Water Temple, Water Aegis

Back in the ocean, Noah followed the map straight to the water temple.

...

Noah was skating on the ocean floor when he saw a giant dome underwater in the distance. It looked to be made of glass.

'I've found the water temple.' He launched off the ground and started swimming closer instead. He swam closer until he was only a few meters away from the glass. Now he was close enough to realise it was some type of barrier that stopped people from entering.

He could still see inside. The temple was extremely large. He estimated it to be two kilometres in diameter. It was filled with water, which was much clearer than the oceans. In the water were fish with spearheads swimming.

It was mostly empty but at its bottom, beautiful pink coral covered the entirety of the ground. It congregated near the center rising up to support a platform up almost at the centre of the hemisphere.

On the platform was another barrier, he couldn't see inside but the light coming out from it told him it was where the rewards were.

"Do I just need to swim until there and pick one?" Noah thought, he looked around and saw the door leading inside nearby.

He swam around the dome and reached it.

[Welcome to the Water Temple!

One of the Elemental temples that were created by the system to further train the human race. Each temple contains a challenge that will help train you and reward you on completion.

Do you wish to take the Challenge of the Water Temple?]

"Yes."

Noah entered. The door behind him shut. He landed on the small platform connected to the door.

[Reach the centre without letting the Harpoon Fish touch you. (You have a total of five attempts, Currently, have five left.)]

Noah looked at the system message, the cleared it away. He noticed the fish swimming by. They moved fast but still slow enough for him to easily dodge.

He then jumped off the platform covering himself in Qi.

'Halo of Raindrops!' A blue halo formed above him. He felt more comfortable as he moved. It also gave him a 20% increase in attributes so he moved even faster.

[Harpoon Fish]

??? Class

??? Level

All the nearby Harpoon Fish homed on him as he passed. He spun letting one pass from above while the other from underneath. He then curved his body as another passed.

The further he got the faster they moved. They were even increasing in number, he had fish constantly zoom past as he used his spatial sense to predict their trajectory as he moved forward.

Not being able to keep up he activated Death's Dance, Speed Boost, and Cold Mind. He now dodged them more easily but he still hadn't even reached halfway.

He noticed two Harpoon Fish coming at him at an incredible speed.

Shing!

He unsheathed the Cursed Requiem to block the attacks. The tips of the Harpoon Fish touched his sword.

The world turned white then black and back to colour. He was standing on the platform again.

[You have four attempts left.]

"F*ck. I can't even block them." He took a look at his goal. "Even if I use Flash Step I'll still need to get at the halfway point, any further I won't have enough mana to reach the end."

Noah opened his Status screen and looked at his skill section. He had two skill points. These were points that you would get every ten levels that could immediately level up a skill. He had gotten one from reaching level ten and another for the first kill of an S Class. So he wouldn't be getting more till he left the Protected Zone.

He didn't need to use them till now since most of his skills were already level 5. He had been waiting to use both on Frost Slayer after he understood the skill more. However, he decided to use one now.

Flash Step was the skill he used the most so having it power up would make life so much easier for him. He would be able to get more skill points later for Frost Slayer.

Flash Step changed from level 1 to 2. Nothing changed other than the mana usage, it had been halved.

Noah whistled seeing the change, 'Halving mana usage per meter,' he then calculated the exact spot to land as he walked to the edge of the platform.

Flash Step!

He appeared on another platform. It was inside the water barrier he had seen from outside the temple. The barrier was like an air bubble as he finally felt himself come out of the water he had been in for days.

"I still have a bit of mana to spare," Noah said looking at the golden bubbles showing off their majesty in front of him. He had travelled the whole distance instantly. Skipping the entirety of the challenge using Flash Step felt like cheating, but that was just how strong the spatial element was.

Ding!

[Congradulations on completing the trial!

Choose one of the Seven items as your reward! (You have one 60 seconds to select before you are teleported out.)]

He looked back and was surprised to see the Harpoon Fish stiff as if it had tried to hit a spot he might have passed if he swam across. He teleported yet they had still reached the spot at the same moment he appeared.

Thinking about how there wasn't a difference in time since he travelled from the platform to here, the fact the Harpoon Fish were still able to arrive at that point almost as quickly as he did was shocking.

"It'll be impossible to complete this without some type of instant movement skill," Noah thought looking back, the Harpoon Fish were too fast near the end.

Noah looked at the items around in the golden bubbles. Two blue books, a sapphire-like jewel, and four random objects.

Noah grabbed a book as time ran out.

[You are being teleported out...]

...

Noah appeared outside the temple with the blue gate shut in front of him. He looked at the book in his hand. Decorated in blues, it was quite pleasing to look at.

[Water Aegis] (B Class)

Another skill. He had chosen this one because of the Sea Serpent's Blessing and Halo of Raindrops, he had both trait and skill powering up water skills but didn't have any good ones to use. All the others would be D Class, while he did have an S Class one that he couldn't use.

He learned it.

[Lv.1 Water Aegis]

B Class

The holy shield of water shall protect you with all its power and might. It will move on its own to block all attacks and minimize mana usage by varying the strength of the shield. Making it the perfect shield for battle.

Noah read the description and activated the skill. Bluewater formed long lumps around him slowly moving about him as if scanning for enemies.

"A shielding skill, it's quite good as well." Noah already had protective skills, but getting another one didn't hurt. This one was especially good. He deactivated the shield. He had barely used any mana since he wasn't blocking any attacks.

He was able to tell that this skill would do wonders. He probably would never deactivate it during a fight.

Swimming forward he opened the Explorer Map to look for the direction of the next temple.

As he did he remembered what day it was today.

"It's been seven days!" He had a dwarf with a sword waiting for him.

Noah changed direction back to shore.