Chapter 274
Chapter 274: Did I Tell You to Buff Yourself?
Brilliant radiance poured down from the sky—like countless shimmering streams of Magic Power converging without hesitation, plunging into that pitch-dark, fathomless ocean.
The countless crimson Formations surrounding Viktor began spinning wildly. The clear sky was dyed completely red by the crimson blazing light.
Like a roaring ball of flame silently churning at the horizon, unfolding a spectacle no mortal could comprehend.
The intense, searing white radiance pierced the ocean without mercy. Gulton, standing upon the scorched earth where flames raged endlessly, shuddered visibly throughout its entire body.
The natural energy within it surged and overflowed. Countless currents of scorching air melded into that sunrise-like radiance, awakening a mysterious power.
The entire enormous column of light rapidly fused with Gulton's natural energy, like a golden rope thrashing wildly in the wind.
The crimson lava and the light column bearing the might to annihilate everything crashed violently against the ocean.
That terrifying crimson radiance was like a blazing greatsword, driving itself with tremendous force straight through the surging, crashing waves.
After Viktor's War Magic merged with Gulton's Flame Element—
Its power had already surpassed the domain of War Magic. Yet compared to Super-Tier Magic, it still fell slightly short.
The sharp crimson pillar of light struck Dozarel's sleek body, encircled by ocean currents, and pierced through everything in an instant.
The roaring waves rolled violently away on both sides of the radiance. The crimson light seemed to set the dark ocean itself ablaze.
That radiance was about to touch the overcast sky—as though it intended to set the entire world alight.
This scorching torrent of light suddenly erupted with unparalleled pressure. The flame-like waves surged violently backward in recoil.
Like a frenzied giant beast waking from slumber, it seemed ready to devour everything whole.
The deep layers of the ocean bore tremendous pressure. Several fissures slowly appeared, spreading outward.
The entire ocean current began to undulate, like an enraged beast.
Intense tremors spread rapidly through the sea.
The towering vines near both colossal creatures shattered in an instant under the terrifying impact, reduced to shards of debris raining through the air.
In the very moment those spectacular great vines collapsed, new hardened vines grew back once again across the ocean's surface.
At that moment, the radiance rising from the distant sea drew the gazes of countless people.
On the cruise ship near the battlefield, the captain and sailors stared up in stunned awe at the crimson light rising on the horizon.
That streak of red was like a newly risen sun colliding with the ocean—dazzlingly brilliant.
Under the influence of the violent impact, the sea's surface seemed to rise. A crack burst open from the surrounding waves.
The waves surged sky-high, then rapidly stilled around the green vines.
Erika watched the scene before her. A profound shock welled up in her heart—and alongside it, deep worry about the situation beneath the water.
"Father..."
***
After quite a while, the surging energy on the sea's surface gradually settled.
Across the vast expanse of the ocean, a colossal underwater chasm had been torn open.
The chasm was bottomless. Seawater poured in without end, yet could never fill that dreadful abyss.
Endless darkness and mystery radiated from within, as though a malevolent giant beast lay buried in its depths.
One that merely had to show the faintest glimpse of its head to swallow the entire ocean whole.
Viktor stood atop Gulton's head, his gaze deep and penetrating as he stared down at the ocean abyss below.
Weija, likewise perched on his shoulder, kept its eyes fixed on that enormous maw—like a gateway to the abyss.
After so many encounters, Weija had long understood this truth.
A Calamity was not something that could be eliminated so simply.
The next instant, within the surrounding seawater, countless tiny, agile shadows rushed rapidly into the chasm.
Viktor narrowed those sharp eyes and clearly observed the sudden shadows.
Countless ocean creatures surged toward the great pit. The gaping maw accepted all who came, drawing every manner of sea creature inside.
Those creatures, plummeting into that great maw, swam with desperate intensity toward a single point—transforming into countless streams of fluorescent-blue water.
Beneath the convergence of those countless tiny glimmers of blue-green light, a colossal shadow of a fearsome beast slowly emerged from the bottom of the abyss.
That massive form rapidly took shape under the power of countless ocean creatures, filling nearly the entire vast space of the chasm.
Weija watched the cerulean luminescence endlessly flowing into the chasm, and said with a faint trace of mockery:
"What a familiar feeling."
Just like the Sea Folk.
These creatures had also received a blessing from the sea, becoming one with it.
And now, for Dozarel's sake, they were offering up their precious lives.
Deep within the chasm blanketed by countless cerulean glows, Dozarel's body released several dazzling beams of radiance.
Viktor watched the jumbled Buffs beneath Dozarel's Health Bar lighting up one after another.
He wasn't the least bit surprised.
He even stood right where he was, watching Dozarel Buff itself without making a move.
Dozarel was the embodiment of the ocean. As long as it remained in the sea, it could enjoy Buffs drawn from the ocean.
However, even so, it could not simply drain the entire ocean dry.
Dozarel could only continuously draw power from the ocean within a certain range, Buffing itself.
And the range within which it could absorb Buffs—was precisely the area covered by the Domain it had created.
It could absorb power from the ocean's depths, and likewise consume the lives of the Sea Folk or creatures who had received Dozarel's Blessing—using them to continuously strengthen itself.
As long as Dozarel was given time, the ocean could strengthen it to a degree that would make the entire world tremble.
But...
The scorching sunlight above was spreading without cease.
It was attempting to ignite the storm clouds, evaporating all the rainfall around them.
While Gulton and Dozarel were contending over the weather, the range of Dozarel's Buff absorption was clearly diminishing.
After all, Gulton was not going to simply stand there and watch Dozarel stack Buffs.
And that still wasn't all.
On Viktor's Coat, the crimson markings were replaced by a rich, dense green.
Through the Coat's channels, green patterns gradually spread across it—saturated with the Wood Element, as though on the verge of engulfing everything around it.
Whether it was the ocean Dozarel had claimed, or the obsidian ground beneath Gulton's feet—
Specks of verdant green rose up, carrying astonishing natural energy, gradually transforming the surrounding environment.
Vines climbed upward. Flowers and grasses clustered together.
The terrain ability of the Calamity of Wood.
【Sylvan Fragrance】
The green energy formed a ripple and swept across the entire sea's surface in an instant, spreading over Dozarel's head.
Between the waves of the ocean, an enormous flower bud slowly rose from within.
Then, it burst into full bloom—carrying countless petals and lush, vivid greenery.
As though a forest had risen above the ocean, surrounding Dozarel on all sides.
Dozarel was engulfed by this expanse of green amid the ocean. In that moment, it felt profoundly ill at ease.
As though the ocean's power was being drawn away by this forest, gradually becoming its nourishment.
Beneath this forest, Dozarel could no longer absorb power from the ocean. Only faint Water Elements could still replenish its strength.
Bewildered and furious, it thrashed its body about on the sea's surface.
Yet beneath that sweeping tide of verdant green, it could not even raise a wave.
Druga's terrain ability—【Sylvan Fragrance】.
While within this terrain, enemies' Buff effects are reduced by half, and their duration is halved.
This was one of the abilities Druga relied upon to survive as a World Boss.
Even against a fellow Calamity like the Calamity of Water, it could impose its influence.
Dozarel was furious.
More than once, it had sensed an aura from Viktor that felt like something of the same origin as itself.
Likewise, it once again sensed that entity it found utterly insufferable.
If Dozarel were asked which companion it detested most, Gulton would not even make the list.
Druga's ability was more than enough to suppress it to death.
As though refusing to believe it, Dozarel's body convulsed again within that ocean forest.
A whale cry rang out in response:
Wuuuu—
The drawn-out whale cry seemed to be calling for something.
But...
Nothing happened.
Dozarel hung motionless above the ocean forest, its mind filled with bewilderment.
Although—its brain, which could do nothing but follow instinct, was barely capable of processing anything more than that.
But it had still come to realize something.
Why had it come to be here in the first place?
Because it had been summoned by the Sea Folk. Here, a great offering had awaited its arrival.
Yet now, that offering was gone.
The City of the Sea it remembered had been destroyed.
This should not have been.
Amid its confusion, Dozarel's enormous lighthouse-like eyes blazed with an even fiercer light.
Like a rebellious child, it let out a furious roar.
The surrounding rain instantly turned torrential beyond measure, the raging downpour howling with even greater fury.
In the dark depths of the seafloor, countless fluorescent-blue structures began to tremble faintly—like candle flames in the wind, teetering on the verge of collapse.
This was the lower half of the City of the Sea in its depths—the true dwelling place of the Sea Folk.
They possessed intelligence, relying on the Upper City's Sea Folk to supply Dozarel with life force in exchange for their own benefits.
But when Dozarel needed them, they too were required to offer up everything.
Right now...
Those true Sea Folk known as the "nobility"—at the floor of the deep sea—were trembling with fear.
Faced with Dozarel's summoning call, they were unable to respond.
Standing before them at this moment was someone they knew rather well.
Duke Livi.
Livi's hands were wreathed in swirling water currents, Magic Power overflowing from his palms and flowing around his body.
"In the name of the Imperial Duke, I command you."
"Understand—this is not a request. It is a command."
Livi's blunt words bore down on the Sea Folk like a threat.
The Sea Folk immediately shook with fear, not daring to make a single sound.
At some point unbeknownst to them, the water currents that had been wrapped around their arms had already vanished entirely.
Those were the Ocean Covenants—once worn, one was bound by compulsion to become a part of the ocean.
However, those Ocean Covenants had been forcibly removed by Duke Livi.
They did not understand why Duke Livi could even influence the power of the Calamity of Water.
But this too was something worth rejoicing over.
They did not have to die.
They did not have to worry about being forced into an offering by Dozarel's summoning.
At that moment, Livi spoke up with a question.
"Where is your City Lord?"
Hearing Livi's question, the Sea Folk glanced at one another uncertainly.
They knew the City of the Sea had been destroyed.
Every last Sea Folk from the Upper City had been sacrificed—not a single one spared.
The City of the Sea across the entire Padalenbu Sea Region had essentially ceased to exist in all but name.
With the City of the Sea gone, what did they care about the City Lord?
So everyone shook their heads.
Seeing this, Livi looked at them, then spoke again in the same commanding tone—calm and unhurried.
"Take me to where your City Lord resides."