The creature did not attack; instead, it hid beneath the ship's hull, waiting for the right moment to destroy the humans, the intruders aboard the massive floating vessel.
The formation devised by the captain of the "Helawars Amome Ansquers" was considered a failure as the situation rapidly changed. Captain Dessie Aqanstor stood silently on the highest deck alongside her crew.
To the right, the fog grew thicker, and a strange sensation began to creep into their minds, in tune with the death that was about to come for them.
Captain Fennec Soneto instructed his subordinates to prepare to act, regardless of the changing circumstances and plan.
Initially, the six captains had agreed to carry out the bombardment plan as usual; however, the fact that the sea creature was lurking beneath the ships' hulls made it impossible to know when it might attack.
One foolish course of action had been flatly rejected by the other five captains. Now, they could only hope that fate and luck would be on their side.
Of course, the passengers knew nothing about it. Nevertheless, each of them prayed that they could make it out of this situation.
As the sun began to lose its light, the high tension continued to build over the waters they were crossing.
Those who had initially been relaxed now hoped that the night would pass as quickly as Sunday.
On the main deck, several officers had prepared the cannons, along with other supplies, nets, iron cages, guided bullets, anchor shots, and artifacts.
"It is impossible for us to lose to a creature that cannot think, isn't it, Captain Soneto?"
Dessie said as she lowered her long-barreled weapon.
Fennec sighed.
"Call me Fennec," he said firmly.
Their mouths clamped shut, their ears trembling as their footsteps carried them in different directions.
"See you," Fennec said, his voice almost a whisper.
The corners of Dessie's lips lifted, forming a bitter smile.
Without saying a word, Dessie continued walking, raising her weapon high.
Fennec Soneto did the same, fighting alongside his personnel.
The battle drew closer, and the formation that had nearly failed was put into action once more as the other four ships formed a semicircle, with the two connected ships in the middle.
...
Aboard the "Howwes Mamedya", their captain, Goswer Questo, fought the monster alongside his personnel and subordinates serving as officers.
That night was filled with tension; the flames and cannon explosions transformed the darkness into a boundary between the world of the living and a graveyard.
Inside the cabin, a group of people gathered, aiming their cannons at Xie, the sea monster that was swimming toward them at high speed to destroy the steamship.
"What now? Do you have another plan?"
The cannons were fired, churning the seawater with explosions and the violent movements of the creature.
"Shut up," the man beside him grumbled, his hands clenched tightly.
The tense atmosphere inside the cabin grew even more intense as the cannons continued firing and the people inside shouted in haste.
On the main deck, the other crew members fought the sea creature with their own long-barreled weapons.
Captain Goswer Questo stood in the middle of the battle, struggling to prevent his ship from being destroyed by the cannon explosions and the sea monster.
There was no sign of defeat, but there was no sign of victory either.
"We're almost out of ammunition, but why can't I see that light?"
After muttering to himself, Goswer Questo looked up and saw the moon slowly being covered by dark clouds and thick fog.
He clicked his tongue, glanced at his subordinate, and said, "Looks like I'll have to use that thing."
The man beside him turned around, his brows slightly furrowed.
"...Are you sure you want to use that, Captain?" he muttered, seeking confirmation.
"Of course." Captain Goswer Questo nodded.
The others continued firing until their ammunition ran out, and with every passing second, the sea monster appeared and revealed its head amid the barrage of cannon fire.
After considering it for a while, Goswer finally pressed a small button on his long-barreled weapon.
The other crew members, including the man beside him, were startled when the rifle released a cloud of smoke that enveloped their captain.
Whoosh...
As the smoke slowly dissipated, swept away by the night wind, Goswer Questo stepped forward without a sound, gripping something in both hands amid the hissing sound that gradually faded away.
"Is that... Coyosen?" one of them whispered.
Confusion immediately clouded their minds, and questions that had previously gone unanswered were suddenly resolved when the source of the rumor was revealed.
The officer who had just spoken with Captain Goswer Questo smiled bitterly upon seeing the killing machine.
"Coyosen, huh? So that's what allowed the captain to secure his rank in just one year."
After muttering to himself, his arm felt heavy and weak as he raised his weapon and fired at the approaching Xie.
Bang! Bang!
One by one, Xie were wounded and killed, yet victory remained out of reach.
The man suppressed a groan, his gaze shifting toward Captain Goswer Questo, who appeared calm in a situation like this.
"Captain..." the man muttered, the hairs on the back of his neck standing on end.
While the focus of several people, including the Xie, was drawn toward their captain, Goswer Questo remained silent, observing the two weapons in his hands.
Confusion immediately struck their minds. Why was the captain simply standing there and looking at his weapons?
In reality, Goswer was merely observing the number of Xie that continued to attack, as well as the attack power of the altered shots.
Coyosen was a modified weapon transformed from his long-barreled weapon by his companion. Upon seeing this modified weapon, the muscles in Goswer's face slackened drastically, and his desire to tear apart anything he saw rose sharply.
In its dual-shot mode, similar to a revolver but without ordinary bullets, it fired energy rounds. Goswer Questo began raising the two weapons, pulling the triggers while calmly exhaling.
Bang!
Blood-red energy erupted from the muzzles. The sea began to churn as though the water were boiling in a pot.
Several Xie burned within the sea, causing the group to scatter.
Their mouths opened wide, their screams echoing across the sea longer than they should have.
The occupants of the ship, each inside their own cabins, shuddered and embraced anything they could hold.
The crew members took several steps back, straightened their arms, and let their weapons fall.
The situation had changed, and the five captains aboard their respective ships were stunned by Goswer Questo's actions.
...
Aboard the Howwers Nyamana, in the open area near the left corner of the iron railing.
Captain Ben Affleck lost the opportunity to think after witnessing it with his own eyes.
'Crazy, but he still managed to do it.'
Although each captain possessed a weapon different from those of their subordinates and personnel, each with its own uniqueness and special qualities, the five captains were vastly different.
Ben knew the truth, and he admitted that he was not particularly close to the captain of the Howwes Mamedya.
'He really is an anomaly.'
Ben forced a smile amid his admiration and confusion. Unwilling to lose to the ship on his right, he lowered his weapon and attempted to do something similar.
He turned to the side. "Don't think about anything else and focus on protecting the hull. Use that weapon, and stay within the plan."
Those who heard him immediately nodded and answered in unison, "Yes, Captain."
Each of them moved, carrying the equipment in question and carrying out the duties they had agreed upon beforehand.
...
Aboard the "Pasana Howwer", Captain Lewan Aqusti was captivated by the sight, momentarily forgetting his duties as a captain.
Even his subordinates had grown accustomed to their captain's personality, which was very similar to that of a child.
"Again and again, the captain is like this."
Murmurs could be heard from far away from where the captain stood.
"Is Captain Aqusti always like this?" one of the crew members asked in confusion.
Bang!
Splash!
The man beside him hissed. "Damn you, you ugly creature."
He wiped the salt water from his face, his body tensing for several seconds.
"To hell with this. Let's finish this as quickly as possible," the man suddenly muttered.
"Well, that's unusual. You're actually motivated?"
The man beside him responded sarcastically.
"Shut up," hissed the man with wet black hair.
Meanwhile, at Captain Lewan Aqusti's position, two of his subordinates stood nearby, doing the same thing. The three of them watched Goswer Questo dancing with two weapons in his hands. Despite being one ship away, the three of them watched through binoculars, taking turns.
"...Why doesn't the captain do something that cool? Wouldn't it be great if a woman or one of your subordinates became interested in the captain's magical display?"
The officer named Viktor asked a question that disturbed his very existence aboard the ship.
However, Captain Lewan Aqusti responded to the question with his usual calm expression.
"I'm weak, and I can't do things like that," he replied.
As usual, the two of them frowned after hearing those words once again.
Victor approached and said quietly, "Qin, do you believe the captain's words?"
For a moment, blood-red energy was caught in the corner of their eyes, making the night over the sea resemble the grandeur of a midsummer festival in the kingdom.
"..."
As usual, there was no answer. However, Victor knew the answer as he straightened his gaze, refocusing his attention on the battle and forgetting his duties.
...
Aboard the "Howwes Mamedya", Goswer Questo ran forward, unleashing a barrage of shots.
Everything happened in an instant; the sea turned blood-red, yet not a single Xie corpse floated to the surface as a result of the attack.
Confusion immediately seized the mind of Captain Goswer Questo and the crew of the "Howwes Mamedya".
Forced to stop, Goswer slowly lowered his weapons. His gaze drifted downward for a moment, staring blankly at the turbulent, raging water.
The battle came to a halt, and the sea monster stopped attacking the six steamships.
The captains could finally breathe a sigh of relief, except for Captain Goswer Questo, who was still contemplating the questions swirling through his mind.
A moment later, Goswer lost the strength to remain standing. He fell to his knees and collapsed onto the cold, wet deck.
His subordinates were busy dealing with their own conditions, except for a few who remained fixated on the sea creature.
Not long afterward, a violent tremor shook the "Howwes Mamedya", nearly sinking the ship beneath the impact of the towering waves.
The tremor caused the crew and captain to stand up at the same time, raising their weapons high.
Their heartbeats slowed, yet every breath they took stirred a desperate will to survive, fueled by adrenaline.
Overcome with curiosity, they all moved toward the railing and looked down.
Their fingers went limp, their pupils dilated, and some of them instinctively took two steps back as a heavy thud rang out.
"What the hell is that?" one of the crew members shouted.
Captain Goswer Questo answered with a predator's gaze in his eyes.
"Don't shout! You'll be killed."
Silence descended over the deck. In the stillness of the night, they could hear nothing but the sound of their own breathing. The sea lost its blood-red color as ripples began to form, and the powerful current gradually accelerated the movement of the six ships.
What they saw was a gigantic nine-eyed squid.
A creature that made the place feel eerie, dark, and magical.