Ray slept lightly, his instincts keeping him just beneath the surface of full rest. The armor of [Sentinel's Embrace] dulled any discomfort from sleeping on the rough stone, and the net of [Oblivion's Thread] ensured he would wake at the slightest disturbance.
When his eyes opened, it was still pitch dark. He didn't know how many hours had passed, but something in the air had changed.
The sound of water.
Slowly, Ray sat up, careful not to make any sudden movements. The once-dry seabed was no longer silent - small ripples and distant splashes signaled the return of the ocean. It was creeping back into the landscape, filling the cracks and trenches, swallowing up whatever had been left behind.
Ray exhaled softly. He had expected this, but seeing it happen was another thing entirely. The water didn't rush in like a tide - it slithered, pooling in unnatural ways. Some areas flooded rapidly, while others remained untouched.
This place didn't follow normal rules.
Ray gripped [Stormpiercer] and stood, his senses sharpening. The real danger wasn't the water. It was whatever lurked inside it.
For now, everything was quiet, but he knew better than to trust the silence. He remained still, listening intently.
There.
A faint shift. Not from the water itself, but from something moving within it. Something that hadn't been there before.
Ray's muscles tensed, his grip on his weapon tightening as he focused his gaze toward the source of the disturbance. The night had only just begun.
Ray remained motionless, gripping [Stormpiercer] tightly as he waited. The water continued to rise, creeping closer, and with it came movement.
The first creature appeared just at the edge of his vision, barely more than a dark shape slithering onto the rocky surface. As it dragged itself forward, the dim light of the moon reflected off its slimy, chitin-covered body. It resembled a grotesque fusion of an eel and a centipede, its long segmented form twisting unnaturally as it hauled itself ashore.
Ray exhaled slowly. Not a threat. At least, not on its own.
The moment the thing lunged, he moved. A single precise thrust of [Stormpiercer] pierced through its open maw, the impact sending a brief tremor up his arm. The creature twitched violently before falling limp. With a quick flick, he dislodged it from his weapon and kicked the corpse aside.
[You have slain an dormant monster, Centileel]
[… your presence becomes firmer]
Another one followed. Then another.
They weren't attacking him deliberately - Ray realized that quickly. They were scrambling onto land in a panic, their frenzied movements lacking coordination. Something had scared them.
He kept his stance firm as more of the creatures emerged, clawing and writhing their way out of the water. They weren't strong, but their sheer number was enough to be troublesome. Ray struck them down methodically, not wasting any unnecessary energy. Sharp thrusts, sweeping slashes - each movement precise, each kill clean.
Minutes passed. Then ten. Then twenty.
The bodies piled up around him, a testament to the relentless wave of fleeing creatures. Yet, they never directly challenged him - none of them fought back properly. They only wanted to escape.
And that meant something worse was coming.
Ray kept his breathing steady, but his senses were stretched to their limits. He wasn't worried about these things. He was worried about what was chasing them.
After around thirty minutes, the attacks stopped.
The shore was littered with the remains of his brief battle, but the water had grown still. Too still. The eerie quiet settled over the area like a thick fog, pressing against his mind.
Then, he felt it.
A presence.
Something was out there, watching. It wasn't close - at least not yet - but it was near enough for him to sense it. A slow, deliberate pressure, lingering at the edge of his awareness.
Ray remained still, waiting, but whatever it was didn't approach. It stayed just beyond the veil of darkness, observing.
Minutes passed. Then an hour.
Eventually, the feeling faded.
Ray didn't relax, but he knew it wasn't going to attack. Not tonight.
With the immediate danger gone, he resumed his night watch, remaining on edge for the slightest change. The rest of the night passed in tense silence, and as dawn approached, Ray finally allowed himself a moment to breathe.
Whatever was out there… it didn't come for him this night, and Ray wouldn't give it another chance. He was now completely sure of his decision, today he needed to reach and cling the wall, before the sea came back.
As soon as the sun peeked out, behind the horizon, and the sea started to retreat, Ray unsummoned his net. When the sea was low enough, he began his descent, his trusted Memories still equipped.
Ray moved quickly, descending from his rocky perch the moment the receding sea exposed the lower ground. His grip tightened around [Stormpiercer] as he weaved through the strange coral formations, the eerie red structures standing twisted and gnarled in the morning light. The dried remnants of the ocean floor stretched endlessly toward the massive stone wall in the distance.
His path was treacherous, the coral-like growths brittle underfoot, forcing him to adjust his footing constantly. As the sun rose higher, the landscape became clearer - revealing the skeletal remains of twisted sea creatures embedded within the coral, some of them massive, their empty sockets staring into nothingness.
Ray stayed on guard.
It wasn't long before movement flickered at the edge of his vision. A shape darted between the crimson structures, low to the ground and quick. Ray instantly recognized the predator. Abyss Stalker.
His grip on [Stormpiercer] tightened. The beast prowled just outside his reach, waiting for an opening, its dark form blending unnaturally well with the shifting shadows. Another flicker - more of them.
Ray smirked. Cowards.
He suddenly lunged forward, spinning his halberd in a wide arc. The blade found flesh, cutting deep into one of the creatures before it even had a chance to react. A strangled hiss echoed, and the Abyss Stalker collapsed, twitching.
The others hesitated.
Ray didn't.
A step forward - another precise strike - this time piercing through the second stalker's throat before it could leap away. The last one bolted.
He let it run.
Not long after, Ray's pace slowed as he entered a more open stretch of land. Here, the coral formations thinned out, revealing patches of cracked, exposed seabed. Small puddles of water remained in some areas, their murky surfaces rippling with unseen movement.
Scavengers.
Sure enough, he heard the telltale skittering sound before he saw them. Carapace Scavengers, large crustacean-like creatures with jagged, uneven shells, emerged from the shallow pools, their multiple legs clicking against the stone as they sensed his presence.
Ray exhaled.
The first one lunged, its serrated claws snapping toward him with surprising speed. He sidestepped, angling his halberd downward as he brought it crashing through the creature's shell. A shrill, chittering shriek echoed before it went still.
The others hesitated, their instincts warring between hunger and self-preservation. Ray didn't give them the chance to decide - three precise strikes later, and the rest were dead.
With no more threats in sight, he moved on.
The wall loomed ever closer, its massive presence dominating the landscape. It took him hours to finally reach its base, his path winding and slow due to the unstable terrain. By the time he arrived, the sun had begun its descent, signaling the return of the tides within the next few hours.
Ray studied the towering structure before him. Up close, the stone was even more massive, weathered by time and the relentless ocean. The top was obscured by mist, making it impossible to gauge its full height.
No time to waste.
Finding a suitable foothold, he hoisted himself up, beginning his climb. His movements were practiced, each grip precise, each step firm. Despite wearing [Sentinel's Embrace], his ascent remained steady.
Minutes passed. Then an hour.
The higher he climbed, the stronger the wind became, but Ray pressed on. His goal was clear, and his body moved without hesitation.
As the sky deepened into twilight, he finally pulled himself over the edge, landing onto solid ground.
Breathing heavily, he took a moment to steady himself. Then, glancing downward, he saw the first distant waves creeping back toward the shore.
'Too slow'.