Gu Ning couldn't help but marvel at his luck—starting with a purple epic talent. If he'd obtained it later, he'd have missed out on countless stat points. A moment of silence for the others.
After checking his stats, Gu Ning prepared to resume hunting sea beasts, but soon noticed an eerie lack of activity around them. A sense of dread crept in.
"Xiao Lan, slow down and stay alert," he warned.
Windsor, too, tensed, scanning their surroundings gravely.
As Xiao Lan towed the ship past an underwater mountain range, a shadow erupted from the rocks at blinding speed. Xiao Lan had no time to react, taking a direct hit. Blood clouded the water as two gaping wounds tore through the whale's side. Windsor acted instantly, casting a Light Shield to block the blow—otherwise, Xiao Lan would have been critically injured or worse.
The sea beast, a white, catfish-like creature with twin spiral horns glowing at the tips, circled them, clearly startled by Windsor's rapid response. Gu Ning used Spirit Vision:
Sea Bright Horned Beast (Purple)
Level: 6
Strength: 40
Agility: 41
Defense: 40
Skills: Stealth, Ray, Ram, Dash
Gu Ning's脸色 (complexion) sank. A purple-grade monster—equivalent to epic rank—and level 6 at that. Only Windsor could deal meaningful damage, thanks to her gear-boosted strength. Lucky its strength isn't over 60, or the shield would've broken.
"Windsor, focus on attacking. Xiao Lan and I will distract it," he ordered. There was no escape—the beast was faster than Xiao Lan.
Gu Ning fired a Water Arrow, hitting the beast's massive frame but causing minimal damage (15 strength vs. 40 defense). Still, the provocation worked: the beast charged the ship, ramming it with a Dash. The shield held, but the impact sent the vessel skidding backward. Dazed by the collision, the beast hesitated.
"Aim for the eyes!" Gu Ning shouted before the ship stabilized.
Windsor launched two Light Arrows. One pierced the right eye; the other struck the head. Even with high defense, the eyes were vulnerable—and Windsor's 45 strength made the difference. Purple blood gushed from the wounds, and the beast roared, its left eye blazing with fury.
Light rippled across its horns, converging into two rays that streaked toward the ship. Gu Ning ignored the attack, yelling for Windsor to target the left eye. Blind it before it flees.
Two more Light Arrows struck home, blinding the beast as its rays harmlessly rippled off the shield. Now maddened by pain and darkness, it thrashed wildly, firing random rays—but all missed.
Windsor relentlessly attacked the eye sockets. Soon, the beast slowed, then collapsed. A purple glow flashed, and a staff materialized in the water.
Gu Ning laughed triumphantly. Gear was harder to come by than currency, and this prize was worth the fight. Stepping onto the sea floor as if walking on land, he sprinted toward the staff—then froze at what Spirit Vision revealed:
Quanguang (Purple)
- 1st Trait: +30% light attribute strength.
- 2nd Trait: +30% mana.
- 3rd Trait: Stealth skill—hides the user.
Three traits, including percentage stat boosts and a utility skill. Back on the ship, Gu Ning handed the staff to Windsor, swapping her green one for his white.
[Notification: Windsor's affinity +5 for your trust.]
He smiled at her. "Heal Xiao Lan first, then we'll keep hunting."
With a nod, Windsor cast Heal, closing Xiao Lan's wounds in moments.
Their hunt resumed, but soon another crisis struck—two sea beasts locked in battle. By the time Gu Ning spotted them, both were battered: a dragon-like蛟 (jiao) with a broken horn and missing scales, and a polar bear with a mangled arm, blinded eye, and countless gashes. They faced off, blood pooling around them.
Gu Ning signaled Windsor to cast Stealth, then used Spirit Vision:
Deep Sea Demon Dragon (Purple)
Level: 11
Strength: 80
Agility: 83
Defense: 81
Skills: Demon Flame, Illusionary Gaze
Polar Ice Bear (Purple)
Level: 11
Strength: 83
Agility: 79
Defense: 83
Skills: Intimidate, Freeze, Giant Strike
Gu Ning nearly fled but forced himself to stay calm. Wait for them to exhaust each other. But as time passed, the beasts slowly retreated, turning to flee in opposite directions.
Gu Ning hesitated, then ordered Xiao Lan to tail the polar bear from a distance. The dragon's skills were too unpredictable, and the bear seemed the safer target.
The bear soon collapsed into a cave on a海底巨山 (giant underwater mountain). Its trail of blood suggested it was merely seeking temporary shelter, not returning to a lair. If it doesn't stop the bleeding, it might die within hours.
But time was short—the newbie bonus' 3-hour window had less than 20 minutes left. Gu Ning gritted his teeth. Risk it.