The sun had barely risen when Rayan stood by the cracked window of their dorm, arms crossed in dramatic contemplation.
"I've been thinking," he muttered, pacing. "We need a real challenge. Something that'll test us. No more lectures on mana resonance and theoretical combat. We need... the Guild."
Yeon, already half-asleep on the floor, perked up at the mention of the Guild. "I'm in! Who needs school anyway? Let's go get some real fights!"
Tonio, sipping his tea, raised an eyebrow. "Wait, you're serious about sneaking out? Like criminals?"
"Not criminals," Rayan grinned, pulling on his coat. "Academics on a sabbatical. By force. We'll find something that'll actually matter."
Cezar closed his notebook, nodding. "Sounds like the best idea we've had all week."
At the Arcania Adventurer's Guild
They slipped through a side gate and dodged professors, cleaning fairies, and an unusually territorial goose before finally reaching the towering entrance of the Guild.
With a dramatic push, Rayan swung the heavy doors open, grinning like someone who had just made the greatest discovery in the history of history. "Welcome to the Guild—where ambition meets poor decision-making."
Inside, a receptionist with a glowing gemstone eye glanced at them before sighing. "I'm guessing... unauthorized students seeking a legendary challenge?"
"That's exactly it," Yeon declared, slamming his hands on the counter. "We want a fight! The biggest, baddest quest you've got."
She gave them a deadpan stare, as if she had seen this kind of foolishness a hundred times before, before pulling out a single quest scroll.
"There's only one quest left."
She unfurled it.
Quest: Subjugate the SS-Rank Sea Beast – Leviathan. Reward: 10,000 Gold Coins. Difficulty: SS Success Rate: …Questionable at best.
Tonio blinked. "Shouldn't we maybe... start small? Like, goblins or rats?"
Yeon clenched his fists in the air. "Goblins? Rats? The gods have given us a higher calling! We face the Leviathan! Let's go!"
Rayan winced at the mention of the Leviathan. "I… I have a thing about water..."
---
Open Sea – Aboard a Cursed Vessel
The ship creaked and groaned as they sailed, with Rayan gripping the rail in a constant state of anxiety. The salty breeze did little to calm his nerves. "This ship smells like moldy bread and bad decisions," he grumbled.
The captain, a one-legged man whose peg was a mop, barely looked up from his rusted pot. "No refunds. You signed the waiver, now shut up and help bail the water."
Suddenly, the sea trembled beneath them.
BOOOOOM!
A roar erupted from the depths as the Leviathan emerged—a gargantuan beast with obsidian scales and eyes that burned like molten fury. Its monstrous form loomed over the ship, casting a shadow that swallowed the sun.
Yeon, grinning maniacally, stood on the bow with his cape billowing dramatically (despite the lack of wind). "Tremble, mortals! Behold, the Dark Lord of the Sea!"
He leapt from the ship in a heroic dive, fists raised high. "DARK THUNDER DRAGON STRIKE—WAIT, I DON'T REMEMBER HAVING THIS MOVE—"
WHAM!
The Leviathan's tail smacked Yeon out of mid-air, sending him crashing into the sails. He groaned as he slid down the fabric, tangled in ropes and fish guts. "All part of the plan..." he muttered weakly.
Rayan, sword drawn, stared at him, eyes twitching in disbelief. "Yeon, you're a walking disaster."
"Disaster?" Yeon shot back, flipping himself upright with his usual grin. "Nah, just a warm-up."
---
The Leviathan's roar echoed as it swung its tail toward the ship, nearly capsizing it. Rayan stepped forward, taking a deep breath and focusing. His katana shimmered with light as he drew it. "No more games."
He raised his blade high, channeling the energy coursing through him. "EXCALIBUR SWORD GOD—"
Splash!
Rayan plunged straight into the water before he could finish his dramatic declaration. His voice echoed from beneath the waves. "WHY IS IT SO DEEP?!"
Tonio, ever calm, exchanged a glance with Cezar, who was cracking his knuckles. "Alright, let's finish this."
Tonio vanished in a blur, reappearing high above the Leviathan's back. His claws raked across the beast's scaled hide with precision, leaving deep, smoking gashes.
The Leviathan let out an earth-shaking scream, thrashing in pain. Water and debris flew into the air, nearly sinking the ship.
Yeon, now fully entangled in ropes, grinned up at the chaos. "Hey, I'll distract it with my face! Trust me, it's a plan."
Before anyone could protest, he launched himself toward the Leviathan, roaring in a way that no beast should ever do. "DARK LORD CHARGE—"
At that moment, Rayan erupted from the water, his katana crackling with power. "No more games," he muttered, his eyes alight with resolve.
He rushed forward, his sword glowing like the sun itself. The wind and light swirled around him, merging with the energy of his blade.
In one clean arc, Rayan slashed through the Leviathan's body with a sound that reverberated through the sea. The beast's enormous form seemed to slow as the strike cut through its scales.
Time seemed to freeze.
CRACK!
The Leviathan's roar broke apart like shattered glass, its massive body disintegrating into particles of mana. The ocean trembled as its form vanished completely, leaving only the quiet aftermath.
Rayan landed on the boat with a heavy splash, drenched but grinning. "That was... kind of amazing," he said, wiping seaweed from his face.
Yeon, still tangled in ropes and fish bits, gave a thumbs-up. "Did we win? I think I blinked."
Cezar and Tonio exchanged a knowing look, slapping each other a high-five as the crew cheered.
The captain, shaking his head in disbelief, muttered, "That was the dumbest thing I've ever seen, and somehow, it worked."
Rayan, still dripping wet, shook his head with a grin. "Next time, we're fighting land monsters. Or rats. Rats are safe."
Yeon, standing victorious on the remains of the Leviathan, threw his arms in the air. "Forget rats! Next up—DRAGON WRESTLING!"
Everyone else: "NO."
End of Chapter 11