The gates to the Leviathan's chamber loomed ahead—two colossal slabs of obsidian coral fused with glowing veins of crimson light. As Daol pressed his trident against the ancient runes etched across the gate, the coral shuddered and split open, releasing a dark current that swept past them like an exhale from the depths.

A heavy rumble echoed through the sea as they entered.

The chamber was enormous—like stepping into the open mouth of the ocean itself. Bioluminescent flora clung to the walls, and broken towers rose from the seafloor, their tops lost in the abyssal dark above. Streams of light filtered through the cracks, illuminating bones the size of ships.

Daol's voice came through the comms, calm but tense. "Legends said the Leviathan sleeps beneath the old cathedral ruins. But if it's awake… then the ocean's curse has begun again."

"Cool story," Xavier muttered, stretching his arms. "Let's just find the damn thing and end it."

Jayden gasped. "Whoa…"

A tremor rippled through the ground, followed by another. The sand below them cracked open, releasing a cloud of silt that spiraled upward like smoke. From the darkness below, a single glowing eye the size of a truck blinked open. Then another.

And then came the roar—a low, guttural vibration that shook the entire chamber. The Leviathan rose from the trench, a monstrous serpentine figure covered in armored scales that shimmered like black steel. Rows of glowing red fins extended from its spine, and its maw split open, revealing hundreds of needle-like teeth that glowed faintly blue.

Daol gritted his teeth. "By the deep gods… it's awake."

"Yeah, no shit," Xavier said, drawing his blade. The edge glimmered silver, tracing faint runes in the water. He glanced down at his armor—nothing flashy, just his mid-tier gear. The devs had "suggested" it would make the experience fairer.

He still remembered that conversation.

They had pulled him into a private instance after the anniversary event—dev avatars glowing gold like they were something divine. "You're too strong, Xavier. Your presence is breaking PvE balance. Please refrain from using your top-tier loadouts except for major events."

He'd laughed right in their face. "Then tell everyone else to drop their best gear too. Why's it only me? You make a game about power and then cry when someone actually reaches it."

When they didn't respond, he shrugged. "Fine. I'll use your kiddie armor when I'm chilling or exploring. But the second I get annoyed or bored, I'm switching back. Don't think you own me just because I play your damn game."

And now, staring at the beast in front of him, he almost regretted that decision.

The Leviathan lunged, its massive body slicing through the water with terrifying speed. The pressure from the movement alone sent waves crashing against the ruins.

"Move!" Oliver shouted, grabbing Jayden and pulling him aside.

Xavier dashed upward, spinning mid-water as he slashed across one of the creature's fins. Sparks of crimson light burst out—but the blade barely left a mark.

"Okay," he muttered. "So, this thing's built like a tank."

Daol charged forward, thrusting his trident into one of the glowing scales. "Strike where it bleeds blue! That's its weak point!"

"Yeah, thanks for the tip, tutorial man!" Xavier yelled back, flipping to avoid the creature's tail that smashed into a column beside him.

The impact sent shockwaves through the water, tearing apart ancient statues. Jayden tried firing his crossbow but the bolts just bounced off the scales.

"This isn't working!" Oliver called out, checking his cooldowns. "We need to trigger the arena event—make it expose its core!"

"Got it," Xavier said. He slashed through a cluster of glowing orbs embedded in the ruins—one after another—until the chamber began to vibrate again. The Leviathan screamed, its body twisting as the red fins flared open, exposing a faintly glowing core beneath its chest.

Xavier grinned. "There it is."

He charged, blade glowing brighter with each strike, even though the low-tier gear was barely holding up. Cracks formed across his armor, and damage alerts flickered on his HUD, but he didn't slow down. He wanted to feel it—every swing, every impact, every bit of resistance.

The Leviathan howled, thrashing violently, sending debris flying everywhere.

"Jayden!" Oliver yelled. "Cover Xavier!"

"I got him!" Jayden fired again, this time hitting one of the creature's exposed joints. It wasn't much, but it was enough to distract it for a second.

Xavier used that opening. He spun forward, cutting deep into the glowing core.

The Leviathan screamed again, its body convulsing as light exploded out of its chest, flooding the chamber in blinding blue.

Xavier drifted back, panting, the corners of his mouth tugging up into a grin. "Yeah… still got it."

Daol floated nearby, looking half in awe, half terrified. "That was… reckless."

"Yeah," Xavier said, sheathing his sword, "but it worked."

The Leviathan screeched and thrashed, the ocean trembling around them as blue light pulsed from the gash in its chest. Its movements grew erratic—wild—but not weak. The monster wasn't dying yet. It was furious.

"Not done!" Oliver shouted. "It's regenerating—core's sealing itself back up!"

"Then we don't give it time," Xavier said sharply, eyes narrowing behind his visor. "Jayden, keep that thing's attention off us. Daol, you're with me. Let's end this."

Daol hesitated for half a second before nodding and spinning his trident, runes flaring to life along its shaft. "Understood, Champion."

The Leviathan whipped its tail again, smashing through a collapsed tower. The shockwave sent a surge of bubbles that clouded the field—perfect cover.

"Go," Xavier said, already propelling himself through the cloud like a bullet. He reappeared on the other side, blade glowing bright white.

Jayden fired from behind him, rapid bolts piercing the monster's eyes, one after another. "Got it distracted!"

Oliver raised his gauntlet and activated his support field. Golden sigils burst open beneath the seafloor, anchoring everyone's movement and cutting the drag of the water. "Boost's on! You've got twenty seconds!"

"Plenty."

Xavier launched forward. Daol matched his speed, channeling his energy into the trident. Together, they moved in perfect sync—one strike, one breath. Xavier slashed upward, tearing through the soft flesh near the core; Daol followed with a thrust that pierced deep into the exposed wound.

The Leviathan roared so violently that the water around them warped.

"Now, Jayden!" Oliver yelled.

The kid didn't hesitate—he triggered the shock mine he'd planted earlier on one of the coral structures. A blinding surge of lightning exploded underwater, chaining straight into the Leviathan's wound.

The creature convulsed. Its fins lit up like flares, cracks spreading across its armor, and then—

BOOM!

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