Viola's Beast
Viola was shocked by the effectiveness of the attack. Her eyes widened, disbelief etched across her face.
"That strong?" she murmured, her voice barely audible.
She watched as wave after wave of pressure formed at one-second intervals, relentlessly striking the fish zombies. It took only seven waves to take down one fish zombie with roughly 500 HP.
"Looks like my orca is incredibly powerful in water," Vio remarked, half-jokingly. But he, too, was surprised by the sheer capability of the Orca's Pressure Wave attack.
"Whatever," Viola replied indifferently, though her thoughts betrayed her composure. She couldn't help but suspect that Vio's orca was at least of Epic grade, possibly even Legendary.
Not wanting to stand idly by, Viola raised her hand. From her body, a bright white light emerged, swirling and forming into the shape of a massive wolf. Its fur shimmered with a radiant white glow, and its piercing eyes shone with fierce determination. Occasionally, arcs of lightning danced around its body, crackling ominously.
Viola studied her wolf's status panel with a serious expression.
"How bad is a 30% reduction?" she wondered, mentally calculating the impact of the Water Zone Penalty on her beast's abilities.
[ Thunder Wolf - Rare ]
Status: (Water Zone Penalty)
Level: 1
Mana: 121 (1.21/sec)
HP: 2965 -> 2075.5
Strength: 3.36 -> 2.35
Speed: 2.69 -> 1.88
Endurance: 2.91 -> 2.03
Skills: (Basic Attack: Lightning Strike), (Passive: Stormspeed), (Skill 1: Thunder Claw)
(Basic Attack: Lightning Strike): Uses claws or teeth to strike, accompanied by a lightning surge that stuns the target for 0.5 seconds.
Damage: 28 -> 19.6
Cooldown: 3 seconds.
(Passive: Stormspeed): Increases speed by +15% during thunderstorms. 5% chance to evade an incoming attack.
(Skill 1: Thunder Claw): Digs its claws into the ground to summon a lightning strike that damages enemies in a frontal area.
Damage: 296 -> 207
Cooldown: 15 seconds
Mana Cost: 50 mana
Viola clicked her tongue in frustration. "Tch," she muttered under her breath. The 30% reduction felt like a harsh penalty, especially in a situation like this.
"Attack," Viola commanded firmly.
Awooo…
The wolf's howl echoed underwater, sending ripples across the surrounding area. Without hesitation, the one-meter-tall beast lunged forward. Though its speed was noticeably reduced, its movements remained deliberate and filled with purpose. It reached one of the fish zombies and bit down hard on its head with all its might.
[ (Lightning Strike) dealt 19 damage to (Fish Zombie) ]
[ (Lightning Strike) dealt 18.7 damage to (Fish Zombie) ]
...
[ (Lightning Strike) dealt 19.6 damage to (Fish Zombie), causing (Stun) effect for 0.5 seconds ]
...
Tiny sparks of lightning crackled from the wolf's bite, spreading through the fish zombie's body. The brief stun gave the wolf enough time to attack again. Its sharp teeth punctured the zombie's tough skin several more times before it pulled back. The wolf retreated swiftly, avoiding the advancing horde of zombies.
[ (Thunder Wolf) received 6 damage from (Fish Zombie) ]
...
"Return," Viola called out sternly, summoning her wolf back. She knew the risks of letting her beast linger too long in the midst of the enemy.
Vio, standing nearby, smiled in admiration. "Your wolf is strong. And it looks cool, too," he said sincerely. Although he preferred close-range combat, he couldn't deny the effectiveness of Viola's Thunder Wolf.
Viola rolled her eyes and shot him a sharp look. "Stop saying that," she replied coldly. To her, the compliment felt more like a subtle insult.
"Haha, sorry, sorry," Vio chuckled lightly. He turned his attention back to the battlefield, his eyes catching a glint among the corpses of the fish zombies scattered across the altar floor.
"Looks like mana crystals," he thought to himself. However, he knew retrieving them now was nearly impossible, given the ever-increasing number of zombies making the situation more precarious.
Viola seemed to have the same thought. She glanced at the portals near the altar pillars, from which the fish zombies continuously emerged. "Do we need to destroy those pillars?" she asked, her voice tinged with uncertainty.
"Maybe," Vio replied, studying the pillars closely. But as he examined them further, he noticed there were no status panels or indicators on the structures. Without additional information, destroying the pillars didn't seem like a viable solution.
Grrgrgr…
Suddenly, Vio's orca shuddered, sending small ripples through the water. The creature appeared agitated, as if trying to convey something.
"What is it?" Vio asked, focusing intently on his beast. He recalled that the orca had a passive ability to sense nearby enemies.
"Look," Viola said, pointing toward the portal.
Vio followed her gaze. Emerging from the portal was a massive creature, over two meters tall. It resembled the other fish zombies but was significantly larger and more intimidating. A bioluminescent lure dangled from its head, emitting an eerie green glow.
[ Fish Zombie - Elite ]
Level: 1
HP: 1050
Damage: 10.55
Attributes: STR 2.98, SPD 2.6, RES 2.44
Skill: (Water Cannon): Fires a water ball from its mouth, dealing 58 damage in a 10-meter radius.
"An elite zombie fish..." Vio muttered under his breath, his eyes scanning the creature's status panel. His gaze lingered on its abilities. Unlike the regular zombies, which relied on crude bites, this one could launch devastating water cannon attacks.
"Twice as strong?" Vio said, his mouth agape. At this point, even Viola's wolf was no match for the elite zombie.
"I hope their numbers aren't unlimited like the regular zombies," Vio joked half-heartedly, though a note of worry underpinned his voice. He glanced at his orca, which seemed increasingly restless, its tail swishing wildly as if ready to charge forward.
From the portal, elite zombies began emerging every five seconds. Their hulking forms stood out among the regular zombies, like unyielding rocks in a turbulent sea. Their presence added an even greater sense of danger.
"Vio, they're swimming toward us!" Viola yelled, panic evident in her voice.
Vio quickly noticed the movement of three elite zombies swimming faster than usual. His orca twisted and spun rapidly like a coiled spring before launching itself like a bullet toward the enemies.
BOOM!
A loud explosion reverberated through the water, creating massive bubbles and chaotic currents that blurred visibility.
[ Orca (Skill 1: Hydrodynamic Spear) dealt 820 damage to (Fish Zombie - Elite) ]
[ Orca successfully killed (Fish Zombie - Elite) ]
...
Vio read the kill notifications that appeared before him. But his orca hadn't returned yet. He peered toward the battlefield, but only ripples in the water remained, obscuring what was happening.
[ Orca received 70 damage from (Fish Zombie - Elite) ]
[ Orca received 59 damage from (Fish Zombie - Elite) ]
...
[ Orca successfully killed (Fish Zombie - Elite) ]
...