North of the city lay the sea. A faint orange-red haze filled the sky, bathing the entire ocean in a reddish glow. It was a rare sight.
A red sea-such a sight appeared only when disaster loomed. Ordinarily, both the sea and the sky above it were a brilliant blue.
"Quick! That Spiny Sea Dragon is back! Blast it!"
Suddenly, a horn emerged from the sea. The people gathered along the shore panicked, shouting for help.
"Don't worry. Leave it to us." Several mages stepped forward. In a rare display of cooperation, they pooled their power and used a magical device to launch an enormous thunderbolt sphere straight at the Spiny Sea Dragon.
The thunderbolt sphere was immensely powerful. Accompanied by a deafening roar and dazzling light, it shot forward like a small, fast-flying rocket.
The kingdom had spent vast resources developing this magical device specifically to combat the enormous Spiny Sea Dragon.
But in an instant, the horn sank swiftly beneath the surface. The thunderbolt sphere struck the water, throwing up an enormous column of spray. Then the sea grew calm again. Lightning crackled across the blasted stretch of water, but it had failed to kill the beast.
For a long time, there was no further movement.
"Damn that Spiny Sea Dragon!" The people who had waited so long by the shore stared in frustration at the utterly still sea. That beast was far too cunning!
"All right, stop sulking. It'll have to come out sooner or later. Keep watch!" said the man in charge of the attacks on this stretch of shore.
Everyone answered and returned to their posts.
A short while later, someone cried out again, "This is bad! The Spiny Sea Dragon has changed targets and attacked again!"
Along another stretch of coast, the inhabitants of