Earth harbored two supreme Monster Kings hidden in its depths: the Octopus King and the Thunder Dragon King.
In the original timeline, these ancient predators would have emerged alongside the Golden-Horned Beast to assault humanity's base cities in a coordinated offensive. But that future had changed. The Golden-Horned Beast remained dormant as an egg in some unknown oceanic trench, and the two Monster Kings continued lurking in the abyssal depths, waiting for an opportunity that would never come.
Today was a perfect day for hunting, clear skies, calm seas, and humanity's counteroffensive beginning at last.
A triangular fighter craft hovered above the azure expanse, and three figures emerged into the open air.
The ocean below appeared deceptively tranquil, its mirror-smooth surface concealing the terrible powers that dwelled beneath. The stillness felt ominous, as if something monstrous was gathering its strength in the depths.
"Han Jue, do it," Thunder God said, barely containing his excitement.
Han Jue nodded and drew Frost from his back, the blade gleaming with supernatural cold even in the bright sunlight.
Wave!
Over the past several days, through intensive study of the "Ice Wasteland Sword Technique - Foundation" manual and with Rimuru's expert guidance, Han Jue had perfected this self-created technique. The move now possessed the power to literally move mountains and fill seas.
"Whoosh!"
The water's surface erupted violently as Han Jue's sword split the ocean itself, carving a massive rift through the liquid expanse. Seawater displaced by the strike surged upward, forming waves nearly one hundred meters high, tsunamis powerful enough to obliterate an entire town with casual ease.
The rift didn't last long. Water rushed back to fill the void with tremendous force, the ocean reasserting its dominance over the temporary wound.
Hong glanced at Han Jue with obvious surprise.
Although the young warrior hadn't yet mastered a complete Domain, his understanding of water's fundamental essence had reached an extraordinarily deep level, perhaps deeper than even Thunder God's comprehension of lightning. It wouldn't be long before Han Jue surpassed his mentor entirely in this aspect of cultivation.
"Will this really lure the Monster Kings out?" Han Jue asked skeptically, watching the sea gradually calm once more, returning to its previous mirror-smooth state.
Thunder God, in turn, glanced at Hong with a questioning look.
Seeing this exchange, Hong could only respond with mild exasperation. "It should work. The last satellite observation showed both Monster Kings were near this area."
"With such a commotion right outside their territory, why wouldn't they come investigate?" Thunder God added, his confidence unwavering.
"Wait, something's coming," Han Jue said suddenly, his gaze fixed intently on the waters below.
His Six Eyes, enhanced and evolved after his breakthrough to Planetary level, had become extraordinarily perceptive. Previously, they'd allowed Thunder God to approach within striking distance undetected. Now, unless a Stellar-level expert specialized in stealth techniques, nothing could escape his enhanced vision.
A massive shadow stretched beneath the surface, elongated, serpentine, easily exceeding one hundred meters in length. It approached rapidly, rising from the depths with predatory purpose.
"ROAR!"
An enormous dragon head burst from the water with explosive force, attempting to bite Han Jue in a single devastating strike. But Han Jue's blade flashed faster, slashing cleanly through scales, bone, and brain matter. The creature's severed head fell into two pieces, twitching briefly before going still, any regenerative abilities rendered useless by the precise bisection.
"East Sea Azure Dragon?" Hong raised an eyebrow with genuine surprise.
He hadn't expected such a renowned King-level monster to emerge so readily, much less to be eliminated so quickly and efficiently.
Because Hong had deployed his Domain of Light to envelop himself and Thunder God, concealing their presence from detection, the East Sea Azure Dragon had only perceived Han Jue as a threat. The creature had assumed it faced a single enemy and paid for that miscalculation with its life.
The waters remained eerily calm for several long moments.
Below the surface, the surviving monsters appeared to be debating their next move, perhaps arguing over who should venture forth to face this unknown threat.
Han Jue waited with growing impatience, his enhanced perception tracking movement in the depths.
Finally, he noticed renewed activity below, not one shadow this time, but many.
Over a dozen dark shapes surged upward from the abyss simultaneously!
"SPLASH!"
More than a dozen King-level monsters burst from the water in coordinated assault, their varied forms creating a nightmarish gallery of teeth, claws, tentacles, and scales. They descended upon Han Jue from multiple angles, attempting to overwhelm him through sheer numbers and coordinated attacks.
Facing more than a dozen King-level monsters simultaneously would challenge even Mo Henderson, the 'Ice Emperor' himself. The former Third Speaker would likely be forced into defensive retreat, perhaps even pursued if he couldn't disengage cleanly.
But Han Jue's greatest strength had always been fighting multiple opponents.
Wave!
His sword moved with fluid grace, each strike generating massive surges of water that crashed down upon the King-level monsters with devastating force. The Artistic Conception of Water was woven throughout the technique, and as Han Jue's understanding deepened with each passing moment, something extraordinary occurred.
The Water Domain manifested almost naturally, blooming into existence around him like a flower opening to sunlight!
The enhanced talents from consuming the Heaven's End Ice Crystal Fruit, combined with the mutation of his Six Eyes upon reaching Planetary level, were finally revealing their full effects. The transformation was instantaneous and complete.
"Excellent!" Han Jue exclaimed, joy surging through him.
The Water Domain immediately seized control of the surrounding ocean, binding the monsters within its influence. They thrashed and struggled, but found their movements sluggish, their strength diminished, as if the water itself had turned against them, which, in a very real sense, it had.
One sword strike!
Slash!
Suppressed by the Water Domain and facing a warrior who'd just broken through to a higher level of understanding, these King-level monsters stood no chance whatsoever.
Mastering a Domain meant becoming invincible among warriors of the same rank. It granted the ability to fight opponents from higher realms entirely. Most experts who reached Universe level found themselves unable to break through to Domain Master precisely because they'd never grasped this fundamental concept!
"Second Brother, you need to work harder," Hong said from above, his tone carrying gentle amusement as he glanced at Thunder God beside him.
Thunder God felt genuine tears welling in his eyes, his voice thick with emotion and frustration. "Brother Hong, how did you comprehend your Domain? Why does it seem so effortless for everyone else?"
"Domain comprehension is a matter of personal enlightenment and effort," Hong replied, shaking his head with sympathy. "Second Brother, I truly cannot help you with this. Each warrior must find their own path to understanding."
With the fall of these King-level monsters, their blood staining the water crimson before dispersing, the ocean's surface calmed once more.
This time, after two or three hours of patient waiting, there was still no movement from the depths.
The monsters below had apparently been frightened into hiding, unwilling to sacrifice more of their kind to this overwhelming threat.
"Shall we descend and hunt them down?" Han Jue asked, glancing at the two legendary warriors hovering above. "Now that I've mastered the Water Domain, it's uncertain who truly dominates these depths, them or me."
While Han Jue and his companions launched their oceanic assault, humanity's forces on land initiated their own counteroffensive against the monster populations.
This operation differed fundamentally from the beast horde attack that would have been led by the Golden-Horned Beast in the original timeline. This time, humans had seized the initiative, catching the monsters completely off guard with coordinated strikes across multiple continents.
With the sea monsters' attention diverted and the greatest underwater threats being eliminated, humanity's united forces could focus on defeating the King-level monsters that remained on land. The odds had shifted decisively in their favor.
On the Chinese front, the military forces led by Commander Jia Yi, with Han Hechang and Han Hesheng providing crucial Planetary-level support, systematically hunted down and annihilated the King-level monsters lurking throughout the nation's territories, hidden in mountain ranges, dwelling beneath rivers, or burrowing deep underground.
Sophisticated laser cannon arrays had been positioned to protect the major base cities, reducing any monsters foolish enough to attack urban centers to ash with devastating efficiency.
Han Jue had previously transferred all the items recovered from the Bronze City to his uncle's custody. Han Hechang kept the resources most useful to the Han family's warriors, then donated the majority to the Chinese military. This generous contribution resulted in China suffering minimal losses while achieving significant strategic gains during the counteroffensive.
After the primary King-level monsters were defeated, the surviving lord-level creatures lost their organizational structure and tactical discipline. Without the Monster Kings' leadership, they mindlessly attacked the base cities in uncoordinated assaults. They were systematically annihilated by the laser cannon defenses without posing meaningful threats to the civilian populations.
Eventually, the laser cannons weren't even necessary. War Gods from various base cities ventured out to hunt the remaining lords as routine combat exercises. Wang Heng, who'd recently achieved his breakthrough to War God level and now served as director of the Thunder Dojo's Jiangnan Base City branch, personally slew several lord-level monsters in succession, cementing his new reputation.
While not quite as overwhelmingly victorious as China, other regions also reaped significant rewards from the global operation.
King-level monsters themselves represented valuable resources, their bodies containing precious materials for equipment and cultivation. America, led by Mo Henderson and boasting technological capabilities even superior to China's in some respects, found it relatively straightforward to combat the King-level threats. Their casualties remained acceptably low.
Only some of the more remote and poorly defended base cities suffered heavy damage during the operation, though even they managed to achieve some gains that offset their losses.
Overall, humanity had won a resounding and historic victory, the first decisive offensive success since the Great Nirvana had shattered civilization decades ago!
Deep beneath the ocean's surface, where pressure would crush ordinary humans and light faded to absolute darkness, the three warriors had already learned of humanity's triumphs on land.
The only remaining battleground left to secure was the ocean itself.
The monsters dwelling in these depths were exponentially stronger and far more numerous than their terrestrial counterparts. Furthermore, the two strongest Monster Kings on Earth claimed the seas as their domain, making this final phase of the operation the most dangerous by far.
Han Jue, wielding his Water Domain with increasing confidence and control, led Hong and Thunder God down through the depths, quickly locating their primary target through enhanced perception.
The Octopus King!
This legendary creature was renowned throughout the monster world for its nearly impenetrable defense, supernatural regeneration, deadly venom, and crushing strangulation capabilities. Few warriors had ever faced it and survived to report their findings.
The East Sea Azure Dragon had been its subordinate, and this entire oceanic region likely fell under its territorial control.
"Who's taking the first engagement?" Thunder God asked, his excitement barely contained despite the gravity of the situation.
With the support of Han Jue's Water Domain amplifying their abilities and restricting the enemy, all three of them felt confident they could defeat the Octopus King in single combat if necessary.
"Let me handle this," Han Jue said with a slight smile, his eyes gleaming with anticipation. "I just achieved my breakthrough. It's time to test my new capabilities against a worthy opponent."
Hong and Thunder God exchanged glances, then nodded their agreement. If Han Jue encountered genuine difficulty, they would intervene immediately, but they suspected no such intervention would prove necessary.
The young warrior who'd once struggled against high-level Beast Generals had evolved into something far more formidable. Now it was time to see just how powerful he'd truly become.