1082 The last fragment
Liam stood still upon the ocean's surface, his resolute gaze fixed upon the boundless expanse of water that sprawled before him. The turbulent waters churned and seethed with a furious intensity, mirroring the tempestuous nature of the dark clouds gathering overhead.
The once-clear sky now lay obscured, veiled by an ominous shroud. A distant rumble of thunder echoed through the air, its reverberations serving as a haunting prelude to the approaching storm's imminent power.
"It's in there," Liam affirmed, his certainty unwavering as he sensed the final world seed fragment concealed within the depths of the ocean.
Without a moment's hesitation, he propelled himself into the tumultuous waters, leaving the draconian princess behind. He dived beneath the surface with a single, decisive stroke. The ocean embraced him, its currents wrapping around his determined form.
Throughout both his past and present lives, the vast ocean had always held an air of mystery. As landmasses shifted and changed, the interconnectedness of all the waters became evident. Yet, the depths of the ocean remained an enigma, harboring untold wonders and dangers.
Aware of the potential perils lurking within, many had chosen to retreat from the shores, seeking refuge in the safety of inland settlements. In all seven territories, not a single coastal community remained, their inhabitants opting to distance themselves from the untamed reaches of the deep waters.
Today Liam was finally going to see what was inside. He floated in the blue waters observing the space around him, with a mana barrier erected for oxygen. Surprisingly, the ocean was very empty.
Liam had in fact expected to be fully swarmed by all sorts of beasts inside the ocean waters but until the distance he could see, there seemed to be nothing at all.
As he descended deeper into the depths, the absence of life became increasingly apparent.
It was a desolate and eerily silent realm, devoid of the vibrant marine existence he had anticipated. The water around him remained still, disturbed only by the occasional undulation of waves.
An unsettling feeling crept over Liam as he pondered the unusual absence of creatures. Something felt off, as if an unseen presence lurked just beyond his perception.
He remained vigilant, his senses heightened, searching for any signs of movement or life beneath the tranquil surface.
From what he knew already, the presence of a world seed fragment gave birth to a strong creature that evolved at an incredible pace.
The huge tree might have simply handed over the world seed fragment to him but something like that couldn't happen again. No creature would simply hand over something so powerful.
As Liam continued his descent, the pressure mounting on him increased with each passing moment. The cold also slowly became unbearable.
Even at his level and with his stats, he was finding it difficult to bear the conditions. At this rate, even without any monstrous creatures to stand in his way, the task of obtaining that seed fragment would become extremely hard.
Thankfully, the waters around him were brimming with mana. Just like the places before, this one as well was completely overloaded with mana. Liam did not know where the nether array extended over these waters as well but he couldn't feel an ounce of nether in the vicinity.
Because of this at least he was able to condition himself with mana every second as he descended deeper and deeper. At a certain point, he had to erect several mana barriers to just stop the freezing cold from invading his body.
But this also did not last long. As if there was an invisible breaking point, after a certain depth, Liam could no longer hold off the cold. The pressure mounting on him shattered all of the barriers and the cold seeped deep inside his bones.
A wave of agonizing pain assaulted him. Liam gritted his teeth and continued barrelling downward.
The further he descended, the more unforgiving the ocean's depths became.The water around him grew darker and denser, an inky blackness that swallowed the feeble light struggling to pierce its depths.
Perhaps Liam could have faced this before but his current body was riddled with injuries from inside out. The searing pain coursing through his body became unbearable.
Every movement became a struggle, every breath a laborious effort. The weight of his injuries combined with the crushing pressure of the deep sea threatened to crush his resolve.
With each agonizing descent, he could feel his body growing weaker, his senses dulled by the overwhelming pain. Why couldn't the seed fragment simply come bolting towards him all on its own?
However, just as he could not hold on any longer, suddenly something unexpected happened. His body that was only just now groaning and moaning, teetering on the verge of giving out somehow became silent.
Liam's eyes widened in astonishment as he felt a small warmth enter his body amidst the freezing chill, revitalizing his weary muscles and numbing the pain that had consumed him.
His crushed and grated veins, muscles, ligaments, bones started getting repaired on their own. The sweet taste of peace entered his mind.
But it was only for a second. This newfound serenity shattered the next instant, once again replaced by the all consuming pain and the cold.
Fuck! Liam was truly at his limit. What was happening?
Before he could begin to understand anything, once again the ridiculous cycle started.
An unbearable pain assaulted him and each time he reached the brink of surrender, his body would be infused with that fleeting warmth, providing a momentary respite from the torment.
Liam was about to lose his mind from this back and forth but thankfully before that could happen, the small conscious part of him realized something. Even though he was undergoing hellish pain, he could feel himself getting stronger.
The endless cycle of torment was chiseling his body bit by bit. The pressure was transforming him from inside out. Even the concoction he painstakingly made to cleanse his body did not have such an effect compared to what was happening at the moment.
