Alaric couldn’t explain to his friends how he managed to absorb the entire Azure Pearl in a single session. All of them had spent two hours absorbing a small portion of the pearl.

In fact, when each of them displayed their pearls after absorption, he failed to perceive a noticeable difference in size or shape. His guess was accurate. It would take all of them about a week to absorb their own pearls.

“What,” Alaric smirked. “I’m just more talented than you all.” He couldn’t divulge the secrets of chakra cultivation or the cultivation sanctuary to anybody. So, when they tried to probe him for more reasonable information, he simply evaded their queries.

“We don’t have much time to complete the hidden zone,” Alaric urged them. “We need to secure every benefit we can extract from this dive.”

That finally stirred them up. All of them agreed to explore the hidden region straightaway. Once they reached the ominous-looking door, a system prompt appeared in his vision.

Sufficient party members detected. Would you like to access the hidden zone - Azure Ruin Arch?

Alaric mentally agreed. The large, metallic door with the runic etchings groaned and slowly parted to reveal a shimmering blue portal.

So, this zone isn’t directly connected to the Azure Caverns. It appeared the hidden zone was in a completely different location, and their group would be transported to the new area once they entered the portal.

Just in case, everybody clasped each other’s hands and plunged into the portal together. Alaric’s vision blurred and darkness enveloped him for a moment before he emerged in a bright setting.

As his eyes adjusted to the brightness, he found himself on a sprawling sandy beach by an ocean. The sand glimmered faintly in a bluish hue, as if infused with fine azure crystals.

The sounds of the crashing waves felt relaxing to his senses but he immediately took stock of his surroundings. All of his friends were present and eager to explore the new area.

Large ruins of ancient stone buildings were scattered across the beach. Some sank halfway into the sand while others protruded out of the water. Shards of azure crystals were embedded into these structures, along with intricate carvings of waves and marine creatures.

The ambient energy signature felt familiar to his senses. It was almost identical to his cultivation sanctuary.

Hmm…I wonder if these places are actually located in this world. Alaric wondered if these regions were accessible to cultivators without the aid of the system.

All of them strode towards the ruins to inspect them in more detail while remaining alert for any hidden dangers. They uncovered remnants of an ancient civilization scattered among the ruins - broken statues, ancient tablets etched with unknown runes, rusted tools, and more.

Suddenly, Alaric sensed the presence of a creature off to the side. “Get down,” he shouted as he ducked. And, just in time, as a jet of green liquid streaked past his head and struck a statue, dissolving it in mere seconds, smoke rising from the spot.

Fortunately, everybody managed to evade the acid attack. A collection of acid-spitting scorpions the size of a small dog were approaching them from a distance. Their bodies featured metallic azure carapaces, and their tails were tipped with bulbous acid glands.

The acid glands of a few of the scorpions pulsed ominously before discharging another acid attack at them. The remaining scorpions burrowed into the sand, camouflaging themselves as mounds of sand. All of them burst into motion, each tackling them in their own way.

Alaric activated [Zen Flow] and weaved through jets of acids before he began striking each acid-spitting scorpion with his mana gauntlet lance. A few droplets of acid seared his skin through his clothes but he used his [Vital Mana Flow] skill to heal his body continuously.

The best way to handle these creatures, he discovered, was to rupture the acid glands in their tails since it also managed to eliminate any nearby scorpions when they exploded.

Although these acid-spitting scorpions were menacing, their attack patterns were predictable, which made dispatching them much easier.

It only took about 20 minutes for them all to annihilate the whole group of scorpions.

“I hope there aren’t any more of them,” said George. “Nasty insects.”

Alaric and his group ventured further into the maze of ancient ruins, exterminating small groups of scorpions every once in a while. They demolished any mounds of sand they encountered that could’ve concealed a scorpion, not wanting to risk leaving their backs exposed to attacks.

As they went deeper, water carried by the waves gradually flooded the ruins. Alaric grew more alert for any type of aquatic foes that might be lurking underwater. The path led up to a colossal structure that resembled a stadium. As they entered, the entrance gate collapsed, sealing their exit.

All of them grew more alert as water started flooding the whole structure at a rapid rate from hidden inlets. Alaric detected the presence of creatures swimming fast toward them.

“Quick, get up there,” Alaric shouted. All of them hauled themselves onto large floating debris that served as their ground for now. Alaric spotted a large swarm of small but ferocious fish with razor-sharp teeth and shards of glowing azure crystals embedded in their fins and jaws.

They were circling the group underwater, waiting for them to plunge into it so that they could shred them to pieces.

“Curses,” muttered Rowan. “We are not equipped to defeat a Shardfin Piranha Swarm.”

Some of the shardfin piranhas launched themselves into the air toward them. Alaric began skewering a few of them alongside Rowan, while George conjured a mana shield to block one side.

The water was steadily rising and submerging the debris. It would engulf them within a few minutes.

“This isn’t working.” Alaric devised a plan. Initially, intended to acquire the [Mana Shield] skill in the Ember Plains - the third zone of the Tutorial Rift - when he would’ve advanced his mana core.

The skill was mana intensive. However, now that he had a liquid mana core, he attempted to acquire the [Mana Shield] skill.

He had witnessed George use the skill numerous times and grasped how to perform it. Alaric emitted a profuse amount of mana, targeting a location in the air, and commanded it to harden into a shield.

The mana agreed to his will and manifested into a hard dome. At his current stage, the entire process was inefficient, but it was better than nothing.

Congratulations! You have learned the skill [Mana Shield] (common).

With his new defensive skill acquired, Alaric assisted George in enveloping their entire group with a large shimmering mana shield and plunged into the water. The shard fin piranhas harmlessly collided with their barrier.

You could be reading stolen content. Head to Royal Road for the genuine story.

It would drain a significant amount of mana to sustain this shield for more than a few minutes, but it was essential for their survival.

The surge of the turbulent waves propelled them to one corner of the stadium, near a wall. Once they reached it, Alaric immediately deactivated the skill so that his friends could start scaling the walls to reach a higher surface.

Rowan and Gareth ascended first while Alaric and George guarded them from the piranhas.

Protecting his friends left him vulnerable. The vicious fish sank their teeth into Alaric in multiple places, causing a searing pain. He gritted his teeth and cycled his [Vital Mana Flow] skill to mitigate the pain.

Once all of them reached higher ground, Alaric tore off the few fish that still latched onto his skin and dispatched them.

All of them gasped for air. Alaric decided to check the descriptions of his new skills before he ventured further.

Mana Shield - Allows you to form a basic barrier of mana as a defense against attacks. At higher levels, the shield is sturdier and can cover more area.

Zen Flow - This skill boosts your mental capability, improving your focus, perception ability, and reaction times. Improves combat efficiency and reduces the feeling of pain.

As they progressed deeper, Alaric noticed an exit to the stadium that led to another maze of ruins. He instantly sensed a group of creatures lying in wait on the other side of the door for an ambush.

Rowan shouted at them to a halt. All of them charged up their respective skills and prepared for the ambush.

Warning - Approaching the territory of Murkfiends. Proceed with caution.

Hulking humanoid creatures with slimy, scaled skin emerged near the exit. Their skin shimmered faintly blue as the light reflected off it. These creatures gazed at them unblinkingly with their bulbous eyes, and the gills on their necks flared rhythmically.

Long, sharp fins extended from their arms, and Alaric glimpsed their needle-like teeth as they sneered.

These fish are treating us like prey. Alaric felt irritated but knew he couldn’t underestimate these creatures.

These Murkfiends appeared intelligent and wielded barbed spears. A few of them burst into motion and hurled objects toward the group that expanded into nets. Alaric and George blocked with their mana shields while Rowan sliced the nets.

However, Gareth was ensnared in one of them.

He couldn’t break free. The nets were laced with fish oil, rendering them slippery and nearly impossible to tear apart. Alaric wielded his mana gauntlet lance to shred one side of the net while his friends defended their flanks.

The Murkfiends coordinated their attacks meticulously, making it difficult to catch any one of them off guard. One of them yanked a lever on the wall, causing the surroundings to quake as more water surged in from hidden inlets.

So, it was these creatures that blocked our exit and released the shardfin piranhas.

As water flooded inside the maze of ruins, he noticed the Murkfiends bulk up, as if they were absorbing the water. Their strength and speed in the water amplified significantly. Alaric had managed to lacerate a few of them, but they visibly healed their wounds.

These creatures were some kind of aquatic troll-fish hybrid. Alaric evaded a barbed spear hurled at him and impaled a Murkfiend. Unfortunately, their stupendous regeneration granted them a significant advantage.

“Get away from the water,” Alaric shouted. All of them sprinted together, aiming to reach a different location. They spotted a sandy beach nearby and lured the Murkfiends onto dry ground.

These creatures, driven by bloodlust, pursued them, abandoning their aquatic advantage.

Once they had enticed the Murkfiends to the desired location, all of them exchanged knowing glances and grinned.

“Let’s let loose,” declared Rowan. Alaric’s friends unleashed their respective physical enhancement skills for the first time in this dive. These skills were mana exhaustive and best used during moments of emergencies.

Alaric didn’t have any physical enhancement skills yet. However, he replicated their feats by expending a drop of root chakra and activating his [Zen Flow] skill.

‘Target their gills,’ shouted Alaric as he stabbed one of the creatures in the neck. It appeared that once their gills were damaged, they ceased breathing and their regenerative abilities faltered, especially now that they were on dry land.

Alaric and his friends turned into reapers of death, stabbing Murkfiends in the neck and dispatching them effortlessly. However, some of the Murkfiends began retreating into deeper sections of the ruins.

“Don’t let them escape,” commanded Alaric. These creatures relied on ambush tactics. Leaving any of them alive could spell disaster later.

They pursued the remaining Murkfiends, navigating through the ruins until they reached a central chamber — a crumbled temple with a partially flooded interior. Luckily, many raised platforms provided opportunities to battle above the water.

Boss Event Triggered - Defeat the Elder Murkfiend. Reward - ???

Alaric’s friends gasped. He smirked. A boss event would be challenging but would also promise greater rewards.

The Elder Murkfiend towered over the regular Murkfiends, brandishing a massive barnacle-encrusted club forged from coral and bones. Its body bore countless scars, and its fins glowed with brilliant azure streaks.

“Take out the regular Murkfiends first, quickly,” shouted Rowan. They all complied, eliminating the remaining Murkfiends before they could submerge and fall under the Elder Murkfiend’s protection.

Unfortunately, it seemed more Murkfiends were approaching from somewhere deeper, heeding the call of the boss.

Alaric and his friends devised a plan to get rid of the boss first, while they still had time. The height of the Elder Murkfiend made reaching its weak point - the gills - much more difficult.

As they tried to approach it, the boss monster roared and slammed its club into the ground, generating a small shockwave that disrupted their balance.

He quickly recovered just in time to dodge the barbed spears hurled by the advancing Murkfiend. Alaric maintained his mana shield active on one side, shielding himself from numerous thrown spears.

He deftly dispatched a couple of Murkfiend by slashing their necks to create openings for his friends.

The Elder Murkfiend unleashed an aura with a roar. The nearby remaining Murkfiend went crazy with bloodlust. They became far more aggressive and began regenerating faster.

Fortunately, Alaric and his friends could match their speed and power with their physical enhancement skills engaged.

Rowan dispatched the last of the Murkfiends while Alaric managed to carve a nasty gash on the Elder Murkfiend’s leg. The boss monster swatted him away as if the wound didn’t hurt at all. It visibly mended itself within a few seconds.

Its regeneration capability was far more potent than the regular Murkfiends. Fortunately, wielding the massive club made it slow, which allowed their group to harass it from all sides.

Frustrated, it hurled a massive net at their group, which engulfed their whole group, even encompassing the mana shield barrier.

The massive creature tugged, and the four of them together couldn’t withstand it. All of them were on the brink of dropping from the raised platform, but Alaric and Rowan succeeded in tearing the net from the inside.

They scattered in four directions, confusing the boss. Alaric leaped from platform to platform, higher up the surface until he reached the top where he was above the boss. Rowan arrived in the opposite direction.

Together, they locked eyes and nodded in agreement to initiate the attack. They swooped down on the boss and impaled its neck from both sides, spraying nasty black ichor over their bodies.

The boss howled in pain and flailed wildly. Alaric clung on and drove his mana gauntlet lance deeper into its neck. Gareth and George managed to rip off its arms from both sides using that opportunity. The barnacle-encrusted club crashed to the ground along with the boss.

Alaric dropped down to the ground, feeling his broken ribs. He had managed to endure when the Elder Murkfiend struck him by cycling a drop of his heart chakra, barely. But it still hurt a lot.

Congratulations! You have completed the Boss challenge.

The elder golem's body crumbled as smoke billowed around it. The sound of stone grinding on stone drew his attention, and he noticed an altar emerging from the water in the central ground.

A small, intricate stone chest rested on top of it. That must be our reward! Alaric grinned and advanced toward it with his friends. Four vials filled with some type of red liquid rested inside.

Troll’s Blood Elixir - An elixir derived from the blood of an Elder Murkfiend. Can be used for crafting highly potent healing potions and blood rituals. Consuming it can greatly enhance the reforging process.

All of them marveled. This elixir rivaled the value of bone-reforging pills, perhaps even surpassing it. Blood reforging was rarer than bone reforging, after all. It was an incredible reward.

He secured the Troll's Blood Elixir for later use and checked his notifications.

Skills:

[Mana Solidification lvl 7 -> Mana Solidification lvl 9]

[Vital Mana Flow lvl 6 -> Vital Mana Flow lvl 8]

[Zen Flow lvl 4 -> Zen Flow lvl 6]

[Mana Shield lvl 1 -> Mana Shield lvl 4]

Abilities:

[Mana Manipulation lvl 6 -> Mana Manipulation lvl 8]

Alaric expended his experience points and checked his stats:

Stats:

Strength - 29 ->31

Agility - 28 ->30

Vitality - 25 -> 28

Mind - 28 ->30

Soul - 33 -> 35

The delve was complete. It was time for them to return home.