Atticus paused, his eyes narrowing as he took in the sight before him.
An intense green light reflected across his face, emanating from the enormous green body of water stretching endlessly before him.
The vast expanse shimmered under a strange light, like an ocean without end. His gaze sharpened as he focused on the foot-sized stones jutting out from the water, forming a narrow path across the endless green.
Each stone hovered barely a foot above the water's surface, the path stretching far into the distance, disappearing into the horizon.
"Shit," he muttered under his breath.
He didn't need to ask any questions to know this was bad news.
'Acid.'
He focused intently on the water. Whisps of ominous smoke drifted from its surface, pooling like clouds across the top.
A sharp, stinging scent assaulted his nose. There was no doubt about it: this was an ocean of acid. And considering it was part of his trial, Atticus knew it was far from ordinary.
Atticus sighed. 'I'll have to cross.'
The foot-sized stones forming a path into the ocean made his objective clear. He didn't even need to ask.
"Let's see," he murmured.
A ring of swirling mana materialized in his palm before shooting forward into the green ocean. Atticus watched calmly as it sizzled, dissipating into the water without leaving a trace.
'It's dense and can corrode mana,' he noted. Atticus had expected a small explosion or at least some reaction, but the acid had instantly neutralized his mana.
'Aside from the stone pathway, there's nothing else.'
After pondering for a moment, Atticus turned to the spirit.
"What are the effects of that ocean?"
He had no intention of touching the ominous green water directly, just as he had done with the white platform before. Luckily, his mana was considered an extension of himself, or so he hoped.
The spirit responded quickly.
"It's an ocean of acid, but as you expected, it's no ordinary acid. Its lethality has been adjusted to match your level. It will corrode both your mana and your body if you make contact."
Atticus frowned. His suspicions had been correct. The third trial was far more dangerous than the previous two.
"Are there any living beings in the ocean?"
"Yes."
"How many species currently inhabit it?"
"Just one."
Atticus fell silent. 'If they live in this ocean, their bodies must have adapted to it.'
The acid could corrode mana and burn even his body, which surpassed the toughness of a grandmaster+ rank. He found it hard to imagine how durable such creatures would be.
'Will I be able to shred them with my mana, or is that what the third technique is focused on?'
Even before stepping into the acid ocean, Atticus was already considering different scenarios.
After some thought, he nodded and turned back to the spirit. "How do I cross the ocean safely?"
"Use the foot-sized stones and make sure you don't fall. Lastly, stay cautious and alert."
Atticus exhaled, steadying his mind. Then, he approached the green ocean, the pungent smell of acid growing stronger.
He took a step onto one of the stones, then another, and another.
Walking calmly along the pathway, his senses remained on high alert.
'This is so uncomfortable.'
Though the stones hovered just a foot above the acid, Atticus could feel the heat and corrosive effects radiating from the ocean. Despite not making direct contact, the oppressive presence of the acid gnawed at him with every step.
He increased his pace, hoping to finish the trial quickly.
Earlier, Atticus had run through different scenarios and devised plans for each, but he knew nothing could compare to reality.
As he moved through the green sea of acid, the only sound was the random pops of bubbles bursting on the ocean's surface.
Each step was calculated, deliberate, his body ready to react at any moment. The acid splashes from the bursting bubbles came dangerously close, but he kept moving, eyes sharp, body tense.
Then it happened.
His head snapped to the side.
Movement.
He saw a shadow beneath the surface of the green ocean, quick, fleeting.
He froze.
Another shadow darted past, larger and closer this time.
His eyes narrowed, scanning. The acid churned as multiple small bubbles rippled across the surface. When they settled…
He saw them.
Silhouettes. Dozens, maybe hundreds, moving beneath the surface.
Their shapes were the size of large dolphins, or perhaps bigger, with pointed heads like harpoons.
They surrounded him, uncountable, their forms stretching into the horizon.
Atticus didn't breathe.
The world seemed to still as he stood on the narrow stone, acid fumes burning his lungs.
His mind raced, weighing his options. Then, as his foot touched the next stone, chaos erupted.
A beast shot from the acid with terrifying speed. Green and slick, its pointed head gleamed, resembling a living javelin.
It had no eyes, no teeth, only its arrow-like head and smooth, featureless skin.
Acid sprayed as the beast burst out, arcing toward him.
Atticus moved.
His body twisted sharply, his foot planting firmly on the edge of the stone. He leaned back, narrowly avoiding the acid splash as the beast hurtled past, cutting the air with a sharp whoosh.
The instant it re-entered the acid, another followed. Then another.
They came from every direction.
Harpoons of flesh erupted from the acid, their movements synchronized and precise. The air filled with the deafening sounds of splashes and whistling projectiles.
Atticus's body blurred.
Feet flickering across the stones, he twisted, turned, evaded. Each beast missed by a hair's breadth, the acid splashes licking at his heels but never catching him.
His mana roared.
A violent storm burst from his body, swirling outward and scattering the acid into droplets. But the beasts didn't stop, they only grew faster, more relentless.
One slammed into his mana storm, breaking through unscathed.
Atticus's gaze sharpened. 'No scratch.'
His mana storm, which had shredded an army of beasts in the first trial, had no effect on these creatures.
His expression darkened. He had been right, their bodies were tougher than anything he had ever encountered.
He flickered faster, his movements rapid, his mind racing for a solution.
The swarm of beasts shot out from the ocean, the acid rising like a tide around him.
And still, Atticus moved, evading, his icy gaze fixed and focused.
"I'll give it a try," he murmured under his breath, his gaze hardening.