Chapter 124: Deep Ocean What greeted Moon’s vision was a vast, latticed chamber that stretched beyond his ability to perceive its full dimensions. Thousands or perhaps tens of thousands of thin membrane walls extended in parallel rows, creating a pattern that resembled massive filter sheets. Between each delicate membrane, narrow gaps allowed blood to flow through in controlled channels, passing between the tissue layers. ’This is it. Beyond those membranes is water... the outside,’ Selene thought with rising excitement despite their desperate circumstances. She made urgent hand signals to Moon, her movements quick and precise. ’We can cut through the membranes. That’s our exit to the outside.’ Moon nodded understanding, immediately channeling mana to form a wind blade. He released the compressed air attack toward the nearest membrane barrier in an attempt to test its durability. 𝕗𝐫𝐞𝕖𝕨𝐞𝗯𝚗𝕠𝘃𝐞𝚕.𝐜𝗼𝚖 The cutting edge struck the tissue and sliced through partially but the membrane healed almost instantaneously, the membrane knitting back together as if the damage had never occurred. Worse, the attack had been slightly weakened before even reaching its target. A few dozens of koi still pursuing them had been in the wind blade’s path. Moon and Selene both realized the grim truth simultaneously: to escape, they needed to form a much more powerful combined attack. And they needed to eliminate or distract the koi swarm for at least a few critical seconds to prevent interference. They exchanged determined nods, reaching the same conclusion without words. Both awakeners began withdrawing nearly all their remaining beast corpses from spatial storage, everything except two final bodies held in reserve in case their plan failed catastrophically. They released the corpses in succession, spacing them out at short intervals to maximize attraction. If the first body failed to draw enough koi away, then the second would. Then the third. Then the fifth. The creatures’ feeding frenzy instinct would eventually make them pursuit those bodies. The strategy worked beautifully. As beast corpses materialized and tumbled through the blood, the vast majority of the koi swarm immediately diverted to devour the fresh foreign objects. Their glowing forms created a trail of light as they fell upon each carcass. With almost all the koi distracted and only a few dozen remaining near Moon’s group, both awakeners began channeling their most powerful attacks. The remaining few would pose no issue to their plan, they were too weak to disrupt it. Moon didn’t limit himself to pure wind manipulation. He formed a long, sharp spear with a razor edge from the earth element. Then he wrapped the earth construct in spiraling wind currents, the dual elements combining to create something far sharper and more penetrating than either element alone could achieve. Selene formed her own massive wind blade, pouring mana into compressing the wind blade. She continued until her hands began to shake from simply holding the attack. Moon raised his hand, preparing to give the signal. Mirage positioned himself for maximum acceleration. Selene gripped Moon’s waist tightly, ready for the explosive movement. Moon’s hand dropped. ’Now!’ Both attacks were launched simultaneously, traveling thorough the thick blood towards the membrane. BOOM! SLICE! Both attacks struck the gill membrane. Moon’s earth-wind spear punched through first, creating a large breach in the delicate tissue. Selene’s wind blade followed a fraction of a second later, widening the opening and preventing immediate healing. The membrane tore open, creating a gap large enough for their escape. "Go! GO!" Moon shouted mentally, urging Mirage forward with every ounce of will. The white horse didn’t need encouragement. His evolved fin-tail pumped with explosive power, propelling all three of them directly toward the breach at maximum speed. The remaining koi realized what was happening and surged forward to intercept, but they were too late. Mirage charged through the gap in the membrane just as it began contracting to heal itself. They squeezed through the narrowing opening with centimeters to spare, Moon’s shoulder scraping against regenerating tissue as they burst through to the other side. ’We made it! We’re outside!’ But the celebration was too premature. The crushing pressure hit them immediately. An overwhelming force attacking their bodies from all directions simultaneously. The deep ocean environment was catastrophically different from the controlled interior of the creature’s circulatory system. Darkness engulfed them completely. No light penetrated to these depths except the fading glow of the koi swarm still trapped inside the gill chamber behind them. ’Shit! We must be incredibly deep in the ocean,’ Moon thought as he felt the pressure attempting to compress his entire body. A splitting headache began forming as his skull protested the environmental stress. His lungs burned, desperate for air they couldn’t quite access. Selene was having an even worse time. Her body, slightly weaker in Constitution than Moon’s, couldn’t withstand the pressure as effectively. Her grip on Moon’s waist loosened dangerously. Then she went completely limp, consciousness abandoning her as the extreme depth and extended oxygen deprivation became too much for her body to handle. "Selene!" Moon tried to shout, but barely any sound emerged underwater except bubbles. He grabbed her with one arm, holding her against himself to prevent her from sinking away into the darkness. ’If our bodies hadn’t been strengthened by that creature’s blood, we’d already be dead. The attribute increases we gained might be the only reason we’re still alive right now.’ Even with his high Constitution and the brief adaptation their bodies had undergone, Moon knew they had minutes at most before permanent damage occurred. Selene might have even less time. He had to get them to the surface. Fast. He immediately placed his own mouth above hers, as Selene began to suffocate. He began to give her from his own breath, sharing the very little oxygen he had left to make sure that she survived. But in the oppressive darkness of the deep ocean, Moon couldn’t determine which direction was up. Disorientation was setting in, his oxygen-starved brain struggling to maintain spatial awareness. Then he saw it. Suddenly, a glow formed in the darkness. Not the white luminescence of the koi, but a brilliant golden color. Moon’s eyes widened in shock and terror as his vision adjusted and the source of the light became clear.