The Author's Viewpoint

The journey from Deadbay City to Vensalor Island was supposed to be relatively safe. At least by this world's standards. The greatest threats on the open water were typically surface-dwelling sea monsters, dangerous perhaps, but rarely above tier-3 or tier-4. Nothing a prepared crew couldn't handle.

That's why what had happened during Vanya's earlier voyage to Deadbay had unsettled him. There had been no clear reason why anything above a tier-4 creature should've appeared in these waters. And yet, something had gone wrong.

And now, that same fear had materialized. Right before his eyes.

In the distance, half-shrouded by storm and mist, a titanic figure had risen from the sea. Its outline was distorted by the storm, its full shape masked by the chaos swirling around it—but its sheer size was undeniable. The creature towered over the ocean like a living nightmare, waves thrashing violently around its form.

Tave couldn't make out the details yet. But he didn't need to.

A monster of that size… it had to be at least tier-7.

Which meant it was on the same level as Gaia Archons like Elincia. Or worse… tier-8. Skarathor-level.

Then came the roar.

A guttural, thunderous sound that echoed through the storm like the sky itself had split open. It wasn't just a sound, it was pressure. A shattering pulse of dread that gripped the ocean, the ship, and everyone aboard.

Around them, the waters boiled.

The forest elves moved swiftly, channeling spells and reinforcing the shimmering barrier around the ship. Their coordination was sharp, but Tave could see it in their faces, they were just barely holding it together.

The sea threatened to tear the vessel apart at any second. The shield trembled with every surge, the hull creaked under the force.

It felt like everything was just one moment away from total collapse.

And all of it was because that thing had appeared.

"Vellion," Tave said, "tell me, is this the same monster that attacked you during the voyage to Deadbay City?"

Vellion shook his head grimly. "No, Tave. That one was different. Lady Elincia defeated it. This… this is something else entirely."

Tave's eyes narrowed. "So, two monsters, both potentially tier-8, have appeared within months of each other?"

Vellion turned toward him, his gaze questioning. "Are you certain this is tier-8? Have you seen its full form?"

Tave squinted toward the horizon, where the storm's fury distorted everything… but then, the creature began to move.

A massive shape breached the waves, just for a moment. The upper body of the monster broke through the storm-cloaked sea, and for the first time, Tave could make out a portion of its structure.

Something like… a colossal seahorse. Its scaled neck arched above the waves, its body shimmering with unnatural energy before it slipped back beneath the surface.

And then the ocean shifted.

The water beneath them suddenly dropped, forming a violent vortex as the monster dove. A massive whirlpool spread outward from the epicenter, sucking everything toward its heart. The ship groaned again as it was dragged into the pull, spinning and accelerating toward the center of the spiraling current.

"We're going to sink," Elowen gasped. "Vellion. What do we do?"

But before he could respond, Vanya appeared at their side.

Both Vellion and Elowen instinctively looked to her.

"We hold," Vanya said firmly. "We keep this ship intact for as long as possible. Focus your energy on stabilizing against the waves. And prepare yourselves, if the lesser monsters attack, we defend."

Vanya sprinted to the center of the deck, her cloak whipping violently behind her as she raised both arms toward the sky. A pulse of green light surged from her palms, washing into the protective barrier around the ship. The shield shimmered as the magic mixed into it.

And just in time.

The next wave slammed into the ship with terrifying force, tilting the entire deck. The hull groaned under the pressure, but the barrier held. Barely.

Around Tave, the chaos was overwhelming.

"Hold the mast. Tighten that rope, now!"

"Reinforce the stern. Don't let the water breach the lower deck!"

"Focus your magic! Don't waste energy!"

"Get below deck if you're not stabilizing. Move, now!"

Forest elves shouted from all directions, scrambling across the deck with practiced urgency. Vellion dashed toward the stern, his voice commanding and sharp as he coordinated the rear line. Elowen moved swiftly toward the bow, helping a group of elves brace a weakened section of the railing.

Below, Lily remained sheltered in the inner cabin. For now, she was safe.

Tave stood frozen near the railing, hands white-knuckled as he clung to the ship. There was nothing he could do at this moment. His power meant little when nature itself turned monstrous.

He could only brace himself… and hope.

Hope that the creature in the water didn't strike.

Because if it did, if it chose to attack directly, this ship would splinter apart in an instant. One hit was all it would take to send everyone flying into the abyss of the sea.

He looked around, scanning every face he could see. Most of them were fighters. Survivors. They could swim, escape, maybe regroup.

But only if they weren't scattered too far.

His gaze tightened.

If it came to that, he had to make sure at least two people stayed close to him.

Lily, because she wouldn't last long in the open sea alone. And Vanya, though she was powerful enough to protect herself, she still mattered more than anyone else on this ship. Even more than him.

And so Tave braced himself, silently preparing for the worst… as the storm deepened around them.

Then it happened.

The moment that dread turned into reality.

From the heart of the swirling ocean, a monstrous shape surged upward. Its immense body split the sea as it rose. Water poured from its scales in torrential sheets, and its head alone, towering and long-necked, sent waves crashing violently in every direction.

It was a tier-7 monster, without a doubt.

But its power… it pulsed with an unnatural density, the kind only found in Epic-grade beings. This thing should never have been near human waters. It didn't belong here.

Something, or someone, had brought it here.

The deck exploded in noise as forest elves broke into shouts, panic threading through their voices:

"It's rising again! Back! Get back!"

"Shields, strengthen the shields now!"

"We can't hold it if it attacks directly!"

"That's no surface beast. It's from the deep trenches!"

"It's going to swallow the ship whole!"

The shield trembled as another wave slammed into it, water crashing over the sides, sweeping across the deck. The air was thick with magic and salt, terror and command.

Tave stared, frozen, at the leviathan-like figure before them.

In that moment, Tave felt his entire body lock into place. His fingers trembled, his breath short and sharp in his chest. This wasn't just fear, it was the cold, suffocating grip of mortality staring him in the face.

That thing out there… it was death.

He didn't know if they could survive being struck directly, if the ship could withstand the impact of being crushed or dragged beneath the ocean by a creature of that magnitude. He ran through a dozen scenarios in his head, trying to calculate the chances, trying to imagine any course of action that could save them all if the monster chose to attack.

His gaze darted to the center of the deck.

Vanya stood firm, her arms raised, channeling magic into the protective shield that now flickered with growing strain. She was giving it everything, trying to hold the barrier together as the storm and the creature pressed down on them from all sides.

And then the ship lurched again.

The sea exploded in bursts around them as other creatures emerged. Dozens of them. Fish-like monsters with glistening scales and daggered fins surged out of the waters, slamming into the outer barrier. Smaller, but still deadly.

Tave's eyes widened. "They're attacking…"

All around him, forest elves sprang into motion.

"Watch the west flank. Two more rising!"

"Don't let them get onboard!"

Arrows and spells lit the air. Explosions and bursts of flame rocked the edges of the shield as creatures collided with it again and again, clawing and biting.

But even now, none of that mattered. Because the massive creature hadn't attacked yet.

Tave knew what that meant. Knew what it could mean.

If it hadn't struck, then perhaps… perhaps they weren't the target.

Because a monster like that didn't waste energy on surface ships unless provoked. No, this was something else. Something had driven it upward. Something bigger had pushed it from its depths.

And whatever that force was…

It was worse.

Above them, the sky was black as pitch, storm clouds swirling like a vortex. Lightning forked wildly, illuminating the creature's shadow again and again in flashes.

And then, in the midst of chaos, just when it felt like the tension could snap the world itself. Something changed.

Suddenly, very suddenly, the sky lit up.

A massive magic circle burst into existence high above them, its golden-yellow glow searing through the black storm like the sun breaking through night.

The circle was enormous. It hovered above them like a luminous canopy, casting radiant light down over the ship.

Tave's head snapped upward, his eyes widening at the sight. Around him, the forest elves stilled, caught between awe and disbelief.

And then the cry came.

"Aid is here!"

"The shield of the kingdom!"

Tave's heart pounded. The Imperial Knight of Vensalor? They had arrived!

But, which one?