(CHAPTER 11: OCEAN MONUMENT)

The next morning, a huge bang wakes almost everyone on the ship as Hero almost tumble down from his bed and land face on right at the wooden floor beneath him. "Get working boys!!" Through the oak door they could heard the captain's roar. "Go to the kitchen and dine. Take the potions from the witch and head to the deck!! I will be waiting for all of you!!!" Then it was another slam, signaling that the captain has already headed out of his cabin.

"Come on mate." Gale head out of his bed and starting to get dressed. He signaled his copper golems to do the check for him. "You are new here, I will show you the way." Hero get out of bed too and began to get suited too. He was in a half-asleep, half-awake mood as they stumble out of their bunker, almost tumble down the stairs on their way to the kitchen, again.

"Hey Hero!!' A sudden shout shook him awake for a split second as two figure slid down from the watchtower, it was Norman and Edward. "Ready for the sea eh rookie." Edward let out a hearty slap at both their backs that slap his soul back to his body. "Better get goin, captain aint the waiting type." Gale reminded the trio as together they dash down to the kitchen.

Breakfast is already served, salmon pie, cod stew and some kelp soup. That's what they have been eating for always, the ingredient is always the same, fish after fish after fish. After dining, they headed back to the deck. And midway the bump into the witches as they threw each of them a potion, witch a murky navy blue and mystic purple liquid in it. "Take it and drink it before heading." Evanora tell them. "These are a mixture of water breathing and swiftness potions. Use wisely, it only lasts for half an hour."

"What? Last time we had an hour each." Edward grumbled. "Well last time we only need three!" Evanora hissed and shove the rest of the potions to the remaining people. "And getting the ingredient to brew potions at the middle of the ocean in the middle of nowhere isn't a walk at a park." Rose added. Edward let out a grumble before four of them head out to the front deck of the ship together, where the captain should be waiting them.

"Why is the girl here?" Upon reaching the deck, they found out that Brine was with them too. "She told me that she could help us, and having more pair of hands wont hurt much either." Captain black answered. She isn't lying though, ever since she lost her sight, her other senses has enchanced drastically, she can see what others can't see, and exploring the maze like corridor of the Ocean monument, having her around might be both time saving and life saving. "Get your weapon boys." The captain pick up his weapon of choice, a huge anchor tied with a chain, as he tied it onto his back. "Choose wisely, fighting underwater is a lot different from fighting on land."

Edward pick up a silver rapier, which suits his elegant look quite finely. He let out a few swish before putting it back to the case and take it with him. Hero choose his saber and Brine choose her bow. Gale on the other hand didn't took his iron halberd like last time, instead, he fixes two exoskeleton limbs onto his waist, enabling him to mine easily. "I ain't here for the battle kid." Gale explained. "When we enter the Ocean Monument, the Elder Guardian would gave us mining fatigue effect, making us unable to mine or even break blocks, so I needed this exosuit to break through the walls surrounding the conduit and get the heart of the sea."

"Not gonna lie, the suit is pretty cool." Hero let out a chuckle as he and the rest circles around a barrel with a map of the Ocean Monument on top of it. "Here's the plan," Captain Black pointed at the entrance of the structure. "The conduit is located at the top of the building, within a small triangle room, we will distract the guards while Gale mine through the building and get the Heart of The Sea. There are a lot of guardians guarding the area, but the one that you should fear the most is the elder guardian, there are three of them normally. One above the structure, and two at each wing." He pointed out the location where the elder guardian should be. "To avoid more problem, once we have what we need, we will head out immediately and set sail alright? Norman will stay on the ship for getaway."

"Cool." "Fine with me." "Just like the old days." They all agree, it seems like a pretty easy job, but Hero was nervous as wreck, since it was his first time joining a mission like this. "Very well then." Captain black open the cork of the potion with a twist as it came along with a pop. The others follow as well. "May the sea heard our prayers!"

"May the sea heard our prayers!!" The rest shouted as together they drank down the potion in one breath and leap into the icy cold water. The sea is exceptionally murky, but it was calm somehow, weirdly peaceful. "Relax kid, get used to it." Captain Black swam past him and towards the coordinate where the Ocean Monument should be located. "Huh, you could talk underwater?" Hero asked and it was moments before he realize he himself, could also talk underwater. "Tst, tst, tst." The captain turn around and let a snicker before continuing his swim. "Typical." Edward let out a laugh and followed. Hero rolled her eyes and followed the group as they swam in a straight line.

As they swam deeper and deeper, they could see a faint distant glow. As they got closer and closer, they can finally get a good clear look of the Ocean Monument. It was gigantic, built in the middle of a ravine, making it hard to attack and easy to defend. They weren't even a hundred blocks near the monument, and they could already see how many guardians are patrolling the area.

This is the first time Hero came this close and met a Guardian in the flesh. He have read story and sketches of this beast, it was a puffer fish like monster, with a huge turquoise blue body and hard, crack like armor plating covering his body. It only has one red eye at the middle of his face as orange spikes contracts and expands around his body while creating a deep bellowing like sound.

But the worst of all, this is a monument twice the size than any of they had met before, which means twice the Guardians, twice as hard to sneak past the defense line undetected and even worse, twice as the amount of Elder Guardians.

"Time's ticking." Gale took out his bronze stopwatch from his pocket. "We spent five minutes diving, so we only have twenty minutes top to get the Heart of The Sea and head out without suffocating to death." "Well make every minute count. Head to the upper part right now, we will distract the Guardians. Edward, follow Gale and provide cover for him" Captain Black ordered. "Yes sir." Both Edward and Gale replied as they headed off to the upper part of the Ocean Monument. "You both, lets create some distraction."

"Sound is able to move faster underwater. I suggest we shout?" Brine asked. "Well, we need a REAL racket." The captain took out a few sticks of dynamite from his pocket. Hero and him look at each other and let out a snicker.

"Let's get blowin."