Morning found them walking north along the rocky coastline.
Zor had scouted at dawn, reporting a settlement three kilometers up the coast with a mixed community of fishing boats and merchant vessels, large enough to have ships capable of forty-kilometer ocean journeys but small enough that news might not have spread too widely yet.
Draven and Malvorn walked together as human-sized companions on coastal rocks, Genesis Codex floating beside them while the pack observed from inside through the shared vision link.
Salt wind carried sounds of civilization ahead, voices and activity and harbor noises growing louder with each step.
The settlement appeared around a rocky outcrop, revealing a natural harbor protected by stone breakwaters. A dozen buildings clustered near the docks, a mix of fishing shacks and merchant warehouses, several vessels anchored including small fishing boats, two larger merchant ships, and one mid-sized vessel that looked promising.
People moved between boats and buildings in morning activity, nets being prepared, cargo being loaded, sailors checking rigging.
As Draven and Malvorn approached, attention turned toward them because travelers were notable here, strangers drawing interest.
Recognition dawned on several faces, whispers spreading quickly.
One older man stepped forward from a merchant vessel, weathered face showing surprise. "You're Draven. The bearer from the Southern Wild. The one who organized cooperation after the devastation."
News traveled fast, the catastrophe in Southern Wild having spread across Theia through trader networks. Five hundred thousand dead, zones appearing, Overlords fighting, and Draven's name attached to the aftermath as the human bearer who'd helped organize recovery, who'd proven cooperation between humans and beasts could work, who'd coordinated with Overlords directly.
Respect was evident in how the merchant captain addressed him. "What brings you to the Eastern Ocean?"
Draven explained simply. "Investigating an ancient stable zone. Forty kilometers offshore. Need passage there and back. Can pay for services."
The captain waved off payment. "No charge. You helped thousands in the Southern Wild. We help you here. That's how cooperation works."
Others agreed, grateful for the example set, willing to assist.
Before boarding, preparation was necessary.
Draven addressed the crew honestly. "My bonded beasts will travel inside this artifact. They're too large for the ship. But they'll be watching through our connection, safe and comfortable."
Genesis Codex pulsed green-gold as Velnar, Sylvara, Feyra, and Zor manifested briefly, four Lord-tier beasts materializing on the docks as crew's eyes widened at the size, at the power radiating from each.
Then light flowed as the pack dissolved into Genesis Codex's pocket dimension, entering willingly into the comfortable space where time flowed peacefully, skies were endless, space unlimited.
Through the shared vision bond, they'd watch everything Draven experienced, seeing through his eyes, hearing through his ears.
Present but protected.
"This is my partner, Malvorn," Draven said, gesturing to the crystalline human beside him. "He'll be traveling with me."
The crew noted Malvorn's unusual appearance, skin like translucent crystal with rainbow light refracting, clearly not normal human but not terrifying, just different, impressive.
Not revealing Overlord identity because that would cause panic, most Theia citizens never witnessing beasts above King-tier, Overlords being myths and distant powers and catastrophes given form.
Safer letting them assume Malvorn was a powerful beast in human shape, not technically wrong, just incomplete.
They boarded the merchant vessel, a sturdy ship twenty-five meters long with an experienced crew of eight, captain competent and sailors professional.
Departure was prepared, sails unfurling, journey beginning.
***
The merchant vessel left harbor smoothly with favorable wind, sails catching, ship cutting through waves with practiced efficiency.
Draven stood at the railing watching coastline recede, Malvorn beside him with crystalline features reflecting sunlight and ocean spray, Genesis Codex floating between them.
Through shared vision, the pack watched with Velnar's calm presence, Sylvara's curiosity about ocean ecosystems, Feyra's excitement at new experience, Zor's interest in sea birds.
Family together despite separation, sharing the journey through their bond.
The crew worked professionally, adjusting sails and monitoring direction and steering toward coordinates Draven provided, forty kilometers offshore where Adhivar indicated the ancient zone lay beneath.
Hours passed with ocean endless around them.
Afternoon sun heated the deck as they sailed steadily, distance covered gradually.
The captain checked position. "Five kilometers from your coordinates. Maybe thirty minutes more."
Close, very close.
Draven felt anticipation building about ancient ruins beneath these waters, answers potentially hidden there, solutions to preventing Fate's curse from activating again.
Malvorn stood quietly, earth communion extending through water, sensing ocean floor kilometers below, feeling trenches, sensing geology.
The peaceful journey was nearing its end.
Then Malvorn stiffened.
His crystalline features tensed, rainbow light refracting sharply. "Something's approaching," he said quietly, voice tight. "From deep water. Moving fast."
Draven turned immediately. "What is it?"
"Powerful. Very powerful. Overlord-level presence." Malvorn's earth communion tracked movement through ocean. "Rising from abyssal depths. Heading directly toward us."
Through the shared bond, the pack felt Malvorn's tension as Velnar's ancient instincts alerted, Sylvara's nature magic sensed disturbance, Feyra's life element detected massive life approaching, Zor's electrical sensitivity picked up charge building underwater.
Everyone recognized something enormous was coming.
The crew noticed Malvorn's tension, noticed Draven's alertness. "What's wrong?" the captain asked, voice uncertain.
Draven didn't answer immediately, watching ocean, waiting.
The presence was getting closer, closer.
Minutes passed like hours as the presence approached relentlessly.
Malvorn's voice dropped lower. "It's directly beneath us now."
The ocean changed, water around the ship darkening, not from clouds but from below, something massive blocking light from depths.
Shadow spread and grew, enormous shadow beneath the vessel.
The crew saw it now as panic rose, sailors backing away from railings, captain's hand white-knuckled on the wheel.
"What is that?" someone whispered, terror evident.
The shadow was larger than the ship, larger than anything natural, larger than comprehension.
Something vast was circling below them, circling and waiting.
***
The ocean erupted.
Not gradually, not gently, but explosively.
Water detonated upward in a massive column twenty meters from the ship's port side, pressure wave rocking the vessel violently as sailors were thrown to deck, Draven grabbing the railing to stay upright, Malvorn bracing through density manipulation.
And rising through that water column were scales.
Blue-black scales like polished obsidian, each one larger than a human, reflecting light in patterns that hurt to track. Body serpentine, coiling endlessly upward, section after section emerging with no end visible.
Massive, incomprehensibly massive.
The head broke surface, elongated draconic skull with jaw capable of swallowing ships whole, teeth like swords arranged in rows. Spined fins rose from neck and back like jagged coral ridges, translucent membranes catching light.
Eyes opened, bioluminescent teal, each eye larger than Draven's entire body, burning with ancient intelligence.
Forty stories of serpentine leviathan rising from ocean depths, dwarfing the merchant vessel completely, making their ship look like a child's toy.
Naelvorn's body coiled above them, serpentine form creating a living wall around the ship as water cascaded from scales in sheets. Bioluminescent lines traced his massive body, pulsing with heartbeat visible across kilometers.
Spined fins extended like sails, jagged edges catching wind and spray, each spine longer than the ship's mast.
The presence was overwhelming, not just size but power, ocean itself responding to him, waves settling where he willed, water bending to his authority, pressure radiating that made breathing difficult despite being an air-breathing creature.
This was planetary anchor, this was force of nature given consciousness, this was Overlord.
The crew was frozen in absolute terror, several collapsed with legs unable to support them, captain's face grey and speechless, sailors praying to gods and crying, one vomiting from fear.
Draven stood paralyzed because he'd seen Malvorn and seen Raziel, but this was different scale entirely.
Through the bond, the pack was equally awestruck, even Velnar's ancient composure shaken.
The massive head lowered toward the ship, eyes fixing on Draven and Malvorn specifically as teal bioluminescence brightened.
Mouth opening, teeth like swords gleaming, voice emerging—
Not roaring, not threatening.
Warm, friendly, boisterous.
"BRO! I know you guys! Thanks to Raziel!"
The voice rolled across water like whale song, deep and resonant but carrying unmistakable cheerfulness, ocean itself seeming to laugh with him.
Complete tonal whiplash as everyone expected death but got best friend energy.
"Malvorn! Dude! You're in human form! That's hilarious! You look like an action figure!"
The massive head tilted, examining them like a curious puppy, except the puppy was forty stories tall and could swallow islands.
"And Draven! The bearer who freed millions! Raziel wouldn't shut up about you! Said you organized cooperation, bonded an Overlord, did the impossible!"
Silence.
Complete, stunned silence.
The crew couldn't process, terror-frozen brains unable to reconcile massive ocean leviathan speaking like a friendly sailor greeting old buddies at a tavern.
Malvorn recovered first, crystalline features shifting from tension to confusion. "You... know us?" His voice was uncertain, still processing.
"Yeah! Overlord network, bro! Raziel sent updates about Southern Wild situation. You guys stopping Azurath, dealing with Fate's curse, helping survivors, whole continental drama!"
Naelvorn's massive body shifted, coiling more comfortably around the ship, not threatening but just getting comfortable for conversation like settling into a chair.
"I'm Naelvorn, by the way! Tideripper, Abyssal Sovereign, Terror of the Deep, but you can call me Nael! Everyone does!"
The enormous serpentine face somehow conveyed a friendly grin despite alien features.
"So! What brings you to my ocean? Raziel mentioned investigation but didn't give details!"
***
Draven forced words out, still processing the impossible situation. "We're investigating the ancient stable zone. Underwater ruins. Looking for information about stopping Fate's Revenge permanently."
Naelvorn's massive eyes brightened, bioluminescence intensifying. "OH! You mean the Sunken Archives! Yeah, I know that place! Been there tons of times!"
He tilted his head thoughtfully. "You were planning to reach ruins six kilometers deep without water-breathing magic? Without pressure protection? Without ocean navigation?"
A pause for effect. "That's the most optimistic plan I've heard in decades! I LOVE the confidence!"
"Seriously though, were you gonna hold your breath for the dive? That's adorable!"
The massive head swung toward Malvorn. "And you! Bro! You're earth element! Ocean is literally my territory! How was that gonna work? 'Hey ocean, can you not crush me please?' Classic!"
Malvorn's crystalline features shifted, caught between annoyance and reluctant amusement because Naelvorn's energy was infectious, impossible to stay serious around.
"I was going to figure something out," Malvorn defended, voice dry.
"Sure, sure! Like what? Asking the fish nicely? Turning the ocean into stone? Wait, can you do that? That'd be WILD!"
Through the bond, the pack was experiencing this secondhand with Feyra finding it hilarious, Zor appreciating the tactical absurdity, Velnar maintaining dignity with effort, Sylvara amused despite herself.
"But hey! Lucky for you, I'm here! And I'm feeling helpful!"
The enormous form shifted, scales gleaming. "I'll take you down there! Create water-breathing field, protect from pressure, guide you to ruins, keep you alive, whole package deal!"
The enthusiasm was genuine, not mocking but actually eager to help. "Sunken Archives are cool anyway. Haven't had visitors there ever. This'll be fun! Ocean field trip with the world-savers!"
He looked between them expectantly, massive eyes bright with excitement. "So? Want ocean Overlord tour guide? Free of charge! Well, except you gotta listen to my jokes the whole way down!"
Draven looked at Malvorn, Malvorn looked at Draven.
What choice did they have? They'd come to investigate, couldn't do it alone, and Naelvorn was offering exactly what they needed.
And despite the terrifying appearance, his personality was actually nice, overwhelming and probably exhausting, but genuine.
"We accept," Draven said. "Gratefully. Thank you."
"AWESOME! Let's go, bros! Ocean adventure time!"
Naelvorn's massive body began sinking back into water, positioning to carry them.
"Hold on, literally! It's a long way down!"
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