Atlantic Ocean, Williamsburg Coastline, Virginia - 12:11 PM


    The moment my feet touched the water, a whirlpool appeared around me. I was sucked down, deeper than I should have been able to go this close to land, and I saw the sheer cliff holding up the coastline. Millions of tons of dirt and sand had been excavated and moved in what frankly would have been an impressive feat if it hadn’t been the will of the administrators.


    Luckily for the people on the coast, the system would keep it from eroding further once the Atlanteans were taken care of. It wouldn’t be long now.


    The whirlpool stopped dragging me downwards after a couple hundred feet. I could no longer see the surface with my awareness aura, but I could tell which way the surface was. More importantly, I could still see Dantenkarl.


    He floated about twenty feet away, watching with disinterest. His aura was one of blue steel and boredom, as if he wasn’t expecting much out of a surface dweller. He let go of his harpoon, and it stayed at his side without moving while he put his fists together and bowed. At the same time, he kicked his armored boots off, revealing thick, webbed feet.


    His harpoon had started glowing. The green metal tip was now a soft blue, and the shaft had several ancient figures carved into the sturdy wood. When the whirlpool stopped, so did the glowing. Atlantean water control was something else, and I was looking forward to the chance to play with a worse version of it later.


    Because of course the administrators had to neuter skills and passives after they gave them to the players.


    I put my fists together and returned the bow before retrieving my Vague Stick from my inventory. Dantenkarl grabbed his weapon, and I molded mine into a harpoon similar to his own. He tilted his head as he looked at it before deciding it didn’t matter. Raising his hand, he offered me the first move. I graciously accepted.


    Behind him, at the base of his skull, I Constructed a serrated dagger. It was near instantaneous, and yet Dantenkarl still reacted to it. He moved away from the weapon as it flew towards him, looking back to see the translucent, purple item attempting to pierce his skull. His aura showed wariness now, as the first move in our game had caught him off guard.


    Putting a Force Field under my feet, I launched myself and swam towards him. His attention returned to me when I raised my harpoon. It was a little thing for the honor guard to feel the minute changes in the waters around them, which gave me an opponent with just as much awareness as I had. A rarity, to be sure, but a welcome challenge.


    Dantenkarl seemed surprised at my speed despite my lack of fins. I hadn’t used my Warmind powers on myself yet, but I had great stats and a small boost I had to synthesize. It added up.


    <<<>>>


    [[Passive]]


    Aquathlon Athlete


    Increase your ground and swim speed by 15%


    <<<>>>


    Assailed from the front and back, Dantenkarl spun a single time. The water around him swirled, creating another whirlpool. The rapidly shifting liquids shoved my weapons aside. My harpoon missed by a wide margin while the dagger was sent off out of reach. I let it dissipate, not spending any more mental points on its existence.


    Dantenkarl ignored the whirlpool like it wasn’t there and closed the gap between us. I used Spin on my overcoat to get back into position and raise my harpoon. He came down hard, slashing at me from above. My weapon vibrated from the blow but held, and I was pushed deeper into the water.


    My foe gave chase. I bent my knees and prepared to put a Force Field behind me when the water quickly solidified. Shifting at the last moment, I managed to land on it safely in time to dodge a thrust from Dantenkarl’s harpoon.


    In one smooth movement he stopped like the water had sucked him backwards, and he picked the spot where he would have the range advantage. A heavy exchange of thrusts came from just out of reach, and I used my Vague Harpoon to parry them.


    I needed Orbit in order to get my weapon where I needed it. Dantenkarl was far more skilled than the usual bosses I fought and the water made it harder to defend myself with back and forth movements. Normally, my high Strength would have been enough, but the weight of the sea was oppressive and only getting worse. As I continued to parry and bewilderment spread throughout the Atlantean’s aura, I knew he was wondering if I was even being affected.


    The pressure he was forcing the ocean to put on me was, in fact, having a negative impact. If it weren’t for my high Constitution, my chest probably would have caved in by now. Dantenkarl’s mastery of the sea was higher than his brother’s, and fighting him here was absolutely the right call.


    It was exhilarating.


    My enemy’s solid block of water disappeared beneath me, and I started Pulling on my shoes. Instead of dropping further into the sea, I started rising towards him. Dantenkarl’s eyes widened in surprise as I reached out and grabbed his harpoon just beyond where the barbs were. In my other hand, I thrust my own towards his face.


    Water bubbled and erupted between us, shoving us apart. The pressure around me alleviated, but quickly came back once Dantenkarl got his bearings. I recovered first.


    My Vague Harpoon flew through the water, aided by Push. The Atlantean suddenly shifted, but not enough to completely dodge my attack. It slammed into his right pauldron. His armor shuddered, cracked, and I recalled my weapon. It had a blunted point, and I quickly fixed that with a mental command.


    He stared at me with an intensity I wanted to laugh at. Raising a hand, I put up one finger before pointing to myself. Then, I changed it to a zero and pointed at him before flipping him off.


    For the first time, anger appeared in Dantenkarl’s aura.


    The water all around us started moving in waves and the pressure on me doubled. Ahead, the Atlantean started swimming with the flow, gaining speed with each passing second.


    Even though I had seen it before, I had to be impressed by the guy’s control. Every ounce of water I could perceive was churning to form a malevolent cauldron meant to kill me outright. I was battered this way and that as the streams shifted between the top and lower halves of my body. My hit points were depleting, but this much was easy to ignore.


    Ink deployed in the water behind Dantenkarl as a compartment in his armor opened up, and my vision was swiftly blotted out. He continued to swim around me at strange angles, going with the flow to completely hinder my sight, and it wasn’t long until my eyes were completely useless.


    I Constructed another dagger only a few inches in front of him, but he dodged again, becoming faster all the while. I let the dagger drop away into the sea, intending to make use of it later. It was faint, but I could sense the sea bed beneath us now.


    Behind me, Dantenkarl approached. I swung my Vague Harpoon left and Constructed another dagger to my right. He juked aside, spearing me just under my armpit, but it was a glancing blow. Having avoided my weapon, he was on the side with my Construct.


    I Dropped it when he tried to swim under, and it scratched a line down his otherwise mostly pristine armor. Realizing what was going to happen, he attempted to switch course, but I did the same, and the dagger scratched down his armored leg.


    Directly into his bare webbed foot.


    Bubbles burst from Dantenkarl’s mouth from the pain. It had pierced through the middle of his blue foot and his momentum kept him going, slicing through his toes. They dangled by the barest of skin, the webbing keeping it attached.


    Letting this dagger fade, I Constructed a pair of flippers on my feet and followed after him. The speed increase was immediately noticeable, and I stayed in his slipstream. Dantenkarl wasn’t nearly as mobile as he had been before the blow, but he was persistent. He tried changing up his pathways, changing the direction of the water between us, and more to throw me off his trail.


    It didn’t work. I Pushed myself forward by the Vague Harpoon. The chase wasn’t getting any closer, but it was making him more apprehensive now that he didn’t feel as though he was the hunter. He would be making a fatal mistake soon enough, and I was catching up. Wrapping my Cable Conglomerate around my weapon, I pulled my arm back to throw it.If you discover this tale on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen. Please report the violation.


    That was when he turned around in an impossible flash of movement and tried to strike me down. The tip of his weapon headed straight for my chest. I dodged to the side, but that wasn’t enough to remain undamaged.


    My shirt and skin tore as a concentrated whirlpool of slicing water preceded the Atlantean’s harpoon. My blood further muddied the water as I attempted to stab him, and he rushed to meet me. Our weapons clashed, and he was slightly faster. It warped the water around him, pushing and shoving it into the right positions while I had to do the same with my Warmind abilities.


    I grinned at the continued exchange of cuts, thrusts, and parries, and Dantenkarl’s eyes widened at the look on my face. His years of experience and the terrain were serving him well against me, but it wasn’t easy for him. The fight wasn’t going as he assumed it would. His aura started to show panic as cuts started showing up on my body and they weren’t as deep as he had hoped.


    Then, he made his mistake: he let me get underneath him.


    Dantenkarl’s attacks seemed to become more ferocious as he shoved me closer to the bottom of the ocean. I started utilizing more of my kit as I was bashed lower and lower. Shield only worked for a few moments due to the constant pressure he was putting on me, while Force Field was something I could at least conjure away from my body. In my off hand, I retrieved My Golden Bowling Ball from my inventory, using it as a shield.


    The Atlantean’s teeth grit as he continued thrusting. Having learned that he wasn’t going to stop this with a well-placed blow to any of my vitals, he was trying to kill me slowly with as many shallow cuts as he could. To his credit, he was aiming for muscles that would prevent me from fighting back nearly as well, but such small injuries were quickly healed by my natural regeneration rate.


    Finally, my back was pushed against the sandy ground. In a flash, the Cable Conglomerate flew from my vambrace, pushing the Vague Harpoon around Dantenkarl. He attempted to flee upwards, but was caught by the metal rope. The weapon plunged into the ground and pulled him into me, chest to chest, his own harpoon pinned to his side.


    Pulling his head back, he slammed it forward onto my Tankless Breather. It cracked, but held, and when he tried to do it again he paused as something caught his eye.


    Just above my head, slowly rising from the sand, was the Constructed dagger I had let fall. There was no real reason to let it remain except for the dramatic reveal, but damn was it satisfying. Dantenkarl struggled to escape, attempting to headbutt me again in the process, but I used the Cable Conglomerate to hold him back.


    I gave him a nod, and the pressure on the both of us ramped up to the point where I felt my ribs crack. The pauldron I had hit collapsed in on itself for his last, desperate move.


    And then I Pushed the Constructed dagger forward, bypassing the thick armor around his neck and plunging it directly into his spinal cord. He struggled, his hit points too high to make it an instant death, but the pressure still let up as I received the victory screen I expected.


    <<<>>>


    [[Victory!]]


    You have defeated the Scenario Boss [Honor Guard Dantenkarl]; +1,000 points.


    [[Hidden Scenario Quest Complete]]


    The players have done well, one seen while the other hides. Interesting.


    Admiral Chekanhat’s honor guard has been defeated. The Atsamptatero has been finished with a clear victory for mankind. As is dictated by the right of the winner, the Atlanteans will retreat.


    Reward: Honored Warrior passive, 1,500 points.


    [[Passive]]


    Honored Warrior


    Tales of your name have traveled far and wide, and warriors have come to know it. From respect to fear to excitement, your introductions to different societies may spark interest where there would be none before.


    Societies where you know your name is known: Atlantean, Dryad, Kobold, Shapeshifters, Vespae.


    [[Patron Quest Complete!]]


    Great work, Anthony!


    Jamie finished up her fight just a few seconds before you did yours. Skuld is now translating for Kayla as her Patron, so major success there! The Atlanteans are about to leave. Grab what you’re going to and head back up to the surface. They should be gone by the time you arrive.


    Reward: 4,500 points.


    <<<>>>


    Now that there wasn’t anyone claiming it, I was able to bring Dantenkarl’s armor into my inventory along with My Golden Bowling Ball and the Vague Stick. His body, however, I left. The ocean sand would claim him, giving him an Atlantean warrior’s burial. Grabbing his harpoon, I looked at the description as I started to swim upwards.


    <<<>>>


    [[Equipped]]


    Harpoon of Atlantean Might


    (+10 Strength, +5 Dexterity, +5 Constitution, Flow Control skill acquired, Underwater Acclimation passive acquired)


    [[Skill]]


    Flow Control


    You may create currents in the water to move about as you please. The efficacy of this skill is determined by the number of Mental Points you put into controlling it.


    [[Passive]]


    Underwater Acclimation


    You are adept at surviving the hostile environments of the deep. While wielding the Spear of Atlantean Might, you can breathe underwater as if you were breathing air, and water pressure will not injure you or your equipment.


    <<<>>>


    “Perfect,” I said to myself as I looked towards the surface.


    The water around me swelled and pushed me upwards as I activated Flow Control. Just like my Warmind abilities, the system didn’t give me a concrete answer on how much the skill costs, but that was just because of how free form it was. I was used to it, and that was that.


    I breached the surface in no time flat, seeming to leap out of the water thanks to the force I had pushed myself at. Landing on the road, I watched as the Atlanteans backed away and submerged and turned my attention to Jamie, lying on the ground with Kayla kneeling beside her. She was breathing heavily and her armor was heavily dented, but she was alive and victorious.


    With a grin, I headed her way, raising my new harpoon in victory. Grabbing the hammer, she did the same.


    Kayla turned to look at me, worry in her eyes. “Ant, I don’t think this is over.”


    “Not really, they’re going to come back,” I replied. “That’s the plan, remember?”


    She gave me a flat expression as the sky above started to darken, and I looked upwards. “Skuld is my Patron now, and she said the admiral had muttered something before he left,” she told me.


    I stared at the clouds rolling in. They were near black, and I could see lights flashing in the thunderheads. “What did he say?” I asked.


    “’Release it,’” she answered.


    <<<>>>


    [[Patron Message]]


    Bad news, Anthony!


    I just received a message from the administrator. The scenario is ramping up due to unforeseen events. They’re issuing a warning to all Patrons that their Avatars might not survive what’s coming next.


    It’s big, Ant. Really, really big, and it’s heading your way. They’re blocking out information on what it could be, but I know that those kinds of messages are mandated by the system. If the system is making the administrator send them, then it might be worth calling the city a lost cause.


    I hate it, but you still have to consider it.


    <<<>>>


    “Um, Ant?” Kayla said as her eyes scanned the space in front of her.


    “Yeah, I got it, too,” I replied as I watched the curtain of rain and lightning approach us from the ocean.


    “Sara also gave you a Patron quest to flee?” she asked, concerned.


    Jamie wrinkled her nose before retrieving and drinking a potion. Her injuries started to heal. “What are we running from now?”


    “We’re not fleeing,” I answered, frowning. “But we’re clearly going to have to call an audible.”


    The rain hit us, though it didn’t hinder my sight at all. Far out, nearly a mile, something began to breach the surface of the water. Sara’s warning seemed inadequate as lightning arched behind the creature.


    It was easily the size of Merder Stadium, with Atlantean technology fused to its sides and flailing tentacles hundreds of feet long.


    “Oh, no…” I muttered, staring at the monstrosity as it seemingly split in two.


    No, not split in two; it simply opened its mouth. Even from this distance, I could see tens of thousands or even hundreds of thousands of crooked, misshapen teeth. The creature roared, its voice carrying over the distance despite the storm.


    “Pain!” it roared, my skill translating for me. Its proclamation was followed by a much more intense one. “Hunger!”


    <<<>>>


    [[Guild Chat]]


    Mercury: Uh, guys? Marishiten is telling me that a bunch of bad juju is about to go down. Is something happening?


    [[Patron Message]]


    Anthony, have you seen this creature before? The system still isn’t giving me any information and I don’t think I’ve come across this particular monster. It looks familiar, but everything I know tells me that they don’t get that big.


    <<<>>>


    I grimaced at Sara and Mercury’s twin messages. “Yeah, I know what this is,” I said, my voice grave.


    “What is it?” Jamie asked, standing up to squint into the distance with me. She pulled out a pair of binoculars to help her.


    “Gloria said something back in Etson, and I think the administrators were listening,” I continued, remembering what she had said when I went looking for her brother, Thomas.


    I was pretty sure it had been a joke, but there was sufficient worry in her voice when she asked, “We don’t have to worry about a Writhing Submarine or something coming from that, do we?”


    My response was, “No, as far as I’m aware there’s no such thing as a Writhing Submarine.”


    “Answer the damn question, psychic boy,” Jamie growled.


    “That’s the next step up from a Writhing Zeppelin,” I finally said. The Weapon Master froze and I could tell that she had been told that story. Kayla’s aura of caution was quickly replaced by fear. “Yeah, this is really, really bad.”