The polished nanoceramic cobblestones of the resort area gave way to a rugged composite alloy deck reinforced with anti-corrosive polymer.
With every step we took down the slope, the cloying, artificial perfume of the climate-controlled air dissipated. In its place, the heavy rhythm of machine oil and the raw, salt-etched scent of life rose to meet us.
"Master. Biological signatures detected ahead, near No. 3 Mooring Dock. A large-scale magnetic crane is currently in operation. The agent is waiting there."
Just as Lucia said, a lone figure stood in the shadow of the wharf, where massive, gravity-controlled cargo containers passed intermittently overhead.
He wore a tactical jacket equipped with a bio-monitor, its fabric weathered by sea spray and salt. The man, whose sharp eyes seemed to glare at the sea, glanced at us as we approached, gave a short snort, and jerked his chin.
"So, you're the group I heard about... or rather, the ones looking for the 'real thing'?"
"Yeah. Can we count on you for a guide?"
The man must have sensed the genuine heat coming from me—not the flighty curiosity of a tourist. He smirked slightly and turned his back to us.
"Fine. This is where those bored of the lukewarm food at the resorts eventually end up. Follow me."
We followed him through the labyrinthine market of the old port, a place where raw technology reigned supreme—a stark contrast to the sterile city above.
Automatic cleaning drones scrubbed away the blue blood of fish spilled on the deck while holographic bid prices flickered in the air. Deep-sea monsters, fresh from the abyss, were hoisted carelessly from pressure-regulated tanks by massive cranes.
"This is Azurite Backwater. It's a port for connoisseurs, though lately, some eccentric tourists who've heard the rumors have started showing up. Well, sit down. I've prepared a local-style greeting, no strings attached. It'll be out in a second."
He led us to an open-terrace diner built of exposed steel that groaned in the sea breeze as it jutted out over the water.
When the man gave a short signal to the kitchen, intense heat flared from a high-output plasma grill. A sharp, savory aroma struck our nostrils, accompanied by the sound of something searing.
And then, we saw it—the dish already waiting in the center of the kitchen to be served.
"Wh-what is this?! This layered armor... the placement of the arthropod limbs... It’s staggering to find a predator with such a primitive structure still thriving in a modern ecosystem!" Emulgand blurted out, her excitement as a bio-investigator on full display.
Roasted whole on a giant heat-conductive plate was a massive body over two meters long. It had a head covered in flat armor, a pair of giant compound eyes protruding from the sides, and frontal appendages like spiked tentacles with freely moving segments.
"It looks exactly like a Paleozoic creature I saw in a dinosaur encyclopedia as a kid. An Anomalocaris, if I remember right."
The observation escaped my lips as a simple sense of déjà vu. Of course, there was no logical link to Earth's prehistoric life, but the resemblance was striking enough to trigger a powerful memory.
"This is a Scissors Shell. It's the roughest brute in this sea, but it tastes the best, too."
"Can you... actually eat this? It looks incredibly tough..." Mina said, pulling back a little.
I recalled hearing stories about aquariums or specialty shops back home that served giant isopods. It looked eerie, but if I thought of it as a relative of a giant shrimp, the essence was likely the same.
"Well, I'm sure it's edible."
When I took a step forward, the coordinator raised an eyebrow in surprise.
"Hoh. You look at this monster with a brain the size of a bucket and say 'it's edible'? You've got a good look in your eyes."
Before long, the massive roast was slid onto our table on a heavy metal tray. The savory scent of the charred shell was like a concentration of lobster aroma tenfold; the smell alone made my stomach growl in anticipation.
"Time to dig in!"
Curiosity had clearly triumphed over fear as Emulgand fired up a small ultrasonic cutter. The thick exoskeleton split cleanly, revealing steaming white meat beneath. Even the tentacle-like frontal limbs were packed solid with flesh, giving it the substantial feel of a massive lobster.
"Hot! But this elasticity... the resistance transmitted to my fingers is incredible!"
I brought a piece of the meat to my mouth. The moment I bit down, the powerful fibers tore away, and an intense burst of ocean umami exploded.
"This is powerful."
It was similar to shrimp but far more primal, possessing a dense, concentrated sweetness. The more I chewed, the more the savory richness typical of crustaceans melted across my tongue. It was a raw, noble satisfaction—the feeling of consuming a life that had actually fought to survive in the wild.
"It's delicious! Akito, it looks scary, but it's really tasty!"
Mina, who had taken a bite timidly, widened her eyes at the rich flavor. Lucia also quietly brought a fragment of the pure white meat to her mouth.
"High-density muscle fibers and high-purity Omega-3 fatty acids. Master, this is a 'real sensation' cultivated in a harsh environment. It could never be reproduced by synthetics."
I immersed myself in the savory aftertaste that filled my mouth, listening to the rough sea breeze of the old port.
The coordinator, who had been watching us in silence, let out a dry snort.
"This is just a starter for the newcomers... a bit of a gimmick, really. It's for the tourists who either run away in fear or take a few holograms for the novelty. It’s rare to see someone actually enjoy eating it as much as you do."
The man’s cold gaze softened with a flicker of genuine interest.
"What you're really looking for isn't a heap of exoskeleton like this. You came to eat 'fish,' didn't you? Real prey with scales, blood, and tender meat."
I nodded silently. "Yeah. That’s exactly why I’m here."
"I've passed the word along. I had the best catch of the day secured in the private stock in the back. I'll bring it out soon. A real 'fish'—the kind that would never grace a resort's dining table."
The sanitized paradise felt a world away now. Beneath our feet, the door to the real sea was finally starting to swing open.