Chương 64

The water in the underground cavern violently exploded. A massive, armor-plated creature that looked like a terrifying cross between a crocodile and a snapping turtle was sent flying through the flooded ruins. It crashed through three thick stone pillars before finally slamming into the cavern wall, its massive health bar completely evaporating. [You have defeated the Corrupted Deep-Basin Snapper (Lv. 185).] [Experience has been acquired.] [Level Up!] [Level Up!] Rudra stood waist-deep in the water, leaning heavily on his Abyssal Ironwood Staff. He pulled his dark leather mask down to his chin, panting as he wiped a mixture of sweat and murky water from his forehead.

"Okay," Rudra gasped, his chest heaving.

"That guy had way too much defense." As he sludged through the water toward the dissipating pile of grey ash, a brilliant, blinding golden light suddenly erupted from his very core. A majestic, holy aura briefly illuminated the dark, flooded cavern. [Staff Saint Candidate Quest: Phase 1 has been completed!] [You have proven your unyielding foundation by crushing a vastly superior foe (Level Gap: 30+) relying purely on the blunt physical force of a staff.] [Your qualification as a Saint candidate strengthens. The weight of your strikes grows heavier.] [Quest: Staff Saint Candidate (Phase 2) has been generated.] Rudra grinned, feeling a subtle, permanent shift in his balance and posture.

"Phase one down. Just a few more to go." Elysia stood on a dry stone balcony above the flooded arena, keeping watch while Kratos—the half-gold, half-black divine cub—happily chewed on a discarded monster scale near her boots. Rudra dug his hand into the ash and pulled out a heavy, glowing blue shell and a tightly rolled, weathered parchment. He didn't care about the shell right now. He looked at the parchment. It was his thirtieth one.

The moment his fingers brushed the ancient paper, the entire underground temple began to hum. The water around his waist glowed with a pure, blinding blue light. [The Hidden Quest 'The Legacy of the Submerged God' has been updated!] [Progress: 30 / 113 Temples Cleared] [You have reached a monumental milestone in the eyes of Asterion.] [The forgotten depths acknowledge your unwavering pursuit of their lost truths.] A cascade of golden text violently hijacked Rudra's vision.

[You have acquired the Title: Seeker of the Drowned Truths] [The hidden stat 'Insight' has been unlocked!] [Active Skill [Abyssal Sonar] has been generated.] Rudra's red eyes widened. He quickly tapped the glowing notifications to read the specific effects of his massive new reward. [Seeker of the Drowned Truths] [You have peered into the forgotten abyss and uncovered the lost history of the Ocean God. - Insight +100. - While fighting in aquatic environments (heavy rain, swamps, underwater), all base stats increase by 10%. -Skill [Abyssal Sonar] is generated.] [Abyssal Sonar (Lv. 1)] [Active] [Channel the ambient moisture in the air and earth to send out a wide-range echolocation pulse. - Allows the user to temporarily sense the exact location of hidden treasures, undiscovered dungeons, and rare ingredients within a 5-kilometer radius. - Resource Consumption: 500 Mana. The author's tale has been misappropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon. - Skill Cooldown: 1 Hour.]"Oh, you beautiful system," Rudra laughed, his voice echoing in the wet cavern. The 10% stat boost in water was an incredible combat buff, especially considering how many dungeons were hidden in swamps and lakes. But the real prize was [Abyssal Sonar]. As a cook who constantly needed high-tier, obscure ingredients, a literal radar for rare items was a godsend.

"Rudra," Elysia called down from the balcony, her silver armor catching the faint light.

"Are you finished playing in the mud? We are scheduled to cross the border into the Ultina Kingdom by nightfall."

"Just give me a second!" Rudra called back. He waded out of the water and stepped onto the dry stone steps. He had been grinding relentlessly for the past thirty in-game days, fighting monsters significantly higher than his level, pushing his physical limits, and cooking dozens of Rare-rated campfire meals. He hadn't properly checked his total numbers in weeks.

"System," Rudra muttered.

"Status window." A large, translucent blue board materialized in the air. [Name]: Rudra [Level]: 149 [Class]: Black Staff Expert [Title]: Staff Saint Candidate (Stage 2) (+8 others) [Health]: 12, 450 / 12, 450 | [Mana]: 4, 120 / 4, 120 [Strength]: 812 | [Stamina]: 795 [Agility]: 824 | [Intelligence]: 540 [Persistence]: 580 | [Dexterity]: 410 [Courage]: 410 | [Charisma]: 1, 350 [Dignity]: 1, 050 | [Insight]: 100 [Divine Power]: 215 [Stat Points]: 0 Rudra let out a quiet sigh.

His physical stats were incredibly solid, hovering in the low 800s. He was an absolute juggernaut compared to standard players. But when he thought about the Legendary [Obsidian Drake Leather Gloves] sitting deep inside his inventory, he couldn't help but frown. I'm still nearly 200 points away from the 1, 000 stat threshold, Rudra thought, rubbing his chin. And I've hit a wall. I've been stuck at Intermediate Cooking Level 9 for weeks. My Beginner Alchemy and Medicine skills are capped at Level 9 too.

Rare-rated meals aren't giving me the stat bumps I need anymore. If I want to equip those gloves, I need a true breakthrough. I need to cook something Unique. He closed the status window, shaking off the frustration. A breakthrough would come. He just needed the right ingredients and the right mindset. He walked up the stone stairs to join Elysia. Kratos immediately abandoned his chew toy, leaping into the air and perfectly landing inside the warm, dry hood of Rudra's brown cloak.

"Are we crossing into Ultina now?" Rudra asked, patting the cub's head.

"Yes," Elysia nodded, pulling her crimson cape tight over her armor.

"But we must be cautious. The Ultina Kingdom shares a heavy border with the Saharan Empire. The Imperial trackers will have an easier time operating there. We need to move fast and stay off the main roads."

"Off the main roads is perfectly fine with me," Rudra grinned. He raised his left hand. If they were going to be hiking through the untouched wilderness of a new kingdom, he wanted to test his new toy immediately to hunt for those breakthrough ingredients.

"Let's see what the Ultina Kingdom has to offer," Rudra said.

"[Abyssal Sonar]." A massive, invisible pulse of mana erupted from his body. It rippled outward, carrying through the moisture in the air and the damp soil, expanding rapidly across a five-kilometer radius. Instantly, a mental map formed in Rudra's head. He sensed several clusters of mid-level monsters, a hidden underground spring, and a patch of rare, mana-infused herbs about two miles to the east. But right at the very edge of his sonar's range, something else pinged.

It wasn't a single monster or a tracking squad. It was a massive, sprawling subterranean labyrinth. The sonar waves bounced off an overwhelming, terrifying number of high-level life signs packed densely together. It was an uncleared, high-density monster nest, practically overflowing with rich, ancient mana and untouched ingredients. The moment his [Insight] stat processed the absolute density and danger level of the labyrinth, a brilliant golden light flashed in his vision.

The system had been waiting for him to encounter a challenge of this scale. [Quest: Staff Saint Candidate (Phase 2) has been generated!] [Staff Saint Candidate (Phase 2)] [Difficulty: S] [You have proven the raw, crushing power of the staff against a superior foe. However, a Saint is not just a brawler; they are the absolute vanguard of the battlefield. A true master of the staff must be capable of holding the line against an entire army alone, dictating the flow of combat without ever being overwhelmed.] [Clear Conditions: Independently conquer an uncleared, high-density Labyrinth or Raid Dungeon (Minimum Recommended Level 160 / 10-Man Party Requirement) using only a staff, without the assistance of any party members.] [Reward: Qualification for Phase 3.] Rudra stared at the glowing golden text. Soloing a 10-man party dungeon? Rudra thought, a wide, thrilled smile spreading beneath his dark leather mask.

If a labyrinth is packed with that many high-tier monsters, the boss room has to be hoarding some absolutely insane premium ingredients. That's it. That is exactly where I'll find what I need to cook a Unique-rated dish. He dismissed the quest window and gripped his [Abyssal Ironwood Staff]. He didn't know it yet, but plunging into a dungeon designed for an entire army would push his physical limits so far that he would eventually be forced to learn the secrets of momentum just to survive.

"Change of plans, Elysia," Rudra said, pointing his dark staff toward the eastern forest.

"There is a massive, untouched underground labyrinth resting a few miles from here. The system wants me to clear it completely solo." Elysia sighed, shaking her head.

"You just finished clearing an underwater trial, and your first instinct is to immediately walk into a labyrinth designed for an army?"

"I'm a growing boy, and we need ingredients," Rudra laughed, his red eyes glowing in the shadows of his hood.

"Come on. You can guard the entrance while I go see how hard I have to swing this stick to clear a dungeon."