The Deep Sea Winged Serpent

“What in the world is happening?”

Ai Ou voiced his question upon seeing the crowd gathered on the deck. Yet, at that moment, none of the mages paid him any mind. All of them stared, dumbfounded, at the sky directly in front of the magic ship’s protective barrier. Even Provence, who had always maintained an air of composure, now looked utterly bewildered, his usual calm completely shattered.

“Hm?”

Following their gazes, Ai Ou looked up at the sky.

There, hundreds of meters above the ocean, a colossal serpent-like creature, spanning hundreds of meters itself, coiled in the air. It possessed a pair of translucent wings, and its eyes, as vast as carriage wheels, were disturbingly clear even from this distance. Its ceaselessly flapping wings churned violent storms, causing the vast ocean to quake incessantly. Even the magic-enhanced ship felt insignificant and fragile beneath such immense power.

Unless he was mistaken, this sky-obscuring leviathan was likely the very cause of the recent tsunami.

“This is…! How unlucky! We’ve actually encountered it! Damn it, we can only pray it has no interest in us!”

As he stared at the colossal, sky-shrouding figure above, Provence’s pupils contracted sharply. As a teacher at the Capital Mage Academy and a Sixth-Tier Mage, he was considered a formidable expert on this continent. However, compared to the creature before them, the difference was like heaven and earth. Extensive knowledge was essential for every mage, and in that brief moment, Provence had already identified the being.

‘A Ninth-Tier Magical Beast, the Deep Sea Winged Serpent! A rumored pseudo-dragon with the bloodline of true dragons, said to dwell in the abyssal depths. Why has it suddenly emerged above the sea?’

Though only three tiers separated a Sixth-Tier and a Ninth-Tier, the power contained within those three tiers represented a chasm that mere numbers could not bridge. Moreover, magical beasts were inherently stronger than humans of the same tier; humans could only rely on their agility and mobility to contend with them.

Fortunately, the Deep Sea Winged Serpent ignored Ai Ou and his companions. Perhaps in its eyes, these mere ants were not worth its attention. Its gaze was fixed intently on another part of the ocean’s surface, as if awaiting the arrival of some creature or, perhaps, someone.

“Quickly, notify the bridge crew! Get us away from this sea region immediately! While the Deep Sea Winged Serpent is ignoring us, maximize the ship’s magical shield and full throttle out of here!”

Provence shouted across the deck. Hearing his urgent command, the mages, who had been stunned by the sky-darkening leviathan, finally snapped to attention. The mage closest to the door swiftly dashed towards the bridge.

Just then, the sea where the Deep Sea Winged Serpent had been staring began to churn. Several massive figures burst from the water, launching an assault towards the sky-obscuring giant. Thirteen enormous forms emerged from the depths. These colossal magical beasts resembled fish but were far more monstrous, covered in dark, obsidian scales and mouths filled with razor-sharp, iron-like teeth that looked capable of tearing even the hardest steel apart in an instant. Furthermore, bone-like structures covered their upper bodies, adding an extra layer of defense.

While these figures, tens of meters long, were not significantly smaller than the hundred-meter-long Deep Sea Winged Serpent, they were still gargantuan compared to Ai Ou’s ship.

“So that’s what this is! How unfortunate! We’ve stumbled upon a territorial lord’s dispute!”

Observing the standoff, Provence quickly realized this was likely what was described in ancient texts as a ‘territorial lord’s dispute.’

Hearing Provence’s words, Ai Ou promptly inquired, “Mr. Provence, what exactly is a territorial lord’s dispute?”

Despite the constant tremors of the ocean, Ai Ou stood firmly on the deck, unperturbed by the ship’s violent rocking. This required an exceptionally strong command over one’s body, causing Provence to regard Ai Ou with newfound respect.

“Though this is a secret within the magical world, not something a magic beginner, or even someone who hasn’t truly started, should know, I’m unsure if we’ll survive this ordeal. So, telling you won’t hurt.”

Provence turned to face the thirteen figures attacking the Deep Sea Winged Serpent, his expression tense as he explained, “These are Deep Sea Demonic Bone Fish, typically Eighth-Tier magical beasts. Exceptional individuals among them can even reach Ninth-Tier. Their target is the lord of this sea region, the Deep Sea Winged Serpent. It’s rumored to possess the bloodline of dragons.

“Because of the dragon blood within its veins, the Deep Sea Winged Serpent’s power far surpasses that of ordinary magical beasts, granting it control over ocean currents. Generally, a Deep Sea Winged Serpent only needs to reach adulthood to become a Ninth-Tier magical beast, and it finds it easier to break through to the Legendary realm than other beasts.”

“A sea region’s lord commands all the resources within its territory, so it’s common for other marine magical beasts to challenge the reigning lord. Once a beast becomes a lord, it gains access to those abundant resources, allowing its strength to advance by leaps and bounds. I suspect these Deep Sea Demonic Bone Fish aim to defeat the Deep Sea Winged Serpent and seize control of these resources. Our luck is rather poor, as we’ve been caught in the middle of this war.”

As he spoke, Provence’s face paled. After all, even his most powerful magic, unleashed with all his might as a Sixth-Tier Mage, was inferior to the ordinary attacks of these beasts. If they were even grazed by the residual shockwaves, it was something this mage team could not hope to withstand.

Observing the figures attacking it, the Deep Sea Winged Serpent’s eyes glinted with a hint of disdain.

“ROAR—!!!”

Suddenly, the massive Deep Sea Winged Serpent let out a furious roar. Its colossal wings flapped violently, stirring up another storm above the ocean. The sea grew even more turbulent, shaking with an exaggerated intensity, as if the ship could be capsized at any moment. At that instant, colossal waves roared, crashing against the protective barrier one after another.

After its roar, a terrifying pressure erupted from the Deep Sea Winged Serpent, spreading outwards with destructive force. An aura of annihilation permeated the entire sea region.

Thump-thump!

Instantly, everyone on the deck, save for Ai Ou, collapsed to the ground, unconscious. Even Provence was not spared. Of the thirteen Deep Sea Demonic Bone Fish facing the Winged Serpent, three fell motionless, while the remaining ten trembled uncontrollably.

‘Is this the innate pressure of a high-tier magical beast?’ Ai Ou felt as if a colossal stone was pressing down on his heart, suffocating him. But swiftly, he felt his own blood boiling, expelling this oppressive force. Then, his body reacted, unleashing a wave of pressure that surged towards the Deep Sea Winged Serpent, as if declaring its own dominance.