am-books Chapter 403 The Underwater Zone, Relentless Determination
Chapter 403 The Underwater Zone, Relentless Determination
[You have slain "Voracron, The Rift's First Guardian" and gained 80,000,000 experience points!]
Stark smirked as the familiar notification appeared in front of him, accompanied by a satisfying chime.
[Your level has increased to level 156, granting you six skill points and a boost in stats.]
[Experience: 65,545,000/88,000,000] (Level 156)
[Skill Points: 264]
Stark stared at the glowing notifications hovering in front of him.
Despite his annoyance with constant interruptions, the feeling of leveling up was always gratifying.
"Level 156," Stark muttered, running a hand through his wet hair.
He briefly considered spending some of the 264 skill points he had accumulated, but the thought was fleeting.
The adrenaline coursing through him and his drive to finish this task kept him from stopping.
"I'll handle that later," Stark decided, turning his attention back to the cavern.
He felt like he wouldn't be able to stay in place and concentrate enough to make the right decisions.
The silence was eerie after the thunderous battle with Voracron. It almost felt unnatural.
Shaking his head, he approached the water ahead.
The still, mirror-like surface reflected his bloodied figure. The sight made him smirk grimly.
"..."
[It's you.]
"I know."
Without hesitation, Stark leapt into the depths.
The icy chill of the water enveloped Stark instantly as he plunged beneath the surface.
The water was colder than he expected, chilling his skin even through his reinforced clothing.
The cavern seemed much deeper than it had looked from the surface; the further he descended, the darker and more foreboding it became.
The walls vanished into the abyss below, leaving him surrounded by a haunting void.
Shapes moved in the distance, their silhouettes unclear. Were they harmless fish? Or monsters?
It didn't matter to Stark, if they attacked him, he would kill.
But his immediate focus was the path ahead.
He could feel the faint pull of magical energy emanating from somewhere deep in the cavern.
As Stark swam, the water grew thicker, more oppressive.
This kept going for thirty minutes.
Thirty minutes of pure silence.
At this point in a rift, Stark would have expected to have to fight dozens of enemies, yet this time, maybe because he was in the water, it was quiet.
Too quiet for his liking, to be honest.
The abyss below seemed endless, a black void that could hide anything, or everything.
It was easy to imagine some colossal beast lurking in the darkness, its body so massive it would seem like the abyss itself.
Its mouth would swallow him before he even realized.
"..."
But after a while... it happened.
Slam! Slam!
Using his [Domination Soul] also revealed itself to be extremely useful, although the piranhas would try to bite down the chains.
"Come on!" he roared, summoning Spear of Judgment.
The colossal spear tore through three piranhas in a single strike, leaving a glowing trail of crimson in its wake.
[Body exploded, instant death.]
-38,381,493!
The swarm began to thin, the piranhas' confidence faltering as their numbers dwindled.
Stark noticed their hesitation and capitalized on it.
"Not so tough now, are you?" he taunted, slamming two more with [Holy Combo].
The stunning third strike obliterated one completely, its body dissolving into the abyssal water.
Finally, after what felt like an eternity, Stark realized that this wouldn't cut it.
Even though it had been a while, still seventeen of those still roamed around him, waiting for the perfect moment.
His [Crimson Barrier] was almost destroyed too.
So instead, he decided to use a perk he had never used before, and it was one from [Asura's Arms].
ASURA'S WRATH!
[Description: Harness the power of the God of Wrath to summon four additional arms, doubling the user's physical power.
You can also unleash a devastating attack that annihilates everything in a 100-meter radius.]
This second part was the one that he had never used before.
And so... what had to be done happened.
The four crimson arms from Asura's Arms pulsed with divine energy, their aura intensifying as Stark slammed them together.
"Tank this, bastards..."
A blinding light erupted, illuminating the abyss with a crimson glow.
The sheer force of his will manifested as an earth-shattering shockwave, tearing through the water and obliterating everything in its path.
The swarm of piranhas didn't stand a chance. The shockwave consumed them before they could react, their bodies disintegrating into the void.
All of them died.
And so, he received the notification.
Ding! Ding! Ding!
[You have slain 30 Abyss Piranhas and gained 234,000,000 experience points!]
Ding! Ding! Ding!
[Your level has increased to level 157, granting you six skill points and a boost in stats.]
[Your level has increased to level 158, granting you six skill points and...]
[Your level has increased to level 159, granting you...]
[Experience: 23,545,000/100,000,000] (Level 159)
[Skill Points: 282]
"Good," Stark muttered, clenching his fists. "One step closer."
The water around him seemed to grow calmer, almost eerily so.
It was as if the remaining creatures in the abyss had witnessed his victory and decided he was not worth it to intervene.
Regardless, Stark pushed forward, swimming deeper into the cavern.