Chapter 95 - 96—The Sunken Realm.
Chapter 96—The Sunken Realm.
The bone-white sand and freezing spectral air of Floor 11 vanished as the grand spatial portal behind Malakor’s throne dissolved into pure light particles.
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[WORLD SYSTEM ANNOUNCEMENT!]
FACTION ’SOVEREIGN’ HAS ASCENDED TO FLOOR 12!
ZONE ENTERED: The Sunken Realm of Atlantis—The Infinite Abyss
HAZARD RATING: TIER-SS+ (Extreme Oceanic Pressure & Absolute Drowning Curse)
SPECIAL RULE: Abyssal Pressure—Movement Speed & Mana Casting Speed Reduced by 60%!
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When Kaelen stepped through the rift, the world transformed into a breathtaking underwater paradise.
They stood at the edge of a massive, ancient plaza carved from white marble and bioluminescent blue coral. Looking up, there was no sky—only an endless, dark teal ocean held back by a shimmering, ancient magical barrier that pulsed like a beating heart.
Giant mythical sea serpents and leviathans swam through the deep waters above the barrier, their massive shadows passing over the ruined temples and crystal towers of the sunken city.
Despite being miles underwater, the air within the city plaza was breathable, though heavy with the scent of sea salt, ancient mana, and crushing oceanic pressure.
"The atmospheric pressure here is insane," Ignis grunted, shaking his shoulders as his fiery red hair fluttered in the heavy, humid breeze. He adjusted his grip on his heavy claymore, causing sparks of black dragon flame to sizzle against the humid air. "It feels like walking with a mountain strapped to your back."
"That is the [Abyssal Pressure] passive rule of Floor 12," Ren explained, her fingers clicking rapidly across her floating holographic screens as water-resistant energy shields flared around her gauntlets.
"My sensors indicate that Floor 12 is an ancient submerged empire submerged by the System thousands of years ago."
She tapped her visor, analyzing the local mana network.
"The water surrounding this city is infused with high-density primal oceanic mana. Fire-based attacks will suffer a 50% efficiency penalty here, while lightning and spatial attributes receive a 30% performance boost."
"An empire under the sea," Tsubaki murmured, emerging from the dark blue shadow cast by a broken coral pillar. His crimson eyes scanned the surrounding coral ruins with sharp focus. "My shadow scouts report that Floor 12 is ruled by the Tide Lord Triton, a mythical demigod who commands the entire oceanic legion."
Lyra walked gracefully beside Kaelen, her slender fingers locked securely in his dark-gloved hand. The completed Key of the Holy Grail resting within Kaelen’s chest core erupted into a soft, golden radiance, casting a thirty-meter protective sphere around their squad that instantly negated the severe movement and casting penalties.
"The pressure of an entire ocean is nothing before you, Kaelen," Lyra whispered softly, her bright blue eyes shining with absolute, quiet devotion as she leaned gently against his arm. "The waters themselves will part when you demand it."
"An ocean is just water waiting to be cleared, my light," Kaelen purred smoothly, his low velvet voice carrying a cool, casual warmth that sent a pleasant shiver through her. He gently stroked her fingers with his thumb, his dark violet eyes gleaming with triple-ringed golden authority. "Triton can rule his waves... until he realizes the void has no bottom."
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[SYSTEM NOTIFICATION!]
The key of the holy grail is activated!
EFFECT: Sovereign Ocean Barrier Active! All Squad Members Gain 100% Immunity to Abyssal Pressure!
RESONANCE: Floor 12 Waystone Location Identified!
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Suddenly, the bioluminescent coral around the plaza flared with violent crimson light.
BOOOOOOM!
The water barrier above the plaza trembled as thousands of heavily armored, amphibious warrior-beasts with trident spears, obsidian scales, and glowing blue eyes burst through the sea barrier, descending into the plaza like a blue tsunami!
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[AMBUSH INITIATED!]
𝕗𝐫𝚎𝗲𝘄𝐞𝕓𝐧𝕠𝘃𝕖𝐥.𝐜𝚘𝚖
HOSTILE ENTITIES: 1,200x Atlantean Depth-Guard (Level 182 Elite)
COMMANDER: General Hydraxis—The Tide Breaker (Level 185 Tier-EX)
OBJECTIVE: Drown the Intruders!
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"SURFACE DWELLERS!" General Hydraxis roared, his four muscular arms wielding massive tridents forged from condensed oceanic crystal. "YOU DARE SET FOOT IN THE SACRED SUNKEN REALM OF LORD TRITON?! DIE BENEATH THE WEIGHT OF TEN THOUSAND SEAS!"
One thousand two hundred Atlantean Depth-Guards raised their tridents in unison, channeling the surrounding ocean water into a colossal, four-hundred-meter tidal wave infused with anti-matter lightning, crashing down directly toward Kaelen’s position!
BOOOOOOM!
"You think a little water can put out my flames?!" Ignis bellowed with a fierce laugh, stepping directly to the front line!
"Dragon Fire Art: Black Flame Overdrive!"
Ignis thrust his claymore into the marble floor! Instead of standard fire, he unleashed an explosion of black dragon flames infused with pure spatial destruction! The intense black flames incinerated the incoming tidal wave mid-air, flash-boiling three hundred Depth-Guards into hot steam in a split second!
"Shadow Style: Lightning Crescent Strike!" Tsubaki utilized the floor’s lightning boost, turning into a blue-and-black bolt of lightning that zipped through the falling army. His katana flickered five hundred times in a single second, severing the gills and mana cores of four hundred Depth-Guards before they could touch the marble floor!
"System Hack: Sonic Disruption Matrix!" Ren fired twenty high-frequency acoustic torpedoes into the air. The resulting sonic shockwaves shattered the obsidian scales of three hundred more Depth-Guards, causing their internal mana conduits to implode!
General Hydraxis watched his massive vanguard annihilated in under ninety seconds, his four golden eyes burning with rage and disbelief.
"IMPOSSIBLE! SURFACE MORTALS CANNOT RESIST THE TIDE!" Hydraxis roared, diving from the air with his four crystal tridents surging with dark ocean lightning, aiming straight for Kaelen’s head!
"Oceanic Secret Art: Quad-Trident Extinction!"
Kaelen didn’t even bat an eye.
He casually took one calm step forward, his dark coat rustling softly in the humid sea draft generated by the falling general.
His slender dark-gloved hand wrapped effortlessly around the hilt of the Void Blade.
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[PASSIVE EFFECT: Void Sovereign’s Eye]
TARGET WEAKNESS DETECTED: Tidal Core at Central Chest Node!
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Kaelen purred softly, a cold, dark smile touching his lips as he unsheathed his dark blade by an inch.
SHING!
A razor-thin line of pitch-black spatial deletion flared through the humid air.
"Void Art: Spatial Deletion — Ocean Splitter!"
SKRRRRRRRAASH!
The one-inch draw of dark steel was completely silent, yet the spatial tear expanded six hundred meters into the sky, slicing cleanly through the water barrier above!
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[CRITICAL HIT!]
TARGET: General Hydraxis & 200x Atlantean Depth Guards
DAMAGE DEALT: 150,000,000 (Pure Spatial Eradication)
DEFENSE NEGATED: 100%!
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[FORCE OBLITERATED!]
CASUALTIES: General Hydraxis & Atlantean Vanguard (Eradicated!)
EXP RECEIVED: 25,000,000 Points!
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"AAAAARGH!" General Hydraxis let out an agonizing shriek as his four arms, his crystal tridents, his Level 185 body, and the remaining two hundred Depth-Guards behind him were sliced horizontally in half mid-air!
The pitch-black spatial cut erased their physical forms and mana cores instantly into glowing blue experience particles!
BOOOOOM.
The severed remnants of the vanguard dissolved into blue dust before touching the marble plaza. Behind them, the massive sea barrier above, which had been cleanly sliced by Kaelen’s spatial line, automatically sealed itself back together under the system’s laws.
Kaelen smoothly clicked the Void Blade back into its sheath.
CLICK.
The heavy, suffocating sea pressure vanished instantly, replaced once again by the serene, golden aura of the squad’s domain.
"Flawless execution, my lord," Tsubaki said, landing softly beside Kaelen with a deep, respectful bow.
"That felt good," Ignis chuckled, wiping a stray drop of boiled seawater from his forehead. "Even underwater, no one stands against the Sovereign."
Ren checked her holographic displays, scanning the deep trench at the center of the sunken city where a giant crystal palace glowed with majestic blue light—The Trench Citadel.
"My Lord, the erasure of General Hydraxis has triggered an emergency alarm throughout the sunken realm," Ren reported. "The Tide Lord Triton is rallying his royal leviathan guards inside the Trench Citadel."
"Let him gather all his leviathans," Kaelen said smoothly, turning back to Lyra and taking her soft hand into his once more. Her blue eyes sparkled with pure warmth as she smiled up at him.
"It will make the conquest of Floor 12 all the briefer."Lyra smiled sweetly, holding his hand tight as they began walking toward the central trench. "Lead the way, Kaelen. The ocean is yours."
Kaelen purred softly, his dark violet eyes gleaming with absolute, god-like authority as he led the Sovereign Faction into the depths of Floor 12.