Ocean Master

Chapter 172 - The Old Toad With A Dignity To Restore.

Throughout his whole life, the old toad suffered disdain from other predators, an experience that gave him huge trauma, which resulted in an inferiority complex and cowardly nature.

This suffering was because of his low-ranked bloodline.

This suffering also meant that sometimes, powerful predators felt it beneath them to specifically target and kill him amidst a group of prey. Well, it could be said that this suffering saved his life on numerous occasions but he felt indignant.

Why was it that other creatures with better bloodlines had deadly teeth for biting, a powerful tail for swimming, and access to powerful magic, while a toad like him only had his useless pair of jumping legs?

Why was it that those creatures were the predators while he was the prey? Why was he born a toad? How dare nature decides his species without asking for his consent first?

For years, since his days as a young mutated toad, he felt indignant at life.

Despite his indignance, despite wanting to courageously go and kill those arrogant predators, despite wanting to bravely break this curse that was decided by his bloodline without his consent, he could never do it.

He was not brave enough to do it.

Perhaps, as a young mutated toad, he had some stupid confidence but as he grew and matured, as he saw prey like himself die, being turned to food with them being unable to struggle, his cowardly nature became dominant.

Slowly, he learned to protect his life above all. He no longer felt brave, not that he cared, he fully embraced the cowardliness that was expected from a creature with a bloodline like his.

Surprisingly, as nature would have it, he grew, he mutated, he evolved, and through a brilliant stroke of luck, he became a purple tier predator.

Purple tier predator! With a bloodline like his! 

Of course, he was shocked and giddy then. Immediately, he went out to hunt, feeling brave all of a sudden. He killed a lot of prey, but his first encounter with a same-tier predator ruthlessly crushed his confidence.

He was ruthlessly beaten to the point of death, he escaped only because of his powerful jumping legs that he once called useless.

This was when he understood; every creature was not born equal.

From then, he embraced his cowardliness. No matter what situation that he found himself in, he never complained of his bloodline again, like the veteran he was, he hunted and lived his life cautiously day in day out.

This was his life philosophy until today, his understanding of this world was challenged again. He thought he would never regret or complain of his bloodline again, but today, he wavered in his resolution.

For decades, he had fought with other purple tier predators, losing most while winning some but he continued living his life.

Slowly, he grew stronger, even stronger after he got his tongue adaptation but still his cowardly nature prevailed.

This was until he met this shark, this was until he met Sebastian today.

Against purple tier predators, he would accept any loss with a calm heart, but who said he could also suffer a loss to a petty orange tier predator?

At this moment, his rationality was already eroded, he no longer cared about the fact that both the Devouring Cobra and the Praying Mantis also suffered the loss, all he cared about was his dignity, the dignity of his species, and himself.

He was cowardly, yes, but he could not take this. This was why he was the first who went in pursuit, he was determined to wipe away this shame.

Right now, he discovered that he had been wrong all his life. He decided on the spot never to be cowardly again, he would rather die than live a coward.

Though Sebastian's supersonic speed skill was extremely overpowered, the fact remained that the relevant mana points to power it was unavailable.

Sebastian was only able to power it for less than 4 seconds. During this time, he crossed a great distance, but the time still limited him severely.

With his 3 pursuers also giving their all, they caught up to him before he could find a proper hiding location. Sebastian immediately felt anxious, with his low mana points, his battle strength was effectively reduced by half.

Amid his racing thoughts, the conflicted and raging old toad attacked.

[You have activated skill: Advanced Dash!]

Bam!

Sebastian dodged at the last moment as the powerful toad's tongue adaptation struck, exploding the rock that it came into contact with to fragments.

The old toad was not satisfied with missing. At this moment, his thought process was already warped, he immediately associated his missing with his low-ranked bloodline which agitated him even more.

The Devouring Cobra and the Praying Mantis also already arrived; they threw attacks at Sebastian too but the old toad did not care. At this moment, all he saw was himself and Sebastian, and his only goal was to salvage his dignity.

"I may be a species with a low ranked bloodline, but I'm an old toad, no bloodline can change that". While saying this, the old toad's orange-red eyes glowed again in an ominous manner.

Throughout the many decades of his life, he already had a lot of encounters, and though he came with a loss in most of them, he also gained from some.

In these gains, he got monster cores which he already used, he learned useful information about Oceania and this ocean volcano region that preserved his life till now, and he also acquired some magic weapons.

For material magic domain predators like Sebastian, what was the most effective way to weaken them? The most effective way was to take their ability to manipulate magic away. 

And coincidentally, the old toad had a consumable magic weapon with this effect. This was his greatest treasure, but he was about to use it without hesitation.

Shing!

Orange-red light erupted with him as the center as a rapidly rotating wheel like a wall clock appeared above him. This magic weapon emitted such magic power that seemed to suppress the origin glow of this region itself.

Before Sebastian could react, a blood-red glow was shot out from the rotating wheel which landed on his body.

[A magic weapon has been used on you: Wheel of Arcanity!]

[You have been inflicted with the magic weapon effect: Mana Deprivation!]

[You have been inflicted with the magic weapon effect: Bane of Magicians!]

[Warning! Your mana stat has been locked.]

[Warning! Your control over your magic domain has become berserk…]

[Warning! You have lost control over your magic domain ability.]

Instantly after being hit by the blood-red glow, Sebastian saw these series of system notifications as his eyes immediately narrowed into slits.

Horror erupted in his heart. "What black magic is this?"

Before he could think further and contemplate ways to remedy this or at least suppress this effect, Sebastian felt his danger sense experience a great spike that left his heart shuddering.

Both the Devouring Cobra and Praying Mantis were stunned at the sudden resolution of the old toad, but this didn't prevent them from attacking.

Sebastian didn't feel the danger from them though, he felt it from the raging old toad who was out to restore his dignity.