Free Web NovelChapter 377: Benjamin Mark Has Died
Where Benjamin rolled his eyes to, at the left, he paused and stared intently, his body going still as the wind tugged at his clothes.
He said, "Uhm, what is that? A new species?"
"What are you talking about?" Tensei turned also, towards the sea and stiffened immediately, his golden eyes narrowing against the bright glare on the water. "Ah, that must be a... sea monster."
"Sea monster, huh?" Benjamin nodded curiously. "I don’t think I’ve seen one this big... So, with it this close to us, I doubt it wants to say hi, right?"
A few feet away from where they sat on the sun-warmed boulders, a dark and imposing creature loomed menacingly, its massive form partially emerging from the churning sea waters that lapped hungrily at the shore.
The beast was so enormous that even though it remained mostly submerged in the deeper sections, its sheer size brought it dangerously close to the duo who were positioned several feet back from the water’s edge.
Its somewhat square-shaped head rose high above the waves, somehow carrying the vague outline of a humanoid silhouette with broad shoulders, a thick torso, and powerful arms that flexed slowly beneath the surface.
Yet from various points along its body, numerous thick tentacles dangled and swayed lazily in the salty air, their slick surfaces glistening under the bright sunlight as droplets of seawater slid off them and splashed back into the ocean.
The creature possessed striking yellow eyes with horizontal slits set against pitch-black sclera, giving it an unnervingly intelligent and predatory stare that seemed to pierce right through the two men.
Its mouth hung open in a wide, menacing gape, revealing rows of jagged, razor-sharp teeth that gleamed wetly, while protrusions on the sides of its head extended outward like twisted horns.
Dark, armored scales covered much of its visible body, shifting and catching the light with an oily sheen as the waves moved around it.
Shockingly, the monster radiated an overwhelming aura of bloodlust that hung heavy in the air like an invisible storm cloud, yet neither Benjamin nor Tensei had picked up on the danger until the moment they laid eyes directly upon it. freёwebnovel.com
This suggested the beast was channeling some kind of powerful spell or suppression technique, masking its hostile intentions until it was ready to strike.
"...Or maybe it’s just so weak that my danger bells didn’t even pick it up?" Benjamin remarked with a mocking tone, covering his mouth with one hand as he let out a light, teasing giggle that echoed softly over the beach.
His blue eyes sparkled with amusement as he observed the creature, one leg still casually propped on the boulder.
"Don’t be stupid!" Tensei shot back sharply, his voice laced with clear tension as he slowly rose from his seated position on the flat rock.
His golden eyes were wide with fear, his wolf ears bent against his head, and his wings twitched involuntarily behind him while his body language screamed caution.
He took a small step backward, slippers sinking deeper into the soft sand as the wind whipped around them. "This monster is powerful enough to even trouble a demigod like yourself! We need to come up with a proper strategy right away if we hope to handle this situation without unnecessary risks..."
The monster remained completely still, not moving even an inch from its position in the shallows.
It simply watched them with haunting, unblinking silence and intense focus, its yellow-slit eyes locked onto their forms as the tentacles continued to sway gently like underwater vines caught in a current.
The only sounds came from the waves crashing steadily against the shore and the distant cries of seabirds that had wisely fled the area.
"...It doesn’t seem to be doing anything aggressive right this moment, so let’s just keep talking like normal," Benjamin suggested after watching the creature intently for a prolonged stretch of time, his posture relaxing slightly as he shrugged his shoulders in a casual manner.
The ocean breeze tugged at his brown hair, and he turned his head back toward Tensei with a nonchalant expression.
"Well, if you have no need for any sense of self-preservation, then I certainly do!" Tensei retorted immediately, his voice rising with frustration and genuine concern as his wolf tail lashed out sharply behind him, stirring up small clouds of sand.
His golden eyes darted repeatedly between Benjamin and the towering beast, his hands clenching into fists at his sides. "W-We should try to find out exactly what it wants from us. A monster this intelligent might not even be interested in fighting at all... Huh? Hey, what are you doing right now?!"
While Tensei stood there visibly shaking in his boots, his body trembling with barely contained anxiety as he frantically scanned the surroundings for any possible escape route or tactical advantage to solve the huge looming issue before them... Benjamin appeared completely distracted and unconcerned.
[So, why do you talk so slow all the time, Stem? Do you always drag out your words like that even in urgent situations?] Benjamin asked internally, his thoughts clear and probing despite the external danger.
He had shifted his full attention inward, engaging in a mental conversation as if the deadly threat mere feet away barely registered.
{Sleepy... all the time... always feeling... so drowsy no... matter what happens...} Stem replied in the same drawn-out, lethargic manner within the shared mental space.
[Ehhhh? Like, you do a lot of work every single day or something? What kind of work keeps you so exhausted like this?] Benjamin pressed further, genuine curiosity coloring his mental tone as he ignored the monster’s presence for the moment.
{I... help Master run... detailed... analysis on... so many diverse... fields and... constantly scanning locations... around him, since... you know, he is...}
[...He is what? Come on, finish the thought,] Benjamin urged, leaning mentally into the conversation.
{...}
[...]
{...Ah! Sorry, sorry... I fell asleep there for a little bit again... Master is... a spy of... the kingdom, you see...} Stem finally managed to complete the revelation, the words emerging even more sluggishly than before.
"Hold your horses right there!!" Tensei yelled loudly in outrage, his voice booming across the beach and causing his wolf tail to lash out even more violently in pure rage, kicking up a noticeable spray of sand into the air around him.
His golden eyes blazed with anger and disbelief as his ears stood straight up in alert. "Why are you casually revealing such highly classified information about me without any hesitation, Stem?! And you, Benjamin, please focus on the matter at hand right now before this creature decides we are easy prey—"
"Oh, watch out..." Benjamin muttered suddenly in a low warning tone, his blue eyes snapping back to the real world just in time.
SMASH!!
A thick, powerful tentacle lashed out with blinding speed from the monster’s body, cutting through the air with a sharp whoosh that displaced the salty breeze.
Benjamin moved instinctively and swiftly, shoving Tensei forcefully out of the direct path of the incoming strike to protect him.
However, the tentacle connected solidly with Benjamin instead, slamming into his torso with devastating force.
His body caved inward from the immense impact, ribs cracking audibly as he was hurled violently backward through the air for several meters.
He crashed hard into a pile of jagged boulders farther up the beach, the collision producing a sickening crunch that sent blood splattering across the rocks in vivid red streaks.
His form went completely limp and motionless after landing, sprawled awkwardly among the stones as the monster released a deep, primal guttural roar that vibrated through the ground and made the ocean waves churn more violently.
Tensei stood frozen for a moment, watching the unmoving body of Benjamin with horror, his golden eyes dilating widely as the terrible conclusion he desperately wanted to ignore forced its way into his mind.
His wings drooped slightly, and his hands trembled at his sides.
"B... Benjamin Mark... has died...?" he whispered hoarsely, the words barely escaping his lips as shock rooted him in place.
[Hold it right there! The monster is going to strike you again any second now, you know. And I’m still alive. Only playing dead for the moment to buy us some time.] Benjamin’s voice echoed clearly through their mental link, surprisingly steady despite everything.
[Eh? You truly are alive after that? But your body was crushed to a level that it would normally be censored with mosaic in any decent depiction?!] Tensei responded internally, his thoughts frantic and filled with disbelief as he remained outwardly still.
[That’s not important right now. Because apart from the excruciating pain from my ribs stabbing into my heart and all my broken bones grinding together, I’m mostly fine and functional.] Benjamin replied with a hint of strained humor filtering through the connection.
[That’s not fine at all! You need immediate help and healing right away!] Tensei shot back, his mental voice rising with urgent worry as the monster began to shift again in the distance, its tentacles rising higher into the air with clear intent.
