As Dustin landed on the damaged deck, the golden glow from his sword gradually dimmed. Dark green blood floated on the rain-soaked sea, spreading slowly across the surface.
The typhoon had passed quietly in the distance. A break appeared in the storm clouds, letting through a ray of sunlight that fell across the battered Wavebreaker.
Grace steadied herself against the rolling gunwale, watching the sea settle back into calm. She exhaled in relief. That Dreadkraken had already reached ultimate grandmaster level. It was enormously large and had terrifying regenerative abilities.
Even the strongest grandmaster at that level wouldn’t stand a chance against it. They were lucky Dustin was there. Otherwise, the casualties would have been devastating.
The sea finally calmed down, and the storm gradually subsided. As Wavebreaker bobbed on the swells, the deck was littered with blood and splintered wood.
Soldiers sat slumped on the deck, gasping for air, with fear still etched on every face. “How’s it going? Are you alright?” Grace asked as she approached Dustin.
“Don’t worry. That sea creature was strong, but not enough to hurt me,” he said, shaking his head. “Still, it’s unusual to run into something like that so soon after entering the Eastern Sea.
“The sea is yast and full of mysteries,” Grace replied with a grim expression. ”
There are many areas that have never been explored, especially in the deep waters. Who knows what kinds of creatures lurk beneath? I’m worried this journey will be anything but easy.”
Though she had prepared mentally before they set out, she’d still underestimated how treacherous the Eastern Sea could be. After just three days, they’d already encountered a terrifying beast.
What lay ahead would probably be worse, but there was no turning back. They’d have to deal with whatever came next.
Sunlight broke through the clouds and shimmered on the water’s surface. The Wavebreaker slowly glided across the surface, sailing into the unknown.
Everyone on board was exhausted but determined. They knew challenges lay ahead, but they were ready. No matter what came, they wouldn’t give up.
On deck, soldiers cleaned up and repaired the ship while the military medics worked hard treating the wounded. Despite the tough conditions, everyone was giving their best effort.
Grace and Dustin stood at the bow, staring toward the horizon. Their expressions were heavy with conflicting emotions.
They had no idea where exactly Elysium Isle might be, or what they’d find when they got there. But they believed persistence would see them through to their goal.
A gentle breeze carried a sense of hope as the Wavebreaker sailed on across the endless sea, heading toward the legendary island. As dusk fell, Tristan’s ship, Stormrider, led the fleet through the churning waters of the Eastern Sea.
The copper lanterns on deck had just been lit when a lookout on the west screamed in terror, “There are many shadows lurking under the water.”
Before he finished speaking, the ship jolted violently. A terrible grinding sound rose from the bottom as if countless sharp teeth were gnawing at the wooden planks.
Tristan steadied himself on the carved railing and saw the sea suddenly boil with white foam.
Thousands of silvery-gray shapes churned through the waves. They were piranhas, nearly three feet long, with flat heads lined with rows of serrated teeth. Their dorsal fins sliced through the water like knives as they slammed into the hull.
“Abyssal Piranhas!” one man shouted, dropping to their knees, trembling. ” Ordinary piranhas are only about the size of a hand, but these… these have turned into monsters.”
The stern planks suddenly ripped open with a gaping hole. Dozens of piranhas surged onto the deck with the rushing water.
One soldier didn’t have time to draw his weapon. The piranhas latched onto his calf, twisting and tearing, stripping meat from bone in seconds. His screams cut off abruptly as blood and torn flesh splattered across the deck.
Another soldier swung his sword in a wide arc. His strike sliced through the attacking fish, but even the severed piranhas writhed and snapped their razor-sharp teeth on the deck.
Even more piranhas slipped through the hull’s cracks. Their iron-like scales deflected regular blades, leaving hardly a scratch.
On the other hand, the soldiers’ flesh was easily torn apart. As blood flowed through the deck’s cracks into the sea, it drew even more piranhas into a frenzy.
A huge wave suddenly rose from the sea, and then a giant piranha, nearly 30 feet long, broke through the water. Its body was pitch black, with bone spines jutting from its dorsal fin.
The fish’s head was the size of a barrel, with twin rows of fangs glowing with sickly blue venom. It was the Piranha King.
It opened its maw and bit clean through a ship’s rail. Several soldiers failed to dodge and were swallowed whole. The wet, crunching sounds echoed through the night air.
“Open fire!” one soldier shouted while swinging his sword. Gunfire and cannon blasts soon thundered, striking the water like heavy raindrops. Dead piranhas floated belly-up in spreading clouds of blood.
The smoke hadn’t even cleared when the Piranha King led an even larger swarm in a counterattack. It rammed straight into one of Tristan’s escort vessels, snapping the ship in half.
Water and fish poured through the breach. Soldiers fought in waist-deep water, but the swarm quickly overwhelmed them. Soon, only blood bubbles and bone fragments rose to the surface.
The soldiers from the other escort ships couldn’t help but shudder in fear as they watched.
