Broken raindrops kept pouring down from the gray sky, crystal clear and shining.
The falling rain flickered as if it was about to stop, and when it hit the surging and roaring sea, it stirred up bursts of white spray.
The ocean seemed to be violently surging with its powerful life force. Waves rose from the white mist like jagged cliffs, and every crash carried endless ferocity.
The vast sea fell into chaos, and the Empire's largest coastal city, Braeston, also fell into disorder.
Braeston Port survives on sea import and export trade.
The port lies close to the massive ocean, and fishing boats of all sizes are docked along the shore.
It was clearly daytime, and countless fishermen gathered on the docks, hesitating as they looked at the tightly packed fishing boats, yet not a single person dared to sail out now.
Because the sky over Braeston had already been completely covered by thick clouds.
Even though it was noon, the port seemed to be gradually sinking into night.
Dark clouds overlapped each other, as if sealing away the blazing sun.
The pouring rain crashed down hard from the sky, driven by wild winds, disappearing somewhere in the air.
The chaotic raindrops seemed to gather together and slammed hard against the port buildings, making loud banging sounds.
The raging rain came from all directions, striking the fishing boats, and the wooden echoes rang throughout the entire harbor.
Looking at the fishing boats swaying constantly with the rising and falling sea, the fishermen showed helpless expressions.
"With weather like this, looks like we can't go out to sea again today."
"Sigh, another day off."
"Let's go grab a drink later. There's a new tavern not far from the port. I heard their liquor is really strong."
The fishermen joked with each other, but there was bitterness in their hearts.
Clang! clang!
The heavy sound of dragged cargo echoed from another part of the dock. Sailors shouted against the chaotic rain.
"Hurry and unload the cargo from the ship. Move it to a safe place."
"Be careful not to let it get soaked by the rain!"
Batch after batch of sailors rushed forward, dividing the goods into smaller portions and carrying them toward the warehouses.
Many sailors suddenly stopped mid-task.
Someone turned to look at the churning sea.
The waves seemed to have grown even more violent.
They widened their eyes at the sight of waves rising like the spine of a giant beast, filled with shock.
"Hey, something's not right."
"What's not right?"
The sailors looked toward the sea.
The towering waves rose high, their massive backs seeming about to touch the sky, leaving people deeply shaken.
After sailing for so many years, they had never seen waves like this.
Several captains with decades of experience stared at the waves ahead, their faces extremely grim.
"The lads who sailed out early today… I'm afraid…"
At this point, many people fell silent, their expressions instantly filled with grief.
They realized that those who had gone out to sea in the morning, or those who had not returned last night, were likely in grave danger.
No matter what kind of ship stayed on the sea, it would probably be overturned instantly.
Worse, it might be swallowed by the giant waves, smashed into pieces, and sink to the bottom.
At that moment, a slight tremor came from the ground.
The fishermen and sailors froze in the harbor, while the experienced captains suddenly widened their eyes.
A pipe fell from one captain's hand as he shouted loudly, "No, it's a tsunami!!!"
'A tsunami!?'
As everyone knows, tsunamis are caused by undersea earthquakes, volcanic eruptions, and many other factors, bringing massive disasters.
But Braeston had never experienced a tsunami.
As the second most prosperous city, Braeston has a Mage Meteorological Bureau.
Mages from the bureau regularly inspect the surrounding seabed and use magic to maintain geological stability.
Yet this time, a real tsunami had occurred without any warning.
"Run!!!"
Countless sailors dropped their cargo and ran away from the sea.
Residents of the port screamed in panic at the towering waves sweeping toward them.
People pushed and shoved each other, scrambling to escape the harbor.
Some were knocked down. Some were stepped on and trampled over.
Under the heavy rain, chaotic footsteps splashed through puddles, mud flying, the sounds messy and broken.
Beneath the black clouds, the towering wave looked like a fierce beast lunging forward.
The massive wave instantly broke through the tall harbor walls, carrying dust and shattered rocks as it surged onward.
The fishermen's houses were swept away and crushed into pieces.
The wave moved closer to the inner parts of Braeston, as if it would swallow the entire port.
A huge shadow covered countless people.
The fleeing crowd did not stop running, even though there was nowhere left to go.
But at that moment, a tall and sturdy figure walked against the flow of people, heading toward the tsunami.
In front of the tsunami, he seemed extremely small.
Yet among the fleeing crowd, he was incomparably tall.
The bear man stood at the edge of the port. One foot stepped back, one hand moved back along with it, both fists clenched.
His muscles bulged slightly, and even the veins across his body stood out.
[Martial Stance]
Halnarsen took a deep breath, his chest swelling like a towering mountain.
At that moment, the surrounding air began to shift. Thick white mist emanated from his body, the air circling around him.
A patch of white mist stood out sharply in the darkness.
His hands slowly moved, his breath flowing through his body like a gentle stream, gathering in his limbs.
That immense aura, along with his movement, instantly pushed against the massive tsunami.
In the next moment, something happened that no one expected.
The enormous wave stopped in midair, suspended above the sea.
As if following Halnarsen's movements, heaven and earth reversed.
The wave seemed to turn into a blue curtain that could be controlled at will.
Halnarsen rotated his palm slightly, as gentle and slow as flowing water.
Under his twisting motion, the entire wave seemed to turn into a thick rope, stretched tight in the air.
Bang!
The wave could not maintain its shape. The moment it tightened, it crashed against itself.
The sky-high wave exploded, countless tiny white droplets bursting in all directions.
The vast white water scattered completely.
But Halnarsen was still controlling the shattered spray.
With sheer force, he completely eliminated the remaining power within them.
Then Halnarsen withdrew his stance.
He stood there, returning to his original posture, tall and elegant.
As if what he had just done was merely a warm-up.
With his movement, the sea water lost control and fell back into the sea at the edge.
Splash!
A wave overturned several fishing boats.
Countless people stood behind him in shock.
They had witnessed something so unbelievable that they could not even come back to their senses.
After everything, the sea calmed down.
Only when scattered droplets fell back onto the land and onto people's faces did they realize, unable to tell for a moment whether it was rain or seawater.
The cold touch on their faces finally brought them back to reality.
Rain continued to fall into the now calm sea, small dents forming again and again.
At this moment, someone stared blankly at the enormous, almost inhuman Halnarsen and suddenly shouted, "Bear… it's a bear man!!"
But then, not just a bear man.
Countless mysterious figures wearing cloaks and covering their faces with gauze gathered from all directions of the port.
They stepped over beams, stood at high places, and appeared before everyone.
This time, they did not wear their hoods, revealing different colored long hair and their iconic demi-human beast ears.
The port residents widened their eyes at them.
'These people are… demi-humans?'
Leon stepped out from the crowd, her cloak whipping in the raging wind, revealing a pair of long pointed ears.
"She's an elf!"
Someone in the crowd recognized Leon's race and cried out.
Leon stood before the many demi-humans and spoke in a commanding tone.
"I'll be direct. In the name of the Clavenna family, we order you to evacuate Braeston Port within one hour."
'These are the Clavenna family's shadow guards!?'
'The Clavenna family's shadow guards were actually demi-humans all along...'
People felt a chill in their hearts, and some even felt lingering fear.
No wonder the demi-human traffickers in Braeston Port had either died or disappeared.
Fortunately, they had never dealt in trafficking demi-humans…
Some sailors, confused, were about to ask why when Leon continued, "Do not question my order. The tsunami just now already explains everything."
Several captains looked shocked and hurriedly asked, "M… Miss Leon, will the tsunami come again?"
"More than that."
Leon said calmly, "According to observations from the mages of the Braeston Meteorological Bureau, five hundred kilometers from Braeston Port, in the Padalenbu sea area, the surrounding hundred kilometers have already been surrounded by white mist."
"The mages cannot detect exactly what is happening there, but what can be confirmed is."
"The tsunami just now came from there."
'???'
Countless sailors and fishermen froze in place.
'What?'
'A wave that came from five hundred kilometers away actually reached Braeston and almost flooded the port!?'
No one wanted to believe such an absurd thing, yet it was what the Meteorological Bureau mages had observed.
It was an indisputable fact.
Leon continued, "We will notify the Royal Garrison stationed in Braeston for support, immediately seal off Braeston Port, and construct defensive measures."
The seriousness of the tsunami made the captains nod solemnly.
"We will fully cooperate."
The captains then called out to their sailors to start moving cargo quickly.
There was only one hour. Whatever could be moved, move it.
They could only race against time.
The captains shouted to their crew while calling for drivers to tow away the tilted ships. The entire port sprang into action.
The demi-human shadow guards maintained order, ensuring no chaos broke out amid the rush.
Within one hour, the port had to be cleared.
While everyone was busy, Leon walked over.
She looked at Halnarsen with concern in her eyes.
"Mr. Halnarsen, can you still hold on?"
She had personally witnessed him block the entire tsunami alone.
Halnarsen, however, remained calm. One hand rested behind his back as he looked at the sea.
"Yes, if it's only a tsunami."
He raised his other hand, thumb pressing lightly against his index finger, leaving a small gap between them.
"Looks like I'm just a little bit stronger."