Chapter 340: The Ones That Fade
Coop pressed deeper into the abyss, battling with the environment itself as he pursued the next variation of mana mutations within the Coral Forest. The further he moved away from the sandy ridge that led back to the fifth level, the more turbulent the local mana became. The initial hydrothermal vents seemed to be the weakest in terms of exhaust, as if the fuel that they tapped into had already been depleted over the course of the assimilation, but they were also the largest in terms of mineral deposition.
As Coop explored the region, he came to the conclusion that the Coral Abyss was actually the bottom level of the Coral Forest, and it would always be the bottom, no matter how many other levels were established in the rest of the mana well. All the mana that accumulated within the broader zone originated from these towering vents, climbing through the layers, filtering through the different environments, and providing the passive growth necessary for the different monsters. In the abyss, the mana was at its most unrefined. It was violent and pure, almost primordial as it activated and exploded from the disturbed bedrock.
It seemed like as time went on and the mana seed shifted, the area that it directly affected moved along with it. The first vents were the oldest, but they had calmed down by the time Coop entered the picture. There were probably more that were even older that had been buried by sand or grown over by pioneering corals and sponges. Even at their weakened state, the immediate area was hostile, making it seem like he was taking a stroll within an active volcano that popped and hissed with the constant threat of a larger eruption.
It didn’t take long before he was accosted by the local creatures for encroaching on their territory. The first opponent attempted to ambush him as he turned his back on the nearest hydrothermal vent, snapping its tentacles to life after they had been hidden among the soft corals at the base of the chimney. The fleshy arms shot forward like whips, but Coop reacted with deadly efficiency, twirling his trident in such a way that he tangled the tentacles in the prongs of his weapon like strands of spaghetti wrapped on a fork.
He yanked the monster out of its hiding place, grunting with effort and eager to properly face his opponent. He expected it to be on the opposite side of the mana infused vent since that was the most difficult place for his mana sight to penetrate, and by his observation, would be the source of their mana baths.
But to his surprise, instead of sizzling its flesh in the overwhelming heat as he pulled it against the vent, the monster was dragged from the black clouds above by tentacles that were far longer than anticipated. Coop didn’t spend much time in his thoughts, automatically adjusting his aim to accommodate the change in expectations. His counterattack was always meant to be deadly.
He didn’t hold back, having been put on edge by the unknown level of the boss. He afforded the Elite version exactly the same level of respect as the Enigma, which was to say, he put all of his strength into destroying the creature from the first strike. Just because his class level was in one place didn’t mean his stats necessarily followed. It was a rule he had firmly established a million times before, but it was a lesson he expected to have to teach with every battle.
Coop was far more than his level, but he was the first person to have to learn that fact. Before his class level was reset, he was trying to overcome his level, but afterwards he was practically removed from the standard measures of progression. The end result was a doubling down upon stats as opposed to levels. His muscles were bursting with energy, and his eyes vibrated with power, mana streaming beyond his brow, as the first opponent provoked his instincts.
If there was one situation where he comfortably accepted his title as Icon of Humanity it was when it came to simple competition between himself and an inhuman enemy. He wielded the full status of a Region Boss, with thousands of levels of attributes, far beyond what a simple glance at his aura would reveal. He had to rise to the occasion.
He wasn’t sure what boss rank the Enigma actually was, but he doubted it exceeded his own. He knew for a fact that the other creatures inhabiting the depths would be Elites at most. That put them several tiers below his own. Still, there was no room for modesty in battle, no matter how he felt about the system recognizing his classification as the superior status, as the Elite monster learned.