Sword of Dawnbreaker

An eye-catching large temple built with blue boulders like a Pyramid, standing at the mountain top of this island, overlooking the entire sea, floated above with giant magic symbols representing storms and gods. Mighty extraordinary power resisting the storm allowed most parts of the archipelago to maintain basic calm and safety, enabling the island residents to survive in this terrifying sea.

The vessel slowed down at one side of the island, smoothly sailing into an artificial port, mooring closely against the dock.

Many people were already waiting at the port, some dressed in ordinary fisherman’s attire, others wore black or blue long and short robes adorned with storm symbols.

A long plank extended from the ship’s side, a few individuals in storm robes appeared on the ship’s side and stepped onto the dock along the plank.

Behind these storm-robed individuals were warriors wearing enchanted leather armor or chainmail, disguising their faces with oak masks, moving in silence. These soldiers belonging to the Sons of the Storm carried several stretchers, on which humanoid figures wrapped in magic symbol chains and sturdy cords, enveloped in black cloth like mummies, were securely fixed.

The crowd at the dock slightly stirred.

An elderly man dressed in dark gold storm robes, crowned with a Triple Crown of Storms, wielding a heavy Sea Emperor scepter, stepped forward from the crowd. As he passed, people retreated to either side, some with respect whispered: ”The Pope is here...” ”It’s King Saul...”

Under countless watchful eyes, the Pope of the Sons of the Storm, Saul Stodom, stepped onto the dock, approaching the storm priests disembarking from the ship, his gaze sweeping over the soldiers carrying stretchers, glancing at the bodies fixed on the stretchers.

Sea breezes lifted the cloth wrapping the bodies, revealing fine blue-green scales beneath that black fabric.

A storm priest who seemed to hold the highest status stepped forward, respectfully saluting the Pope wielding the Sea Emperor scepter: ”Your Eminence.”

Pope Saul Stodom nodded slightly, speaking softly: ”It seems the hurricane island has also returned to the deep sea...”

”Yes, Hurricane Island, along with two subsidiary islands nearby, all of our compatriots have returned to the deep sea. Thus, the seven islands that lost contact are confirmed to have fallen,” the storm priest spoke heavily, his face filled with shame, ”I’m very sorry, Your Majesty, I couldn’t bring any good news.”

”No need to feel guilty, human effort has its limits,” Pope Saul shook his head, his gaze falling on the stretchers, ”So, these are our transformed compatriots...”

”Strictly speaking, they are compatriots halfway transformed. Their minds are in a chaotic state, currently controlled by strong sedatives, but their bodies are continuously mutating,” said the storm priest, ”When we first captured them, they had only a few scales on their bodies, but now over sixty percent of their skin is covered, and... they’ve grown webs, with the most severe mutation, their legs have turned into a state between water snakes and fish tails.”

”And... still no cause found?”

”Yes, no cause found. The fallen islands showed no signs of attack. Previously, we suspected the sea demons were casting a curse, but they haven’t appeared anywhere near there—unless the sea demons’ supernatural power is strong enough to curse hundreds or even thousands from hundreds of miles away, which is basically impossible from what we know.”

As the storm priest spoke, he suddenly lapsed into silence, his expression becoming more solemn.

”Furthermore, Your Majesty, we discovered some other things this time...”

”Speak here.”

”I’m afraid there have been completely transformed compatriots,” the storm priest lowered his voice a little, ”On the night before we left Hurricane Island, a night watch soldier reported seeing several figures moving along the coast with scales covering their bodies, fins on their backs and arms, seemingly having gills, sliding on the sand with tails between water snakes and fish, and quickly jumping into the sea—since only one soldier witnessed it, I can’t be sure if it was just a result of excessive tension or hallucination caused by magic turbulence.”

Pope Saul listened to the storm priest’s description, and couldn’t help but glance again at the bodies on the stretchers.

”Sounds like the result of a terrifying deepened mutation.”

”Yes.”