Chapter 114—The Abyssal Trench.
Chapter 114—The Abyssal Trench.
The endless ticking of golden gears, swirling twilight nebula, and shattering clockwork mechanisms of Floor 20 vanished into non-existence as the spatial gateway behind Kronos’s erased throne collapsed into fine cosmic dust.
---
[WORLD SYSTEM ANNOUNCEMENT!]
FACTION ’SOVEREIGN’ HAS ASCENDED TO FLOOR 21!
ZONE ENTERED: The Abyssal Sunken Kingdom of Leviathan—The Trench of Hadal
HAZARD RATING: TIER-SS+ (Crushing Hydro-Pressure & Hydro-Drowning Curse)
SPECIAL RULE: Abyssal Depths—Non-Sovereign Entities Suffer 12% Movement Speed & Physical Attack Penalty Every 30 Seconds!
---
When Kaelen stepped out of the spatial rift, the environment shifted into a suffocating, pitch-black underwater realm located ten thousand leagues beneath an alien ocean.
They stood upon a colossal plaza crafted from glowing blue sunken marble and ancient oceanic ruins, suspended over an endless deep-sea trench.
Above them stretched a dark, violent ocean ceiling illuminated only by bioluminescent corals, giant glowing jellyfish, and floating oceanic crystals that hummed with dense, ancient water mana.
Massive underwater whirlpools swept through the ruins, carrying razor-sharp pressure blades capable of crushing reinforced titanium shields into thin metal sheets in a single heartbeat.
The ambient water pressure was staggering, heavy enough to implode standard high-tier armor systems instantly.
"From ticking time gears straight into the absolute bottom of the ocean," Ignis grunted with a dark laugh, shaking his head while resting his heavy claymore against his shoulder.
His fiery hair glowed as black dragon flames swirled along the blade, creating a localized thermal field that boiled the surrounding dark water into violent bursts of white steam. "My flames are going to have to work double time just to stay burning underwater, but I’m not backing down!"
"The hydrostatic pressure in this trench is off the charts," Ren reported calmly, her crisp voice coming through the communication link while blue holographic diagnostics flooded her gauntlet interface. Specialized pressure-seals and thermal insulators hummed across her suit. "My tactical sensors indicate Floor 21 is an ancient sunken kingdom governed by deep-sea leviathans and siren warlords."
She recalibrated her scanning arrays, evaluating the environmental conditions. "Standard fire and earth magic deal 60% reduced damage due to the ocean density. However, Lightning, Divine Light, and Spatial Void attributes maintain 100% operational efficiency."
"A realm of deep dark waters," Tsubaki whispered, emerging effortlessly from the dark shadow cast by a sunken marble column. His crimson eyes scanned the murky blue trench. "My shadow scouts report that Floor 21 is under the absolute command of the Ocean Sovereign Leviathan, who rules from the central Sunken Citadel."
Lyra stood beside Kaelen, her soft, slender hand held warmly in his dark-gloved grip.
The completed Key of the Holy Grail within Kaelen’s chest core emitted a soft, pristine golden aura, expanding a golden protective dome around their entire squad. The dome completely repelled the crushing ocean pressure, created a perfect oxygenated sphere, and rendered the [Abyssal Depths] curse entirely useless.
"The ocean’s deepest abyss holds no depth above your majesty, Kaelen," Lyra whispered softly, her bright blue eyes shining with quiet, absolute devotion as she leaned gently against his arm. "The heavy dark waters of this realm will part before your presence."
"The ocean is merely water trapped in a container, my light," Kaelen purred smoothly, his low velvet voice breaking effortlessly through the deep-sea thrumming sounds. He gently caressed her hand, his dark violet eyes gleaming with cold, golden-ringed authority. "Leviathan can pretend to rule his trench... until he learns the Void erases the water and the container alike."
---
[SYSTEM NOTIFICATION!]
The key to the holy grail is activated!
EFFECT: Sovereign Hydro Shield Active! All Squad Members Gain 100% Immunity to Crushing Hydro-Pressure & Drowning Hazards!
RESONANCE: Floor 21 Waystone Location Identified!
---
Suddenly, the pitch-black ocean trenches surrounding the sunken plaza churned violently!
ROAAAAAAAR!
The deep-sea floor shuddered as thousands of giant serpent warriors clad in dark pearl armor, wielding tridents made of blue deep-sea crystal and riding massive armored sea-serpents, erupted from the dark trenches!
---
[AMBUSH INITIATED!]
HOSTILE ENTITIES: 2,500x Hadal Trench Vanguard (Level 187 Elite)
COMMANDER: General Trench-Breaker — The Abyssal Crusher (Level 188 Tier-EX)
OBJECTIVE: Crush the Intruders Under the Sea!
---
"DRY-LAND MORTALS!" General Trench-Breaker roared from the front of the sea-serpent legion. He stood thirty-five feet tall, forged from dark oceanic scales and glowing bioluminescent armor, holding a colossal three-pointed trident dripping with pressurized water blades. "YOU DARE SET FOOT UPON THE SACRED TRENCHES OF HIS MAJESTY LEVIATHAN?! BE CRUSHED INTO FLESH SLAG AND DEVOURRED BY THE DEEP!"
Two thousand five hundred Trench Vanguard warriors raised their crystal tridents in unison, unleashing a colossal wave of pressurized water jets and hydro-shockwaves surging directly toward Kaelen’s position!
BOOOOOOM!
"Let me boil these dark waters into thin mist!" Ignis roared with a wild laugh, leaping into the underwater space as his claymore flared into a colossal pillar of superheated black dragon fire!
"Dragon Fire Art: Ocean Boiling Nova!"
Ignis swung his blade in a massive sweeping arc! A three-hundred-meter wave of black dragon fire swept across the deep trench, boiling one thousand two hundred Trench Vanguard warriors and their sea-serpents instantly, turning their dark pearl armor into shattered fragments mid-water!
"Shadow Style: Hydro-Severing Flash!" Tsubaki flickered between the sunken marble pillars like an underwater phantom, his dark katana leaving behind black spatial cuts that severed the water cores of nine hundred serpent warriors before they could even react!
"System Hack: Sonar Disruptor Pulse!" Ren deployed twenty high-frequency acoustic pylons into the sunken plaza. The resulting shockwaves shattered the internal equilibrium of the remaining four hundred warriors, causing their scales to burst into harmless blue bubbles!
General Trench-Breaker watched his vanguard annihilated in under two minutes, his glowing blue eyes burning with furious shock and panic.
"IMPOSSIBLE! DRYLAND CREATURES CANNOT SURVIVE THE PRESSURE OF HADAL!" Trench-Breaker shouted, raising his giant crystal trident and diving through the ocean water like a dark blue torpedo, aiming straight for Kaelen’s head!
"Abyssal Secret Art: Grand Hydro Shatter!"
Kaelen didn’t even shift his footing.
He took one calm step forward, his dark coat billowing gracefully in the intense underwater currents generated by the falling general.
His slender dark-gloved fingers wrapped around the hilt of the Void Blade.
---
[PASSIVE EFFECT: Void Sovereign’s Eye]
TARGET WEAKNESS DETECTED: Water Core at Upper Sternum Node!
---
Kaelen purred softly, a cold, dark smile touching his lips as he drew his dark blade by half an inch.
SHING!
A razor-thin line of pitch-black spatial deletion flared through the dark ocean water.
"Void Art: Spatial Deletion—Hydro Sever!"
SKRRRRRRRAASH!
The half-inch draw of dark steel made no sound through the heavy water, but the spatial line expanded seven hundred meters across the deep ocean trench!
---
[CRITICAL HIT!]
TARGET: General Trench-Breaker & 400x Hadal Trench Vanguard
DAMAGE DEALT: 250,000,000 (Pure Spatial Eradication)
DEFENSE NEGATED: 100%!
---
[FORCE OBLITERATED!]
CASUALTIES: General Trench-Breaker & Hadal Vanguard (Eradicated!)
EXP RECEIVED: 50,000,000 Points!
---
"AAAAAAARGH!" General Trench-Breaker let out an agonizing underwater shriek as his thirty-five-foot body, his crystal trident, and his remaining troops were sliced horizontally in half mid-water!
The pitch-black spatial cut erased their oceanic forms and water cores instantly into glowing blue experience particles.
Kaelen smoothly clicked the Void Blade back into its sheath.
CLICK.
The suffocating water pressure that had filled the trench vanished instantly, replaced once again by the quiet, golden warmth of the squad’s domain.
"Flawless execution, My Lord," Tsubaki said, landing softly behind Kaelen with a deep bow.
"These water serpents thought deep pressure could protect them," Ignis chuckled, resting his heavy claymore on his shoulder while black fire continued to hum along the steel. "They forgot our sovereign commands space itself."
Ren checked her holographic displays, scanning the colossal fortress carved from black deep-sea coral at the center of the floor—The Sunken Citadel.
"My Lord, the elimination of General Trench-Breaker has alerted the ocean sovereign," Ren reported. "The Ocean Sovereign Leviathan is powering up his water core inside the Sunken Citadel."
"Let him power up every drop of water he possesses," Kaelen purred smoothly, turning back to Lyra and taking her soft hand into his once more. Her bright blue eyes shone with warmth as she held his hand tight. "It simply ensures his eventual erasure will be absolute."
Lyra smiled sweetly, leaning close against his side as they began walking across the sunken bridge leading toward the Sunken Citadel. "Lead the way, Kaelen. The deep oceans bow to you."
Kaelen purred softly, his dark violet eyes gleaming with absolute, god-like authority as he led the Sovereign Faction deeper into the dark waters of Floor 21.