"High Tide"

Lucas breathed heavily and muttered to himself, "Whew, that was intense." He glanced down at his hands and noticed that his mana reserves were dwindling. He leaned against a nearby coral tree, taking a moment to catch his breath.

His recent battle with the crab monster was evident, as the crab with a coral tree sticking out of its rear end is proof of his victory. As he caught his breath, he thought to himself, "I need to restore my mana levels quickly. I can't let my guard down in a place like this." He thought to himself while looking warily at the changes in the environment.

The sun, once a vibrant yellow, had transformed into a deep red orb that hung low in the sky, casting an eerie glow over the coral landscape. The salty ocean smell he had grown accustomed to was now mixed with the metallic scent of blood, causing a sickening sensation in his stomach. The water, which had been choppy and alive with movement, was now eerily still, not a single ripple to be seen.

Lucas looked around warily, taking note of the unpredictable environment. He knew he needed to stay alert and keep his senses sharp, no matter how tired he felt.

Gathering his mana and focusing, he took a deep breath and said to himself, "Ice. I need to spread ice on the ground and the coral trees. That should help me absorb mana faster."

He quickly got to work, creating a frosty layer over the ground and nearby coral trees.

Finally finished, he muttered to himself with relief, "Ahhh, that's better." Feeling more comfortable, he decided to make himself a chair out of ice. While sitting there, he reflected on the battle he had just won.

Lucas sat down, deep in thought. His mind raced as he considered the limits of his power, particularly the number of summons he could make.

"Could I make more summons?" he mused to himself. "I mean, it's possible, but what are the consequences of exceeding my limits? Will I burn out faster? Will the quality of my summons diminish?"

Curiosity getting the better of him, Lucas decided to test his summoning abilities. He began creating a human-shaped ice sculpture and kept making it bigger and bigger until it reached a height of 5 meters. However, as he willed the sculpture to become his summon, he realized he couldn't do it.

He paused for a moment, contemplating his failure. "I have a feeling that I could have done it, but at what cost?" he thought. "Perhaps the mana consumption would have been too much."

It is worth noting that Lucas was correct in his assumptions. His situation can be likened to a modern-day scenario where an individual attempts to purchase an item worth $1000 with only $100 available.

In such a case, the individual would fall into debt, leaving them drained and financially vulnerable, much like how excessive mana consumption could lead to disastrous consequences, potentially resulting in death.

Disappointed, Lucas decided to make five smaller human ice sculptures instead, each measuring 1.8 meters tall. "A 5-meter tall giant wouldn't be of much use in this terrain" he reasoned, furthermore it would only attract unwanted attention on this island.

As he finished creating his summons, Lucas sat back on his chair made of ice and pondered.

As Lucas sat amidst the coral trees, deep in thought. He gazed at his five newly created summons and wondered what kind of armor they would need. He wanted them to be well protected, but not weighed down. It was a difficult balance to strike.

After a moment of contemplation, Lucas spoke to his summons, "I have an idea. I'm going to make each of you a set of light armor. It should give you some protection without slowing you down too much."

The summons looked at him, waiting for him to continue. Lucas continued, "I want all five of you to have spears and shields as well. The spears will give you some reach, and the shields will help protect you from any attacks."

As Lucas spoke, he began to gather mana, focusing on his idea. Lucas closed his eyes and concentrated, imagining each of his summons wearing a set of light armor. He envisioned the armor as a series of interlocking plates, made of ice that would provide protection while still allowing for ease of movement.

...

As he opened his eyes, he saw that the five summons had been transformed, each now wearing a suit of shimmering ice armor. They held spears and shields in their hands and looked ready for battle.

Lucas smiled with satisfaction, "Perfect, now we're ready for anything that comes our way."

Lucas let out a loud sigh as he finished equipping his five summons with spears and shields. He had spent loads of mana crafting each piece of equipment with painstaking attention to detail, making sure that they were the perfect fit for each of his companions. But now that the work was done, he felt a sense of relief wash over him.

He looked up at the sky, which was becoming more crimson by the minute. The sunset was always a beautiful sight on this island, but tonight it seemed to hold a certain melancholy. Lucas couldn't help but wonder what was causing the sky to turn such a deep shade of red.

Shaking his head to clear his thoughts, Lucas decided to make himself an ice pop. It was a small indulgence, but it was one of the few pleasures he allowed himself on this island.

He closed his eyes and focused, gathering his mana to create the icy treat. The sensation of cold spreading through his body was refreshing, and he savored the sweet taste as he took a bite.

Lucas sat in his makeshift ice chair, gazing up at the crimson sky as he savored the taste of the ice pop.

Suddenly, the sound of water crashing against the shore caught his attention. He furrowed his brow and stood up, peering toward the direction of the sound. As he approached the shore, he could see that the water had turned red like blood, and it was rising rapidly as if it wanted to devour the land.

Lucas's heart raced as he knelt down to get a closer look. He couldn't believe what he was seeing. The water level was rising slowly at first, but it was picking up speed. The sea was becoming agitated, as if a massive creature was moving beneath the waves.

The sea seemed to be rising.

He tried to make sense of what was happening, but his mind couldn't comprehend the scale of the disaster.

The water level was rising higher and higher, covering the shore and threatening to engulf everything in its path.

Lucas stood up and began to run, his heart pounding in his chest. He knew he had to get to higher ground if he wanted to survive.