With the sea serpent distracted, Nereus meanwhile, had originally planned to subdue the serpent through sheer force of will, to bend its primal nature to his command.
But the situation had changed.
He could feel it—something was interfering with his connection to the beast. As he tried to assert his dominance over the serpent, to quell its rage as he had before, a strange distortion in the sea essence flow began to once again affect the connection between the two.
He could tell the serpent's thoughts were being muddled, and his commands drowned out by an overwhelming static like force that seemed to stem from the chamber itself.
He looked up, his sharp eyes catching the faint glow of a runic array etched into the stone ceiling above them.
The array pulsed in rhythm with the Spatial Pearl, its lines flickering with an ancient power that was directly tied to the essence flow in the chamber.
It was clear now—the runic array was disrupting his communication with the serpent, altering the flow of sea essence and creating a barrier between him and the creature's mind.
"Damn it," Nereus muttered, his frustration mounting. He knew he had to change his approach.
'This sea serpent isn't the true enemy here—not yet.' he thought, 'it was the array, fueled by the pearl, that was driving the beast into a frenzy. If I could remove the pearl, I could disrupt the array and regain control of the situation!'
With renewed determination, Nereus shifted his focus from the serpent to the ceiling.
He gathered his sea essence, channeling it into a concentrated beam of highly pressurized water that was aimed directly at the pearl.
BANG
The energy crackled as it shot upward, striking the array with a resonant force that sent shockwaves through the chamber.
Meanwhile, Ruth and Rave were only making matters worse.
Rather than aiding in calming the beast or helping to dismantle the array, they were fixated on their own goals—securing the essence crystals that lined the chamber. Ruth darted toward one of the glowing blue crystals, her eyes alight with greed. "These will make us unstoppable!" she shouted to Rave, who was already prying a crystal from the wall with a grimace of effort.
"Forget the serpent! We get these, and we win!" Rave responded, his focus entirely on the prize.
Devran, who had initially followed them in with confidence, now lingered at the chamber's entrance, his face pale as he watched the chaos unfold.
His eyes flickered to Nereus, and a shadow of fear crossed his features.
He hesitated, caught between his loyalty to his teammates and the looming threat of Nereus, whose power and presence intimidated him more than he cared to admit.
Quietly, Devran took a step back, unwilling to fully commit to the fray, letting Ruth and Rave lead the charge while he kept his distance.
Nereus, barely aware of their antics, focused all his energy on the pearl.
"ARGH!"
With a final, powerful surge, his essence struck the runic array, sending a cascade of energy through the chamber. The array faltered, its glow dimming as the power source was disrupted.
At that moment the pearl trembled, then finally broke free from its inlaid position, dislodged by the force of Nereus's attack.
"Oof got it!"
The Spatial Pearl plummeted downward, and Nereus, with lightning reflexes, snatched it out of the water before it could hit the ground.
The moment his fingers closed around the pearl, he felt a rush of familiar energy course through him—a connection to his past life that was as exhilarating as it was terrifying.
But there was no time to dwell on it.
Just as the pearl came into his possession, the serpent, now fully enraged by the disruption and the continued taunting from Ruth and Rave, lashed out with renewed vigor. Its massive tail swept through the chamber, smashing into several of the supporting columns with devastating force.
CRACK! BOOM!
The columns shattered, sending chunks of stone tumbling down into the water.
The entire chamber trembled, cracks snaking up the walls as the structural integrity began to fail. The serene, ancient temple that had stood for eons was now on the verge of collapse.
"Get the crystals, now!" Ruth screamed, yanking a final crystal free as the chamber began to crumble around them.
Rave was already clutching his prize, his eyes wide with a mix of triumph and terror.
Nereus didn't need to be told twice. "We need to get out of here!" he bellowed, his voice carrying over the din of destruction. The chamber was falling apart, and they had mere moments to escape before it became their watery grave.
The walls continued to crack, the ceiling began to cave in, and the ancient temple was reduced to a death trap. The serpent, now driven by instinct rather than rage, thrashed about, its mighty tail whipping through the water as it sought to escape the collapsing chamber. And in the midst of it all, Nereus clutched the Spatial Pearl tightly in his hand, knowing that the true battle was only just beginning.
With the chamber collapsing around them, Triton and Jonny both realized with sinking hearts that the situation had spiraled far beyond their control.
The ancient temple, once a marvel of undersea craftsmanship, was now a death trap. As the walls continued to crack and crumble, they knew that they needed to act quickly if they had any hope of survival.
"We need to grab whatever we can!" Triton shouted to Jonny, his voice barely audible over the deafening sound of the falling stone and the thrashing of the sea serpent.
Jonny nodded, his face set with determination.
The essence crystals were their only hope—if they could secure some, it might not be a complete loss.
Moving with a newfound urgency, the two of them darted toward the remaining essence crystals still embedded in the walls of the chamber.
"Together" Jonny said.
Triton nodded in agreement before the two began counting in unison
"One...Two...Three!"
At that moment and together they pried them free with a combination of brute force and careful precision, stowing the glowing treasures in their pouches.
"Make sure to grab some for Argent!" Jonny reminded Triton, knowing that he would need the power these crystals offered if they were to make it out alive.
Meanwhile, with the runic interference gone, Nereus finally felt the clarity he had been struggling to attain.
"There it is!" he couldn't help but exclaim aloud.
The connection between him and the sea serpent was now unimpeded, and he could sense the creature's emotions with startling clarity. What had once been an overwhelming tide of fury was now laced with fear and uncertainty.
And the serpent, so fierce and powerful just moments ago, now seemed almost... vulnerable.
Nereus extended his essence toward it once more, this time not to dominate, but to soothe. "Calm yourself," he projected to the creature, his mental voice firm yet gentle. "I understand your pain. Now, let me help you."