Nox didn’t wait for them to finish their circle. "Shade, blind them!"
The Chroma Serpent shot forward, its body flashing with a sudden, disorienting burst of light. The lead warrior flinched, throwing up an arm against the glare.
That was all the opening Dorran needed. "Grim Now!"
The shark surged from the shadows, its powerful tail smashing into one of the flanking warriors. The impact sent the man spinning, his shell armor cracking.
Nox was already moving. He didn’t use a grand spell—just speed and precision. Kicking off a kelp stalk, he closed the distance and drove a fist sheathed in crackling lightning into the leader’s stomach. The man gasped, electricity arcing across his armor. Nox followed with a sharp, close-range ice dart to the shoulder joint, where the plating was weakest. The warrior cried out, dropping his trident.
Lyra and Coralia moved in unison, their tridents a blur. They didn’t aim to kill—only to disarm and disable. Coralia conjured a controlled vortex that slammed the second flanker into the seabed, while Lyra expertly hooked the weapon from the stunned leader’s grasp.
The fight lasted less than ten seconds.
Their three rivals floated before them, disarmed, wounded, and humiliated. The leader clutched his bleeding shoulder, his face twisted in shock and rage.
"You... you cheated!" he spat.
"We fought," Nox replied coldly. "You lost. Now—your trophies. Or we make sure you can’t continue the hunt at all."
The leader glared, but the look in Nox’s eyes promised he wasn’t bluffing. With a snarl, he tossed over a small net bag containing a few lesser monster fangs. His teammates reluctantly followed suit.
"Now get out of our sector," Lyra said, her tone leaving no room for argument.
The defeated group scrambled to retrieve their weapons and fled into the kelp forest, their earlier bravado completely shattered.
Dorran collected the bags. "Not a huge haul, but it adds up."
"That was... efficient," Coralia noted, a hint of approval in her voice.
"They were overconfident and sloppy," Nox said, retrieving the Brine Bull horn. "Better teams won’t be."
As they moved on, Shade continued scouting ahead. The serpent sensed no more immediate threats, but the encounter was a reminder—the other competitors were just as much a danger as the monsters themselves.
They traveled for another hour, sticking to the darker, less-traveled canyons. The forest seemed to grow denser, the water colder. The faint, harmonious hum of Aqualaria was gone, replaced by an oppressive silence broken only by the occasional creak of giant kelp or the distant cry of an unseen creature.
Suddenly, Shade sent a new series of pulses—not a warning of enemies, but of a creature. A powerful one. And it was close.
Nox raised a fist. "Hold. Shade found something. Big. It’s... not moving much. Just ahead, in a cave system along the canyon wall."
Lyra and Coralia exchanged glances.
"A lair," Lyra whispered. "That could be a prime target. What does it feel like?"
"Cold," Nox replied after focusing. "Very cold. And... patient. Not like the Brine Bull."
"An Abyssal Stalker," Coralia said, eyes widening slightly. "If we can take one down, its fangs are worth more than three Brine Bull horns. But they’re incredibly dangerous—ambush predators."
"Can Shade get a better look?" Lyra asked.
Nox nodded, sending a mental command. The serpent slithered forward, blending into the gloom near the cave entrance. A moment later, a stream of information flooded back: a massive, serpentine body coiled in darkness, dull black scales, and a chilling aura that made even Shade uneasy.
"It’s in there," Nox confirmed. "Sleeping, I think."
"This is our chance," Dorran said eagerly. "We hit it hard and fast before it wakes."
"No," Lyra said sharply. "That’s a good way to die. An awakened Stalker in its lair is suicide. We need a plan."
"We lure it out," Nox decided. "Into the open—where we have room to move."
"How?" Coralia asked.
He turned to Dorran. "You and your pet are the fastest. Get its attention. Lead it straight toward us. We’ll be waiting in ambush."
Dorran grinned. "Bait duty. I like it."
They set the trap quickly. Nox, Lyra, and Coralia positioned themselves behind a cluster of large rocky spires across from the cave mouth, ensuring a clear line of attack.
Dorran and his shark swam to one side of the entrance. He took a steadying breath, then nodded.
Dorran leaned close to his shark and whispered. The shark released a deep, rumbling growl that echoed through the canyon, a direct challenge.
For a moment, nothing happened. Silence hung heavy.
Then, two points of sickly green light flickered to life inside the cave. A wave of ancient, cold malice rolled out, so tangible it made the water feel heavier.
The Abyssal Stalker uncoiled and slid from its lair.
It was longer than shark, its body sleek and muscular, its head lined with needle-like teeth and glowing green eyes. It moved with terrifying grace—smooth, silent, and deadly.
In an instant, it lunged forward, its speed unbelievable.
"Now, Dorran! Go!" Nox yelled.
Dorran and Grim spun around and bolted, racing straight toward the ambush point. The Stalker followed, jaws wide open.
"Ready!" Lyra shouted, her trident glowing.
Nox gathered power, ice swirling around one hand, lightning around the other. This would need perfect timing.
Grim shot past the rocky spires, the Stalker right behind.
Lyra and Coralia unleashed their magic. Twin jets of pressurized water slammed into the Stalker’s side, knocking it off course just as it lunged for Grim.
Nox acted instantly. He hurled the lightning spear, aiming for its head—but the Stalker twisted, and the spear only grazed its neck, leaving a scorched mark. The creature hissed, a sound of pure rage vibrating through the water.
The ambush had failed to kill it.
Now they faced a wounded, furious sea monster—and the real fight was only beginning. ᴜᴘᴅᴀᴛᴇ ꜰʀᴏᴍ 𝕟𝕠𝕧𝕖𝕝⚫𝕗𝕚𝕣𝕖⚫𝕟𝕖𝕥
AN: in case I haven’t mentioned this , the name of Dorran’s shark is Grim.