Chapter 69
‘Kuaaaaah!’
An explosive spray of water erupted.
From within the cascading mist, a massive silhouette surged forward.
A sea monster spanning 90 meters in length and weighing approximately 2,500 tons, the Gigatitan roared as it unfolded its coiled body.
Smashing through the crashing waves, it barreled forward like an enormous meteor.
Its colossal head rammed directly into the waist of the mermaid statue.
‘Kwaaaaang!’
Its head, composed of interwoven ivory and chitin, delivered a body slam that carried the full weight of its 2,500 tons.
The mermaid statue stood no chance.
Despite its considerable height of 29 meters, it was nothing more than a toy before the overwhelming might of the Gigatitan.
With that transcendent impact, the statue’s waist shattered instantly.
‘Crack!’
The upper half of the statue broke off, hurtling through the air.
Like a projectile launched by a catapult, it flew hundreds of meters, slicing through the evening sky over the peaceful city of Cremo, and crashed into the central plaza.
‘Kwahhh! Boom!’
The unexpected descent of the statue’s upper half—essentially a massive boulder weighing tens of tons—shattered the plaza’s stone tiles and fountains in an instant.
It bounced, rolled, and sped toward the edge of the plaza.
In its path, it demolished five buildings, including a bakery, a flower shop, and a fruit stand.
Even then, it continued rolling down the main street, eventually smashing into a bell tower.
Only then did screams erupt.
“Kyaaaaaah!”
“Wh-what is that?!”
“Help! Someone’s trapped here!”
“Please, someone help!”
Amid the debris of the fallen statue and crushed buildings, panicked cries mixed with shouts from those attempting to rescue the injured.
The sudden calamity left behind a trail of destruction.
Dust and rubble filled the air, and terrified citizens scrambled in chaotic disarray.
The shocking scene was clearly visible from the ships anchored offshore.
“What is happening? What is…! Christine! Don’t let go of my hand!”
A middle-aged man clutched his daughter’s hand tightly amid the unfolding disaster.
Count Cremo’s eyes widened in horror.
Words spilled from his mouth in shock and disbelief.
The situation felt surreal.
Neither the destruction before his eyes nor the events that led to it made any sense to him.
‘How… why has that thing come here?’
It was incomprehensible.
For the past ten years, the Gigatitan had only ever appeared far offshore.
Even when it surfaced, it merely attacked passing ships in the open sea. Never had it ventured so close to the city.
‘Could it be… because of the mermaid statue?’
The count’s distorted gaze turned toward the statue’s former location.
Where once it had stood proudly, only the lower half remained, crushed beyond recognition.
The count’s expression twisted further.
‘I’d hoped the statue would intimidate the creature into relocating its territory…’
Instead, the opposite seemed to have occurred.
The massive beast perceived the statue as a threat and chose to attack it.
The count’s heart sank.
‘Was this my mistake?’
His heavy gaze darkened as the puzzle pieces of the situation began to fit together in his mind.
‘It must be because of the statue. That’s why the Gigatitan’s behavior changed. That’s why the coastal watchtowers failed to detect it earlier.’
The Gigatitan’s usual behavior was entirely different.
Typically, it surfaced with a majestic roar far out at sea.
That thunderous roar made its presence easy to detect, allowing the watchtowers to issue warnings to the city.
For the past decade, that had been its predictable pattern.
But today was different.
‘It approached silently, swimming along the seabed.’
It wasn’t marking its territory or showing off its dominance.
This wasn’t a display—it was an attack.
Not a threat to an intruder but punishment for what it deemed a challenger.
This was a new and deliberate behavior for the Gigatitan.
‘But those two anticipated it.’
The count’s gaze shifted to the other side of the deck, where two young men stood: Lloyd and Javier.
‘Especially that daring fellow’s bodyguard. He claimed to have sensed the Gigatitan approaching underwater.’
While his own knight, Sir Ginovan, had sensed nothing, the silver-haired bodyguard had.
The conclusion was clear.
“Hold on tight, my lord! Don’t let go of my hand!”
A firm hand grasped the count’s wrist, pulling him forcefully.
The grip was like that of a man saving someone from drowning, full of desperate strength.
Thanks to this intervention, the count and his daughter managed to stay upright on the violently rocking deck.
“My apologies, my lord.”
A rough voice, trembling with emotion, belonged to Sir Ginovan.
The knight’s sorrowful eyes met the count’s.
Count Cremo gave a faint, bitter smile.
“Do not blame yourself, Sir Ginovan.”
“But my lord, I—”
“You did everything you could. It’s just that your best wasn’t enough to match that silver-haired knight’s abilities. None of us in this city foresaw this. Not even I could have predicted it. How could I blame you alone?”
“My lord…”
“This is not your fault. If anyone is to blame, it is me.”
The count’s voice was heavy with regret.
At that moment, a loud shout rang out.
“Count! Building trust with your loyal knight is important, but could you spare a moment to hear me out?”
It was Lloyd, gripping the railing on the other side of the deck, calling out to the count.
“People have fallen into the water! Quickly, call the captain!”
Lloyd’s shout was accompanied by his outstretched hand, pointing to the chaotic sea.
Sure enough, pandemonium unfolded there.
The five ships that had been unable to distance themselves from the statue were now severely damaged.
Many of their passengers had been thrown into the water.
To make matters worse, the sea churned violently.
This chaos was the Gigatitan’s doing.
The sheer size and ferocity of the 90-meter-long monster had turned the surrounding waters into a maelstrom. Debris from the broken ships and struggling people mixed in a chaotic vortex, tossing and turning with no reprieve.
Lloyd’s voice rang out again.
“Saving those people is the priority! Count, please direct this ship to rescue as many as possible! I will head to the city!”
“The city? What are you talking about?”
“I have a feeling Cremo Harbor is about to receive an oversized, unwelcome guest!”
Lloyd’s hand pointed again.
There, the Gigatitan raised its massive head above the waves, staring intently at something in the distance.
Its gaze was fixed on a far-off point.
The shattered upper half of the mermaid statue, embedded in the bell tower after its earlier flight, hundreds of meters away.
“It seems that creature believes the statue isn’t completely destroyed yet!”
“Wait, are you saying it might head to the city to finish the job?”
“Absolutely!”
Just as Lloyd’s answer resounded, the Gigatitan began to move, as if proving his point.
It lowered its body and split the waves as it started swimming toward the city.
“If that thing reaches the city, the damage will be catastrophic!”
“Th-then what should we do?”
“I’ll go!”
“What?”
The count stared in disbelief.
Go? Did Lloyd mean to swim all the way there?
But Lloyd didn’t waste time answering.
Instead, he exchanged a brief look with Javier.
Together, they sprinted toward the stern.
Lloyd tossed something into the air, and soon, three large summoned creatures appeared.
“Ppodong!”
“Bangul!”
“Hamang!”
‘Splash! Splash!’
The now-enlarged Ppodong and Bangul dived into the churning sea, followed closely by Hamang.
Lloyd and Javier jumped in after them, climbing onto Bangul’s back.
“Alright, everyone! Save as many people as you can before we head out!”
“Ppo! Bang! Ha!”
Bangul, carrying Lloyd and Javier, along with Ppodong and Hamang, began moving swiftly.
They rescued as many flailing people as they could, prioritizing the elderly and those in urgent need.
After securing the situation somewhat, Lloyd shrank Ppodong and Hamang, tucking them into his coat.
Then he turned toward the city.
“Alright, Bangul?”
“Bangul?”
“Let’s go!”
Lloyd gave Bangul’s side a firm pat.
‘Gulp, jingle!’
Bangul wagged its tail after gulping a mouthful of seawater.
With a brief, clear ring of water droplets, a powerful explosion erupted from its rear.
‘Kwooooom!’
Bangul’s volcanic explosion skill roared to life.
The released gas struck the water with tremendous force, propelling Bangul forward like a rocket.
The momentum sent Bangul, with Lloyd and Javier aboard, speeding toward the harbor like a torpedo.
‘Splash!’
In an instant, they were gone, heading rapidly toward the city.
It was only then that the count snapped out of his stupor.
“Everyone, grab the ropes! Captain, mobilize the crew! Hurry!”
Now was not the time to stand idle.
It was time to save as many as they could.
The count discarded his cumbersome coat and began shouting orders, his voice booming as he directed the crew.
The long night of disaster had begun.
♣
‘Boom! Bang! Boom!’
Darkness had begun to paint the sky behind the twilight.
As if to drive away that darkness, deafening explosions echoed across the horizon.
Cannons spewed fire.
‘Kwooooom!’
14-centimeter-caliber steel cannonballs, each weighing 9.1 kilograms, were launched at a velocity of 408 meters per second.
They tore through the darkened sky over the sea, striking their target.
‘Thunk!’
Approximately 600 kJ of kinetic energy transferred into the impact.
The Gigatitan flinched as a cannonball struck its head.
Not from pain, but from irritation.
‘Grrrk!’
The Gigatitan shook its head, as if trying to scratch an itch.
The irritation continued.
‘Boom! Thud! Crack!’
Every coastal watchtower fired its defensive culverins.
Black projectiles rained down on the Gigatitan’s body.
Yet they inflicted no harm.
Even these large cannonballs couldn’t penetrate the combination of ivory and chitin that made up the Gigatitan’s shell—not even leaving a scratch.
The Gigatitan roared in defiance.
‘Grrrrrrrk!’
It soon reached the shore.
Waves parted as its enormous form emerged, crashing onto the rocky coast.
Its eight pairs of centipede-like legs trampled the rocks and crushed watchtower buildings.
“R-run away!”
“Get out of here!”
The soldiers at Watchtower 23 screamed as they scrambled to avoid being buried by the collapsing structure.
The tower captain shouted, “Everyone, get out! Retreat!”
He shoved his men toward safety but stayed behind himself.
Standing among fallen debris, he gazed up at the massive beast through the crumbling roof.
‘It’s my duty to protect this place. I won’t let it pass easily!’
A torch was already in his hand.
Beside him lay barrels of gunpowder, rolling about.
The captain threw the torch toward the barrels.
Only after ensuring his men were clear did he dash out of the tower.
He ran with all his might to get as far as possible.
In that moment, flames ignited the gunpowder.
‘BOOOOM!’
Watchtower 23 erupted in a deafening explosion.
Its cannons, projectiles, and even the bricks of the structure were obliterated, turning into countless flying shards.
The explosion reverberated as it struck the underside of the Gigatitan’s massive body.
“Haha! How’s that?!”
The captain of Watchtower 23, who had narrowly escaped the blast, shouted triumphantly, shaking his fist at the monster.
‘That must’ve dealt some serious damage!’
It had to.
The entire stockpile of gunpowder in the watchtower had detonated.
The explosion had engulfed the creature from below, an impact far beyond what mere cannonballs could achieve.
‘This isn’t the same as getting hit by a cannon shell—it’s a whole different level of destruction!’
Surely its tough shell had been scorched by the flames.
Surely its body had been pummeled by countless shards of debris.
Now, the beast would think twice before causing any more havoc…
‘Grrrrk?’
The Gigatitan turned its gaze toward the captain.
It flicked its ninth leg, extinguishing a small flame on its toe.
And that was it.
The Gigatitan resumed walking as though nothing had happened.
As though it hadn’t taken any damage at all.
‘What?’
The captain’s eyes widened in disbelief.
‘How…?’
Even as he stood there, stunned, the Gigatitan’s colossal body continued moving forward, each step deliberate and unyielding.
It felt like living through a surreal nightmare.
But this was no nightmare.
It was reality.
The creature’s massive eyes, fixed on the city of Cremo.
Its steady march toward the bell tower plaza, where the remains of the mermaid statue lay.
The defenseless citizens and his own family waiting helplessly ahead.
‘Damn it!’
‘Grit!’
The captain clenched his teeth.
His family was in that city.
His wife, pregnant with their first child after ten years of marriage, was there.
And now, this monster was heading straight for the city where she was.
‘I have to stop it. No matter what.’
Determination blazed in the captain’s eyes.
He bent down, picked up a rock, and charged forward.
With all his might, he hurled it.
“Hey, you bastard! Stop right there!”
He shouted.
The rock missed its mark. It didn’t matter.
Even if he couldn’t harm it, even if he couldn’t reach it.
Even if he died here.
All he wanted was to delay the monster’s advance, even by a few seconds.
Because those few seconds could be the difference between life and death for his wife and child.
“Stop! I said stop!”
He kept yelling.
Throwing, and throwing again.
Perhaps it was his sheer resolve.
‘Grrrk!’
For a moment, the Gigatitan halted.
Its massive head turned slowly toward him with an eerie creak.
‘Grrrk?’
Their eyes met.
The captain managed a strained smile.
Then, the creature’s enormous foot lifted and began to descend toward him.
The captain’s face contorted.
This was the end.
He gripped the rock in his hand tightly.
He stared unflinchingly at the enormous foot barreling toward him.
And then—
“Hamang!”
‘Thwomp!’
Out of nowhere, a 60-meter-tall, waterlogged hippo-like creature hurtled into the Gigatitan’s side with a body slam.
The impact sent shockwaves through the air, stunning both the captain and the monstrous creature.
