Chương 199

"The rules of the first trial are simple," Thalassa stated.

"The water inside is heavy. The pressure will try to flatten your organs. The beasts of the deep will rise from the dark water to drag you under. You survive for thirty minutes. If you do, the temple will unlock the doors, and you pass."

"Thirty minutes," Rudra said. He rolled his shoulders, loosening up his muscles.

"Got it."

"Do not take this lightly," Thalassa warned again.

"Many proud warriors of the sea have drowned in that very room. The beasts do not stop coming."

"Sounds like a good time," Rudra smiled. He walked past the Chief. Kratos followed right behind him, his massive paws hitting the invisible blue platforms above the water. [You have entered the First Trial of the Orca Archipelago!] [You are the first to discover the Trial of the Orca Archipelago!] [For the next 60 days, experience gained and item drop rates within these trials are increased by 20%.]"Oh, nice," Rudra grinned. A first-discoverer bonus was always a welcome surprise.

The room was massive and perfectly circular. It was flooded waist-deep with dark, murky saltwater. As soon as Rudra walked in, the ambient gravity in the chamber spiked aggressively. The water pressure felt like a physical, heavy weight pressing down on his chest and legs. Breathing suddenly took genuine effort. Rudra didn't flinch. He just rolled his shoulders, feeling the heavy water pull at his black trench coat. [All physical movement and attack speed penalties caused by water resistance are removed!] [All Stats has increased by 10%]"Alright, let's even the odds," Rudra muttered. He activated [Pressure Zone]. A heavy, 50-meter domain of high-pressure moisture expanded outward from his body. It clashed with the temple's gravity, countering the crushing weight perfectly. The dark water around his waist instantly calmed and settled. Next, he tapped the side of his black staff. [Mumud's Weapon Enchant]. A thick, crackling layer of elemental magic coated the dark metal of Extortion.

His base damage tripled in an instant. He didn't bother preparing to dodge the water crashes on him. The room was mostly water anyway. He activated [Mumud's Mana Shield]. A faint, translucent blue barrier wrapped snugly around his coat. He had over 750, 000 mana sitting in his pool. Letting the shield eat the stray physical hits instead of his health bar was simply efficient. The dark water ahead of him bubbled violently. Dozens of large, scaly shapes rose from the pool.

Their scales were a dull, sickly green, and they hissed loudly, raising dark iron tridents. Ensure your favorite authors get the support they deserve. Read this novel on Royal Road. [Deep-Sea Murlocs Lv. 320] [Deep-Sea Murlocs Lv. 320] [Deep-Sea Murlocs Lv. 320] Rudra's eyes narrowed slightly as a familiar system prompt blinked in his peripheral vision. [Super Sensitivity has scanned the subjects' bodies.] [Their overlapping scales deflect wide, sweeping strikes. A crushing or stabbing attack is heavily recommended to bypass their defenses.]"Crushing attacks," Rudra nodded.

"Got it." Rudra then activated the [Legendary Sage's Eyes] in the hope that he could learn some skills from the monsters. He took a deep breath. [Vanguard's Taunt]. Rudra let out a loud, echoing shout that shook the stone walls. The skill instantly hooked the attention of every single monster in a 100-meter radius. The murlocs didn't even glance at Kratos, who was currently climbing onto a dry stone shelf near the back wall. They all turned their glowing yellow eyes directly to Rudra and charged through the water.

"Come here," Rudra said. He gripped Extortion with both hands. He didn't swing at the closest murloc. He spun the staff in a rapid, continuous circle in front of his chest. [Typhoon]. A violent, localized vacuum formed in the center of the flooded room. The sudden wind pressure caught the charging murlocs entirely off guard. It dragged them helplessly through the heavy water, pulling them into a tight, thrashing pile right in front of him.

The sheer force of the wind interrupted their hissing and knocked them completely off balance. Rudra abruptly stopped the spin. The trapped air exploded outward with a loud pop, stunning the entire group for two seconds. He didn't waste the opening. He pulled his heavy staff back over his shoulder. He listened to the advice from his Super Sensitivity. He didn't use a horizontal sweep. He aimed straight down. [Avalanche]. He brought the black lighting staff down in a brutal, vertical crush.

The first hit bounced slightly off the trident, sending a jolt up his arms. But he used the recoil perfectly. He twisted his hips, spun his body, and brought the staff right back down on the exact same spot. With every hit, his swing speed and attack weight increased and so did his attack power. Thwack. CRACK. By the fifth swing, the black staff was an absolute blur.

The heavy, stacking downward weight completely crushed the murlocs' thick, overlapping scales, bypassing their natural defenses just as the system advised. The blue lightning stored inside Extortion exploded outward on impact. The murlocs shrieked before turning into grey ash. They dropped small piles of silver coins and fish meat, which was immediately deposited in his inventory. More bubbles broke the surface. More murlocs rose from the depths. Rudra didn't stop swinging. [Saint's Momentum].

Because he kept his attacks chained together without resetting his stance or pausing for a breather, his physical damage multiplier started to climb. Ten percent. Twenty percent. Fifty percent. His damage reduction scaled right along with it. The heavy staff just got heavier and faster in his hands. He fell into a tight, brutal rhythm. It was a chaotic, violent dance in the water. Every time his staff connected with a skull or a chest, [Rhythm of Agony] triggered.

He stole a percent of the targets' health and stamina, instantly feeding it back into his own body. When a murloc managed to slip past his guard and scratch his blue shield with a trident, [Extreme Energy Transfusion] sucked half of the damage he dealt and pumped his mana shield right back to full. He was a completely self-sustaining bulldozer. Thirty minutes passed in a flash of lightning and ash. A loud, deep chime echoed from the ceiling. A heavy grinding noise came from the front of the room.

The stone doors unlocked. The trial was officially over. He was free to leave. But the dark water kept bubbling. The murlocs kept rising, hissing, and charging. Rudra paused for just a fraction of a second, driving the blunt end of his staff through a murloc's chest. He looked at the unlocked doors. He looked back at the churning, monster-filled water.

"Wait," Rudra mumbled, wiping a splash of dirty water from his cheek.

"The spawn rate isn't dropping. It's infinite."