Realm Wars

Chapter 129: Awakened

Everyone was motionless, waiting for the right opportunity. The Leviathan's snores were the only thing ringing in the entire area, shaking their hearts. And with another whoosh, a man shot into the tunnel when the Leviathan inhaled the icy fog, clearing the freezing air into its snout.

Ryu's muscles rippled, and his slit eyes never left the Leviathan and the exit. He grabbed Seraphina, and the latter smashed against his chest. Sprawling her fingers across his neck, Seraphina held on tight. Ryu leaped and ran with utmost speed when the icy smog revealed a large gap after the man went through.

This was their chance!

But Ryu was not the only one who seized this chance. There was another who used spell and skill, and within a blink, he was inside the exit, an elf with incredible speed and a wide set of spells in his arsenal.

Ryu was forced to stop unless he wanted to collide with the elf. He wanted to rip the elf's head for stealing their chance, but he knew that everyone was competing for a better opportunity. With more than fifty of them stuck in here, every man for themselves. Groups and camaraderie fell apart at the face of death, and some who couldn't cross the exit were left behind in tears. 

Ryu clicked his tongue while Seraphina gasped. "Look."

Ryu stared at where Seraphina was pointing. It was that elf who stole their chance. He safely entered the exit one moment, but the next, there was a light icy breath wrapped on his feet, and it stretched into his entire legs. 

The elf's face twisted in horror as he stared at his body that turned to ice within seconds. He let out a desperate scream that shook everyone's heart before he was swallowed by the ice and shattered into pieces.

AarRRgGhhHH!

Horror and fear coated everyone's expression when the Leviathan's body moved, and its slit metallic blue eyes shut opened. 

RoOoaAaR!!

The Leviathan roared, pierced thru their hearts, and bit their body to stillness. Its roar had the stun and dizziness effect. The Leviathan's body constricted, and the mountain of corals was shattered to pieces. The tiny pieces flew at terrifying speed, carrying a tectonic force enough to smash anyone it hits into a paste.

Seraphina slapped Ryu on the cheek to wake him from the daze. Thanks to Tethyt's tiara, the effect of the Leviathan's roar was reduced to mere seconds before she broke out of it.

"Snap out of it! We have to move!" At this time, it no longer made any difference if they made any noise or not.

At Seraphina's voice and slap, Ryu snapped out from the Leviathan's roar. He shook his head and snarled. And with all his speed, he zoomed into the exit that was covered with rocks and debris but in its place was a portal that Ryu knew would take them to the next Islet.

Using swift movement to dodge all incoming shattered rocks and sharp corals, Ryu managed to slip past the Leviathan. In contrast, the latter was busy eliminating the others, who were still stunned by its roar, with just a beam of water from its mouth. 

They were like lifeless statues for the Leviathan to target without any effort. Some who were stronger than the others or had lifesaving items and spells managed to flee, but with just a single blast of concentrated water from the Leviathan, they turned to ice that even their souls shattered from the cold.

AaARrGh!

Chaos descended, and everyone swam away when they finally got hold of their body. Some dared to fight back, especially the prideful elves and the arrogant demons. But the Leviathan didn't even make an effort to shy away from their barrage of attacks and spells.

Its scales were like the hardest metals and ores that no magic nor weapon could penetrate, and everyone's faces were drained of colors as they fled for their lives.

Seraphina in his arms, Ryu didn't stop moving towards the portal. There were also a few who wanted to take their chances and ran into the safety of the next Islet but were spotted by the Leviathan. With a glint of its eyes, all who dared attempt to past it were turned into popsicles.

Ryu's heart hammered against his chest when the Leviathan slid its enormous head in their direction. He didn't even stop to take a second look of the wound near its neck. They were so close to the portal, but at the corner of his sight, the Leviathan's metallic blue slit eyes glint, and its mouth opened, pulling the waters into its jaws.

Ryu's speed lessened when the gravity of the water pulled him towards the Leviathan. A flash of flickering light gathered in the Leviathan's mouth, and Ryu knew that he'd die if he didn't reach that portal soon.

Veins crawled on Ryu's skin as he pushed his joints and muscles to the limit to increase his speed. He heard a blast, and the next thing he knew, he was hurled into the portal by a boiling stream of concentrated aqua, and everything went black.

.. .

.. .

"Yu. .. R-Ryu. . ."

Ryu's eyes flickered open. His visions were blurs of Ferris's hazy form. He shot to a sitting position and grabbed her shoulders in a tight embrace.

"Ferris! You're alive." It must be a dream. Ryu thought as he rubbed his face against her neck. He didn't know how many days since the last time he saw her, but even he was startled at how much he missed her company.

"R-Ryu?" 

".. ." Ryu was stunned when Ferris's sarcastic childlike voice turned into a mellow one. He pushed Ferris away from him, and her hazy forms took a single identity in the form of Seraphina.

"A-are you okay?" Seraphina asked, worried on her face and voice.

Ryu shut his eyes closed for a moment while taking deep breathes to settle the ringing in his ears. "Y-yeah. .. ," he croaked. However, he was feeling anything but fine. Ferris was still dead, and they were separated from Kai and Jane. 

To make matters worse, Ryu didn't know if Kai and Jane could make it out from the Leviathan's lair after the giant Serpent woke up. He could only hope that the Leviathan would go back to sleep so they could advance to the next Islet.