Chapter 590 The End

"It's over—"

"It is all over."

The metal longbow, dusted with sand, trembled slightly. A bowstring forged of pure energy was drawn taut to its absolute limit.

Pinched between slightly calloused fingers that bore translucent fleshy scales, an energy arrow hummed softly, poised to fire.

Sarissa had once stood atop a towering mast amid a storm, swaying with the waves as she put an arrow cleanly through a pirate leader on a distant deck. She had also waited patiently in the treetops, shooting through countless leaves and branches to nail a Rare monster in place the moment it poked its head from its burrow.

Right now, the distance between her and the enemy wasn't far. Even though her target was moving, with the thoroughly tempered archery skills of a Class Grade archer, hitting the mark was a certainty if she just relaxed her fingers and let the arrow of light fly.

But Sarissa hesitated.

Rising from the depths of her heart, far more tormenting than any physical exhaustion, was something she refused to acknowledge but undeniably existed. It seeped into her very core like bone-piercing frost. A thing called "fear" was gripping the archer's mind.

There were not many adventurers left alive on the battlefield.

Just a moment ago, when she saw the black-haired adventurer Xia Nan—the one known as "Sea Fang" who had displayed outstanding performance and exceptional combat prowess—leap from the sea, endure several terrifying spells, and cleave the elderly fishman priest leading the horde in two with a single sword strike, she had thought this battle was finally coming to an end.

That was until the suffocating blood-red light erupted from the Shark Beast, nearly wiping out the Blade of Vengeance Squad she had placed her hopes on.

The situation on the battlefield took an immediate, sharp turn for the worse.

She watched with her own eyes as four professional adventurers, who had painstakingly broken free from the Sahuagin siege to take over for the Blade of Vengeance members and stall the Shark Beast, failed to last even three exchanges. The Shark Beast, its body shrouded in a bloody glow, tore them to pieces alive in the most brutal and savage manner.

A highly skilled solo Rogue had tried to use the power of the shadows to sneak close and launch an attack on the Shark Beast's vitals.

Instead, a webbed, clawed hand dragged him straight out of the shadows and crushed his skull.

There was also an archer with ranged combat capabilities similar to hers, who had drawn back his bow to fire a sharp arrow from a distance.

As for the result—

All that remained was the bloodstained fletching still stuck in the Shark Beast's back, and the archer's motionless corpse lying on the ground, his head smashed deep into his chest cavity.

Faced with this summoned, hideous Shark Beast—a monster tens of thousands of times more terrifying than anything she had encountered in her adventuring career—the adventurers on the field were being reduced to lifeless husks at a speed that filled her with despair.

What should she do?

Should she fire this arrow, or—should she turn and run?

Sarissa knew very well that Stodd Island was currently surrounded by Sahuagin. Even if she temporarily fled the battlefield, she could not escape the surrounding waters.

When that time came, without the other adventurers to draw its attention, she would merely be waiting on the island to die.

But if she chose to actually loose this arrow—

The gruesome, mutilated corpses of the other adventurers involuntarily surfaced in her mind.

Her fingers gripping the arrow of light couldn't help but loosen slightly.

'Maybe—I should just retreat for now.'

"Algae Scale" Dodd was dead beyond dead, his corpse even used as a sacrifice in the fishmen's Sacrificial Ritual. She no longer had any lingering obsession in her heart.

Facing such a powerful monster, with so few survivors remaining, no one would blame her for failing to loose this arrow.

Even if staying on the island was just clinging to life, if she could last a few hours, or perhaps half a day, reinforcements might arrive.

Then she could vanish from these waters and bury everything that happened today deep in her memory like a nightmare.

She wanted to live.

That poisonous thought slowly spread through her mind.

Just as Sarissa's grip on the bowstring grew looser and looser, causing the arrow of light to faintly dissipate—

Another cry of pain rang out from ahead.

The middle-aged man named Ellison, reportedly the older brother of the Blade of Vengeance's captain, was sent flying by a punch from the Bloodskin Shark Beast. He flew backward, spraying blood from his mouth, and tumbled to the ground unconscious.

The melodious lute music that had been echoing across the coast paused once again.

Taking its place was the small Halfling, dodging and weaving under the Shark Beast's attacks.

As a bard, his original position had been even further back than hers. Yet now, he took the initiative to step forward and stall the Shark Beast, providing a measure of relief to a battlefield on the verge of collapse.

But it was entirely predictable that in a few more exchanges, he too would end up like the adventurers she had seen earlier—reduced to a corpse torn apart by brute strength.

For some reason, at this moment, as her thoughts spun into chaos and her consciousness grew hazy, a voice echoed in Sarissa's mind: "Do not let emotions affect your decisions, child."

"Do what you want to do, and follow your heart."

She had even forgotten under what circumstances her mother had said these words to her.

Just like her mother's blurred face, she had long forgotten her own reaction at the time.

But now, as the critical choice that could determine her future descended, and as these words resurfaced in her heart after so many years, Sarissa's tangled thoughts suddenly cleared.

No more hesitation, no more doubt.

She chose to follow her heart.

Thus, the dissipating arrow of light reformed.

And just as she had repeated millions of times before.

Aim, and shoot.

"Thrum!"

Fired from the [Silver-Vein Longbow], the arrow condensed from pure energy howled as it tore through the air, leaving a faint slipstream in its wake before landing with absolute precision on the Shark Beast's neck.

Having been heavily injured since it first descended, its thick, tough skin was instantly pierced by the arrow of light, leaving a gory wound that sprayed blood from the side of its thick neck.

This caused the Shark Beast, whose movements had been growing increasingly ferocious as if it were a second away from catching the little mouse scurrying beneath it, to suddenly halt.

Blood-red light flickered as its muscles writhed to stop the bleeding.

Its massive body, nearly five meters tall, slowly turned.

With a hideous gaze, its fierce eyes seemed to cross the distance of space, staring far away at the tall silhouette holding the longbow.

Sarissa had completed her mental shift at a critical moment in the battle, allowing courage to conquer the fear in her heart.

But this did not mean she would achieve any sort of qualitative leap in strength.

"Boom!"

Empowered by rock-like muscles, its huge, burly body unleashed an exaggerated explosive force.

Its two powerful, thick legs took only a few strides to close the distance between them to almost nothing.

Sarissa instinctively raised her longbow to guard her front.

Hum—

Because of this, when the massive, bloodstained fist that practically covered her entire upper body smashed squarely into her, she did not die on the spot.

Instead, she was sent flying backward in immeasurable agony, tumbling across the sandy ground again and again before finally lying motionless in a mangled, twisted posture.

'Am I going to die—'

The intense pain seemed to vanish as if it had breached the limits of human endurance, yet her consciousness gradually sank like it was plunging into an abyss.

Unable to move her head, Sarissa lay at a slight tilt, only able to see the nearby sand and the sea and sky stretching far into the distance.

Pitch-black shadows slowly crept inward from the edges of her vision.

She had never experienced death before, but at this moment, for some unknown reason, she clearly knew that when the shadows reached the center of her sight and devoured everything she could see—

—her own life would come to an end, just like her mother who vanished into the waves that night.

Her lifeless pupils slowly dilated and contracted.

At this moment, Sarissa could even hear the sound of blood flowing out of her wounds, as well as the increasingly weak and slow heartbeat from the very center of her chest.

"Thump—thump—thump—"

"Boom!!!"

And right at that moment, amid the sluggish pumping echoing in her chest...

...a dull, heavy boom she had never heard before, sounding like a beaten drum, suddenly erupted from beneath the sea at the edge of her vision.

"Boom! Boom! Boom!"

Carrying a primal rhythm, the powerful heartbeat rippled outward through the depths of the ocean.

Bloop, bloop—

At first, it was just a few bubbles, as if the water were boiling. But soon, as the bubbles grew denser, vast stretches of seawater began churning as if stirred by an invisible force.

Amid the rising and falling waves, a crimson hue surfaced—a fiery red that should never appear on a liquid.

"Crash!!!"

A red-tinged geyser suddenly blasted out from the boiling sea.

Before the trampled crest of the wave could even fall back into the water, a figure wreathed in flames landed on the dark reef by the shore, moving with a deceptive speed that felt both fast and slow.

Sizzle—

Fine sparks were exhaled with every breath, drifting and fading into the scorching air.

The straight sword, which should have been as dark as the night sky, was now wreathed in fire, transforming into the brilliant orange-red of a sunset. Its tip, radiating searing heat, pierced the reef below, held in a reverse grip to support its wielder's half-kneeling posture after dropping from the sky.

A burning wind blew past. The ends of every strand of hair burned with tiny embers, leaving fleeting trails of fire as they swayed.

Ashes drifted from the hem of his clothes, and a molten light, exuding an inexplicable sense of sorrow, spread and flickered across his body.

From leather boots to leg armor, and from leg armor to breastplate.

He slowly raised his head.

Revealing a pair of eyes like solar eclipses—pitch-black at the core, ringed by a corona of blazing fire.

"Boom!"

The drum-like roar of a heart echoed across the battlefield once again.

Heralding the start of the battle.

Not wasting a single second, the very instant Sarissa and the Bloodskin Shark Beast caught sight of the flickering, fiery figure...

...only churning heat and scattered sparks were left on the reef.

[Fang Hunt].

A high-pitched wolf howl erupted in a flash. The pitch-black aura was dyed a fiery red, and a fierce Wolf Head, trailing sparks with every step, instantly crossed the spatial divide.

As Xia Nan's final trump card, [Ember Echoes] instantly pulled the health of his heavily injured, dying body back up to 66%, while simultaneously boosting his already overpowered five-dimensional attributes by another 33% across the board.

With such an enhancement, even the most basic punch could erupt with a massive force far surpassing anything from before.

Not to mention that what he was using right now was a high-quality combat technique capable of maximizing a Class Holder's physical potential.

The blazing wolf howl arrived in the blink of an eye.

Its instantaneous speed was so fast that even the Bloodskin Shark Beast didn't have time to react.

The Gray-Black Straight Sword, radiating an orange-red glow like the setting sun, transformed into a crimson arc that warped the air as it swept across.

[Spinning Slash] + [Heavy Tide]!

The 25% Ember damage bonus from [Ember Echoes] was pushed to the absolute limit under the amplification of the [Ember Fall] straight sword, which had reached "purple Unique" quality following the activation of Stage 2.

Wherever the blazing blade passed, the tough shark skin and the muscles beneath were more fragile than tofu, sliced open in a perfectly clean cut.

As blood sprayed wildly, its writhing intestines were exposed from its belly.

Enduring the agony, the Shark Beast swung its crimson fist toward the direction of the attack.

But it only smashed into a cloud of ash and sparks.

The fiery light, exuding that inexplicable sense of sorrow, had already arrived behind the Shark Beast the moment it moved.

[Spinning Slash].

The blade carved through the flesh of its side and back once more, missing its spine by mere centimeters.

Yet he didn't press his luck. Amid the wolf's howl, he withdrew his sword, dodging the Bloodskin Shark Beast's retaliatory punch.

"Damn it—"

"What the hell is this thing!?"

Accompanied by a bizarre burning sensation, intense pain radiated from all over its body.

The Bloodskin Shark Beast was like a prey desperately holding out against a pack of Winter Wolves. Its stamina drained rapidly alongside every wound left by the fangs, slowly marching toward unavoidable death in a state of ragged distress.

Why!?

Why could an utterly insignificant, ordinary adventurer survive its heavy blows time and time again, and even return to the battlefield in an even stronger state?

Why would a low-level Class Holder, whose Class Level was lv7 at most and hadn't even touched the threshold of the Transcendent Tier, display such combat power right now?

Was it natural talent? Or was he a favored one of the gods?

Or perhaps—

The Bloodskin Shark Beast didn't think about it any further.

With the situation developing to this point, it was destined that only one side would leave the battlefield alive. Considering these things was meaningless now.

It only knew that if it didn't take action, it would probably be dragged to death right here!

"Roar!!!"

A frenzied roar from the Shark Beast suddenly erupted across the battlefield.

Taking advantage of another punch forcing back the flaming wolf, an extremely dense, crimson blood light surfaced on its skin.

What it was using was the exact same blood-light explosive move that had directly wiped out the entire Blade of Vengeance Squad earlier.

Xia Nan completely reacted in time.

His Perception, buffed by 33% under the Ember state, allowed him to perceive the enemy's intentions the very instant the Shark Beast began gathering power.

And his current physical attributes were absolutely sufficient for him to dodge before the bloody light touched his body.

But he didn't do so.

Even though [Ember Echoes] had gained an extra fifteen seconds of duration after being upgraded to lv3, adding that to the original time only gave him a little over a minute.

If he continued fighting like he just had—trading numerous light wounds for a qualitative change in hopes of accumulating enough injuries to incapacitate the Shark Beast—that minute or so was simply not enough time.

The reason Xia Nan chose this method of attack was partly because, with his current combat power, it was genuinely difficult to execute the Shark Beast in such a state within a short time.

On the other hand, he also hoped to find an opening by constantly applying pressure to it.

After all, the enemy didn't know that his current Ember state could only last for one minute and fifteen seconds.

To seek survival, the Bloodskin Shark Beast would definitely take correspondingly aggressive measures to alter the situation.

And the facts proved that Xia Nan had gambled correctly.

"Voom-boom!!!"

The blood-colored light, powerful enough to severely injure a Class Grade adventurer, exploded outward in all directions with the Shark Beast's body at the center.

Xia Nan didn't dodge or evade. Crossing his Arm Shield and straight sword in front of him, he drove force into his legs and used [Fang Hunt], charging directly into the onslaught of the bloody light.

The two high-quality pieces of equipment blocked the initial impact for him. Meanwhile, the physical attribute buffs from [Ember Echoes] and its 0.333% health regeneration per second gave him the confidence to forcefully endure the blood-light shockwave.

Even though his upper-body [Abyssal Current] armor and lower-body leg guards sustained a certain degree of damage because of it, he didn't hesitate or pause for a moment.

Most crucially, the [Tenacity Enhancement] from the Ember state allowed him to maintain his center of gravity even in the face of such an impact. Without having his movements interrupted, he forcefully manipulated his arms, separating the Arm Shield and straight sword that had originally been used to block the first wave.

Blood flowed uncontrollably from the corners of his mouth. In an awkward posture that made it difficult to use [Spinning Slash], he gripped the sword hilt tightly, aiming for the gaping hole that the arrow of light had already torn into the Shark Beast's neck.

Imbued with [Heavy Tide], he executed a [Straight Stab]!

A sense of fatality burst in its heart. The Bloodskin Shark Beast from the divine kingdom felt its chest suddenly tighten. Its astonished fish eyes, having just witnessed the black-haired adventurer forcefully withstand the blast and charge forward, reflected the fiery, razor-sharp point of the sword drawing closer and closer.

Stuck in the rigid state that followed unleashing the shockwave, it was difficult for it to make large adjustments to its center of gravity.

But facing impending doom, how could it care about all that?

Suddenly, "Puff! Puff!" sounds rang out as bloody mist exploded from the joints of its two thick legs.

At the cost of tearing muscles and dislocating joints, it forcefully broke through its bodily rigidity and narrowly managed to twist its upper body aside.

This caused the straight sword, which should have pierced through its neck, to deflect a few inches sideways and downwards, impaling its collarbone instead.

"Squelch."

A sluggish sensation of piercing through flesh and blood traveled up from the blade in Xia Nan's hand.

Having witnessed the Shark Beast's maneuver with his own eyes, Xia Nan suppressed his emotions, maintaining his calm and composure.

He flexed his wrist, intending to pull the [Ember Fall] straight sword out.

But he found that the monster seemed to be deliberately bearing the pain, using the surrounding muscles to clamp down on the blade.

Without a shred of hesitation, Xia Nan decisively let go, leaving the straight sword embedded in its shoulder. Pushing off the ground, he executed [Fang Hunt] to vacate the spot.

The next second, the Shark Beast's iron fist crashed into the exact location he had just occupied.

Ashes carrying sparks drifted in the air.

The sorrowful fiery light shifted to the Shark Beast's rear flank once more, and crimson, molten flames spread from his palm onto the blade of the [Azure Pine].

[Spinning Slash].

Its sharpness was noticeably inferior to [Ember Fall], but under Xia Nan's successive attacks, the physical condition of the Shark Beast in front of him had dropped drastically. Consequently, the bloody light covering its body had also weakened due to releasing that shockwave earlier.

With a single slash, Xia Nan carved a massive chunk of flesh off its calf. The intense pain caused its colossal body to stagger and sway.

Taking the opportunity to land two more strikes on wherever he could reach, Xia Nan shifted his footing, avoiding the incoming counterattack while retreating from the area.

"Huff—huff—"

A brief respite in the midst of the fierce battle.

Heavy panting was accompanied by drifting ash and sparks.

Xia Nan stood in an empty space some distance away, spitting a mouthful of blood at his feet. At the same time, he used this chance to let his incredibly sore muscles recover slightly, relying on the percentage-based regeneration of the Ember state to replenish his stamina.

On the other side, the Shark Beast seemed to have entered a state of utter rage due to his repeated assaults.

It didn't stop for even a second. Like a runaway train glowing with bloody light, it roared as it came barreling toward him.

The duration of [Ember Echoes] was about to end. Xia Nan knew that if he wanted to survive to the very end, victory and defeat would be decided within these next few exchanges.

Taking a deep breath, Xia Nan flipped his wrist into a reverse grip on [Azure Pine] and charged straight toward the oncoming Shark Beast, transforming into the phantom of a blazing wolf.

His already outstanding mobility and flexibility under the Ember state were amplified once more.

With just a slight push off his feet, he changed his trajectory, avoiding a head-on collision with the Shark Beast.

Leaping slightly during his sprint, he used [Gravity Control] to carefully adjust his altitude while maintaining his center of gravity.

He tilted his body in a highly aggressive posture.

—[Spinning Slash]!

The sharp, sorrowful arc of light vanished as quickly as it appeared.

Xia Nan's body spun 360 degrees in the air, landing on the ground alongside ash and sparks.

Behind him was the Shark Beast's left arm, flying high into the air, and its massive body tumbling over under its own momentum due to the intense pain.

Even in the Ember state, such high-intensity combat had long since pushed Xia Nan's body to its limits.

He had to seize every possible advantage.

The wolf howl, which had already echoed over the coast countless times, rang out once more.

The Winter Wolf, its mane swaying with fiery light, fiercely pounced toward the fallen Shark Beast.

[Fang Hunt] + [Spinning Slash]!

This combat technique combo, repeated countless times and inspired by his Secret Realm experiences, finally achieved a qualitative breakthrough in the midst of this intense battle.

Translucent text seemed to flash before his eyes, but how could Xia Nan afford to be distracted to check it?

Seeing the brown wooden Wolf Fang coated in molten light about to descend, the Bloodskin Shark Beast caught the scent of death and violently counterattacked.

Having tumbled to the ground, the muscles of its remaining right arm—which it instinctively used to support its body—swelled with blood. Its clawed hand formed a fist, ready to punch the airborne Xia Nan.

His trump cards were exhausted.

He knew that if he took such a punch head-on, he would never have another chance to turn the tables.

And victory or defeat lay in this single instant.

Hum—The world before his eyes instantly turned black and white. [Heart-Guided Vision] activated!

His mental energy depleted at an exaggerated rate until he pinpointed the densest collision of ripples in the gravitational world.

Enduring intense agony that felt like it would tear his skull apart, Xia Nan mobilized gravity with all his willpower, blood seeping from the corners of his eyes.

"Boom-crash!"

Gravity tugged at the Shark Beast's wrist, elbow joint, and the side of its upper shoulder—the three spots where it was hardest to exert force. Yanking downwards, it caused the Shark Beast's poised, thick arm to plummet, as if gripped by an attraction from deep underground, firmly pinning it to the floor.

Translucent text flashed before his eyes once more.

Knowing that using gravity like this couldn't restrain it for long, Xia Nan, who had already prepared to exert force in midair, relied on his powerful physical constitution to abruptly stall his momentum.

He changed his slash into a throw.

Like a spear, he hurled the [Azure Pine] wooden sword in his hand toward the Shark Beast's arm with all his might.

The blade, carrying residual molten heat, pierced through the skin, muscle, and the gaps between the bones with extreme precision.

Firmly nailing the Shark Beast's remaining right arm to the ground.

The gravitational control that caused his eyes to bleed loosened, and the overexertion of mental energy nearly made Xia Nan faint on the spot.

Following his momentum, his body landed in a kneeling position right on the chest of the downed Shark Beast.

Its left arm severed and its right arm pinned, the ferocious monster, now backed into a corner, roared and opened its bloody maw, snapping madly at Xia Nan.

With [Ember Fall] wedged deep in the enemy's shoulder bone and [Azure Pine] used to restrain the Shark Beast's arm, he had lost his primary weapons. Xia Nan's mind was blank; he was fighting almost purely on instinct.

His left hand subconsciously brushed his waist, and [Honey Tangerine], the crystal knife from Sheep Horn Town, was already reverse-gripped in his palm.

Without a shred of mercy, the blade of the dagger instantly plunged into the Shark Beast's right eye socket.

It sank in entirely, leaving only the hilt.

"Roar!!!"

A miserable, bloodcurdling scream rang out across the shore.

Xia Nan maintained his kneeling posture on the Shark Beast's chest, fully immersed in a combat stance. Within his pitch-black, eclipse-like eyes ringed in fiery light, there was no emotional fluctuation whatsoever.

He raised his right arm high.

Clenching his fist, he wrapped it in [Heavy Tide].

And smashed it down.

"Bang!"

His knuckles collided violently with the Shark Beast's cheek. The damage attached from [Heavy Tide] violently rattled its head, scattering its consciousness.

He raised his arm again, clenching his fist.

And smashed it down.

"Bang!"

Accompanying the collision of bone against face, a crisp cracking of bone sounded from deep within the flesh. Its consciousness was utterly pulverized, and the right arm that had been struggling under the wooden sword began to convulse.

But it wasn't completely dead yet.

He ignored the blood flowing down his right hand and the torn skin over his knuckles from the fierce impacts.

Xia Nan raised his arm for a third time.

He gathered his strength, and smashed it down.

"Bang!"

"Bang! Bang! Bang! Bang! Bang!"

Muffled by flesh, the dull sound of bone colliding against bone echoed continuously across the deathly silent coast.

The sorrowful flames and ash quietly dissipated.

Driven by combat instinct, Xia Nan swung his fists an unknown number of times in a daze. When he raised his arm yet again...

...the intense pain radiating from his right hand jolted his consciousness back to reality.

His pitch-black eyes shifted.

He glanced at his raised right fist. The skin and flesh over his knuckles had been completely worn away, exposing the stark white bone underneath.

His gaze moved downward.

The corpse of the Bloodskin Shark Beast remained where it lay.

Motionless.

And above its shoulders, in the place where its head should have been...

...all that remained was a massive heap of meat paste mixed with blood and bone fragments, almost flat against the ground, looking as if it had been churned through a blender.