Side Story (3): Shadow Beneath the Lake
Coiling Dragon's Lonely Soul: Shadows at the Bottom of the Three Lakes
Bazel's proposal was reasonable and soon gained the approval of most people. However, a small group of people were dismissive of it and left directly, clearly not wanting to participate in the cooperation and wanting to seize the Dream Moon Lotus by their own strength.
Bazel was somewhat helpless when it came to this kind of person.
In any case, his planned division into four teams was finally completed. Bazel personally led one team, and Linley and Bebe joined his team.
Thousands of people undergoing the Fiend trials cautiously made their way forward, not wanting to disturb the still-sleeping water monster.
"We're here!" Linley's eyes lit up as he saw Blue Moon Lake ahead.
Ahead lay a blank lake surface, and in the center of the lake was the place where the Dream Moon Lotus grew.
This Dream Moon Lotus, though called a lotus, is actually an enormous plant. Its roots are hidden in the mud at the bottom of the water, and the part that finally emerges above the surface has a dreamlike golden appearance.
In the very center of the lake, there are fewer than one hundred Dream Moon Lotus plants.
The eyes of the Midgod lit up when they saw those flower buds that were still about to bloom.
If the flowers hadn't yet bloomed, they probably would have rushed up.
"Water monster!" someone suddenly shouted.
At this moment, everyone noticed that on the outer side of these lotus flowers, there was also a large, dark mass of strange creatures, forming an impenetrable defensive line.
At this moment, the fragrance of the Dream Moon Lotus has not yet been released, so these creatures are all in a state of slumber.
"These water monsters are no weaker than Midgod in battle, and this is their home ground, so we'd better strike first," Bazel immediately suggested.
Linley and the others nodded repeatedly. These water monsters had surrounded the center of the lake where the Dream Moon Lotus was located, guarding their positions almost without leaving their side, as if they existed there just to wait for the lotus to bloom.
"Third squad, prepare to attack!" Bazel immediately shouted.
Immediately, all the Midgod prepared themselves and drew their weapons.
"Material attack!" Bazel shouted.
Linley, Bebe, and the others from this group swung their weapons and launched a physical attack on the strange water monsters opposite them.
Hundreds of different colored divine energy fluctuations pierced through the air, whistling as they flew towards the opposite side. This distance of several hundred meters was entirely within the range of a physical attack.
"Soul Attack!" the captain of the second squadron shouted.
"Soul Attack!"
"Material attack!"
A thousand Midgod attacked together, unleashing a fierce assault on the bandit group opposite them. Instantly, a large portion of the dark mass of bandits fell to the ground.
The water monsters were thrown into chaos, but they quickly recovered and began to launch an organized counterattack against those participating in the Fiend trial.
Before the Dream Moon Lotus had even bloomed, the two sides were already locked in a fierce battle in the middle of the lake.
"Charge!" Bazel took the lead, brandishing a red greatsword, and flew over. The others followed, engaging the bandits in close combat.
"Kill!" Bebe roared, brandishing her dagger and stabbing at a water monster that resembled a lizard.
The water monster neither dodged nor flinched, actually withstanding Bebe's attacks head-on, and then swung its agile tail to fight Bebe.
On the other side, Linley also took out a black greatsword and began fighting a large water monster that resembled a green crocodile.
"Pfft!" This crocodile-shaped water monster is incredibly resilient and far stronger than ordinary water monsters. Only the powerful Linley could put up a fight against it. If it were allowed to rampage through the rear of their own camp, even the other Midgod would likely be unable to stop it.
"Pulsation Sword Wave!" Linley realized that this water monster was incredibly tough and powerful, and that simply dragging it out like this wouldn't work. He immediately unleashed his ultimate move, slashing out with his sword. The earth-yellow sword energy released by this strike was connected in a continuous stream.
"Puff puff puff!" The Earth Pulse Profound Mystery.
It can be used for both Soul Attack and physical attacks. Linley successfully fused the profound mysteries of the ' Earth Element ' and ' Earth Pulsation ' to create this ultimate move, directly ignoring the water monster's sturdy scales and forcefully shattering its heart and other vital parts. "Slash!"
Linley delivered another blow, and the water monster's head exploded instantly, a green life bead falling to the ground. Upon seeing this, Linley immediately collected the green bead and looked at Bebe. Bebe had also defeated his opponent, but the magical clothing on his left arm was torn, clearly indicating that the water monster had grabbed him.
However, given that Bebe's physical body was far tougher than the magical armor he wore, the water monster was completely unable to harm Bebe.
"What trashy water monster? Nothing special..." Bebe smiled confidently at Linley.
Linley, however, knew that Bebe's dagger belonged to Lord Beirut, Beirut was Highgod. That divine dagger was most likely Highgod Artifact, and the water monster's defense was only that of an ordinary Midgod. How could it possibly withstand it?
Linley smiled and charged at the water monster again.
In the end, the Midgod who participated in the Fiend trial had the upper hand. They were well prepared in advance and caught the water monsters off guard. In addition, their numbers far exceeded those of the water monsters, with usually two or three people against one water monster. However, even so, they still suffered considerable casualties.
Although the water monsters were simple in intelligence, equivalent to low-level magical beasts in the Material Plane, they also feared death. Under the combined attack of the Fiend examiners, they were defeated and eventually scattered.
Those participating in the Fiend assessment chased the monster for a distance before hurriedly returning, since their goal was the Dream Moon Lotus, not to hunt the water monster.
Bazel intervened and stopped the Midgod who wanted to immediately enter the center of the lake.
"Didn't you notice a strange fragrance emanating from the center of this lake?"
"This is..." Everyone sniffed carefully and also noticed the fragrance. They couldn't help but think of another trouble mentioned by the people from the Fiend Castle.
A fragrance that can make one's soul feel drowsy!
"This Dream Moon Lotus isn't fully bloomed yet, but it's already emitting some of this fragrance," Bazel said seriously. "I estimate it will be even stronger when it's in full bloom! This fragrance isn't good for the soul, so for safety's sake, everyone should keep their distance."
And so, nearly a thousand Midgod guarded the center of the lake at a distance, in the very spot where the water monsters had previously been, waiting for the Dream Moon Lotus to bloom.
"Before we've even seen a single Dream Moon Lotus bloom, some people have already died," one of the examiners sighed.
Linley sat on a rock protruding from the water and nodded. "The Fiend Trial is inherently cruel."
In the previous battles, the water monsters suffered heavy losses, and the Midgod participating in the assessment were not unscathed either; at least one hundred Midgod died at the hands of the water monsters.
However, while the Midgod participating in the assessment were chatting casually, they did not notice that a huge shadow resembling the Sea Dragon King was slowly rising from the shadows in the center of the lake.
If the people of Fiend Castle were here, they would recognize this as the rare, intelligent water monster king among the water monster race. And whether it's an ordinary water monster or a water monster king, they all crave to devour this Dream Moon Lotus in their pursuit of evolution...