Night had fallen like a black curtain across the Shield Islands, swallowing everything beyond the fleet's glowing perimeter in bottomless, profound darkness.
There was no longer any need to await an answer from the depths.
Joffrey stretched with languid satisfaction, drawing Lady Desmera Redwyne closer as they returned to the privacy of his cabin. Learning his true identity as the legendary "Dragonborn Knight" had only inflamed the naive girl's enthusiasm—a development most worthy of careful appreciation.
Theon watched respectfully as the king departed, then turned his attention back toward the battlefield spread before them.
He understood that Joffrey's withdrawal signified not some intermission in the evening's entertainment, but rather the true beginning—the final hunt was about to commence.
Ding~
The signal that appeared upon his light screen proved so timely and clear that every officer could immediately grasp the changed situation.
No further orders were required.
The massive fleet was already surging into motion with the precision of a vast clockwork mechanism.
Within moments, hundreds of warships had formed six concentric circles, three layers within and three without, rotating around their target like some enormous whirlpool upon the sea's dark surface.
This was no mere display of naval pageantry.
Theon's attention remained fixed upon the tactical map displayed before him, where the most critical intelligence always appeared first.
The deep blue background had not changed from before.
Yet now, at the center of that great cluster of white arrows, a constantly pulsating black icon marked the sea monster's position—though notably, no directional indicator accompanied it.
Such absence made perfect sense.
A creature dwelling beneath the waves would naturally possess far greater mobility than any surface vessel. Even if its massive head faced directly toward you at one moment, nothing would prevent it from darting up, down, left, or right in the next instant—or perhaps spraying torrents of water before vanishing into the depths entirely.
Reality confirmed this tactical assessment. Sea monsters in their oceanic domain possessed unparalleled natural advantages that no surface fleet could hope to match.
Legendary leviathans had always been the most terrifying of predators.
Ships floating upon the waves were nothing more than stationary prey awaiting slaughter, utterly at such a creature's mercy.
It could launch surprise attacks from directly beneath any vessel's hull, erupting from the depths without warning.
It might suddenly appear from any direction—fore, aft, port, or starboard—seizing an entire ship to drag it straight down to the seabed, drowning every soul aboard while adding another prize to its underwater hoard.
Or it could choose to play leisurely hunting games, gleefully tormenting weak humans until they perished in despair and terror.
Should the ships prove too dangerous, possessing weapons capable of inflicting genuine harm, the creature could simply ignore everything above and dive into the deepest ocean trenches to hibernate or relocate, leaving surface vessels to wander uselessly for days before eventually retreating in frustration.
Uncle Euron probably expected exactly such an outcome.
Relying on the sanctuary of the deep.
But Theon knew with absolute certainty that King Joffrey's fleet would never simply stand idle and accept such limitations.
Even now, the tactical map was revealing the royal response—depth charges.
The fleet's circular formation served precisely this purpose.
Theon studied the display with growing fascination.
The sea monster's position had remained completely static, yet its surroundings now bristled with densely packed orange-red dots representing heavy, ferocious explosive devices.
Theon had personally witnessed their devastating power during previous demonstrations.
A single charge could shred flesh and steel within a dozen yards of underwater detonation, creating violent air pockets, whirlpools, and towering waves that could swamp lesser vessels.
Even if the sea monster absorbed a direct hit from just one such weapon, it would certainly suffer considerable damage.
And these charges now filled every available space around the creature. Their sheer number could have supplied several large warships for months of sustained bombardment.
Escape through the seabed?
That option had already been eliminated.
The ocean floor was indeed deep, but not so profound that depth charges could not reach it effectively.
By deploying multiple explosive devices in overlapping patterns, the royal engineers had successfully sealed every underwater avenue of retreat. After accounting for the varying depths, the additional munitions required proved entirely acceptable.
This tactical analysis had finally revealed to Theon the true nature of the Shield Islands' geography.
The deepest point measured only fifty meters from surface to bottom.
King Joffrey had explained that the Shield Islands lay within the continental shelf surrounding Westeros—a region where water depth generally did not exceed two hundred meters. The islands' proximity to the mainland made their surrounding waters even more shallow.
"Continental shelf"—a curious term that seemed the province of learned maesters rather than practical sailors.
Yet Theon now grasped its significance completely.
Even the deepest fifty-meter trenches required only three properly placed depth charges to seal them entirely.
The outcome had become inevitable. Once this "fishing net" was successfully deployed, the prey trapped within its confines could never again escape.
Still the sea monster remained motionless, allowing the warships to circle endlessly above.
It resembled nothing so much as an ignorant deer marked for death by experienced hunters.
Theon sighed silently, promising himself that he would never allow personal circumstances to deteriorate into such a pitiful, pathetic situation.
Information!
Never before had Theon felt the crucial importance of accurate intelligence so clearly.
Know yourself and know your enemy, and you will never face defeat.
He had personally witnessed the opposite example of this ancient wisdom.
Euron Crow's Eye—his uncle—did he truly understand his own capabilities? Did he comprehend the full extent of King Joffrey's power? What precisely had he expected to accomplish?
Small wonder that events had reached this sorry state.
Ding~
Another crisp notification chimed through his awareness. The fleet's initial deployment phase was complete.
No gaps remained around the sea monster's position. The orange-red dots had merged into continuous coverage, presenting a dense, unbroken ring of explosive potential.
The "fishing net" woven from bombs drew increasingly tight.
The heaviest depth charges had been planted among sand and stone on the deeper seabed, with lighter explosives suspended dozen-meter intervals above them, continuing upward in layered progression all the way to hollow buoys floating upon the surface.
The sea monster's magical aura had been imprinted upon every charge—the slightest approach would trigger immediate detonation. Through constant surveillance, fleet commanders and Security Bureau operatives could also activate the devices manually whenever circumstances demanded.
The net was woven. Theon understood what must follow next.
Time to drive the fish.
A smaller squadron broke away from the main encirclement, turning inward toward the center.
Woo—
A piercing whistle split both sky and ocean, awakening the tranquil leviathan from its patient vigil.
Crow's Eye immediately opened the sea monster's massive eyes, their alien intelligence blazing with sudden awareness.
He had been resting until this moment.
Controlling such an enormous and willful creature was anything but simple. Without supernatural assistance flowing from dark sources, the task would have proven impossible for any mortal mind.
Fortunately, Crow's Eye still possessed his blood-red eye patch and the sorcerous organ it concealed—barely sufficient to suppress the sea monster's natural resistance. Combined with other mystical techniques, he had finally bent the leviathan to serve his will.
Even so, Crow's Eye frequently felt his magical focus tearing and collapsing under the strain, accompanied by waves of mental confusion that threatened his sanity.
The sea monster's pain was transmitted to him in amplified fashion, making every moment of control an exercise in agony.
Therefore, unless absolutely necessary, he avoided commanding the creature to move with excessive violence.
Especially now.
Crow's Eye had begun questioning whether he had truly tamed this ancient predator at all.
Divine assistance remained the foundation of his power over the beast.
Yet if the gods' prophecies could fail so completely, might not their other gifts be withdrawn just as easily?
No answer presented itself to ease his growing doubt.
Crow's Eye could only maintain control with greater care than ever before, striving to minimize the creature's opportunities for rebellion.
Fortunately, the sea monster remained obedient for the present.
Crow's Eye directed its enormous head to survey their surroundings, and in the next instant commanded it to release violent streams of pressurized water!
So many iron spheres!
Are these the same flame-weapons that dominated the surface battle?!
Crow's Eye's heart plummeted as he realized his predictions had failed utterly.
The deep sea could offer no protection to his sea monster!
They had to flee immediately! The decision crystallized with desperate clarity.
The creature turned in response to his mental command.
Yet it remained fixed in place upon the seabed, unable to advance despite his increasingly frantic urging.
Crow's Eye's rage and astonishment blazed clearly through the sea monster's alien eyes.
Iron spheres surrounded them in every direction!
Like a vast net closing around helpless prey!
Crow's Eye directed the creature's gaze upward. Enemy vessels sailed directly overhead, trailing strings of explosive devices from their hulls while continuously dropping fresh charges into the water!
Obviously, remaining at this depth would provide no safety whatsoever.
Which direction offered escape?
Crow's Eye's thoughts raced through possible alternatives. Upward through the net? Impossible. The charges suspended from those ships above were both more numerous and more devastating, their power remaining lethal even near the surface.
Moreover, such an ascent would require far too much time—time they simply did not possess.
The only option was breaking through the explosive barrier at maximum speed!
Crow's Eye selected what appeared to be the weakest point in their encirclement.
But in the next moment, a cold and utterly alien will thrust itself into his consciousness!
Woo~~~
The sea monster cried out with obvious excitement and joy, its voice carrying emotions that had nothing whatsoever to do with Crow's Eye's desperate commands.
Euron struggled frantically against this foreign presence invading his mind!
Pa!
The sea monster's hundred-meter tentacles erupted from the depths, releasing Crow's Eye from their suction-cup embrace back into the dark waters.
Then, with purpose that belonged entirely to itself, the ancient leviathan turned its attention toward the most conspicuous steel warship floating far above.