Vol. 2 Chapter 33: Chaos

Chapter 33: Chaos

The Merfolk King bared his sharp teeth, his massive body radiating immense power. His scale-less fish tail symbolized his identity as the king of the merfolk in this sea. He swiftly reached the altar, his rage intensifying at the scent of blood.

With a wave of his hand, the ocean currents responded to his movements, sending several Deep Ones flying. However, among them was a particularly formidable Deep One, twice the size of the others, who blocked the Merfolk King's advance.

Deep Ones grow stronger with age, their ancestors being the Father Dagon and Mother Hydra, the earliest Deep Ones with terrifyingly massive bodies. This Deep One, who had lived an indeterminate length of time, chanted in a harsh, shrill voice, summoning dark currents from the depths to form a massive vortex aimed at the Merfolk King, attempting to engulf him.

The Merfolk King, channeling his oceanic magic, controlled the currents to calm the vortex, simultaneously summoning even greater oceanic power. Chanting loudly, he used his sharp nails to cut his finger, letting his blood mingle with the seawater.

Responding to the Merfolk King's summons, several giant great white sharks appeared, their bloodthirsty eyes fixed on the beings present. Obeying the Merfolk King's commands, they began to ruthlessly hunt the Deep Ones and hybrids, asserting their dominance as the ocean's fearsome rulers.

The giant Deep One and the Merfolk King continued to clash, occasionally using strange and powerful spells. However, the Merfolk King, also a creature of the sea, gradually gained the upper hand with his familiarity with the ocean and formidable strength.

Yet, the Merfolk King had not brought many merfolk with him, and the average merfolk's combat ability was not particularly strong. Moreover, this was Ihathiri, the stronghold of the Deep Ones. With reinforcements constantly arriving, the merfolk were unable to get close to the altar or harm the grotesque flesh mass on it, a focal point of the great entity they worshipped.

Observing the battle, Lu Li realized that the merfolk's assistance alone might not be enough to destroy the focal point amidst the many Deep Ones. The difficulty of this mission was exceedingly high. Without the Merfolk King's help, they would have had no hope at all.

As the chaos of the battle raged on, Lu Li concealed himself in the darkness, lying on the ground and drifting with the currents stirred by the fighting. Time seemed to lose meaning underwater, and after what felt like an eternity, Lu Li finally inched closer to the altar, his bubble helmet still miraculously providing oxygen.

The grotesque flesh mass was highly agitated, occasionally extending tentacles to grab passing creatures and consume them. Lu Li, camouflaged in the seabed, dared not get any closer, as the area was mostly guarded by Deep Ones. Even the merfolk couldn't break through to attack it.

A slain Deep One fell near Lu Li, along with a spear inscribed with runes. Without making a sound, Lu Li hid beneath the Deep One's corpse, quietly reaching for the spear.

On the other side, Hu Wenxu and Gao Xiaowen were growing increasingly anxious. Initially planning to infiltrate Ihathiri and destroy the focal point, they were horrified by the sheer number of Deep Ones. Cold and ruthless, the Deep Ones did not value comradeship, having lived in the deep sea for so long. However, they were fiercely united when it came to defending their sacrificial rituals.

Fortunately, before their infiltration, they had encountered the Merfolk King, who was searching for his daughter. After selectively sharing information with him, the Merfolk King became a crucial ally. But watching the merfolk fail to break through the Deep Ones' defenses, they knew time was running out.

"This can't go on. We need to lay all our cards on the table. If we fail this mission, we'll die from the mission's backlash, and you won't complete the task assigned by your patron," Hu Wenxu said, pulling out several vials and speaking to the grim-faced Gao Xiaowen.

Gao Xiaowen nodded, taking a deep breath before revealing her left arm. The strange pattern of black fur on it became even more eerie. She coldly chanted, drawing power from the demon implanted within her. The demon, previously dormant, awoke, its icy, vengeful eyes glaring at Gao Xiaowen.

Implant-type players draw power from demons and monsters implanted in their bodies, provided by the game officials and rendered harmless under normal circumstances. Unlike mind-control players, they rarely lose control. However, extracting too much power at once, as Gao Xiaowen was doing, was extremely dangerous, sure to awaken the demon and trigger a backlash.

Before the demon could retaliate, black markings bound it tightly. Gao Xiaowen raised her left arm, chanting ancient spells. The demon within her was being sacrificed, a desperate move that would permanently stunt her abilities, tying her fate to the great entity she served.

On the other side, Hu Wenxu made his own preparations, using all his accumulated resources. He had dissected and studied monsters throughout multiple game instances, creating numerous concoctions. He slowly used these to enhance his body, explaining his formidable physical abilities. This method required time but was safe, though rushing it risked turning him into a monster.

The vials and jars before him contained vampire blood, monster flesh, bizarre viruses, and even the meat fungus from the witch. Given time, Hu Wenxu could neutralize their side effects, but time was not on their side. Resolutely, he used the concoctions on himself, hoping they would balance each other out. He knew he would no longer be human after this: "To study monsters, one must become a monster."