Chapter 339: Coral Abyss
Coop descended further into the Coral Forest. He was delving into the abyssal depths without letting the threat of the unknown deter his increasing forward momentum. New frontiers meant new monsters, and new monsters meant more experience, more levels, and more stats. The prize of more stats was all it took to truly motivate him.
There was bound to be an opportunity in the unconquered region of the mana well, and he intended to take it. Then, if there were further depths, he would continue forward. Only after he conquered the domain would he be ready to consider whether or not phase two of his grind was complete.
Phase three would be a concession toward mana itself, where his focus shifted toward an accumulation of stats rather than a concentrated pursuit of levels. Slayer titles would represent his circumvention of the diminishing returns in experience gains, but only after he accepted that his personal aggregation of mana exceeded the natural concentrations on the planet. As his growth made it harder and harder to show proper progress for his efforts, he would find a new way to sustain his momentum. That was what he saw as his fundamental mission.
Unless the system cut him down with another surprise as extreme as a full level reset, he couldn’t imagine his momentum being stifled. But even in the case of another reset, he knew what to do, and his experience would enable him to go even faster. With repetition came reassurance. Nothing would keep him from collecting more attributes.
Judging by his stats alone, he was immensely powerful, with thousands of levels accumulated in his build, but that was only the surface layer of his overall proficiency. His experience defeating millions of enemies, practicing his abilities over and over, replicating the processes countless times, all combined to transform him into a truly scary opponent.
He slowly shook his head as he considered the titles and monikers he had earned on behalf of his settlement: Mistwalker, Siegebreaker, Underking, Icon of Humanity, and Unchosen Champion. They had all been earned for one reason only; he was persistent in his pursuit of progress so that Ghost Reef would be secure.
He crossed the threshold at the edge of the sandy ridge separating the fifth and sixth layers of the mana well, holding high expectations for the next challenge and hoping he would be up to the task. The most competent of his allies had given him sufficient warnings to take the region seriously, so he would do just that.
He slid down the steep ridge of piled up sand, with his eyes up and his head held high. His previous experiences should have bolstered him, but he still felt pangs of anxiety toward facing the unknown. Whatever mana had cooked up in the dense soup deep within the Coral Forest would have to match his deadly diligence, and that was all.
The light rapidly dimmed as he slid deeper, creating a small avalanche of sand around his ankles. When he passed through the billowing black and dark purple mana it stung his skin at the mere touch, drawing splotches of inflammation like he had been splashed with boiling grease. He continued despite the superficial damage applied by passing through the threshold.
The prongs of his ethereal trident were held at the ready, both hands firmly guiding his weapon forward. The ground gradually became stained with ashen powder as he continued into the depths. It was surprisingly dry, as if the omnipresent dampness of the rest of the mana well had evaporated beneath the super-heated clouds of blackened soot. The sixth layer was an isolated pocket of distinct weather, drastically contrasting the rest of the Coral Forest, but in a way, that was to be expected. Each layer had been unique.