The Wizard's Pursuit of Truth
Chapter 7: Thorny Sea Beast, The Slaughter Begins

Chapter 7: Chapter 7: Thorny Sea Beast, The Slaughter Begins

The faint glow of sunset descended, casting a shimmering light upon the sea as Sea Beasts breached and submerged with the rolling waves... The beauty of dusk truly had a commendable charm!!

But the sky was beginning to darken.

This wasn’t darkness in the conventional sense. It was influenced by intense fluctuations of Particle Energy.

Wang Ya emerged from his State of Meditation. A look of terror flashed across his face. The Particle Energy completely overwhelmed him—someone was casting Witchcraft.

Outside the window, a darkness like thick, black mud devoured the light. It spread up from the depths of the sea, enveloping the Wizard Ship.

Wang Ya’s pupils contracted. The hundred-meter safe zone had also been swallowed.

"K-k-k!" Harak let out a chattering cry inside the room, its blood-red pupils filled with instinctual fear.

Through the Consciousness Brand, Wang Ya knew Harak sensed a threat from the darkness. It was the natural reaction of an animal—like a cat with its fur on end or a dog baring its teeth.

Wang Ya sealed all the doors and windows, barricading them with various heavy objects from the room.

On the boundless Endless Sea, nowhere could be called safe.

By staying in the room, he could at least use the confined space to create more possibilities.

Wang Ya glanced at the porthole. If worse came to worst, he could grab food and have Harak fly him out of there.

When he had first chosen Harak for Cultivation, this was part of his consideration—to compensate for his own lack of mobility.

Relying completely on others for one’s safety was exceedingly foolish.

Stroking the back of Harak’s neck to calm its stressed State, Wang Ya’s eyes grew distant. Mastering Extraordinary Power was his greatest source of confidence.

Power would never deceive or betray him.

"Those two idiots... I think they live on this floor."

Arthur wore a brilliant smile. If Rovena hadn’t suddenly brought it up, he would have likely forgotten those two even existed.

After all, how could someone as noble as him spare any thought for two Low-tier freshmen?

"This is all thanks to you, Rovena. I remember that day they collected at least half a month’s worth of food, maybe more. With that, we can last for a good long while."

Ossen happily clapped Rovena on the shoulder, but the smile on the latter’s face wasn’t quite as natural.

He even felt uneasy about it. He had only remembered it subconsciously and mentioned it offhand; he never really intended to take their food. At least, that’s what Rovena told himself.

The group in the ship’s corridor suddenly froze. They exchanged horrified glances. There was no mistaking it—that was a fluctuation of Particle Energy. It was powerful, as powerful as the abyss itself.

At some point, the lights in the corridor began to flicker. The far end of the hallway had been enveloped in darkness, like the gaping maw of some dark beast, making their blood run cold.

"What’s going on...? And that fluctuation just now," Rovena said, his mouth agape.

Arthur and Ossen didn’t speak. Their eyes were locked on the darkness, which seemed to be alive as it slowly crept toward them.

A strange, oppressive atmosphere filled the air. They subconsciously held their breath.

DRIP!

Arthur touched his cheek. His pupils shrank instantly. A glaring scarlet—it was blood!

A salty, damp sea breeze blew from the end of the hall. It whipped their hair into a frenzy and billowed their robes backward, causing them to take an involuntary step back.

The thick stench of blood filled the air. At the same time, a human head with a horrifying expression rolled out from the darkness.

They nearly choked. It was a Wizard Freshman. The wounds on the head looked as if it had been bitten off.

Intense fear seized them, making their legs tremble so much they couldn’t react.

Dammit!!

What in the world is happening?

DRIP!

A limb stained with seaweed and silt stepped out. It was covered in black scales from which a mixture of seawater and blood dripped. When its entire body emerged from the darkness, its form filled the entire corridor, a horrifying sight to behold.

An amphibious creature of the Endless Sea—a Thorny Sea Beast. Its body was covered in scales that blades could hardly pierce, as well as bone spurs that resembled thorns.

However, the Thorny Sea Beast before them was two to three times the size of a normal one, and its scales were not their usual cyan color.

Most importantly, they could sense an Extraordinary fluctuation coming from the Thorny Sea Beast.

The nautical atlases clearly stated that Thorny Sea Beasts were just ordinary creatures...

"This is insane," Ossen said, his gaze frozen on another Thorny Sea Beast that had appeared behind them.

Not far ahead, a door was smashed open. A Wizard Freshman was dragged out by a Thorny Sea Beast, which then bit through his neck and began to feast greedily.

It was like a chain reaction. One door after another was broken down, and the sounds of more Thorny Sea Beasts echoed through the hall. The low growls made the scalps of the three men still standing in the corridor tingle with fear.

One could only imagine that the same thing was happening on every floor.

This was no longer about finding food; it was about how to survive. A Thorny Sea Beast blocked the path behind them, and more were now emerging up ahead.

A vicious look appeared in Arthur’s eyes. Without a shred of hesitation, he kicked Rovena toward the front and violently shoved Ossen behind him.

"Arthur, you bastard, how could you..."

"Arthur, why are you doing this..."

Thrown off balance, the two men tumbled powerlessly toward the Thorny Sea Beasts, their eyes fixed on Arthur in disbelief.

"I have to live. I have the greatest talent and the highest status. Your deaths will allow me to survive. It’s only right. It’s an honor for you."

At the same time, Arthur dashed in Ossen’s direction, preparing to flee the moment the Thorny Sea Beast attacked Ossen.

"AHH!"

A blood-curdling scream echoed throughout the ship, followed by more... Inside his room, Wang Ya’s expression was grim. He had noticed the commotion.

So far, he had heard at least twelve distinct screams.

That meant at least twelve Wizard Freshmen were already dead.

He didn’t know what was in the ship attacking the freshmen, but for now, his room was safe.

Harak watched the door with fearful eyes, its wings slightly raised.

Wang Ya frowned. Something was coming.

He clutched a dagger, hiding in the shadows behind the door with a cold glint in his eyes.

[Notice: Unknown creature detected approaching within a five-meter radius. Analyzing... Analysis complete.]

[Target: Thorny Sea Beast (Mutated)]

[Details: A Sea Beast found in large numbers in the Endless Sea. It is at the top of the ordinary food chain. It has been influenced and modified by Extraordinary means, causing its body to mutate and possess some Extraordinary Traits.]

[Traits: Reinforced Scales, Extraordinary Breath, Bone-Spur Blades]

’It’s not a true Extraordinary Creature. I can handle this.’

A glint appeared in Wang Ya’s eyes, and his confidence grew.

’It’s here!’