The pitch black clouds loomed overhead. The sound of roaring thunder crackled in the air, shaking the very foundation of the vessel.
The small decrepit boat rocked back and forward along the docks. Although it’s tied to the wooden pier with a strong hemp rope, the sheer force of the rocking slowly wore away at the knot.
The strong winds blew past causing the window to clack open and close as the owner forgot to lock them.
Suddenly, the downpour came.
Raindrops the size of fists fell from the darkened heavens like ten thousand fists of fury. The thunder roared along making it seems as if the skies were angry at the earth.
In this hellish storm, on this broken down ship. Stood a bearded man. His bronze skin tanned from the long exposure to the twin suns. His beard grew wild like a bush on drugs. His eyes bloodshot, staring like a crazed maniac with purpose. The piercing gaze stared at the wall of grey that followed the dark clouds, heavy rain, and explosive thunder.
A large tidal wave, approached slowly yet rapidly. From the distance it seemed as if it was not moving at all, but in reality, it was traveling like a stampede of watery death.
The ragged man stared at the wave with both pride and fear.
[Cytex]: Come at me! I do not fear you!He screamed over the sound of rain hammering his boat and the crackling of thunder.
Lightning flashed brightening up his pitch dark view.
The wave was now nearly upon him.
The towering wall of liquid death loomed several meters high.
One nearly had to turn their neck 90 degrees to see the top. But those who was about to do that were already dead.
The wave swallowed everything. The docks, the boat, the man.
His fight although brave, was completely impossible to win.
The dark waters finally slammed down upon the port.
It destroyed the wooden infrastructures and battered the stone supports.
The water flooded everything, pushing everything that wasn’t tethered to the ground along with it.
Debris was the second most dangerous thing after the force of the rushing waters. Those who chose to stay behind didn’t stand a chance. The water and debris consumed them with an appetite that only a force of nature could have.
The first to third district immediately vanished underneath the black waters. It was one more zone than the mayor expected.
As the flowing water started to slow down, they did not recede. It was then, the beasts and monsters came.
Large monstrous crabs with claws capable of cutting steel or smashing reinforced metal.
Swarms of shellfish with powerful water pistols that could penetrate even diamond.
No one was safe.
The beasts attacked any living thing other than themselves with the fervor of a vengeful ghost.
Those who chose to fight did what they could, but the numbers were overwhelming.
The death toll rose rapidly like a stream of people falling into a large watery blender.
The ones who were trying to escape ran with fear and tears in their eyes, mucus dribbling from their nose and their pants soiled. This was the sight of war, of death, and of the great power that nature holds. Beginners who had never seen such wide scale carnage had their feeble mind broken.
The crab monster used its two large claws and scooped up half a dozen people, immediately severing them in half and consuming their flesh. Newbies died left and right. If they had only not panicked and grouped together to take the crab down, they would have all survived although with some injuries.
Blood dyed the water brick red. The foam around the crab’s mouth were pink from blood.
Suddenly, from the very water underneath the crab, a bearded man with a harpoon leaped out like a dolphin.
It was Cytex, the old man of the sea. He was battered but not dead.
His harpoon stabbed into the bulbous eye of the crab. A sharp shriek emitted from the crab.
Cytex stepped on the carapace of the crab and rend the harpoon from its eye. Bluish blood flowed from the crab vigorously. But it was not dead yet.
With the strength that only an Ancient could have, Cytex stabbed the harpoon directly into the brain of the crab. The crab who was lifting its claws trying to pry the thing off its back violently shook and collapsed into the flowing water with a splash. It was promptly carried off by the brackish waters.
Cytex stood on top of a rock that barely stood out of the water.
[Cytex]: Fight citizens! It’s out only hope!His words sparked the fighting spirit of those who were fleeing in fear.
After all, those who stayed had a certain confidence in their strength. Most low level adventurers had left and those who remained are young adult adventurers over level twenty. They were strong enough to survive and was looking to make a profit or a name for themselves.
As a seasoned veteran of the tides, Cytex was one that was very familiar with the yearly massacre. He always grumbles when he sees kids who haven’t seen the horrors of the tide and lose their will just from the sight of death.
The group cheered. Those who were standing on the roofs of buildings stabbed their spears downwards at the crabs and shellfishes who were trying to knock them down. It only kept them at bay but cannot hurt the beasts.
Cytex was weaving through the waters like a man with sea legs.
Everywhere he goes, a corpse would appear. The water would then promptly carry it off back into the dark depths.
Some fire arrows and guns at the monsters. Their hard carapace and shells are barely penetrated. It seems only Cytex’s harpoon that was encased in his aura can actually do any damage.
Some even use explosives only to find the water nullifying most of the damage.
The rain still poured washing the blue blood off Cytex.
It seems this district for now, was protected.
The other district each had their own veteran keeping the group of newbies in check.
In the other district, another man was standing on top of a tall building.
In his hand was a large black metal cannon. A cigar hang from his mouth as smoke rose from it. Amazingly it was not put out by the downpour.
Lifting the cannon onto his shoulder, he used his cigar to light the fuse.
From the cannon shot out a large spiked ball.
It slammed into a nearby crab, completely crushing it. Blood and organs flowed from its corpse into the waters.
[Cannon Man]: There seems to be more beasts than usual…With a wave of his other hand, another spiked cannonball was loaded into the cannon.
The other adventurers around him were frantically shooting arrows and bullets down at the approaching monsters.
The cannon man didn’t like taking care of younglings but during times like this, it was his obligation.
[Cannon Man]: Damn kids these days can’t even kill a fly.The onslaught of thousands of crabs, shellfish continued as if to no end. The blood, flesh, and organs flowed along the water back into the depths where a large serpentine creature lies. He was the descendant of an ancient.
Its large maw opened, rapidly consuming all the fleshly debris.
It was feeding, growing, slowly building its strength for the final wave.
Cruel and Ming could sense the large creature heading towards the bay.
[Crule]: This aura…so it’s that thing…His smirk once again plastered his face.
