Versatile Mage

Translated by XephiZ

Edited by Aelryinth

The cold water in the trench was surging around them. The troop stuck close to the wall of the trench. Their hearts were pounding so heavily it felt like they were about to jump out of their throats.

It was the Ruler-level creature!

The creature was not all that huge, but it was emitting cold lights resembling swords in the dark, as if countless swords without hilts were sticking out of it. The strange light added an extra hint of spookiness to the world at the bottom of the sea.

The bait had already been released. It contained pure Soul Energy, a rare material of the Undead Element. Most high-level demon creatures were interested in the energy, as it could help their souls grow stronger.

The Cold Ray Ruler’s gills released something like ink, which spread rapidly through the water.

However, the water started freezing before the ink could spread far away. The black ice spread like vines through the trench, forming different shapes similar to coral and seaweed.

It continued to grow through the water and was within inches of an old captain with a scarred face.

The captain stayed still on the wall. He would expose himself if moved now, and he would also place the others in danger.

A sharp black icy branch stabbed the old captain in the leg. He clenched his teeth and his face contorted in pain, but he remained unmoving.

Tan Feng was extremely worried. The black ink was obviously permeating the old man’s body. His whole leg had turned black and its flesh was corroding now!

The old captain’s lower leg soon only had bones left. Tan Feng wanted to help the old captain, but the man shook his head slightly. He did not want the whole troop to be slaughtered by the Ruler-level creature because of him!

“It’s going after the bait!” Captain Tong signed.

Tan Feng and the old captain both let out a relieved sigh.

Tan Feng swam to the old captain and sliced his rotted leg off, immediately using Light Magic to scorch the wound and stop the bleeding.

“I can’t heal you right now. How do you feel? Can you move?” Tan Feng asked.

The old captain forced a smile. “It’s fine, losing a leg won’t affect my movement since I’m a Shadow Mage, don’t worry.”

Luckily, the poison had not spread very quickly. The poison of certain Ruler-level creatures could spread throughout a victim’s body in mere seconds!

——

The troop continued to dive deeper. To their surprise, the bottom of the trench was incredibly spacious.

It was not the same as falling down a well into the cave at the bottom. It felt more like they had just passed through a dark tunnel and entered into a world at the bottom of the sea.

There was no sand or sediment on the ground, only a hard crust. Some of the spots were as smooth and glossy as metal.

“General, the water around here seems to be flowing,” Tan Feng signed, looking around.

Zhang Xiaohou could also feel it. Normally, the water at a great depth would have very little movement. The water down here should feel very still and unmoving.

Unexpectedly, the water at the bottom of the trench was flowing.

In contrast, the water in the trench was still when they were descending it.

“A river at the bottom of the sea?” Old Man Zhen, who had been quiet for some time, suddenly transmitted his voice to everyone with the Psychic Element.

A river at the bottom of the sea…

The phrase alone was conflicting. After all, the sea was a body of water itself.

However, Old Man Zhen’s description suited the situation perfectly.

The water in the trench was placid with strong water pressure, but the bottom of it was like a spacious river flowing rapidly in a certain direction.

“Where is it going?”

“If the water here is flowing, it means it’s connected to somewhere else.”

“General, should we keep going? The current here is stronger than normal rivers. We have no idea where it’s going to bring us,” Tang Feng signed.

Zhang Xiaohou had a grim face.

They had come here to look for the Dragon King Krill nest, but after a few scans, the numbers of Dragon King Krill were lower than they had expected.

Most importantly, the strange things that happened so far had nothing to do with the Dragon King Krill!

It was hard to tell what was going to happen if they went any further.

“Old Man Zhen, we haven’t found the Scorched Silver you mentioned,” Zhang Xiaohou messaged.

“It’s definitely from around here, take a look at this!” Old Man Zhen answered.

Old Man Zhen pointed at the rapid current under them and fired a white ray into it. Tiny crystals immediately sparkled in the current.

The undercurrent had a mystical silver glow, like a ribbon covered in silver crystals flowing in the darkness.

“The current is full of Scorched Silver. It might not be the Dragon King Krill’s nest, but the river is clearly connected to another area of the sea. We should be able to find the answer if we head up-current and look!” Old Man Zhen told them.

“The force of the current could grind a mountain to the ground. How are we supposed to swim against it?” Tan Feng protested.

“Captain Tong, test it with the purple liquid,” Zhang Xiaohou ordered.

They were looking for Dragon King Krill. They should confirm the local density of the Dragon King Krill first.

Captain Tong released the purple liquid used to identify the Dragon King Krill. It spread slowly through the water. However, the rapid current of the undersea river immediately diluted the purple liquid that reached it.

The water in the trench had completely changed color.

As they shone a light into their surroundings, the outlines of the Dragon King Krill nearby were revealed. They were carrying hints of silver crystals inside their bodies. They had thought the silver crystals were being carried by the river, but it was the Dragon King Krill that had been carrying them!

“General, look at the river!” Old Man Zhen pointed out.

Zhang Xiaohou shifted his gaze and saw countless Dragon King Krill flowing past them inside the river!

If they had not used the purple liquid, they would have had no idea the river held so many Dragon King Krill.

Some of the Dragon King Krill had ended up in the trench. They had to be the Dragon King Krill that had made it out of the trench and were attracted by the Salt Flower Island fishermen.

However, most of the Dragon King Krill in the river had Scorched Silver in their bodies!

The sparkles Old Man Zhen had noticed were actually the Dragon King Krill, but their bodies were transparent.