The Western District of Azureus was a stark contrast to the fluid chaos of the Slipstream Sector or the organic squalor of the Slums. It was a district of geometry and silence. The buildings here were blocky, constructed from heavy, grey stone and reinforced with bands of iron. The water seemed heavier, stiller, as if the very ocean was holding its breath.

This was the domain of Guardian Magnus, the Iron Shell.

Alvian swam through the quiet streets, his [Vestments of the Void Monarch] blending perfectly with the deep shadows of the district. Seraphina moved beside him, her form shimmering in and out of visibility, while Valeria, having delegated the initial training drills to Korg, insisted on joining the expedition.

"It's quiet," Valeria whispered, her voice tight. "Too quiet. Even for a residential district. Where are the people?"

"Inside," Alvian noted, his eyes scanning the windows of the bunker-like houses. "Barricaded. Hiding."

He looked at the map Thorne had given him. The objective was the Iron Citadel, Magnus's personal fortress located at the edge of the district. But as they approached the main thoroughfare leading to the Citadel, their path was blocked.

A massive wall of solid iron, thirty feet high and glowing with defensive runes, cut across the street. Patrols of armored Crab-Men—the Iron Shell Guard—marched along the top, their heavy crossbows trained on the empty street.

"Halt!" A voice boomed from the wall. A Crab-Man Captain peered down. "The Iron Shell District is under lockdown. By order of Guardian Magnus, no one enters or leaves."

Alvian floated upward, leveling his gaze with the captain. "I am Alvian, the Eighth Guardian. I have business with Magnus."

The Captain hesitated, looking at the badge on Alvian's chest. "We know who you are, Godslayer. But the order is absolute. Guardian Magnus sees no one. Not the Council. Not the other Guardians. Go back to your trench."

"He's scared," Seraphina whispered over the comms. "Look at the guards. They aren't looking outward for invaders. They're looking inward. They're terrified of something inside the district."

"The disappearances," Alvian recalled Thorne's warning. "People vanishing without a trace."

"Open the gate," Alvian said, his voice hardening. "Or I will open it for you."

The Captain raised his claw. The crossbowmen leveled their weapons. "Take one more step, and we fire. We respect your strength, Eighth Guardian, but our loyalty is to the Iron Shell."

Alvian calculated. He could smash the wall. His [Voidpiercer] could cut through the wards, and his stats could pulverize the iron. But attacking another Guardian's forces openly would cause a civil war within the city, exactly what the Syndicate wanted.

"Inefficient," Alvian muttered. "We need leverage."

"Alvian," Valeria pointed toward a dark alleyway branching off the main street. "Look. The mana flow there... it's wrong."

Alvian shifted his gaze. His [Tablet of the Earth Core] passive picked up the disturbance. It wasn't the clean hum of the city's grid. It was a chaotic, slippery vibration. Like something slithering through the stone.

"A breach," Alvian realized. "Someone is tunneling under the lockdown."

"Let's check it out," Alvian said, turning away from the gate. "If we solve his problem, he can't refuse us."

They retreated from the wall, slipping into the alleyway. The disturbance led them away from the Citadel, toward the industrial docks at the edge of the district where the waste pipes vented into the open ocean.

The docks were deserted, littered with abandoned fishing nets and rusted crates. But the smell was distinct. Not just brine. Musk. And venom.

"Sea Snakes," Alvian identified the scent immediately.

"I thought the Sea Snakes were neutral," Valeria said, drawing her claymore.

"Neutrality is just a price tag waiting to be bought," Alvian replied.

He found the source. A massive grate covering a sewage outflow pipe had been torn open. The metal was bent outward, as if something enormous had forced its way out—or in.

"This is how they're snatching people," Seraphina said, examining the slime on the bars. "They come up through the pipes, grab a victim, and drag them down before anyone notices. It's an abduction ring."

"Why?" Valeria asked.

"Blood rituals," Alvian said grimly. "The Syndicate needs fuel. If they can't get it from the Academy anymore, they'll harvest it from the city."

Suddenly, the water in the pipe churned.

"Contact," Alvian whispered. "Hide."

He didn't hide. He stood right in front of the broken grate, his arms crossed, looking like an easy meal. Valeria and Seraphina melted into the shadows behind the crates.

A head emerged from the pipe. It was a Sea Snake, but humanoid. A Naga, but twisted. Its scales were a sickly green, and its eyes were four glowing red slits. It held a net made of mana-dampening fibers.

[Enemy Identified: Sea Snake Abductor]

[Level: 42]

[Status: Elite / Hunting]

Behind it, three more emerged. They hissed when they saw Alvian.

"Fresh meat," the leader hissed. "A noble. High vitality. The Sleeper will feast tonight."

"The Sleeper?" Alvian asked calmly. "Is that your boss?"

The leader laughed, a wet, rattling sound. "The Sleeper is the future! Seize him!"

The Naga lunged, throwing the net.

Alvian didn't move. The net hit him. It wrapped around him, the dampening fibers trying to suppress his mana.

"Got him!" the leader cheered. "Drag him down!"

They pulled on the net. Alvian didn't budge. He stood there, anchored by his immense weight and the [Void Anchor] passive.

"You caught a shark thinking it was a minnow," Alvian said.

He grabbed the net with one hand.

"System. [Chains of the Void Leviathan]."

Darkness erupted from his hand, flowing along the net, reversing the connection. Black chains shot out, wrapping around the four Naga before they could release the ropes.

"BIND."

The void chains tightened. The Naga screamed as their mana was instantly siphoned away.

[Mana Drained. Targets Silenced.]

"Now," Alvian said, pulling the helpless elites toward him. "Tell me about this 'Sleeper'. And tell me where you're keeping the prisoners."

The leader spat venom. "You... you are dead! The Sleeper is a god! You cannot stop the Tribute!"

"I've killed gods," Alvian said, his eyes glowing violet. "And I'm about to kill a Sleeper."

He looked at Seraphina.

"Track their trail back through the pipe," Alvian ordered. "We found the leak. Now we find the nest."

[Quest Updated: The Mystery of the Missing.]

[New Objective: Infiltrate the Sea Snake Nest and Rescue the Civilians.]

[Reward: Leverage over Guardian Magnus.]

Alvian equipped his [Lance]. "Valeria, you're up. We're going into the sewers."

"Gross," Valeria sighed, but she stepped forward, her shield ready. "Lead the way, boss."

Alvian smiled. It was a dirty job. But dirty jobs paid the best XP. And once he cleared this nest, Magnus would have no choice but to open the gate—and teach him the art of the [Tidal Barrier].

"Let's go," Alvian said. "The tide is turning."

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