The waters grew more perilous by the minute, teeming with beasts drawn by the blood saturating their surroundings. Most were sharks, their dark forms slicing through the crimson currents, but other creatures joined the fray as well.
Schools of tiny, razor-toothed fish now sward the battlefield, their sheer numbers overpowering even the deadliest predators. One such swarm had already taken down the dangerous jellyfish, reducing its nacing stingers to floating remnants. Now, the swarm moved with lethal precision, consuming one massive beast after another.
Thalion, however, had little reason to fear them. A single cast of Tsunami Breaker was enough to obliterate the entire swarm in a roiling vortex of force and water.
Even if a few managed to evade the initial assault, his mana shield held firm, buying him ti to unleash another devastating strike. The tiny fish were no match for him—small victories in the grand chaos—but they were not the real threat.
The greater challenge lay with the larger beasts, those with complex abilities rivaling those of any seasoned warrior. Yet, even they had yet to pose a true challenge to Thalion.
For now, most of his foes were sharks, which suited him perfectly. They offered a steady stream of experience, propelling him closer to a long-awaited level-up.
But their abilities left much to be desired; their biting skills were crude and inferior to the ones he already possessed. Still, he welcod the progress. He was halfway to the next level, and though ti pressed against him, he hoped to return before any of his enemies set their sches into motion.
Annoying as this deadline was, it provided a rare opportunity to shift focus: preparations awaited for his aquatic cultivation and the fusion of his storm crystal with Eagly. Additionally, he intended to investigate the potential ergence of weak darkness elentals or, at the very least, their embryonic aspects. The twilight hours neared, and darkness, both literal and figurative, promised to reveal its secrets.
On this level, only a single large crystal remained. He debated whether to dive deeper, lured by the promise of untapped treasures. How many pearls had the other shapeshifters collected by now?
The remaining crystal would be fiercely contested. Realistically, his spoils here would likely be limited to levels gained and the faint hope of discovering a rare skill. Unfortunately, nothing so far had been particularly appealing—no new digestion skills, and nothing suitable to augnt his scales.
A few skills related to shark scales had erged, but they required a specific compatibility with shark hide, rendering them useless for his current form.
Thalion frowned, his mind churning with calculations. He considered experinting with a shark's skin, but the risks lood too large. Switching to shark scales might compromise his speed and undo the painstaking body-tempering his current serpent form had undergone.
Worse, reverting back might not restore his original resilience. Unless the new skin promised undeniable superiority, the gamble simply wasn’t worth it.
Perhaps diving deeper for reconnaissance alone would be prudent—a glimpse at what awaited below before retreating to the surface.
The E-grade beasts he had encountered thus far were formidable, certainly no easy targets. Still, the allure of discovery nagged at him. He resolved to investigate but with caution, balancing curiosity against survival.
In the anti, Thalion turned his focus inward, cycling through his body-tempering thod. While direct combat had grown weariso, the technique enhanced his maneuverability, allowing him to weave through the chaos of the battlefield.
He preyed on stragglers—lone fish or scattered remnants of swarms—and unleashed devastating attacks with surgical precision. Surprisingly, the experience gained from annihilating hordes of tiny fish rivaled that of killing a twenty-ter shark.
Between battles, he transford briefly into his human form, no more than three fleeting seconds, to absorb the souls into his amulet. The artifact, now of mythic rarity, pulsed with the accumulated power of countless fallen foes, its energy coursing through him like a second heartbeat.
After hours of tempered focus and efficient slaughter, Thalion abandoned the battlefield, diving toward the depths. The water grew darker and colder, the faint shimr of distant crystals illuminating the silhouettes of massive creatures below.
Here, power radiated like a tangible force, the aura of the beasts utterly overwhelming. These predators were on an entirely different level than the sea star or the jellyfish he had encountered earlier.
Thalion kept his distance, his sharp eyes taking in the formidable gathering around one particularly enormous crystal. Among them was what appeared to be an adult Tidecaller Serpent, its length nearly double his own and its scales gleaming with an impenetrable sheen.
Nearby, a colossal crab lumbered through the water, its shell adorned with a verdant tree that radiated a unique, awe-inspiring energy. Next to it slithered a creature that defied simple description: a crocodilian snake, its sinuous body of a snake marked by the head of a crocodile.
The beast’s body was absolutely massive, stretching an intimidating thirty ters in length. Its sheer size dwarfed anything Thalion had encountered so far. Each movent of these beasts exuded dominance, their power a stark reminder of the dangers lurking in the depths.
Thalion hovered at the edge of visibility, his instincts urging caution. Identifying these creatures could reveal more about their strengths, but the risk of detection outweighed his curiosity. For now, he would observe, his mind racing with strategies and the faint hope that an opportunity might present itself.
He couldn’t help but wonder if creatures lurking in the even deeper abyss were even more powerful or if this leviathan represented the apex of its kind. The troubling part was that this beast was only in the third stage, yet its leveling speed showed no signs of slowing. If this trend persisted, it could spell disaster for the surface world.
Thalion’s thoughts darkened as he considered the potential implications. Humanity had craftsn and equipnt—tools designed to bridge the gap in power—but he doubted they were sufficient to counteract such an overwhelming disparity in levels.
The termites on land displayed a similar leveling curve, though perhaps slightly slower. Still, their rapid evolution far outpaced any human’s, and the rarity of termite queens had to be staggering. No human could hope to achieve such heights in this short amount of ti.
Thalion wondered if he would have stood a chance against beasts like these if he hadn’t obtained his title. Probably not. Yes, his current level was significantly lower than before, but his body-tempering had advanced above all expectations, bolstered by his title and the connection with the outsider.
Stolen content alert: this content belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences.
A year spent honing his blood magic and swordsmanship had also sharpened his edge. While he might be weaker now in raw levels, his refined techniques and layered advantages made him far stronger.
The real question was whether this would hold true in the coming weeks. As more humans—so even blessed by gods—rose to E grade, Thalion’s cultivation chambers and his carefully constructed support system could face serious threats.
An ominous sense of urgency gnawed at him. Sothing was coming; he didn’t know what, but the air itself seed charged with impending chaos. Ti was running out. He cast one last glance at the colossal beasts circling the great crystal and began his ascent. His decision was clear: return to the skyship, gather the pearls from his loyal helpers, and leave this perilous depth behind.
User Comments
0 comments from readers