"Damn it! What the hell is going on?"

Lor gasped for breath, his chest heaving like a bellows.

He stared fixedly at the bloody scene on the deck, his face grim.

As a veteran Guard for the Black Shell Trading Company who spent his years at sea, he was all too familiar with these Demons.

Shahua Fishmen.

These fish-like Demons that lived in the Deep Sea had always been known for their cunning and brutality.

They roamed the shipping lanes in packs, like greedy wolves, preying on passing ships to plunder their wealth.

But because they possessed intelligence on par with humans, they had always picked off the easy targets.

They would either attack coastal fishing villages or plunder small merchant ships.

Large, well-built merchant ships like those of the Black Shell Trading Company were typically targets they went out of their way to avoid.

But today...

"Watch your back!"

The pained scream of his companion snapped Lor back to reality.

He could only watch as another Guard was impaled through the chest by a Fishman’s rusty Fish Spear, blood spraying across the deck in a gruesome arc.

Lor let out a furious roar. Ignoring the gash on his left arm—so deep the bone was visible—that was still gushing blood, he raised his Iron Sword and charged forward once more.

"CLANG!"

The ringing clash of metal sent a numbing shock through the web of his hand.

His would-be killing blow was effortlessly parried by the Fishman.

’Damn it! When did these bastards get so strong?’

Lor cursed under his breath, preparing to fall back.

But then the Fishman’s scaly, webbed feet slid unnervingly through a pool of blood, its slimy claws leaving a viscous trail across the deck.

Simultaneously, the Dagger in its hand abruptly changed direction, scraping along the blade of Lor’s sword with a shower of dazzling Sparks.

"SCREEECH!"

Amid the ear-splitting scrape, the Shadow of death descended. The cold glint of the Dagger filled Lor’s vision, growing larger by the instant.

’Am I going to... die here?’

At that very moment, a silver flash streaked past like a shooting star.

"SQUELCH!"

Following the sickening sound of a blade sinking into flesh, the Fishman’s savage expression froze on its face.

Its scale-covered head slowly tilted, then slammed onto the deck with a heavy THUD, splattering a pool of dark green blood.

Lor stood frozen to the spot. It was only when the familiar figure flicked the blood from his blade that he snapped out of his daze and cried out.

"Lo... Lord Roland?"

"Stay focused!"

Roland snapped, his brow furrowed as his gaze swept over the Shahua Fishmen swarming over the gunwale.

His voice was stern and steady, carrying an undeniable authority.

"Gather the remaining Guards and form a defensive line! I shouldn’t have to teach you basic tactics like these, should I?"

"But, my lord, you..."

"Leave this to me."

Hearing those resolute words, Lor’s gaze lingered for a moment on Roland’s youthful face, a flicker of doubt crossing his mind.

But he quickly recalled Colin’s repeated instructions.

"This distinguished guest is remarkably powerful. You must treat him with the utmost respect and courtesy. Understand?"

At that thought, his hesitation vanished completely. He answered with a loud cry.

"Yes!"

He immediately turned and rushed to the other side of the deck to rally the surviving Guards.

The Shahua Fishmen, clearly unwilling to let such easy prey escape, shrieked and gave chase.

However, a Longsword, glinting coldly, barred their path.

"CLANG!"

With the muffled clash of metal, Roland’s wrist dipped slightly. A flicker of surprise crossed his eyes.

’Not bad Power...’

A slight smile touched his lips. The practiced skill granted by his [Short-Handled Mastery] allowed him to flick his wrist, deflecting the blow as smoothly as flowing water.

The Mithril-forged blade carved a cold arc through the sunlight. Before it, the hard Scales covering the Shahua Fishman’s body were like paper.

"SLICE!"

Blood sprayed as the Fishman’s burly body was cleaved in two, crashing heavily onto the deck.

However, the death of their kin did nothing to deter the bloodthirsty predators.

Instead, the scent of blood only served to fully awaken their savagery.

They let out piercing shrieks, gathering in small groups to launch a furious, storm-like assault on Roland.

An ordinary person would have been cut down in moments, overwhelmed by such a relentless onslaught.

But for the Roland of today, it was nothing.

He didn’t even need to use any of his Traits or Combat Skills. Relying on pure physical prowess alone, he precisely reaped the lives of the Demons before him.

Yet, as he cut down the Fishmen, a peculiar expression flashed in Roland’s eyes.

’Something’s not right...’

He sensed an anomaly.

Ordinary Demons, like the goblins, Kobolds, and Gnolls he had encountered in the Black Water Territory...

It was rare enough for them to know how to use weapons, let alone possess any actual combat skills.

Most of them fought by wildly swinging their weapons, relying on brute force or speed with no rhyme or reason to their attacks.

But the Shahua Fishmen before him were completely different.

Their Fish Spear thrusts were cunning and ruthless, their Dagger slashes swift and precise. Their movements were so practiced they were on par with professionally trained soldiers.

Every strike aimed for a vital point, and their coordination was unnervingly perfect.

’No wonder Lor and his elite Guards couldn’t hold them off... Is this also an effect of the resurgence of Magic Elements?’

The thought had barely crossed Roland’s mind before he dismissed it.

’No!’

As his sword danced through the air, he keenly perceived an even more crucial difference.

Their eyes.

Whether it was a weak goblin or a powerful Alien Demon, even if they couldn’t understand human language, their eyes always betrayed emotions humans could comprehend.

Fear, greed, rage, or contempt.

But the eyes of these Shahua Fishmen remained utterly devoid of emotion from start to finish.

Only slaughter.

A pure, cold, almost fanatical lust for slaughter.

It was as if they were being lured, or perhaps, controlled.

’This is... strange...’

Roland’s brow furrowed, but the Longsword in his hand never faltered.

To the hum of his blade slicing through the air, the Shahua Fishmen fell one after another like stalks of wheat.

Behind him, Lor, having rallied the Guards, led them forward to join the fray.

With Roland leading the charge, the tide of battle quickly turned.

The Shahua Fishmen’s line broke, and in the blink of an eye, they were driven back to the ship’s edge.

Fewer and fewer enemies managed to climb aboard, unable to keep pace with the speed of Roland’s slaughter.

Inside the cabin, the panicked distinguished guests finally breathed a sigh of relief.

Through the portholes, they gazed at the invincible figure on the deck, their eyes filled with awe.

Yet among the admiring gazes, one brown-haired young man stood out.

His slender fingers idly plucked at the strings of a Harp, his emerald eyes fixed on Roland, a complex mix of emotions revealed within them.

Curiosity, surprise, and a hint of barely perceptible excitement.

Just when everyone thought the assault was about to end in victory...

"BOOM!"

A deep, muffled boom suddenly echoed from beneath the ship, sending a violent tremor through the entire vessel.

Everyone on deck lost their footing; several Guards even stumbled and fell.

"Sha... sharks! A school of them!"

As the Guard let out a bloodcurdling scream, Roland’s Longsword flashed in a silver arc, slicing the Shahua Fishman before him in half at the waist.

He then snapped his head around, his gaze following the others’ terrified stares.

There, beneath the surface of the sea, several massive Shadows were circling manically.

They were five great sharks, each over twenty feet long, their pale underbellies flickering in and out of view in the murky depths.

They darted back and forth beneath the hull, each pass churning up a murky vortex. They seemed to unerringly find and ram the ship’s most vulnerable points.

Such tactical coordination was something no ordinary shark could ever achieve.

"BOOM! BOOM! BOOM!"

The successive impacts sent the entire merchant ship lurching violently.

Barrels rolled across the deck, crashing with a series of dull thuds.

Several Guards lost their balance and fell sprawling into the pools of blood.

A cacophony of screams erupted from the cabins as the distinguished guests huddled together in terror.

"Hold fast!"

Lor roared, a noticeable tremor in his voice.

Just then, a crewman threw open a hatch, poked his head out, and yelled.

"The hold... The planks in the hold are about to give way!"

Just at that critical moment, an ethereal song suddenly echoed across the surface of the sea.