The surface of the pale silver portal was rippling. This was a phenomenon that indicated people were still inside the dimensional rift. Most people didn't know this, like the man; it was knowledge known by veteran Awakened—people who had Awaken their class.
Kron had entered his fair share of dimensions in the capital. It was one of the reasons the duke had dispatched him, as he was very knowledgeable when it came to things related to dimensions.
"What do we do then?" one of the soldiers voiced out in worry. If they returned and reported this news, the duke would be furious. What was worse, they had already killed the man; there was no way to get any more information from him.
"Returning is out of the question. Who knows what the duke would do to us out of anger? This dimension would certainly fetch him lots of resources in his quest to conquer the west and make all the towns submit to him," the other soldier, with his plain-looking face, commented.
"All of you keep quiet... I'm trying to think," Kron said, his eyelid twitching. He paced in thought for a moment before his eyes lit up with a sudden realization.
"I have an idea!" he said, unsheathing his sword that gleamed dangerously under the sunlight. "We'll head inside and get rid of everyone, then we can report back to the Duke!"
Everyone seemed to agree with the plan. They nodded at each other before diving into the portal.
---
Just then, while the panda was devouring the bamboo, a thunderous sound reverberated throughout the island they were on. All of their heads snapped in that direction, and they saw a devastating sight.
Trees flew into the air, flying about in all directions, as a massive creature forged a pathway through the thicket of thick branches, snapping them apart as if it was nothing. The creature was a giant centipede with white carapaced skin and milky eyes.
Nox's eyes and the centipede's milky gaze collided, and the latter's information unfolded before his eyes.
...
"Let the world drown in water!"
Rating: Intermediate Tier Level 1
Progress: (90/100%)
MP: 300/300
HP: 140/140
Stam: (100/100%)
Str: 40
Agi: 30
Intel: 20
Special Skills: Water Ball, Regeneration, Hydrokinetic Camouflage.
Ultimate Evolution Path 1: Aquatic Sovereign
Requirements: Reach Emperor Tier, Obtain the Pearl of the Ocean's Heart, Perform a ritual on the Sunken Temple's Altar
Aquatic Sovereign: A powerful and majestic ruler of the ocean, with enhanced strength, agility, and intelligence. Its water manipulation abilities become even more refined, allowing it to create massive waves and form structures out of water, capable of destroying entire cities.
...
"Everyone, let's get off this island!" Nox shouted at the top of his voice, grabbing the panda that still had bamboo in its mouth. The creature was clearly not something they could deal with right now. Although he could use Shadow Oblivion, he was afraid the island would collapse because these platforms weren't that strong.
Suddenly, the centipede opened its mouth and unleashed a condensed ball of water. Though it missed its target, the projectile struck a nearby building, causing it to collapse and scatter debris across the groun
The centipede was powerful, without a doubt! The shockwave from the attack confirmed the fears of the three children.
'I was saving this spot for a more powerful skill, but... if I'm dead, there's nothing worth saving.'
[Mimicry Activated!]
[Target: Great Water Centipede - Successfully copied Skill: Water Ball!]
[Water Ball: Conjures a sphere of pure water, hurling it at high speed to strike a single target, causing moderate water damage. Consume 10 MP per use]
[10x upgrade detected: New Skill]
[Upgrading Water Ball x10!]
[Ding! You've Awakened Oceanic Torrent!]
[Oceanic Torrent Description: Unleashes a torrential deluge of water, sweeping away all obstacles and adversaries within its path. Consume 20 MP per use]
[Do you wish to keep this skill or bestow it to a pet?]
"Bestow!" Nox commanded, placing his hand on the little panda's head. The panda felt something flood its stomach instantly; it suddenly had the urge to puke.
"Shoot at the wicked monster!" Nox said as he lightly tapped the panda's stomach. It puked out the remaining bamboo in its mouth and glared at the approaching monster. He could feel the disgust his father had for creatures, and naturally, anything his father hated, he hated as well. Therefore, it opened its mouth, following the urge...
ROOOOAR!
A loud roar, like the sound of waves clashing in the ocean, came from the panda's stomach, stunning the centipede on its destructive path as it looked at the tiny black and white creature with a puzzled expression.
That was the biggest mistake it made.
The following moment, a massive wave surged forth from the panda's mouth, a deluge of water unlike anything the centipede or the children had ever seen in their lives.
When it saw the giant tidal wave, the centipede roared with a mighty force that shook the very ground, sweeping up debris and trees in its path, but it did nothing to stop the oceanic torrent from engulfing it completely.
Although the centipede tried to fight the torrent, it was still swept away, helplessly. Its massive form tumbled through the air, carried by the force of the wave until it arrived at the edge of the island where the group was.
"Shit! Where did this water come from!" The eyes of the soldiers who had entered the dimensions widened as they watched the shadow heading towards their direction.
Before their eyes, a giant wave with a large serpentine beast on top!
Because they were on the edge where the trio were completely stranded were to go!
It was at that moment Kron stepped forward. Wielding his sword against the incoming wave, he made an elegant but lightning-fast strike, and a white line left his sword heading towards the wave at breakneck speed.
Judgment Slash!
As the white line slammed into the wave, it cut through effortlessly, separating the body of water into two parts that splashed everywhere. Some trees that were not on the trajectory of the tsunami broke off just from the sheer pressure of the water slamming into them.
As the two behind Kron watched in awe, the giant centipede landed before him, and without hesitation, he drove his sword into the beast's head, exploding it into smithereens.
Usually, even for a Level 30 warrior, he would have struggled against this creature, but because of its dazed state, killing it had been pretty easy.
But a frown soon appeared on Kron's face because the experience he had received was halved, which meant...
"This tsunami isn't a natural phenomenon," Kron said as he dug into the centipede and retrieved the Intermediate Tier beast core. "Whoever is inside here is pretty strong... I suggest we wait for them at the gateway. We'll deal with them there."
Although he was downplaying everything, Kron's entire existence was inwardly trembling. This was the first time he had seen an attack of such magnitude. Even his Judgment Slash had penetrated because the force of the water had already reduced.
For a moment, he even thought about a certain old bag of bones that stayed close to this forest. Indeeds, it could be argued that the dimensional rift was found in his territory.
---
"And we're done!" Nathan stretched, the sound of bones snapping reverberating through the forest as he stowed all the loot from the expedition inside his inventory.
"29 gold coins, not bad," he grinned as he dusted his bony hands. "Now let's go find those little brats!"