"Who the fuck is yelling their throat out in my earssssss…?"

The words cut through the air like a blade.

All three of them..Yograj, Maria, and Levy fell silent mid-discussion. Their heads snapped toward the source. Aurora, who had been leaning lazily against the railing, straightened also.

There he was.

Razeal had suddenly stirred from his slouched posture, eyes cracking open like a predator finally roused from its sleep as what they thought it was. He pushed himself up, rolling his shoulders as though shaking off the heaviness of a long nap. His gaze swept across them with mild irritation, sharp enough to make the old man flinch ever so slightly.

"What's going on here?" Razeal asked, his voice lower this time, though still carrying that edge of irritation. He rotated his shoulders with a soft crack before brushing a stray lock of hair from his eyes. "And whose damn screaming was that?"

Yograj cleared his throat loudly, straightening his posture in an attempt to cover the embarrassment of having been caught mid yell.. "Nothing, boy," he said, waving a dismissive hand. "We were just talking. About some… interesting topics." Ofcourse he didn't wanna apear as being little amazed by just deeds of small kid.

Razeal's eyes lingered on him for a second longer, almost as though weighing whether to push the issue. But then, with a small shake of his head, he let it go. "Whatever." His voice was calm again.. Calm for someone who had just yelled. For a moment, even he seemed puzzled, his brows twitching slightly. He wasn't usually this reactive. Maybe… maybe it was Zara's words still echoing in his mind. Be yourself. Don't hide behind a mask. Stop suppressing. Perhaps, without realizing it, he was beginning to do exactly that.

He sighed and turned away from them, walking slowly toward the front of the ship. His footsteps were soft but steady, his back straight, his presence oddly calmer then usually he is.. Looking rather not tense posture he always make him to remain in.

At the bow, he placed a hand on the railing and leaned forward slightly, letting his eyes drift across the endless horizon. The ocean stretched forever, an infinite expanse of water shimmering under the afternoon sun. Nothing. No land. No ships. Only blue waves and the distant cries of gulls.

"How long has it been?" he asked suddenly, turning his head back toward Yograj, his tone flat, almost bored.

Yograj raised his gaze toward the sky, squinting at the sun's position before grunting. "You sat down yesterday afternoon. It's today's afternoon now." He crossed his arms, His dark Long hairs swaying behind . "So a full day wasted lying there, boy." His voice carried half-questioning, half-teasing.

But then, mid-sentence, Yograj's face stiffened. His brows furrowed sharply, his instincts flaring like alarms. He narrowed his eyes, a flash of danger crossing his expression.

"Boi!" he barked, his tone suddenly sharp, warning cutting through the air like a whip. "There's a..."

But whatever he had sensed came faster than even he could react to.

The sea erupted.

With a thunderous splash, something shot out of the water like a spear loosed by the ocean itself. A massive, black spike, sharp and glinting under the sunlight, streaked through the air at impossible speed.. easily a blur faster than a hundred kilometers an hour. Its aim was precise, unerring, and it was headed directly for Razeal's chest.

Maria guarded up at sudden loud sound. Aurora froze, her body locked in place. Levy swore under his breath as his eyes widened, his body tensing as guard of for protection. Even Yograj moved

But he was too late.

But

Just before the spike could pierce his chest, it stopped. Inches from his body, held in place by Razeal's bare hand.

The force of it rippled outward violently, blasting a gust of wind across the whole deck. Sailcloth snapped against their masts, ropes whipped, and even the wood beneath Razeal's feet cracked under the pressure. Yet he didn't budge. Not even an inch. He stood steady, his grip unyielding, his face calm as though catching an arrow instead of a projectile that could've skewered him through.

Maria and Aurora shot up from where they had been sitting. Levy's eyes narrowed, his boots thudding against the deck as he moved. All of them had felt the sheer weight of that strike, the crushing power carried in that single thrust.

Ready for defence. Wondering if they just got attacked by some big creature.

But Razeal wasn't honestly the one in being trouble

He narrowed his eyes slightly, lowering his gaze toward the weapon he was holding. It wasn't just a spike. Now that it was caught, the true form revealed itself.. a long, sword-like bill, sharp and narrow, stretching easily six or seven feet. And behind it… the creature.

A monstrous fish loomed, thrashing violently, its massive body half-dragged out of the water by its own momentum. Easily thirteen, maybe fifteen feet long, its scales shimmered like dull steel, its weight no less than two or three hundred kilograms. Its tail slapped against the sea with violent force, spraying water across the deck, but Razeal held it effortlessly by the bill, as though it weighed nothing more than a stick.

The fish's eyes bulged as it twisted and writhed, desperate to break free from his grip. The wooden railing groaned under the strain as its body thrashed against the side of the ship, but still.. Razeal didn't moved. His gaze was cold, analytical, almost curious as he studied the creature struggling in his grasp.

The silence broke with a booming laugh.

"Wooohh! Well done, kid!" Yograj's voice carried sudden energy, his eyes wide with excitement as he appeared at Razeal's side in an instant, faster than any of the other on deck could see. "You caught it! But wait, wait.. don't kill it!" His voice was both eager and urgent, his hand raised as though requesting amd mix of ordering the boy. Which just seems to be his way of talking.

Razeal tilted his head slightly, his expression unchanging, his grip tightening just enough to still the creature's desperate thrashing. Slowly, he turned his gaze to Yograj.. silent as he didn't said anything

The old man grinned back not caring much. "Hah! Don't look at me like that. I just gotten a little rusty.. If not, I could've caught that thing myself.. before you could've even touched it!" His voice was full of confident bravado, his chest puffed out proudly, though the faint glimmer of admiration in his eyes betrayed his words.

Razeal didn't say anything. His expression was unreadable as he stepped back, boots pressing against the very edge of the ship's deck. The long-billed fish writhed violently in his grip, its sheer bulk dragging against the railing, half of its body still suspended over the ocean. Water cascaded down its sides, spraying across the planks as it flopped and fought, but his hand didn't tremble. It was trapped.

Then, with a sharp motion, Razeal yanked it fully aboard. The creature's massive body slammed onto the deck, the wood groaning under the weight as the fish flopped and jerked uselessly. He dragged it toward the middle of the ship before tossing it down like nothing more than a sack of grain. The impact shook the floorboards beneath their feet, sending a faint tremor across the deck.

Razeal stood over it silently, as if he already knew Yograj wanted it alive. His eyes were flat, disinterested, his breathing steady despite the violent struggle he'd just stopped with one hand.

The fish wasn't as fortunate. Without water, its strength was already fading. Its half silver and black black body convulsed, muscles spasming as it slapped against the wood with dull, heavy thuds. Each movement grew weaker, the sound of its tail slaps turning from sharp cracks to tired thumps. It wouldn't last long like this.

Yograj crouched beside it, eyes widening with recognition. His voice carried a mix of nostalgia and awe as he said, "This is Black Marlin. Also called the personal javelin of the ocean." His tone grew heavier as he continued, glancing up at Razeal. "Last time I came to sea, my ship was attacked by these bad boys. Over and over again." His lips curled into a half-grin, but his eyes stayed serious.

By now, Maria, Levy, and Aurora had joined them, their boots clattering on the deck as they gathered around. All four stood shoulder to shoulder with Yograj and Razeal, their gazes fixed on the massive fish sprawled across the planks. Its body was easily fifteen feet long we) almost 20 or more if adding that long fin, thick and powerful, every scale gleaming in the sunlight like dull iron. The deck seemed to groan beneath its sheer weight, the wood trembling faintly with each twitch.

Levy's eyes narrowed slightly, not with fear but with curiosity, while Aurora tilted her head, her gaze tracing the fish's length as though fascinated. Neither had ever seen such a creature up close.

Maria, however, wasn't looking at the fish.

Her eyes slid downward, landing on Razeal's right hand as he too was staring at it, his brows lowering in faint irritation. On his palm, smeared against the skin, was a faint layer of green liquid. He flexed his fingers, shaking his hand sharply, but the substance clung stubbornly. No matter how he flicked, the sheen remained, like a stain fused into his flesh.

Razeal narrowed his eyes at the fish's long, needle-like bill, realizing where it had come from. The green liquid wasn't just water.. it coated the very tip of its sharp protrusion. A faint, acrid smell lingered in the air if one was close enough.

He prepared to ask the system about it, but before he could

"You shouldn't have touched that part with your hand." Maria's calm voice cut in, her tone sharp and direct. She didn't even look at him at first, her gaze lingering on the fish's bill before finally turning to his palm. "That's poison."

Her words made the others snap their attention toward Razeal's hand, their eyes narrowing as they noticed the green smear for the first time. The fish still flopped weakly at their feet, but the tension on the deck shifted from it to the boy standing above it.

Maria's tone carried no panic, just certainty. As a daughter of the Grave family, her life had always been bound to water, her knowledge of sea creatures extensive. Though the empire forbade venturing into the ocean, Grave lands were rich with rivers, lakes, and hidden aquatic life. She had studied them, hunted them, mastered them. Poisonous fish, parasitic organisms, strange toxins they were all knowledge she carried like instinct.

"That substance," she continued, stepping closer, "isn't a simple poison. It's made of microscopic parasites. They'll cling to your flesh no matter how much you wash or scrape. You won't get rid of them alone."

Her eyes softened just faintly, her voice steady but firm. "Let me remove it. If not, they'll keep burrowing into your skin. They won't stop."

She raised her hand. Above her palm, droplets of water condensed from the very air itself, gathering into a small sphere that hovered and spun, glowing faintly in the sunlight. The water shimmered like liquid glass, rippling with controlled energy. She took a step forward, intent on cleansing the parasites from his hand before they spread further.

But she didn't get the chance.

"No need."

Razeal's voice cut her off flatly, carrying no hesitation.

----

Yooo, thanks for reading, everyone! Don't forget to send powerstones, golden tickets, and of course… prayers. The WSA voting period has finally ended!

Today I was working on material for Atlantis world-building and everything. I've actually planned it out thoroughly, and I'm really excited about it. Honestly, since some of you complained about world-building before, I went deeper this time. I don't think I've seen a world or power system quite like this one, so let's hope it works out because it's definitely different.

Also, if anyone has ideas for Atlantis things you're curious about, advice, or even random pointers drop them here! Even though I've got a lot already, hearing what readers want might be exactly what I need.

----

Next chapter will be updated first on this website. Come back and continue reading tomorrow, everyone!

If you find any errors ( broken links, non-standard content, etc.. ), Please let us know < report chapter > so we can fix it as soon as possible.