Chapter 90
“Hahaha! There they are! So you were all hiding over there, you bastards!” SuYak laughed as he saw the challengers’ ship.
“But Captain, what if that wizard is around? What will we do then?” a pirate asked SuYak.
“The sea monster ate him, so why are you still afraid of him? Do you really think he is still alive?” the captain replied.
“Well, you never know, do you?” the pirate replied.
“Ugh, you foolish idiot! If there were a wizard so powerful that they could return alive after being eaten by Abaim Monstre, we would have all been dead by now!” SuYak explained to the pirate, seemingly annoyed.
“Oh, is that so?” the crew member asked SuYak.
“Yeah, of course. And look at those scaredy-cats scurrying around at the sight of us. Would they act like this if that wizard was still alive and on that ship with them?” SuYak brought up a good point.
“Ah, I see. You’re right, Captain,” the crew member replied.
SuYak lowered his binoculars and laughed loudly. The legendary monster Abaim Monstre had killed Maldarian and Hectos. SuYak had heard that one of the two thundermancers had also been eaten by Abaim Monstre while confronting it.
He believed that because the story’s source was a survivor of Maldarian’s pirate ship. Now, the SuYak Pirates and the Jiang Pirates could monopolize the sea. And anyone who tried to interfere with that would have to be killed.
"Load the cannons! Our target is the large ship anchored on Lutari Island!" SuYak ordered.
At his command, the crew members quickly began to load the cannons. As the cannons started to heat up, SuYak turned his head to look at the neighboring pirate ship. The Jiang Pirates were also loading their cannons.
SuYak recognized that the enemy challengers without the wizard were still skilled fighters, but that was only during a massive battle and hand-to-hand combat. However, fighting on the sea was a whole new ballgame.
“We’re ready, Captain!” said a pirate from SuYak’s ship.
“All right, then fir—”
Keeaaauuugggghhhh—!
Suddenly, a deafening roar reverberated, sending shivers down the pirate and his crew's spines. Upon hearing it, everyone froze as if under a petrification spell.
Feeling the vibration, it almost seemed like the sea itself had let out a scream. Was it the instinct of a beast? The pirates' hearts thumped like drums.
SuYak's pupils shook strongly. As if they were communicating telepathically, SuYak and Jiang looked at each other. Then they both looked away.
Wooosh—!
Something emerged from the sea, splitting the sea and creating a fierce storm. The size of the storm made it impossible to guess the size of what was inside it.
"Fuck..." SuYak muttered.
SuYak cursed, failing to come up with his next step. Jiang was also in a similar position, and they both just stared at the approaching waves.
The pirates could do nothing about this phenomenon. After all, how could man stop a natural disaster? The waves overturned numerous pirate ships, including SuYak and Jiang’s ships.
“Keaaughhh!” shouted a pirate.
“Please help m—” pleaded another pirate.
The seawater drowned out the screams of the pirates, and hundreds of pirates were swept away by the waves and thrown into the sea. As the waves gradually subsided, a giant skeleton emerged. The Korean challengers, who had seen everything, reacted like the pirates.
The Korean challengers were also standing there with their mouths wide open, frozen in place.
“Sorry, we’re late,” said Lee Shin and Vuela.
Lee Shin and Vuela jumped off Abaim Monstre's head and got on their ship.
“Mr. Lee Shin!” Hwang Il-Han greeted Lee Shin with tears.
Lee Shin wondered why this man was acting like this, but Hwang Il-Han kept repeating millions of thanks that Lee Shin and Vuela had returned safely.
"I think I’m getting more emotional as I age,” Hwang Il-Han muttered, looking at Lee Shin and Vuela.
“That’s all right. Thanks for waiting for us,” said Lee Shin, looking at Hwang Il-Han.
“So you weren’t waiting for me?” Vuela asked Hwang Il-Han.
“Haha,?of course, I also waited for you, Mr. Vuela,” said Hwang Il-Han.
After exchanging greetings with the challengers, Lee Shin briefly explained what had happened to him.
“I see…” Hwang Il-Han nodded.
“But, if Sirens have appeared, that means…” Lee Shin muttered.
“Yes, that’s right. We just have to wait here now. ‘God’s Wrath’ will appear as soon as they start singing. Regardless of where it happens, we can see it from here,” Hwang Il-Han explained to Lee Shin.
“When do you think it will happen?” Lee Shin asked Hwang Il-Han.
“Well, I think it will happen within two days. But… it could even happen tonight,” said Hwang Il-Han, looking at Lee Shin.
“All right, let’s wait and see,” Lee Shin replied to Hwang Il-Han.
***
The next night, Lee Shin and the challengers waiting on Lutari Island witnessed the Sirens singing on the shore.
“It’s starting,” said Hwang Il-Han.
Sirens sang to appease the wrath of the gods. The massive sea current began to twist and turn, and the peaceful weather suddenly changed.
Rumble— Crack!
Dark clouds began to gather, and lightning struck through them. The fierce wind brushed past the challengers' skin. They had to rush into the opening as soon as “God’s Wrath” began, so none of the challengers let their guard down for even a moment.
Abaim Monstre had already been sent to the World of Death. And Lee Shin had to exert tremendous concentration to control Abaim Monstre. As for the mana consumption, it was equally massive.
Lee Shin was sure that Abaim Monstre could survive in the World of Death, so he decided to summon the beast next when he could handle it properly.
Booo—
The challengers' large ship set off with the horn resonating around the entire vessel. They were currently experiencing the calm before the storm.
The challengers had become acutely aware of the greatness of nature, more so than ever before, as they had experienced its power in full force over the past few days. The swirling waves continued to hit the ship's side, making it shake like a leaf in a storm. Consequently, the challengers’ breaths were short and labored.
Lee Shin saw a familiar ship in the distance.
‘Is he here finally…?’
Lee Shin wondered where Endo and his crew had been hiding all this time. Were they moving around busily, trying to find the entrance alone? It was only after the ‘God’s Wrath’ that Lee Shin and Endo finally met face to face.
The dragonian, standing at the bow, let his ship approach Lee Shin’s ship while staring at him.
“Endo…” Lee Shin muttered.
The two thundermancers regarded each other as equals. Upon seeing Endo, Lee Shin let out a sigh. He remembered how Endo had told him that he wouldn't go easy on Lee Shin in their next match.
Thinking about that, Lee Shin felt regret and disappointment. He used to relish the fights with Endo, a fellow thundermancer, as they exchanged mana skills and verbal attacks. The extreme concentration required, the thrill that came from the tension of possibly dying, and the sense of accomplishment that came from winning such a hard battle used to fill Lee Shin with excitement. Endo was the only one who could make him feel those emotions.
Until not too long ago, Lee Shin had been excited about fighting Endo next. However, he now felt disappointed because he could not feel that pleasure due to their skill gap.
‘Tsk…’
Endo suddenly revealed the wings hidden on his back, which were densely covered with thick scales, and flew in front of Lee Shin.
"I’m here for our final battle. This time, I'll give it my all," said Endo.
“I’m sorry,” Lee Shin apologized when he heard Endo’s words.
The thundermancer’s unexpected response and apology disappointed Endo, making his face distorted.
“Are you scared or something?” Endo asked Lee Shin.
The disappointment on Endo’s face was obvious, but Lee Shin continued to stare at him calmly.
"I meant to say that I'm sorry to disappoint you. I know you were expecting more," said Lee Shin, looking at Endo.
"What do you mean?" Endo asked Lee Shin with a confused look.
"Feel it for yourself," Lee Shin replied.
Instead of saying more, Lee Shin activated his mana, expressing his determination. Wizards did not show their pride with words but with their mana and magic skills. They demonstrated their power with the outcome. Endo finally understood Lee Shin’s intention and also activated his mana immediately.
[Lightning Strike]
Endo’s hands, which had turned into thunderbolts, sliced through the air, sending fragments of lightning racing toward Lee Shin.
[Air Catch]
Air gathered in the area to form a clump, and the clump exploded after catching the thunderbolt. And with a single horizontal sweep of his hand, Lee Shin detonated dozens of thunderbolts coming directly toward him.
The magic Endo was using was relatively light compared to his other skills since it was for exploration purposes, but the power of Lightning Strike could not be taken lightly.
Despite this, Lee Shin easily blocked all of Endo’s attacks, making his opponent uneasy. Endo knew that something had changed. To better understand this change, Endo activated his mana once again.
‘See if you can block this one!’
[Dragon Thunder Spear]
A blue thunderbolt spear materialized in Endo’s right hand. When Lee Shin looked closer at Endo’s hand, he realized it was a spear-shaped dragon.
Sqeaaaak—
The Dragon Thunder Spear produced a spine-tingling sound as it was hurled forward, distorting the space around it. Estimating how many thunderbolts were contained within this spear in compressed form was impossible. The blue dragon charged forward, ready to devour Lee Shin.
[Steel Plate Shield]
A hundred shields materialized in the air, and each one was further strengthened by steel.
Baaang—!
With a deafening explosion, Lee Shin’s steel shield and Endo's Dragon Thunder Spear collided. The steel warped inward, and the shield, which had been supporting it, crumbled. However, the thunderbolts that failed to penetrate the barrier bounced off in all directions and scattered.
Lee Shin and Endo looked at each other, seemingly reading each other's minds, and unleashed their manas. It was a battle over who could perfectly control the mana.
Lee Shin knew that he had to catch the remnants of the thunderbolt within the Dragon Thunder Spear before they scattered. For the first time, Lee Shin’s hands moved quickly, like a conductor directing an orchestra.
Following Lee Shin’s splendid hand movements, the mana moved like particles, blocked Endo's mana, and captured the remnants of the thunderbolt.
Endo frowned because he had been completely pushed back in the battle of mana control. Before Lee Shin had consumed the fragment of chaos, the power difference between the two had been negligible. However, Endo was no match for Lee Shin now.
As the thunderbolt from Dragon Thunder Spear flew toward Lee Shin, he felt Endo’s determination and desire contained within it—the will to defeat his opponent and prove himself. But, the very next moment, Lee Shin noticed Endo looking bewildered.
[Thunder Prison]
The scattered thunderbolts interlocked with each other, creating a massive prison. It was the first time that Endo, a thundermancer, had his mana control rights taken away by another wizard, let alone a thundermancer. Therefore, Endo was nonplussed.
Endo desperately tried to regain control over his flow of mana and create more thunderbolts, but it was all for naught. The Thunder Prison hindered his mana flow, so his thunderbolts kept dispersing.
"This... doesn't even make any sense...!" Endo muttered as he started to panic.
Endo had a lifetime of experience with mana, but he still couldn’t comprehend the situation. That kind of mana control simply defied common sense. Being a proud dragonian, he had always been confident in his abilities, believing only his father could defeat him. Yet, his first defeat was staring him right in the face.
Endo stood there, dumbfounded, as Lee Shin's thunderbolt struck him.
Crackle!
As the thunderbolt waves surged, Endo trembled and lost consciousness, collapsing. Lee Shin caught Endo with Psychokinesis and gently returned him to his ship.
“Wow…”
“What did I just see…?”
“Is he really a challenger like us? Only on the 20th floor like us?”
The tower was not fair, and the challengers knew that all too well. Despite that, what the challengers had just seen was an awe-inspiring mana spectacle.
“The door is opening.”
The sea became increasingly tumultuous as a massive tornado spiraled into the sky, and whirlpools churned violently below. A massive dimensional transport array appeared in the sea, creating massive mana reflux and an abnormal climate in the area.
To get to Treasure Island, Lee Shin and the challengers had to avoid the tornado and the waves and enter the whirlpool. One simply couldn’t attempt something like that without spending every moment thinking about their chances of survival and death.
“We’re going in!” Hwang Il-Han shouted.
Hwang Il-Han turned the wheel roughly and headed toward the largest whirlpool, avoiding the tornado.
“Hold on tight!” Hwang Il-Han shouted again.
“If you feel like you are going to fall, go inside the ship!” shouted a crewmate.
The ship shook like crazy, and the tornado shattered one of the ship's railings easily.
“Ahhh!”
“To the right! To the right!”
The ship barely managed to avoid the tornado, performing moves close to acrobatic maneuvers, and reached the whirlpool. Lee Shin looked back and noticed that the enemy’s alliance ship had also somehow managed to avoid the tornado and come here.
Endo was still unconscious, lying down. Would he seek revenge after coming to his senses? Or would he thank Lee Shin for saving him? Either way, it would be all right.
Endo was not the type to give up and stop there. He would work hard and grow to overcome his weakness. If he worked for it and challenged Lee Shin again, Lee Shin would be willing to accept. The same would apply if he just thanked Lee Shin.
Lee Shin shifted his gaze to the center of the whirlpool, putting aside his thoughts about Endo. There was a faint light visible there.
Gurgle—!
As the ship sank into the sea, a new space appeared.
Thud! Gurgle—!
The large ship seemed to have fallen from the sky and landed in another sea.
"Is that... “
“Is that Treasure Island?"
They were here—Treasure Island. A place ostensibly full of long-forgotten treasures. A system message popped up as the challengers docked their ship on the seemingly unremarkable island and disembarked.
[You have cleared the 20th floor.]
[Your achievements will be recorded.]
[You have made an achievement that will go down in history! Many gods are paying attention to you!]
[The timeline of the 20th-floor stage has changed.]
[You have achieved 381,200 points.]
[You have received 381,200 points.]
[Your Health Point has increased by 15,120.]
[Your mana has increased by 23,000.]
[Your Strength has increased by 11.]
[Your Agility has increased by 13.]
[Your Intelligence has increased by 25.]
[Your Dominance has increased by 16.]
[Your Luck has increased by 1.]
[You have acquired a 『Title - Predator of the Sea』.]
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