How Do You Beat an Ocean to Death?

Island Nation, along the coast. Tanaka Shikerō led his crew to the harbor. The ocean was perilous, but for an island nation, if people shrank from venturing out to sea out of fear, its limited land resources would never support such a population. As a result, a new profession had gradually emerged in the Island Nation during the Transcendent era: sea hunters. Sea hunters enjoyed an exceptionally high status in the Island Nation. Because they risked their lives to secure food and clothing for their people, it was a profession held in immense respect. Tanaka Shikerō's father had been a sea hunter. On one hunt, a swordfish had pierced clean through his torso, and he had drawn his last breath before ever reaching shore. Following in his father's footsteps, Tanaka Shikerō dropped out of school and became a sea hunter as well. "Everyone check your gear!" "Today we head into the Sea of Demonic Beasts to challenge the Tyrant Giant Fish Monster!" "Yeah!" Tanaka Shikerō turned to face his crew, raising a fist with a shout, and the men roared back in unison. Tanaka Shikerō boarded the ship, followed by the rest. The last apprentice untied the mooring ropes, scrambled aboard, and watched the stern pull farther and farther from the harbor. "Huh, doesn't it feel like the waves are smaller today?" a sailor standing on deck remarked in puzzlement. In the past, going out to sea meant violent pitching and tossing. Today, however, the waters were unnervingly calm, the gentle sway of the vessel almost soothing. From his youth as an apprentice to the present day, Tanaka Shikerō had sailed for over twenty years. He was seasoned and experienced, and he too sensed that something was off. "Something's wrong with the water." Reaching a swift conclusion, Tanaka Shikerō emerged from the cabin. He studied the sea intently, his expression growing grim. Striding into the wheelhouse, he ordered the helmsman, "Turn us around. Today is no day to be at sea." "Captain, what's happened?" the helmsman asked while spinning the wheel. Tanaka Shikerō shook his head, heavy-hearted. "I don't know, but I have a bad feeling. It's too quiet below the surface." Normally, even with ships passing through, it was impossible not to spot a single fish. Yet he had searched the waters around the hull and found not one. Even the mutated sea snails clinging to the hull were gone. Just as their ship completed its turn, however, it ground to a dead halt. "What's going on?" While the helmsman stared in dazed confusion, Tanaka Shikerō dashed out of the wheelhouse, a harpoon materializing in his grasp. The other sailors rushed out as well. Seeing his battle-ready stance, they drew their weapons and flanked him. One sailor asked, "Captain, what is it?" "We've run into a big one. It's definitely a sea monster!" Tanaka Shikerō warned sternly. The men snapped to high alert, watching their surroundings. Yet after a good while, no sea monster appeared, and restlessness began to set in. "Captain, is there really a sea monster?" a sailor asked. By now, even Tanaka Shikerō felt uncertain. After all, if a sea monster was lurking beneath the hull, there was no reason he wouldn't see it. Yet if it wasn't a sea monster, why had every fish vanished? It made no sense. Suddenly, one of the sailors turned around and realized the crewmate behind him was gone. He called out, "Uotaro? Has anyone seen Uotaro?" "Huh? He was right next to me just a second ago!" another sailor said, noticing the empty spot. Tanaka Shikerō's expression hardened. He realized the monster must have circled behind them for an ambush. He bellowed, "Everyone back into the cabin! Leave this to me!" Yet the moment the shout left his throat, he froze. The others stared around them in sheer terror, their faces drained of hope. The ocean had formed a colossal palm, cradling their ship at its very center. As five watery fingers descended, Tanaka Shikerō let out a desperate cry, leapt into the air brandishing his harpoon, and charged headlong toward a monstrosity he had no hope of defeating. *** "I will destroy this disgusting world!" "My dream, my everything, my..." "Kill, kill, kill... kill them all, destroy everything..." Beneath the deep sea, Prometheus had been utterly reduced to ashes. Since Thales was originally Prometheus's creation, the moment Prometheus died, Thales's own countdown to death had begun. Having transformed into water, he knew his soul would soon disperse. There was no way to stop it. His core resided within Prometheus's soul; had Thales died, Prometheus wouldn't have suffered in the least, but with Prometheus dead, Thales's demise was inevitable. Even so, he didn't regret killing Prometheus. Now, he had abandoned his plan of finding a secluded corner to hide and level up. He wanted only vengeance against this disgusting world—he wanted only to slaughter everyone. He had merged with the ocean. The destructive energy released by the self-destruction of the Infinite Pot was rippling through the entire sea, and even on the brink of death, he could harness that power to lay waste to everything. Once he grew fully accustomed to this colossal body, he made his move. Across countless coastal cities, towering tsunamis surged rapidly, slamming into the land. Countless city dwellers were swallowed by the ocean before they could even react. This seawater was alive. The moment anyone fell in, it coiled around their limbs, dragging them down to drown. In just half an hour, the first wave of attacks inflicted catastrophic casualties. Many Dragon-rank powerhouses stepped forward to hold back the tsunamis, but they were utterly powerless, barely able to save themselves. Thales was indeed gravely wounded and dying, but even an emaciated camel was bigger than a horse. He was still far beyond anything a Dragon-rank could hope to match. Nations declared states of war one after another, yet after investigating the threat, they were left dumbfounded. The entire ocean was the enemy. What could they possibly fight it with? Even if they somehow won, what would become of Earth? Would it even remain habitable for humanity? Because Huaxia had consistently maintained its grotto-heaven state, it remained unaffected, yet it received the dire news from various nations immediately. *** The next day. Yu Xian emerged from his bedroom and found Zhang Buyao still glued to the television. Sitting down on the sofa beside her, he asked curiously, "Is TV really that entertaining?" "It's alright. There aren't many channels, but a lot of the shows are things I've never seen before," Zhang Buyao answered, munching on a cracker. Yu Xian watched the mindless variety show on screen for a moment and found zero enjoyment in it. Giving up, he activated his Star Ring to surf the net. Through Crescent Bay's network, the Star Ring could bridge into Earth's internet, granting him access. After all, across the myriad worlds, both Crescent Bay's network and Earth's network were essentially just local area networks. Opening the home page of a site he frequented, Yu Xian was instantly greeted by a flood of trending headlines. [Has Mother Ocean Come Alive?] [The Ocean Has Activated, Leaving Tens of Millions Dead: Natural Disaster or Man-Made Catastrophe?] [Professor Suggests Sudden Awakening of Ocean May Be Linked to Abyss Rift Beneath the Sea] [Big Mouth Dragon Calls on Transcendents Nationwide to Unite and Save Mother Ocean, Restoring It to Its Rightful State] Yu Xian blinked, read through the headlines again, and quietly clicked into the articles. After reading them, immense curiosity welled up within him. The ocean had come alive? How do you even fight that? He racked his brain for quite a while, unable to fathom how one was supposed to beat an ocean to death.