With the water around him now stained red from the blood of the defeated Half Immortals, Michael approached the shimmering artifact of House Gladwrath with caution. He knew that the guardian of the artifact was lurking somewhere in the dark waters and he remained alert for any sign of movement.

As Michael drew closer to the artifact, he felt the temperature of the water rising and strong ripples in the water around him. Suddenly, a giant eye opened in the water, staring directly at Michael. The eye was enormous, easily several times larger than Michael himself. Its pupil was an eerie shade of green that seemed to glow in the dark water.

The creature that possessed the eye was massive, its size almost impossible to comprehend. Its body was covered in scales that shimmered in the dim light. Its snakelike body stretched out for what seemed like miles, and its massive tail whipped through the water with immense power. Its jaws were lined with rows of razor-sharp teeth, ready to tear apart anything that dared to challenge it.

As Michael stood in front of the creature, he felt a sense of dread wash over him. He had never seen anything like this before, and he knew that he was no match for it in terms of size and brute strength. But he remained focused, knowing he had come too far to back down.

The giant belonged to the rare and powerful race of giants in the sea realm. They were considered the most powerful race and the first to inhabit the deep oceans. According to ancient scripts, all the other races in the sea realm had descended from them.

When the giant guardian noticed Michael trying to take the artifact, it didn't attack him immediately. Instead, it let out a deafening roar, creating giant waves in the water. The warning clearly indicated the creature's intelligence, and Michael knew that the guardian was not to be underestimated. If it had been a mindless creature, it would have attacked him already.

For a few moments, Michael remained still, his eyes locked onto the giant creature. Despite its size, Michael didn't feel intimidated. He sensed a strange power emanating from the giant, and he knew that it could break out of the array if it wanted to.

Finally, Michael spoke up. "I am going to take this artifact. Back off," he warned the creature, his voice steady and unwavering.

The giant let out another deafening roar, creating more waves in the water. Michael stood his ground, ready to face whatever the creature had in store for him. The other elders and their entourages watched in awe and fear, wondering what would happen next.

Time seemed to slow down as Michael cautiously extended his hand toward the artifact. But the moment his fingers made contact, the giant roared with fury, unleashing a powerful force that sent Michael hurtling backward through the water. The impact caused intense vibrations that rattled his inner organs and he coughed up blood. With a fierce determination, Michael willed the APD to inject a healing potion into his body, determined not to let this setback defeat him.

"So you choose violence," Michael's voice echoed through the ocean, a challenge in his tone. Despite the overwhelming power of the giant, Michael refused to back down.

The giant remained silent for a few moments, its massive eye locked onto Michael's smaller form. As Michael looked up at the giant creature, he felt a sense of awe and fear overwhelm him. The creature was easily ten times the size of a blue whale, the largest animal in the world. Its skin was a deep shade of black and had a rough texture, with several protruding spikes along its back. Its eyes were bright red, with slitted pupils that seemed to bore into Michael's soul.

The creature moved with a fluid grace that belied its enormous size. Each time it moved, it created massive ripples in the water, sending smaller sea creatures scurrying away in fear. As it roared, the water around it seemed to vibrate with a powerful force that threatened to knock Michael off his feet.

As the giant creature moved toward Michael, the people in the hall watched in awe and terror. They had never seen anything like it before.

Valen and the other members of House Bigmag were particularly shocked by the size and power of the giant. "What kind of creature is that?" Valen muttered under his breath.

The sight of the giant creature sent a shiver down the spines of those in the hall. Even House Bigmag and House Halrid, who had their own giant guardians, were awestruck by the sheer size of the creature before them. Its immense body was unlike anything they had ever seen, and the way it moved through the water sent ripples throughout the ocean.

Michael remained still, his mind racing as he formed a plan to defeat the giant guardian. The scales and body of the creature looked too tough to be penetrated by a single shot of his dark beams. He was curious to see what effect his dark swords would have when he tried to cut the giant creature.

Despite its monstrous size, the giant guardian was incredibly agile and fast. In the blink of an eye, it closed the gap between them and opened its massive jaws. The sight of the giant's razor-sharp teeth caused a ripple of fear to spread through the spectators in the hall.

Valen, Mutrad, and the others watched with bated breath, their hearts racing as they witnessed the battle unfold before their eyes.

"Can he defeat that thing?" Valen asked, his voice laced with uncertainty.

"I don't know," Mutrad replied, his eyes fixed on the giant guardian. "But if anyone can do it, it's him."

The tension in the hall was palpable as Michael stood his ground, waiting for the creature to make a move.

The spectators, except House Gladwrath in the hall may have feared and hated the Dark Lord, but they couldn't help but root for him in the battle against the monstrous giant. They knew that the fate of their houses depended on his victory in the trial.

Meanwhile, Michael remained focused on the task at hand, his two swords clutched tightly in his hands. As the giant creature opened its massive jaw, Michael quickly dodged out of the way, narrowly avoiding being swallowed whole by the beast.

The giant was incredibly agile and fast, despite its massive size, and Michael knew that he couldn't afford to let his guard down for even a moment. He darted through the water, his dark swords at the ready, searching for a weakness in the creature's defenses.

The giant creature seemed to rely solely on its massive size and brute strength, lacking any ability to cast spells. But its sheer size was already a huge advantage, and Michael knew he was in a tough battle. When he dodged the creature's jaw, it simply swung its spiked tail and sent Michael hurtling through the water. The spikes penetrated Michael's skin, causing intense pain, but he did not show any fear. Instead, he felt a rush of excitement at the prospect of facing such a massive creature underwater.

Despite the pain, Michael quickly regained his composure and assessed his options. His dark beams had proved ineffective against the giant creature's tough scales, but he still had one weapon left to try: his dark swords. Without hesitation, Michael charged at the creature with his swords at the ready. The creature swung its tail again, but Michael was ready this time. He skillfully dodged the spikes and sliced at the creature's scales with his swords.

To Michael's surprise, the dark swords were able to penetrate the creature's tough hide. The giant creature roared in pain as Michael continued to slash at it, causing deep wounds. The water around them turned red as the creature bled profusely. The people in the hall were on the edge of their seats as they watched the intense battle unfold. The sound of clashing swords and roaring echoed through the water, adding to the drama of the scene. Some of them were amazed at Michael's skill and courage, while others were terrified by the sheer size and power of the giant creature.

Michael's dark swords cut deep with each slash, leaving marks on the giant guardian's body. But even with his strength and skill, the cuts seemed insignificant compared to the creature's massive size. Despite this, Michael did not give up and continued to fight with all his might. On his tenth strike, the giant creature let out a deafening roar and swung its body, hitting Michael with tremendous force and sending him hurtling through the water once again.

This time, the creature did not give Michael any chance to recover. It let out a series of powerful roars, sending shockwaves through the water and hitting Michael with incredible force. The impact was like being hit by a freight train, causing Michael to cough up blood and feel immense pain throughout his body. Despite this, he did not let go of his swords and remained determined to defeat the giant creature.

With lightning-fast reflexes, Michael managed to dodge the giant creature's attacks, but the creature was relentless in its pursuit. Suddenly, the creature increased its speed, moving with astonishing agility and appearing before Michael in the blink of an eye. Michael tried to dodge out of the way, but it was too late. The giant opened its massive jaws, ready to snap Michael up in its mouth.

But Michael was not one to give up without a fight. With fierce determination, he plunged his dark sword into the creature's upper jaw and used his raw brute strength to keep the creature from closing its mouth completely. The creature roared in pain and anger, thrashing about in the water and trying to shake Michael off.

Despite the danger, Michael remained focused and held on tight to his sword, gritting his teeth as he struggled to keep the creature's jaws open. He knew that one wrong move could mean the end for him, but he refused to give up.

"Arggh!"

With a burst of adrenaline, Michael summoned all his strength and pushed the creature back, managing to free himself from its deadly grip. Breathless and battered, Michael knew that the battle was far from over. But he was ready to face whatever lay ahead.