The second day of the Monster Tide finally ended.
For most survivors, simply staying alive had become an achievement.
Across the world, countless rafts had been destroyed.
Entire teams disappeared overnight.
Even large organizations suffered heavy losses.
Yet the Monster Tide showed no signs of stopping.
If anything, it was becoming stronger.
Standing on the deck of the Sea Fortress, Lin Chen looked at the dark ocean.
The Abyss Sea remained eerily quiet.
Too quiet.
The kind of silence that usually appeared before something terrible happened.
A notification appeared.
Monster Tide
Day 3
Time Remaining: 4 Days
The third day had begun.
...
Lin Chen's attention shifted toward the Abyss Crystal.
The reward obtained after defeating the Abyss Kraken.
Its description remained simple.
Can be used to awaken hidden abilities.
The wording alone made it valuable.
Most items increased strength.
Very few granted entirely new abilities.
After several minutes of consideration, Lin Chen decided to use it.
The crystal shattered.
Black energy erupted from within.
The surrounding air instantly became colder.
The energy entered Lin Chen's body.
Pain exploded throughout every muscle.
His vision blurred.
The ocean disappeared.
The fortress disappeared.
Everything vanished.
Only darkness remained.
Within that darkness, a gigantic eye slowly opened.
Ancient.
Cold.
Endless.
Lin Chen felt as though an entire ocean was staring directly at him.
Then a voice echoed through his mind.
The Abyss has acknowledged you.
The darkness shattered.
His vision returned.
He found himself standing on the deck once again.
Sweat covered his body.
Several notifications appeared.
Hidden Ability Awakened
Abyss Sight
Lin Chen immediately opened the description.
Abyss Sight
Allows the user to perceive hidden energy.
Can detect concealed lifeforms.
Can identify hidden dangers.
Can discover special locations.
His eyes lit up.
This ability was incredibly useful.
Especially in the Abyss Sea.
Without hesitation, he activated it.
The world instantly changed.
Dark blue energy covered the ocean.
Countless energy streams flowed beneath the water.
Most importantly...
He saw something massive.
Something hidden deep below.
The creature was so large that its energy covered several kilometers.
Lin Chen immediately deactivated the skill.
His expression became serious.
Whatever slept beneath the Abyss Sea was real.
Very real.
...
A Team Chat notification appeared.
[Su Yao] : Something happened.
[Lin Chen] : How do you know?
[Su Yao] : My Talent reacted.
[Lin Chen] : Again?
[Su Yao] : Again.
Lin Chen laughed.
At this point, her Talent seemed almost unfair.
[Su Yao] : Did you get stronger?
[Lin Chen] : A little.
[Su Yao] : Then be careful.
[Lin Chen] : Why?
Several seconds passed.
[Su Yao] : The stronger you become, the more attention you'll attract.
The message felt strange.
Before Lin Chen could ask further questions, Su Yao went offline.
...
Several hours later, the next Monster Tide wave arrived.
This wave was different.
Instead of countless weak monsters, only a handful appeared.
Yet each one possessed terrifying strength.
The first creature emerged from the sea.
Abyss Leviathan
Level: 65
King-Class Monster
The second followed soon after.
Deathfin Shark
Level: 63
King-Class Monster
Then a third.
Abyss Devourer
Level: 67
King-Class Monster
Lin Chen narrowed his eyes.
Three King-Class Monsters simultaneously.
The difficulty had increased dramatically.
The battle began immediately.
The Sea Fortress fired continuously.
Core Turrets roared.
Energy Cannons illuminated the darkness.
Yet the monsters continued advancing.
The first impact shook the entire fortress.
Boom!
The Core Shield Generator lost nearly twenty percent durability.
The second impact was even worse.
Boom!
Warning notifications appeared.
Shield Integrity 52%
Lin Chen knew he could no longer remain passive.
The Ocean Emperor's Trident appeared.
Lightning erupted.
Massive waves rose into the sky.
The battle intensified.
Hours passed.
The ocean transformed into a battlefield.
Lightning.
Water.
Monster roars.
Explosions.
Everything mixed together.
Eventually, the first Leviathan fell.
Then the Deathfin Shark.
Finally, the Abyss Devourer.
The victory was costly.
The Sea Fortress suffered visible damage.
Several structures required repairs.
But the rewards were substantial.
Experience +1200
Level Up
Level 8 Reached
Another reward appeared.
Mythic Event Reward Box
Lin Chen's eyes widened.
This was the first Mythic reward he had seen from the Monster Tide.
Without hesitation, he opened it.
The box released brilliant golden light.
Obtained
- Divine Steel ×500
- Ocean Crystal ×100
- Random Skill Scroll ×1
The familiar golden light followed.
10,000× System Activated
The rewards transformed.
Divine Steel ×5,000,000
Ocean Crystal ×1,000,000
Random Skill Scroll → Mythic Skill Scroll
Lin Chen immediately examined the scroll.
A smile appeared.
This reward was excellent.
Very excellent.
He learned the skill immediately.
Mythic Skill Learned
Ocean Sovereign's Command
The skill allowed him to temporarily increase the power of all water-based attacks.
Combined with the Ocean Emperor's Trident, the results would be devastating.
...
Meanwhile, somewhere far away, another survivor stared at the ranking board.
Unlike ordinary players, this person stood alone.
No team.
No organization.
Only strength.
The survivor opened the rankings.
Monster Tide Rankings
1. Anonymous
2. Anonymous
The gap between first and second had become very small.
The mysterious survivor smiled.
"Interesting."
For the first time since entering the game, they had found someone capable of competing with them.
Someone powerful.
Someone worthy.
Then the survivor returned to fighting monsters.
The competition continued.
...
Back in the Abyss Sea, night gradually arrived.
The waves became calmer.
The battlefield grew quiet.
For now.
Lin Chen stood alone at the edge of the fortress.
The newly awakened Abyss Sight activated briefly.
Immediately, he saw it again.
The enormous energy beneath the sea.
Except...
This time it was moving.
Slowly.
Very slowly.
Yet undeniably moving.
A cold feeling spread through his body.
Something had awakened.
Not fully.
But enough.
And whatever it was...
Made the Black Sea Dragon seem insignificant.
The Abyss Sea was changing.
The Monster Tide was intensifying.
And something ancient had begun opening its eyes.
Lin Chen gripped the Ocean Emperor's Trident.
Instinct told him the greatest challenge of his journey was approaching.
The question was whether he would be ready when it arrived.