Chapter 307: The Omega
Coop stood on the dark colored beach beneath an even darker sky, his stance a picture perfect depiction of defiance. It wasn’t an ideal location to be caught standing, as he was completely exposed to the elements, but he didn’t shy away from the uncertain situation.
He squinted into the dim evening light, ready for whatever would come next. His gaze was unshaken, partially obstructed by sweat soaked hair, but he kept his chin up and his breath steady. His motivation was a simple refusal to allow the Primal Constructs to fully reclaim their place as a frightening enemy, no matter how entrenched their strongholds, or formidable their tactics.
The last remnants of the angry crimson sunset reflected off the viscous sea, making the body of water seem like it was an enormous pool of murky blood, still in the process of congealing after being drained. Compared to the pleasant sunsets of Ghost Reef, which painted the sky delightful colors at the end of a fulfilling day, the Fallen Zone provided an ominous spectacle to kick off the next phase of his little adventure. It was as if the entire setting was trying to warn him that he wasn’t a welcome guest to the domain, but the scowl on his face said, “Too bad.”
While there was hardly any wind, the waves had started to pick up even without such obvious encouragement, increasing in intensity as if something huge was brewing from below. There were no obstructions Coop could use to hide himself from detection, and aside from turning around and running back into the forest, there was simply nowhere to go.
He wasn’t interested in retreating anyway. After millions of individual instances of combat, he had grown into someone that was able to confidently face challenges with his head held high and shoulders set. The butterflies that came before a physical contest had retired sometime between grinding Slayer titles and exploring unfamiliar jungles. Survival during the assimilation was a simple series of battles, nothing more and nothing less.
Upon entering the Fallen Zone at the behest of Champion Hali and the Neptune’s Bridge settlement, he had spent far more time than he would have liked just trying to understand the lay of the land. Once he caught the scent of the local Elites, he had refused to let it go. He was the one seeking this confrontation. He wouldn’t abandon it at the last moment just because it got a little weird.
Hunting the monsters throughout the core of the domain had led him to the alien coastline of the Mississippi Sea. Naturally, he expected to encounter the Insurgent Field Boss, but he hoped that his hunt wouldn’t end there. A Field Boss was too insignificant to have established control over a territory that covered a dozen states. Surely, something bigger was behind the curtain and pulling the strings. He figured there would be a Siege Boss hidden somewhere within the Appalachian forests, at the center of it all. A Field Boss would merely be another step on the ladder, but hopefully this one would lead him to the next rung. In his mind, the Siege Boss was his final goal for this particular test.
Coop watched as bubbles of escalating size swelled and burst on the surface of the viscous sea. He was feeling the heaviness of his spear increase as he boosted the mana within his ethereal weapon. Black abyssal mana sparked to life as spectral mists leaked from his skin, originating in his shoulder, running down his triceps, across his forearm, and used his fingers as a bridge into the ethereal weapon. The spear was crackling with energy as the volatility of his manifestation reached its peak.
Meanwhile, the sea continued to boil until it roiled like a cauldron hanging above an uncontrolled bonfire. The turbulence was expanding from a singular column of froth nearly a hundred yards away from the shoreline until the water churned for as far as the eye could see. Whirlpools started to gather, scattered among the frothing bubbles, and Coop raised an eyebrow.
The expansive reaction in the water yielded his first doubt that this would merely be a Field Boss. It seemed too large, more like the Siege Boss he was looking for, but if it was something unexpected, it wouldn’t matter in the slightest. If anything, a surprise escalation would actually be a good thing. He could have the impact he wanted on the Fallen Zone sooner than he had hoped. Hundreds of Siege Bosses had already been defeated by Champion of Ghost Reef. One more, even with a higher level, was hardly cause for undue concern. He dug a toe into the sandy dirt, seeking a better footing for his opening attack.
While he waited for the first appearance of the monster he was challenging, the air started to buzz, physically reacting to the watery upheaval. The vibrating energy reminded him of the moments before the Yucatan settlement’s civilization shard imploded, when the settlement’s mana had concentrated upon the shard. He didn’t think that level of influence was completely unexpected for a wild Siege Boss, so he continued to keep an eye on the water, suppressing the instinct to panic and flee the unknown. The churn had finally expanded to the air, building until it started creating gusts of wind that sent splashes of sand crashing across the shore before being hammered by another blast from the opposite direction.
The haze that infected the entire region seemed to concentrate upon his position on the beach, covering the barren area in a blanket of oppressive pressure, apparently laying out the red carpet for a Siege Boss that wouldn’t be long for this world if he had any say in the matter. The stars were shrouded in the murky gloom that characterized the domain, while the red sunset flickered with the last moments of the day, sending individual beams flashing through the soupy atmosphere while reflecting off the increasingly violent waves on the sea.