Crowne arrived at the beach. The sea looked calm, as if nothing bad had ever happened there. But the place was eerily quiet. Fishing boats were parked empty along the pier. Only a few people could be seen walking nearby. From what Crowne saw, there were only about four of them, all wearing the same uniform.

Crowne started walking, intending to approach them. But someone came toward him from behind. Crowne quickly turned around. It was an old man, around forty years old, walking toward him.

"What brings you here, young man?" asked the old man.

"I'm just looking around."

"If you don't have anything important to do, you should leave immediately. Every evening before nightfall, sea monsters emerge from the water. Don't waste your life just because of curiosity," the old man warned.

Crowne looked at the sea. He couldn't sense any presence from that direction, but he could feel a strange aura coming from the ocean. It was as if something from the sea was calling him closer. Crowne looked back at the old man and pulled out his adventurer card, showing it to him.

"I came from Stromhall City. I was assigned to eliminate the sea monster that's been attacking the fishermen," said Crowne.

The old man looked surprised for a few seconds, then approached Crowne and placed both of his hands on Crowne's shoulders. He shook his head. "Cancel that mission. Many adventurers have tried, but…" he paused, his expression turning sad and heavy with guilt. "They all ended up killed by that monster."

Crowne already knew that. He was also aware that this mission was absurdly dangerous, but he had to do it. Crowne looked at the sea again, lost in thought for a few minutes before responding to what the old man had said. He scratched his head, his eyes full of determination.

"I have to do it," said Crowne firmly.

"Think again!" The old man released his hands from Crowne's shoulders and stepped back. "I'm just giving advice. If you've already made up your mind, it's not my business anymore. But as someone older, I must say this: I don't recommend a suicide mission. You're still young. In my opinion, living a long life is the wisest choice. There are so many things you can do while you're alive. Once your life ends, everything ends."

The old man turned around and began walking away from where Crowne stood. He waved his right hand. "Think carefully about what I said! Don't throw away your life. You're still young," he said.

Crowne didn't respond. He just stood there, watching the old man walk farther away. Then he turned to look at the sea again. He was curious about how strong the monster truly was. It wasn't just one or two people who had warned him about it. Everyone he met said the same thing.

Almost all of them told him to abandon the idea of fighting the monster. Only one person had ever offered to join him in slaying it.

"Should I really…" Crowne shook his head firmly. "No. I must do this."

Suddenly he remembered something. He quickly turned toward the direction where the old man had gone, but the man was no longer there. Crowne immediately ran in that direction, rushing anxiously.

"Damn it. I forgot to ask what kind of monster attacks the fishermen," he complained.

**

"…and that's how it is," said the old man, finishing his explanation.

Crowne remained silent, nodding. Apparently, the monster's appearance was still uncertain. Some said it was a massive serpent, others claimed it was a gigantic octopus larger than a ship. But there were also those who said it was small, humanoid in shape, with red eyes and scales all over its body.

Aside from those three, there were other descriptions as well. However, none of them were certain. It was all speculation. Many claimed to have seen the creature, but none dared to swear upon the Goddess's name.

"Why didn't anyone actually see what it looked like?" asked Crowne.

"It's simple!" the old man answered. "No one ever survives after seeing it. Even Rank A adventurers were killed by that thing. That's why no one dares to provoke it, except for fools."

Crowne nodded. He understood the situation. But that didn't make him back down. He would still face the monster. No matter what happened, he would complete this mission. For a moment, he thought about asking for help from Velrisa or Sylvara, but he quickly dismissed the idea. Velrisa was on another mission, while Sylvara was busy exploring the expanding area inside the Dimensional Prison Ring.

Crowne felt there was no need to trouble them. He would complete this task alone unless things became truly desperate. Only then would he call for help from them or any of the beasts he had tamed.

"You're still going to fight that monster?" the old man asked.

Crowne nodded.

The old man sighed deeply. "Do whatever you want! I won't stop you anymore," he said.

Not long after, two women appeared from behind. They carried food in their hands. One was a girl around sixteen years old, and the other a young woman of twenty-four. Both were stunningly beautiful. Their faces were charming, their smiles radiant. One of them even caught Crowne's attention immediately.

"Let me introduce you. This is Cici, and the other is Ariel. They are my wives," said the old man.

Crowne's eyes widened. His breath almost stopped. He swallowed hard and nearly choked from shock at what he just heard. He looked back and forth between the old man and the two young women, blinking repeatedly.

"Your wives? Are you sure they're your wives, not your daughters?" Crowne asked.

The old man scratched his head, his face turning red. "Hahaha, it's embarrassing, but yes, they're both my wives. I married Cici two years ago, and Ariel… we've been married for five years."

Crowne frowned. He wanted to say something but held himself back, afraid to ruin the atmosphere. He took a slow breath and exhaled deeply, deciding not to comment any further.

The two women placed the food on the table. The dishes looked delicious, mostly seafood—crabs, fish, squid, and more.

"Eat as much as you want, because you'll die soon," said the old man.

Crowne was startled. "What do you mean by that?" he asked.

"You will…"

Boom!

An explosion echoed from outside. Crowne immediately stood up, but the old man gestured for him to sit back down. Crowne felt this was not the right time to relax, yet the old man looked so calm.

"Don't worry. This happens all the time. Relax and eat!" he said.

Crowne glanced toward the door, still tense. But seeing how calm the old man was, he slowly sat back down. "Ah, fine then."

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