Chương 19

The Temple District was huge. Back in Seabreak, the Asterion shrine was a small, dusty building. Here in Port Nereus, the Ocean God's temple was a massive structure. It stood proudly next to the giant Rebecca Church. It made perfect sense. This was a port city; the ocean was literally their livelihood. Rudra walked through the grand archway. Inside, the air was cool and peaceful. The stone walls were carved with intricate coral designs.

Instead of heavy incense, the temple smelled like fresh sea salt and dried kelp. It smelled exactly like the coast, which instantly made his stomach cramp with hunger. He rubbed his belly and walked up to the main altar. An older NPC priest in blue robes was organizing some nautical charts. Rudra waited patiently until the man paused.

"Excuse me, Father," Rudra bowed his head slightly. The priest turned, offering a warm smile.

"Welcome to the embrace of the tides, traveler. I am Priest Corin. What brings you here?"

"I traveled up from Seabreak Town," Rudra explained smoothly.

"I learned about the Ocean God there, and I wanted to pay my respects." Rudra opened his inventory. He pulled out a dark, corrupted bone he had looted from the Tide-Bound Curator boss back in the Seabreak dungeon, placing it gently into the offering bowl. Priest Corin looked at the bone, nodding slowly.

"A bone from a corrupted tide, purified and returned to the sea. A worthy tribute." Corin reached for the bowl, but his eyes locked onto Rudra's staff.

"I sense the residual mana of the deep on your weapon. You know the foundational spell."

"I do," Rudra nodded.

"A warrior who wields the staff, brings offerings, and carries the blessing of water," Corin mused, his tone growing serious.

"Asterion does not call many to the martial path. You have the markings of a Tide-Breaker." Rudra blinked.

"Is there a trial for that?" Corin pointed to a heavy stone door at the back of the room.

"Below this temple lies the Submerged Labyrinth. It tests a warrior's adaptability. The water pressure is heavy, and the currents change constantly. It is dangerous. Many are overwhelmed." Rudra grinned, his grip tightening on his staff. A dungeon that actively fought his movements? That sounded incredibly fun.

"I'll be fine." Rudra pushed open the heavy stone door. It scraped loudly against the floor, revealing a dark, wet spiral staircase. This narrative has been purloined without the author's approval. Report any appearances on Amazon.

"May Asterion guide your currents," Corin called out softly. The door shut, leaving Rudra in the dark. [You have entered the Submerged Labyrinth (Trial of the Tide-Breaker).] [Warning: The environment is highly unstable. Water pressure and currents will actively restrict movement.] He walked down the damp stairs. The quiet temple faded away, replaced by the loud rush of moving water. At the bottom, he stepped into a wide, circular stone corridor.

The floor was flooded with crystal-clear, glowing blue water rushing at waist-height. Rudra waded forward. The second the water hit his legs, he felt a magnetic, heavy drag pulling at his boots. This wasn't normal seawater. He pulled out his heavy oak staff and tried a simple test swing. The wood dragged terribly. A swing that normally took a split second felt like pushing through wet concrete. His momentum died completely before the staff even finished its arc.

[Environmental Penalty: Attack Speed and Movement Speed reduced by 40%.]"Fuck me," Rudra laughed, splashing some cold water on his face.

"This is going to be annoying." He didn't have time to test anything else. A loud grinding noise echoed down the hall. Three empty, rusted suits of armor rose from the water. Instead of bodies, their hollow chests were filled with violently swirling, glowing water. [Tidal Sentinel - Lv. 23] The lead Sentinel didn't hesitate. It lunged forward, thrusting a rusted halberd right at Rudra's chest. The water penalty didn't seem to affect them at all. Rudra twisted his hips to dodge.

Normally, he would have cleared the blade easily. But the water fought him. He was a fraction of a second too slow, and the halberd scraped hard across his new leather vest. [-42 HP]"Dammit," Rudra stumbled back, his boots slipping on the stone. The second Sentinel swung a barnacle-covered broadsword. Rudra tried to bring his staff up to block, but his arms felt like lead. It was a sloppy parry. The impact sent a painful shockwave down his wrists. He was fighting the water, and he was losing.

If I can't fight the current, Rudra thought, stepping back again, I just have to use it. The third Sentinel charged. Instead of swinging his heavy staff through the water, Rudra dropped his stance. He let the heavy undercurrent pull his legs forward, sliding through the water like a skater to duck under the sword. As he slipped past the armor's guard, he didn't use his weapon. He channeled mana into his empty left hand and slapped it flat against the swirling water inside the Sentinel's chest.

"[Minor Tidal Push]!" BOOM. The pressurized water blasted at point-blank range. Because they were already underwater, the spell created a massive localized shockwave. The [Stagger] effect amplified. The glowing water holding the armor together exploded outward, and the rusted plates collapsed into the current with a heavy splash. Rudra didn't stop. He let the recoil of his own spell push him backward, perfectly dodging the first Sentinel's halberd. He spun his staff, pointing the tip forward to cut down the drag.

When the Sentinel missed, Rudra simply thrust the blunt butt of his oak staff forward like a pool cue, smashing it into the armor's helmet. It was a clumsy, weird way to use a staff, but it worked perfectly. The dense water wasn't a handicap anymore; it was just a puzzle to solve. He let out a short, breathless laugh as the last two Sentinels waded toward him. This was exactly what he came for.