a ragged gasp, her shoulders trembling, one hand clutching her chest.

"Zaira!" Mio’s voice broke as he rushed to her side, his boots splashing through the shallow water. His threads sparked faintly at his fingertips, but he forced them down—she was barely conscious, her mana drained to fumes.

"I—just need a second—" she rasped, voice hoarse and trembling. Her illusion had held longer than anyone expected, and it had taken everything she had left. Even standing looked impossible.

Then—

SPLASH!

Kairo landed beside them in a burst of water, his boots slamming into stone hard enough to send cracks spidering beneath him. The crimson aura around him hissed and rippled, steam rising off his shoulders. His sword—still dripping with blood—let off a faint heat that distorted the air.

He scanned the situation once. One look at Zaira, pale and shaking. Another at the shadow that towered behind them. The octopus’s massive body was convulsing again, water thrashing around it like a storm.

"Run."

His voice was low but absolute. The kind that didn’t allow for argument.

Eli barely had time to breathe before Kairo’s hand shot out—grabbing him by the arm and yanking him forward.

"W–wait—"

No time. Kairo’s grip was firm, unrelenting, dragging him through the knee-deep water. Every step he took sent sprays of liquid flying, his movements too fast, too controlled.

"Let’s go."

Behind them, Mio didn’t hesitate either. He scooped Zaira up into his arms, muttering a curse under his breath as he sprinted after them, water splashing in frantic bursts. Mel followed close behind, his vines snapping out like living whips to shove aside falling debris and dislodge loose rock from their path.

The cavern roared with chaos. The octopus thrashed in blind fury—tentacles smashing into stone pillars and walls, sending explosions of water into the air. Each impact echoed like thunder, shaking the cavern’s foundation.

But the creature didn’t chase.

It flailed, screamed, raged—but it didn’t pursue.

Eli stumbled as another shockwave rippled through the water beneath them. Each tremor vibrated up his legs, nearly knocking him off balance, but Kairo didn’t slow down once. His pace was ruthless, his steps calculated even as the ground trembled.

"That bought us some time," Kairo muttered, glancing back briefly, his voice sharp and controlled despite the tension cutting through it.

"Not sure for how long," Eli panted, struggling to keep up. His chest heaved, lungs burning from the sprint. "We don’t know how long that eye’s going to stay injured."

Kairo’s jaw clenched. His silence was an acknowledgment. He didn’t disagree.

Behind them, the cavern pulsed with red light—the octopus’s wounded eye glowing faintly in the dark. The water caught its reflection, turning into a molten surface of rippling crimson, painting their escape in flickering shades of blood and fire.

Mel’s voice came through between heavy breaths. "What now?"

"Keep running," Kairo replied, not looking back. "Safe distance first. Then we think."

Eli’s focus, though, was no longer on escaping. His gaze flicked back to the creature, eyes narrowing as his instincts prickled.

The octopus wasn’t moving toward them. Its enormous head was trembling, the water around it bubbling faintly—not from motion, but from something else.

’At least we know it can get hurt. All I need to think about now is—wait.’

He slowed for a half-second, squinting through the haze.

The octopus was shaking. Violently. At first, it looked like rage—its body spasming from the pain. But there was something... off. The movement wasn’t chaotic. It was steady. Measured.

Rhythmic.

A pulse.

At first, he thought it was an illusion—the aftershock of its thrashing. But then he saw it clearly. The top of the creature’s head was moving—swelling, contracting, swelling again—in a wet, deliberate rhythm that made his blood run cold.

The sound beneath the water was faint but distinct: thump... thump... thump.

Like a heartbeat.

Eli froze, realization flashing in his eyes.

’Wait... its head... that’s—’

He blinked rapidly, his mind racing. The memory hit him out of nowhere—something he’d read years ago, buried in the back of his mind.

He swallowed hard. "Octopuses..." he murmured, voice shaking slightly. "They have three hearts."

Kairo glanced at him from the corner of his eye, crimson aura still flaring faintly in the darkness. "What?"