Chapter 335: The Ocean Overlord Sets Sail

Chapter 335: The Ocean Overlord Sets Sail

On the northern side of Zizitan Beach, beneath the Treasure Mountain Lighthouse.

A sun umbrella stood on the beach, with two chairs set up underneath it.

Lu Heng and Jian Qing sat in the chairs, scrolling through their phones while waiting for the training to conclude.

In the Abyssal Age, a vast amount of Abyss-related information was published online daily. If one had an interest in such matters, they could easily spend an entire day browsing.

Lu Heng raised his left hand to check the time on his watch. Two hours and thirty minutes had passed since the start of the training.

"We'll probably have to wait another half an hour," Jian Qing said, sitting with her legs crossed in a graceful pose.

This deep-sea training session was meticulously calculated. The shore was 150 kilometers away from the rubber ball drop point, and the drop point was 100 kilometers from the training starting point.

In other words, even without searching for the rubber ball, this training required them to cover a distance of 250 kilometers to return to the shore.

Based on the swimming speed of these ten Marine Ability Users, it would take more than three hours to return.

However, the location chosen for the rubber ball drop was not random; it was the site of an undersea trench.

This meant that once the rubber ball was thrown into the sea, there was a high probability of it sinking deep into the trench.

The depth of the southern trench in the East China Sea ranged from 1,000 to 2,000 meters. This depth was impossible for ordinary people to reach, even for extreme sports enthusiasts skilled in deep-sea diving.

For professional divers, 50 meters was already pushing the limits, and going any deeper was a life-threatening endeavor.

The world record for free-diving without equipment was 52.1 meters.

Of course, this was true for ordinary people.

For Marine Ability Users, 50 meters was just the beginning.

Without the ability to dive several hundred meters deep, they couldn't even think of resolving the undersea fog crisis, let alone becoming ocean overlords.

Therefore, during this training session, the rubber balls were directly thrown into the trench.

The dropped rubber balls numbered ten, but not everyone would be able to retrieve them. It was normal if the balls sank deep into the trench and couldn't be retrieved.

Determining whether a task could be completed was also a skill that Psionic Warriors needed to learn.

In summary, this deep-sea training was extremely challenging.

Depth was just one of the danger factors; they also had to be vigilant against unknown abyssal monsters and mutated creatures.

This was a significant test for them before embarking on their missions at sea.

...

There was still some time before the training ended.

Jian Qing casually chatted, "Actually, the underwater world is also fascinating. Have you ever thought of becoming a Marine Warrior?"

Lu Heng pondered for a moment and replied, "I guess you could say I've thought about it. However, land has always been humanity's main domain. Marine Warriors are specialized assault-type warriors, and becoming an ocean overlord means giving up the competition for land rights."

Jian Qing nodded in agreement, "That's true. Among the three domains of land, sea, and air, one can only specialize in one. Indeed, land rights are relatively more important."

Lu Heng explained, "Actually, as Ability Users' combat power increases, the difference between land and air domains will become smaller. After all, both land and sky are air mediums. Once you acquire flight ability or an alternative to flight, the difference between sky and land diminishes."

"That's true. Water is a different medium with entirely different properties," Jian Qing nodded, agreeing that this line of thinking was correct.

Just as the two were chatting, a spherical wave suddenly rose from the sea ahead and rapidly moved towards the shore.

When the Special Forces members on the shore turned their attention to it, the spherical wave rushed onto the shallow beach, and a figure shot out from the wave, leaping three meters high. With a roar, the figure landed on the beach, splashing seawater with a strong ocean scent.

After landing, the person held the rubber ball high above their head, looked towards Lu Heng and Jian Qing's position, and excitedly asked, "Instructor, what place did I get?"

Lu Heng checked the time and couldn't help but raise his eyebrows. He pointed to his watch and said to Jian Qing, "Two hours and thirty-seven minutes, much faster than expected."

According to the original estimate, this training session would take at least three hours for someone to return.

And this was without considering the time needed to search for the rubber ball. Even if they took three and a half hours to return, it would still be considered fast.

Jian Qing stood up and applauded, saying, "Take a rest first. Let's wait for the others to come back."

Liu Haiyang took a deep breath and excitedly said, "Am I that fast?"

Jian Qing pointed to the nearby sun umbrella and said, "Rest for now. Let's wait for the others to return."

Liu Haiyang drank a bottle of mineral water and said, "I'm not used to being on land. I'll go back into the sea to meet them."

"He dove back into the water and disappeared amidst the splashing waves."

For some divers, they feel more at ease underwater.

Liu Haiyang was likely one of them, accustomed to the underwater environment, not needing to breathe with his lungs, and comfortable with the water pressure. On land, he might feel out of place.

About half an hour passed.

The second Marine Warrior to return was Cao Lixiong.

Among the ten, he had the highest Essence Energy Level. On land, even three or four of his teammates combined might not be a match for him.

However, in the water, he could only manage to secure second place, even with all his effort.

Two minutes later, the third-place finisher returned, a girl named Jiang Shaoran.

In the following half hour, the remaining seven returned one after another.

Jane Qing stood up and announced the results, "First place, Liu Haiyang. Second place, Cao Lixiong. Third place, Jiang Shaoran. According to the initial reward scheme, the first-place finisher gets to choose their reward first. There are two Deep Sea Overlord Essences and an opportunity to upgrade a skill. Liu Haiyang, what is your choice?"

Liu Haiyang raised his hand and said, "Reporting! I have something to say."

"Speak."

"The reason I could return so quickly was because my teammates helped me find the rubber ball. I hope they can also receive rewards."

"The training rules were set from the beginning, only recognizing the order of those who returned with the rubber ball. How you thank each other privately is your business, but after the rewards are distributed, they cannot be transferred to others. If you choose not to take it, you can decide to give it up." Jane Qing emphasized the discipline.

Liu Haiyang and his two teammates exchanged a few words, and then he said, "I choose the Deep Sea Overlord Essence."

Lu Heng signaled to the Special Forces logistics personnel to open the briefcase and give the Deep Sea Overlord Essence to Liu Haiyang.

Immediately after, Jane Qing announced the second-place result, "Second place, three hours, five minutes, and twenty-seven seconds. Cao Lixiong, step forward!"

Cao Lixiong took a step forward, stood at attention, and saluted, "Present!"

"There's still the Tide Summoner Essence and the opportunity to upgrade a skill left. Which one do you choose?" Jane Qing asked him about his reward preference.

At this moment, Jiang Shaoran raised her hand and reported, "Reporting, Instructor! I have something to say."

"Speak!"

"I'm a Mental Mastery type, and my goal is only the Tide Summoner Essence. That's all I wanted to say." Jiang Shaoran expressed her thoughts.

She had originally wanted to compete for a higher rank, but Cao Lixiong's level was too high, and his raw strength was overwhelming. She had no choice but to concede.

Cao Lixiong already had a Third-Rank Energy Shield Guardian job, which meant that if he wanted to use the Tide Summoner Essence, he would have to give up his existing Energy Shield Guardian rank.

Giving up one's rank was not a decision to be taken lightly, as it would lead to a drop in Essence Energy Level.

Cao Lixiong's current Essence Energy Level was 40. If he chose to give up his Energy Shield Guardian rank and instead absorb the Tide Summoner Essence, his Essence Energy Level would drop to 30 or even lower.

Lu Heng flipped through Cao Lixiong's file and said, "The Tide Summoner Essence is more suitable for Mental Mastery types, but the rule is that the higher-ranked individuals get to choose their rewards first. So, Cao Lixiong, you should make your choice first."

Cao Lixiong stood at attention and asked, "I heard that giving up one's existing rank leads to a drop in level. Is that true?"

Lu Heng nodded and replied, "Yes, in your case, it would likely drop to level 30. And at level 30, you might not be suitable for this upcoming Undersea Fog Crisis mission."

Cao Lixiong continued, "Instructor, do you have any suggestions?"

Lu Heng smiled and answered, "The Energy Shield Guardian rank belongs to the defensive category and can also protect your teammates. As part of the military division, you should understand the importance of systematic combat.

"If you're asking for my suggestion, I recommend upgrading the Ice Crystal Spear. As for the Tide Summoner Essence, it's a Mental Mastery type with certain supportive abilities, which might not align well with your strengths."

Cao Lixiong nodded and replied, "Yes, in that case, I choose to upgrade my skill."

The remaining Tide Summoner Essence was given to Jiang Shaoran.

Relatively speaking, the competition for the Tide Summoner Essence in this training wasn't as intense.

Out of the ten Marine Warriors, only two were Mental Mastery types, and Jiang Shaoran was one of them.

After the rewards were distributed, Lu Heng cleared his throat and announced the end of the training, "This training session is now over. According to the original plan, in three days, you will depart for the Malacca Strait to resolve the Undersea Fog Crisis there.

"Before departure, Liu Haiyang and Jiang Shaoran need to absorb the two Third-Stage Essences and get accustomed to their abilities."

"Yes!" The ten of them responded in unison.

...

Three days later, the Dragon Dive Special Forces gathered in full strength, with 60 members in the combat group and 30 in the logistics group.

This Malacca Strait Channel Undersea Fog Crisis requires the full deployment of the Special Forces.

Although the primary objective is to address the deep-sea mist rifts, other combat personnel are needed to provide support on surface vessels. Therefore, this mission is not solely for the ten Marine System Warriors but for the entire team.

However, not all of the Logistics Team needs to deploy. Twenty members will remain at Dragon Might Base, while another ten will accompany the Combat Team to the Malacca region.

Before departure, Lu Heng personally came to motivate all combat personnel, delivering an inspiring speech that fired up the entire Special Forces.

Lu Heng then spread out a map and drew a circle: "According to reconnaissance, the underwater rift is approximately here. Our navy vessels are already docked at the Lion City port.

"After departure, you will board an aircraft, land in Lion City, and rendezvous with the navy vessels. From there, you will set off to the target area for reconnaissance.

"Captain Jane will be in command of the specific battle plan, while Underwater Squad will be led by Squad Leader Cao Lixiong and Deputy Squad Leader Liu Haiyang.

"I and Li Guining will await your news at headquarters. Once you understand the plan, you can depart."

Lu Heng claimed that the circle on the map indicated the approximate location of the underwater rift based on reconnaissance, but in truth, it was an additional memory from his past.

This information didn't require much explanation; Ability Users had various reconnaissance methods, and as long as the provided information was accurate, it was sufficient.

"Yes, sir!"

The entire Special Forces stood at attention, then ran to their vehicles and headed for the airport, bound for Lion City.

...

This mission was particularly challenging because the White Eagle Federation's bases in that region had been swallowed by the mist, and they couldn't find a solution to the fog crisis.

It wasn't just the White Eagle Federation; Lion City had hired top-ranked mercenary organizations from around the world, including the Round Table Knights of the Lionheart Empire and the Oni Samurai of Fusang, but all had failed in that area.

Additionally, the White Eagle Federation's Executor mercenary organization, one of the top five mercenary groups on Bluesphere, had also been deployed, except for Dragon Might of Daxia, but they were still unable to disperse the channel's mist.

These top-five mercenary organizations worldwide weren't foolish; they had brought in Marine System Ability Users to infiltrate the ocean floor for investigation, but they suffered heavy casualties and couldn't locate the underwater mist rift.

One reason for this was that the current Marine System Ability User warriors were not yet fully developed.

At this stage, Marine System Ability Users had relatively weak combat power, which resulted in their low Essence Energy Ranks.

It was evident with a little thought.

Would Ability Users with resources, talent, and strength willingly choose the marine enhancement path?

To follow the marine enhancement route, one must use two skill slots to learn underwater respiration and underwater action skills.

For Ability Users with an average of only 2.15 initial skill slots, using two slots for skills that don't enhance combat power in this dangerous Abyssal Age is as good as a death sentence. Therefore, Marine System Ability Users at this stage are generally forced into this path, and their combat power on land is weak, so Ability User organizations don't prioritize their development.

In this vicious cycle, Marine System Ability Users at this stage are generally weak.

Countries like the White Eagle Federation that recruited Marine System Ability Users only assigned them to infiltrate the ocean floor for investigation and didn't consider them crucial combat assets for cultivation.

As a result, these Ability Users who infiltrated the ocean floor had no chance of escape when encountering Marine System Abyssal Beasts.

...

This time, Daxia's involvement made a difference.

Lu Heng specifically selected ten Marine System warriors and even upgraded their skills, while the Southern Theater provided additional resources.

Putting aside other factors, just their underwater swimming speed alone was enough to outclass Marine System Ability Users from other nations.

At this stage, the first-tier Marine System Ability Users could only match the speed of dolphins, approximately 10 meters per second.

However, Dragon Dive Special Forces' ten Marine System warriors, with their enhanced skills, started at 20 meters per second, the speed of sharks.

Those with exceptional talent were even faster.

Additionally, with the inclusion of Cao Lixiong, a Marine System shield guardian, their combined strength was unmatched by the inferior forces of other nations.

Furthermore, Lu Heng had marked the approximate location of this mission on the map, eliminating the need for a needle in a haystack.

With the capabilities of Liu Haiyang and the other nine Marine warriors, it would take only five or six days to locate the underwater mist rift.

Lu Heng believed that with Jane Qing and Chen Zi Hang leading the team, along with the strongest underwater forces at this stage, they could successfully complete this mission.

(End of Chapter)

Chapter end