Eclipse of the immortal

Keon sat inside his spacious cell, leaning against the cold iron bars with an air of complete relaxation.

It had been two days since he was thrown in here, and surprisingly—

He wasn't in a rush to leave.

Why?

Because he was getting free food.

Sure, the portions were basic—mostly dried meat, bread, and water—but after everything he had been through, this was the best deal he had gotten so far. No running. No hiding. No fighting for survival. Just… sitting back and letting the pirates—or whatever they were—feed him like a caged stray.

Honestly?

He wasn't complaining.

The Fear Factor

The four men who shared his cell?

They were avoiding him.

Ever since the fight, they had kept their distance, sneaking wary glances at Keon but never daring to approach him again. Even when he casually stretched or moved, they flinched as if expecting some inhuman trick.

Keon found it amusing.

"I barely even fought them, and now they act like I'm some ghost haunting the place."

Still, it was useful.

No one dared to bother him, and he got to enjoy his "luxury stay" without unnecessary drama.

But… there was one problem.

Keon was bored out of his mind.

Mana Communication Attempts

Since he had nothing better to do, Keon had spent the last two days trying to communicate with the other prisoners using mana language.

The men in his cell?

Barely met the minimum requirements for mana communication.

When Keon tried, the system told him their mystic stats were too low for proper interaction.

He could connect, but the messages were fuzzy and incomplete—like a bad internet signal.

And the women in the other cell?

Straight-up rejected his mana.

Every time he attempted, they shut him out instantly.

Especially the red-haired woman—who seemed to be their leader.

It was like they could sense his presence and were actively blocking him.

That only made Keon more curious.

"They know what mana communication is… but why won't they let me in?"

His other option?

The guards who came by occasionally to drop off food.

But they weren't much help either.

They barely spoke to the prisoners and ignored Keon's attempts at communication, treating him like any other captive.

Still—

Keon wasn't in a rush.

For now, he was content with resting, eating, and observing.

But something told him…

This "peaceful" time wouldn't last much longer.

Day Three: System Observation

By the third day, Keon had discovered a new trick—analyzing people using his system.

With a simple thought, he could pull up their names, stats, and abilities.

The guards who brought food?

Most had average stats but carried high-rank weapons.

Their abilities were mainly reinforcement-type Espria, making them physically stronger.

The men in his cell?

All had low stats, except for one who had decent strength.

Their abilities were a mix of basic elemental Espria—fire, wind, and one guy with weak telekinesis.

The women in the other cell?

Way stronger than the men.

The red-haired leader had the highest stats and an Espria related to swords and energy projection.

But there was one thing different.

Unlike Keon, who had Mystic Affinity, everyone else had Mana Affinity instead.

"So I really am different, huh?" Keon mused.

It wasn't too surprising—he already knew he had an unusual system—but seeing it confirmed in hard stats made it feel real.

"Maybe Mystic Affinity is a special version of Mana Affinity?"

He didn't get time to ponder further.

Because suddenly—

A Sudden Impact

BOOM!

The entire ship SHOOK violently, like it had slammed into a rock!

Keon lost his balance and fell to the ground, grunting in surprise.

So did the other prisoners.

But before anyone could even process what happened—

BOOM!

Another impact.

But this time, Keon heard it.

A roar.

No—TWO.

No—THREE.

Giant, deafening roars echoed from outside, shaking the very air itself.

Then came the screaming.

Panic erupted above deck.

Keon could hear the crew shouting frantically in their strange language—their words turning into the same grebbish sounds he had gotten used to.

Even the prisoners around him looked frantic, muttering in fear.

"What the hell is happening up there?!"

Something big had attacked the ship.

And judging by the roars…

It wasn't human.

A Ship Under Siege

Keon steadied himself, forcing his breath to slow down as he tried to assess the situation.

"They're under attack? By what? Another sea monster?"

It didn't make sense.

The people on this ship clearly had strong abilities—they effortlessly killed that sea serpent last time.

"So why are they struggling now?"

BOOM!

Another violent impact sent waves of force through the ship, causing the entire vessel to tilt slightly to one side.

Keon stumbled, barely keeping his footing.

"I need to do something."

But before he could act—

The Women Make Their Move

The women in the other cell were already ahead of him.

The red-haired woman, their leader, stepped forward, raising her left arm, which suddenly glowed red-hot.

With a simple swipe of her hand, the metal bars of her cell melted like butter.

Ssss—CRACK!

She and her crew casually stepped out, stretching like they had been waiting for this moment.

Before heading for the exit, the red-haired woman turned towards Keon and—winked.

Then, without a word, she and her crew rushed up the stairs.

Keon stood there, bewildered.

"They had the power to escape this whole time… and just didn't?"

Did they not want to escape?

Or were they just enjoying the free food, like him?

Whatever the case, they were gone now.

Prisoners Looking for a Hero

Keon turned his attention to his cellmates—the four men.

They weren't moving.

Instead, they were staring at him.

Hopeful. Expectant.

Like they were waiting for him to do something.

"Oh, for fuck's sake."

What, did they think he could just melt the bars like the girls did?

He didn't want to be shown up.

Fine.

Keon Breaks Free

Keon quickly pulled up his system and added 10 SP to Strength.

(ChatGPT, check his remaining SP after this, considering past SP allocations.)

His muscles tensed, and his body felt lighter, stronger.

Gripping the metal bars tightly, he took a deep breath—

And pulled.

CREEEEAAAAK!

The bars groaned as they slowly bent outward.

He pushed further, bending them just enough to create a gap wide enough to step through.

Success!

Keon smirked, proud of himself.

But his celebration was cut short.

Because at that moment—

The Beast Strikes

CRASH!

The wall beside him EXPLODED.

A darkness engulfed him.

For a split second, Keon felt nothing.

Then—light again.

His vision returned, and he was outside the ship.

Or rather—halfway inside a massive mouth.

A gaping maw lined with jagged, razor-sharp teeth.

His brain barely processed it.

He turned his head slowly.

And stared.

Right into the massive, soulless black eyes of a TITANIC SHARK.

It had just taken a bite of him.

But instead of being crushed, Keon had simply phased through its teeth.

The prisoners still inside the ship screamed.

The guards above deck shouted in alarm.

Keon?

Keon did the only rational thing.

He screamed too.

"AAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHH!!!"