Chapter 252 Shitty luck  

When Rio opened his eyes again, he saw the clear sky up in the clouds. He was in mid air, his body falling down with the effects of slightly heightened gravity. He looked down to see the sea surface below.

As his body came closer to the sea, he noticed subtle changes in the water. The calm surface was disturbed as ripples started to form uncontrollably there. Soon the subtle ripples turned into a whirlpool, a vortex that seemed to pull him downward faster, threatening to swallow him whole, once he fell down. He used his aura to stabilize his body, as he noticed a shining eye at the center of the whirlpool. His instincts kicked in when he was close to touching the water surface. As some droplets landed on his face, he propelled himself away from the whirlpool using his mana.

-splash-

His body fell into the water with a loud splash and slipped away from the whirlpool and the giant eye instantly.

"That was close." Rio said, as he stood up on the water surface and brought out his sword. His feet were coated in mana, creating a barrier below them, making him float and not drown again. "Now let's see, what do we have here?" Rio said and started flying upwards to get a clear look at everything around him. He took a clear look and noticed which monster it was.

Whirlpool Wyrm, a sea serpent with light blue scales and spiral patterns all over its enormous body. Its eyes are chillingly luminescent, a ghostly black that appears in stark contrast to the blue scales and sea around them. It has a thin body built for speed and agility over raw power. At the end of its body, it has a shell-breaking tail designed to create deadly whirlpools.

By rapidly spinning its body, it generates powerful whirlpools underwater to trap and drown the prey that comes near it. Once caught in the vortex, its prey is inexorably pulled toward the Wyrm's gaping maw, ending their lives. It also strikes with blinding speed and can constrict victims in its muscular coils.

Aside from this, there was one more monster eyeing Rio - Sapphire Gazer.

A monster with a beautiful appearance from a distance, but deadly dangerous once close. It appears as a colossal, luminescent eye that seems to float in the depths of the ocean. Its iris is a deep and captivating azure, surrounded by a halo of sparkling, sapphire-blue patterns. The eye is eerie, enchanting, and casts an otherworldly glow throughout the surrounding waters - attracting its prey towards it.

The massive eye looks detached from the surface, from the body of any kind. Yet it is attached to a sinuous tentacle that extends deep into the dark sea. The tentacle is lined with bioluminescent tendrils that appear as ghostly extensions in the water, hiding its existence. The Sapphire Gazer's primary method of hunting is its mesmerizing gaze. When it spots potential prey, the eye releases a captivating and hypnotic display of lights and patterns. Once its target falls under the spell, the tentacle strikes with blinding speed, ensnaring the helpless victim. Its grip is unforgiving, and its beak-like mouth which is in the center of the eye pupil, can tear through flesh and bone. The tendrils on its tentacle secrete a paralyzing venom, further ensuring that its prey cannot escape its clutches.

"Well, two of them working together. Should I say shit luck or a shitty system." Rio said as he prepared to leave instead of fighting these monsters. After all, Leon was waiting for him to be killed again, he can't just waste his time here.

Yet his body had just flown for a few feet when a new vortex appeared below him, pulling him inside the water.

"Great, another one." Rio cursed as he tried to move out of the water, but only ended up getting pulled further down the sea. Using his mana he tried to propel himself out, but it was a waste, as he sensed the first wyrm and gazer coming towards his direction too. Since avoiding them became a failure he could just fight them head on.

'System, buy me a skill that can let me fight in the water, and increase its mastery to the intermediate level.' Rio commanded system in his head, as he felt his mana draining to keep his breathing and body normal.

[Yes host.]

[Searching…]

[Loading… ]

'Remember, if you buy me something trashy or extra expensive, I'll mute yo ass for forever. Then keep begging me to unmute you by texting.' Rio further added, as he propelled his body to the side, closely avoiding a tail that razed the water surface at lightning speed. Yet the same attack came again hitting him from the back, sending his body spiraling down the sea.

[...]

[Found a suitable skill.. Tidal Grace]

[Increasing the mastery of the skill .. Amateur - Apprentice - Intermediate]

[Total cost 65000 points deducted.] magic As soon as the purchase from the system finished, information poured into his body nonstop, and a warm current passed through his entire body.

Next second he felt his whole body lighter and his breathing returned to normal. The water didn't feel pressured anymore and his sight and senses returned to their peak even underwater again. He could see the wyrm moving in the vortex even without channeling mana in his eyes, giving him relief as he prepared his sword for the incoming attack.

"Let's end this now." Rio said and charged his body forward. His body moved freely in the water without any restrictions. He felt one with the water itself, and it was even smoother and easier then when he was on land outside.

As Rio watched the tail coming towards his direction, he dodged sideways, as he charged his sword with his technique and slashed it towards the wyrm's body. The attack cleaved through the water, striking the Wyrm's spiraled body.

The Wyrm writhed in agony, as its scales started cracking from the impact, but its tail remained an imminent threat attacking Rio nonstop. Using mana to create a blast below his feet, giving him enough speed to dodge the attack again. Gathering his aura over the sword, as the mana of nether started to form over the tip of his sword, Rio thrusted his weapon with precision over the previous attack. The blade this time tore through the Wyrm's body, as dark blood started clouding the water.

The sword in his hand broke in pieces, as it failed to contain the power in his attack. Yet the battle was already over.

He grabbed the monster's scales with his hands and gave his feet a heavy push and propulsion, pushing him away from the explosion he knew was about to come. As his body moved backwards, a loud boom rang in the water, when the Nether blasted the monster's body from the inside. The shockwave sent him further back, but before it hit his body, he created a barrier in front of him, which dampened its effects a lot.

Stabilizing his body, he started moving upwards, when the first Wyrm and the Glaze reached him.

The Wyrm, seeing one of its kin slaughtered, started its attack with a deafening roar, and it spiraled, generating a vortex that threatened to consume everything. It moved in a way as it gave ample space to the shining eye in the center of it down below, not obstructing it's vision.

The Sapphire Gazer with its colossal eye shining with a sinister allure, fixed its gaze on Rio. In a heartbeat, the world seemed to warp and twist under the hypnotic power of the eye. Rio's senses dulled, as his mind felt drawn into the captivating depths, asking him to explore that beautiful scenery at the center.

-snap-

"That doesn't work on me anymore." Rio said and snapped his fingers. The sound worked similar to a trigger, as his senses returned to his control again.

This was something he had created when he was fighting against the zombies in the corroded dungeon. The corrosion of the red sun had an effect on the senses and mind of everyone living there, so whenever he felt like he was losing control of his body, he formed a trigger which would jolt his mind back to normal. The snap was just that trigger. The moment he snapped his fingers, instinctively his body would send a flare of mana to his brain, giving it a shock, rebooting his senses. Similar to electric therapy.

It took a while and lots of practice, control and headaches, but now it had become a habit and an instinct, similar to muscle memory.

"Let's end this."

Focusing on the Sapphire Gazer, Rio swam directly toward its monstrous eye, hoping to deal with this pesky effects first, as it brought some unpleasant memories the longer he remained nearby.