NPC Code: Red Riding Hood

[Congratulations, Red! You have unlocked the lightning element!]

[Lightning element travels around 350,000 kilometres per hour. Your electric shocks would use the user's arcane as its power source against your target(s). Basic lightning skills would not have any cooldown, except for unique abilities the player would learn. You could also redirect lightning strikes to any wished place, regardless of your arcane capacity.]

It was what the system had mentioned. Before I could even read the descriptions, I absorbed the lightning and controlled its direction towards the Kraken. And since that sea creature did not like thunder, it was the perfect weapon to kill it.

"I will…. going to have sushi later!" I screamed, whilst planning my revenge against this monster.

Sushi was a delicacy brought by the Japanese community inside this game. And since we were in the middle of the sea, having something like raw fish (sea creatures like Kraken) could motivate us on this journey.

The electric shock pierced through the Kraken's skin, destroying it into pieces. The indestructible monster got blasted into pieces, thanks to the lightning bolt I received from the storm.

A mammoth-sized hole emerged in the middle of the Kraken, killing the creature instantly. The Kraken's gallon of blood burst like a fountain in front of me, drenching me with its acrid smell. But I did not mind the stench, since killing the Kraken was my utmost priority.

I would just avert my gaze from the Kraken if that monster died before. If this lightning strike did not kill the creature, I would harness the thunder's strength and do it again! Now that I could control lightning, fighting this stupid sea creature would be a piece of cake.

But my optimistic thoughts got burned away as the Kraken revived itself in our last fight. Despite blasting its face, the tentacles had a mind of their own and attacked everyone on sight, including the sea creatures. It could not distinguish any friends or foes as it continuously bombarded everyone with its blitz.

Wolf launched himself in front of our group and protected both Match and Ryoshi from the tentacles. He also needed to defend them from the crawling sea creatures, wanting to take my team down with them.

I did not have the luxury to help them, since I was up against the Kraken. And I was the only one who could stop this beast from ravaging any further against our ship.

So instead of adding myself to the dock, I dashed straight at the Kraken and added a boost to my penitent's blade. Now that I could use lightning, enhancing my equipment with that element became second nature to me.

With a heavy heart, I sliced the Kraken using my own lightning prowess. I did not let a moment slip by and ripped the monster apart. I slid down to the sea creature's body and tore it in half while soaking myself from the spurting blood.

Despite this greenish liquid, I continued amplifying my damage and dove underwater. The Kraken still had its body connected below the ocean, which made it look alive.

"But by electrocuting the entire ocean, I could kill all the sea monsters, including this Kraken!" I murmured.

It was what Ryoshi had mentioned. If I wanted to eliminate all these threats, I had to resort to this widespread electric shock. This ability could kill anything touching the ocean around a hundred kilometres in my surroundings. I would apply all my arcane to this attack and spread my lightning across the marine environment.

Hence, killing this Kraken and its minions.

However, that was not the end. Before I could do that, I needed to inform Okami and the others, especially if it would involve risking Match's life. If the splashing waves hit someone, that person would instantly die before anyone could save them.

But I was already underwater before I could even think of this solution. If I swam back up right now, those tentacles would protect the root of this Kraken, hindering me from diving any further. I could enter the water's depths, but it would take me hours to do it since I would fight those tentacles.

It was now or never if I wanted to kill this sea creature. There was no time left, considering all the possibilities imprinted inside my head.

"Ryoshi…. I hope you could do something about this!"

I could only hope that there was some Science behind this overcharge coming from my powers. Even though I hated that person, he still had some tricks up his sleeve. And now, we needed his ideas more than anything in this fight.

When I finally reached the bottomless pit, the Kraken's body welcomed my eyes. The monster had a round body, with all the tentacles creeping out from it. It was like a forest made of nothing but limbs that came from a squid.

Those limbs tried attacking me as soon as they noticed my presence. But right after noticing that they could not reach me, those tentacles retracted and remained static in place. However, that calmness would not last for long, considering that the Kraken already perceived my presence.

"It's now or never!" I shouted, and conjured every arcane stored inside my body.

I did not want to land my spell from above, considering the distance this lightning bolt would travel. Nobody taught me about Science, and how lightning would work inside this world. But I grasped my guts and dove through my beliefs, hoping that we could win this battle.

It was like what I did before, but I needed to distribute my arcane toward my hands. This technique would usually mean suicide for some players if not handled correctly. According to my system, by draining one's arcane, that player would undergo paralysis, which would hinder that person from moving. Since all the mana inside someone's body got eliminated, cells would alarm themselves and disrupt the nerves.

But that effect was just a possibility, meaning I could avoid getting that route. If I could just add just one arcane inside me, my body should come out fine.

After a few seconds, my hand glowed like a star in the dim night. Everything surrounding me became warm and fuzzy, creating a sense of comfort around me. But my power came not from light. It came from the lightning bolts cruising through my veins.

The light carried in my hands fended off the tentacles as all of them retreated to their mother. In a flash, I surrounded myself with a shell of thunder, zapping everything that wanted to harm me. Those sea creatures who slipped through the ship tried hitting me from the back. But the thundershock coming from my spell was more powerful than them.

As soon as I completed my skill, I hurled my magical ball of lightning towards the Kraken and spread the lightning spears in every direction. My system named the attack as [Electro Ball], which nearly consumed every ounce of mana inside of me.

Exhaustion finally hit me like a truck, but I refused to give up right now. I needed to hold this lightning sphere for at least five seconds before unlatching my hands from it.

Time moved slower than usual, especially when the dire event slapped out front. But my efforts rewarded me with our victory, as I stalled exactly five seconds for my lightning ball to work. And when the ball finally did its thing, everything, including the Kraken, died a speedy death.

The lightning did not affect me, since that power came from my spell, not from other forces. And even if it came from nature, I would still be alive, considering that I could absorb that lighting inside of me.

But because of the risk of that spell, my body refused to heed my instructions. I could not swim or sweep my arms even though I desperately tried. It was as if my muscles lose their willpower to do their own thing, regardless of me shouting underwater.

Billions of bubbles fled from my mouth as I kept gasping for air, which I didn't have. I kept wiggling my body, climbing the ocean like a ladder.

But alas, the water claimed my body.

I lost the energy to fight back and let my body sink into the bottomless pit. I floated alongside the corpses of the Kraken and the sea monsters. After a few seconds, I would die beside these creatures without getting my revenge on the game developers. I did not even have the chance to say my goodbyes to Match. She still might wait for me on the surface.

And since my team won the battle, Okami and the others would feel relieved at first without thinking of me.

But that thought proved me wrong when someone tugged my hand upwards. Gravity hopelessly tried pulling me back, but the swimming man fought against all odds. And within a few moments, that man threw me upwards and landed me on the deck.

"Way to go, Ryoshi! You saved Red! You're the only one who could swim!" Okami shouted, but my mind….. could not think anymore.