“Kraken?”

“Eek!”

The elder’s face turned pale at the mention of a Kraken.

“Ru, run!”

As the elder shook off Holly’s hand and dashed inside the ship, the sailors, who had been leisurely rowing, sprang into coordinated action, propelling the ship forward and away from the Kraken.

“Row! Increase speed!”

“Uwaccck!”

As the Kraken’s eyes surfaced above the water, chaos erupted on the ship. While the sailors managed a more adept response, passengers like Holly’s group screamed and scampered about.

“Get inside now!”

Raki, who emerged from inside, pushed Cahill’s back with a pale face. Since Holly didn’t move, he remained immobile as if nailed to the spot.

“No, it’s heavier than it looks…”

Holly glanced at the flustered Raki and looked at the monster raising its tentacles above the water. Being with Cahill made her feel surprisingly fearless.

“What is that? Looks like an octopus…”

She observed the monster with enough composure to make casual remarks.

“Is it edible? Looks delicious.”

Cahill, following her gaze to the Kraken, licked his lips in anticipation.

“Freshly caught octopus only needs to be blanched in hot water to taste good, right?”

Holly chimed in, agreeing with Cahill. The speechless Raki alternated his gaze between them.

Meanwhile, the Kraken continued its assault on the ship. Adam watched as the sailors bravely confronted the Kraken with weapons. The ship was bombarded with massive waves each time the Kraken moved its tentacles.

“Let’s go inside for now. We don’t want to get swept away by the sea unnecessarily.”

Adam spoke without taking his eyes off the Kraken.

The sound of the ship’s bottom being struck by giant waves echoed like a whip cracking. Behind Raki, who was blocking their path, a fierce battle between the sailors and the Kraken ensued. Those unable to flee clung desperately to the ship to avoid being swept away by the waves.

“Is it really okay to just go inside?”

Holly, witnessing the Kraken flick away a muscular man’s weapon with a tentacle, asked Adam with a concerned look.

“Of course, it’s okay. Sailors who spend over a month at sea deal with such incidents more than once.”

His words made Raki nod with determination.

“That’s right. Besides, having taken money, we have a duty to ensure our guests’ safety.”

The Kraken lifted a sailor high with its tentacle.

“Aaah! Let me down!”

The Kraken smacked the side of the ship with the sailor still in its grasp. The impact caused the ship to rock violently, and screams came from all around.

“If the ship breaks apart…”

Holly said, leaning against Cahill, who was firmly holding her. The old ship showed signs of repair with patched-up wooden planks here and there.

“It’s, it’s okay. Just stay in the room until, huff, you hear otherwise. Everything will be sorted by then.”

Unlike Holly, who had someone to hold onto, Raki lay flat on the deck to avoid rolling away.

“Waahh!”

However, with a loud scream, Raki’s face receded from view. Startled by the sudden turn of events, Holly’s eyes widened. It was because he was quickly snatched up by a Kraken’s tentacle and was hanging in the air.

“Uh, who thought they could easily catch me…!”

Hanging upside down, Raki managed to grab the tentacle wrapped around his ankle and drew a dagger from his attire.

“Yah!”

With a powerful swing, he stabbed the dagger into the octopus’s tentacle with all his might. Holly watched his brave actions with a mix of hope and concern.

“Ah…”

However, she let out a sigh of disappointment.

Despite Raki’s valiant effort, his dagger barely left a scratch on the Kraken’s tentacle. As if to punish him for his attack, the Kraken wildly shook the tentacle holding him.

“Cahill! Let’s help him.”

Holly, still in Cahill’s arms, merely turned her head to look up at him. He silently observed her pleading eyes.

“We’ll get soaked if we stay out here. Let’s go inside.”

However, he responded differently, attempting to take her towards their room.

“Cahill!”

When she tightly held Cahill’s arm, urging him with a call, he looked at her with annoyance.

“I don’t want to see someone I know get hurt.”

Holly changed her approach, speaking in a mournful tone. Her words quickly softened Cahill’s resolve.

“…It might be good for Shiver to have some combat experience, too.”

Finally, he nodded in agreement. Holly, who had expected Cahill to perhaps freeze the Kraken, was surprised by his unexpected response.

“Me, me…?”

Holly swallowed nervously and looked at Shiver. The spirit’s glossy black eyes made it difficult to read its emotions.

“Adam!”

“Yes, Your Highness!”

Adam eagerly responded to Cahill’s call as if his tail were wagging behind him.

“Tell me about the Kraken’s characteristics. What should we be wary of…?”

“The Kraken lives in the deep sea, possessing very thick and tough skin.”

The next moment, Adam answered smoothly as if he had been preparing for this moment. Holly set aside the overwhelming pressure and began to think.

‘Shiver’s wind is like a blade, but such conventional attacks might not harm the Kraken as they didn’t for Raki.’

Still, she couldn’t give up without trying. Sensing her determination, Shiver created a sharp wind that attacked the Kraken’s tentacle, but the wind dispersed upon contact.

“It seems that won’t work.”

Disappointed, Holly watched as something rolled towards her. As the ship tilted, it rolled back to her.

“What are you looking at?! Get up, can’t you!”

When a middle-aged man lying on the deck yelled at Holly, she frowned at him. The man wore expensive-looking clothes, typical of the nouveau riche, trying to imitate nobility.

‘I thought he was acting haughty because he was a noble…’

She glanced at him with pity and clicked her tongue. His vest looked like it was about to burst at the seams.

‘Burst?’

A lightbulb went off in Holly’s head. Even a snail, with its hard shell, is vulnerable once out of it.

‘Maybe the Kraken too…’

Holly’s eyes sparkled as she scrutinized the Kraken. Finally, she found what she was looking for.

“Shiver. Go inside there.”

Holly pointed between the Kraken’s tentacles. It had a rounded snout.

“Kking.”

Shiver shook its head disapprovingly at the sight of the sharp teeth.

“I’m not saying you should go in; just send the wind.”

Realizing her intention, Shiver sent a gust of wind into the Kraken’s mouth. The sharp wind stirred the Kraken’s insides shortly after.

Kuwaaacckk—

The Kraken screamed in pain as its internal organs were torn out.

“Uuhg, what now!”

The unbearable noise had everyone on deck covering their ears. But soon, they had to drop to the deck as the Kraken’s thrashing intensified the sea’s turbulence. The ship rocked as if it would capsize.

‘More, more.’

Sensing Holly’s will, Shiver’s wind not only tore through the Kraken’s flesh but began to inflate its body significantly. The Kraken wobbled, unable to manage its suddenly expanded form.

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