The Legendary Mage (Alavin)

Alavin was whisked away from the ocean depths by Godfred, soaring high above to survey the churning seas below.

Eighteen statues of ancient kings shone with a blazing light, as luminous as the midday sun, illuminating the ocean floor ten thousand meters below. They radiated with terrifying energy fluctuations, stirring the vast waters. They were like eighteen awakened ancient deities, guarding the vast remnants of a fallen kingdom.

"How can we retrieve the Immortal Edge?" Alavin asked the Chained Spirit. Even with prior preparation, the sight before him was still astonishing.

"Once the Immortal Edge merges with the ancient kingdom, forget about taking it back unless you gain the Wings of Eternity, which will call back the Immortal Edge on its own."

"Wings of Eternity!" Alavin repeated to himself. The Chained Spirit had already shared with him the secrets of the millennium-old kingdom. The Wings of Eternity signified the Kings' Acceptance of the true treasure of the ancient realm.

"My Lord, what shall we do now?" Godfred had never seen such a shocking sight and could hardly fathom that it was his Lord who had unleashed it.

"Find enough mercenaries in the forest and spread the word, stir up the Northlands as quickly as possible."

"Eh? Are we not going treasure hunting?" Below lay the ruins of an ancient kingdom, surely filled with countless treasures. Others would have tried every means to claim them for themselves and, at the very least, gain some advantage first. They would not be thinking of spreading the word.

"This is not a treasure hoard. This is a killing field."

"A killing field? My Lord, what is your purpose?" Godfred shuddered at the thought.

"Ask no more, just do as I say."

With a clenched jaw, Godfred carried Alavin across the sea and returned to Watchful Shore.

"What deal did you strike with the Chained Spirit?" Mariela eyed Alavin's return with a bad feeling.

"We agreed to come and watch the sea." Alavin winked at Mariela and, without looking back, dashed into the forest.

"Where are you going?"

"To find a better spot to watch the sea, Mariela, come, join me."

For the first time, Mariela felt the urge to smack him.

Godfred gave a wry smile, for Alavin still found the time for jests even at such a time.

The ocean roiled, waves soared, and relentless tides crashed against the coastal cliffs, kicking up a sky full of spray and a deafening roar. The radiant glow from the statues brightened the ocean floor and also the tumultuous sea surface. The ancient and majestic energy oscillated between the heavens and the sea. The anomaly stirred the forest as bands of mercenaries emerged, gazing toward the boiling sea and witnessing the mysterious spectacle of lights and shadows deep below.

In the distant depths, many formidable sea beasts and Magi-Monsters were roused.

Hundreds of deep-sea thunder eels awoke from the abyss. The eels were five to six meters in length, robust and strong, and their bodies crackled with lightning, illuminating the dark chasm and sending countless Magi-Monsters fleeing. They gathered in swarms, left the abyss, and traversed the vast ocean toward the ancient Atlantis.

Three Sea-Gulping Whales, miles away, sensed the strange changes. They let out resounding roars, their hundred-meter-long bodies surging out of the water, creating monstrous waves. They broke free from the sea, soaring through the clouds of fog toward the ancient kingdom. Enshrouded in fog and dark clouds, with a torrential downpour, they roamed the ocean surface like ancient Magi-Monsters.

A shrill scream echoed across the sea, tearing through the air as a mermaid emerged from the deepest reaches, riding the waves and soaring upward. She screamed atop the sea, her voice sweeping across the heavens, summoning her slumbering kin. With a robust tail and a flawless upper body that quickened the pulse and dazzled the eye, her vacant pale eyes shimmered, gathering storm clouds within. Further away, a giant butterfly fluttered. Its wings were magnificent and enormous. With a gentle flap, it spanned a thousand meters of the ocean, conjuring endless hurricanes that ravaged the waters and whipped the clouds. Where it passed, all beasts bowed, and between heaven and earth, there was only the rain and the tides, as all sea creatures dove deep, daring not to show themselves.