The depths of the ocean were no place for hesitation, and Ethan knew it well. Following the encounter with the Abyssal Keepers and the ominous revelations from the Deep-Sea Scholar NPC, he had little time to waste. The dark truths of the Leviathan's origins—and the sealed war that once consumed the sea—now weighed heavily on him.
Returning to Dock 13 aboard the Stormbreaker, Ethan gathered his party in the newly renovated War Room—a chamber lined with maps, resources, and NPC advisors. Candles flickered against polished steel and inked parchment. The sea outside rolled quietly, an eerie calm before the storm.
Brandon placed the relic obtained from the Abyssal Keepers onto the center table. It pulsed with a deep blue glow. The Deep-Sea Scholar had called it the "Heart of the Drowned King," a fragment of an ancient ruler who once commanded the Leviathans. If reassembled with its twin fragment—rumored to be sealed within the Coral Tomb—the relic could permanently bind the Leviathan again.
Ethan exhaled. "We're not strong enough to face the Leviathan directly, not yet. We need to find that second relic."
Brandon nodded. "Then it's time we sail for the Coral Tomb. But we'll need supplies, allies, and enchantments before diving again."
[Quest Updated!]
Quest Name: Seal the Abyssal Leviathan
Stage: Part II - The Coral Tomb
Objective: Locate the second half of the Drowned King's Relic hidden within the Coral Tomb.
Bonus Objective: Return it to the Scholar for final fusion.
Reward: Leviathan Sealing Ritual, access to Deep-Sea Magic tier.
Failure: Leviathan will awaken with 20% increased power.
Preparations Begin
Ethan opened the player-controlled Dock 13 Trade Interface and issued an order:
Trade Route Expansion: Dispatch merchant ships to Redleaf Village and Iron Bastion for supplies and reinforcements.
Materials Required: 100x Ironwood Planks, 200x Coral Shards, 50x Arcane Thread
Estimated Arrival Time: 6 in-game hours
Meanwhile, Brandon oversaw enhancements to their equipment.
[Crafting Station - Enchantment Table Lv.3]
Item: Abyssal Harbinger Cloak
Enchantment Applied: Ocean's Pulse
Effect: Grants 25% resistance to pressure and drowning. Enables brief invisibility underwater (5 seconds cooldown).
Item: Leviathan Fang Blade
Effect: +17% damage against sea-type enemies. Has a 13% chance to cause "Bleed (Saltwater)" status.
Ethan smiled at the progress. But news arrived with the next merchant convoy—ominous reports from Redleaf Village.
The Magisterium Arcanum had begun to mobilize, dispatching elite NPC spellcasters to explore ruins across the sea. Simultaneously, the Shadow Consortium had vanished from most known territories, rumored to be regrouping for a large-scale naval operation. Both factions likely caught wind of the Leviathan's rising, seeking either control—or destruction.
Tension at Sea
A storm brewed as Ethan, Brandon, and a small party of elite NPCs embarked toward the Coral Tomb. Midway through their journey, a Shadow Consortium ship blocked their path. It bore black sails adorned with a crimson blade emblem.
Ethan raised a spyglass. "They're not here to talk."
[Combat Alert!]
Enemy Faction Ship: "The Silent Wake"
Enemy Captain: Raze Greycloak (Elite Player)
Crew: 22 Rogue NPCs, 3 Shadow Arcanists
Raze Greycloak - Status Window
Class: Shadow Corsair
Level: 57
Race: Human
HP: 8,343 / 8,900
Skills:
Phantom Broadside: Launches 3 waves of ghostly cannon fire that ignore armor.
Veil Step: Teleports 10 meters to a shadow anchor.
Blood Salvo: Deals critical strike if target HP < 30%.
The battle was swift but vicious.
Ethan's Abyssal Harbinger skill [Dread Coil] struck 771 damage to the mainmast, causing critical tilt.
Brandon launched [Pulse Shell] dealing 1,115 damage to the enemy helm.
Raze's Blood Salvo landed a critical hit: 1,337 damage to Ethan.
Ethan countered with [Tidebind Grasp], immobilizing Raze for 5 seconds while dealing 903 damage over time.
The crew rallied. A final cannon blast from their ship's new artillery shattered The Silent Wake's hull. The sea claimed the rest.
The Coral Tomb Revealed
Hours later, they finally reached the Coral Tomb—a massive, spiraling reef formation veiled in violet mist. Giant clams guarded the entrance, and sea-serpents slithered between the spires of hardened coral.
[Zone Discovered!]
Name: Coral Tomb of the Drowned King
Environment Effect: Deep Pressure (Reduce stamina regen by 25%)
Passive Threat: Coral Infection - Prolonged exposure weakens armor durability.
The gates to the tomb awaited, sealed in runes older than language.
Ethan reached out, placing the first relic into the indentation.
[System Alert!]
Relic Resonance Detected.
Door unlocking in: 3 minutes
As the doors began to open, the party formed up. Ethan looked at Brandon.
"This time, we don't run. We seal that monster."