"Your Majesty, every surface nation has refused to send us aid."
The elder paused before continuing.
"How is that possible?"
The old king refused to believe it. So many kings, and all of them in perfect agreement? Not even in his own Atlantis, with only one king, did the elders and nobles refrain from opposing him constantly.
"According to our investigation, the surface world has refused to help us because of one man."
Another elder projected an image of Zod Heath. Atlantean technology far surpassed that of the surface dwellers, though Zod had never quite figured out how isolationist nations like Wakanda and Atlantis managed to develop technology more advanced than the rest of humanity's.
"Because of him?"
The old king saw nothing particularly special about Zod Heath, aside from being a bit too handsome.
"He is the strongest man among the surface dwellers today. The nations of the surface world, to deal with the kind of monsters that are attacking us—the Deep Ones—established a special agency called the Sword Bureau, specifically tasked with handling these monsters. And he is the director of that bureau."
The elder played the data they had obtained from the surface world, downloaded from a program called "The Spider's Web." The footage showed superheroes fighting monsters, including the Monster Association's global assault and the great battle against Dragon-level threats.
The old king immediately grasped Zod Heath's power and the authority he commanded over the surface world.
"He refused to aid us, and the other nations, because they need the Sword Bureau's protection, tacitly followed suit and refused to extend a helping hand as well."
The elders who had just been railing about the surface world's ingratitude and ignorance of the principle that when one's neighbor's house is on fire, your own is at risk, all fell silent after watching the videos.
It was a joke. A surface world this powerful could sweep through Atlantis without breaking a sweat.
Damn it all. The last time they had gone ashore, the surface world was still in the backward era of the Age of Sail. How had all these powerful "superheroes" suddenly appeared?
That said, the people of Atlantis now saw a glimmer of hope.
The Deep Ones had been able to fight all the way to the capital of Atlantis precisely because they were so overwhelmingly strong. Even though Atlantean weapons were highly advanced, the threat they posed to the Deep Ones was limited. If they could get help from the surface world, wiping out the Deep Ones would be effortless.
The King of Atlantis, in name, was the ruler of the four oceans, the sovereign of the seven seas.
With a single command, he could summon a vast army of millions, even tens of millions—this was no exaggeration.
The surface world was not united; it was like an open hand. But Atlantis was like a clenched fist, all its strength concentrated in one place.
On this life-bearing blue planet, the oceans covered a far greater area than the land.
The vast body of water, occupying roughly seventy percent of the Earth's surface, teemed with an incalculable number of marine organisms.
After Atlantis sank, its population was reduced by two-thirds. Only after ten thousand years of development did it return to normal levels.
The army they commanded was not, in fact, enormous in scale. Their so-called numerical advantage came largely from their ability to command sea creatures.
Generations of living in the deep sea had allowed Atlanteans to evolve underwater respiration and night vision.
They possessed a natural affinity for marine life, an aura of charisma maxed out at ten.
Those with exceptional gifts could even communicate with and ride them, becoming "Sea Knights" and joining the King's personal guard in Poseidonia.
Zod pondered the knowledge stored in his memory. Such formidable combat strength could not be allowed to remain quietly in hiding. When Thanos eventually invaded with his Black Order, Zod would need a large supply of high-quality cannon fodder.
Atlantis was an excellent candidate.
It was a pity he hadn't found the Inhumans on the moon; they would have been a perfect choice as well.
So, the first step was to drive Atlantis out of the sea.
To that end, Zod had already created a new "Deep Sea King." Unlike the original, this one had an appearance more akin to "Shark Chili Pepper," and its power level was Demon-class. More than enough to deal with Atlantis.
As for the Atlanteans being unable to stay on land for extended periods, Zod was confident that, with their scientific prowess, they would be able to solve that problem.
After the new Deep Sea King joined the battle, Atlantis could no longer hold its capital city, Poseidonia. Shark Chili Pepper itself entered the fray, and for the first time, the Atlanteans witnessed firsthand the terrifying power of a Demon-level monster.
And yet, on the surface, countless Demon-level monsters just like this one had already been dealt with. Even Dragon-level threats, far stronger, had been killed.
The comparison gave the old king a stark, vivid understanding of the immense gap between Atlantis and the surface world.
How had the surface world advanced so rapidly? Before, it couldn't even compare to the ocean world. And the ocean world's resources were far richer. Logically, the surface world should have struggled to even match Atlantis, let alone surpass it!
With no other choice, the Atlantean king, seeking self-preservation, made the final decision: abandon the capital city, Poseidonia. All Atlanteans were to retreat.
To where, they did not know. They would retreat until the Deep Ones stopped pursuing them.
Unfortunately, they underestimated the Deep Ones' relentlessness. Their enemy seemed hell-bent on nothing short of total annihilation. Even when the Atlantean king sought to negotiate, willing to pay a price, the Deep Ones refused to give them the chance.
With such a vast disparity in strength, you still want to negotiate?
Don't you know the weak have no diplomacy?
Left with no alternative, the Atlanteans could only flee toward the surface world.
Three days later.
Boston Harbor.
The cargo ships that usually anchored here had all vanished.
In their place stood massive triangular fortresses, rising straight from the ground.
From the shore, one could clearly see squads of tall, powerfully built Atlantean guards.
On their heads they wore transparent helmets, resembling fishbowls, that allowed them to breathe normally.
Each soldier was equipped in what looked like standardized exoskeletal power armor, moving with a sense of immense power in every step.
Over these past days, the naval fleet had attempted to expel them multiple times, and each attempt had ended in failure.
But the Atlanteans did not advance further. They simply stayed where they were.
And then, the Atlanteans finally met the people they had been waiting for: the superheroes of the Sword Bureau.
The five S-Class heroes were the individuals requiring the most caution. Every single one of them had the documented feat of single-handedly destroying a Demon-level monster. The Atlanteans, who had nearly been wiped out by one such Demon-level threat, naturally did not consider themselves a match for them.
As for the even more powerful Zod Heath, he was the director of the Sword Bureau. His status and position had already transcended that of an S-Class hero.
/-\
Enjoying the story? Want to read ahead?
Support the novel and unlock early access to unreleased chapters!
~ +20 Advanced Chapters Available on Patreon! (+1 Chapter daily)
https://p-atreon.com/Its_Zack
(Just remove the hyphen (-) to access Patreon normally)