The morning wind cut through my cloak as I stood on the cliffs above Port Scab. Below, the shantytown sprawled like a chaotic nest of driftwood and tar-stained hulls. The smell of brine and smoke mixed with the faint tang of residual magic lingering in the air. The Mayor's messenger had been clear: fishermen were missing near the Tidebreaker Cliffs, and rumors spoke of a creature dragging them into the sea. No one else could handle it. That left me.
Early Tier-2. That was all I had. Strong enough to survive, but not enough to challenge a fully dangerous beast without careful strategy. Still… experience awaited.
I secured my sword at my hip and let a faint pulse of Aura flow along the blade. The town hummed beneath me, tiny disturbances in the docks and alleyways reaching my senses. Even now, I could feel the life of Port Scab pulsing through the stone and wood. Then I looked outward, beyond the cliffs. The ocean roared, waves smashing against jagged rocks, foam spraying like broken glass. Somewhere in that chaos, danger waited.
I made my way down the winding paths carved into the cliffside, every step careful. Loose rocks shifted underfoot, the rope railings swaying with the wind. The Aura of the tide was erratic here, tugging subtly at my senses. Something… unnatural.
And then I saw it.
The Tidebreaker Serpent emerged from the waves. Its scales glimmered like wet obsidian, and its eyes shone with faint pulses of corrupted Aura. The rumors hadn't exaggerated. It was massive—long, sinuous, and intelligent. Early Tier-2 would not be enough to overpower it; I had to rely on speed, awareness, and clever use of my Aura.
The serpent lunged. My sword hummed as I let a small pulse of energy ripple along its edge, deflecting one of its strikes. The cliffside was my ally—I ducked behind jagged rocks, letting the creature's momentum carry it past. I slashed again, targeting a weak point in its underbelly.
Its movements were deliberate, testing my reflexes. I felt every strike in my bones, every pulse of magic from its Aura. A single mistake could mean being dragged into the roaring ocean. I focused on timing, controlling the terrain, and forcing the serpent to overextend.
Minutes passed like hours. My arms ached, my lungs burned, but gradually the serpent began retreating, frustrated. I drove it back toward the jagged rocks near the shore, then leapt onto a crumbling ledge and struck a decisive blow, severing a ridge of corrupted scale. It hissed and dove beneath the waves, disappearing into the depths.
I sank to my knees, chest heaving. Early Tier-2… vulnerable, limited, but enough to survive when I stayed aware and controlled my Aura. I had learned something today—not just about monsters, but about strategy, timing, and survival in the wider world.
The cliffs echoed with the distant cries of seabirds. Beyond Port Scab, beyond these cliffs, the world stretched vast, dangerous, and alive with currents of Aura I had only begun to sense. I stood, sheathing my sword, eyes scanning the horizon. This was just the beginning of my work as a mercenary—and my path to greater power had already begun.