The first bells of the night echoed throughout the empty districts. The wind carried ominousness as entities emerged from their nests. From monstrous animals to unnatural beings, these monsters come in every shape and size. The Lairs adapted their spawn in the aquatic landscape, so they could be at maximum efficiency.

The corpses of the canals swam up. The Drowned rose to the surface and scaled the walls of the canals. The souls of the damned manifested themselves in the streets. Monstrous fish and other predatory marine life instantly filled the area around the Lairs. The enchanted nets that the city had placed were torn apart; the marine monsters now spread throughout the network of canals. The Drowned mindlessly impaled themselves on the wooden spikes placed at the upper edges of the canals. Guardsmen stationed behind the line of spikes impaled their heads with crossbow bolts. As soon as their number increased, the wooden spikes splintered. Before the Drowned can have a chance to gnaw them, they strategically retreated. [Guardsmen] patrolling the streets have already attacked the monsters. [Guardsmen] retreated towards the strategic barricades they had made and the fortified towers beside the monster-infested canals as soon as they knew they were already outnumbered.

Casualties were already made as a crowd of Coast Ogres and Trolls pummeled several guards until they were nothing but bloody puddles. A party of adventurers was too late to save them. An arrow pierced one of them as one swordsman from the party hacked one of the Coast Trolls. They strategically kept their distance as they charged. The adventurers stepped within the crossroads; one of them was grabbed by a tentacle from a colossal Wandering Shell. The giant cone shell devoured the female mage whole instantly under a mass of smaller tendrils, tearing her clothes apart in the process.

The shock made them stop for a moment. Taking advantage of the adventurers' daze, Wraiths instantly possessed their bodies, making them kill each other. The Trolls and Ogres smashed them with their stone and bone clubs. The Wraiths left the bodies and searched for new ones. A wagon of guardsmen was being pursued by a pack of Sharkhounds. They swerved to the right when the coach saw the Walking Kelps crowd blocking the road in front of them. The hulking masses of seaweed were too slow to grab them, even with the control of their kelp-like tentacles. They narrowly avoided a horde of humanoid fish breaking down the door of a house; its wards had run out of mana. The monstrous band of Murkols bared their teeth and let out a bloodthirsty whoop as they finally broke in.

A man jumped out behind a chair and smashed the fishy skull of a Murkol. Bleeding, scales falling out, the leader of the monstrous band let out a bloodcurdling scream. The rest of them followed. The war cry of the goblins of the sea can intimidate most people. But the man was stubborn. He steeled himself. Armed with only a club and his mettle, he was determined to buy his grandmother sometime to hide. Her bones were too brittle to run or be evacuated earlier. The healers already left before he could call for help.

He let out his final war cry before he was speared by the horde.

The guardsmen loaded a large arrow on the small ballista on the wagon. Two of them pulled the heavy drawstring. As soon they are done, the guardsman manning the ballista pulled the lever. The lead Sharkhound was impaled, his corpse causing the others to trip. The three transporting the ballista high-fived each other as the gates of the barricades rose. The men handling the wall shot the pursuers to death with their crossbows.

The mages behind the earthen barricade shot the Rocs, Sky Rays, and the Hover Jellies with spells such as [Stone Darts] and [Shock Arrows]. The Wandering Shell saw the barricade. Its longest tentacle instantly extended itself like a whip. It broke a part of the [Earth Wall] that the barrier is mainly composed of. The mage who cast the [Earth Wall] repaired it at the cost of a portion of mana. The cracks sealed themselves.

It was chaos within the district of the City of Pearls, a supposed paradise of civilization. Yet its wards against monsters found themselves worn out for the past week. Even a prosperous city-state isn't immune to such things.

"Hold on," Lascze told Orbetto. "Someone's in trouble again."

"What's the problem?" Vonn asked. The guardsmen in his command lagged a bit.

"Carry on, I'm just going to help people in need of artillery support." Lascze placed his enchanted portable recurve ballista, slanted on the ground, and rolled the wooden crank, pulling the drawstring. He put one of his harpoons from his Bag of Holding on the giant crossbow as the rest continued their march.

"[Impact Shot]." he activated his Skill while he used [Advanced Trajectory Calculation] and [Farsight] to see if his harpoon would hit.

Then he pulled the lever.

With a sonic boom, he launched the harpoon in midair. Within seconds in the air, the harpoon shattered the Wandering Shell's armor and pierced its main body. Its impact made it pass through its body and into the stone street under it.

"Our secret weapon is here!" One of the guards at the barricade whooped.

"Yeah!" They cheered.

Everyone in Aquinox knew who Lascze was. The former number one adventurer in the city-state. Lascze the Leviathan's Bane, the only Famed Adventurer in the state of Aquinox.

Also known as the friendly [Shopkeeper] of Lascze's General Store that you can trust.

The assault force of guardsmen and Gold and Silver-ranked adventurers marched on the bridge towards Covfrafeze. The market district was now contained around multiple [Earth Walls], including the monsters inside. A dozen of Murkol Archpriests made the waters of the canal rise, slowly flooding the whole district. The force was led by Vice-Captain Voce Roy, the second-in-command of the Aquinoxian Guard. With the power of a thousand guardsmen and willing adventurers, they will eliminate the Lairs once and for all.

"Halt!" The stiff [Commander] commanded. The guards under his command and the adventurers stopped.

"Remember the battle plan!" He reminded. "Lascze, do your thing!" He ordered as the retired adventurer appeared on the earthen wall, surprising the guards staffing it.

"Aye, sir." Lascze nonchalantly said while he propped up his ballista. Within a moment, he loaded the special harpoon that his friend made and cocked the drawstring while mentally calculating the distance between him and the hordes of monsters on the streets.

"[Greater Accuracy], [Storm of Harpoons]." He launched the harpoon. It split into smaller harpoons as its trajectory reached its peak.

Instantly, the harpoons forcefully fell, impaling a band of Murkols after they looted a store. Volley after volley, with his single ballista, he bombarding crowds of monsters with dozens of harpoons.

"At this rate, he will kill all of them before we see action." One of the adventurers, a Human [Macemaster], armed with a mace, commented with one of the party members.

Their [Conjurer] whistled. "That's a Famed Adventurer, alright. Wonder how he fares with the other Famed."

"Done!" Lascze shouted after he sniped two of the Murlok Archpriests.

"Open the gate!" Voce commanded the guards.

Their mage activated [Earth's Gate]. A hole in the [Earth Wall] opened up.

"[Spearmen], to me! [Arbalests] at the back, adventurers at the sides! Cavalry, wait for my signal!" Voce commanded. The [Guardsmen] holding spears surrounded him, protecting him with their shields. The adventurers unwittingly followed him. The crossbowmen adjusted themselves at the back.

"Cavalry units, split into three-man groups and scour every street! [Swift Tactics]!" Swifter than before, the [Guardsmen] riding raptors sped towards the streets as groups speared Murloks with their lances.

"Adventurers, raise your arms and fight! [Courageous March]!"

With the tactical Skill from his [Watch Captain] class, the adventurers' morale and fighting ability were boosted. They rushed towards the streets with fervor, confident with the Skill that the Commander had given them. The surviving monsters of the bombardment were slain by adventurer parties. The [Commander] and his troops were heading towards the nearest Lair with Gold-ranked adventurers' parties. Lascze searched the area for the remaining Murkol Archpriests on the walls with his [Farseeking Kinetic Detection]. The longer they remained alive, the further the flooding continued. Already, the waters of the canals overflowed. The streets were plagued with a sudden flood. The guards and the adventurers were pushed back by the sudden waves. Already, monsters from the sea quickly filled up the streets. Ramfish already rammed the shins of some adventurers, breaking their legs with their rock-like heads. The experienced adventurers knew what to do. They attacked the bodies of the fishes, avoiding hitting its hardened head. Many adventurers were stuck defending against pressurized jets of water from Waterjet Fish schools, as their legs were bitten by scores of sea snakes.

Despite their numbers, they eliminated the Bronze-rank threats with blades, arrows, and magic.

Water Striders skimmed over the flood. The adventurers and guards with long-range attacks quickly dispatched the spider-like monsters. But some got through their defenses and stabbed a number of the men with their sword-like mandibles. The saltwater crocodiles were engaged with the main force. Behind them was a crocodile the size of three wagons accompanied by many Dire Hermit Crabs the size of small wagons, acting as reinforcements to monsters' first wave.

"[Force Wave]!" The [Mages] of the city guard simultaneously chanted. An invisible wave of pure force blew the saltwater crocodiles away.

"[Chain Lightning]!"

"[Mass Magic Missiles]."

"[Wind Lance]!"

"[Frost Bomb]!"

"[Lesser Flame Tornado]!"

The main force of the adventurers battered them with spells from their [Mages]. A chain of lightning struck and toasted the Water Striders. The hail of [Magic Missiles] made cracks in their defenses of the Dire Hermit Crabs, breaking their shells and piercing their flesh. The lance of wind tore through the horde and had hit the Giant Saltwater Crocodile at the back of the enormous hermit crabs. A tornado of flame was conjured, capturing any monster in its way in a vortex of scorching wind.

"[Defensive Formation]!" The Vice-Captain of the Guard activated his Skill. Their shields seemed thicker as they bunched closer together. The remaining saltwater crocodiles and the giant hermit crabs were trying to claw through their defenses. The shields held as they were battered by claws and teeth.

"[Boost Magic: Tornado Lance]." A fierce tornado appeared above the caster, and it grew stronger according to the Lizardman [Aeromancer]'s wishes.

Ulriss Rocktail, an adventurer from the Libertalian continent, holding fourth place in the local Adventurer's Guild rankings, pierced the Titan Crocodile with a tornado that can ravage stone. Another wave made the forces stagger. The water rose to their knees. Disturbed by the commotion, a horde of Canalbugs erupted from their nests, filling the eastern part of the infested districts. The unlucky ones who were caught in the sudden attack had their insides melted by the swarm.

Sea shadows ambushed the men wading in the water. Some of the adventurer's legs were bitten off by creatures made of shade. The horde of Drowned was shambling towards the main force. As Lascze eliminated the last Archpriest, the water level slowly receded.

"[Rapid March]!" The guard marched faster towards the nearest Lair. Giant transparent Slimes absorbed the water, making them even humungous.

"[Shield Wall]!" The vice-captain commanded as they made contact with the Drowned on the stone bridge. The guards at the front line held their line of shields as they stabbed the undead with spears. The mages and archers did their best to bombard them without destroying the bridge. Doing his job, Lascze fired a harpoon, targeting the Giant Slime nearby the main force. Within seconds of being released, it pierced its pearl-like core, forcing it to dissolve into clear gelatin. After five harpoons, he eliminated the Giant Slimes that could've swallowed the main force whole.

He searched for high-priority targets that could threaten the mission. Already, hulking sea serpents emerged from the Lairs.

He loaded an explosive harpoon on his giant crossbow.

"[Rapid Reload], [Farseeker Volley]." He locked on his targets. He let loose a volley of explosive harpoons towards the serpents, obliterating them with explosions. The main force saw the first Lair out of five. They waded amongst the craters and serpent corpses that Lascze had left behind, floating on the water.

"[Molten Ball]." Orbetto cast. A ball of magma shot out from his enchanted mace, destroying the rough crystal inside the Lair. The hole in the wall disappeared.

Lucky for them, the nearest Lair was nearby. The adventurers turned left and waded through the shallow water of the canals. A wall of water monsters was rapidly rushing towards them. The monstrous predatory fishes, crocodiles, and sea snakes were led by a Water Wyvern.

Before anyone reacted, Orbetto raised tossed a line of metal fillings on the water as he channeled the power of the god that he worships.

"[Molten Metal Wall]." The metal fillings sparked as quick as lightning, morphing into a red-hot metal wall as tall and wide as the canals themselves. The Water Wyvern flew away as the sea creatures pressed themselves against the wall, burning themselves.

The wyvern dove towards them. The Forge Cleric tossed another array of metal filling in the air.

"[Hail of Molten Spears]." The metal fillings were morphed into flaming-hot spears as they were blown away by an invisible force before the mages could cast spells.

The wyvern was pierced with the flaming metal spears. Full of holes, it fell on the ground. The wall started to melt into scorching liquid metal.

"[Storm of Acidic Jetstreams]." A middle-aged merman [Liquidmancer] with a floating sphere of acid and a sphere of healing liquid cast. The sphere of acid loomed over the remaining crowd of monsters at the other side of the wall. Then it released streams of acid, melting the flesh of the monsters. A horde of Murkols and Coast Trolls on the other side of the canal frenziedly charged towards the main force.

"[Cage of the Sea Dragon]."

The water beneath them erupted into water shaped like a serpent. It engulfed the monsters with the water until they were trapped in a sphere of waves, floating above the canal.

"[Transmute into Poison]."

The same caster turned the sphere of water into poison. The monsters inside were overloaded with poison.

"[Transmute into Vapor]."

The sphere of poison and its contents slowly dissipated into the air.

"Still got it." The [Liquidmancer] huffed.

"Good work Gemenni." Orbetto playfully punched him in the shoulder. "Let's do your best so Lascze and I can eat your cooking again."

"By the way, where's Lascze?" Gemenni asked.

"On the walls."

"I wish Bosco was here. Makes things easier with his combat Skills or whatnot. At least our landfin can eliminate scum from another island with the giant crossbow of his, so we'll be alright."

"Where is he anyway?"

"Busy with his kingly duties. The dude has a government official from Amos staying over."

"Amos, you mean the country who sells some of that good spice mixes?" Gemmeni asked. "Could use that for my dishes."

"Asura is the country you are talking about. Amos is the undead kingdom."

"Geography is not my strong suit." Gemenni chuckled as they walked with the main force.

Many people in the formation were currently in awe of the power of the former members of the Azure Depthslayers.

After they destroyed the second Lair, the main force emerged from the canals. The other scattered groups of adventurers were being pushed back, although Lascze bombarded the horde with explosive harpoons. Many of them placed themselves behind the barricades the guards had created. The undead was reinforcing the numbers of the enemy; the recently perished became walking corpses.

The main force rested behind a fortification nestled on the crossroads. The roads were blocked with [Earth Walls] and [Earthen Spikes].

The [Commanders] sent groups of scouts consisting of both guards and adventurers to plan their route. By now, the streets were crawling with monsters. Monstrous sea creatures lurked underneath the flooded streets as Murkols looted every building they came across and butchered the defeated adventurers' corpses.

Half of the scouts came back. They reported that the remaining Lairs were a couple of blocks away.

"[Greater Fireball]!"

"[Force Explosion]!"

"[Acid Orb]."

"[Mass Earth Spikes]!"

"[Crashing Waves]!"

"[Explosion]!"

The mages on the fortification bombarded the monsters within the streets with spells. A large [Fireball] engulfs a horde of Murkols with flames, cooking them alive. A mighty explosion of force blown away the Drowned Lords, massive undead of rotten flesh and bone, controlling the rest of the Drowned. An orb of acid melted a Direcrab's shell, killing it. The horde was impaled by earthen spires, and their corpses and the survivors were washed away by a wave. A portion of the air among the horde exploded, splattering their remains all over the houses and the streets. Men with bows and crossbows pelted the stragglers with arrows.

Lascze annihilated groups of monsters with his explosive harpoons, power rivaling that against a cannon volley.

"[Storm of Molten Smiting]." Orbetto casually slaughtered dozens of monsters with showers of molten metal granted by the power of the god that he revered.

"[Mass Havoc of Tidal Dragons]." Gemenni unleashed a tide of dragons made of water. Even if all monsters they faced had water affinities, they were broken by the dragon-shaped waves' sheer force. Simultaneously, he healed many fighters with his [Fluid Beds of Purifying Regeneration]: a spell that morphs his ball of healing liquid into floating cocoons of regenerative fluid that encases people, healing injuries and dispels poisons. Of all the guardsmen and the adventurers' efforts, the Azure Depthslayer's retired members did the most damage to the monstrous horde. A path had opened within the corpses of the monsters that they created.

"Path clear!" Orbetto signaled.

"Open the gate!" The Vice-Captain commanded. A part of the [Earth Wall] opened. The subjugation force marched towards the remaining Lairs. Lascze saw the two out of three Lairs within his field of vision. Unlike the last two Lairs, hidden on the canal walls, he can shoot them from here without damaging any buildings.

With near-perfect accuracy, he sniped their core crystals, deactivating their spontaneous spawning of monsters.

"One Lair remaining." He smiled. Then he proceeded to obliterate any monster that threatens the advance of the main force.

The coalition marched towards the remaining Lairs.

"[Mass Reforged Armaments], [Saintly Armorsmith's Blessing]," Orbetto called upon the divine power of his god.

Their weapons were restored into their original making like they were forged a minute ago. Not only that, but they were also better than before with sharper blades and perfectly balanced weights. The dents and scratches of their armor disappeared, reverting when they were newly forged. Their weapons and armor are now sturdier than most blacksmiths' work, with extra enchantments to boot. They faintly glowed and hummed with divine power. As with all enchantments, this is merely temporary.

"[Turtle Formation]." The Vice-Captain used one of his Skills. All of them formed into a square formation.

The [Mages] with enchantment magic cast their buffs and debuffs.

"[Mass Mystic Blades]."

"[Mass Continuous Minor Regeneration]!"

"[Mass Lion's Strength]!"

"[Mass Speed Boost]."

"[Mass Mystic Mantle]!"

The last horde of monsters stood between them and the previous Lair. Some of the mages cast debuffing spells on the horde.

"[Smoke of Slowing]."

"[Mass Enfeeblement]."

"[Mass Corrode Armor]."

"[Mass Hysteria]."

The Water Wyverns attempted to dig their claws into shields and armor. Massive Sea Serpents swallowed people whole with their wide maws. The Murkols riding Hippocampi and Sharkhounds tried to knock the frontline fighter down with their rapid charges. Nephrotaurs tried to snap blades and polearms with claws that can shatter metal. Giant crabs massed themselves against the shield wall, and the rest of the debilitated monsters were unsuccessful with their assault. The main force held their defense against their claws and maws.

"[Lesser Tornado]." Ulriss cleared a path amongst the melee. Monsters were flung away from the battle, landing on roofs, fell on the canals, and crashed against window shutters. The remaining monsters who were in a daze were quickly dispatched with blades and arrows. They moved quickly towards the Lair, like a predator chasing down its prey. Howls of the spirits of the damned echoed throughout the district. Ghosts were forcefully materialized from the corpses of monsters, and the Lair took them over. The bodies then were turned into the undead of the ocean. With its desperation, the Lair merged some of the spirits and created an amalgamation of malice. Its presence dominated the undead around the Lair.

Like a [Warrior King], it led the remaining undead outside the sewer. The sewers were dominated by the howls and grunts of the undead. Moments later, the fighters of Aquinox felt an ominous presence.

The presence of a Lesser Guardian being born. As soon as they stepped on the canal waters, the remaining undead, both flesh-bound and ghastly, came out of the sewers' entrance. Fear finally enveloped their hearts as their eyes laid upon the vile undead. Their collective malice was like feeling the pressure from the depths.

"Wraiths!" Someone shouted. One of the guardsmen screamed in terror.

"[Courageous March]! Don't let them get to you!" Their [Commander] yelled, snapping out of their daze. His Skill made the fear temporarily dissipate. As the undead made their assault, the men counterattacked. The [Forge Cleric]'s two enchantment spells made fighting the ghosts and undead easier. Their blades and armor are imbued with divine magic that protects against walking corpses and possession against malicious spirits.

Adventurers that are [Paladins] and [Clerics] were integral in this incursion. Divine magic made the undead offensive falter and burn to ash. With a single hit of their weapons, they dematerialize into nothing.

The battle went well until a haunting entity appeared.

A giant transparent skeleton with an extra dozen bones and skulls floated above the battle. It was enveloped with grey ectoplasm that resembled a robe. Faces under the spectral cloth were struggling under its dreadful embrace as its eyes glowed in hatred. Its malicious intent weighed over all those who opposed it.

"A Wraith Lord!" Someone warned.

With resounding voices that carried fear, the amalgam of spirits chanted incomprehensibly. Before anyone could do anything about it, a couple of guardsmen nearest to the Wraith Lord were engulfed in the violet flame. Their souls were burnt to a crisp until they withered.

"Fuck!" Orbetto yelled in anger. He was too late to save them. "[Smiting Column of Flame]!" With the power of divine fire, all of the undead were swallowed by the purifying flames from the heavens.

Before Orbetto collapsed, a mass of floating liquid caught him.

"You forgot to drink a mana potion again." Gemenni pitied. "Rest now. You did well." He commanded the blob that encased the Beastkin Forge Cleric to carry him to a safe place.

"Let me handle the cleanup. [Sea Serpent Seeker]." Before the captain released his order, Gemenni's liquid serpent raced towards the inside of the sewers with blinding speed. As soon as it detected the Lair's core, it shattered it with the brute force of its liquid form.

"Is it done?" The Vice-Captain asked.

"Yeah," Gemenni answered.

They did not howl in celebration. There are casualties to heal or retrieve, patrols to be made, and warding torches to be planted. As a guardsman placed the first warding torch on the sewer entrance walls, it marked the end of the first half of the mission. While these skirmishes took place in another district, a boy is trying to sleep.

"Who am I exactly?" He thought. The boy lies still on the bed the Shopkeeper Lascze provided him.

The strange cat was still seemingly guarding the doors and the window shutters, roaming around like an [Guardsmen] on patrol. His mind wandered about his origins, but it all ended there on the gloomy cobblestone road of this city, where he first found himself in. He decided to not think about it. He tried to think of a name for himself to consolidate his newfound identity in this city. His mental efforts did not bear fruit. He had known no names except for his benefactors.

The boy thought about them. What are they doing right now? Are they safe? His eyes grew heavier by the second. Then his mind decided to rest until tomorrow. Within his resting mind, a name popped up from the depths of his missing memories.

And his whole being knew that it is his real name.