The Royal Palace of Azureus was a fortress of coral and pearl, suspended in the center of the city by massive mana-chains. It was beautiful, opulent, and currently, the most dangerous place in the ocean.

Alvian walked through the grand hallway, his boots clicking rhythmically on the polished shell floor. Flanking him were Valeria and Seraphina. Valeria had cleaned her armor, though the dents remained as badges of honor. Seraphina moved in his shadow, her eyes scanning every guard, every servant.

Lady Ola walked beside Alvian. As a Guardian, she granted them access, but even her presence couldn't dispel the tension in the air. The palace guards—Elite Merfolk Warriors Level 45—watched them with suspicion. They gripped their spears tightly.

"They're nervous," Seraphina whispered over the comms. "The rumor mill is working overtime. Half the city thinks Alvian is a savior. The other half thinks he's a demon who ate the Octopus Queen."

"Let them think," Alvian replied, looking straight ahead. "Fear is a currency."

They reached the Throne Room. The doors, made of solid gold and inscribed with the history of the Sea Kings, swung open.

The room was vast, filled with the murmurs of the city's elite. The Council of Seven—or what remained of it—was gathered.

There was the Hammerhead King, a massive brute of a man with skin like sandpaper, representing the Mercenary Faction.

There was the Siren Queen, beautiful and deadly, her voice capable of enslaving minds.

There was the Crab Lord, encased in natural armor thick enough to stop a torpedo.

And in the center, on a throne of floating water, sat the City Lord.

He was an ancient being, a Leviathan in humanoid form. His skin was blue, his beard white as sea foam, and his eyes held the pressure of the deep ocean. He held a scepter of pure coral.

[Target Identified: Lord Oceanus, Ruler of Azureus]

[Level: 55]

[Status: Observing]

The room fell silent as Alvian entered. The heavy gazes of the Council pressed down on him. These were the most powerful beings in the ocean, Level 50+ elites who ruled their respective domains with iron fists.

Alvian didn't bow. He walked to the center of the room and stopped.

"You summoned me," Alvian said.

The Hammerhead King slammed his fist on his armrest. "Insolence! You stand before the Council of Seven! You are a surface-dweller! A child!"

"I am the one who killed Ursula," Alvian stated, his voice cutting through the King's bluster. "I am the one who killed Voltex. I am the one who killed Ida. And I am the one who froze the Dragon God."

He looked the Hammerhead King in the eye.

"While you sat here and debated, I cleaned up your mess. Do not speak to me of insolence. Speak to me of gratitude."

The room erupted in whispers. The Hammerhead King stood up, his face purple with rage. "You dare—"

"Sit down, Sarkos," Lord Oceanus said. His voice was quiet, but it carried the weight of a tsunami. Sarkos sat.

Oceanus looked at Alvian. His gaze was heavy, probing. "You claim to have defeated the Calamity. Yet, the Syndicate fleet fled. The city is intact. Your actions speak louder than your words, young human. But you have upset the balance."

"The balance was a lie," Alvian said. "The Syndicate had infiltrated three of your seven factions. Ursula was a traitor. Voltex was a pawn. Ida was a fool. Your 'balance' was a house of cards waiting to fall."

"And you knocked it down," the Siren Queen purred, leaning forward. "You created a vacuum. Who rules the Reefs now? Who controls the Trench? You?"

"I don't want your territory," Alvian said. "I want your cooperation."

He reached into his inventory. He didn't pull out a weapon. He pulled out the [Sanctified Soul Vessel]. He opened it slightly. A beam of pure, holy light shot up, illuminating the room. The necrotic energy lingering on the council members—residue from the Syndicate's influence—sizzled and vanished.

"The Syndicate uses corruption," Alvian announced. "They use the Void. I have the power to purify it."

He closed the box.

"The Draconic Legion is still behind that gate. I froze it, but ice melts. When they wake up, they won't care about your factions or your politics. They will eat you."

Oceanus leaned forward. "And you propose... an alliance?"

"I propose a unified front," Alvian said. "I have secured the surface. I have secured the Undercroft. Now, I need the ocean."

"You ask for much," the Crab Lord rumbled. "You are an outsider."

"I am the Anomaly," Alvian corrected. "And I am the only one who knows how to kill what is coming."

He looked at Ola. Ola stepped forward.

"He speaks the truth, My Lord," Ola said, bowing. "He saved my life. He possesses the First Art. He carries the Trident of Kaelen. He has earned the respect of the Guardians."

"Kaelen gave him the Trident?" The Siren Queen looked surprised. "That speed-freak doesn't give anything away."

"He earned it," a voice came from the entrance. Master Thorne hobbled in on his new, quicksilver legs. He walked to Alvian's side. "And he gave me my legs back. This boy is not just a warrior. He is a maker. A breaker."

Oceanus looked at the two Guardians standing with Alvian. He looked at Valeria, the Golden Knight, and Seraphina, the Shadow.

"The Eighth Seat is empty," Oceanus said slowly. "Since the sealing of the Draconic Legion, the seat of the 'Warden of the Deep' has been vacant. It is a cursed seat. It requires one to stand guard over the abyss. To watch the monsters."

The Council went silent. The Eighth Seat. It was a position of immense power, but also a death sentence.

"The Syndicate tried to open the gate," Oceanus continued. "They failed because there was no Warden to stop them. We need a Warden. We need someone who does not fear the dark."

Oceanus stood up. He pointed his scepter at Alvian.

"Alvian of the Surface. You have killed the traitor Queen. You have halted the Calamity. You have purified the corruption. By the ancient laws of the Sea, you have claimed the right of conquest."

[System Notification: Title Offered.]

[Title: The Eighth Guardian (Warden of the Deep).]

[Effect: Command over the Abyssal Forces. Access to the [Sea King's Treasury]. +100 to All Stats while underwater.]

[Responsibility: Defense of the Draconic Seal.]

"Do you accept the burden?" Oceanus asked.

Alvian looked at the notification. It was a massive power boost. It gave him an army. It gave him resources.

"I accept," Alvian said.

"Then kneel," Oceanus commanded.

Alvian didn't kneel.

"I don't kneel," Alvian said, his voice echoing in the silent hall. "Partners stand. Subordinates kneel. I am not your subordinate, City Lord. I am your solution."

The Hammerhead King drew his sword. "This arrogance—"

"Stop," Oceanus raised his hand. A smile, faint and amused, touched his lips. "He has the pride of a dragon. Fitting."

Oceanus tapped his scepter on the floor. A wave of blue light washed over Alvian.

"Rise, Eighth Guardian. The Deep is yours."

----

The ceremony was short. Efficient. Just the way Alvian liked it.

He stood on the balcony of the Palace, looking out over the city of Azureus. He wore a new mantle over his [Vestments]—a cloak of shimmering blue scales, the symbol of his office. On his chest, a badge made of black pearl pulse with the authority of the Eighth Guardian.

[Title Acquired: The Eighth Guardian]

[Reputation with Azureus: Exalted.]

[New Faction Unlocked: The Abyssal Guard.]

"You know they're only giving you this because they're scared," Seraphina said, leaning on the railing beside him. "They want you to be the one standing between them and the Dragon."

"I know," Alvian said. "It puts me exactly where I need to be."

"And where is that?" Valeria asked, joining them. She had cleaned up, her armor shining again. She looked at Alvian with a mixture of pride and worry. "You just took responsibility for the most dangerous place in the ocean."

"The danger is the point," Alvian said. "The Syndicate wants the Dragon. They will come back for it. By taking the Eighth Seat, I make myself the bottleneck. They have to go through me to get to their prize."

"You're making yourself a target again," Valeria sighed.

"I'm always the target," Alvian said. He looked at his hand. He clenched his fist, feeling the new power flowing through him. The +100 stats from the title pushed him even further beyond the limits of a player. He was approaching Level 60 stats at Level 52.

"But I'm not strong enough," Alvian muttered.

"Not strong enough?" Seraphina choked on her drink. "You just soloed a raid boss and froze a god. What counts as strong to you?"

"Absolute control," Alvian said. "I have offense. I have speed. I have the army now. But my defense... it's reliant on mana. If I run out, or if I'm silenced, I'm vulnerable."

He pulled out the map Thorne had given him. He pointed to the Western District.

"Magnus," Alvian read the name. "The Fourth Guardian. The Iron Shell. He masters the Art of [Tidal Barrier]. Absolute Defense."

"Magnus hates surface dwellers," Seraphina warned. "He's a purist. He thinks humans are soft."

"He also has a problem," Alvian said, tapping a section of the map near Magnus's territory. "Reports show disappearances in his sector. Fishermen. Patrols. Vanishing without a trace."

"Syndicate?" Valeria asked.

"Likely," Alvian said. "Or something the Syndicate woke up. Either way, Magnus is stubborn, but he's a protector. If I solve his problem, he owes me."

"So, another quest," Valeria smiled, shaking her head. "Do we ever take a break?"

"Breaks are inefficient," Alvian said, turning away from the view. "The Convergence clock is ticking. We have five months left. I intend to spend every second of it getting stronger."

He walked toward the exit.

"Where are you going now?" Seraphina asked.

"To the barracks," Alvian said. "I have a new army to inspect. And then... we go see a man about a shield."

As he walked through the palace halls, the guards saluted him. Not with suspicion this time, but with fear and respect. He was the Eighth Guardian. The Godslayer. The Anomaly.

Alvian checked his inventory. The [Voidpiercer] hummed. The [Lance] was cold. The [Sanctified Soul Vessel] was warm.

He was building an arsenal to kill the end of the world. And he was just getting started.

[System Notification: New Quest Chain Available.]

[Target: Guardian Magnus.]

[Objective: Master the [Tidal Barrier].]

Alvian smirked. "Accepted."

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