Chapter 100: Water Prison
As the creature poised itself for another attack, Ty locked his gaze on it, bracing for the impending strike. But instead of waiting for the creature to make its move, he acted first. With a burst of speed, he propelled himself out of the water, escaping the creature's grasp.
Above the surface, Ty found the man with the eyepatch floating casually on a small silhouette of smoke, lounging as if on an invisible bed. He seemed oddly relaxed, gazing up at the night sky where distant fireworks provided a faint backdrop of noise.
"Took you long enough," the man said lazily, turning his gaze towards Ty. "I thought you might have drowned and died down there. That would have been quite the anticlimactic end, you know." His voice carried a blend of sarcasm and what seemed like a hint of genuine concern.
Ty, still catching his breath, was momentarily taken aback by the sight of his bare arm, the sleeve missing from his previously intact clothing. "Hey, hey, hey, what were you doing down there anyway?" he asked, a mix of confusion and worry in his voice. The situation had taken a bizarre turn, and Ty was trying to piece together the man's motives and the nature of the threat they were facing.
Ty, with a resolute tone, declared, "I think it's time I test something out." The water around his feet started to bubble, signaling the impending action. A red glare flickered off the water's surface, adding a sense of urgency to his words.
"Let's go ahead and test your speed," Ty challenged, as he surged forward. His black flames ignited, propelling him at a blistering speed towards the man with the eyepatch. In a swift move, he grabbed the man's wrist just as the creature burst out of the water, its massive jaws open wide, threatening to engulf them both.
The man, caught in Ty's grip, transformed his wrist into a vapor of smoke, slipping out of Ty's hold. Unfazed, Ty used the momentum to land a powerful, flame-enhanced punch directly to the man's face. The impact resounded through the air, and Ty slid back on a stream of smoke, putting some distance between them.
But their momentary duel was cut short as the creature lunged forward, snapping its jaws shut around the space where Ty and the man had just been.
Believing it had successfully captured Ty, the creature dove back into the water. However, its victory was short-lived. Pain soon wracked its body as smoke began to seep from its jaws. A tooth broke free, followed by a burst of bones erupting from within, revealing Ty's counterattack. The creature, overwhelmed by pain and confusion, let out a piercing cry.
Inside the water, Ty quickly reassembled himself, noticing a slight change. "I think I got a bit taller again," he mused to himself, a brief moment of levity amidst the chaos. His attention then snapped back to the creature, its bloodshot red eyes locked on him in a mix of anger and fear.
With a decisive movement, Ty delivered a powerful punch with his skeletal fist directly at the creature. The impact sent a jolt through its body, and electricity coursed through Ty's skeleton, intensifying the blow. Startled and injured, the creature swiftly turned and fled into the depths of the ocean.
Ty, reeling from the sudden and brutal attack, struggled to maintain his composure. The man with the eyepatch, emerging from a cloud of smoke, had pierced Ty's skin with a spike-like projection, stabbing into his stomach and chest. The man reformed from the smoke, standing ominously in front of Ty.
Blood trickled from Ty's mouth as he gasped for air. The man taunted him, "Perhaps you can regenerate indefinitely, but you aren't as special as you think you are." He blew a stream of smoke into Ty's face, further disorienting him.
Ty, driven by instinct and determination, attempted to counter with a punch. However, the man was quick to respond, delivering a sharp elbow to Ty's chin, forcing his head to snap back.
He then slammed an open palm into Ty's chest, engulfing him in a tightening grip of smoke and a mysterious black light.
The man's voice was cold and calculating as he declared, "Let's see if you can escape the bottom of the ocean inside an unbreakable barrier."
Raising his hand, he made a chopping motion at the top of the black light surrounding Ty, sending him plummeting back into the water.
The force of the motion dragged Ty deeper and deeper, the pressure of the water intensifying around him as he descended rapidly into the ocean's dark depths.
As Ty continued his rapid descent towards the ocean floor, his mind raced with thoughts and possibilities. How could he escape this predicament? He hadn't even seen his weapon since the encounter began. The thought occurred to him – could the man's cigarette be the source of his power?
In desperation, Ty punched at the barrier surrounding him, but his efforts were in vain. His attacks bounced off, the energy reflecting back at him, further compounding his frustration. He cursed under his breath as he finally slammed into the ocean floor, the oppressive pressure and darkness enveloping him.
Trapped, Ty's situation seemed dire. The horrifying prospect of being confined under the water indefinitely weighed heavily on his mind. It was a scenario he had never anticipated, and for a moment, he struggled with the fear and uncertainty of his predicament.
But then, in the midst of the overwhelming darkness, a glimmer of hope appeared. A soft, golden light began to approach him through the murky water. The sight of it pierced through his despair, offering a potential way out. Ty focused on the light, wondering what it could be.
As the golden light hurtled towards him at an alarming speed, Ty braced himself for impact, instinctively raising his arms in defense. The object revealed itself to be the Kama Blade he had acquired at the Cathedral, its approach rapid and forceful.
The blade, glowing with a golden aura, collided with the barrier surrounding Ty. To his astonishment, the impact caused cracks to spiderweb across the barrier's surface. The Kama Blade, with its keen edge and formidable force, lodged itself into the barrier, creating a visible fissure.