บท 157: Order's Assault - Sea Dragon! (II)
What could he call it other than a Sea Dragon?
Kai grinned, holding his breath. For others it could have been an unlucky encounter, he thought, leveling himself to the Pokemon's eyes. But for me, it is nothing short of a blessing.
It was indeed a blessing. An opportunity. And, yes. A prey.
ROAR!!!
The beast roared. Look at me! It seemed to cry. Look at me, you puny thing!
The sheer amount of Mana surrounding the Pokemon overwhelmed Kai.
He stared at it, taking in its every curve. It was over 20 ft long with a serpentine body covered in overlapping scales. It was mostly blue with a yellow underbelly, and its mouth was large and gaping, bearing four pointed teeth and yellow lips. Its small red eyes seemed to pulse like gurgling lava, and on its head, there was a three-pointed, dark blue crest.
Its entire figure spoke of a tale of violence, rage, and destruction.
Kai knew this Pokemon.
It was in his Pokedex.
Gyarados!
The dual Water-Flying type Pokemon. Evolution from a worthless fish causes changes in its brain structure, resulting in its violent nature. Its magical scales are harder than steel, and it's known for its fierce temper and wanton destructive tendencies since ancient times. That's why, in some regions, Gyarados is called the Deity of Destruction.
Kai recalled the information, a familiar greed boiling in his heart.
The Pokemon thrashed its tail, sending strong, bombastic waves toward him. Yet, even Gyarados could barely match Golduck-Kai's speed this deep in the water. He kicked and pushed the water, easily dodging the attack, and was about to lunge at it for a long, brutal fight, when a silver mist burst out of him.
-It's mine!- Selene hissed threateningly. -Haha! Hahaha!-
Kai heard her maniacal laugh and knew Selene's own destructive personality had taken over her mind.
For a 4th-floor Contestant to have this Pokemon, Kai thought, reflecting for a moment, this particular Gyarados' grade couldn't be higher than D+. Hmm…
-/Don't kill it,/- Kai told her telepathically, grinning. -/I need it./-
Not waiting for a reply, he banged his tail, stirring himself in the galley's direction, and fired himself towards it like a bullet. The water glided around him, and even before the Pokemon could notice, he had run out of sight. A roar and a hiss hidden behind it reached his ears, making his grin even more demonic.
This would be a genuine test of Selene's newly gained Skills and Abilities, he knew.
And if she couldn't show him a favorable outcome, then she would do him a favor by dying here now.
When Kai leaped out of the sea, the air was sizzling with furious shouts and cries of victory.
The entire deck was strewn with 3rd-floor Contestants, he guessed. Some had their longswords out, waiting for the galley to reach Actaea before taking action. Some were holding bows, arrows nocked, and waiting for the orders to let them loose. They all seemed to be a disposable force given to the Pokemon Trainer in place of ordinary laborers.
Kai even saw at least three with wands, pointing at Meg, and chanting some incomprehensible spell.
Like a phantom, he landed in between them.
Shock, doubt, and fear weren't near enough words that could hope to describe the expressions on the faces of Contestants. Not all even sensed that something completely out of their expectation had just happened, and only a few had seen Kai coming out of the waters like a monster from the deep sea.
The grin on his face made them lose hope instantly.
Kai's hand flicked, and a steel-like cigarette case appeared in his palm.
When he opened it, over 50 needles flew out, covered in a red shine. Their surfaces glowed gold under the sun as if they had been dipped in some kind of strange, cool liquid. Blue, frosty vapor rose off them in thin, smoky strands.
These were the ungraded weapons Kai had ordered Meg to bring with her. He had already coated every single one of them in Selene's venom, Ghost Neurotoxin.
"What are you doing?!" the 4th-floor Contestant bellowed, turning around to look at Kai. "Attack him, you bloody fools!"
Too late.
These needles weren't Items.
They had only one specific purpose, and for that, their being of the toughest steel available on the 3rd-floor was enough. Kai only needed the needles' tips to make the tiniest scratch on the Contestants' bodies, after which, the needles would become useless.
Ghost Neurotoxin would take care of the rest.
The nearby Contestants lunged at him, raising their swords high.
Fangs appeared in Kai's hands, bringing a chill with them. A wave of spiritual current exploded out of him, freezing the nearest four Contestants. With a piercing scream, four needles rushed towards them, the pointy, poisoned tips entering their eyes effortlessly.
Four Contestants died instantly.
Then Kai slithered.
With each slippery step, he sent a needle flying toward a Contestant, sending him to oblivion.
His breath kept rattling, sucking out happiness, turning their rage into despair. Despair brought utter horror and fear. Kai feasted on their fear, sabotaging their survival instincts. This, too, was followed by needles, his fangs passing the throats of those who took longer to die. Left and right, dull thumps of bodies and clanks of steel hitting the musty galley's deck bore through the survivors' hearts like a death knell.
Too weak! Kai commented, charging toward the three wizards. Were the 3rd-floor Contestants always so weak?
And this was when he had yet to assign the 4 unassigned points to his Active Attributes.
The three wizards raised their wands, their mouths opening to chant the spell. Kai's bean-sized gem burst out with a red flash simultaneously. All three wands jerked out of their hands, and the wizards stumbled, losing their balance.
Three needles finished them like pigs.
The notification appeared with a pale, stony expression as if it had tired itself out in wait.
What took you so long? It seemed to ask.
…
[
Congratulations Contestant Kai Stormborn…
You have achieved a Title
…
Title: Murderer
Specification: Kill 10 Contestants in a single random world. The Contestant must be from the same or higher floor than yours.
Status: (10/10)
Effect: Perception +2, Worth +1
Note: Only 1 Title can be equipped at a time
…
Conditions to upgrade this Title…
Title: Serial Killer
Specification: Kill 20 Contestants in three different Random Worlds/Timelines consecutively. The Status will reset if the kills are not done in order.
Status: (0/3)
Effect:
1. Perception +7
2. Agility +6
3. Skill: Murderous Lust
…
Congratulations you have unlocked the Title Serial Killer…
Status: (1/3)
]
…
Kai stopped. His eyes were closed as he lusted after the newly unlocked Title. From every direction, the remaining Contestants dashed towards him, and the archers fired their arrows, aiming at his every part.
They had forgotten what kind of creature Kai was long ago; it seemed.
This was an enemy, they must have thought. A butcher. What else could he be?
The mind-gem glowed bloodiest, and everything seemed to stop. In 10 meters, the sword-wielders slowed as if their feet were buried in a mire, and the arrows quivered as if unseen strings were attached to them, forcing them to change directions.
In this stillness, only the needles revolved furiously.
Starting from Kai, they moved out in a spiral, becoming a hurricane.
Whomever they kissed, died. Eyes lost focused all around him, and Contestants, who were powerful enough to lead their teams of lower floors Contestants, died like flies, swatted away by the monstrous Advance Ability.
Someone had truly said right.
Skills make soldiers, Abilities make Kings!
The 4th-floor Contestant couldn't keep himself away any longer, and rushed for Kai, holding his two-handed greatsword high. He had short red hair, a big belly, and a thick mustache. Kai knew his enemy's MP was getting eaten away by the use of Pokemon, so he wasn't worried about any powerful Skill. The moment the opponent closed on him, needles failing to puncture his sturdy skin, Kai's eyes narrowed.
White…
Kai's Fangs enlarged, the reptilian eyes on the blades pulsating furiously. When he hacked, two white serpents left the blades like ghosts, bypassing all hurdles that lay between them and the target.
… Serpent!
The ghostly serpents coiled around the 4th floor Contestants, binding him from head to toe. The 3rd-floor Contestants, who gawked at this sight, died first. Instead of attacking the imprisoned higher-floor Contestant, Kai rushed toward them, beheading them with one circular slash. When he was finished with the remaining crew, his Kill Count was flashing the number 80.
Two more, he thought, cracking his neck and thrashing his tail. Just two more 4th-floor Contestants… Haha!
In the distance, he saw the large blue Pokemon churning the entire sea, firing Hydro Pumps at Meg, as a silver mist kept trying to burst its way in through its steel-like scales. From high in the sky, Meg was firing steel-tipped arrows at it, trying to keep it away from the unmanned ship.
Ignoring this all, and the notifications related to his Abilities, Kai approached the 4th-floor Contestant, who was trying hard to fight the serpentine binding. Kai wanted this man alive. He couldn't afford to lose the Pokemon.
However, just as Kai was about to use Emotions Manipulation to suck out this red-haired man's happiness, the man lifted his head and… smiled.
The hair on Kai's neck stood up.
Danger!
An unavoidable danger surrounded him, making his heart pound against his chest.
A boom rang out behind him, throwing him off like a twig. Kai spun in midair, landing on his feet, and saw the thing exploding out from below the deck. Through the mass of splintered woods and frozen bodies, Kai saw a giant robot taking shape, its color dull gray, glistening silver.
Kai's pupils became points like the tips of the few needles revolving around him.
Things have taken a daring, pleasant turn.
There was not one, but two 4th-floor Contestants on the ship it seemed.
And one of them, this robot, was someone even Kai had failed to perceive.
*********************
Bonus Chapter Deal (applicable for both Webnovel and ScribbleHub readers):
1. 70 Power Stones per day: +1 Bonus Chapter
2. 90 Power Stones per day: +2 Bonus Chapters
3. 750+ Powers Stones (at the end of the week): +3 Bonus Chapters (can stack over the 2nd point)
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