323 The Kraken in the Sea
In the seas. The churning forth of the angry ocean kicked up mountains of waves as tall as the mountains themselves. The so-called Nightmare Sea was often thought to be the true end of Arcadia, and the icy waters simply tapered off into non-existence.
What ship could possibly sail those tides when two monstrous World Beasts were battling for dominance in its waters! Even the hardest icebreakers dare not sail their vessels into the arctic waves. Only doom and unnamed aberrations lurked in such umbral depths.
Various small port towns, islands, and islets clung to their rocky mountains as the constant howling winds and tidal forces of the sea assaulted them.
Hundreds of inhabitants and players alike made a living by descending into the shallows beneath the cliffs, collecting the rare urchins and salty crystals that drove the economy by the shore. Pearls were very rare stones, and players were clamoring to get one to sell to the market at a high price.
Such players were also caught in the fight between Jibblinplip’s Tendrils and the Kraken. Instead of finding treasures and getting rich overnight, they found death and a huge EXP penalty.
The Kraken was gaining the upper hand. It was a World Boss that was much stronger and fiercer than Jibblinplip. The only reason why the Tendrils were still alive and kept the Kraken occupied was because Jibblinplip’s core was still alive.
An Icy hurricane burst forth from the Kraken’s mouth, ravaging the Tendrils and Colossus while dragging beasts, NPCs, and players into the sea. Dozens of ships, hundreds of boats, and a few settlements were smashed to pulp at the force.
The war balloons were flung back, and most got destroyed by at the crossfire.
At the sudden shift of the winds, which brought about the formation of dark clouds over the Kraken and Jibblinplip’s Tendrils, the storm soon raged down below. Thunder splintered the sky, making it impossible for any form of air travel.
“It’s impossible!” shouted a player amidst the ravaging chaos. “It’s impossible to come close to those things!”
“Those waves are so high! Boats wouldn’t cut it!”
“We need a larger ship!”
“Not good! Almost all of the war balloons got destroyed!”
“Can we even come close to those things?!”
The morale of the players was at an all-time low.
Scar was on his wit’s end. They were a good five hundred meters away from the two rampaging bosses. At this distance, it was impossible to kill it. Tried as he might to close their distance, but it was still impossible due to the powerful clashing forces between the two titans. They would only get annihilated if they went any closer.
Scar thought of another possible construction — like maybe a submarine? But there was no option for such a high-level structure without a shipyard. And the weapons available in the Guild shop were only artillery that could only be used to defend the HQ.
Beatrix and Ferocious Ravens weren’t faring well either, and discord was beginning to tear their group from the inside.
“Whose brilliant idea was it to sail on a boat?! Now we lost more than half of our members!”
“Not to mention the money we used to buy those things. Hundreds of boats and balloons almost emptied our coffers.”
“How about we sacrifice another chicken to the Lord of Darkness? Or, better yet, a pig? Maybe he would rise from hell and kill that Kraken himself.”
“This isn’t the real world, genius. Get your act together!”
“Where’s Beatrix? She needs to take command!”
Amidst the cries and screams of her members, Beatrix escaped since she couldn’t log out. She could no longer handle the pressure from the demanding and piercing stares of her members. They looked at her like it was all her fault.
Losing the first-ever World Boss because of her personal reasons and now emptying their coffers to build those boats and balloons that, in turn, sent more than half of their players to death . . . she would definitely get replaced as the leader of Ferocious Ravens.
There was no longer any hope for her.
Beatrix ran into the nearby forest while wailing her heart out. Her cries were drowned by the noise of the battle.
At that exact moment, while everyone was confused, the Tendrils suddenly paused and burst into particles. It was soon followed by fireworks and a pleasant voice booming in the sky.
[ CONGRATULATIONS to the guild GUNS & KNIVES on getting the first blood from defeating the first-ever WORLD BOSS, JIBBLINPLIP! ]
For a short amount of time, the only thing that could be heard was the receding storm and the Kraken’s roar of victory. That was only until another cry woke everyone from the shock. The storm gathered once more, and thunder flashed more than ever.
All of them immediately remembered what they should be doing when they heard a blast of roar through the air. The sound ran down their spine like a cold knife. Amidst the smoke and fire, some swore that they saw massive wings in the distance.
Voltage sparked all over the Kraken, and the dark clouds slit open to reveal another massive creature coiled in electricity, casting a wicked bluish glow over its dark features.
A collective gasp erupted. Three World Bosses!
First was an ooze on land. The second was the Kraken on the sea, and now, a half fox and half dragon that seemed to be a flying creature!
What’s with this day, and why was it raining bosses?!
The newly arrived creature immediately engaged the Kraken in another fight for dominance. And by this time, the Empire’s Battalion had arrived!
Riding in Wyrms and Pegasus with an eye-catching glistening all-red armor, the empire’s might was not to be messed with. They rained hell upon the Kraken, and in just a matter of seconds, its HP went down to half with just their organized attacks.
“Shit!” At this rate, the NPCs would get the last kill. “Go in there!” Scar shouted.
( . . . continuation on NOTES)