The next morning, at four o'clock, Crowne, Daisy, Evans, and two other men were ready to depart. They boarded a small ship.

Crowne stood at the bow, his sharp gaze fixed on the vast sea ahead. Beside him, Evans held the helm, while Daisy sat at the stern, checking the rear section.

The other two stood guard, alert for anything that might happen.

"We've been searching for hours. Are you sure that monster is still around?" asked one of the two with a doubtful tone.

Crowne did not reply. His eyes remained fixed on the calm, empty ocean. He was certain the monster was still out there, which was why he kept waiting.

At the same time, Daisy leaned over, staring into the clear water beneath the ship. "Could it be that the monster is really gone?" she said softly.

She wasn't only searching for the monster, but also for her missing brother. Somehow, Daisy believed that if she encountered the monster, she would also find her brother's whereabouts.

"No!" Evans said firmly. "That monster is still out there. The one Crowne fought before was just an ordinary creature. Not the one capable of destroying ships."

Daisy and the others turned to him. "Then, is that monster really that big? Bigger than…"

Before the sentence was finished, everything on the ship suddenly fell silent. The only sound left was the creaking of the sails as the wind blew through them.

Time seemed to slow. Their heartbeats quickened. The sun began to sink, turning the sky into shades of orange.

"Do you feel it?" Daisy asked.

Evans, Crowne, and the other two nodded. They could feel the atmosphere change; the air had grown heavy and damp. Yet, they could not sense any presence besides the small fish beneath the waves.

"It seems we're on the right path," said Evans.

Crowne nodded. "Get ready."

A second later, the surface of the sea beside the ship started to ripple. At first, it was only small waves, but soon the water began to churn violently.

"What is that?" one of them pointed toward a direction.

Evans quickly turned the helm. "Hold on to something!"

A massive wave suddenly rose in front of the ship. The wind turned wild, striking their faces with salty spray. The small vessel lifted high into the air, then slammed back down with a heavy crash.

Evans struggled to control the ship. He almost lost it entirely, but Crowne rushed to help him. The situation steadied a little, though it was still dire.

Daisy gripped the ropes tightly while the other two stood firm at the bow, staring at the sea as it started swirling into a giant vortex. From the depths below came a low rumbling, like the roar of a beast.

"Turn around!" Daisy shouted.

The whirlpool grew wider, pulling the ship toward its center. Crowne and Evans kept struggling with the helm, but the pull was too strong. The ship was being dragged in no matter how hard they fought.

"Damn it, we're going under," Evans cursed. "Prepare for the worst!"

The ship was now trapped in the vortex. They could not escape. The five of them could only watch and wait as the vessel was pulled toward the center, sinking into the swirling sea.

"Can anyone use…"

His words stopped when something emerged from the middle of the whirlpool. A black tentacle, almost a quarter the size of the ship, burst out of the water, twisting in the air and writhing violently. One by one, more tentacles rose, followed by a massive body.

"King Kraken…" one of the adventurers whispered, his face pale.

Before them loomed the Kraken, ruler of the sea, a creature they had only heard of in tales. Its eyes were the size of a carriage, glowing behind cascading water. Every movement it made caused the sea to quake, and their ship nearly capsized.

Crowne stared at the creature seriously. "Damn, you're making my body tremble."

[King Kraken Lv.999!]

When he saw the monster's level, Crowne's trembling grew worse. This was the strongest creature he had ever faced.

Perhaps, even the strongest in the world. Maybe on par with Sylvara.

A massive tentacle struck toward the ship. Evans leapt forward and swung his staff, striking the tentacle head-on.

Baam!

But instead of the tentacle being pushed back, Evans' body was sent flying, slamming into the ship's mast so hard that it snapped in two. He spat blood as his bones cracked slightly.

"Are you alright, Guild Master?" the two adventurers rushed to help him.

"You idiots?" he groaned, forcing himself to stand again.

Daisy, at the back of the ship, stood frozen in shock. The creature before her was far larger than any ship she had ever seen.

It was the biggest living thing she had ever laid eyes on. Daisy swallowed hard, her hands trembling uncontrollably from fear.

Now she finally understood why no one had ever defeated this creature. No one had survived long enough to tell the tale. It was enormous and terrifyingly strong.

Daisy tried to lift her sword, but her right hand wouldn't stop shaking. She held her wrist with her left hand to steady it, but it was useless.

"Can we really win?" Daisy asked.

No one answered immediately. Winning seemed impossible. Even escaping from this creature felt hopeless.

"I don't know, but we don't have any other choice," said Crowne.

He was the only one still able to smile. Seeing the monster only fueled his excitement. Crowne wanted to make the beast his own. It would make his army even stronger.

"Sylvara, can you help me?" Crowne called out.

There was no answer. He tried again, but still nothing. Five times he called, yet there was no response at all.

Crowne clicked his tongue in annoyance. "What is that dragon girl doing?" he muttered.

Woosh!

A gigantic tentacle swung from the right side of the ship, slicing through the air and splitting the waves. The sound of its impact roared like thunder. Crowne immediately drew his weapon.

Brakkk!

A violent crash erupted. Water exploded everywhere. The Dwarfwood Chainblade clashed against the thick flesh of the tentacle. But the monster's strength was overwhelming.

"Damn it!"

Crowne's entire body was thrown backward, slamming into the ship's railing, shattering the wood.

"Crowne!" Daisy screamed in shock.

Crowne's body was flung into the air and fell into the ocean.

"No! He fell into the sea!" one of the adventurers shouted in panic.

Evans, still standing with his body trembling, looked toward the raging water. "Crowne!"

At that moment, the King Kraken attacked again. They had no time to worry about anyone else. Their own lives were in danger.

"Damn. This is really bad," Evans muttered.

The two adventurers and Daisy moved closer to Evans. The four of them looked at each other and nodded.

"We'll help," said the three of them.

Evans nodded back. "Thank you."

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