He roamed the dark waters for a few more hours, hunting down the shoals of monsters. Most E Rankers would have been forced to enter the water to deal with the monsters, but with his superior strength, he saved time and energy by using his body as a meteor.

There were a large number of differing species, all of which were some form of aquatic analogue. There were stingrays as large as parking lots that glided along the currents, reflecting the glow of the moons above on their softly scaled skin.

Colossi of the depths emerged every now and again, gigantic squids and whales that were multiple times larger than on Earth. In addition to that, they were equipped with brutal weaponry. The whales possessed a horn on the front of their heads that could be used like a ram, and the squids’ tentacles were topped with serrated blades that they used to stir up whirlpools in the water.

They would have been considerable threats for anyone unlucky enough to have to descend into the depths, but then again, few who were that limited would make it to Challenge Mode anyway. And if they did, they would likely possess other advantages that would render such territorial strengths moot.

As he roamed, he searched for an end to the plane. However, as suggested by its name, there were none to be found. It appeared to be truly endless. Rather than being an infinitely large expanse of water, it likely used some sort of dimensional trickery to loop the realm back upon itself.

Sam cared little for such small details in any case, and he stopped his search after about an hour of teleportation. There was nothing he could gain from it anyway.

By the time the floor was finished, blood and bits of minced fish floated in the moonlit waters, tracing a trail of butchery across the plane.

On the tenth floor of the Wolfbite Tundra

The Overlord dueled with the final boss of the tower segment. He had reached Challenge mode easily enough, and made his way through it with the same ease. Now, he fought with a titanic werewolf, covered in corded muscle and shaggy fur. Ulrick, Pack Alpha of the Wolfbite Tundra, was a brute of a fighter, relying on pure strength and speed rather than any magical effects. His Dao reinforced his bones and flesh, making every strike hit like a wrecking ball.

The Overlord was no easy opponent though. He had achieved a Perfect Ascension, and his various titles ensured his supremacy. Or in his case, his Supremacy. Every time he thwarted an incoming strike and landed one of his own, his power ramped up higher and higher. His bare fists, tiny in appearance compared to Ulrick, landed like missiles, a far greater impact than his enemy had expected. A storm of crimson light surrounded him, with his body as the eye of the hurricane.

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The werewolf hadn’t spoken yet, instead howling in rage and pain as he was slowly beaten into a pulp. Eventually, the Overlord lost his patience with the obdurate form of the monster, and loosed his stored Dao energy. His fist blazed brighter than the sun, and a moment later, he thrust it into the floor boss’ torso. There was a flare of light, and before Ulrick could react, he was reduced to a pair of legs standing on the snowy disc of rock floating in the misty plane of the tenth floor. A wave of power melted the snow in a single burst, sending water cascading down into the void.

As the floor faded away, the Overlord shook his head in disgust at the weakness of his enemies. He hoped that there would be a better challenge as he ascended.

Sam watched as the first layer of the Endless Depths faded to darkness, and crossed his arms, waiting for the floor to change. When the change came, he hardly noticed the difference, so similar was the next locale.

The only difference was the quality of the raft, which had become a sturdier vessel, made of thick planks rather than chunks of half rotted wood. There was even a small sail in its center. The notification was the same, to the point that Sam didn’t bother to read it fully. It simply told him to kill five hundred somewhat stronger denizens of the deep. There was one stipulation though. He had to keep the raft safe while doing so. Otherwise, he would need to try again.

It was an annoying requirement, and one that he suspected would be in play for the rest of the floor section. Having to keep a raft safe from the section boss, if the monster was not in a separate zone like Makaros had been, which he suspected would be some sort of kraken or other mythical sea monster, would be far harder than actually defeating it. That was likely the purpose of Challenge Mode.

He sighed, and began to paddle with his hammer, churning up the water. The raft started to accelerate under the effects of his strength, and soon the vessel was moving at a good portion of the speed of sound. He was unable to accelerate it any further, but it was surprisingly sturdy, clearly made out of E Rank materials. Perhaps this wouldn’t be as hard as he thought.

The waves skipped past as his craft moved at speeds that would make most planes jealous. His hands were a blur as he worked his hammer through the ocean, using its large head to great effect.

Eventually, he felt a resonance in the water beneath him, and he knew that he had found his first monster. He stopped paddling, and expelled a burst of Dao energy forwards, canceling the momentum of the vessel. Then he watched as a head breached the waves before him. It was an otter, if an otter was fifty feet long and had fangs instead of teeth. Fur the color of night covered its body. As it rose, it bared its teeth at Sam, before leaping towards the boat with one motion of its powerful flippers.