Look How Thin You've Gotten from Hunger

So big!

Amidst the violent shaking of the ship, everyone stared in surprise at the white monster that filled their vision.

A giant squid, nearly 100 meters tall, emerged from the sea, its hundreds of pale, slimy tentacles sweeping and entwining around any living creature in sight.

Bang bang bang bang!

With a dull roar, several Viking Warships were struck hard. The runes engraved on the decks, keels, and hulls were activated and suddenly lit up, forming a Magecraft barrier of shimmering light.

Creak...

The tendrils coiled around the light membrane tightened continuously after capturing their prey. The hundreds of suckers hanging above everyone's heads wriggled their fleshy buds, opening their small mouths to reveal the inverted rings of serrated teeth on their inner sides, which inspired fear and sent chills down everyone's spines.

If someone were to suck on that, they'd be lucky to escape with their skin intact, if not dead!

Click!

In an instant, the pale tentacles exerted force, and the outer extinguishing light membrane was punctured like a soap bubble. The tooth-grinding sound of wood cracking followed, and the two ships with limited protection were twisted into a pretzel shape like building blocks.

Amidst the horrific screams and tearing flesh of the humans, the blood-dripping ship was stuffed into the mouth of a giant squid, becoming the monster's food.

"Laugh!"

In a flash, the warrior king Sigurd, who was the first to react, frowned and his dark red Sword in the Tree, Guram, ignited with crimson flames, which transformed into a wheel of light and shot forward, severing dozens of thick, pale tentacles horizontally.

Several ships that had been entangled and lifted were thus freed.

"Kill this bastard!"

"Protect our ship!"

"Chop it up!"

The situation eased temporarily, and the crew members who had been staggering back to their feet gradually came to their senses, roaring as they steadied themselves and cursing as they organized their own counterattacks.

With Wartooth King, Bloodaxe King, and Dragon Slayer as the secondary command core, the Berserker draws his bow and arrows, and throws his throwing axes, javelins, and harpoons at the tentacles that sweep across the air.

"ᚦ..."

"ᛁ..."

The druids also raised their hands or wooden wands, solemnly chanting runes in strange syllables.

Among the 24 runes, [ᚦ] has the auxiliary functions of "protecting the triangle" and "secret energy". As the etheric energy surges, the originally unstable Magecraft barrier becomes more stable under the overlapping of the inverted triangles, resisting the wildly waving tentacles time and time again. The crew members on the ship also howl and roar, their blood boiling and their fighting spirit rising.

[ᛁ] represents the effect of controlling water flow. Under the floating light pattern, waterspouts rise from the sea, hit the monster, and drag out its half-hidden body under the water.

In the instant the giant squid was lifted high by the giant wave, Sigurd's gaze sharpened, he raised his hand to lightly wipe the blade of his sword, and solemnly murmured.

"Sun Demon Sword, unleash destruction with your body! This is the Destruction of the Dawn—the Wheel of Calamity!"

In an instant, several short blades, split from the branches of the sword hilt, shot out and flew in all directions, clearing away the tendrils in their path. Then, the Sword in the Tree Guram, which was the main body of the sword, gathered into a bright red pillar of light as dazzling as the sun, and charged forward with the force of thunder.

In an instant, the giant squid, its body bursting open with a gaping hole of flesh dozens of meters wide, shattered its magic core and crashed into the sea with a mournful cry, creating violent waves.

A thick stench of blood filled the air, and the sea monster's enormous body floated miserably on the water. Its white tentacles, which had been severed one after another and were scattered across the sea, were still twitching uncontrollably.

Meanwhile, on the flagship, Brunhilde stood in the control room, frowning and deep in thought.

"Hildr, have you figured out what kind of sea monster attacked us?"

The lively and energetic pink-haired girl, who had run to the deck to watch the game, heard the call and came running over with a smile.

"Big sister, this thing looks like the legendary Kraken from the North Sea, but it just feels..."

"What's wrong?"

"Perhaps... a bit small? Rumor has it that some fishermen have encountered this monster that is 155 meters long and weighs 330 tons, appearing with storms and giant waves. Fleets that encounter it basically never survive!"

Suddenly, a glint of light flashed in Hildr's eyes, and she looked up seriously.

"It's hard to say!"

"Um?"

"Is there too little food here? Are you getting thin from hunger?"

"Bang!"

The solemn atmosphere in the room suddenly froze. Brunhilde's face darkened, but before the Valkyrie could make a move, the impatient Thrud punched the pink-haired girl on the head, physically silencing her.

"Big sister, I always felt that monsters that can travel and survive in the Chaos Sea are not so simple."

The composed and quiet young woman with long, golden hair frowned as she offered a reminder.

Brunhilde nodded, her expression softening slightly.

Of the three prototypes brought from the Golden Palace, thankfully one was reliable; otherwise, relying entirely on her to do everything herself would inevitably lead to oversights.

"His Highness has entrusted his safety to us; we must not let him down! Notify the women outside to be on high alert!"

Brunhilde had a similar feeling, her brow furrowing in worry.

"Moreover, although the battle is over, I still feel a little uneasy..."

"Living in groups..."

"Huh? Ortlinde, what did you say?"

Brunhilde and Thrud, who were seriously discussing countermeasures, heard the sound and subconsciously turned their heads to look at the black-haired girl who was leaning against the corner, holding a tattered novel and engrossed in reading it.

"Kraken, these creatures seem to live in groups."

Ortlinde's, closed her book, blinked, pondered for a moment, and casually replied. Upon hearing this, the two decision-makers' expressions changed drastically.

At the same time, the ship shook violently, and the four Valkyrie staggered.

"Waaah..."

A dull, angry whistling sound came from all directions, and countless dancing fleshy tentacles emerged from the water, sweeping across the surface. Large shadows, like thick ink, appeared and spread across the sea.

"Valkyrie Legion, defend the flagship, all troops, engage!"

Brunhilde's expression was cold and solemn. She immediately summoned her winged horse, raised her spear, and leaped onto it, shouting orders in mid-air.

At the same time, hundreds of Valkyrie who had gathered together spread their wings of light, which resembled swan feathers, gripped their rune spears, and took to the air, nimbly weaving through the crisscrossing, dancing tentacles of the sea.

"Lance, runes, grant me strength!"

Amidst the shimmering sounds, the Valkyrie raised their rune-inlaid spears, gleaming with light, and launched them one after another at the tentacles and torsos of the giant squid.

In an instant, the deafening roar of explosions filled the air, the chaotic tide surged and boiled, the giant squid angrily snarled, and the foul-smelling liquid from its ink sac, like sulfuric acid, splashed all around, hissing and emitting white smoke.

However, those broken tendrils wriggled and regenerated at an extremely fast speed, attacking relentlessly, and the Viking Fleet was overwhelmed.

Whoosh!

Amidst the crisp sound of water, a giant squid nearly 200 meters tall emerged from the sea, its hundred or so tentacles, like javelins fired in unison, piercing towards the large ship that was the hidden core of the fleet.

Oh no, Deity-class!

Brunhilde's expression changed, and she immediately rushed towards the flagship, her gaze resolutely blocking the monster's path of attack. The hastily erected magical barrier appeared small and fragile under the dense rain of tentacles.

At the critical moment, a jet-black cross-shaped flame streaked across the sky with a sharp, piercing sound, burning away all the tentacles along its path, and struck the giant squid's head squarely, instantly exploding into a rain of minced flesh!

In the shockwave of the explosion, Brunhilde, who was thrown back, happened to crash into a broad chest behind her.