"I am Damian Angelis, one of the Dorst brotherhood of knights, and together with all the expedition members, we have successfully reached the vicinity of the Monster Continent. Although it was barely visible, during the day one could make out its shores, or so the nymphs told me; I did not see it myself. It is still approximately half a day's journey away. Currently, the ship is at anchor, and all members are resting and awaiting dawn to begin the mission with full strength. After landing, I will send a pigeon with a report, and then I will send one every two days. If the pigeons stop arriving, it will be a sign that all expedition members have been destroyed. It is an honor for me to participate in this expedition, and I will do my utmost to ensure its success."

The man standing alone on the ship's deck reread the contents of his letter, tied it to a pigeon, and released it.

For some time, he stood alone on the deck, with only the sea surrounding everything, breaking the silence.

Damian heard the sound of light footsteps and turned around. Next to him stood a person in light clothing, with short red hair and gray eyes. His faithful friend, Lin.

— Still not asleep, Damian? We have a very tough week ahead; you should rest.

Damian took one last look in the direction where their target should be. His long hair fluttered in the wind. Despite his young age, it was gray. And on his neck, a rune glowed faintly with a ghostly light.

— Of course, thank you for your concern. I think I will go to my cabin, and I advise you to do the same, Lin.

Lin smiled.

— Good night to you.

The awakening was harsh; the entire ship shook so violently that it felt like it had lifted into the air.

Damian jumped out of bed and grabbed his sword. He did not hesitate for a second and rushed straight to the deck.

As he ran, the rune on his neck glowed brighter, and its light intensified. Immediately afterward, several ghostly copies of himself separated from him, rushing upward along with him.

On the deck, there was utter chaos. People in armor were running everywhere, and the sea was raging as if the devil himself were in it.

Damian's copies rushed to the other ships, literally teleporting onto them.

Lin ran up to Damian. He was the only person not wearing armor, dressed in a light brown robe and leather sandals.

Lin's voice was surprisingly calm, as if nothing was happening. This gentle and calm voice soothed like nothing else.

— Damian! I'm glad you're here.

Damian asked without delay, controlling his four copies simultaneously, exploring all three giant ships, and watching the sea.

Damian's voice was clear and stern, demanding a short and immediate response.

— What happened? Who attacked?

Lin pointed to the raging sea.

— Leviathan. It struck the ship with such force that the aegis barely held. The next strike will destroy it!

Damian frowned. There was little time to think. If the aegis were destroyed, all the ships would be defenseless, and this expedition would end like most others—in complete failure and the death of all.

— We must act quickly. I need Nereus and Kerkyra.

Lin nodded and closed his eyes.

— Kerkyra is already preparing the cage. Nereus is ready to attack at any moment.

— There is no time to delay; let him attack now!

As soon as Lin closed his eyes again, the sound of a powerful strike on the water reached them. The lord of the seas had already attacked the monster.

— Order everyone with long-range magic to stand by the rails and prepare to attack if we cannot contain the creature. I leave further command to you.

— I will do everything I can.

Damian rushed to the railing and jumped down without hesitation. When his body reached the water, instead of hitting the surface, it slipped into the depths without encountering any resistance, not even a ripple.

The water inside was crystal clear, and the entire body of the creature was perfectly visible: a monstrous pliosaur, its body covered with hundreds of eyes.

Damian did not need much time to find Nereus; his location was always given away by strong vibrations and ripples.

Nereus was already preparing for another attack. Damian felt powerful vibrations resonating through his entire body.

Nereus used water for his attack, compressing it and directing the compressed mass at the enemy.

Damian did not possess such powerful abilities, but he could become incorporeal, like a ghost. In this way, he could enter the creature's body and kill it.

All of Damian's copies also rushed toward the leviathan, and Nereus attacked again.

Watching Nereus's attack was an awe-inspiring sight. The force of the strike was so immense that it stunned the leviathan, preventing it from counterattacking. But each such attack cost him a tremendous amount of mana; after this battle, Nereus would need a good rest.

After another attack by Nereus, a terrible rumble and strong vibrations, similar to an earthquake, spread through the water. However, Nereus was not the cause.

Stone pillars rose from the ocean floor, imprisoning the leviathan in a cage. The primary purpose of this cage was to protect the ships. If the leviathan struck the ship again, the protective array "Aegis" would be destroyed.

The creator of the cage was Kerkyra. Her ability allowed her to control rock formations. If she wanted, she could create an entire island, although it would take a very long time, an insane amount of mana, and numerous auxiliary enchantments.

Since Damian's body never encountered resistance from water, wind, or anything else, he swam at maximum speed, reaching the leviathan in the shortest time...and began the slaughter inside its body.

The leviathan was doomed, unable to escape or attack, and it quickly perished without offering any resistance.

And its killers continued their journey to a place where they would encounter even more horrifying creatures.