"I'm not going down there. Come out already." 

Breta's booming voice jolted me awake. I begrudgingly stood up from my comfortable position, a yawn escaping my mouth. Leisurely swimming out of the cave, my gaze was instantly drawn to the goddess haughtily glancing at me from above. 

"At least someone is energetic in the morning," I mumbled. Breta's face turned into a scowl as she rolled her eyes at me.

"Do you wish to remain here any longer?" 

"No, no, give me a second. I'm still not fully awake," I grumbled while lazily swimming towards her. 

"The faster we get this over with, the better." 

"Yes, yes." 

Scratching my head, I closed my eyes to communicate with the water mana in our surroundings, something that came to me as easily as breathing, especially considering our current location. Once the link has been established with the water mana, I proceeded to scan the area with its help. Ilith might have given me her word, but I only met her yesterday for the first time, so one could not be too careful. 

After a few seconds, I opened my eyes with a satisfied expression. The sea child seemed to have kept her promise, thankfully. I sensed no other presence lurking around us, which eased my mind. 

Nonetheless, I turned my gaze toward the now silent goddess and asked:

 

"Did you scan the perimeter?" 

"Hmph, who do you think I am?" She proudly harrumphed, to which I simply rolled my eyes. 

"Yes, yes. So I take it we are safe to go?" 

"Yes." 

"Good," A savage grin extended across my face as water mana began to swirl around me. "Remember, you punch a hole. I'll use all the water mana possible to stun the fucker, before trying to establish a link to the cosmos. Sounds simple enough?" 

Breta's face turned abnormally, serious as she nodded heavily. "Here I go." 

Saying that a white shining armor materialized around the goddess' body, in her hands, her familiar spear appeared as if from the void. Her body began to glow brightly, illuminating our entire surroundings. It was as if a miniature sun had descended underwater. I subconsciously frowned as I felt her entire power concentrating at the tip of her spear. 

A dangerous aura surrounded her, causing my scales to tingle. I watched with bated breath, ready to intervene at a moment's notice. Using my connection with the water mana, I pulled back the elements, making way for Breta's incoming spear strike. This way, the water elements would not make it harder to break the astral shield, which was our main target.

Breta's aura kept on climbing while she concentrated all of her mana towards her spear. The water elements began to get uneasy, yet I forcefully commanded them, making way for Breta, all the while keeping them from interfering. 

"It's coming," I mumbled, my muscles tensed up as I readied myself for what was to come. 

Breta suddenly moved at a speed, almost impossible to follow. Her arm striked true as the spear in her hand shone even brighter. The sound of glass shattering reverberated in our surroundings as a small dark hole suddenly opened in the middle of the ocean. Forced to exert all my control over the water mana, keeping it from getting sucked away, my eyes kept darting between Breta and the now small opening. 

Not even a second later, the dreadful aura of the shade monster appeared. "There you are," I didn't wait for it instead, I directed all of the water mana I had been holding back towards the opening. 

The pressure of the ocean descended on the monster, momentarily surprising him and forcing him to stop. 

That moment, however, was all I needed. My claw moved to grab the exhausted Breta, taking extra care not to hurt her. Meanwhile, the statue in my soul space steered as a strand of cosmic mana shot out from my body and moved beyond the now unstable entrance. 

The connection with the cosmos which I had lost for all this time, rekindled, causing a smile to subconsciously surface on my face. 

"Hold on," I whispered to Breta, who could barely hold herself together. 

Focusing on the image of the place I wished to go back to, cosmic mana steered. It didn't take long before the world around us lost its color, expanding and contracting. I felt myself getting dragged across the entrance, with Breta, thankfully still in my arms. It was for but a second, but I could clearly feel the presence of the Shade as we passed each other. 

I was sure he sensed me alas he was too preoccupied with the sudden attack of water mana. 

Before we left, however, I was able to feel the entrance to the astral plane collapsing behind, followed by the enraged scream of the Shade. The world swam before me as I felt myself standing above solid ground. 

I nervously gulped down and opened my eyes. The sudden sun rays greeted me, causing a small to make its way across my face. Unable to contain my excitement, a roar escaped my mouth. 

The scene of the giant lake before me, and the green forest behind me was one I didn't think I'd miss seeing soo much. 

A flock of birds scrambled at my roar, yet I did not care. I was finally out! I was finally back!

 "I told you I'll get us out of there!" I said as I turned to glance at the collapsed goddess by my side. 

"Hey, Breta! What's wrong with you?!" 

The goddess's face was abnormally pale, her hands clutching her side in pain. I carefully moved to see what happened, only to halt in shock. 

"H-How?!" 

A dark wound was on her side. 'When did this happen?! Was it when we passed by the Shade?! Did he manage to get her? But how?!' 

"T-Take me home, Aether..." Her voice was nothing but a whisper as she brought her hand closer to my claw. She was barely holding on, and I didn't know what to do, to help her. 

'I can't risk teleporting, not now. Who knows where we might land this time. Fuck!' I hastily carried the wounded goddess, all the while trying to be as gentle as possible. 

Her gaze was dazed as she kept staring at the sun with a distant look on her face. 

"Damn it, Breta! We are already here, don't die on me now!" I cursed as I shot towards the sky. 

"I'll get you there, hold on..."