The salty air stung my face as I stood at the edge of the settlement, the waves crashing against the jagged rocks below. The time had come. Three months of grueling preparation had led to this moment—a battle that would decide not only my survival but perhaps the very future I envisioned for myself.
When the system notification first appeared, overriding the settlement's mission board, I thought it was a glitch. It wasn't. The glowing red text hovered ominously before me even now:
[System Mission Override: Nightmare Rank]
Eliminate the Depth Beast of Ethereal Rank
Time Remaining: 00:11:36
The timer was relentless, counting down with every passing second. I could feel my blood pounding in my ears, my Ixorym instincts urging me to run or fight. But I couldn't escape this—no one could. The system ensured compliance with its missions, and failure meant death.
For months, I had pushed myself harder than I ever thought possible. Dren and the other hunters had noticed the change in me but said little, perhaps fearing what they did not understand. The Depth Tides had become a grim training ground, their relentless waves of beasts providing the perfect crucible to sharpen my skills.
Aether Armament had become second nature to me, its glowing energy encasing my claws with deadly precision. Floral Wake, my Ixorym heritage's strange gift, now felt like an extension of my will, vines and flowers lashing out with unrelenting power. But I knew these abilities alone would not be enough to face the beast awaiting me in the depths.
The descent into the trenches was harrowing. The water seemed thicker here, almost alive, pushing back against my every stroke. The deeper I went, the more the light faded, until I was surrounded by an endless void. And yet, I could feel it—a massive, oppressive presence lurking ahead, waiting.
Finally, I reached the seabed, where a massive cavern loomed. The beast emerged, its form shifting and shimmering like liquid shadow. It was unlike anything I had ever encountered. Its body glowed faintly with an ethereal light, tendrils of energy rippling across its surface. Two massive eyes, burning with an otherworldly intensity, locked onto me.
[Depth Beast: Ethereal Rank]
Combat Power: ???
It struck first, a tendril of energy lashing out with blinding speed. I barely evaded, the shockwave from its attack sending me tumbling. My claws ignited with violet energy as I retaliated, but the beast absorbed the blow as if it were nothing.
This wasn't a fight. It was survival against an overwhelming force.
As the battle raged, I pushed my abilities to their limits. Thunderous Claws sent arcs of electricity crackling through the water, momentarily stunning the beast. I used the opening to unleash a barrage of strikes, each blow fueled by the unstable energy coursing through me. But no matter how hard I fought, the Depth Beast seemed unfazed.
And then it happened.
A surge of pain ripped through my body as the beast landed a devastating blow, its tendrils wrapping around me and pulling me into the void. My vision blurred, and for a moment, I thought it was over. But then, deep within me, something awakened.
The system flashed another notification:
[System Notice: Evolution Imminent]
Warning: Forced Evolution in Progress—Ethereal Rank Detected
The pain intensified, every cell in my body burning as if set aflame. My claws elongated, glowing with a brilliance that rivaled the beast itself. My vision sharpened, and I could feel the world around me in vivid detail—the ebb and flow of the water, the vibrations of the beast's movements, the faint hum of energy coursing through the abyss.
I had evolved.
The tide of the battle shifted. With my newfound power, I moved faster than the beast could react. My strikes cut through its defenses, violet energy colliding with its ethereal form in bursts of light. I felt invincible, each attack landing with precision and force that I hadn't thought possible.
The final blow came as I activated Aether Armament in its purest form, channeling every ounce of my power into a single strike. My claws pierced the beast's core, shattering it in a blinding explosion of light.
When the light faded, the Depth Beast was no more. The cavern trembled as its energy dispersed, and I knew I had won.
As I swam back to the surface, my body still thrumming with power, the system chimed one last time:
[Mission Complete: Nightmare Rank]
Reward: ???
I didn't care about the reward—not yet. All I knew was that I had survived, that I had risen to a level I hadn't thought possible. But with this new power came new questions. The gods had not intervened, and I couldn't shake the feeling that this was only the beginning.
What had I truly become? And what price would I pay for this evolution?
For now, I pushed those thoughts aside. The settlement awaited, and with it, the next chapter of my journey.