The following morning, Rio arrived at the academy entrance and immediately spotted the group waiting there.
Lucinda Valen.
William Astryx.
Anastasia Astryx.
Joseph Valoris.
And Isolde Viremont.
The five students stood together near the transport platform, their academy uniforms fluttering slightly beneath the morning breeze.
Rio had already been briefed on the mission details.
A Leviathan had been sighted near the coast bordering the Ocean of Noctara. Preliminary reports classified it as an A-Rank Voidborn. More concerning, however, were the sightings of additional Voidborn activity throughout the surrounding waters.
Normally, a mission involving a Leviathan would attract considerable attention.
For the Imperial Prodigies—
it was considered field training.
Rio glanced toward them.
The five had already reached A-Rank.
An achievement that would make most adventurers proud.
For these monsters, it was merely expected.
Soon, the academy transport arrived.
The vehicle resembled a sleek armored bus covered in glowing mana circuits. Arcane engines hummed quietly beneath reinforced plating as automated doors slid open.
Without wasting time, everyone boarded.
The journey would take them toward the nearest coastal station before they continued toward the designated operation zone.
Rio naturally chose a seat near the back.
Meanwhile, the five prodigies gathered together and immediately began discussing their plan.
William naturally took the lead.
Lucinda occasionally pointed out flaws or suggested adjustments.
Anastasia focused on scouting formations and engagement distances.
Joseph contributed combat suggestions whenever an opportunity presented itself.
And Isolde handled the magical side of things, correcting assumptions regarding Voidborn behavior and mana signatures whenever necessary.
Surprisingly—
their teamwork was excellent.
It wasn't difficult to understand why Christopher trusted them enough to complete missions without supervision.
Rio listened for a while.
Then looked away.
As their designated proctor, he wasn't expected to interfere unless something completely unforeseen occurred.
Not that it mattered.
Rio scoffed inwardly.
With his current condition, he wasn't remotely qualified to participate in a battle against an A-Rank Leviathan.
The reality was simple.
If a situation emerged that these five couldn't handle—
he would likely become a burden rather than assistance.
His gaze drifted toward the window.
The towering skyline of Noctara slowly receded into the distance as the transport moved farther from the city center.
Neon-lit skyscrapers gradually gave way to industrial sectors.
Industrial sectors eventually gave way to vast highways stretching toward the coast.
Far in the distance, Rio could already see the faint outline of the ocean.
Meanwhile, the discussion among the five continued uninterrupted.
Rio listened for a few more minutes before finally closing his eyes.
Perhaps sleeping would be more productive than dwelling on things he couldn't change.
The steady hum of the transport filled the cabin.
And before long—
Rio drifted asleep.
...
It wasn't long before the transport reached the coastal region where the Leviathan had last been sighted.
Rio slowly opened his eyes as the vehicle came to a halt.
The ocean stretched endlessly before them.
Dark blue waters crashed against the rocky shoreline while thick clouds drifted across the sky above. Several military outposts had been established nearby, their mana-powered floodlights and surveillance towers aimed toward the sea.
The atmosphere was tense.
Whatever had appeared in these waters had clearly put the local authorities on edge.
The six of them soon exited the transport.
Almost immediately, a man wearing the uniform of the Astryx Coastal Defense Corps approached them. The silver insignia on his shoulder marked him as a Senior Coastal Captain, an officer responsible for overseeing defensive operations along the region's shores.
"Ah, you must be the students selected for the mission."
The man stepped forward before suddenly freezing.
His eyes widened.
William Astryx.
Anastasia Astryx.
Lucinda Valen.
Joseph Valoris.
Isolde Viremont.
Some of the most famous young talents in the entire empire stood directly before him.
The captain immediately dropped to one knee.
"Y-Your Highness!"
William sighed.
"It's fine. Please get up and explain the situation."
"Y-Yes, Prince."
The man quickly rose.
"My name is Isaac Vance, Senior Coastal Captain of the Astryx Coastal Defense Corps."
He took a breath before continuing.
"A little over a week ago, we received reports regarding a civilian vessel that disappeared during a routine voyage."
"According to the nearby locals, the passengers departed during the evening and never returned."
"At first, we assumed it was a storm-related incident."
His expression darkened.
"But after several days passed without any wreckage being discovered, a search operation was organized."
"I was among the personnel assigned to investigate."
The group listened carefully.
Isaac swallowed.
"And then we found the cause."
"The Leviathan."
Even now, there was lingering fear in his voice.
"It was enormous."
"We attempted to engage it."
His jaw tightened.
"And that's when things became worse."
"More Voidborn emerged from the waters."
"Dozens of them."
"Our squad was forced to retreat almost immediately."
Isaac hesitated.
Then continued.
"We believe the Leviathan is somehow controlling them."
William's eyes sharpened.
"Controlling them?"
"Yes."
"Normally Voidborns act independently."
"But these creatures moved together."
"Almost like they were receiving orders."
A brief silence followed.
The implications were obvious.
If the Leviathan truly possessed command over lesser Voidborns, then the mission's difficulty had increased significantly.
William folded his arms.
"I see."
His gaze shifted toward the others.
Immediately, the discussion began.
Lucinda spoke first.
"If the Leviathan is directing the lesser Voidborns, then eliminating it should break their coordination."
Joseph nodded.
"Agreed. We ignore the smaller ones and focus everything on the Leviathan."
"That's stupid," Anastasia replied instantly.
Joseph frowned.
"What?"
"If dozens of Voidborn attack simultaneously, we'll be overwhelmed before reaching the Leviathan."
"Especially in open water."
Isolde nodded.
"Anastasia is right."
She adjusted her glasses slightly.
"If the reports are accurate, the lesser Voidborns need to be dealt with first."
"At least partially."
William remained silent while listening.
After a few moments, Lucinda spoke again.
"What if we split responsibilities?"
Everyone looked toward her.
"We have five people."
Her eyes moved between the group.
"Anastasia provides long-range support."
"Isolde focuses on detection and magical interference."
"Joseph and I handle the smaller Voidborns."
She then looked toward William.
"You engage the Leviathan."
William considered it.
Then slowly shook his head.
"No."
The others frowned.
"The Leviathan is the largest threat."
"If I'm occupied alone and something unexpected happens, the entire operation falls apart."
He glanced toward the ocean.
"We stay together."
A moment of silence followed.
Then—
Rio finally looked up from where he had been quietly observing.
Far beyond the shoreline.
Far beyond the waves.
Something felt wrong.
Very wrong.
And for some reason—
the ocean seemed to be watching them back.
...
I glanced at the five of them.
It seemed they had already settled on a plan.
Very well.
Whatever lurked beneath the ocean wasn't my responsibility to deal with.
It was theirs.
Soon enough, the group boarded a patrol vessel provided by the Coastal Defense Corps. The ship slowly departed from the harbor, cutting through the dark waters as the shoreline of Noctara gradually faded behind them.
Rio leaned against the railing.
The cold ocean wind brushed past his face while endless waves stretched toward the horizon.
For a while, nothing happened.
Only silence.
Only water.
Do you sense anything? I asked internally.
Astarax remained quiet for several moments before responding.
[No.]
I frowned slightly.
[But something feels strange.]
Strange?
[My senses can detect a faint aura somewhere beneath the ocean.]
Astarax's voice carried unusual uncertainty.
[But it doesn't belong to a Leviathan.]
My eyes narrowed.
Not a Leviathan?
[No.]
For the first time, even Astarax sounded puzzled.
[Whatever it is... it feels old.]
...
Hours passed.
The ship continued deeper into the ocean.
Yet nothing appeared.
No Voidborn.
No Leviathan.
No traces of battle.
Only endless waves.
Eventually, even the Imperial Prodigies began growing restless.
Isolde sighed as she adjusted her glasses.
"We've been out here for hours."
Her expression carried visible exhaustion.
"Do you think the Leviathan simply left and moved elsewhere?"
William stood near the bow of the ship, scanning the horizon.
"That's possible."
Lucinda folded her arms.
"Let's stay for a few more hours."
"If it still doesn't—"
Her voice abruptly stopped.
The others immediately looked toward her.
Lucinda's eyes had widened.
"Wait."
Joseph frowned.
"What?"
She pointed toward the ocean.
"The waves."
Everyone turned.
At first—
nothing seemed unusual.
Then—
they saw it.
The realization hit all of them simultaneously.
The water wasn't moving naturally.
The currents weren't random.
The waves weren't colliding.
They were rotating.
Slowly.
Almost imperceptibly.
A massive circle.
A circle so enormous that nobody had noticed it while standing inside it.
Joseph's expression changed instantly.
"...No way."
Anastasia's face paled.
"The Leviathan..."
Lucinda clenched her sword.
"It was here the entire time."
William's eyes widened.
For the first time since Rio had met him—
genuine alarm appeared on the prince's face.
"Shit."
The ocean suddenly trembled.
A deep rumble echoed from below.
Not from the sky.
Not from the ship.
From beneath them.
The water began accelerating.
Faster.
Faster.
Faster.
The waves twisted violently around the vessel as the sea itself started collapsing inward.
William's voice exploded across the deck.
"IT'S TRYING TO CREATE A WHIRLPOOL!"
The moment he shouted—
the ocean erupted.
And something enormous began rising from the darkness below.