Chapter 39: Regret

As they descended, the amount of light that was passing through the water decreased. It was getting darker, at times like these night vision would be useful.

"John, it's been 3 minutes since we've started going down how much longer?" Serena asked.

"I'm not sure. Would you rather us go faster?" John asked.

They might as well speed up and head straight into the monster's mouth if she'd like.

"T-This speed is good." She replied.

"Do you have any illumination spells? If the monster gets through our perception, we'll be in trouble." Ariel said.

"The one we've been using so far in the dungeon, doesn't work in water," Serena replied.

"Lux" John muttered.

A bright ball of light was formed outside of the Air bubble and illuminated inside of the water, making it easier for them to see. They looked around and didn't see any monsters.

"Looks like we're approaching the ground." Said Serena as she pointed down.

John looked down to see what the ground was like and froze.

"Serena... That's not-"

Before he could finish, the dark figure underneath them moved, and they still could barely make out the bottom under it. The dark figure moved around in the water.

"Deprehendre didn't detect it..?" John said.

"What's that?" Serena asked.

The figure approached the radius of the area illuminated, and John was starting to make out what it looked like, it was a giant eel. Its length looked to be around 18 meters long and it looked angry at them.

'An eel can produce electricity. This water isn't pure, so electricity can pass through it,' John analyzed.

"Stick together. If that's the same monster I know, then no matter what, stay in the air bub-" He said.

Before John could finish the Eel rushed at them. It was fast, a lot faster than you'd expect from its size.

"Glacio!" John shouted as he stretched out his right hand.

From the tip of his palm, the water began to freeze and in an instant; it formed an ice wall. The eel charged straight at the ice and hit it head on, but it didn't break.

While the monster was occupied with the wall, John grabbed on to Ariel and Serena and created small Air bubbles around their heads so that they could breathe. He then gathered the water on his back and used it to propel them downwards to the floor like a jet canon.

Once they reached the floor, John noticed on the wall that there was a door to another room. He froze the water and created an ice cube around them. John made sure that it was durable.

"You two, Stay in here, on my signal I want you both to cast your strongest wind spell," John said as he looked over at them.

"But-"

Ariel was interrupted by Serena who said, "This is the best option, otherwise, we'll only slow him down..."

"O-Okay... John, I'll do my best to back you up so don't die!" Ariel replied.

"I'll be back," John said as he made a small hole in the ice cube and left.

John made sure to close the hole and remove the water inside so that they'd be able to concentrate.

"Lux."

He cast another illumination spell and left it by the ice cube so that they would be able to aim their spell.

John then propelled himself back to where he had formed his ice wall and noticed that it had been broken. John looked around but couldn't find the eel, he also couldn't sense it.

"Is the water messing up my detection?" John muttered in the small air bubble he had formed.

He still had an air bubble formed around his head so that he could breathe, but the rest of his body wasn't covered so he had to find a way to insulate my body.

As John thought that, he felt a chill go down his spine and propelled himself forward as fast as he could. A split second later, the giant eel, from above, charged straight down at the area John was.

'Sixth sense and rose, thank you.' Thanked John.

The eel looked at John and then disappeared again into the darkness.

The eel was strong, big, can probably use magic and is inside his territory. But...

"Looks like we're playing hide and seek. I wonder who will find who first. Furtim." John said.

After that trace of his location disappeared, he formed an air bubble in a different location from him and began to move it around. As expected, the Eel went out of hiding and charged at the bubbles, thinking that it was John.

"Checkmate."

John cast magnum Glacies' and propelled it at the Eel. He used water to propel the spike, so it was much faster than when it is in the air. The eel was too focused on the bubble and didn't notice the glacies.

On impact, nothing happened, the ice slipped right through the eel's skin.

While John was surprised at the sudden turn of events, the eel's head moved from the bubble he had formed and faced his direction as if it had noticed his presence.

As John was about to propel himself backwards, he was hit by a shockwave which paralyzed him and caused my furtim to deactivate.

'I knew I should have found a way to defend against that lightning earlier…' John thought.

The eel, who could finally see John, charged straight at him.

'We should have turned back when we had the chance... If I die, what's going to happen to them?' John wondered.

"Ariel... Serena... I'm sorry..." John said as he looked over at them.

As they watched him float motionless on the water, they noticed that John was in trouble and with tears on their faces they began to charge up their wind spell.

"Stop... If you cast that the ice will bre-"

Before John could finish he was gobbled up by the Eel.