Chapter 152: Naga? The Deep Sea?
Matthew admired the Murloc Tidecaller's "bravery" for a moment, then waved his hand decisively:
"Finish them!"
On the way over, Matthew had already cast the second-tier spells "Water Walk" and "Water Breathing" on everyone.
He drained nearly all of his mana, leaving only a residual 30 points.
Yet, Matthew wasn't too concerned.
After all, he didn't need to get his hands dirty!
Yaya had already ripped apart the Murloc Warriors and soared back out of the water.
She hovered above, flapping her wings, acting as the final safeguard.
Beelzebub charged in first, his massive frame barreling forward with unstoppable force.
The Murloc Tidecaller's expression shifted as it ordered the last two Murloc Warriors to hold the line.
Simultaneously, two Murloc Diviners hastily began casting spells.
They summoned two towering water elementals, hoping to block Beelzebub's path.
Beelzebub sneered, wielding his twin battle axes, and slammed into the Murloc Warriors.
The frightened Murloc Warriors braced themselves, raising their battered weapons to block the incoming axes.
Crash!
With a crisp sound, their weapons shattered, and the axes cleaved into the warriors' chests.
The crunching of bones overshadowed the Murloc Warriors' agonized screams.
In just a few breaths, the warriors crumbled.
The Tidecaller's buff spells never even reached them.
Fear flickered in the Tidecaller's eyes as Beelzebub continued his relentless approach.
The newly summoned water elementals stood firm in Beelzebub's way.
They hurled blue energy spheres at his chest, only to splash harmlessly against his magic barrier.
Second-tier spell—Mana Shield!
Unhindered, Beelzebub's axes sliced through the water elementals.
His momentum carried him forward, and with a single swing, he split a Murloc Diviner encased in ice armor in two.
The other, overwhelmed by fear, tried to flee.
But it was too slow, falling under Beelzebub's next strike.
Fully harnessing the power of his bloodline, wielding enchanted weapons, and bolstered by spells, Beelzebub's combat prowess was staggering.
Facing his overwhelming strength, the murlocs were no more than firewood beneath his blade.
"Ahh..."
The Murloc Tidecaller despaired under Beelzebub's crushing pressure.
All the remaining murlocs had been held off by Matthew's companions.
From commanding tens of thousands to being utterly alone—this had all unfolded in just a little over ten minutes.
Crash!
Beelzebub's heavy axe shattered the Tidecaller's icy shield.
Just as he twisted his axe to finish it off with a grin...
The Murloc Tidecaller's eyes turned pitch black.
It opened its mouth, and an invisible, eerie shockwave burst forth.
Beelzebub froze in place, his mind going blank.
Even with his extraordinary constitution and Frost Giant bloodline, he couldn't withstand this strange attack.
Matthew's expression changed as realization dawned:
Fifth-tier spell—Mind Storm!
But the problem was, murlocs didn't normally possess psychic abilities!
The shockwave was spreading fast.
If it fully unleashed, everyone except the tough-skinned Beelzebub could be in mortal danger.
Thinking quickly, Matthew instantly spent 5 skill points to max out "Quick Casting" to level 5.
Quick Casting LV5: 200%→300% faster casting speed, 10% spell success rate bonus!
Instinctively, Matthew cast "Melf's Acid Arrow," the bolt flying like lightning and hitting the Murloc Tidecaller square in the face.
Sizzle!
"Aah…!"
Its scream echoed across the Silvermoon Riverbank.
Angela, dazed, shook her head, feeling warm liquid drip from her nose.
She looked at Matthew and saw no sign of pain on his face beneath the cloak. Only then did she relax a little.
The others, clutching their throbbing heads, stared in shock at the Murloc Tidecaller's corpse, its skull corroded.
They all felt immense relief: "Thank the lord for Matthew's intervention—things could have gotten dangerous."
Then, even Beelzebub looked somewhat ashamed.
Everyone felt they had been useless.
Though Matthew had created the best conditions for them, they still felt they had fallen short.
As everyone remained silent, Matthew studied the Murloc Tidecaller's body thoughtfully, reading the system's notification:
"Ding, you killed a Murloc Tidecaller (Naga Emissary), earning 3000 experience points and 1 skill point."
"Ding, you've acquired information about the 'Naga Emissary.' Spend 1000 experience points to analyze it?"
The ever-more "intelligent" system seemed to be learning to demand experience points on its own now.
Matthew wondered if one day it might start asking for Fate Coins too.
That fleeting thought passed, and Matthew focused intently on the new information:
"Naga Emissary, serving the Karmi Naga Clan of the Abyssal Trench in the Sea of Death."
A short line that cost Matthew 1000 experience points.
That's the price of killing 1000 murlocs, but Matthew felt it was worth every point.
The Sea of Death bordered the Eastern Province and was vast and treacherous, hiding islands and terrifying relics.
The Abyssal Trench, a notorious region in the Sea of Death, was well-known to Matthew—it would one day be the primary battleground for the Naga and the Farsico Empire.
The Karmi Naga Clan was even more significant.
A colossal Naga clan with millions of Nagas and billions of enslaved sea beasts.
In a few years, the Karmi Naga Clan would begin extending its reach to the mainland, triggering the devastating Naga Tides.
"I thought the Naga wouldn't make their move so soon, but they've already started planting their seeds..."
"Could this murloc unrest be their doing?"
"Whether it's gathering intelligence or sowing chaos, the Naga are definitely causing trouble for the mainland forces."
"Looks like profiting from the Murlocs' destruction won't be possible..."
"But others might find this information valuable!"