Underwater Clash

Before the battle was about to erupt, a little fellow appeared beside Xiao Yang. It was Little Bone.

Little Bone was now wearing a set of tattered Leather Armor. In one hand, he gripped a clearly undersized white bone spear, and in the other, a small round leather shield. He looked just like a miniature Skeleton Lancer.

The little fellow waved his weapons and bared his teeth at the enemies surging through the water in front of him. But no matter how you looked at it, he wasn't very intimidating, especially since most of his head was still underwater.

Xiao Yang noticed Little Bone beside him. It was obvious the little fellow wanted to protect him, but the battle was about to start, and he couldn't spare any attention.

Xiao Yang stepped forward and shielded the little fellow behind him.

The battle began. The agitated water rushed toward Xiao Yang, then burst violently around him. Only then did he finally get a clear look at the monsters lurking beneath the water.

They had grayish-white, slimy skin, short frames, hunched bodies, and enormous fish heads. They were Cave Fishmen—the very ones Robert had warned Xiao Yang about.

They looked more like fish than humans. Clearly, the opening of the Underground Crevasse hadn't wiped them out completely. They carried bone short spears, apparently made by sharpening one end of a Skeleton Lancer's Large Bone Club.

A fishman burst out of the water and lunged at Xiao Yang with its spear raised. The filthy, muddy pool severely restricted Xiao Yang's movements. Wading through the muck, he swung Justice's Condolence with all his might, sending the leaping Cave Fishman flying. It splashed into the pool some distance away.

But an even greater danger descended at once. Five or six Cave Fishmen suddenly emerged around Xiao Yang. Damn it, these creatures were afraid of light, and the Dark Dispelling Lantern was perfect for keeping them at bay.

Xiao Yang hadn't realized that in time. The lead Cave Fishman's primary target hadn't been Xiao Yang, but the Dark Dispelling Lantern in his hand.

The Cave Fishman succeeded. The lantern was knocked from Xiao Yang's hand and fell into a distant pool. The water blocked its light, and the surroundings quickly grew dim. Freed from the light's restraint, the Cave Fishmen surged forward all at once.

Several damage numbers appeared above Xiao Yang.

The damage wasn't high—in fact, it was too low. Like the Skeleton Lancers, these creatures could only inflict minor armor-piercing damage through their weapons' properties. The problem was that Xiao Yang's health was already low, while the Cave Fishmen gathering around him were far too numerous.

"Little Bone!"

Xiao Yang shouted for Little Bone. At his call, Little Bone abandoned the Cave Fishman he was fighting and vanished into the shadows.

The situation was dangerous. As the creatures swarmed him, Xiao Yang's health plunged to thirty. That was a perilously low number.

But Xiao Yang didn't lose his cool. He simply let loose, wielding a Rusty Saber in one hand and Justice's Condolence in the other as he fought the damn Cave Fishmen on both sides.

There was at least one piece of good news. Since obtaining Justice's Condolence, this was the first time Xiao Yang had been able to put it to use. His enemies were finally no longer cold, sluggish undead.

These Cave Fishmen could suffer the full, or even enhanced, effects of both Justice's Condolence and Blackrock Prison's Guard Regulations, which made them cower. To be fair, their attributes were decent, especially with their Slime Skin damage-reduction trait. They were also too low-level to trigger Xiao Yang's Elite Killer title.

Even a heavy swing from Xiao Yang usually dealt only nine or ten points of damage. They could take one or two hits and keep fighting, but their nerve was abysmal: they'd take damage from the first blow, cower at the second, and drop dead at the third.

Slightly tougher cannon fodder—that was Xiao Yang's assessment of the Cave Fishmen. The problem was that there were too many of them, and their numbers kept growing as more poured in from every direction.

In the chaos of the fierce battle, Cave Fishmen kept falling, and Xiao Yang's health kept dropping.

Thirty. Twenty-eight. Eighteen. His health had fallen below one-tenth of its peak. And right then, Little Bone returned with the Dark Dispelling Lantern. Its warm light shone once more across the bottom of the dim underground crevasse. Xiao Yang tossed the Rusty Saber aside, took the lantern, and held it high.

Never underestimate the bond between Xiao Yang and Little Bone!

At that moment, the Cave Fishmen around Xiao Yang grew restless and uneasy in the lantern's light. Their fear and reluctance quickly spread. A feral look crossed Xiao Yang's face as Justice's Condolence fell like raindrops. Every swing landed true, each blow dropping a Cave Fishman. Before long, the perilous battle was over.

The water around Xiao Yang was filled with Cave Fishman corpses, strewn every which way. The survivors were terrified out of their wits and fled in a great, churning mass. Little Bone was already scavenging the spoils. It fished the Rusty Saber Xiao Yang had discarded out of the mud.

Xiao Yang leveled up to level nine. It had been an incredibly dangerous battle. By the time it ended, he had only ten health left.

The Dark Dispelling Lantern's wavering flame steadied, signaling that the danger had passed. Of course, Xiao Yang wanted to climb out and get away from the freezing pool as quickly as possible. But after looking around at the Cave Fishman corpses floating nearby, he silently took a swig of Health Potion, then joined Little Bone in searching the bodies.

He couldn't bear to leave behind the spoils that might turn up.

Still, there was no need to worry. In that chaotic battle, Xiao Yang had thoroughly terrified the Cave Fishmen. They wouldn't dare come after him again before bringing back someone stronger.

And if Xiao Yang got a chance to catch his breath, he wouldn't be too worried even if they did bring someone stronger.

Don't be fooled by the fact that Xiao Yang didn't have any decent skills, had no class, and was still low-level. He could hold his own—and he had incredible stamina.

Once he left combat, the World Membrane (Life) began to take effect. Xiao Yang's health recovered at a rate of ten percent per minute. It wouldn't be long before he was back at full strength.

There was no denying it: the World Membrane's Epic Rank was well deserved. It didn't increase any attributes, and its only effect was restoring health. You even had to be out of combat for it to work. But it was genuinely useful!

A portable spring—once you've used it, you know!

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