NOVGO.NET Chapter 348: Stopped
Chapter 348: Stopped
The ocean had long since stopped looking like an ocean.
What stretched endlessly around the Azure Lightning Ark was not water in any peaceful sense.. it was a living, writhing domain of violence. The ship tore through the depths like a blade forged from lightning itself, its hull glowing with cold blue radiance as it cut the sea apart. Water didn’t part gently around it; it burst, ripped open by overwhelming speed, collapsing back in roaring turbulence only after the Ark had already vanished miles ahead.
The ship was moving so fast that, had any ordinary being crossed its path, there would have been no moment of realization of anything at all.. no fear, no scream, not even pain or anything..
Below and ahead, sea monsters rose instinctively, reacting to the disturbance too late. Massive shadows lunged upward, mouths opening wide, armored bodies twisting in predatory reflex. It didn’t matter how large they were. It didn’t matter how many.
The Ark did not slow.
Its sharply curved prow sliced through flesh and bone alike, carving a straight, merciless path through the depths. Some beasts were split cleanly in half, torsos drifting apart in spirals of dark blood. Others were pierced straight through, their bodies ruptured before their nervous systems could even register danger. Limbs, scales, organs.. everything was reduced to debris in the ship’s wake.
Behind the Ark stretched a gruesome corridor: torn water thick with blood, floating chunks of meat, shattered carapaces, lifeless eyes staring into nothing. A graveyard carved in a single line, extending endlessly behind them.
And yet.. no one bore witness.
This region of the ocean was forbidden even to Atlantians. A hunting ground for Monster’s of the deep, where no sane traveler would ever wander. Also the reason for no witnesses for there to be.. no survivors or no stories to be told.
Only the ship, surging forward, unstoppable.
Inside the Ark, the contrast was jarring.
The interior was quiet.. almost serene. A faint hum of power resonated beneath the floor, steady and controlled, like a restrained heartbeat. The transparent frontal glass revealed the carnage outside with cruel clarity, yet inside, not a single drop of water touched them.
Razeal stood near the front, hands loosely resting at his sides, crimson eyes fixed ahead. His expression was unreadable.. not disturbed, not impressed, not thrilled. Just observant.
“If only you had this thing back then,” he said at last, voice calm, almost detached. “Everything would’ve been so much easier and.. Faster.”
Outside, another massive sea beast was bisected cleanly, its corpse tumbling away as the Ark didn’t even deviate from its course.
Sofia stood nearby, arms spreading wide in an exaggerated, almost theatrical shrug. There was pride in her posture.. undeniable, radiant pride as also a confident smile curved her lips as she glanced sideways at him.
“I couldn’t,” she replied lightly. “The rules of tradition don’t allow external aids like this during the trial. No shortcuts or cheats to be used.”
Her smile sharpened, turning playful, smug. She ran her fingers through her long blue hair, letting it cascade freely over her shoulders.
“Besides,” she continued, voice laced with teasing warmth, “if I had used this back then, we wouldn’t be married right now. I’d say it worked out for the best.” She tilted her head slightly, eyes glimmering. “You wouldn’t want to lose the beautiful angel you got after putting in so much effort.. and exhausting all that life-saving luck of yours, would you?”
Her gaze lingered on him, measuring, amused. “Honestly, I wonder how many planets you must’ve saved to earn this level of fortune in one lifetime.”
Inside Maria’s mind, a sharp, unfiltered thought cut through… Narcissistic… bitch. She thought
Razeal though at sofia words didn’t respond. He didn’t even turn to look at Sofia. His attention remained forward, gaze steady, as if the endless slaughter outside required analysis rather than reaction.
That silence only made Sofia’s smile deepen.
Still, after a moment, her expression shifted.. just slightly. The playful edge dulled, replaced by thoughtfulness. She folded one arm across her body, the other hand rubbing her chin as she stared out into the depths.
“Though.. Something feels off,” she murmured. “It’s only been three hours since we left Atlantis… but we’ve already been intercepted thirteen times by Saint king rank monster.”
Her brows knit together. “Saint-King rank sea monsters aren’t supposed to appear this frequently. Even across the entire ocean, encountering one is rare. Thirteen in such a short span?” She shook her head slowly. “If we were weaker, this would’ve been a death sentence.”
Her gaze drifted outward again, watching the shadows retreat as another colossal creature was annihilated.
“The ocean’s behavior doesn’t make sense today.”
Maria’s eyes flicked sideways.
“Maybe it’s luck too” she said coolly, voice flat but pointed. Her gaze slid toward Razeal for just a fraction of a second before returning forward. “The kind of luck you were just talking about.”
There was a faint edge to her tone.. dry, almost sarcastic.
Sofia turned slowly, her eyes narrowing.
“Are you implying,” she asked softly, “that this is happening because of my husband’s bad luck?”
Maria spread her hands in a mock gesture of innocence, shoulders lifting slightly.
“I didn’t say anything,” she replied. “Just stating a possibility.”
Her eyes twitched faintly as Sofia emphasized my husband yet again, the possessiveness unmistakable.
Sofia’s chin lifted immediately.
“This isn’t bad luck,” she said firmly. “Stop badmouthing my husband. He’s lucky.. and the proof is standing right here.”
She gestured subtly to herself, posture straightening with unmistakable pride.
“It could be bad luck too,” Maria shot back without hesitation. “How do you know it can only be good luck.. that he had to marry you?”
The air between them sharpened.
Sofia inhaled sharply.
For a split second, her composure cracked.. eyes widening just a little, breath hitching as Maria’s words landed exactly where they were meant to. As if suggesting that she was the misfortune. That marrying her was the curse?
Her lips parted, then pressed together again.
She almost snapped back.
Almost.
Instead, she forced herself to breathe, fingers curling slowly at her side as she reined herself in. Her expression cooled.. She didn’t attach her.. Though still she didn’t let it go
“Ah, stop being jealous already,” Sofia said lightly, though the edge beneath her voice betrayed how much she was enjoying this. She pointed a finger toward Maria, her gaze angled just enough to catch Razeal in her peripheral vision, as if deliberately making sure he saw it. “We both know what you’re really after. Even if I’m having fun watching you like this, at least try to control yourself.”
Maria’s eye twitched.. hard.
“Jealous?” she repeated slowly, disbelief lacing every syllable. Her gaze snapped to Sofia, cold and razor-sharp. “Stop bullshitting yourself. I don’t give a fuck.”
Sofia scoffed softly, lips curling. “Doesn’t seem like it. Look at yourself.”
The air between them felt charged, brittle, like glass under pressure.
“Alright, will you two stop?” Razeal’s voice cut through the tension abruptly, flat and irritated. He finally turned, crimson eyes sweeping over both of them without warmth. “You both being loud… It’s annoying.”
And the word landed..
“Annoying?” Sofia and Maria echoed at the same time, brows jumping up.. like crazy.
“Oiii, boy,” Sofia snapped immediately, spinning toward him. “You want to sleep on the couch for the rest of your life or something? Starting today?”
While.. Maria didn’t say anything. She only stared at him cold, dead, unreadable, locked straight onto Razeal’s face.
Razeal, however, didn’t react the way either of them expected.
He simply turned back toward the front of the ship.
Ignoring both of them
That, more than anything, made Sofia’s fingers twitch. A vein pulsed faintly at her temple as irritation surged up, hot and sharp. For a moment, it looked like she might actually explode.
Then she inhaled. Slowly. Deeply.
First day of marriage, she reminded herself with visible effort. Mother said beating your husband on the first day is bad.
Her lips pressed together as she forced the anger down, shoulders relaxing just enough to appear composed. But inside, she was already making promises.. to herself, and to him.
I’ll teach him how to treat your wife properly. Even if I have to force it into your thick skull.
For now, she swallowed it.
The Ark continued cutting through the ocean, lightning-blue glow reflecting across the glass as another massive sea creature was split apart outside, unnoticed.
That was when Yograj finally approached.
His footsteps were heavy, deliberate, carrying weight far beyond his physical presence. He stopped beside Razeal, arms crossed, brow furrowed deeply. There was something off about his expression.. not anger, not suspicion, but an unease he didn’t bother hiding.
Razeal sensed him before he spoke and turned slightly, crimson eyes flicking toward the older man.
Yeah, he let Yograj come with him. Honestly yupp he hadn’t planned to bring the old man along, especially since Yograj was the reason his mother found out his location.. knowing full well that he would come to the Royal Competition. But he still allowed him to come, after yograj making it clear that he didn’t tell her anything. In simple she simply read his memories and found out bout everything not that he betrayed him.
He knew he shouldn’t fully trust Yograj’s words; they could have been lies. But he also understood his mother’s character clearly.. this was exactly something she would do. So, he let Yograj come along.
Still, he was definitely dissatisfied with the man. The risk Razeal took by bringing Yograj here wasn’t worth what he got in return. Honestly, Yograj barely helped at all. The only real contribution he made during the entire journey was pointing them toward Atlantis and informing them that they could find information about Ocean Black in the Royal Sea.
It would be a lie to say that Razeal wasn’t disappointed with Yograj’s performance. But in the end, he let him come anyway.. because he wasn’t really losing anything by doing so. And besides, Yograj still had the potential to be turned into a powerhouse. He just needed time to absorb the abilities of some truly strong beings.. time they simply hadn’t had yet. Not to say it.. wasn’t only yograj fault that.. He got lost due to that bad luck on that gate of Atlantis and.. all of them seperated.. if not maybe he really coulve helped somewhat.
So yeah he let him stay.
“What is it?” Razeal asked calmly, turning his attention fully to Yograj.
Yograj hesitated, then leaned closer, lowering his voice. His gaze flicked briefly toward the corner of the Ark, where Aurora and Levy sat close together, heads tilted toward one another, engaged in quiet conversation.
“It’s nothing big,” Yograj said slowly, confusion etched into his face. “Just… something feels off. What happened between my daughter and that weakass?”
His jaw tightened slightly. “They’re sticking too close. My senses are… tingling. And not in a good way.”
Razeal followed his gaze for a moment, eyes narrowing almost imperceptibly as he observed Aurora and Levy. They looked relaxed very close and.. Comfortable in a way that clearly suggested that they were now more than just simple companionship.
“Umm… about that,” Razeal finally said, breaking the heavy pause as he glanced once more toward the two in the corner before turning back to Yograj. “They went through something bad together. A very bad incident. Maybe you should talk to your daughter… and him. Not me. They’ll explain it better.”
He nodded once, as if closing the subject.
Yograj didn’t answer right away.
His eyes lingered on Aurora, then flicked to Levy, and then back again, slower this time. The lines on his face deepened.. not with anger, but with something far messier. Conflict. Regret. A kind of helplessness that no amount of strength or experience could erase.
He wasn’t stupid.
He could see it. Anyone could. The way Aurora leaned just slightly toward Levy when she laughed. The way Levy’s posture unconsciously angled to shield her, even while sitting still. The kind of closeness that didn’t come from flirtation..
That dumbass… Yograj thought bitterly, jaw tightening. Somehow managed to get close to her.
And yet, the bitterness didn’t fully take root.
Because the truth was uglier than jealousy.
He didn’t know if he had the right.
He had only reunited with Aurora a month ago. One month. That was all the time he’d had with his daughter.. after a lifetime of absence. He hadn’t raised her. Hadn’t protected her when it mattered. Hadn’t been there when she’d learned how cruel the world could be.
And now, suddenly, he was supposed to step in as a father?
Tell her who she could stand beside? Who she could trust?..Like right now he was feeling like he should interrogate thats Bastard.. As for why? he doesnt know..
The thought twisted something deep in his chest.
For the past hour, he had been watching them in silence, wanting to walk over, wanting to demand answers, wanting to pull her aside and ask if she was safe, if she was being manipulated, if she was happy
And failing to take even a single step.
Because every time he imagined opening his mouth, the same question crushed him:
Who am I to ask?
He wanted.. desperately to do something meaningful with what little time he had left. To be there for her, even now. Even if late. But knowing what to do and being able to do it were two very different things.
Honestly he felt like.. How might Merisa might be feeling when.. he last time suggested her to take step and go.. And now he’s in same situation.. Understanding just how hard it is.
Razeal saw all of that in his face.
He somehow recognized the look. The helpless conflict that came when regret outlived opportunity. He was about to speak again, to say something.. That might give Yograj the push he needed.
But he never got the chance.
FLURRRRKKRRJJJRRR
The sound tore through the Ark like a violent rupture in reality itself.
Not an explosion or any impact.
Something worse.
The Azure Lightning Ark.. moving at terrifying speed just moments ago stopped.
Not slowed.
But
totally.. Stopped.
One instant, the world outside was a blur of blue light and torn flesh as the ship carved through the ocean like a blade.
The next
Absolute stillness.
No inertia slammed them forward. No bodies were thrown. No alarms screamed. It was as if motion itself had been removed from existence.
Razeal’s body locked in place mid-breath.
Sofia’s fingers froze half-curled, her mouth slightly open as if she had been about to speak.
Maria felt the pressure first.. not physical, but absolute. Like the world had wrapped invisible hands around her limbs and decided she would not move.
Aurora’s eyes widened.
Levy tried to shift, to stand, to do anything
Nothing.
Not a single muscle responded.
The Ark hung there, suspended in the water, unmoving, unyielding, as if reality itself had been pinned in place.
No one could even fall.
No one could even breathe deeper.
Confusion sparked instantly, sharp and instinctive since no one could move no matter how much they tried.. Everyone inside ship froze in there place without.. exception.
Razeal was already grimacing.
He strained.. not with brute force, but with force and will, with everything he got.
Nothing.
No response.
No resistance.
It was as if his body had been removed from the equation entirely.
But Razeal was very fast to understand what had happened there… Obviously recognizing the ability at once.
Telekinesis.. He spoke through gritted teeth, already knowing who it belonged to. To fully control even him to such a level that he was utterly unable to do anything at all…
And he wasn’t alone… to recognise
“Why is she here again…?” Yograj muttered, his expression sad and depressed. “Didn’t she let me go? Why is she here again…?” he genuinely questioned.
“What happened?” Sofia suddenly asked, a deep frown forming on her face. She couldn’t even sense what had just occurred. Even her own body was frozen midair something she had never imagined possible. She was genuinely shocked.
“I… I don’t know,” Maria said, equally confused. A very serious look filled her eyes as she realized that even Razeal was unable to move..
which was a very serious thing to happen.
Aurora and Levy also remained frozen exactly as they were… No matter how hard they strained, no matter how violently panic surged through their chests, their bodies refused to obey. Muscles did not respond. Breath felt shallow, regulated by something other than their own will. It was as if invisible chains had wrapped around their existence rather than their limbs.
Confusion struck first.
Then fear followed immediately after.
They didn’t understand what had happened none of them truly did.. but instinct screamed one undeniable truth into every mind aboard the Ark.
This wasn’t an accident or any malfunction.
They had been attacked.
And not by something that merely outmatched them, but by something so overwhelmingly superior that resistance itself had been erased as an option. Whatever presence now held them suspended did not contest their strength.. it simply ignored it.
The Ark, a Saint-rank treasure capable of smashing through monsters and weathering catastrophic force, hung helplessly in the water like a toy held in a child’s palm. The ocean around it had gone unnaturally still, not frozen, but subdued, as though it was holding its breath.
And before the confusion could deepen into chaos, before anyone could even attempt to guess what kind of monster it might be.
The water ahead of the ship parted in silence.
No explosion, no disturbance, no dramatic surge of waves.
She emerged as if the ocean had simply made space for her.
A woman with deep purple hair floated before the Ark, her body upright, perfectly composed, suspended in the water without effort or movement. Her hair drifted slowly around her like living silk. Her presence bent perception itself.. distance felt distorted, scale uncertain, as though she were both right there and impossibly far away at the same time.
She hovered directly before the front mirror of the ship.
Looking inside.
Looking at them.
Her gaze steady and Unblinking.
Sofia recognized the moment she saw her.
“She… Isnt she’s your m-mother?” Sofia confusedly asked her eyes fixed on the woman beyond the glass.. Her body still unable to move.
Razeal though didn’t answer.
He couldn’t.
Not because he didn’t want to, but because the fury clawing through his chest had momentarily robbed him of breath.
I can’t even move? Even after all the strength i gained?
The realization burned hotter than humiliation. He pushed again, harder this time.. trying to activate Flow, trying to bend space, trying to tear through the invisible restraint by force, by will and almost everything.
Nothing.
It was as though space itself had been sealed shut around him. Not compressed or resisted.
Simply locked.
Even Flow.. his most complicated technique.. was useless. There was no “here” to move from, no “there” to move to. The concept of motion had been denied to him entirely.. As if he was much locked in position.
Razeal’s jaw tightened, teeth grinding as anger surged sharp and immediate.
Damn it…
He lifted his eyes slowly, deliberately, meeting the gaze of the woman floating outside.
Merisa Virelan.
She stared back at him calmly, her deep violet eyes unreadable reflecting no emotion he could easily name. Purple energy swirled faintly around her, not flaring, not radiating aggressively, but existing like an atmosphere.. dense, omnipresent and impossible to ignore.
Her arms were crossed loosely over her chest.
Relaxed.
As if this entire situation required no effort from her at all.
“What does she want now?” Razeal thought bitterly, his expression hardening as he locked eyes with her. There was no fear on his face.. only cold resentment, layered over something far more complicated..
She watched him for several long seconds without speaking.
The silence stretched.
Pressed.
Then her lips parted.
“Did you really think,” she said at last, her voice calm and measured, yet echoing everywhere at once, resonating through water, metal, and bone alike, “that I wouldn’t come to see you?”
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