Chương 86

The trench just outside the Siren Kingdom was pitch-black. Rudra floated near the edge of the drop-off, looking down into the dark abyss. Thanks to Asterion's Blessing (Minor), he didn't need to tread water to stay afloat, and all physical movement penalties caused by water resistance were permanently removed. He just stood entirely still, the heavy red ocean currents washing over his black trench coat without pushing him an inch.

Winfred hovered a few yards to his left, surrounded by a faint, shimmering bubble of air. The Red Sage was already drawing complex magic circles in the water with his finger, calculating the optimal ranges for a deep-sea fight.

"The beast is an ancient calamity," Winfred warned, his voice carrying perfectly through the water thanks to a basic communication spell.

"It possesses immense vitality, terrifying physical strength, and a near-absolute resistance to cheap tricks. Do not attempt to rely on simple strikes, Rudra. It will not falter."

"Got it," Rudra grinned.

"Hit it really hard." He didn't have to wait long to see his target. A massive, unnatural shift in the ocean currents rushed upward from the dark trench. Two glowing, bulbous yellow eyes the size of carriage wheels pierced the darkness. The giant squid rose from the abyss. Its thick, rubbery skin was covered in jagged, armor-like barnacles, and dozens of massive tentacles whipped wildly through the water, stirring up an underwater hurricane. [The Calamity of the Red Sea, Karkinos (Lv. 300) has appeared!] [A terrifying presence suppresses the area!] [All stats are reduced by 10%!] Level 300. The level gap was massive. The sheer pressure radiating from the Named monster was enough to make a normal player instantly freeze in terror. But Rudra was already moving. He didn't care about the level penalty. His Seeker of the Drowned Truths title passively increased all his base stats by 10% while fighting in aquatic environments, completely canceling out the monster's debuff.

He gripped the Staff of the Fire Lord with both hands, channeled mana into his boots, and kicked off the water.

"[Abyssal Step]!" An invisible foothold formed in the water. Rudra rocketed forward, diving straight toward the massive, glowing yellow eye.

"Hey, ugly!" Rudra yelled, spinning the heavy bone staff around his shoulders to build up a massive, downward swing.

"[Crushing Strike]!" The heavy staff slammed directly into the thick, rubbery flesh just above Karkinos's eye. KABOOM! [You have dealt 18, 400 damage!] [... The fiery explosion has triggered!] A massive blast of bright orange fire erupted underwater. The sheer heat turned the surrounding ocean into blinding steam. The hit was solid, but Karkinos barely even flinched. Named monsters possessed overwhelming durability, often having 100 to 1, 000 times more health than regular NPCs of the same level.

The 18, 400 damage barely scratched its gargantuan health pool. Karkinos let out a deafening, bubbly shriek. Three massive tentacles whipped through the steam, aiming directly for Rudra. Rudra didn't block. He dropped his staff to his side, stepped right into the path of the incoming tentacle, and slapped the rubbery flesh as hard as he could with his open left hand. SMACK! The hit landed perfectly. But nothing happened. There was no tiny swirl icon. There was no momentary stagger.

Because it was a Named monster, it possessed strong resistance to abnormal status effects. It completely ignored the disrespectful slap. If you discover this tale on Amazon, be aware that it has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road. Please report it. The massive tentacle smashed directly into Rudra's chest. [-15, 500 HP] Rudra was violently launched backward, tumbling end-over-end through the red water.

The Troll King's Black Coat and Behemoth's Iron Armor absorbed the worst of the blunt force, but the hit still cracked a couple of ribs. He managed to catch himself, digging his boots into the water to stop his momentum. He coughed, a tiny string of bubbles escaping his lips.

"Okay, Winfred was right," Rudra wheezed, rubbing his sore chest.

"No cheap tricks." Karkinos didn't give him time to recover. Ten more tentacles shot toward him, ripping chunks of white coral right out of the sea floor as they moved to crush him. Before they could reach him, a massive, swirling vortex of freezing ice erupted directly between Rudra and the beast.

"Focus on your foundation!" Winfred's voice barked through the water. The Red Sage was moving. Winfred didn't fight like a normal mage. He held a simple iron spear in his left hand and a basic steel sword in his right. He twirled both weapons simultaneously, seamlessly wielding magic, a spear, and a sword at the exact same time. With every spin of the spear, a wave of advanced ice magic shot forward, freezing the incoming tentacles solid.

With every slash of the sword, a crescent of compressed water sliced through the frozen flesh. Winfred's Pinnacle of Tri-Weaving kept the massive monster entirely distracted. Karkinos roared in frustration. Its massive beak clicked open, and it unleashed a thick, pitch-black cloud of ink that completely flooded the battlefield. The ink wasn't just a smokescreen; it was highly acidic, burning Rudra's exposed skin the moment it touched him. [-400 HP] [-400 HP]"I need a buff," Rudra grunted.

He reached into his coat pocket, pulled out a tightly wrapped skewer of Fire-Seared Swamp Croc Bites, and bit the meat right off the stick. The heavy vitality buffs instantly kicked in, out-healing the acid burn and refilling his stamina bar.

"Minor Tidal Push!" Rudra yelled, pointing his left hand into the ink cloud. The blast of pressurized water didn't hit the boss, but it tore a massive, clear hole straight through the thick ink.

"Build your momentum!" Winfred ordered, parrying a massive tentacle swipe with his sword while firing a barrage of ice spears from his off-hand.

"Way ahead of you," Rudra grinned. He didn't dive straight for the face this time. He gripped his fiery staff and started to spin. He didn't swing at the beast. He swung at the empty water, letting the heavy, jagged bone shaft cut a wide circle around his body. The moment the staff completed a full rotation, he didn't pull it back to rest. He let the natural weight of the weapon carry the swing into a second, faster rotation. Then a third. Then a fourth.

He tapped into his Shadow Panther Leather Pants, his footwork becoming entirely unpredictable as he danced through the red water. He bounced off his Abyssal Steps, moving in a wide, chaotic orbit around the distracted Kraken. With every single unbroken swing, the Staff of the Fire Lord grew heavier. It got faster. The infinite momentum was actively taking over. A stray tentacle whipped toward his blind spot. Rudra didn't dodge. He just angled his spinning staff to intercept it.

"[Iron Guard]!" The heavy tentacle slammed into the spinning blur of fire and bone. The defensive skill reduced the incoming physical damage by 99%, violently batting the massive limb away.

"Keep it coming," Rudra laughed, his arms burning with the familiar, punishing strain of the heavy grind. He tightened his grip on his Obsidian Drake Leather Gloves, securing his hold on the heavy weapon. He abandoned all logic and just let the endless, violent loop take total control. The staff blurred into a terrifying, red-hot buzzsaw. The 15% chance to cause a fire explosion triggered back-to-back, lighting up the dark trench and boiling the water around him.

Karkinos shrieked, blindly thrashing its remaining tentacles in a desperate frenzy. The beast relied on raw physical superiority and overwhelming force rather than careful technique. Winfred slashed his sword, cutting a wide, clear opening through the Kraken's defensive limbs.

"Now!" Winfred shouted. Rudra didn't hesitate. He kicked off an Abyssal Step and rocketed directly toward Karkinos's exposed, snapping beak. He was riding the absolute peak of his accumulated momentum.

"Targeted Manifestation!" Rudra roared. He directed the immense, surging flow of his Mana Heart straight into his arms, spending 1% of his max mana per second to gain a 150% localized strength enhancement. His muscles bulged, reinforced by invisible steel cables of pure blue mana.

"[Crushing Strike]!" The heavy, fiery buzzsaw smashed directly into the center of the Kraken's thick beak. KABOOM! The impact was absolutely deafening. The fiery explosion blasted a massive hole directly through the Named monster's thick, armored hide. The sheer blunt force rippled entirely through its gargantuan body. Karkinos let out one final, bubbly, agonizing shriek. Its massive yellow eyes rolled back, and the giant beast slowly sank toward the bottom of the trench, its health bar completely emptied.

[You have defeated the Calamity of the Red Sea, Karkinos!]