Chapter 322: The Flooded Mirror

From the top of a broken stone tower, Sun could finally see how far the flood reached.

Water stretched in every direction, and ancient trees rose from its surface like islands, their branches disappearing beneath waves that had no business existing inside the Everglades.

Farther ahead, enormous stone structures broke through the water.

Sun narrowed his eyes. "That’s the city."

Kong stood on his shoulder. The Fiery Stone Ape looked nothing like the small monkey he had once been, with golden metallic fur that glistened in the sunlight, crimson markings running across his muscular body like veins of lava, and golden rings around his wrists and ankles.

Kong grinned. "Yep."

Sun looked at him. "You remember this place?"

Kong scratched his head. "Not really."

Sun sighed. "Great."

Kong pointed at the ruins. "But it looks familiar."

"That’s somehow even less reassuring."

A massive wave crashed into the ruins, and Sun grabbed the edge of the tower, while Kong stayed perfectly balanced on his shoulder.

Sun glanced at him. "You’re not going to fall?"

Kong grinned. "Nope."

"Of course."

Sun looked back at the city. The water was moving strangely. It wasn’t simply flooding the ruins. It was being redirected, with several ancient towers rising from the water and enormous channels between them forcing the current along specific paths.

Sun frowned. "The city is controlling the water."

Kong leaned forward. "Controlling?"

"Look." Sun pointed with Long at a massive current flowing toward one structure, splitting around it, and rejoining another current farther ahead. "It isn’t random."

Kong stared for several seconds, and then his eyes widened. "The water is going somewhere."

Sun smiled. "Exactly." He looked toward the center of the city. "And I have a bad feeling about where."

They jumped from the tower, and Sun landed on a floating stone platform. When Kong landed after him, the platform tilted, and Sun froze. Kong didn’t. He calmly walked to the other side, and the platform leveled out.

Sun stared at him. "You did that on purpose."

Kong grinned. "Maybe."

"You’re becoming a show-off."

Kong pointed at Sun. "You’re jealous."

Sun’s mouth opened, then closed. "I taught you that word."

"And now I use it."

Sun sighed. "My partner is getting too smart."

Kong laughed.

The deeper they went into the flooded ruins, the stranger the city became. Crystals grew from the ancient walls, some glowing blue and others pulsing with faint golden light. Sun stopped beside one and touched it, and the crystal brightened at once as the water around them calmed.

Sun’s eyes widened. "Kong."

Kong touched another, and the same thing happened. The current slowed.

Sun looked between the two crystals. "These are stabilizing the water."

Kong nodded. "Useful."

"Very useful." Sun immediately looked around. "How many do you think we can sell?"

Kong stared at him.

Sun raised a finger. "What?"

"You’re doing it again."

"Doing what?"

"Thinking about money."

Sun smiled proudly. "It’s a talent."

Kong shook his head, and then a roar echoed through the ruins, and they both turned as the water exploded. A gigantic aquatic Beast burst from beneath the surface, its body like a crocodile covered in blue scales, with enormous fins rising from its back. Another Beast attacked it, then another, and within seconds, the entire flooded city had become a battlefield.

Sun stepped back. "What the hell?"

Kong grinned. "Fight!"

"No!"

Kong looked disappointed.

Sun pointed at the Beasts. "They’re not fighting us." He watched carefully. The aquatic Beasts weren’t attacking randomly. They were all moving toward the same place, the center of the city, and whenever one reached the front, another would attack it. Some were wounded, some were driven back, and others fought desperately to get closer.

Sun’s expression changed. "They’re competing."

Kong tilted his head. "For what?"

Sun looked at the distant blue glow, and he finally understood. "The Mirror."

A pulse of blue light traveled through the water, and every Beast reacted, several of them growing even more aggressive.

Sun’s eyes widened. "They can feel it."

Kong’s grin disappeared. "Power."

"Yeah." Sun tightened his grip on Long. "They’re trying to absorb it."

Another pulse moved through the water, and one of the weaker Beasts suddenly changed. Its body grew larger, its scales hardened, and two more fins sprouted along its back.

Sun stared. "It evolved."

Kong’s eyes widened. "From the Mirror?"

"I think so."

The Beast roared, and the other creatures immediately attacked it.

Sun frowned. "So they’re fighting over the right to evolve."

Kong cracked his knuckles. "That’s stupid."

Sun looked at him. "Why?"

"Everyone should share."

Sun stared at him, then laughed. "That’s coming from you?"

Kong shrugged. "I’m generous."

"You’re a thief."

"Same thing."

"No, it absolutely isn’t."

A massive Beast suddenly charged toward them, and Sun raised Long. "Enough."

He swung the staff.

[Point Shockwave]

An invisible blast burst from the strike.

BOOM!

The Beast was launched backward, and Kong leaped off Sun’s shoulder. "Finally!"

Sun sighed. "Kong!"

The Fiery Stone Ape landed right on top of the Beast. His crimson markings ignited, and golden flames gathered around his fists.

[Fiery Rage]

Kong punched.

BOOOOOOM!

The Beast crashed through three stone pillars, and Kong landed with a grin.

Sun stared. "You really like that."

Kong flexed. "Yep."

"Show-off."

"Yep."

Sun couldn’t help smiling. Then the water went still. Too still. A massive shadow appeared beneath them, and Sun’s expression changed. "Kong."

"Yeah."

"Move."

They jumped as the Water Long Serpent Dragon erupted from the water, its enormous silver-scaled body rising into the sky, backward-curving horns framing its head. Its aura spread across the ruins, and the surrounding aquatic Beasts immediately retreated.

Sun landed on a broken pillar, and Kong landed beside him. A figure stood on the Dragon’s head, wearing long black pants and a sleeveless vest, and he looked down at them with crimson eyes. It was Jako.

"Move," Jako said.

Sun blinked. "That was polite."

Jako’s gaze shifted to the distant blue light. "The Mirror is ahead."

Sun’s expression hardened. "And?"

"And you’re in my way."

Sun laughed. "Yeah, I figured."

Kong stepped forward, and Jako looked at him, recognition flashing through his eyes. "You evolved."

Kong grinned. "Yep."

Jako’s gaze lingered on the Fiery Stone Ape for a moment before he looked back at Sun. "You still don’t understand."

Sun raised Long. "Understand what?"

"The Mirror." Jako’s eyes narrowed. "It can strengthen a Beast."

Sun looked toward the Water Mirror. "So can fighting."

Jako smiled. "Then let your Beast prove it."

The Water Long Serpent Dragon roared, and the water exploded outward.

Sun planted Long against the stone. "Fine."

Kong’s crimson markings brightened. "Race?"

Jako’s smile widened. "Race."

The Dragon launched forward, and Kong immediately took off after it.

Sun stared. "Kong!"

The Fiery Stone Ape looked back. "What?"

"You were supposed to wait!"

Kong laughed. "Too slow!"

Sun cursed and chased after him.

The flooded city erupted into chaos. Jako’s Dragon tore through the water, Kong leaped from pillar to pillar, and Sun used Long to launch himself across the gaps, firing [Point Shockwave] behind him to build momentum. A corrupted aquatic Beast attacked, and Kong punched it away. Another rose from the water, and Sun struck it with Long.

[Point Shockwave]

The Beast vanished beneath the surface.

Jako looked back. "Still relying on tricks?"

"Still talking too much?" Sun shouted back.

The Dragon accelerated, and Sun gritted his teeth. "Fine." He raised Long.

[Buff]

Mana surged through his body, and the same energy spread to Kong. Kong’s muscles tightened, and his golden fur seemed to brighten as he grinned. "Now."

Sun smiled. "Now."

Kong leaped.

[Fiery Rage]

Golden flames exploded around his fists, and he slammed into the Dragon’s path.

BOOM!

The Dragon twisted aside, and Jako’s eyes narrowed.

Kong landed on the surface of the water, and he didn’t sink. Sun stared, and Kong looked down, then back up. "I can walk on water."

Sun blinked. "...Since when?"

Kong shrugged. "Now."

Sun stared at him. "You’re absolutely showing off."

Kong grinned. "Yep."

Jako laughed from atop the Dragon. "Interesting."

Then the ruins shook, and everyone stopped. The ancient city was collapsing, stone towers toppling into the water as the currents suddenly changed direction.

Sun’s smile disappeared. "The city is moving."

Jako looked toward the center, where the Water Mirror was growing brighter and the entire city was rearranging itself around it. "It’s opening."

A massive wall split apart, revealing a staircase descending into darkness as water rushed down into it. Jako moved immediately, and the Water Long Serpent Dragon surged forward with Sun and Kong racing right behind it.

They entered an ancient chamber whose walls were covered in carvings of Beasts, Mirrors, the World Tree, and one enormous serpent beneath the water.

Kong slowed. "Sun."

"I see it."

At the far end of the chamber stood the Water Mirror, its surface completely blue. Jako reached it first, jumping from the Dragon’s head and landing in front of it, and Sun arrived seconds later.

Jako turned. "Told you."

Sun landed beside him. "Congratulations."

Jako smirked. "You sound annoyed."

"I am."

Kong came in behind Sun and looked at the Mirror, and his expression changed. "Sun. It’s moving."

The Water Mirror pulsed once, then twice, and the whole chamber shook as the water beneath the stone floor began to spin.

Jako’s smile disappeared. "What is that?"

Sun slowly raised Long. "I don’t know."

A deep sound echoed from beneath them. It wasn’t a roar or a Beast’s cry. It was something older, and something enormous.

The carvings on the walls began to glow, and the image of the serpent beneath the water changed. Its eyes opened.

BOOM.

The chamber shook violently, water erupted from beneath the Mirror, and the ancient city groaned.