Chapter 21
The Randeloff Family (4)
20 years ago.
“Sasha, remember this scenery. One day, you too will receive the succession here.”
Young Sasha stood below the Randeloff Tower, looking at her father in the middle of the lake.
The Randeloff-owned Rift remained as peaceful as ever.
The “Unfrozen Lake,” symbolizing the Rift’s tranquility, changed its appearance only once—on the day of the succession ceremony.
The Soul Stone, imbued with the will of the Randeloff family and preserved for centuries, was called the Succession Stone. Its immense stellar energy had frozen the entire lake.
That day’s succession ceremony was held atop the frozen lake.
Around her father standing in the center, a soft cascade of moonlight fell.
“Wow…”
Eight-year-old Sasha couldn’t take her eyes off the beautiful and majestic sight.
Could I shine like my father one day?
As she imagined a fantastical future, suddenly—
KWAaaaaa—!
Something erupted from the ice, shattering it, and swallowed her father in an instant.
“Father!!!!!”
Fortunately, the Succession Stone was recovered and safely sealed inside the tower, but no one considered this a relief.
From that day on, the Rift’s scenery changed dramatically.
The place that had always felt like spring even in the bitter cold had transformed into a burning inferno.
Even when the current head of the family, her grandfather, intervened, it was nearly impossible to even enter the Rift, let alone subdue it.
From that moment, Sasha steeled her resolve.
She would avenge her father and reclaim the tower and the lake from the creature that had devoured him.
And now, that creature was before her.
It had swallowed not only her father but also the Succession Stone containing her family’s will.
Without hesitation, Sasha dashed toward the Kraken.
Swoosh—!
A massive, ebony-colored tentacle shot toward her.
Sasha reached out her hand.
“If I freeze it like before, it’ll be fine!”
She gathered every ounce of stellar energy and unleashed the cold.
“…!!!!”
But instead, the tentacle absorbed Sasha’s stellar energy.
“Miss!!!”
Mardel leapt toward Sasha, who had collapsed from exhaustion.
Then—
Thud—!
The Kraken’s tentacle fell just above their heads.
Mardel barely managed to grab Sasha and roll to the side.
He hoisted her up and began running with all his strength toward the other family members.
“What are you doing, Mardel!! Put me down?!”
“Right now, retreat is the only option, Miss.”
Sasha glared at him, but he didn’t stop.
Safely reaching the others, Mardel spoke in a grave tone.
“Your abilities have no effect on that thing.”
“Guh… but if we leave it like this…!”
They might never reach this place again.
“We’ll hold it off.”
Sasha’s eyes widened at the sudden declaration.
“If you lead the Moscow family members here, there’s definitely a chance of victory.”
“Mardel, you…!”
One by one, the family members stepped forward, echoing Mardel’s resolve.
Mardel too moved forward, knuckles raised.
Sasha wanted to stop them but found herself unable to speak.
She knew exactly why they were so desperate.
“Wait, stop there.”
Sehyun stopped Mardel.
“Your devotion to the boss is touching… but I won’t let my precious clients die, okay?”
He pulled a silver pocket watch from his pocket.
“If someone must step forward, it’ll be me.”
The Kraken’s evolved “Chaotic” attribute was difficult to handle.
Being inherently chaotic, it had no elemental weaknesses.
There were two ways to deal with a Chaotic attribute:
Withdraw and wait for another opportunity, or overwhelm it with stellar energy that surpasses its own.
“But if we retreat now, it’s like giving up the Rift.”
Sehyun remembered the heat leaking from the Rift.
Even before its evolution, it was dangerous—but now in Chaotic form, it would become a den of chaos in less than a day.
“Moreover, it’s absorbed the Succession Stone. If left unchecked, it will gain even more stellar energy.”
It had previously been planetary-level, but through a supernova process, it evolved to Stellar-level.
If left unchecked, not just the Rift, but all of Vladivostok could be in danger.
“Still… you’re stepping up?”
Sasha looked doubtful, as did the other family members.
To them, Sehyun seemed nothing more than a curious creator of gadgets.
“It’s far better than blindly rushing in without a plan. At least there’s a method.”
Sehyun turned toward the Kraken.
“It’s strong, but not perfect.”
The Succession Stone contained centuries of stellar energy. Even without any backlash, it would take time to assimilate.
“There must be a core somewhere in its body that hasn’t been absorbed yet.”
Hitting that core with stellar energy could destabilize the fusion and make it self-destruct.
No matter how strong, internal problems can’t be ignored.
“So the weakness hasn’t disappeared, just changed?”
“Just one catch.”
The Chaotic attribute wasn’t the only issue.
Normally, attacks would be ineffective. But this one had evolved strangely.
“It steals stellar energy. You saw that firsthand earlier.”
“…Kuh.”
“No need to feel insulted. Everyone experiences it.”
Most of the family members here were at meteor-level at best.
Even Inha relied on artifacts rather than stellar energy itself.
Sasha, with lunar-level stellar energy, was only able to counter a portion of it.
“So… there must be a way?”
“If not, I wouldn’t have mentioned it.”
Since it steals stellar energy, using someone else’s would be sufficient.
“That’s why I’m stepping in.”
Rrrr—!
Sehyun twisted the crown of a pocket watch marked with 12 numbers.
The hour hand clicked at 1 o’clock. The minute hand moved to 11, and shadows pooled densely at his feet.
Sasha widened her eyes at the anomaly.
“That’s…!”
“My ability.”
Strictly speaking, it wasn’t his.
It was a shadow space, modeled after Phantom’s Shadow Step.
The pocket watch [Spy’s Deringer] could temporarily store and use another’s ability.
He had stored Phantom’s ability at 1 o’clock—called the “Full Shadow Projection.”
The stored ability couldn’t be used indefinitely; the limit was 12, indicated by the minute hand.
Placing his hand on the shadow and activating the bracelet, a stored sword emerged into his hand.
Sehyun walked steadily toward the Kraken, sword in hand.
“I told you, artifacts replace individual roles.”
Even if it steals stellar energy, it would only drain what’s in the artifact.
“Just clear the path to the Kraken. No need to freeze the tentacles, just block its route.”
The plan: use artifacts to distract, then Inha would strike the core in the head, colliding it with the sword’s explosive stellar energy to break the fusion.
“Remember: only clear the path. No further interference.”
Randeloff support was limited to opening the way. Further involvement would hinder Sehyun and Inha’s coordination.
‘…I hoped Randeloff would handle it themselves.’
But only Sehyun and Inha could use artifacts.
“…Understood.”
Sasha nodded heavily.
Thunk—!
Sehyun tapped the ground with his leather-clad toes.
Blue runes appeared across the walkers and quickly settled in.
This time, the shoes were officially crafted artifacts, not makeshift.
Tapp—!
Sehyun leapt lightly. The Kraken, noticing, turned its gaze.
-Krwaaar—!
With a roar, a slithering tentacle lunged.
Kwahk—!!
Ice pillars from Sasha and the family blocked the tentacle.
With all obstacles cleared, Sehyun thrust toward the Kraken’s head and activated Deringer.
The Kraken’s shadow thickened, concentric ripples spreading, and cold blades emerged.
Swish—!!!
Dozens of summoned swords pierced the Kraken’s head.
“Inha, now!”
Swoosh—!
The final sword slices cleaved its head in two.
“Sehyun!!!”
Before Sehyun could react, tentacles attacked.
He hastily opened a shadow space, cutting through them.
“…Damn.”
A tentacle from above grabbed him, draining stellar energy in a rush.
‘Damn, missed—’
Just as he was about to lose consciousness.
Zzjzzzjzz—!
A cold wind swept through, instantly freezing the air.
The tentacle slowed, and his bound body was freed.
“You owe me one, Nam Sehyun.”
Cough—!
Looking back, Sasha stretched out her hand, bleeding slightly.
Sehyun moved out of the Kraken’s reach toward her.
She pulled back her hand and gave a strained smile.
“If it absorbs stellar energy, we just pour in more than it does.”
“…Reckless.”
“I’m letting you off. I had to hold seven tentacles, after all.”
Mardel wiped the blood from Sasha’s mouth.
Wait.
“Seven tentacles?”
“Huh? Yeah.”
The Kraken had eight.
Had they left one tentacle aside against an enemy trying to kill them?
Moreover, the head thought to contain the core had nothing.
‘Could it be…?’
At the Randeloff Tower where it resided, one of the spires surely hid the eighth tentacle with the core.
“Sasha, can you go again?”
“Of course… I’m fine—”
Cough—!
“You don’t look fine.”
“…Shut up.”
Sasha pushed Mardel’s hand away, asserting:
“If anyone’s taking the biggest risk here, it’s me.”
Exactly.
Sehyun smiled and opened the shadow space.
Dozens of weapons shot out into the air.
“We can’t bind it for long like before. Only briefly.”
“That’s enough.”
A spear floated to Sehyun’s hand, blue runes blooming along its shaft.
“Let’s end this with one strike.”
