The moment it fell into the water, the white horse was no longer a horse.
That beautiful coat began to shed, as if an entire layer had been peeled off, revealing the gray-green, slimy skin beneath, resembling countless snakes tangled together.
Its body began to expand, growing larger and larger, as numerous slender, tentacle-like things extended from its body, swaying in the water.
Marina's eyes widened, her brain ceased to think.
In front of her, the horse's head suddenly turned 180 degrees, facing her directly.
Though the face still retained some equine features, it was more ghastly, more terrifying, with a gaping mouth revealing two rows of sharp teeth, eagerly eyeing its prey.
A bubble of air surged in Marina's mouth with a "glug," as if her lungs were about to explode, she struggled desperately, but the tentacles wrapped around her arms and legs, around her waist, tightening constantly, dragging her toward the bottom of the lake.
The light from the surface grew more distant and dim.
Marina sank relentlessly, looking up, the rotten seaweed closed in from all sides, covering her eyes filled with despair.
The Grindylows in the lake gathered excitedly, hoping the Kael Faction might leave some scraps for them.
The dark tentacles swayed, dragging the prey closer, and the mouth on the horse's face opened wide, seemingly intending to bite her head off in one go.
Suddenly, it froze, looking upwards, a hint of fear appearing in its blue eyes.
A beam of light shot down from above.
The light was as blazing as the sun, dazzlingly bright, descending rapidly from above, illuminating the murky lake water as bright as day!
The Grindylows all screamed in unison, scattering in all directions immediately.
The Kael Faction let out a shrill scream, its body thrashing violently, tentacles frantically slapping the surrounding water.
The white light fell upon it like flames, charring its skin black, covering it with large blisters, indescribable burning pain even made it once again experience the agony of death.
It released its prey, all tentacles retracted suddenly, and its body darted downward, hiding in the sunken ship at the bottom of the lake, curling up into a small ball.
Marina, on the verge of losing consciousness, realized her limbs were free again, and without a second thought, she fumbled for her magic wand, but couldn't grab it.
During her struggle, the magic wand had already slipped into the Black Lake.
She instinctively kicked upwards, using her arms and legs to swim towards the light with all her might.
Right above the light, a dark figure seemed to be floating, looking down at her, its robe fanning out in the water, buoyed upward, then falling back down.
As if it were breathing.
Suddenly, her ankle tightened.
Marina looked down and saw a black tentacle extending from the deep water, stealthily wrapping around her ankle, pulling her down with irresistible force.
She kicked her legs fiercely twice, but all her strength seemed depleted, even she could feel how feeble her struggle was.
Marina lifted her head, looking upwards.
On the rippling surface, the light had already disappeared, but the silhouette remained, magic wand pointing down, the tip seemingly gathering light again.
She reached out with effort, her lips moving slightly.
—Help me!
She lost consciousness.
"Bang---!!!"
The second beam of white light descended, causing the Kael Faction to instantly release its prey, its entire body retreating, not a single bit of skin or a strand of seaweed exposed.
A bubble encased Marina, gently buoying her body upward.
Vid floated in the water, looking down.
The second spell was actually just the Lumos Spell, which didn't have a strong lethal effect on the Dark Creatures.
The light illuminated the lake bottom, within the shadows of the sunken ship, a beautiful girl looking about only ten years old hid in the crevice, cautiously peering out.
That face was stunningly beautiful, her body seemingly boneless, exceedingly supple, her blue eyes clearer than the lake water.
She extended a pale arm, surrounded by numerous ribbon-like seaweed, gazing at the silhouette above the lake with fear and longing.
Just from this scene, who could believe its true form was so hideous and terrifying?
Vid smiled slightly and left the Black Lake.