Chapter 124: The Great Battle at Sea

Given the current speed of the car, even if the enemy were to pursue with all their might, once they reached the flat roads outside Moonlight Town, they could completely shake off their pursuers—even if Champion Victor grew two extra legs.

Yet, Li Nanke insisted on slowing down to wait for the enemy, looking as if he intended to engage in another major battle.

Cunning Rabbit hesitated at this command. After all, it was only a short while ago that Li Nanke had been beaten to the brink of death by this very enemy. To turn around and challenge them again—it didn't seem like something a sane person would do.

"Has he lost his mind from that beating?" Cunning Rabbit couldn't help but mutter to herself.

However, Li Nanke was a man of his word, and he allowed no room for questioning. Whenever she asked, his only reply was: "Don't ask questions; you only need to obey."

The car's speed gradually decreased. The vast clouds of dust that had been trailing far behind, nearly settling, suddenly billowed up again. The rumbling sound of collapsing buildings grew increasingly closer.

Driven by a Self-Element engine, the car sped out of Moonlight Town, its pace fluctuating. Whenever the monster trailing far behind began to fall back, Cunning Rabbit would slow down, forcing the enemy—who was on the verge of giving up the chase—to sprint with renewed intensity. But whenever the enemy drew near, she would slam on the accelerator, leaving them far behind once again.

It was like a carrot dangling from a pole tied to a donkey's neck; the prize was always just one step away, yet no matter how hard the donkey tried, it remained forever out of reach.

Following Li Nanke's instructions, Cunning Rabbit drove toward the coast. The further they went, the more her heart hammered in her chest. The enemy seemed tireless, chasing the vehicle relentlessly on foot. She glanced back to see a massive shadow sprinting at full speed across the flat terrain. With every step Champion Victor took, the muscles in its legs knotted and bulged, dark veins and sinews standing out as if they might burst. Its millstone-sized feet slammed into the ground, sending gravel and earth flying and leaving behind massive footprints.

The enemy’s bloodthirsty, crazed gaze remained fixed on the car, never once wavering. Listening to that terrifying, rumbling cadence, it was impossible to imagine this was a creature of flesh and blood; it felt more like a heavy battle tank.

Cunning Rabbit felt a chill run down her spine and instinctively pressed harder on the accelerator. It was no wonder the entire squad of trackers had been wiped out. Faced with such a monstrous foe, doubling their numbers would likely result in the same outcome. The gap in strength was no longer something that could be bridged by mere numbers.

She glanced at Li Nanke, her eyes asking, "Are you sure you really want to fight this monster?"

As the car sped on, the dry air began to carry a hint of moisture. The wind whistling toward them now held a trace of salty spray. Occasional cries of seagulls could be heard in the distance, and a streak of azure appeared at the horizon, rapidly expanding.

"Stop the car. I’m getting out. You two head far away from here immediately."

As the vehicle reached the coast, Cunning Rabbit slammed on the brakes. Below the cliff beside the road, the rhythmic crashing of waves echoed; jagged reefs stood amidst the endless expanse of blue sea. Li Nanke leaped from the car, his command brooks no argument.

Cunning Rabbit wore a complex expression, giving him one last deep look before stepping on the gas and speeding away.

"Boss, I believe you can win!" Pinocchio’s voice drifted back on the sea breeze.

Li Nanke stood in the middle of the road, watching the distance. That terrifying, savage figure was charging toward him, kicking up a storm of dust. For the first time, Champion Victor’s bloodthirsty gaze shifted. It seemed to realize it could no longer catch the vehicle, so its focus locked tightly onto Li Nanke.

Compared to when he first encountered Champion Victor, the monster was clearly not in good shape. Although the bleeding from its left hand had stopped, several finger bones were twisted and broken, rendering the left fist mostly useless. Furthermore, the long-distance, high-intensity sprint had left it drenched in sweat—the pungent, fishy odor wafting on the sea breeze even from a distance—and its running speed had slowed compared to the start.

Champion Victor was, after all, a creature of flesh and blood, not a mechanical doll. Even with a body as powerful as his, exhaustion was inevitable.

Watching the enemy close in, Li Nanke stared directly into its eyes with icy coldness and once again made a throat-slitting gesture. Then, with a sudden leap, he plunged into the deep sea beside the road with a loud splash.

Champion Victor let out a roar of rage, rushing to the edge of the cliff, but the small figure had already been swallowed by the tides. Looking out at the vast, deep ocean, its eyes remained crazed, yet the primitive instincts of a living being caused it to hesitate. It did not immediately jump in after the small human who had repeatedly provoked it. It roared at the sky in fury, pacing the roadside for a long time before finally giving up the chase and turning to leave.

But just then, a head bobbed up on the surface of the water.

"Hey, big lug, look over here!"

Champion Victor spun around instantly, locking eyes with a pair of fanatical pupils. In an instant, its eyes turned bloodshot. Endless rage consumed its every thought, and it began beating its own chest with a rhythmic *thump, thump, thump*. Its expression was hideously savage. With a violent stomp, the ground beneath its feet shook and trembled, sounding like a clap of thunder on level ground.

Champion Victor leaped, diving headlong into the sea!

A massive splash erupted, the water spraying everywhere as if a giant boulder had fallen into the depths.

Li Nanke sank rapidly, surrounded by the deep, cold water. Feeling the crushing pressure of the ocean, a sharp, cold smile curled at the corners of his mouth.

Looking up, he saw Champion Victor’s massive frame descending rapidly. Its thick, sturdy legs moved like propellers, churning up countless bubbles and swirling dark currents. The monster’s eyes were bloodshot, filled with boundless fury and intent to kill. Seeing his enemy nearby, Champion Victor accelerated, charging at Li Nanke like a high-speed torpedo.

Suddenly, Champion Victor threw a punch, the terrifying force stirring up turbulent currents. Had they been on land, this punch, fueled by endless rage, would surely have shattered the air with a boom like a detonating powder keg. But underwater, the immense resistance of the sea not only weakened the force of the blow but also slowed its speed significantly, as if a fast-forwarded video were being played at 0.75x speed.

Li Nanke’s "Deep Sea" core quality made him a master of underwater combat. His extraordinary ability, derived from "Breath of the Lake," allowed gills to grow from his lungs, enabling him to breathe underwater, while the effects of "Deep Sea" caused countless tiny, rough V-shaped ridges to form on his skin. These tiny ridges, much like shark skin, significantly reduced water friction and increased the efficiency of power delivery underwater.

Li Nanke quickly rolled, easily dodging the monster’s full-force strike, though the massive water displacement from the punch still pushed him back several meters.

"Your strength is still immense, but your lack of agility is magnified a thousand times over in the water!"

Li Nanke did not engage the monster head-on; after dodging, he immediately dove deeper. In the ocean, water pressure increases by about one standard atmosphere for every ten meters of depth. A professionally trained human can free-dive to over a hundred meters without equipment, and with professional gear and oxygen tanks, the limit is around three hundred meters. With his current physical fortitude and the enhancement of "Deep Sea," "Breath of the Lake," and "Scales of the Sea," diving to a thousand meters or more was no problem at all.

Champion Victor’s raw physical strength was greater than his, but without relevant extraordinary abilities, the enemy could never compete with him in depth.

Of course, Li Nanke had no intention of killing the enemy with water pressure alone. Even in broad, bright daylight, light becomes very weak at a depth of a hundred meters, and at two hundred meters, it is essentially pitch black. In the total darkness of the deep water, even orienting oneself is extremely difficult. As the depth increases, so does the pressure, magnifying the enemy’s clumsiness. Most importantly, the enemy absolutely lacked the ability to breathe underwater!

Champion Victor, relying on his formidable power, kicked his legs like a pair of propellers, stirring up layers of currents as he pursued the descending Li Nanke. But Li Nanke was faster. He was like a mermaid from myth; a casual flick of his legs sent him darting ten meters away, as if the resistance of the deep water didn't exist for him. If Champion Victor was fighting the deep-sea resistance with sheer brute force, then Li Nanke was ignoring it entirely, even utilizing the swirling currents to propel himself forward.

Li Nanke was not only incredibly fast at swimming, but his underwater agility was also terrifying; he was like a creature born of the sea. He even intentionally slowed down, waiting for Champion Victor to close in and throw a punch before nimbly rolling away and continuing his descent.

Li Nanke was no longer engaged in a life-or-death pursuit; he was simply toying with his enemy. The water was his domain!

Champion Victor’s rage only grew. It swung its arms wildly, trying to grab Li Nanke, but Li Nanke seemed to have eyes in the back of his head, twisting his body flexibly in the water to evade each attack. Every failed strike only fueled the monster's fury, while Li Nanke’s calm and agility kept him firmly in the upper hand.

Finally, Champion Victor’s face turned a bruised purple. After flailing its limbs, it stopped diving, turned away from Li Nanke, and began to swim rapidly toward the surface.

Li Nanke’s eyes sharpened, and he let out a cold sneer. He had been beaten into a state of total helplessness by this creature earlier; now that he was on his home turf, how could he let the enemy off so easily?

Li Nanke swam upward with even greater speed, reaching a position above Champion Victor within seconds. He turned back, locked his gaze into the monster’s eyes, and activated the "Fanaticism" trait once more!

Champion Victor’s eyes turned blood-red, the veins on its forehead throbbing violently. Rage overwhelmed its already crazed mind. It couldn't help but roar in fury, but as its mouth opened, it gulped down several mouthfuls of salty seawater. Ignoring everything else, it continued to chase Li Nanke, but the detestable enemy rolled over and began diving back into the deep.

At this moment, only one thought remained in Champion Victor’s mind: to kill this loathsome enemy, even if it meant dying itself!

Champion Victor, regardless of the consequences, dove again to continue the pursuit. It must be said that Champion Victor’s physical endurance was unprecedented. Its massive lung capacity kept it going for nearly ten minutes before its entire face turned cyan, and its lips and nail beds turned a deep, bruised purple. These were symptoms of extreme oxygen deprivation.

One must realize this wasn't a static breath-holding challenge; this was high-intensity underwater combat. Even with professional training, humans can barely hold out for three minutes under such exertion. Champion Victor had maintained this pursuit for over twenty minutes—a lung capacity that was simply jaw-dropping.

Nearing the point of drowning, Champion Victor’s mind cleared slightly, and it again tried to abandon Li Nanke to swim to the surface for air. But Li Nanke repeated his tactic, unleashing another "Fanaticism" to drive the enemy into a frenzy, overriding even the most primal instinct of self-preservation.

As he dove, Li Nanke suddenly sensed something and turned his head sharply.

Champion Victor had stopped its pursuit. Its arms and legs were flailing wildly, as if trying to grab onto something, but it could no longer kick effectively to swim. Its expression was one of terror and agony; its wide-eyed, bloodshot gaze fixed on the void, its mouth gaping open in a futile attempt to breathe. It took in only mouthfuls of cold seawater, causing its abdomen to bloat and accelerating its approach to death.

Soon, Champion Victor’s struggle became more violent before gradually fading into powerlessness. Its limbs slowed, and its massive body began to twitch rhythmically.

Li Nanke swam before Champion Victor, a bloody war hammer manifesting in his hand. He activated "Fanaticism" again, but this time not on the enemy—he used it to hypnotize himself.

In an instant, overwhelming killing intent filled his entire being. Fanatical battle intent swept through him like a raging fire, and his eyes flashed with a manic light.

"Is this my limit? It’s not enough!"

Li Nanke’s fanatical cry echoed in his heart. His mental energy surged like a tide, pushing his fanatical will to the extreme. He took a deep breath of seawater, feeling every nerve in his body burning, and strength poured forth like a spring.

Champion Victor’s struggle had become barely perceptible, yet its wide eyes remained filled with lingering resentment and fury. Li Nanke raised his war hammer, aimed at the monster’s skull, and with all his might, delivered a crushing blow!

The water-tank-sized head shattered instantly, splattering green and grey brain matter like an exploding watermelon. Countless bubbles rose, and emerald blood dyed the seawater as it dispersed. A vast amount of Source Energy flooded into Li Nanke’s body upon the monster's death, filling his "Self" to the brim.

"Finally finished you off."

He exhaled a long breath and deactivated the "Fanaticism" state. Using it on an enemy was different from using it on himself; on an enemy, it acted more like a "Taunt," driving them into a blind, murderous rage. If the enemy was already mentally unstable, they would be like Champion Victor—willing to sacrifice their own life just to attack him.

He also discovered that the "Fanaticism" he had used on Cunning Rabbit earlier had consumed more mental energy than this. He surmised that the cost was based on the strength of the enemy’s mental fortitude. A monster like Champion Victor, clearly a "full-strength build," must have had a weak mental foundation, resulting in a lower energy cost.

However, when used on himself, "Fanaticism" acted like a temporary "burst" state, requiring a constant supply of mental energy to maintain. Li Nanke had yet to acquire any Human-type core qualities, and his mental energy capacity relied entirely on a few traits. His total pool was relatively small; using two "Flame Falls" would leave him exhausted. As a Beast-type warrior who was quite "mana-starved," the addition of "Fanaticism"—a major energy consumer—made him feel his mental reserves were even more insufficient.

"The yield of Source Energy is huge... worthy of a hidden node Boss."

Li Nanke’s heart stirred. Instead of using the Source Energy to upgrade "Fanaticism," he poured a large amount into "Pain."

After the tempering of several Forbidden Dreams, he had gained a deeper understanding of core qualities. They could be crudely understood as classes or schools of thought, but at a deeper level, they were about allocating stats—various base attribute points. Beast-type core qualities were generally focused on strengthening the body, but with different focuses and different branching paths.

What most people understood as stat points were things like strength, agility, and intelligence, but Beast-type core qualities were more like using physical enhancement as the trunk, from which countless tiny branches emerged. The underwater mastery of "Deep Sea," the blood control of "Blood Moon," and the hyper-recovery of "Pain"—each quality significantly boosted physical strength, but with fundamentally different focuses. Obtaining multiple Beast-type core qualities would allow him to forge a body completely devoid of weaknesses, unlike Champion Victor, who suffered from glaring defects.

Compared to traits, which functioned like "skills," core qualities provided a more significant and stable increase to one's base strength.

[Core Quality: Pain]
[Level: 1 (21%) → 4 (7%)]

As "Pain" was enhanced once more, a violent ache surged through him. Hyper-recovery repaired the hidden, tiny injuries deep within his body, comprehensively elevating his physical strength and filling his frame with explosive power.

Li Nanke took a few deep breaths of cold seawater, suppressing the slightly restless beastly instincts within him.

"Huh?"

His gaze sharpened as he looked at the massive corpse slowly sinking into the deep sea. Emerald blood swirled away in the current, and the scent of death attracted several sharks. They bit at Champion Victor’s corpse, but could only tear off tiny morsels of flesh. After a few bites, the sharks seemed to find the taste unpleasant and twisted away into the distance.

Yet, from Champion Victor’s chest, a faint, glowing white light seemed to emanate...

"Looks like it dropped something."

Li Nanke flipped his body and swam toward the corpse.