Leo woke to the noise of pirates shouting outside his tent. With the two crews camped on the same island, the place had turned into a crowded mess of voices, boots, and clanging gear. He sat up slowly, every muscle aching as if he'd been trampled by horses. His hands were paler than usual, and a deep cough racked his chest.
When he tried to stand, the canvas flap rustled and Briva stepped inside, ducking past the curtain.
"Whoa," she said, eyeing him up and down. "You look like death warmed over."
"Do you want something?" Leo rasped. His voice came out raw as he pulled his shirt over his shoulders.
"Arthur's talking to that Red Rose captain." She scratched at the side of her jaw. "He wants you there."
"I'll be there right away."
Briva turned to go but hesitated at the threshold. "Are you sure you don't need help? You look really sick."
Leo managed to straighten, though the effort made fresh pain shoot down his spine. "No…" Another cough tore out of him, harsher than before. "…I'm fine."
She lifted an eyebrow. "If you say so." She slipped out, letting the curtain fall closed behind her.
After putting on his shirt, Leo stepped out into the sharp morning air. The camp was already alive with motion—pirates hauling crates, checking weapons, or shouting instructions. He scanned the bustle until he spotted Arthur in the distance, standing beside the Red Rose's captain.
He started walking toward them but hadn't made it more than a dozen paces when a calm voice called out behind him.
"What happened to you? You look like a different person."
Leo turned, blinking against the glare off the sea. The speaker was the elven man he'd noticed last night, wearing a worn red cloak over his leather jerkin. The man studied him with the steady, assessing gaze of someone who'd survived a lot of trouble.
For a heartbeat, Leo tried to remember whether he'd caught this one's name last night or not.
The elf seemed to read his mind and gave a faint, wry smile. "I'm Yevlan. Second in command of the Red Rose."
"Nice to meet you," Leo said, schooling his expression. "I'm Victor."
"Well, Victor," Yevlan replied, crossing his arms loosely, "you look sick enough to be dying on your feet. Want a hand?"
Leo considered it. His whole body still thrummed with exhaustion, his bones hollow as brittle glass. "It depends. Do you know anything about domains?"
Yevlan's brows rose a little. "I'm A-rank. I know a thing or two."
Leo swallowed a cough. "Then tell me—how long does it take your domain to regain its power?"
"That depends." Yevlan tilted his head, thoughtful. "If you've only drained it dry, maybe a week or so, of course it depend on your domain. But if you've damaged the core itself…" He lifted one shoulder. "Only the gods can say."
"I see." Leo looked back toward Arthur.
Yevlan studied his face a moment longer. "You headed to the captains' meeting?"
"Yes."
"Good." A small smile flickered over the elf's mouth. "I was on my way as well."
"Then let's go."
They fell into step together, the crunch of sand underfoot and the tang of salt spray drifting between them as they crossed the camp toward the captains and Laid, who was waiting beside a low table.
"You're finally here," Arthur said as Leo and Yevlan approached. His eyes flicked over Leo—and then widened. "What the hell happened to you?"
Leo lifted a hand in a vague gesture, fighting to keep his voice steady. "Nothing. Just…a domain thing. I'll be fine in a few days."
"I hope so," Selina interjected, her expression cool but faintly concerned. "Because we need everyone. Especially anyone B-rank and above."
Arthur let out a huff and crossed his arms. "All right. We're all here. Tell us about this method of yours that can supposedly drag the monster out." His voice was edged with impatience.
Selina turned partway toward her ship and lifted an arm, pointing to the massive cannon-like device mounted along the starboard side. Its brass casing gleamed dully in the morning light, and intricate runes were etched along the barrel.
"Do you see that device?" A slow, confident smile curved her mouth. "It's the latest invention from our science division."
"You have a science team?" Liam asked, incredulous. "Why?"
Selina looked at him as if he were particularly slow. "Because we need to be prepared for anything. That is precisely why the Red Rose is the most powerful fleet among the pirates."
Arthur scowled but didn't argue. "Fine. And what does it do?"
"It does many things," she said, savoring the moment. "But the function we care about right now is its ability to boil seawater."
There was a beat of stunned silence. Arthur, Leo, and Laid all turned to stare at her as if she'd announced she planned to set the sky on fire.
"You…want to boil the ocean?" Leo asked carefully.
"Exactly." Selina's eyes gleamed. "That thing down there is drawn to heat and vibration. If we superheat the water across a wide radius, it will have no choice but to surface."
Arthur pressed a hand to his temple. "You are actually insane."
She ignored him and glanced at Yevlan. "Are the crystals ready?"
He nodded and gestured to a spot down by the tide line. "All three are there."
Everyone turned to look. Near the water, three massive mana crystals the size of barrels rested in wooden cradles. They pulsed faintly with a pale blue light.
"We'll need to charge them fully over the next few days," Selina said briskly, her eyes sweeping the group. "Once they're ready, we can start the attack."
Her gaze landed on Leo, taking in the pallor of his skin, the sweat still clinging to his collar. "You, however, should go off duty for now. You look like you could keel over at any moment."
Leo frowned, then gave her a thin smile. "Thank you…I think."
Arthur sighed heavily, as if resigned to the entire absurd plan. "Let's get to work."
"Wait a minute," Leo said, lifting a hand. "If we boil the water—no matter how unbelievable that sounds—wouldn't it damage our ships too?"
Selina's expression didn't waver. "No. The device also generates a barrier to protect the hull from the heat."
Arthur's brow furrowed. "And what about my ship?"
"We've prepared a smaller shielding device you can mount on your deck," she replied evenly. "It will create the same protective field."
Arthur exhaled and nodded, though he still looked dubious.
"Good," he said at last. "Then let's move on to what we've actually learned about this beast so far."
"Wait a minute, I have one more question," Leo said, lifting his hand. All heads turned toward him.
"This creature can dive to the depths of the sea," he continued. "That means it could be ten thousand meters down. No matter how much mana you pump into that device of yours, it's impossible for heat alone to reach that deep effectively."
Selina crossed her arms. "Do you have a better idea, then?"
"As a matter of fact, I do. We can use sound to achieve this."
The others just stared at him in silence, clearly trying to decide whether he was serious.
"Why don't you talk to my science team about that," Selina said after a moment, her voice cautiously curious.
Leo nodded. "Where can I find them?"
"I'll show you after the meeting," Yevlan offered.
"Okay," Leo said simply.
All eyes turned back to Arthur, who let out a small sigh.
"Where were we? Oh, yes—the creature," Arthur said, gathering his thoughts.
He began explaining what he'd learned in the elven village about Osara. While much of it only confirmed what they already suspected from fighting the beast, there were a few details no one had heard before.
Osara was at least four hundred years old, possibly older. The oldest records were vague—some were little more than half-legible fragments of journals retrieved from wrecked ships or the ones from the elven village—but they all agreed on one point, the creature had never stopped growing. Its size and power increased year by year, and if left unchecked, there was no telling how large it might eventually become.
Its regenerative abilities were especially alarming. Even massive wounds that should have killed any ordinary monster—severed limbs, impalement through the core—would simply vanish as the flesh knit itself back together in moments. Worse still, if you cut off a piece of it and left it alone, that piece could sometimes continue living on its own, eventually growing into another independent mass of tentacles and fangs.
Its blood was a hazard all by itself. When spilled, it could congeal into thousands of insect-like things, creatures the size of a man's hand that skittered across any surface in search of living prey. They had apparently fought these things in the past, and according to the documents, their bites could paralyze in seconds.
There were other dangers, a toxic vapor it could exhale that dissolved skin and muscle almost instantly, and a kind of shrieking roar that sent out a concussive shockwave strong enough to smash the hull of a ship or destroy a human's insides.
Most disturbing of all, though, were the stories about its eyes. The records described them only vaguely—luminous, lidless, set into something deep within the creature's central mass. Anyone who met that gaze risked having their mind seized outright. The old texts said such victims would go silent, their eyes turning glassy, obeying the beast without question until they died.
"That means," Arthur continued gravely, "it must have a true body hidden somewhere—something with those eyes. The rest of it might be little more than flesh it grew around itself, like armor or camouflage. If we can find that part, we might be able to kill it."
He let out a breath.
"Beyond that," he added, "we don't know much else. It's been impossible for anyone to study it up close and live to tell the tale."
A tense quiet settled over the group as they absorbed just how dangerous their enemy truly was.
"I can bring the main body out," Selina said calmly.
Arthur nodded, as if he already suspected her plan. "Then we need to think carefully about the abilities we know and how to counter them. For example, once it's on the surface, what do we do about its eyes?"
"We can blind it," Laid offered.
"Yes, but what if it uses that gaze before we can strike?" Yevlan countered. "It's a massive creature, and it will protect its eyes with everything it has."
"Usually, abilities like that are a kind of illusion," Leo said. "There are enchantments we can prepare to resist it. And if needed, I can project my own illusion over everyone to break its influence."
"That's one thing we can do," Arthur agreed. "But for caution's sake, let's think of more contingencies."
Everyone nodded gravely.
"What about its poison?" Laid asked next.
"Anyone above B-rank can shield themselves," Selina said. "The rest will stay aboard the ships behind the barrier. That device's shield should hold, unless the creature focuses everything it has on a single point."
Arthur folded his arms. "Good enough for now. We'll need every advantage if we're going to face this thing in open water."
He took a long look around the circle. Their expressions were tense but resolute.
"Alright. For now, let's each do everything we can to prepare. Reinforce your weapons, and rest while you can."
His gaze shifted to Leo. "And you—you need to rest."
Leo offered a tired nod. "Understood."
"Yevlan, take him to the science team," Selina said. "Show him anything he wants to see."
"Come on," Yevlan beckoned, and Leo fell into step beside him as they walked away across the sand, leaving the others to their preparations.
Leo followed Yevlan along the shore's sand until they reached a group of people gathered around a large canvas tent. Tools, crates, and bundles of strange equipment were scattered in orderly piles.
Near the entrance stood a woman and a man who looked so similar they might have been reflections of each other. Both had rich, dark brown skin with warm golden undertones that caught the morning light. Their hair was black and tied back neatly, and their faces were composed—unremarkable except for the sharp focus in their eyes.
Yevlan gestured to them with a hint of respect.
"Victor, meet Raymond and Rohesia Spears—our twin scientists."
The twins looked up in perfect unison. Rohesia gave a polite nod. Raymond raised a hand in greeting.
"Welcome," Rohesia said. Her voice was calm but curious, her gaze studying Leo.
Raymond tilted his head, assessing Leo's pale face and the strain in his posture. "You look like you've been in a fight with something worse than any sea monster."
Leo managed a faint smile. "Yea, Something like that."
Yevlan clapped Leo lightly on the shoulder.
"I'll leave you to it, then," he said. "They'll listen. Just try not to collapse while you talk."
Without waiting for Leo's protest, he turned and strode back toward the beach, leaving Leo facing the twins alone.