Jacobs gathered the squad, outlining their coordinated action, having just received several magical items to aid their endeavor:

  - A protective amulet capable of generating a temporary barrier, Rank 4 in power, activatable only once for thirty seconds. Even in unforeseen circumstances, it possessed the potential to withstand one or two direct attacks from the Dino Serpent.

  - Five Waterflow stones, each capable of reducing water resistance by over 80% for the user, facilitating easier movement underwater, with an effect duration of ten minutes.

  - Three E-balls, which, upon activation, would unleash a small bolt of lightning, typically used to imbue weapons or induce paralysis.

  - Eight Air Bubble stones, each creating a pocket of breathable air for fifteen minutes, with the added function of pulling the user towards the nearest air source when only thirty seconds of effect remained.

  - Two linked Signal Stones; when one was crushed according to a specific pattern, the other would shatter simultaneously. This served as a method for teams unable to communicate verbally to act in unison. Its sole weakness lay in its limited connection range.

  "Today, there will be some additions to the plan. Daniel will hold one Signal Stone; he will activate it when the Dino Serpent approaches the cave entrance. Lumos and I will engage the creature to hold it at bay until the vortex is activated and sweeps it away." Jacobs added a layer of insurance to their strategy.

  Henry was entrusted with the protective amulet, the E-balls, and two Air Bubble stones, while Daniel and Sophia each received two Air Bubble stones. He activated the Waterflow magical item, receiving a blessing buff from Sophia.

  The three tasked with the underwater operation used the Air Bubble stones, creating pockets of air for breathing and communication. With all preparations complete, the squad moved into action.

  "Be careful. After this mission, you'll have enough contribution points to advance to Rank 3. With that pay raise, you owe me a proper feast." Jacobs instructed with a touch of encouragement.

  "That day, I'll treat the entire squad to a feast, not just one meal. How else would it be worthy?" Henry replied with a confident smile.

  "Good. I'll starve myself in anticipation of your feast." Jacobs chuckled, clapping Henry on the shoulder.

  Sophia and Daniel plunged into the area near the underwater cave entrance they had previously identified. Henry, however, stood on the raft, moving towards the center of the lake before diving in. Reaching the designated depth, Henry drew his sword, unleashing his aether and battle intent to provoke the aquatic beast.

  Sensing the hostile intent, the Dino Serpent glided leisurely towards Henry; it didn't rush, but swam slowly, as if simply drifting with the current. The way it observed him made Henry uneasy, as if it were scrutinizing his previous action, assessing whether he truly posed a threat that warranted a fight.

  Unable to afford it any more time, Henry also swam slowly, as if letting himself drift with the current, gradually approaching it. The Dino Serpent merely watched in silence, seemingly having gauged Henry's strength and not truly considering him a threat, just a lost creature. When he was less than ten meters away from the aquatic beast, Henry took a deep breath and swiftly hurled an E-ball, activating it upon impact; immediately, he swam towards the cave entrance.

  The Dino Serpent, caught off guard by the attack, sustained no physical injury, but the electricity caused it immense discomfort. Henry's aggressive action had truly enraged it. It furiously lunged towards Henry, who was swimming desperately ahead, but the lingering effects of the electric shock significantly slowed its speed. Henry, however, was enhanced by the Waterflow, making him less hindered by the water's resistance; otherwise, he would have surely died immediately after that provocation.

  Despite this, Henry had only covered half the distance when the Dino Serpent nearly caught up. It extended its long neck, its mouth filled with sharp teeth gaping open, preparing to deliver the final blow to this troublesome aggressor.

  Through his Mystic Sense, Henry felt the imminent danger. When the colossal maw was only about ten feet away, he hurled another E-ball and activated it. The Dino Serpent was shocked again, this time with the electricity hitting its mouth directly, making its fury even more terrifying.

  It paused briefly for the paralyzing sensation of the electricity to subside, then propelled itself with incredible speed towards Henry, the pressure of death drawing terrifyingly close. He also sensed the distance he had just created between himself and the aquatic beast rapidly shrinking, but he had already swum quite far, only thirty meters from the cave entrance.

  Though unwilling, he had no choice but to use the protective amulet to create a barrier. A shimmering, glass-like shield enveloped him, blocking the aquatic beast's powerful bite. Henry seized the opportunity to continue swimming; only twenty meters to the cave entrance, seventeen meters from the designated point – since the vortex would pull in objects about three meters in front of it, Henry only needed to reach this position for the Serpent to fall into the trap, the Airbolt would propel him out, and the Serpent would be sucked away alone.

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  Within the thirty seconds of the shield's activation, Henry evaded two snapping attacks from the Serpent. He had reached the designated point; now he only needed to wait for the prey to fall into the trap. The final E-ball was ready. The Serpent, after two ineffective bites, saw Henry slowing down near a cave entrance. It paused, retracting its neck slightly as if gathering momentum; this action sent a shiver of unease down Henry's spine.

  "Aqua Breath!" The Serpent unleashed a high-pressure column of water. Without the protective amulet, Henry had only his own abilities to rely on, narrowly dodging this sudden attack. Then, three more water columns erupted. "Airbolt!" Three spheres of concussive force struck the three water columns. Though enhanced by Sophia's blessing, Daniel's Airbolt was only enough to divert the three water columns, not block them entirely, but it was just enough for Henry to evade them.

  Seeing that its enemy had reinforcements, the Dino Serpent shifted its target, continuously firing Aqua Breath attacks towards Daniel and Sophia, but seemingly without effect as Daniel deflected all of its assaults. Unleashing a barrage of attacks to no avail, the Serpent then straightened its head, its four fins contracted, and it began to spin rapidly around its body.

  Mystic Sense heightened Henry's awareness of the danger of this action, far exceeding anything they had experienced so far.

  "Careful, Serpent Spin! It's going to launch its entire body at us!" Sophia yelled, warning the other two.

  No sooner had she spoken than the aquatic beast hurtled towards all three of them with incredible speed. As its massive body hurtled forward, four columns of Aqua Breath still shot out ahead, targeting Henry's group.

  "Stone Shield!" Daniel conjured a large stone shield in front of their group and the Serpent. The stone shield blocked the Aqua Breath attacks and momentarily halted the aquatic beast, but not for long.

  The Dino Serpent only paused briefly upon colliding with the shield before breaking through. Now it loomed directly above Daniel and Sophia. At this distance, they would be unable to evade any of its attacks; each of its bites was lethal.

  "Thrusting Swords!" Henry's blade plunged straight into the Dino Serpent's neck, but only penetrated a short, shallow distance. There was simply too great a disparity in power; Henry couldn't inflict a fatal wound on the aquatic beast. Suddenly, it felt a familiar, unpleasant sensation from earlier today. That's right, the feeling of being electrocuted – an E-ball had been affixed to the sword.

  It turned out that the moment it had lunged like a giant mace towards them, Henry had realized it intended to attack Daniel and Sophia rather than him. Clearly, their threat was greater. In the instant it had paused after shattering the stone shield, Henry had reached it in time to deliver a thrust imbued with the paralyzing effect of electricity.

  "Daniel, Sophia, now!" Henry yelled.

  "Airbolt!" A concussive blast launched Henry away from the Dino Serpent, and he used this force to escape the vortex's pull.

  Daniel immediately activated the Signal Stone. Jacobs and Lumos joined the fray. Two heavy blows from a greatsword and a warhammer were enough to stun the monster. They immediately retreated after their strikes.

  "Whirlpool!" A Rank 4 spell, even when inscribed on a scroll, required at least a near-Rank 3 mage to activate it, which was why Sophia held this crucial role.

  The aquatic beast was still paralyzed from the E-ball and stunned from the heavy blows. It was slowly being sucked in – this vortex attack was fundamentally incapable of killing it, it was simply an immense pulling force dragging it straight into the underwater cavern, away from the lake.

  However, it still struggled, overcoming the E-ball's paralysis on its own. It twisted its body, attempting a Serpent Spin to break free. As it tried to pull itself out of the vortex, its long neck managed to escape. Lumos swung his warhammer, delivering another powerful blow. But no longer paralyzed, the quicker monster whipped its head, sending Lumos flying a considerable distance.

  Jacobs engaged, delivering a powerful slash to its head. It inflicted a significant wound but not enough to be fatal. It retaliated with an Aqua Breath attack, knocking Jacobs away.

  Just as it felt like the monster was about to successfully resist the "Whirlpool" spell, Henry reappeared. With his weapon enhanced, Sophia's power-boosting blessing, and Daniel's Airbolt providing additional thrust, Henry lunged at it with a powerful stab, driving his sword through its chin and out its tongue. The pain prevented the Dino Serpent from focusing its strength to escape any further; its body was gradually being sucked into the vortex. In the final moment before being completely pulled away, its remaining hateful will focused entirely on Henry.

  "Aqua Pump!" A massive column of water erupted, far stronger than the previous Aqua Breath attacks. Henry was blasted straight into the lake wall; the water column even punched a huge hole, nearly crushing him under its immense pressure.

  "HENRYYYYYYY!" Sophia screamed.

  Thump Thump Thump! The water column ceased its relentless pressure. Earth and rock collapsed, blocking his escape route. Henry found himself in a different current, Mystic Sense once again showing him a stream of emerald light. Despite the agonizing pain wracking his body, Henry struggled to swim towards that emerald flow. This time, it was much closer; after all, he was fifty meters below the surface.

  It wasn't just curiosity; he felt as though Mystic Sense itself was compelling him to reach this water. He barely managed to touch it before exhaustion claimed him.

  A blinding light flared as Henry made contact with the stream. Suddenly, he experienced a bizarre sensation, a comfort unlike anything he had ever known. This was strange indeed, still feeling like being in water, yet vastly different from the water in Lake Loknezt or the underwater cavern. This water brought a feeling of warmth; every cell in his body relaxed, his entire being soothed, comforted, and incredibly at ease.

  This substance was both like and unlike water. Immersed within it, Henry felt no wetness, no sensation of drowning despite the Air Bubble stone's effect having long worn off. He had been blasted into this place by the Aqua Pump, yet he was the only thing within it. Earth, rock, and the water of Lake Loknezt couldn't enter; it was as if a thin membrane prevented anything else from touching this mystical flow.

  .

  Suddenly, everything went black.

  "Welcome to the Sanctuary Enclave."