Maleficent POV
"Ahh," I roared loudly as the men clad in heavy armor launched their coordinated attack against me.
These complete bastards had managed to ambush me successfully, and now I find myself hopelessly trapped in a net constructed from special metal that possesses the unique ability to cause me harm.
"But," I muttered under my breath, turning my attention toward the weird and unusual chunk of metal that was currently protecting me from harm.
It was constructed entirely of pure mana, even the armor itself. The very moment I was attacked by the soldiers, it immediately defended me without hesitation.
Why? Why did it choose to protect me? And why exactly did that mysterious man leave this strange creature with me? I kept trying desperately to understand its purpose and motivation. It was being relentlessly cut and smashed in by the various weapons wielded by the soldiers, but despite the onslaught, it did not back down or retreat.
Then that bastard came running in with fury and swung his swords with tremendous force right at the creature, sending it flying backward through the air.
"Why won't you die!?" He roared with unbridled anger and frustration.
He then turned his attention directly to me, with anger deeply embedded in his very being and essence.
"Because of you, I've suffered tremendously," he growled menacingly.
I grimaced sharply in return at his accusation.
"How dare you say such words to me. It was you who betrayed me first," I yelled out forcefully.
He grew even more angered and furious at my response.
"Silence, I was—"
Flap flap
Everyone froze completely in place as huge and powerful flapping noises appeared out of nowhere. The sound grew closer and more intense, and the entire castle structure began to shake violently.
I looked around frantically and beyond the window I saw something that shook me to my very core.
"A dragon," someone shouted out in absolute fear and terror.
I tried desperately to escape from my binding but my efforts were completely futile. The huge and terrifying beast charged up a powerful breath attack and released it with devastating force. I closed my eyes tightly and braced myself for the inevitable impact.
But nothing happened at all. I slowly and carefully opened my eyes to see the ceiling completely gone and the massive dragon looking down directly at us. It leaned its enormous head down and then spoke.
"Witch, what is happening here?" He asked in a deep and resounding voice that echoed throughout the chamber.
I gulped nervously. I knew without a doubt that I had to answer truthfully and honestly.
"T-they plan to kill me," I answered with a trembling voice.
The dragon looked at me intently and then turned its gaze to the others in armor. It then started the process of shrinking its massive form.
Slowly and gradually it shrunk down to the size of an almost 7 feet tall man. It was that same mysterious man from before. But why was he here at this moment?
He slowly turned his attention to me with a penetrating gaze.
"Why do they want to kill you?" He asked directly.
King Stefan walked towards us with determination.
"What nonsense, I don't have to explain anything to you," he said dismissively.
This fool, he let his anger cloud his judgment completely. Did he not see the powerful and dangerous beast just moments ago.
"Attack!?" He roared loudly and rushed towards the man with his soldiers following closely behind him.
Stefan raised his sword high and swung it with all his might right at the man. But the moment the sword made contact with him it shattered into countless pieces.
Everybody froze in complete shock, even me. But before I could fully comprehend what had just happened, the man reached out and grabbed Stefan by the face and crushed his skull with terrifying ease.
Stefan fell lifeless to the ground.
"Fool," he muttered quietly and dropped the body carelessly.
He then turned back to me and he repeated his question once more.
"Why did he want to kill you?" He asked again with increased intensity.
I gulped nervously once more.
"I put a curse on his child," I replied honestly.
The man seemed to pause momentarily at my answer, and then bloodlust poured endlessly and overwhelmingly out from his body.
He took a single step forward.
"You cursed a child?" He asked with each deliberate step he took causing the very castle to shake violently.
My body trembled uncontrollably in fear.
"No!?" Someone yelled desperately and stopped in front of me protectively.
"S-she lifted the curse," Aurora said though she looked visibly afraid.
The man again paused and his overwhelming bloodlust slowly receded back. He then snapped his fingers once and the net of metal disintegrated completely into ash.
"It seems you can still live," he said coldly and turned around to leave.
He then disappeared completely. I tried desperately to sense his presence but he was nowhere near the area. I sighed deeply in relief.
That man is extremely dangerous.
Erik's POV
Returning to the skies once more, I resumed my previous mission—looking for that elusive crab. I'll focus my attention on taking that kingdom over later. Right now, I needed to find that crab and ease Luna's insatiable hunger.
Flying through the sky at high speed, I suddenly sensed a familiar mana signature nearby. I flew directly toward the source and noticed two people below.
It was Clyde and Ariel. They were swimming quickly through the ocean waters. But why were they going the same way I was heading?
I hid my mana completely and decided to follow them discreetly. Maybe they would lead me directly there.
Another day later
It's been a whole day of travel, and I finally sensed that crab. It seemed to be located underwater. As I flew in the sky, I noticed two people standing on an island below.
I inspected them carefully. They had really tan skin—maybe from being in the sun too long. Looking closely at the clothes they wore, I froze in recognition.
Are they Hawaiian? I flew toward them and stopped directly before them. They both looked shocked at my sudden appearance. The big man quickly grabbed the girl, and before I could ask anything at all, they jumped into a huge hole in the ground.
I blinked a few times in confusion, transformed back into a human form, and jumped in after them.
If they jumped in here willingly, that means it's probably not dangerous. I fell for quite a while, bounced off a soft landing surface, and landed firmly on my feet.
I looked around curiously. Was this the ocean floor? But how was the water not filling this entire place?
Maybe an underwater cavern system. I walked around carefully and started navigating through the passages. The crab was nearby, and I just needed to find its exact location.
As I navigated the cavern passages, I sensed a familiar presence entering the area. Clyde? It seems he's here for something specific as well.
Boom
A loud and powerful explosion shook the whole cavern violently. My eyes narrowed as I ran toward the sound with urgency. He seemed to be fighting something formidable.
Turning the corner quickly, I came face to face with Clyde fighting a huge and massive crab. He was charging a huge attack with concentrated energy. Sensing the massive amount of energy building up, I knew that attack would destroy most of the crab.
I acted immediately and jumped beside him, kicking him aside forcefully. He was sent flying backward and hit the wall hard.
"Agh, why did you attack me!?" he roared in anger and confusion.
"Sorry, I need the crab," I said sheepishly.
I could have deflected the attack easily, but it would have probably destroyed the entire cavern structure. So I chose the next best option available.
Turning to the crab, I rushed forward with speed and punched it right on the head, crushing its skull completely.
"I'll be going then," I said and teleported back immediately with the crab.
I needed to return immediately. Right now, I didn't know how Luna was faring in my absence. Appearing back on Berk with a giant crab beside me, the villagers noticed immediately.
"Erik has returned," the same villager from last time shouted enthusiastically.
What the hell. How is he the first person that sees me each and every time? Another crowd gathered around, but when an explosion occurred nearby, they bolted and ran back to their houses quickly.
Luna came running toward me with purpose, eyes full of hunger and desire, drooling like she hadn't eaten in days. The moment she saw the crab, she jumped forward and ripped out a claw and started eating voraciously.
I gulped nervously, seeing how fast and savagely she ate the meat.
"You're finally back. She's practically eaten everything in Berk. If you hadn't returned soon, she might have depleted the entire food storage," Father said from beside me with concern.
I gave him a small and apologetic smile.
"Sorry, and thank you for looking after her while I was gone," I said gratefully.
He just patted my shoulder reassuringly.
"It's no problem at all. But next time, you should be prepared," he said with a hint of worry in his voice.
I nodded at his words and turned back to her. Honestly, I don't know if I should entertain her idea of having more children right now.
Her emotions are extremely volatile when she's pregnant, especially when it comes to food consumption. And with the fact that that's the last Giant Man-Eating Crab in existence, it's safe to say I'll have to hold off on that for a while.
"Erik, there are more crabs you can hunt that are even bigger than that one. And there are an abundance of them because they're dangerous and not well known by most."
Really? Give me the information immediately.
—Giant Long Leg King Crab—
Rank: 80
A long-legged crab over 900 feet tall. If not for its enormous size, it would be a normal sea creature. Though its shell is extremely tough and durable.
Location:…
Looking at the location coordinates, I frowned. It's pretty far away—farther than last time. But at least it isn't going extinct.
I turned back to Luna. I guess I don't have to pause my plans after all.
Clyde's POV
After my father left the area, I jumped down from the hole made after being smashed against the wall.
Damn, what the hell did he even attack me for? I turned to that girl from before. The sea had sent me toward her for a reason. And it seemed to be related to that necklace she wore.
But there was something else here. Turning to the man with a hook, my eyes narrowed suspiciously. Previously he had a rank of 4, but after he picked up that hook weapon, it increased dramatically to 7. His strength was now higher than mine.
If he did anything threatening, I would have no choice but to take out the powerful weapon Father gave me. I stood in front of Ariel protectively, trident firmly in hand.
"Who are you?" the man asked curiously.
He walked in front of the girl protectively.
"I am Clyde. What is yours?"
The man, after hearing my question, lifted an eyebrow and smiled broadly. He then presented his fishhook proudly.
"After seeing my fishhook, do you still not know who I am?" he asked, lifting his chin up high with pride.
"No," I answered flatly and honestly.
His mood seemed to change after my answer. His body slightly slumped in disappointment, but then he smiled again with renewed enthusiasm.
"Well then, let me introduce myself properly," he said in a loud and reverent tone. "I am Maui, the demigod of the—"
As he kept talking at length, I blinked a few times. He even started to flex his muscles dramatically, and the tattoos on his body started moving in animated fashion. Then the girl behind him smacked him on the head.
"Ow, what was that for?" he said, turning to her in confusion.
I held back my laughter and turned to Ariel, who was covering her mouth.
Sorry for being late. My job schedule recently changed and the work has increased. Tired as fuck right now. I'm gonna try to write as much chapters as possible before the month ends.