Zyrus ate his dried rations while sitting on the edge of the cliff. This was perhaps the last time he could afford to have a meal in peace. This was the first time he was eating while covering his food with mana.
*Gulp*
The cheap vine and the month-old jerky tasted much better than he’d thought. He stuffed himself full so that he could run, or rather, swim for days without a break. There was no telling what he’d face in the abyssal zone.
As it was a boundary zone between the second and the third ring, the creature living there had an average lv of 47.
It meant that apart from some weak races and newborn monsters, everyone else was at level 50. There was a distinct difference between below and above lv 40 players.
At level 40, the players would get a chance to upgrade their class and bloodline. The same was true for monsters. He wouldn't be their match without his equipment.
‘I’ll have to find some materials to improve them as well…’
His bloodline spear would finally evolve after the mission was over, but his other equipment was lacking except for gauntlets.
Not to mention there were empty slots on rings, belt, and clock. Maybe he'd find something for his tail as well.
Zyrus laid down with idle thoughts. It wouldn’t do him any good if he stressed out at a time like this.
He checked his status for one last time. He had more than enough SP saved up which could enhance his power by a notch, but he decided to save them for the time being. The cube’s mission would unlock a new stat afterall.
He didn’t know how that would play out, or whether or not could he increase that stat by using SP. There was a good chance that his level-up bonus would change as well after improving his bloodline twice. In any case, his main task after this would be to balance his stats once again.
Having SP at hand would make that easier.
‘Of course, I’ll use it at a moment’s notice if my life’s in danger,’
He didn’t have to worry about handling the increase in power thanks to the system’s help.
Zyrus slept for a few more hours before he headed out to the next zone. The endless expanse of black was still without any movement.
‘fuu…time to go,’
*Shua*
He dived down as if he was in a swimming pool. Descending became harder and harder as the pressure increased at the depths of the ocean.
4100 meters…4200 meters…he dove down all the way until 4500 meters before slowing down. Even though he was unable to see much with his eyes, his instincts were telling him that there was a predator nearby.
And unlike him, it had locked down on his position.
Zyrus activated his eyes of annihilation and channeled his mana. There was no point in concealing himself where pretty much every creature had sharper senses than him. The sole way to avoid being swarmed was by quickly finishing off the enemy.
His crimson-glowing eyes surveyed the dark waters. With the circulation of his mana, his horns and the mark on his chest and shined as well.
*Juuuu*
And as if thinking that he was provoking it, the hidden monster also revealed itself.
It was a blue octopus which was no bigger than him. Most of the creatures living here had developed bioluminescence due to the absence of sunlight, and this one was no exception.
Greenish scribble-like patterns were glowing on the octopus which made it visible. The concerning thing was that it was just about 100 feet away, yet Zyrus had failed to notice it.
‘Looks like it doesn’t want to attack,’
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Numerous thoughts went by his head in an instant. No amount of theoretical knowledge would help him survive if he failed to use it properly. From what he recalled, the fish living here mostly relied on carcasses of other dead creatures to survive.
Millions of fish died every day. Most of them would end up in the bellies of those who live below them. Even so, getting food was difficult for the ones who lived this deep.
Thus, the creatures of the Abyssal zone tended to be lazy. Their slow metabolism was a good thing for him as it decreased his chances of being swarmed by a mob of hungry fish.
‘But it’s not like they’re pacifist either,’
Zyrus pointed his hand at the blue octopus and attacked with a full-powered vortex. He was sure that this wasn’t the only monster that was observing him.
-65,-65,-65,-0,-65
*Juuuu*
The weak had their own way of survival, and one of which was intimidation.
Zyrus didn’t miss the chance and reached the octopus in an instant. What awaited it next was an endless barrage of drill-like punches.
‘Maybe you can kill me, but you won’t get away unscathed,’
This was a message that he wanted to convey.
-130,-130,-0
*Burst*
-260
Exp +550
And it was delivered beautifully. The mangled pieces of the octopus sunk below in the darkness.
Zyrus looked around the area as if he was able to see everything and went back in his original direction. Only he himself knew whether he detected the nearby monsters or not.
‘I hope I can find the clue without wasting too much time,’
He made a beeline towards the mission’s direction without wasting any time. This wasn’t a place he could explore on a whim. Unless he came across a safe region or found something that was worth the risk, he didn’t intend to bother the creatures living here.
And just as luck would have it, he found one such region. At the depth between 5500-5700 meters, there was a region filled with floating metallic substances.
‘It’s so blatantly obvious,’
The obsidian-colored chunks of metal were a super rare material called ‘Shadow Iron’. It was superior to most metals in terms of durability and mana conductivity. It weighed less than steel, it had a chance to grant shadow property to items, and it possessed natural stealth-boosting effects.
It was a dream material for the rogues and assassins. Of course, Zyrus was greedy for it as well. It was perfect to improve Lorica Squamata.
‘The problem is that it’s clearly a trap,’
He didn’t believe for a second that he was fortunate enough to find a treasure trove lying around. He was also sure that there were no monsters nearby.
Thus, something was bound to happen once he took them to his inventory. It was a situation where he had no choice but to jump headfirst into a pitfall.
‘Because from the start, there’s no conventional way to reach the trenches,’
Zyrus didn’t waste much time in thinking things over. He placed the shadow iron into the flag’s storage and proceeded on the way.
An entire day passed like that. The uneasy feeling he felt was becoming stronger and stronger. His battle-honed senses were alarming him every moment that danger was fast approaching.
But still, he didn’t encounter any threat. He swam in the same direction without finding any clues or treasures.
Two days…three days…
He was numbed to the warning given by his instincts.
‘Damn, this is annoying,’
Zyrus almost wished that he’d encounter some danger. And fortunately or not, his wish was heard.
*Kreee*
*kreeeee*skreeee*
Hundreds of fish surrounded him all of a sudden. They were the infamous Frilled sharks, the creatures who had the flexibility of an eel and the jaws of a shark.
And as Zyrus saw hundreds of such sharks coming at him from all directions, there was only one thought in his mind.
‘I’m screwed,’
This was precisely his weakness. He would rather face a gigantic whale than fight with enemies like them. His killing trump cards were spatial stab and void quandary which could deal with almost anyone in the second ring.
But what if there were too many enemies? What if he was in an environment where the longer he fought, the more enemies he’d attract?
*Skreeee*
Zyrus felt a chill down his spine as he saw the shark's glowing teeth. It was horrifying to see that in a pitch-black ocean.
He didn’t hesitate and used 15 SP to increase his agility. He couldn’t care less about stat balance at a time like that.
Soothing energy burst out in his entire body. He mustered the greatest instantaneous speed he could and changed his direction.
[Shackles of Nihility]
Zyrus attacked where the lowest number of sharks were present. Purple shackles bound the sharks, and before they noticed what had happened, he was already out of the encirclement.
His current speed was second only to his vitality. He was sure that apart from the agility-based boss monsters, he could outrun anyone on the second ring.
‘But this can’t go on…I have to find the clue before it’s too late,’
There was a limit to his stamina afterall. It was pointless to kill the sharks since there were perhaps thousands of them in this zone.
This was a situation where he could neither fight nor run. Although he knew that the shark’s attack had something to do with the shadow iron, he didn’t even consider handing them out.
This was perhaps his only chance of getting to the trenches. There was no way he was giving up just like that.
Thus, a game of Shark and Sylvarix began in the abyssal zone.
And unbeknownst to both sides, their commotion had awakened someone who had been slumbering there for millennias.
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