Atlanna.
Once, she was the Queen of Atlantis.
To escape a political marriage, she fled to the surface world, where she fell in love with a human man named Tom Curry.
From their union came a child—the future Sea King, Arthur Curry.
But the queen giving birth to a half-human child was seen as a disgrace to Atlantis. The last King of Atlantis ordered her exile to the Trench, a cruel fate meant to ensure her death at the hands of the savage creatures there.
Yet Atlanna survived. By a twist of fate, she found her way to the Sea of Hidden Depths, where she remained trapped for twenty years.
Fenric, aware of the story from the beginning, recognized her identity instantly.
As the former queen, Atlanna held deep knowledge—not just of Atlantis but of the first King of Atlantis and even the Lord of the Seas himself.
The trident had once been gifted to Atlantis's king by the Sea God. But the man standing before her now… he did not look like Poseidon.
Though his command over the sea was formidable, Atlanna remained suspicious.
Now, as Fenric approached the trident, its guardian would inevitably awaken—Karathen, the legendary sea monster, the absolute overlord of the oceans.
Atlanna decided: if this man could seize the trident from Karathen's care, then—even if he was not the Sea God—she would acknowledge him as one and give him her respect.
But if he failed, he would be swallowed whole, nothing more than Karathen's next meal.
"Karathen?"
Fenric's lips curved into a faint smile. He spoke with effortless arrogance:
"A mere sea monster can't threaten me."
"..."
Atlanna felt her heart tighten. She wanted to warn him that those who underestimated Karathen had all perished inside its jaws. Only a true king could tame it.
But after a moment's hesitation, she remained silent.
Fenric was already moving. He reached the edge of the waterfall and dove in without a trace of fear.
Behind the curtain of water lay a cavern that opened into the entrance of an unnamed sea. Without pause, Fenric plunged into the depths.
At once, the trident in his hand began to vibrate wildly, resonating stronger than ever—as if guiding him forward.
Following its call, Fenric descended rapidly.
He passed through strange waters filled with bizarre, unknown fish—some so large and fanged they could only be called monsters.
But any creature that dared to see Fenric as prey met a swift death beneath his hand.
Eventually, he reached the seabed, his boots sinking into a carpet of soft coral.
There, he noticed something unusual. The strange fish that had swarmed the waters above were gone. Not a single one remained near the ocean floor.
Fenric's eyes narrowed.
This was not because life could not exist here—the water was too clean, too pure.
No, this was territory claimed by something powerful.
Even from the darkness ahead, Fenric could hear it:
Boom—! Boom—! Boom—!
A heartbeat. Heavy and resonant, echoing through the water.
The sheer strength in that sound alone revealed the might of the creature that dwelled here.
But Fenric's face remained calm as he strode forward, guided by the trident's will.
What he told Atlanna earlier was no idle boast.
Sea monster or not, he truly did not care.
With his current strength—his indestructible demon body unleashed—one punch could shatter this entire stretch of ocean.
Why should he fear a beast, however legendary?
At last, he saw it.
A massive throne of stone loomed before him.
Seated upon it was the skeletal figure of a man clad in ancient armor, crowned as a king. The bones were ancient, the flesh long gone—but the identity was clear.
The First King of Atlantis.
And in his bony grasp rested a golden trident.
The weapon gleamed brilliantly, far more resplendent than the dark trident Fenric now held.
At that moment, the trident in his hand shook violently, straining as if to leap free and join its golden counterpart.
"Could it be… my trident wants to devour that one?" Fenric muttered, intrigued.
Om—!
But before he could come close to it.
The sea rumbled.
From the abyss, a colossal tail swept forth, the sheer force of its movement sending a crushing wall of water hurtling at Fenric.
Fenric's eyes narrowed.
"Karathen."
The sea monster had awakened.
With a cold snort, Fenric clenched his fist. White vapor burst from his body, cloaking him like an aura.
Then he struck.
"Crack!"
The ocean itself split under his blow. Water and air ripped apart, the destructive force colliding head-on with the massive tail.
Fenric's raw strength, amplified by his tremor ability, was overwhelming.
The result was instant—the tail shattered, flesh and bone bursting into fragments.
"ROOOAAARRR!!"
A deafening, anguished roar thundered through the deep, shaking the ocean to its core.
Schools of fish fled in panic, scattering in every direction.
Even Atlanna, outside the waterfall, heard the terrible cry. Her body trembled in shock.
"That voice… it's Karathen's. Could it be—he's killing Karathen?!"
Her heart quivered.
Karathen was the terror of legend, invincible beneath the sea.
Yet the black-haired, black-eyed youth had forced the beast to scream in agony.
What kind of power could he possibly possess?
For the first time, Atlanna's doubts evaporated.
No longer did she wonder if Fenric was a pretender.
Only Poseidon himself could have wounded Karathen so.