Chapter Summaries

Evan witnessed Pirate King Octopus Ghost Harkins lead nearly a hundred sea monsters aboard an artificially created tsunami toward the Leyton River Valley, then ordered the Storm Cape back to support headquarters. At Water City Nieske, ordinary tourists enjoyed the beach, unaware of the danger approaching.

• Evan’s seabirds spotted the tsunami, and the Storm Cape’s crew turned to meet the wave head-on.
• Evan saw nearly a hundred sea monsters riding the tsunami alongside the Eternal Imprisonment Icon, Harkins’s flagship.
• After the tsunami passed, Evan judged that the Leyton River Valley’s forces could not withstand the sea monsters and ordered the Storm Cape to return and support headquarters.
• At Nieske’s beach, Kute watched his younger sister build a sandcastle while tourists enjoyed the morning.

A tsunami unleashed by Harkins and more than a hundred sea monsters devastated Nieske and swept the creatures up the Leyton River. Rear Admiral Coverdale held the surviving bastion as the sea monsters approached, while the chapter left an unknown force moving upriver and the battle about to begin.

• The tide withdrew early, and beachgoers rushed onto the exposed shore to gather fish and shellfish as seabirds and city animals fled inland.
• A thirty-meter tsunami struck Nieske, destroying most of the city and its harbor; Saint Mark's Church and the bastion on Cape Mountain survived.
• Rear Admiral Coverdale saw Harkins's sea monsters and pirate flagship travel upstream along the Leyton River, then sent warnings to inland cities by alarm and messenger terns.
• Coverdale ordered messages sent to Storm Cape and Royal Guard, asking them to return and reinforce the bastion.
• Two dark figures flew upriver from near the river mouth, while Coverdale prepared to defend the bastion as the sea monsters approached.

The defenders at the river mouth prepared to face a Skull Eel and other sea monsters as Harkins led a vast force upstream toward Gold Lion City. Old Joel ordered the city’s evacuation and defenses, but he and the banking group’s directors still assumed Harkins was merely passing through.

• Rear Admiral Coverdale sent the infantry regiment from Nieske’s camp to rescue civilians while soldiers at the northern bastion took up defensive positions.
• A Skull Eel charged the bastion, and the defenders activated Siren's Song before firing their cannons at it.
• Harkins and more than a hundred sea monsters advanced up the Leyton River, devastating settlements and leaving Small Species behind to harass local garrisons.
• An assistant warned Old Joel that sea monsters and Harkins’s flagship were approaching Gold Lion City and that Nieske had been destroyed.
• Old Joel ordered citizens to evacuate, called Extraordinary defenders to battle, and sent for Bishop Jasper while preparing to defend the city.
• The banking group’s directors volunteered to join Old Joel on the city walls, but they shared his belief that Harkins was unlikely to attack Gold Lion City.

Harkins led his sea-monster army in a tsunami assault on Gold Lion City to seize the Heart of the Ocean. The banking group’s defenders mistakenly believed the monsters were passing by until Harkins turned his forces on the city and smashed through its walls.

• Magistrate Old Joel and the Netherlands Banking Group’s directors prepared Gold Lion City’s defenses alongside Colonel Wilde’s mobile force, while Thomas left to investigate suspected pirate agents.
• A tsunami surged into Red Shrimp River Bend as Harkins approached Gold Lion City with his sea-monster army, intent on taking the Heart of the Ocean before the Kingdom’s strongest defenders could respond.
• The sea monsters passed the city, leading the directors to assume Harkins was heading upstream and to joke about buying a sea monster.
• Harkins ordered part of his army to turn back toward Gold Lion City, while the rest continued upstream to occupy the garrison forces.
• Harkins sounded the charge, and the towering waves smashed through Gold Lion City’s granite walls.

Rear Admiral Coverdale and the bastion’s defenders fought off five Large Species while enduring heavy bombardment. Coverdale lured the Skull Eel onto the fort, broke its jaw with a shield strike, and the garrison killed it with concentrated cannon fire, claiming their first victory against a Large Species.

• The Water Cannon Humpback Whale bombarded the bastion, forcing Rear Admiral Coverdale to deflect its shots while the defenders struggled to hold their positions.
• The Skull Eel charged a ravelin, and the defenders withheld their close-range fire as it climbed onto the bastion.
• Rear Admiral Coverdale struck the Skull Eel’s lower jaw with his Steel City Shield Strike, breaking it and knocking the monster from the platform.
• The deputy Commander ordered the cannons to fire on the dazed, fallen Skull Eel while the garrison endured the whale’s renewed bombardment.
• The bastion’s crossfire severed the Skull Eel’s head from its chest, killing the first Large Species of the invasion.

The Giant Hammer Mantis Shrimp breached the bastion with a devastating strike, leaving Rear Admiral Coverdale and his soldiers facing a desperate fight. Evan saw the destruction and sent potion-carrying seabirds and bomb-laden birds toward the river mouth, promising that air support would arrive in ten minutes.

• The Giant Hammer Mantis Shrimp advanced on the Central Embankment, endured cannon fire, and destroyed part of the bastion with a single strike that killed more than a hundred defenders.
• Rear Admiral Coverdale rallied the surviving soldiers and led them in a vow to fight to the death as they continued firing at the Mantis Shrimp.
• Evan surveyed the ruined Nieske Water City and saw that the bastion was under attack from the Mantis Shrimp and a Water Cannon Humpback Whale.
• Evan sent White Gulls carrying High-Efficiency Voodoo Potions and Black Feather Frigatebirds and Great Albatrosses carrying Alchemy Bombs toward the river mouth.

Harkins led an assault on Gold Lion City with a fleet of sea monsters, aiming to breach the Netherlands Banking Group’s underground vault and seize the Heart of the Ocean. As the monsters began demolishing the vault, Mafia Family head Danfu Mafia revealed his alliance with the pirates and confronted a hidden naval officer.

• Harkins’s sea monsters smashed through Gold Lion City’s southern wall and devastated nearby districts.
• Harkins led his forces toward the Banking Group headquarters, intent on reaching its heavily guarded underground vault.
• The sea monsters began demolishing the vault after sensing the Heart of the Ocean, a divine treasure connected to the Black Sea’s authority.
• Danfu Mafia released seagulls to carry messages to cities along the Leyton River and called on his men to welcome Harkins’s pirates.
• Danfu Mafia addressed a naval officer who had been hiding nearby and challenged him to reveal himself.

Evan’s seabirds arrived as Rear Admiral Coverdale prepared a suicide squad to attack the Giant Hammer Mantis Shrimp, and their alchemical strike softened its armor for the garrison’s cannons. The Mantis Shrimp was killed, while Evan’s larger seabirds bombed the Water Cannon Humpback Whale, leaving the result of that attack unclear.

• The Giant Hammer Mantis Shrimp destroyed the second bastion, and Rear Admiral Coverdale prepared an adjutant and suicide squad to attack its unarmored underside.
• Evan sent a Needletail Swift to tell Coverdale that seabirds were arriving with reinforcements, so Coverdale recalled the squad and concentrated the surviving cannons and musketeers on the Central Embankment.
• Twenty White Gulls dropped High-Efficiency Voodoo Potions onto the Giant Hammer Mantis Shrimp, melting and weakening its chitinous armor.
• Coverdale ordered the garrison to fire, and the Mantis Shrimp charged the bastion, shattered its softened hammer appendage, and was killed by two thirty-two-pound cannonballs.
• Nineteen Black Feather Frigatebirds and Great Albatrosses dropped Alchemy Bombs from above onto the Water Cannon Humpback Whale, setting off a massive explosion and waves.

Solomon and Evan's ships converged to fight the sea monsters threatening the river mouth, while Harkins's forces continued demolishing Gold Lion City's Banking Group headquarters to reach its underground vault. Harkins began digging toward the vault and hoped the Great Cathedral would stay out of his way.

• Solomon ordered the Royal Guard to fire on the Ironclad Seahorse and Ghost Shrimp, then used Saipeisi's speed to lead them toward Evan's Storm Cape.
• Evan realized Solomon intended to draw the two Large Species into a two-on-two fight with the Storm Cape.
• The General charged the damaged Water Cannon Humpback Whale as Rear Admiral Coverdale and the fortress defenders prepared to hold their sector against Harkins's sea monsters.
• Four Giant Hammer Mantis Shrimp demolished the Netherlands Banking Group headquarters, exposing the steel gate to its underground vault.
• Harkins sent two Earthquake Two-Headed Turtles and four Earth Belly Snake Lizards to dig around the vault gate, while warning the Great Cathedral not to interfere.

Bishop Jasper and the clergy invoked the Sun Judgment Holy Sword to attack Harkins while he was breaking into the Netherlands Banking Group’s vault. Harkins survived the opening strike by using a Water Flea to buy time and unleashing Limit Release.

• The banking group’s chairman and survivors sought Bishop Jasper’s help as sea monsters surrounded the Golden Dome Cathedral.
• Jasper asked Iron Wall Knight Ambrose to serve as the ritual’s vessel, and Ambrose agreed.
• Jasper and the clergy channeled the Goddess’s power through the cathedral to activate the Sun Judgment Holy Sword.
• Jasper chose Harkins as the first target, aiming to disrupt the sea monster horde by killing its leader.
• A Water Flea intercepted the golden beam, giving Harkins time to activate Limit Release.

Harkins outlasted the Golden Dome Cathedral’s Holy Sword and let his sea monsters continue demolishing the vault. Below ground, Daina and Hefman prepared to defend it as the breach opened and their Sorcery Contract came into effect.

• Harkins dodged Ambrose’s Sun Judgment Holy Sword until the cathedral’s power was exhausted, though the attack killed numerous sea monsters and one Earthquake Two-Headed Turtle.
• Harkins revealed that he had prepared for a far stronger enemy and watched as the sea monsters continued tearing through the vault’s defenses.
• An Earth Belly Snake Lizard approached the newly opened pit, but Daina severed its head with a curse technique from underground.
• Daina and Hefman accepted that their contract required them to defend the vault, despite their fear and the danger of the attack.
• Hefman activated his metal case and transformed into a three-meter-tall Golem Knight wielding a Chainsaw Sword.

Hefman and Daina fought the sea monsters and pirates guarding the vault, but the attackers overwhelmed the defenders’ remaining forces. Daina was nearly cut in two by a pirate executive, leaving the vault’s defense on the brink of collapse.

• Hefman used his Golem Knight armor and chainsaw sword to attack the sea monsters outside the vault.
• Daina emerged from the tunnel and used Curse · Rotten Blood to weaken two wounded Spiny Back Crocodile Lizards.
• Daina snapped her living wooden stick to curse an Earthquake Two-Headed Turtle, but the effort made her spit blood and failed to kill it.
• Haimo led eleven Extraordinary Cadres in an assault on Daina as the pirates pressed their advantage.
• Daina used Curse · Five Senses Deprivation and Curse · Itch to hinder the pirates, but a Senior Knight-level executive slashed her nearly in two.

Harkins’s forces defeated the Witch, Lind, and Hefman as they dug through the vault’s defenses. At the second-level vault, Harkins met Grace Calvin, the Oath Knight guarding it, and prepared to face the opponent he respected as the perfect sacrifice for his ascension.

• The Witch’s cursed mass released Lind, who killed three Pirate Executives with his soul-severing Butcher Knife before embracing Daina and vanishing with her in blue ghostfire.
• The Spiny Back Crocodile Lizards and Spiral Brain Coral overwhelmed Hefman’s Golem Knight, and Hefman detonated his Steam Furnace rather than be devoured.
• Harkins’s sea monsters resumed digging through the traps and broke into the second-level vault twenty-nine meters underground.
• Harkins ordered his forces to retreat and waited as Grace Calvin emerged from the vault to confront him.
• Grace’s history revealed that he had surrendered his claim to the Calvin Duchy, kept his oath to guard the vault, and become known as the Oath Knight and Knight of Light.
• Harkins laughed as he faced Grace, whom he regarded as the ideal sacrifice for his rise to the fourth tier.

Pirate King Harkins fought the Great Vault’s guardian, Grand Knight Grace, and defeated him after Grace refused to abandon his oath. Grace died standing guard over the vault, leaving Harkins and his forces before its entrance.

• Grace recognized Harkins and charged him to defend the Great Vault as Harkins met him in battle.
• Grace unleashed Denair Swordsmanship’s No Mind, while Harkins answered with his Eight Arms Fist and overwhelmed Grace with repeated strikes.
• Harkins offered Grace the position of Vice Captain if he abandoned his oath, but Grace rejected the offer and attacked with Fierce Tiger Stance.
• Harkins used Eight Arms Fist’s Chaotic Elbow Spear, mortally wounding Grace despite suffering a deep injury to his shoulder.
• Grace died standing upright before the vault entrance, still guarding it.

Harkins breached the Netherlands Banking Group’s grand vault and sent his pirates to seize its most valuable treasures, while Old Joel recognized that the Pirate King’s true target was Philip II’s crown. The pirates continued their plunder, leaving the Banking Group facing catastrophic losses and Old Joel preparing to reveal information about Sirius.

• Harkins ordered his pirates to loot the vault while he waited above the collapsed pit for the Heart of the Ocean.
• Old Joel accepted responsibility for the attack and said he would resign as chairman after Grand Knight Grace’s death.
• A Banking Group director spotted Harkins claiming Philip II’s Golden Crown, leading the directors to suspect it held some secret tied to Sirius.
• Old Joel decided to release information about Sirius in hopes of turning the crisis against the kingdom.
• Harkins ordered the pirates to discard gold and take only the most valuable goods within two-thirds of the ship’s capacity.

Harkins obtained the Heart of the Ocean from King Sirius’s crown and withdrew from Gold Lion City, leaving liberated sea monsters to attack the city. After meeting Danfu and branding Thomas Gregory as a pawn, Harkins sailed downstream toward the final stage of his operation.

• Harkins took the Heart of the Ocean and ordered his pirates to leave Gold Lion City with their loot.
• Harkins released the surviving sea monsters, which attacked the city and besieged the refugees at the Golden Dome Cathedral.
• Bishop Jasper used Divine Art · Royal Authority · Command to turn two sea monsters against their allies as Harkins escaped with his crew.
• Danfu met Harkins outside the city, reported that the Mafia Family’s transfer and preparations were ready, and presented Thomas Gregory as a potential pawn.
• Harkins spared Thomas and branded his right arm with the Pirate King’s insignia.
• Harkins and his crew boarded the Eternal Imprisonment Icon and sailed downstream toward the final stage of the operation.

Anita learned that a vast terror was driving sea creatures away from the Leyton River as the Golden Horned Deer continued toward danger. Meanwhile, Evan and Solomon joined forces aboard the Storm Cape and Royal Guard to fight two sea monsters, ending as Saipeisi moved to engage the Ironclad Seahorse.

• Anita used the Language Comprehension Mask and told Molly that a tsunami and monster attack had struck human cities, while a deeper fear was spreading from the Leyton River.
• Evan and Solomon exchanged insults but coordinated their ships, drawing the Ironclad Seahorse and Ghost Shrimp away from the coast and preparing for battle.
• Evan sent nineteen seabirds carrying thirty-eight Alchemy Bombs to attack the sea monsters, but both creatures dove underwater and emerged with little damage.
• The two battleships formed a line-of-battle and chose to focus their fire on the Ghost Shrimp before tackling the Ironclad Seahorse.
• Solomon ordered Saipeisi to hold off the Ironclad Seahorse as the confrontation began.

Evan’s warships crippled the Ghost Shrimp but suffered damage from its powerful water blast, while Saipeisi failed to restrain the Ironclad Seahorse. Solomon’s Casserre Bronze Cannon fired a Bomb Cyclone that missed the charging seahorse, leaving Evan furious with Bertram.

• Saipeisi caught the Ironclad Seahorse in a giant underwater net, allowing the two battleships to focus their cannon fire on the exposed Ghost Shrimp.
• The Ghost Shrimp’s shell cracked under the broadside, but it retaliated with a superheated water shockwave that punched a hole in the Storm Cape’s waterline.
• Evan saw the Ghost Shrimp incapacitated, then learned that the Ironclad Seahorse had broken free from Saipeisi’s restraints.
• Evan ordered the ships to fire on the armored Ironclad Seahorse, but their shots mostly rang off its Bone Plate Armor.
• Solomon used the Casserre Bronze Cannon to unleash a Bomb Cyclone, but the freezing blast passed over the Ironclad Seahorse and exploded at the edge of its range.
• Evan blamed Bertram for the missed shot and swore he would never trust him again.

Evan fought off the Ironclad Seahorse as it pursued the Storm Cape, while the Royal Guard struggled to bring its cannon into action. After spotting her long-lost younger brother, Anita headed toward the battle as Evan used a Shadow Bridge to reach the Royal Guard.

• Evan broke formation and used his Alchemy Musket to destroy both of the Ironclad Seahorse's eyes, but the monster sensed the Storm Cape through disturbances in the water and rammed its stern, damaging the ship's wheel and throwing sailors overboard.
• Evan urged Bertram to fire the Casserre Bronze Cannon, but Bertram explained that poor sea conditions made a hit uncertain and that only one shot remained before midnight.
• Anita spotted Evan on the Storm Cape and recognized him as her younger brother, then clenched the hilt of her Dragon Slaying Sword.
• Evan told Milan to form a Shadow Bridge with the Storm Cape's mast and an Enhanced Illumination Spell, then entered the bridge with his shadow lizard to reach the Royal Guard.
• Evan left First Mate Bogg in temporary command of the Storm Cape.

Evan used the Casserre Bronze Cannon to freeze the Ironclad Seahorse, but the sea monster revived by draining nearby marine life until Anita arrived and killed it. Anita secretly recognized Evan and warned him away from danger, while Evan realized his sister had returned to the Old Continent.

• Evan crossed from the Storm Cape to the Royal Guard through the shadow realm and warned Solomon that using the Shadow Amulets without a guide was dangerous.
• Evan fired the Bomb Cyclone at the Ironclad Seahorse, freezing it in a vast mass of ice.
• The Ironclad Seahorse drained nearby marine life, rebirthed itself, and withstood the ships' attacks as it approached the warships.
• Anita raced in on an emerald wave and beheaded the Ironclad Seahorse with White Sail Swordsmanship's Wind Shears.
• Anita warned the crews to reach shore, took the Ironclad Seahorse's Extraordinary Characteristic, and gave it to Molly Stella as a main ingredient for her Tidal Hunter advancement potion.
• Evan recognized Anita as his sister, while Anita's Needletail Swift delivered a psychic message calling her Sister.