As he approached the cave, Caius spotted a crimson sea eel writhing violently, tearing into the body of a massive fish.
This Crimson Sea Eel was huge—over a meter thick and easily more than ten meters long. Dragging it out of that cave would be no simple feat.
But Caius was never one for subtlety.
He swam straight in. Just as the eel tore off a chunk of flesh and began to savor it, Caius darted forward, snatched the eel’s meal—a giant fish nearly ripped in two—and bolted out of the cave.
The Crimson Sea Eel erupted in fury on the spot.
It had been enjoying its meal peacefully, and this guy just showed up to rob it? Did he think it was an easy mark?!
With a flash like red lightning, the Crimson Sea Eel surged out of the cave and lunged at Caius.
Its jaws opened wide, revealing four rows of teeth on both the upper and lower jaws. Each tooth curved backward like a barbed hook, reminding Caius of a python’s maw.
Getting bitten would be no joke.
While not venomous, the Crimson Sea Eel relied on brute size and raw power. Over a meter thick and more than ten meters long, it was a monster of terrifying strength. Once it latched onto its prey, it would coil around, crush it to death, or rip it apart savagely—a truly brutal predator.
As the eel lunged at him, Caius raised his harpoon like a lance and thrust it forward with all his might.
Pshhk!
The harpoon pierced flesh, plunging deep into the eel’s lower jaw.
Caius had aimed for its head, hoping to end it in one strike, but the eel twisted just in time, narrowly dodging a fatal blow.
Still, the harpoon’s barbs had sunk deep into the jaw muscle, locking tight. The Crimson Sea Eel thrashed wildly, its immense strength and innate magic stirring the surrounding water into chaotic currents.
Several powerful jets of water slammed into Caius. The impact was intense—enough to knock the breath out of an average Gold-ranked warrior, as if they’d taken a punch straight to the gut.
And underwater, losing your breath could be fatal.
But Caius had a physique that was nothing short of monstrous. The water blasts hurt, sure—left some bruises, maybe—but they barely scratched the surface of his durability.
Gripping the rope tied to the back of the harpoon, Caius confirmed it was secure—then released it.
The eel immediately dove downward. The rope unwound rapidly until it hit the 300-meter limit, going taut with a sudden jolt.
Up above, the sailors on standby felt the entire ship shudder.
“Time to work!” the captain shouted as the magitech ship roared to life. Driven by magic power, the vessel surged forward over the surface of the sea at 30 to 40 knots.
Beneath the waves, the Crimson Sea Eel was dragged along behind.
It struggled furiously, but how could a ten-meter-long sea beast match a magitech ship several times its size? The Magitech technology held strong, offering the eel no chance to resist.
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Caius clung tightly to the rope, being dragged along with the ship.
He had to make sure the eel didn’t get close enough to bite through the rope.
And indeed, the Crimson Sea Eel tried. Every time it fought the drag of the ship and turbulent currents to get near the rope—
Caius would punch it square in the face.
After a few repetitions of this, the eel finally began to lose its strength.
Caius climbed back up the rope onto the ship, joining the crew in hauling in the line until the massive beast broke the surface.
It thrashed a few more times, but a single hammer strike from Caius to the skull quieted it for good.
The crew watched in awe as Caius hauled the ten-meter monster aboard with one hand. To anyone unaware, it might’ve looked like he was pulling up a slippery loach.
That strength of his—what a perfect match for that mountain of muscle!
"All done! Time to wrap it up!" Caius laughed heartily.
It had been a great experience. Fighting underwater had its own kind of thrill. Given the chance, he’d definitely consider heading into the open sea again—maybe as a pirate, maybe as a sea enforcer. It’d depend on his mood. He could switch roles whenever he felt like it—such was his carefree nature.
The crew still had more fishing to do, so Caius stayed to help. It was a good chance to get used to the sailor's life—might come in handy someday.
By the time they returned to Ocean City, it was already 10 p.m.
After parting ways with the Wargs Gang, Caius headed to Hailan No. 11 to turn in the quest and received a commission of 30,000 Gold. After deducting 8,000 for assistance fees, he netted 22,000.
He enjoyed a hearty, lovingly-prepared dinner from Yvlan, then sent the little catgirl off to bed.
Taking up his Angel Warhammer, Caius made his way toward the meeting spot arranged by the mysterious client.
Twenty li wasn’t far—he reached it in no time.
He leaned against a tree in the Little Redberry Grove, waiting. The designated meeting point was the crossroads on the west side of the grove.
But Caius waited... and waited.
By 1 a.m., the other party still hadn’t shown.
Caius’s expression twitched.
Was he being stood up?
He double-checked the mission slip. The meeting time was clearly marked—midnight, no doubt about it.
Then where the hell was the person?!
Frustration built. Caius wasn’t the most patient man—waiting two hours with no sign of the client? What kind of joke was this?
A deal is built on punctuality and trust. Don’t these people know anything?!
Caius flicked the nearly finished cigarette from his lips, crushed it under his boot with a few firm twists, and turned to head back.
But he only made it two steps before halting in place. Slowly, he turned his head toward a nearby tree.
Leaning against the trunk, cloaked in shadow and draped in a black mantle, stood a figure.
Caius narrowed his eyes slightly.
That tree was no more than three or four meters from where he'd just been waiting. When he’d arrived, there hadn’t been anyone there. This guy…
“When did you get here?” Caius asked, his voice calm but alert.
“When you did,” the figure replied evenly.
Judging from the voice, it belonged to an older man—aged, perhaps, but with a steady presence. No doubt, a formidable one.
A grin spread across Caius’s face. “Ah, so you were here all along! Why didn’t you say something then? Still, never mind that—let’s get to the real matter. What exactly do you want to hire me for?”
His tone was suddenly full of warmth and enthusiasm, as though the man stomping a cigarette in frustration moments ago had been someone else entirely.
Even the black-cloaked man was caught off guard. He’d expected Caius to be furious, to lash out at him for the silent wait. That had been the whole point—he'd deliberately stayed quiet, then revealed he'd been there the entire time, hoping to provoke Caius into anger after wasting his time for hours.
After all, the man had heard about Caius. Just recently, that guy from Hydis Academy—Fenton, was it?—had merely bumped into him and ended up with a smashed face. Caius was no gentle soul.
Yet here he was, all smiles, eyes shining with interest as if the wait had meant nothing at all.
Now what excuse could he use to start a fight?
There was a moment of silence before the cloaked man finally spoke.
“The commission is simple,” he said.
“You're going to be my punching bag. I’ll keep hitting you until sunrise.”
Caius raised an eyebrow, then let out a low chuckle.
This time, the laughter wasn't cheerful—it was mocking.
“A punching bag? That’s not exactly within the scope of services I offer,” he said with a crooked smile, lighting another cigarette and clamping it between his teeth. With his other hand, he casually drew out his Angel Warhammer.
Smoke curled from his lips as he looked straight at the cloaked man. “Or… are you here to pick a fight?”
The man replied, “One hundred thousand gold.”
Caius immediately spat out his cigarette, slid the warhammer back onto his belt, and spread his arms wide.
“Go ahead. Hit me square in the face!”
The man in black: “……”
