Thalion moved silently through the water, trailing the group of fishfolk hunters at a cautious distance. He stayed close to the coral ridges and the uneven stone walls, using schools of colorful fish as moving cover. As they descended deeper into the submerged corridors, the glowing lines along the walls began to fail, fading into dimness and casting long shadows that turned every corner into a pocket of darkness. The vibrant hues of the reef gave way to an oppressive gloom that wrapped around everything like a shroud.

He found himself wondering what kind of place this was. Why had multiple sunken palaces been built in a flooded catacomb that appeared to have once been part of Ankhet's grand palace? Perhaps the flood had come later. The creatures here did not seem particularly monstrous or alien. While some were odd chimeras — like crocodile-octopus hybrids or strange feathered serpents that glided with thin fins and wide wings — none were the kind of horrors he had imagined from old tales. Still, those serpent-like creatures intrigued him. Their fluid grace and wing-like fins gave him ideas for evolving the Tidecaller Serpent. He was not sure if the wings would function as well as they looked, but they were worth studying.

For now, he remained patient. Revealing himself to test a beast's anatomy would ruin his chances of discovering the hunters’ true objective. If they were pursuing a rare or powerful beast, he might be able to take it for himself. They did not move like a patrol. Their formation was loose, and their behavior relaxed. Beasts rarely attacked them, which explained their confidence. The only time they had shown aggression was when a massive water spider spun a web across a corridor entrance. When the spider refused to leave, they dealt with it quickly. Harpoons flew through the water with deadly precision, and they used water magic to create a vacuum around it. As the water rushed back in, the spider spun helplessly in the turbulence. Before it could regain control, more harpoons struck, ending its life. They sliced through the webbing and continued downward.

Thalion remained hidden in the reef and followed them quietly. Over time, he noticed a change. The hunters were growing tense. They moved more slowly. They looked back more often. Once, a pair of sharp eyes locked onto his position. He froze and mimicked the behavior of a common reef serpent, flicking his tongue and weaving lazily through the coral. The hunter cast an Identify spell. It seemed to pass unnoticed. They did not suspect that a powerful shapeshifter was stalking them through the ruins.

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He shadowed them for another half hour before they reached their destination. It was the lowest chamber in the submerged catacombs, with no visible path leading deeper. The room was circular and massive, its ceiling lost in shadow and its floor covered in towering seaweed. The blades of green rose over fifty meters high, swaying gently in the still water. Not a single fish stirred. No movement. No sound. Just the quiet breath of the ocean pressing in from all sides. The silence was unsettling.

Thalion narrowed his eyes. Why was it so empty? Tiny fish, at the very least. But this place was still. The hunters did not seem troubled. Instead, they spread out quickly with purpose. A female commander called out instructions, her voice sharp with urgency. The group moved into position, weapons drawn and eyes fixed on the swaying plants. Their focus was intense. Something was about to happen.

Then he saw it.

The first movement was almost invisible. A strand of seaweed shifted in a way that didn’t match the rest. Then another. It was subtle, but it was there. A massive shape was moving beneath the plants, sliding slowly and carefully through them. Thalion leaned forward. His heart quickened. At first, he thought it might be a giant plant beast. Then he realized the seaweed was being parted by something alive and colossal.

The hunters saw it too. They began launching spells and water-infused weapons into the swaying green mass. A few of the attacks connected. A moment later, the water exploded as a leviathan burst free from the seaweed. The creature lunged with terrifying speed toward one of the closest hunters.

Thalion stared, breath caught in his throat.

The beast was monstrous. It dwarfed even a blue whale, easily stretching fifty meters in length. Its body was coiled muscle and thick armored scales, black and glistening like wet obsidian. It radiated raw power. Its maw opened wide and snapped shut with bone-crushing force. The hunter disappeared in an instant, devoured before he could even raise his weapon.

Thalion remained hidden, unmoving. His eyes followed every shift in the creature's massive frame. This was what the hunters had come for. A beast of legend. The kind of enemy that left behind rare skills and powerful materials.

He did not move. He did not speak.

He simply watched.