Chapter 528 Meteor

Using Shark Beast materials as its primary component, the highly streamlined design of the [Abyssal Current] armor maximized the wearer's mobility underwater.

The slight depression on the chest, carved with a swirling pattern, currently emitted a faint blue glow. The equipment's special effect, [Marine Life], quietly activated, extending the wearer's underwater breathing time.

Designed almost entirely for underwater combat, it also provided corresponding enhancements to movement speed and stamina efficiency.

This allowed Xia Nan, who had downed a Water Breathing Potion before jumping off the deck, to unleash his combat capabilities beneath the waves to their fullest, much like an aquatic creature.

He shifted his gaze from the corpse of the last fishman priest, completely dead with its head severed.

Glancing at the dragonborn ranger Sarissa in the distant water, who was staring stiffly in his direction, Xia Nan made a hand signal instructing her to swim back to the ship.

Then, he decisively turned and rushed to support Lorraine and the others.

With the only two fishman spellcasters on the battlefield now decapitated, Xia Nan had perfectly completed his part of the plan.

Now, whether for the sake of the upcoming Lunar Tide Banquet or the bonds he had recently forged with the crew, he couldn't just sit out the fight against that vicious Wind-Seed Octopus. He had to hurry over and help.

The origin of the Wind-Seed Octopus was unknown.

When humanity first set foot in this wild and mysterious sea, these dangerous ancient monsters were already living here.

Its name came from the oceanic barbarians who lived here in ancient times. Those native inhabitants called it "Kresr—Vndr," meaning "the tentacled monster that calls the storm."

Under normal circumstances, an adult Wind-Seed Octopus wouldn't grow too large. Specimens like the one the Blade of Vengeance Fleet encountered, nearly a third the size of a sailboat, were a minority.

They had dark brown skin and eight thick, powerful tentacles. The sharp horn near the back of their heads could emit a high-pitched, bugle-like sound to manipulate air currents and stir up storms.

The magical particles condensing alongside this sound also affected biological emotions, drawing prey closer without them realizing it.

Compared to the various fishmen, which could be found in almost every corner of the sea much like Goblins, the Wind-Seed Octopus was exceedingly rare. They were fundamentally solitary creatures, and the specifics of how they courted and mated were—unknown.

Even within the entire field of marine biology, no scholars had conducted related research, leaving the world with little understanding of this monster.

But one thing was certain: the Wind-Seed Octopus was extremely dangerous.

While it might not actively seek out humans, its hunting habit of summoning storms with its horn meant that by the time you heard its bugle call, you had already entered the vicious monster's hunting grounds.

Between the rare mental attacks and the harsh environment of a sea storm, unless you were prepared in advance or possessed outstanding individual strength, encountering one essentially guaranteed a single fate: sinking.

Even for Adventurers who managed to keep their minds clear amidst the bugle calls, the Wind-Seed Octopus's exaggerated physical attributes were enough to plunge the vast majority of lower-tier Class Holders into despair.

"Boom!"

A thick, slime-covered tentacle swept out from the depths with terrifying force, carrying a momentum so exaggerated it seemed capable of crushing the seawater itself.

A few unlucky fishman lackeys were caught in the blast and instantly turned to mangled meat amid a mist of blood.

Lorraine reacted just in time. Kicking hard against the water, she narrowly scrambled away from the monster's attack.

Her wavy, fiery red hair drifted messily in the current, and the firelight on the surface of the [Scale-Fire Scimitar] in her hand flickered unsteadily.

She swept her gaze over her nearby companions. Seeing that none had taken serious injuries, she breathed a sigh of relief.

Their Class Levels were certainly not low, but in this underwater environment, facing such a massive, enraged octopus monster, it was genuinely difficult to inflict effective damage.

To be precise, they couldn't find an opening to strike.

The force behind those eight swinging tentacles was absurd. The twin Warriors, Ryan and Gordon, were bleeding from their mouths and noses after merely being grazed, despite preparing in advance and using defensive combat techniques; if anyone were carelessly struck head-on, they would instantly lose their combat capability, assuming they even survived.

'How should we proceed next?'

Lorraine's mind raced as she considered their next move.

Fortunately, accompanied by the continuous wolf howls echoing through the water, the frequency of the sharp, screeching fishman cries around them was rapidly decreasing.

Clearly, her teammate nicknamed "Sea Fang" was putting in work.

Based on her impression of his efficiency, as long as they held on a little longer, they would soon have powerful reinforcement.

There was no time left for her to think.

A sudden turbulence in the water beside her, along with a blooming sense of danger, caused Lorraine to subconsciously lean back, narrowly dodging another tentacle swipe.

The intense pain radiating from its head horn made the Wind-Seed Octopus view these weak Adventurers who dared provoke it as targets demanding vengeance.

It stopped paying attention to the wooden ship bobbing in the stormy waves above, instead madly swinging its tentacles at the group.

Among the four Class Holders, Lorraine had the highest Class Level, and her overall physical attributes were correspondingly the most outstanding.

Although a large portion of her fire-related combat techniques couldn't be unleashed underwater, she managed to dodge the monster's attacks time and again relying solely on her physical agility.

Though the Barbarian Aken looked clumsy and sluggish due to his massive frame, the totem tattoos on his skin actually made him even nimbler in the water than Lorraine. Hefting his oddly shaped Anchor Greataxe, he twisted and darted along the currents without suffering the slightest injury.

In contrast, the twin Warriors, Ryan and Gordon, looked noticeably more hard-pressed.

Both of their Class Levels were Lv3, which wasn't considered high. Furthermore, their class was the common [Warrior], and they hadn't mastered any particularly outstanding high-tier combat techniques.

Their overall strength among Adventurers of the same level was average at best.

In this highly disadvantageous underwater environment, even though they had downed Water Breathing Potions and didn't need to surface for air yet, they appeared in grave peril against the octopus's relentless attacks.

Their armor was dented, blood leaked from their noses and mouths, and their faces were focused yet pained, looking as if they might be struck head-on at any second.

Just as the situation was about to tip completely in the monster's favor, a familiar wolf howl rang out from the side, making everyone on the battlefield—Lorraine included—breathe a massive sigh of relief.

The water surged. A spiral vacuum trail looked just like a comet's wake as a pitch-black wolf beast cut in from the flank at an exaggerated speed, only a notch slower than it would be on land.

Xia Nan wasn't in a rush to break the twin Warriors' siege, nor did he try to free Lorraine and Aken so they could surface and discuss tactics.

He knew very well that the best defense was a good offense. As long as he posed enough of a threat to force the Wind-Seed Octopus to focus on him, the pressure on his teammates would instantly plummet.

Thrum—

An ochre-red light rapidly condensed on the blade of the [Ember Fall] straight sword, taking the shape of a ferocious wolf's sharp fangs.

As if sensing the threat hidden within the howl, the frenzied Wind-Seed Octopus's massive body suddenly paused, then violently shrank back.

Two thick tentacles swung fiercely from both sides toward the sound.

For Xia Nan, although the water resistance significantly lowered his movement speed and increased his stamina consumption...

At the same time, this underwater combat—similar in some ways to battling in outer space—allowed the class traits of his [Meteor Blade Hunter] to perform with a much higher ceiling.

Awooo—

The wolf howl paused for an instant, then rang out loudly once again.

Xia Nan exerted force a second time. At an exaggerated angle impossible to achieve on land, he squeezed straight through the narrow wedge formed by the two descending tentacles.

Without the slightest hesitation, and with the intent of testing the Wind-Seed Octopus's physical toughness...

The straight sword, wrapped in ochre-red energy, slashed down precisely at the intersection of the two tentacles.

"Boom!"

Like a firework exploding underwater, the force field energy suddenly expanded and burst outward from the blade.

The slime and membrane on the tentacles' surface offered zero defense. They were instantly crushed and shredded, exposing the tough, writhing muscle tissue beneath in a spray of blood.

Under deliberate control, the damage radius of [Gravity Etching], now upgraded to Lv5, was far from small.

The ochre-red force field energy first expanded, then violently contracted.

By the time the blade was pulled back and the light faded...

A massive wound, looking as though it had been gnawed by a black wolf, had appeared right where the two tentacles crossed.

Screeee—

The intense agony shooting from its tentacles drove the already enraged Wind-Seed Octopus into an even greater frenzy.

Several tentacles lashed out recklessly toward the source of the wolf howl.

But evidently, under the effects of [Fang Hunt], Xia Nan was faster.

By the time the tentacles swept over, his figure had already vanished from his original spot.

At the same time, this intense surprise attack instantly relieved the immense pressure on Lorraine and the others, giving them a chance to recover.

Xia Nan's gaze swept over the wound on top of the Wind-Seed Octopus's head, which had just been cleaved by the Barbarian and was currently seeping blood.

An idea had already formed in his mind.

Seeing everyone looking at him, he took the opportunity to make a few hand signals to Lorraine and the group.

The meaning was very simple.

"Lure the Wind-Seed Octopus to the surface," and "Buy me a few seconds."

They didn't understand Xia Nan's intent, but numerous previous battles had already built their trust in this young inland Adventurer.

There was no need for explanations.

Including the injured Ryan and Gordon, the group of four followed Xia Nan toward the surface.

Lorraine took the lead, using the fiery blade in her hand to draw the octopus's attention. Meanwhile, the Barbarian Aken made a show of raising his massive axe, once again igniting fury in the injured monster. Contracting its tentacles, it rapidly ascended from the depths.

As for Xia Nan, after signaling his teammates, he had already vanished.

Meanwhile, on the deck of the Blade of Vengeance Ship.

The Druid Hein panted heavily. Her clothes were soaked with sweat, and even the hand gripping her staff trembled violently.

The mental energy consumed by high-intensity spellcasting in such a short time left her dizzy, her vision repeatedly going dark.

Fortunately, perhaps because the underwater combat was proving effective, the number of fishmen leaping onto the deck was gradually decreasing, lightening the pressure.

She had intended to take the opportunity to catch her breath.

—

"Splash!"

Water splashed everywhere.

The black-haired young man in strange armor leaped high from the water, dark gray straight sword in hand, and landed dripping wet in front of her.

"Do you still have any stamina? I need your help with something."

Having taken successive hits, the Wind-Seed Octopus had fallen into a berserk state, nearly losing all capacity for thought.

Facing the human Adventurers trying to escape, it didn't think twice and was lured directly to the surface.

The sea surged and the waves swelled.

A fan of tangerine flames erupted, baking the slime on one tentacle until it charred black and smoked.

Lorraine was jerked backward by the recoil of her [Flame Breath Countertide], using the momentum to dodge a tentacle crashing down from diagonally above.

Her sharply contoured face was slick with a mix of sweat and seawater, her expression focused and solemn.

If the battle were on land, she was confident their Blade of Vengeance Fleet could have slain the monster.

But on the enemy's home turf, these few professional-grade Adventurers could only barely kite and parry.

"Wham!"

A pained grunt and the sound of flesh being struck reached her ears.

Looking over, she saw the older twin Warrior, Ryan, blasted away by a tentacle. Spewing blood from his mouth, he crashed into the sea and was swallowed by the waves.

Seeing this, his younger brother Gordon abandoned the tentacle in front of him and turned to search for his heavily injured sibling.

Seeing the situation nearing a total collapse, Lorraine gritted her teeth. Resolve flashing in her eyes, she channeled force into her legs and kicked hard against the water, just about to lunge at the Wind-Seed Octopus.

Out of the corner of her eye, she suddenly caught a glimpse of something.

She instinctively looked up.

She saw the sky overhead, set against leaden gray storm clouds and flickering lightning.

A highly familiar albatross flapped its wings, flying unsteadily past.

And dangling from its claws by one hand was an equally familiar figure.

As if sensing Lorraine's gaze, those deep, pitch-black eyes looked over and met her stare.

He gave what looked like a slight nod.

Then, the right hand gripping the bird's claws suddenly let go.

Free fall.

"Awooo!"

Without the seawater muffling it, the high, drawn-out wolf howl rang out at almost the exact same time as the thunder overhead.

Dark energy swirled around his body, transforming into a ferocious wolf beast pouncing from the heavens.

The sea surface rapidly magnified. He could see the splashes kicked up by the octopus's thick, snake-like tentacles amidst the waves, as well as those beastly eyes filled with brutality.

Ochre-red light gathered on the blade, layer after layer. The afterimages left in its rapid descent looked exactly like a red-and-black meteor.

The Wind-Seed Octopus seemed to sense the intense threat from above, instinctively rearing up to look skyward.

But it was too late.

There was simply no time to react.

The meteor plunged straight into its body.

The impact landed squarely on a vital spot.

"Boom! Boom! Boom!"

Three consecutive energy blasts detonated inside the Wind-Seed Octopus.

Translucent characters flashed across the empty air before him.