God Ash: Remnants of the fallen.

Chapter 189: Belly of The Beast (3).

'To think my next opponent would be a shark... How unfortunate.' Cain thought to himself as he clashed with the behemoth of a creature.

***

{White Sea Demon]: level 70 (Deadly)

Strength: 2,300.

Agility: 1,500.

Defense: 900.

Magic: 300.

Spirit: 100.

HP: 30,000/30,000.

MP: 2,500/2,500.

Skills: Death Bite, Stunning Red, Phantom in the Dark, Uncontrollably Force.

***

'Why the hell are there so many god-damned Deadly-grade mutant beast down here?!'

Before he could process what he had just seen, the gigantic shark withdrew and dissapeared into the darkness.

'It has a lot of strength and speed and defense, can completely conceal its presence in the dark, but its magic stats are terrible.' Cain immediately began to think strategically.

'This means its weakness is most definitely magic.'

'However, the only attack type magic spells I have are {Flame Orbs} and {Blue Lightning}. {Flame Orbs} will have its power cut if half due to the surrounding water, and its flight path will be too easy read, making it extremely dodgeable to that bastard fish! And {Blue Lightening} will take a long time to charge up. Damn it!'

Cain racked his brain with ideas on how to deal with the mutant beast lurking within the shadows. However, he felt the same predatory aura lock onto him again.

Raising his blades again, a sonorous ring phased through the water, causing smaller mutant fishes nearby to scurry away in fear.

As weaker creatures, it was programmed in their genes to turn tail and flee when they were in the presence of a clash between stronger beings.

Cain found himself unable to control the force by which he was flung with. He shot through the water like a cannonball once again. His back slammed against an underwater structure, causing him to nearly cough up all the air he had stored in his lungs.

Without wasting any time, Cain dashed away from the boulder. Seconds later the boulder was turned into a dust cloud as the {White Sea Demon} slammed into it.

As Cain swam frantically, he realized that his opponent was not just a mindless predator but a cunning hunter. It knew how to use the environment to its advantage, making it even more challenging to face. Time and time again, he clashed with this monstrosity. Due to the intensity of their clashes, internal fractures and wounds began to gather within him. His bones rattled due to the force...

Once again, he was slammed by the {White Sea Demon}, only this time, he wasn't able to raise his guard as well as he had been doing. The impact send him barreling away, a mouthful of blood and air escaping from him.

As he tried to catch his breath, he could feel the pain of his injuries and the fatigue from the intense battle setting in.

'If I keep going like this, I won't last much longer,' Cain thought, his heart pounding in his chest. 'I need to find a way to turn the tide.'

He knew that relying solely on his {Flame Orbs} or {Blue Lightning} wouldn't be enough to defeat the {White Sea Demon}. He needed something stronger, something that could catch his opponent off-guard and deliver a decisive blow. But what could he do?

He hadn't mastered any other truel offensive magic spells that could work underwater, and he couldn't afford to waste time experimenting.

As he swam through the inky depths, searching for any signs of the creature, Cain's mind raced with possibilities.

Amidst the turbulence, he suddenly remembered something. Something hidden with the [Records of Akasha]. If he ever created a skill, and the skill was listed in his status page as the first of the series, then the skill had room for growth. He just had to tap into his potential. When he thought about it, he found out that this concept was overwhelming accurate.

He had upgraded {Fireball} into something else entirely by relying on his sharp Intuition and affinity with mana.

Rearranging his displaced bones, he activated {Blood Regeneration}...

Although he wasn't fully healed, he was able to perform at his maximum.

He closed his eyes, focusing on the flames within him that he usually used for his {Flame Orbs}. He allowed the sensations to wash over him, igniting the familiar heat in his {Mana Heart}. But this time, instead of releasing it, he held it in, compressing it to its utmost limits. The heat intensified, threatening to overwhelm him, but he held firm, pushing the boundaries of his endurance.

As he continued to concentrate deeply, the flames around him began to shift and change. They transformed from the usual orbs to a spiraling vortex of fiery energy. But he knew that he couldn't stop there; he had to take it further. He focused even harder, willing the vortex to collapse in on itself, condensing the flames to their most concentrated form.

The strain on his body and mind was immense, but Cain refused to yield. He knew that this was his only chance to defeat the {White Sea Demon} and survive this deadly encounter.

With a final surge of determination, the vortex collapsed into a single, radiant sphere of pure, destructive power—the {Art of Fire, Second Form, Imploding Star}.

Cain opened his eyes, and his gaze fell upon the lurking shadow of the {White Sea Demon}. The creature's predatory Crimson eyes locked onto him once again, weighing him down intensely, but this time, Cain felt a newfound sense of confidence. He had the power to turn the tides of the battle.

'Let's see how you handle this!' Cain thought, his voice filled with grit and malice.

He released the {Art of Fire, Second Form, Imploding Star} with all his might. The condensed sphere of fiery elemental energy shot towards the {White Sea Demon} like a comet, leaving a blazing trail in its wake. Its speed was so blinding, the mutant creature wasn't able to blink before the scorching ball of flames was right under its nose.

The creature sensed the impending danger and tried to evade, but it was too late. The Imploding Star collided with the {White Sea Demon}, unleashing an explosion of fiery wrath.

Cain felt a large amount of mana leave his body in that moment. This loss was accompanied by a chime from the system.

The water around them boiled and churned, creating a maelstrom of destruction. Cain shielded himself from the blast as best he could, using his blades to deflect debris and protect his body. When the smoke cleared, he peered through the dissipating mist, hoping to see the {White Sea Demon} defeated.

To his surprise, the creature was still alive, albeit severely wounded. It thrashed and writhed in pain, its once very menacing form now weakened, but still very menacing. But it wasn't enough; the {White Sea Demon} was still a formidable opponent.

Cain knew he had to finish it off quickly, while it was weakened. He swam towards the creature, his mind racing with thoughts of how to end this battle once and for all. The {Art of Fire} had given him a chance, but it wasn't a guaranteed victory.

As he closed in on the wounded {White Sea Demon}, he pulled his two blades from his inventory with a flash of light. At the same time, he activated {7 Golden Stars}. His blades revolved around him like planets areound a star. Even within the inky darkness, their glow was unmistakable.

His {White Claw} took on a golden sheen, while his {Black Claw} melted into the darkness...

If he could, Cain would have let out a resounding war cry as he buried his blades straight into the wounded area.

Pulling downward, he was able to rend the otherwise tough skin of the mutant beast. At the same time, his Golden Stars churned the surrounding waters, nicking at the coarse skin of the creature. Although they were able to draw blood, their edges and pointed ends began to dull.

However, Cain was without care as he swung his blades in a fury of mad rage and determination.

However, this creature was just as stubborn as it's opponent. Spreading it's ghastly maw wide open, it's numerous rows of deathly sharp fangs took on a sinister silver glow. Sensing the danger in the vile looking teeth, Cain knew he had to up the ante as well.

With his weapons in hand, he launched a relentless assault on the {White Sea Demon}, using every ounce of strength and skill he possessed. With every strike he let a skill lose, widening the lacerations he made.

'I'm going all out!'

Strength rolled through his bones and muscles...

He activated his {Spirit Sense}, and coupled it with his devil eye ability. Although the creature's magic power was weak, it was still present, soje was able to get a faint, yet helpful out line of its movement patterns allowing him to strike at the creature's weaknesses and exploit its vulnerabilities.

The battle raged on, with Cain and the {White Sea Demon} locked in a deadly dance of death and survival. The mutant creature fought with all its might, refusing to go down without a fight. But Cain was just as determined, fueled by the will to survive and the desire to not make the watery depths his grave.

As the battle reached its climax, Cain felt the fatigue and pain catching up to him. His body screamed for rest, but he pushed through, knowing that this was his moment of reckoning. With a final, decisive strike, he impaled the {White Sea Demon} with his double blades, unleashing a surge of raw energy that engulfed both of them.

When the waters finally settled, Cain found himself leaning against the beast's corpse, floating in the dark depths of the sea. The {White Sea Demon} was gone, defeated, but he was still alive. He had survived the impossible, tapping into powers he knew he possessed, but didn't bother to acquire.