I Reincarnated to Another World as a Woman-Chapter 237: Ocean Wrath

Captain Chambers jumps from his chair, spilling hot coffee everywhere. He curses under his breath but does not bother looking down at the mess.

He scrambles upright and runs toward the gate.

The other officers react the same way.

"It’s opening!"

"Move! Someone might need help!" One of them remembers the earlier scene when Rhaenas burst out of the gate carrying their comrades.

"Go! And don’t just run to the gate!" Captain Chambers shouts while sprinting. "Tell the others and the doctors to get ready. We don’t know how many are injured this time!"

He reaches the pulsing stone arch within ten seconds.

Against the dark sky, the light radiating from the gate is blindingly bright.

"Turn on the lights!" he barks, realizing the area is too dim.

An officer activates the heartstone floodlights. Instantly, the entire area is bathed in brilliant white light, turning night into artificial day.

They stand ready.

Hearts pounding.

The rumbling in the sky does not stop. It grows louder. Closer.

"It’s poetic, isn’t it?" one officer mutters, unable to take his eyes off the gate. "We’re rescuing people, and the universe is about to cry. Is it happiness or grief?"

No one answers.

Every gaze is fixed on the arch.

Waiting.

But nothing comes out.

Captain Chambers remains patient, though tension coils tighter inside him as the rumbling rolls directly overhead.

Lightning splits the sky.

A bolt strikes the water near the shore.

"Jesus!" one officer yelps, jumping. He turns toward the strike point. "What the hell? Don’t do that again," he mutters to the sky.

Then he freezes.

His jaw drops.

He keeps staring at the ocean as he taps the officer beside him. "Hey."

"What?" the other man snaps without turning. "Don’t distract me. I’m on standby."

But the tapping continues.

"Hey. Hey. Hey."

"Stop bothering me!"

"Look." He tugs on his friend’s sleeve.

The second officer turns.

His sentence dies halfway. "Crane, I’m going to ki—"

He stops.

Dumbfounded.

"Captain," he calls weakly. The word sounds stripped of intelligence, barely coherent.

"What?" Captain Chambers barks, turning.

Then he sees it.

"Jesus Christ. What the fuck is going on?"

Now everyone is looking at the sea.

The ocean churns violently, far more violently than any natural tide. It is as if something enormous is stirring it from beneath, like a giant spoon dragging through dark water.

Lightning strikes again.

And again.

Each bolt hits a different patch of water.

After every strike, the water at that point rises.

It lifts upward, stretching, twisting. Like liquid tentacles reaching for the sky.

They grow taller. Two meters. Three.

Then the separate columns twist together, merging into a single massive, spiraling column of water.

A thick, writhing tentacle.

Without hesitation, it lashes forward.

It slams directly into the pulsing gate.

And passes through it without resistance.

Water surges into the stone arch as if from an endless source, like a fire hose opened at full pressure.

------------------------------

Arthur braces himself.

He waits for the leg to stab him.

He is certain this is the end. His end. Julian’s end.

But the pain never comes.

He opens his eyes with difficulty, vision still swimming from exhaustion, and sees something impossible.

The spider monster is being driven backward.

A massive pillar of water crashes into it again and again.

Relentless.

Unyielding.

Arthur blinks hard, trying to make sense of it.

Water.

There is water everywhere.

It surges across the dungeon floor, swirling around broken earth. Arthur realizes he is half submerged, cold water soaking through his clothes.

And with it, something else returns.

Strength.

Just a little.

Enough.

He pushes himself upright, legs trembling but functioning again, and turns toward Julian without taking his eyes off the spider.

The water pillar continues to slam into the creature, forcing it to retreat step by step.

Arthur reaches Julian within seconds and drops to his knees beside him.

Julian is no longer thrashing.

He lies unconscious.

"Jules. Wake up."

Arthur shakes him lightly.

"Jules, are you okay? Wake up."

Julian’s eyelids flutter.

He groans and slowly opens his eyes. "What’s goin’ on?" he mutters, disoriented. "Why am I wet?"

"Thea," Arthur breathes, relief flooding him. "I think this is Thea’s doing."

Julian blinks several times, forcing his vision to focus. He pushes himself up, then suddenly freezes.

"My wound..."

He grabs his leg.

The torn fabric of his pants is still there, ripped open.

But beneath it, his skin is flawless.

No blood.

No injury.

No scar.

"It’s healed perfectly," Julian says, stunned.

Arthur helps him to his feet. They turn together, scanning the battlefield.

Water rushes in every direction.

It is not rain.

It is not a puddle.

It is as if the ocean itself has invaded the dungeon.

"It’s everywhere," Julian mutters. "It’s like the sea moved in here."

Arthur nods once. "Let’s check on Thea and the others."

They begin moving toward the earth dome, but the water is already knee deep and rising.

Each step is heavy.

They wade forward, muscles burning.

"You’re right, Art," Julian says between breaths. "This has to be Thea. I don’t think Liam can summon water like this."

Arthur does not answer.

He does not want to assume.

Then the spider screeches.

The sound slices through the roar of water.

Both of them feel it before they see it.

Movement.

Fast.

Behind them.

They turn at the same time.

The spider is no longer struggling against the water.

It is moving across it.

Its long legs skim the surface like a water strider, barely sinking, each step precise and terrifyingly quick.

It avoids the water pillar and charges toward them.

"Move!" Arthur shouts.

He shoves Julian hard out of the path.

Both of them fall into the water just as the spider streaks past, its massive body cutting through the current and sending waves crashing outward.

They hit the surface hard, cold water splashing over their faces.

Alive.

Barely.

And the spider is already turning back for another strike.

The water keeps rising, and now it is at their waists.

"What is Thea trying to do here?" Arthur shouts.