Chương 23

Rudra triggered the synthesis command, selecting twelve of his thirteen [Forgotten Skill Fragments]. [Synthesizing 'Forgotten Skill Fragments' (x12)...] [Skill Learned: Abyssal Step (Unique)] [Abyssal Step (Level 1)] [Rating: Unique] [By forcibly compressing ambient mana and moisture, the user can create temporary, invisible footholds in empty space. - Stamina cost increases by an additional 100% for every 10 ten steps. Resource Consumption: 15 Mana and 10 Stamina per step Cooldown: None] The massive rusted anchor came crashing down. Rudra didn't dodge left or right. He channeled mana into his boots and just stepped up. His foot hit empty air, but it sounded like stepping on glass. A blue ripple flashed under his boot. He stepped up again, running diagonally into the air right as the anchor smashed into the wall where he used to be. The stone shattered, blasting water everywhere.

The Curator slowly pulled its anchor out of the rubble. It looked around for a dead body.

"Looking for me?" Rudra called out. The skeleton snapped its head up. Rudra was standing ten feet in the air, resting his staff on his shoulder. He grinned. It drained his stamina fast, but walking on air felt incredible. The Curator rattled angrily. The crab rushed forward, and the skeleton swung the heavy anchor up at him. Rudra just stepped off his invisible platform. He dropped like a rock.

As the anchor swung up to hit him, he fired [Minor Tidal Push] from his left hand to jet himself sideways, dodging the iron by inches. He landed right on the crab's armored back, face-to-face with the skeleton. The Curator tried to yank its weapon back, but it was too slow. Rudra dropped his staff to his side, pulled his empty hand back, and slapped the boss right across the jaw. SMACK! The skeleton's head snapped sideways. It didn't do much damage, but the pure disrespect completely broke the boss's stance.

Rudra grabbed his staff with both hands, raised it high, and brought it down.

"Crushing Strike!" The heavy oak staff smashed right into the top of the Curator's skull. He had the high ground and an open target. The level penalty didn't matter. The skull caved in, and the blue fire in its eyes died. Enjoying the story? Show your support by reading it on the official site. The skeleton collapsed into a pile of bones. The crab shrieked, shuddered, and dropped dead onto the floor. [You have defeated the Abyssal Tide-Bound Curator (Mounted Boss).] [You have cleared the Forgotten Tidal Cave (Abyssal Difficulty).] [Incredible! You have overcome an extreme level gap.] [Level Up!] [Level Up!] [Level Up!] [Level Up!] The golden text flooded his vision. But the system wasn't done. [Basic Staff Mastery has reached Lv. 10.] [Skill has evolved to Intermediate Staff Mastery (Lv. 1)!] [You are the first player to reach Intermediate Level in a Weapon Mastery Skill] [All stats will increase by 10 points.] [Intermediate Staff Mastery (Lv. 1): Attack power and attack speed increase by 25%.] Rudra let out a long breath and sat down right on top of the dead crab.

"Finally." Below him, the water bubbled. A heavy coral chest rose from the pool. Rudra hopped down and popped the lid. Along with some gold and crafting materials, he found more weathered parchments. [Item Acquired: Forgotten Skill Fragment (Parchment) x4]"Four of them?" Rudra whistled. He tossed them in his inventory. Added to his leftover fragment, he now had five. He looked back at the giant crab. His stamina was totally empty, and his stomach was screaming at him.

He glanced at the red timer in the corner of his eye. [Server Shutdown in 00: 08: 42]"Alright," Rudra pulled out his carving knife.

"Let's see what a Level 65 crab tastes like." He wedged the knife into the joints and popped out a massive chunk of pristine white meat. [Item Acquired: Abyssal Crab Claw Meat (High-Tier)]"Beautiful," he drooled. He didn't bother leaving the dungeon. He walked over to a dry spot, threw down some firewood from his inventory, and lit a campfire. He pulled out an iron skillet. He tossed in a huge block of salted butter, some minced garlic, and fiery red spices.

The butter bubbled, filling the cold cave with an amazing smell. He gently laid the crab meat into the pan. He watched it perfectly, flipping it the exact second it turned golden-brown. Five... four... three... two... He pulled the pan off the fire. [You have successfully created 'Spiced Abyssal Butter Crab'!] [Rating: Rare] [Effect: Maximum Health and Stamina increased by 15% for 3 hours. Stamina regen significantly boosted.] Rudra didn't care about the buffs. He just wanted to eat.

But before he could take a bite, a wall of golden text blocked his view. [You have successfully cooked a Rare-rated dish 10 times.] [Basic Cooking has reached Lv. 10.] [Skill has evolved to Intermediate Cooking (Lv. 1)!] [You are the first player to reach Intermediate Level in a Production Mastery Skill.] [All stats will increase by 10 points.] [The hidden stat 'Dexterity' has been unlocked!]"Dexterity? Nice," Rudra grinned. Suddenly, the air vibrated. The golden text turned blinding platinum.

This was a global server message. [A player has become the first to achieve the Intermediate tier in both a Combat Mastery and a Production Mastery!] Across the real world, every beta tester stared at the sky in pure confusion. Hitting intermediate in one mastery was insane. Doing two was just stupid. A private window popped up for Rudra. [You have acquired the Title: Forerunner of the Twin Paths.] [Forerunner of the Twin Paths.] [A title granted one who walks at the forefront of the combat and production path. - Increases the skill acquisition and leveling rate of all skills by 10%. - Increases the growth rate of all stats by 10%.]"Definitely worth the grind," he laughed. He looked up at the timer. [Server Shutdown in 00: 00: 05] Rudra panicked. He completely ignored his new stats and grabbed the hot crab meat. He shoved it toward his mouth. His teeth were inches away. [The Satisfy Closed Beta has officially concluded. Thank you for playing.]"NOOOOOOO~~" Rudra screamed as the world faded to black