First battle under the sea
Vio looked at Viola with a serious expression and said, "Alright, I agree. But first, we need to decide who the leader will be. Would you mind if I took that role?"
Viola was taken aback by his statement. Her surprise was evident, though it lasted only a moment. She sighed, then nodded slowly. "Alright, I don't mind. But you have to promise to protect me," she said meaningfully, her eyes filled with hope as they met Vio's.
Vio shook his head. "No, protecting you isn't my obligation. But as the leader, I will do my best to ensure the alliance's progress," he said firmly, leaving no room for misunderstanding.
Viola gave a faint smile, slightly amused by Vio's attitude. "You're like a completely different person, Vio," she said, studying him closely. Then, she chuckled softly. "Hahaha... I had a feeling you were different."
"Different how?" Vio asked curiously, his brow furrowing slightly as his eyes glinted with genuine interest.
But Viola merely shook her head, her lips curving into a mysterious smile. "What's our next move?" she asked, deftly steering the conversation elsewhere.
Seeing that Viola had no intention of explaining, Vio decided not to dwell on it. He cast his gaze around, trying to formulate a plan.
"For now, let's explore the area. At the very least, we should find some food before night falls," he said, walking toward the raft.
Crouching at the edge of the raft, Vio dipped his head into the water. The underwater scenery immediately greeted him with breathtaking beauty. Vibrant coral reefs spread across the shallow seabed, about fifty meters deep. Seaweed swayed gently with the currents, while fish swam gracefully around them.
"What's that?" Vio murmured, his eyes locking onto an altar in the distance. Majestic pillars surrounded the altar, and at its center was a chest emitting a bright light.
"Vio, there's a chest down there," Viola said, apparently observing the seabed as well.
"Yeah, I see it too. Want to check it out?"
"Let's go," Viola replied without hesitation, diving into the water. Vio followed right behind her. But just then, a notification panel appeared before them.
[ You have entered a (Safe Zone) ]
[ Current Core Base range: 50 meters. Within this range, you and your monster will not incur the (Water Zone Penalty) ]
Note:
(1) Water Zone Penalty: (Non-water-type Beast Attributes -30%).
Viola frowned, her expression showing a hint of worry. "My wolf is an Earth type," she muttered softly, more to herself than anyone else.
This situation was clearly not in her favor. However, she quickly shifted her focus back to their objective ahead.
Vio patted her shoulder in reassurance. "Don't worry," he said with a confident smile.
Noticing the doubt still lingering on Viola's face, Vio summoned his Orca. With a mental command, a two-meter-long orca appeared from the distance. It spun 360 degrees in the water before stopping, gazing at Vio with a friendly look, as though awaiting orders.
The orca's presence instantly sent nearby fish scattering in panic, fleeing from the massive predator.
"Tch... Is this the so-called Elite beast?" Viola asked, raising an eyebrow, her disbelief evident.
Vio scratched his head and gave a sheepish grin without responding. His relaxed demeanor prompted a small chuckle from Viola.
"Let's go," Vio finally said, without further delay. Together, they began swimming toward the altar, which didn't seem too far from their current position.
As they swam farther from the raft, they unknowingly passed the 50-meter range. A new notification popped up in front of them.
[ You have entered the (Water Zone). You have 5 minutes before you must return to the surface or re-enter the Safe Zone ]
[ You and your Beast are now subject to the (Water Zone Penalty) ]
"This should be enough time," Vio muttered lightly. To him, five minutes was more than sufficient for exploration underwater.
They continued swimming until they finally reached the altar, which spanned about 600 square meters.
The massive structure appeared majestic, despite parts of it being covered in moss and coral. An eerie silence enveloped the place, adding a sense of foreboding to the atmosphere.
[ You have discovered the (Underwater Altar) ]
Another notification appeared, confirming that this was no ordinary location. Vio scanned the surroundings intently. "Just as I thought, this isn't a normal place," he muttered to himself.
Not long after the notification appeared, the five pillars at the altar's edges began to glow brightly. Light from each pillar formed magical patterns, and in an instant, portals opened before each one. From within the portals, fish-headed zombie-like creatures began to emerge.
"Fish monsters?" Vio observed them closely.
The creatures moved slowly but steadily, pouring out of the portals one by one. Their numbers quickly grew, resembling a horde of zombies advancing toward them.
As one of the monsters drew closer, an information panel appeared before them.
[ Fish Zombie ]
Level: 1
HP: 525
Damage: 5.55
Attributes: STR 1.49, SPD 1.3, RES 1.22
Viola read the information with a look of alarm. "That's strong?" she muttered in disbelief.
"My stats aren't even higher than theirs," she added nervously, glancing at her own status panel to compare.
[ Status Panel ]
Name: Selena Frostbane
HP: 593
Attributes: STR 2.6, INT 0, SPD 0.6, RES 1.8
Armor: 6.01
Speed: 5.53
[ Beast (1/1): Thunder Wolf - Rare ]
[ Market ]
[ Chat ]
Viola turned to Vio with a worried expression. "Vio, what about you?" she asked, her voice trembling slightly.
The single monster in front of her was already on par with her stats. Now there were more than ten fish zombies approaching them at once.
"What's wrong?" Vio responded nonchalantly, his tone calm and composed as if he didn't sense the same danger.
"We won't be fighting. Let our beasts handle them," he said casually, flashing a small smile.
Behind him, his orca seemed restless. Its massive tail swished eagerly, creating ripples in the water. A fierce aura radiated from its body, signaling its desire to attack and obliterate every enemy in sight.
"Attack them," Vio commanded mentally.
Without hesitation, the orca let out a loud, resonant call—a sonar-like sound that echoed through the water. The soundwaves created pressure waves that spread rapidly around them. The waves pulsated rhythmically, striking the advancing fish zombies.
Vio watched closely as the pressure waves hit the fish zombies one by one. Notifications began popping up in front of him.
[ (Pressure Wave) dealt 76 damage to (Fish Zombie) ]
[ (Pressure Wave) dealt 83 damage to (Fish Zombie) ]
[ (Pressure Wave) dealt 76 damage to (Fish Zombie) ]
...
The pressure waves didn't just hit one zombie but several within its line of impact. As the first wave ended, a second wave immediately followed, hitting the monsters again.
[ (Pressure Wave) dealt 76 damage to (Fish Zombie) ]
[ (Pressure Wave) dealt 83 damage to (Fish Zombie) ]
[ (Pressure Wave) dealt 83 damage to (Fish Zombie) ]
...