Chapter 83: Clash in the Deadly Seas
The world shattered.
The icy plains of the Glacial Forge began to collapse, the once towering frozen mountains dissolving like sugar in boiling water. Jagged peaks crumbled into streams, roaring down as waterfalls, merging into a vast and endless ocean. Snow melted in a frenzy, sizzling into vapor before finally liquefying, flooding the land in a shimmering, endless tide. Floating shards of ice drifted lazily, glittering like broken mirrors under the ghostly sky.
In the middle of it all, Lei Feng stood calmly atop one of the larger ice shards. His black hair whipped around him in the frigid wind, and sparks of lightning occasionally flickered across his shoulders, as if his very aura was resisting the drowning world around him.
"Now it's water, huh?" he muttered under his breath, scanning the endless sea that stretched into the fog. "Guess I'm not winning the quest this time."
━━『 Instant Quest 』━━━
Objective: Clear all five waves of the combat simulation with dominant might
Time Limit: 15 mins
Time Left: 8 mins
Wave Count: 5
Progress: 2 / 5
Reward: Rare Skill Book
Penalty: None
Lei Feng sighed, lowering his sword for a moment. "At least there's no penalty... Still, eight minutes to clear three more waves? Can I really do that?"
SCREEEEEE!!!
A sharp, ear-piercing screech ripped through the air, splitting the sea's surface and vibrating through the ice shards.
"Argh!" Lei Feng clutched his ears, his expression twisted in pain. "Damn it! What the hell is this sound?!"
"Welcome to the Deadly Seas, where the third wave of attack will begin," Synthia's AI voice echoed, emotionless and clear, completely ignoring his agony.
Deadly Seas? Lei Feng's eyes narrowed, his brow twitching in annoyance.
"To pass, you must survive five waves. Each wave introduces a new elemental avatar. Fail even one… and the exam ends."
"Must you repeat that statement every single time?!" Lei Feng shouted. The AI voice simply continued in silence, unmoved.
A translucent countdown appeared before him, numbers pulsing like a heartbeat.
10... 9... 8...
Lei Feng tightened his grip on his sword, electricity crackling around his fingers. "Alright... let's see what monster crawls out this time."
3... 2... 1...
SCREEEEEEEE!!!
The final screech was so loud it split the sea apart. Waves roared outward like a thousand hungry mouths, and the water below his ice shard swirled violently.
BOOOOOM!!!
Without warning, a colossal serpent erupted from the depths directly below him, crashing through his ice platform and exploding into the sky like a living tsunami. Its body glistened, translucent and shimmering with rippling blue light, as though it was carved from pure liquid crystal. Segments of its form constantly shifted and pulsed, parts of it dissolving and reforming as it danced across the air.
Lei Feng twisted midair, using Lightning Steps and small gusts of wind to pivot and land on another floating shard. He immediately scanned the creature.
The serpent's head was monstrous—wide as a ship's hull, lined with jagged transparent fangs and translucent fin-like ears. Its eyes glowed with an eerie azure light that seemed to pierce through his mind. The entire body writhed like a river come alive, coiling and smashing ice chunks effortlessly.
"So it's just one opponent this time?" Lei Feng narrowed his eyes. "But this thing… it feels stronger than anything before. Much stronger."
The serpent's glow intensified, and its entire body suddenly turned into a massive wave, sweeping across the ice shards and destroying them in an instant. Lei Feng leapt again, heart pounding as he barely avoided getting swallowed.
"Tch... it can turn into water too?!"
SCREEEE!!!
A sonic blast thundered from the serpent's maw, powerful enough to split the water surface and shatter smaller ice fragments in every direction. Lei Feng grunted, his body vibrating painfully as he skidded backward across a sliver of ice.
"Argh! You damn snake!" he spat blood onto the ice, his eyes burning with rage.
It can control water... shape-shift... and that sonic scream... Lei Feng thought rapidly, wiping his mouth. "I must do anything to stay out of the water or that will be the end."
The serpent surged forward again, transforming its tail into dozens of whips made of water, slicing at Lei Feng from all directions. He deflected, twisting and pivoting on the narrow ice, but even his Lightning Steps felt sluggish against its chaotic attacks.
"Damn it!" Lei Feng cursed, panting. "This thing isn't just fast... it's unpredictable! And every time I think I cut it, it just reforms...!"
Lei Feng leaped from one floating ice shard to another, dodging the serpent's attack, but it was as if he was being hunted no matter where he landed. Each time he touched down, the creature targeted the ice immediately, sinking it and restricting his movement.
Lei Feng gritted his teeth. "This beast has intelligence... If I keep defending, I'll lose. I have to get closer..."
BOOOOOM!
A massive water whip landed where Lei Feng was standing, scattering the ice shard and sinking it into the depths.
The serpent narrowed its eyes, scanning for him. Meanwhile, just a heartbeat before the attack hit, Lei Feng had shifted away with his instinct and hid himself using his Stealth ability — only for a fleeting instant, too fast for the cameras to catch. But that moment was exactly what he needed.
Lightning Flash!
Lei Feng reappeared like a lightning bolt, charging straight at the serpent's midsection.
"Lightning Slash!"
A flash of electric-blue light ripped through the serpent's body, parting it in two. Its form collapsed. "I-I did it? I did it!" Lei Feng smiled, but it was too early to celebrate.
Instantly, ripples appeared in the water. The serpent surged back together, like it had just undergone a rebirth. Its azure eyes gleamed with cold light.
"Useless?!" Lei Feng roared, frustration boiling over. No core? No weak spot?! He frowned. "If that didn't work, this will—Lightning Pulse!"
ZZRRRKK—BOOOOOM!
A shockwave of lightning erupted from his sword, evaporating huge sections of the serpent's liquid body. Steam rose into the air like a phantom cloud. But again, the monster simply reshaped itself, its eyes glowing brighter, almost as if mocking him.
SCREEEE!!!
The serpent unleashed a triumphant screech, louder than ever. Lei Feng pressed his hands tightly over his ears, his eyes squeezed shut, blood dripping from his nose and mouth.
"AAAARGH!!!!" Lei Feng screamed, resisting the pain that threatened to tear through his mind.
Many ice shards shattered like glass, the water trembled with violent waves, and without warning the serpent charged, its jaw wide open to swallow him whole.
Lei Feng's breathing turned heavy. His hands trembled slightly as he watched the sea churn beneath him.
"Why isn't it dying...?!"
Suddenly—
OmniGod Eyes — Activate!
His pupils turned into swirling vortexes, and the world seemed to slow. Every drop of water, every ripple, every shift in the serpent's massive body became visible.
"Show me...!"
A faint glow. Deep inside the serpent's core, flickering and moving. Lei Feng's eyes widened.
"There!"
The serpent's core wasn't fixed—it shifted positions constantly, moving like a ghost through its liquid form.
"So that's why... You think hiding your core will save you?" Lei Feng grinned, blood still dripping from his lips. "Guess it's time to end this charade."
He raised his sword high, lightning spiraling around the blade like a raging dragon.
"Lightning Strike!"
With a deafening boom, Lei Feng vanished from sight, becoming a streak of divine light. He plunged into the serpent, cutting directly toward the shifting core.
The serpent screeched, its entire form twisting in a violent storm of water, but Lei Feng's eyes stayed locked onto the glowing core. His sword finally made contact—
CRAAAAAACK!!!
A blinding explosion lit up the sea. Water vapor burst into the sky like geysers, and waves slammed into each other with titanic force. The serpent's shriek turned into a long, fading echo before it finally shattered, water raining down around Lei Feng like a storm.
Lei Feng emerged from the core, landing roughly on a final remaining ice shard. His body trembled as he planted his sword into the ice to steady himself, lightning flickering from every pore.
"Hah... hah... finally...!" He laughed breathlessly, wiping the blood from his chin. "You were a stubborn one... but that's three down."
━━『 Instant Quest 』━━━
Progress: 3 / 5
Time Left: 6 mins
Lei Feng looked at the screen, his grin turning sharp. "Two more waves... and I might just have a chance at completing this quest."
The water around him slowly calmed, turning eerily still, as if holding its breath before the next storm. Lei Feng stood tall on the drifting ice, sword in hand, eyes gleaming with a wild, unstoppable spirit.
Meanwhile...
In the monitoring room, Leo watched every scene unfold, unblinking. "Astounding..." He mumbled, his golden eyes flickered with interest.
"You just keep surpressing me... Lei Feng."