Majestic power surged as muscles expanded, compressing the viscous air until it burst with a shrill wail.
Arms thicker than an adult's waist were like blue-gray piling hammers, descending with a thunderous crash as a blurred phantom.
"BOOM!!!"
An explosive roar detonated within the vast cavern!
The solid rock floor was shattered into fragments almost instantaneously, sending countless tiny shards spraying outward.
It was no exaggeration to say that if ninety percent of the residents of Barracuda Bay were hit head-on by this punch, they would be turned into minced meat in an instant, exploding like a mist of blood.
Even the adventurers of the Association would find it difficult to withstand such a blow unless they specialized in defense or possessed a sufficiently high professional level.
Xia Nan was no exception.
Defensive capability had always been his weakness; to some extent, this was why his armor failure rate far exceeded that of adventurers of the same level.
In high-intensity battles that matched his actual combat power, the only way to compensate for this shortcoming was to rely on more expensive and sturdy armor to increase his margin for error.
With his extensive combat experience, he naturally would not use his weakness to clash head-on with an enemy's strength.
The two highest attributes among his six stats were manifested to the fullest in this moment.
A Perception of 12 allowed Xia Nan to sense the sudden condensation of killing intent even before the shark-beast threw its punch, enabling him to make a precise prediction by observing the subtle movements of the opponent's waist, abdomen, and arm muscles.
An Agility of 11 further allowed him, upon sensing the danger, to drive his body with extreme reaction speed to dodge.
The combined result was that the shark-beast's punch—which looked powerful and indeed was—struck nothing but the ground.
Following immediately after was the thrust of a black-gray wolf's fang from the side.
*Squelch.*
Forged primarily from exotic silver ingots combined with high-quality auxiliary materials, with a forging cost reaching four-digit gold coins, the enchanted straight sword was sharp enough—even without activating the Ember state—to pierce through that thick, tough, and solid skin with relative ease under the force of a powerful strike.
Blood seeped out. Crimson droplets seemed to be pulled by some invisible force, flying out from the wound like miniature satellites, orbiting the blade in the air.
*Hum—*
A flash of sword light.
The pitch-black figure vanished from its spot amidst a wolf's howl.
It left only a long, thin wound extending from the wrist to the shoulder of the shark-beast's right arm.
For a monster with such exaggerated physical attributes, this could hardly be called a serious injury.
By controlling the contraction of its muscles, it could stop the bleeding within a few breaths; a few minutes would be enough for the wound to heal and scab over.
But what if there were five, or even ten, wounds of this magnitude?
No matter how strong the body or how extraordinary the recovery ability, it had not yet reached the level of the "Transcendent."
As wounds accumulated, quantitative change would eventually lead to qualitative change, forming severe injuries sufficient to affect its actual combat capability.
From a distance, in the center of the dimly lit, wide cavern, the shark-beast stood roaring, covered in small wounds with blood continuously dripping, looking like a prey animal nearing exhaustion and putting up a desperate last stand.
The true hunter, the pitch-black winter wolf with swaying mane, paced lightly in the nearby shadows, searching for the opportunity to bite through the prey's neck.
He still had three uses of Gravity Etching remaining.
Xia Nan had a very clear understanding of the situation on the field.
The shark-beast appeared covered in blood, but in reality, these were only light injuries that had not yet accumulated to a critical degree.
He still needed to remain vigilant.
Otherwise, a single hit from that fist—which was practically a battering ram—would instantly reverse the situation.
His choice of strategy had been very correct.
Facing such a clumsy yet powerful enemy, utilizing his own advantages in mobility and agility to kite and pull was almost the wisest tactic.
On the other hand, Xia Nan knew that if the battle continued in this manner, the duration of the fight would be greatly extended.
He did have some concerns about this.
His pitch-black eyes shifted slightly, scanning the quiet pool behind the shark-beast.
This wasn't a dungeon boss from the games of his previous life who would fight to the death once a group encounter started.
The enemy before him, upon feeling its stamina being steadily depleted and finding no way to deal with Xia Nan, was entirely capable of fleeing.
The pool was right there, and considering the terrain of the seaside grotto, its depths likely connected to the open sea.
If it simply ran away then, what would he do?
Chase it?
How?
Entering the water rashly would be suicide.
Against a shark-type monster, his greatest advantage in mobility would be completely neutralized in the water.
The opponent wouldn't even need complex tactics; if it simply kited Xia Nan to keep him away from the surface, he would eventually faint from lack of oxygen.
In such a scenario, if the monster wanted to escape, he truly had no way to stop it.
And given Xia Nan's personality, if he actually let an enemy who had shown clear hostility and engaged in a life-and-death struggle escape...
He definitely wouldn't be able to sleep tonight.
One must pull the weed out by the roots!
This was precisely why he had specifically saved his Gravity Etchings.
Amidst a war of attrition that seemed to be proceeding smoothly, Xia Nan was searching for the key to breaking the deadlock.
Once he found a sufficiently fatal weakness in the opponent... he would not hesitate.
*Dong-long—*
The music continued.
In truth, the Halfling Alton had not fought alongside Xia Nan many times.
After the Karanfor incident, from the time Xia Nan learned [Fang Hunt] and [Gravity Control] and gained professional levels up to his current level 3, Alton had not participated at all.
Over a year had passed, and Xia Nan's fighting style and combat power had undergone earth-shaking changes.
Unexpectedly, based on their identical judgment of the battlefield and a rapid understanding of each other's combat methods, the two displayed an extraordinary rapport without needing any communication.
The music echoing between the rock walls shifted constantly, transitioning from the initial stirring passion to a lighthearted tempo.
While calming the battle intent burning in Xia Nan's heart, it made his thinking clearer and his movements while using [Fang Hunt] slightly more agile.
This was a keen adjustment Alton made to the bonus effects of his music upon realizing that Xia Nan did not intend to attack head-on, but rather to kite and distract the enemy.
The melodious and light music was the perfect BGM for Xia Nan's combat support, but to the monster's ears, it was a noisy cacophony that made its mind increasingly chaotic.
A pair of lightless fish-eyes suddenly snapped toward the Halfling. With a roar, it charged straight toward Alton's position.
The wolf's howl sounded almost simultaneously.
Constantly monitoring the monster's movements, how could Xia Nan miss this opportunity?
Ochre-red energy condensed on the surface of the gray-black straight sword. He struck late but arrived first, intending to block the opponent's attempt to cut into the backline while dealing sufficient damage.
In the next second, the [Cinderfall] straight sword hacked down in a perfect arc.
"Woom-boom!"
Force-field energy suddenly exploded, transforming into an ochre-red energy blade under the influence of [Whirlwind Slash], cutting straight into the shark-beast's back.
The rough blue-gray skin was instantly torn open, revealing the solid muscle beneath.
Caught mid-charge, the shark-beast had no room to dodge and took the sword squarely in its back.
In an instant, the bonus effects of [Whirlwind Slash], [Gravity Etching], and [Heavy Tide] erupted simultaneously, combined with [Cinderfall]'s inherent "+5% Cleave Damage" and "+10% Mental Damage."
The monster's shark-like dorsal fin was sliced away by a third on the spot, and a hideous, bone-deep wound was torn across its spine.
It was undoubtedly a severe injury!
Yet, it was precisely the intense pain and the sense of weakness from rapidly draining vitality that further stimulated the monster's ferocity.
Its fish-eyes turned red, and a savage aura characteristic of wild beasts permeated the air.
It let out an explosive roar, its body suddenly swelling a size larger, knocking back Xia Nan, who had intended to press the advantage.
Simultaneously, its speed surged further as it charged madly toward the small figure.
Alton's reaction was incredibly fast.
Beyond his status as a Goddess-blessed, he was a [Bard] known for his versatility.
His fingertips exerted a sudden force, plucking a string sharply.
*Teng—*
As the string vibrated, the two small leather boots seemed wrapped in a gentle breeze. His short body, like an agile squirrel leaping between treetops, vanished from the spot with a "swish."
Unable to shed its momentum, the shark-beast slammed headfirst into the wall.
"Rumble!"
The cavern shook, and stone powder and dust rained down from above.
At this moment, Xia Nan, who had been blown back, had just landed, and the final note of Alton's music had not yet fully faded.
Nick, who was closest, seized the opportunity.
This middle-aged man, who had lost two teammates in a short span of time, had now shed his identity as the captain of the "Silver Claw Osprey" squad and joined the battle simply as an adventurer.
He wasn't thinking of revenge, nor was he considering his future path.
Driven by an instinct formed over years of adventuring, he didn't hesitate for a second after being knocked away, immediately chugging an entire bottle of healing potion kept in his waist pouch.
His combat power was now restored to eighty percent.
He keenly captured the moment the monster entered a state of stiffness due to the violent impact.
Stepping forward quickly, a pair of short swords crossed in a swing, forming an "X"-shaped blade light that shrieked as it landed on the monster, leaving a bloody, crisscrossed wound on its abdomen.
A wolf's howl echoed from a distance.
The moment Xia Nan landed, he charged toward the shark-beast, enveloped in the phantom of a black wolf.
But after only two steps, the sudden thickening of moisture in the air and an instinctive sense of extreme danger made him stop in his tracks.
"Watch out!"
He subconsciously shouted a warning toward Nick.
But just as Xia Nan's voice traveled through the air and reached Nick's ears...
A majestic torrent of water, like a bursting flood, suddenly erupted from the dust.
Standing so close, Nick had no time to dodge and was hit head-on.
The powerful impact made it feel as if his soul were leaving his body; his brain spun, his legs left the ground, and he was about to be blown away by the current.
*Squelch.*
The blue-gray skin seemed to merge with the water as five deep-black claws suddenly shot out, firmly gripping Nick's head.
The five fingers tightened.
*Pop—*
Red and white fluids splattered as the fragile human skull burst open like a watermelon.
The corpse convulsed and rolled across the ground.
With this, the "Silver Claw Osprey" squad was wiped out.
"Tsk."
Xia Nan pursed his lips, his pitch-black eyes staring coldly at the shark-beast.
From the corners of the monster's shark-like, hideous maw, streams of transparent, clear water were still dripping.
That powerful water pillar had been sprayed from there.
Clearly, this beast had also been saving its trump card.
Visibly, its body had swollen another size, reaching a standing height of nearly three meters.
The crystalline liquid flowing from its mouth seemed to contain some special power, moisturizing its rough, thick shark skin.
The long, thin wounds left by Xia Nan began to heal rapidly. The final blow dealt by Nick, as well as the wounds on its back and shoulder from Xia Nan's full-strength attacks, also stopped bleeding, and the muscles began to show signs of recovery.
"Xia Nan!"
The shout of the Halfling Alton rang in his ear.
They couldn't drag this out any longer.
They had to end this battle completely while the monster's wounds had not yet had time to heal!
*Awoo—*
*Dong-long—*
The wolf's howl and the music sounded almost simultaneously.
The sharp straight sword became a wolf's fang, stabbing diagonally toward the shark-beast's neck, but it was blocked by the creature's left arm. The sharp blade pierced straight through the obstructing skin, flesh, and bone; with a slight resistance, it punched completely through the monster's forearm.
However, this also caused the [Cinderfall] straight sword to become stuck deep within the flesh and bone of the shark-beast's arm.
"Wrong!"
Sensing something was amiss, Xia Nan decisively let go, leaving the straight sword in the opponent's forearm. His legs kicked off the ground violently, intending to use [Fang Hunt] to distance himself.
But at the same time, a piercing wind surged from the other side.
At the cost of temporarily disabling one arm, the shark-beast gained the opportunity to throw a punch at Xia Nan.
"BANG!"
A blue-gray iron fist capable of crushing metal, wrapped in a shrill gale, landed on Xia Nan's side-chest.
The [Inferno Pulse] armor, which had already been damaged during the fight with the Crystal Priest and had held on until now, was completely destroyed, turning into twisted, concave steel.
But it was, after all, a masterpiece of pride forged by "Rock Hammer" Barn using hell-metal as the primary material. In the final second before its total failure, it still helped Xia Nan offset the vast majority of the damage from this punch.
*Crack—*
Muscles trembled, internal organs were compressed, and the ribs of his chest were pressed down by the powerful force that had penetrated the armor, looking as if they were about to snap.
"Hum!"
From the [Tears of Spring Breath] pendant at his chest, the four-ring healing spell "Spring Pulse Purification" transformed into a vivid green light filled with life energy, gently swallowing all the pain and injury Xia Nan had suffered.
Seeing this, the shark-beast naturally would not stand still.
Just as its two thick, short legs were about to lift, a pair of sharp curved blades fell from above, piercing through the tops of its feet like nails, pinning the monster's feet to the ground.
At some unknown point, Alton had seized the opportunity to slip close.
The pain and sense of restraint from its feet caused the monster's attempt to move forward to freeze instantly.
"Now!"
[Tide Shaping] took effect silently. Xia Nan, who should have been knocked back, descended like a feather as if he were underwater.
Gravity pulled; the [Green Pine] wooden sword on his back unsheathed automatically, and he gripped the hilt in one motion.
Force-field energy, like flowing runes, condensed on the surface of the blade.
Xia Nan took a sudden stride and thrust the tip of the sword.
With an incredibly precise and swift posture, he drove the blade straight into the shark-beast's fish-eye.
Straight into the brain core.
Immediately after, [Gravity Etching] erupted.
Ochre-red force-field energy suddenly exploded from the surface of the blade.
It was like a firework blooming inside the shark-beast's head.
Viscous red-and-white liquid, accompanied by fragments of a shattering skull, splattered all over Xia Nan amidst the roar of energy.
(End of Chapter)