The void outside the viewport became a storm of chaos and light. The Class III Typhon, designated "Void Maw," was a nightmare given cosmic form. It was less a creature and more a living cataclysm, a colossal, shifting mass of obsidian chitin that seemed to absorb the starlight around it. Its body was a grotesque mockery of a deep-sea anglerfish, a bulbous head dominated by a maw that could swallow a small moon, lined with rows of crystalline teeth that glittered with captured starfire. From this central horror sprouted a forest of whip-like tentacles, each one tipped with a pulsing, bio-luminescent orb that cast a sickly violet glow. But its most terrifying feature was the massive, single horn of jagged, volcanic rock that speared from its forehead, crackling with raw gravitational energy that warped space around it.
Against this leviathan, the defenders looked like furious gnats. Caden's Wraith was a blur of ash-grey motion, its overclocked Phantom Shift drive leaving after-images as he danced between lashing tentacles. He didn't fight; he flowed, his movements a desperate, intuitive ballet guided by the screaming psychic echoes of the beast. "Evander, your left! It's priming a gravitational pulse!" he barked over the comms, his voice strained.
Evander's Paladin was a stark contrast, a crimson fortress holding the line. His massive physical shield deflected a blast of violet energy that shattered a nearby asteroid into dust. "I see it! Luke, distract the primary appendage! I will strike the core!"
"On it!" Luke's voice was a gleeful shout. His Sanctioned Frame, Gambol, was a acrobatic marvel, its Titan-Fiber Ribbons whipping out to entangle a massive tentacle. "Hey, big guy! Try this on for size!" He fired his Kinetic Resonance Gauntlets, the concussive blasts making the beast flinch but failing to pierce its hide. The other Sanctioned Frames from the Monastery darted around them, their beams and projectiles looking like fireflies against the Typhon's dark bulk.
Inside the cockpit of the Mule, Bianca's hands were a frantic blur over the controls, her face lit by the flashing alert screens. "Like, come on, you big ugly paperweight, just miss us once!" she muttered, swerving the bulky ship around a chunk of debris.
Emily, seated beside her, watched the battle with wide, worried eyes, her fingers tracing the energy signatures on her console. "I do not understand this. Why is the Monastery attacking us, yet also helping us fend off the Typhon?"
Bianca didn't look away from the viewport. "Like, I don't know, but it's a good thing they are here because, like, we would not be able to, like, fight that thing. We'd be space dust already!"
In the cargo hold, the remaining passengers were silent spectators to the cosmic war. Souta, Charlie, Kuro, Ember, and Aurélie watched through the large viewports, their faces illuminated by the strobing light of beam weapons and the Typhon's violet glow.
Kuro's eyes, sharp behind his cracked glasses, analyzed the battlefield with a strategist's cold precision. "A different strategy is needed," he stated, his voice cutting through the tension. "This is a futile exchange of blows. We are too exposed here, a stationary target."
Aurélie, standing with her arms crossed, gave a single, sharp nod. "Agreed. This vessel is a coffin if we remain."
Without another word, they both turned and moved swiftly towards the cockpit, Souta and Charlie scrambling to follow.
Bianca spun in her chair as Kuro burst in. "We need to get away from this location immediately," he demanded, his voice tight.
Bianca's brow furrowed in frustration. "Like, do you know where we can go with the amount of fuel we have? We're running on fumes and hope here!"
Emily, her attention divided between the console and the chaos outside, began, "We can calculate a short-range jump to—
Her words were cut off as the universe upended.
A massive tentacle, sheathed in crackling violet energy, slammed into the Mule's starboard side. The ship screamed in protest, metal groaning as it was sent into a violent, uncontrolled spin. The inertial dampeners shrieked in overload, and suddenly, "up" and "down" became meaningless concepts.
Bodies were tossed around the cockpit like ragdolls. Bianca was thrown from her chair, saved only by her death-grip on the console. Emily slammed into the co-pilot's station with a cry. Kuro, Aurélie, Souta, and Charlie became a tangled pile of limbs against the far wall, a chaotic mess of grunts and shouted curses.
Through the cacophony, Caden's voice crackled over the broken comms, laced with static and panic. "Mule! Report! What is your status?"
But inside the spinning, groaning ship, no one could answer. They were passengers in a metal tomb, hurtling through the void at the mercy of a monster and physics, their fate hanging by a thread.
If you enjoyed this chapter, please consider giving Dracule Marya Zaleska a Power Stone! It helps the novel climb the rankings and get more eyes on our story!
Thank you for sailing with us! 🏴☠️ Your support means so much!
Want to see the Dreadnought Thalassa blueprints? Or unlock the true power of Goddess Achlys?
Join the Dracule Marya Zaleska crew on Patreon to get exclusive concept art, deep-dive lore notes, and access to our private Discord community! You make the New World adventure possible.
Become a Crewmate and Unlock the Lore:
https://patreon.com/An1m3N3rd?utm_medium=unknown&utm_source=join_link&utm_campaign=creatorshare_creator&utm_content=copyLink
Thanks so much for your support and loving this story as much as I do!