Chapter 116: Frenzied Ascension!

A single barrier of lightning would not have produced such an effect; naturally, it was the ever-present shroud of smoke encircling Wang Chen that was at work, slowly dragging the beasts to their deaths. The freshwater crocodiles trapped along the riverbank were also tormented by the smoke—each time they inhaled the white mist, it was as if swallowing a blade, twisting in agony.

Though the smoke’s lethality was gradual, its effects were persistent and broad, enveloping all the giant-toothed freshwater crocodiles and methodically slaughtering them. This was likely why some of the crocodiles leapt at Wang Chen—the billowing smoke around him was indeed provoking their ire.

One after another, the crocodiles were worn down and perished, but a few exceptional individuals managed to break through the chain of death. They scrambled toward Wang Chen with desperate speed.

Foremost among them, one crocodile bared its massive, jagged teeth, eager to tear Wang Chen apart. But before it could attack, a sudden splash sounded behind it, and a heavy weight landed squarely on its tail.

Confused, the crocodile wondered which of its kin had misjudged the landing and jumped right on top of it. It struggled to drag itself free, but the weight clung tightly to it, beginning to move back and forth. A sharp pain shot through its hindquarters, inflaming its rage, and it prepared to roll over, intending to throw off the strange intruder.

The moment it began to thrash, the crocodile perched on its back clamped down on its neck with savage jaws. It writhed in disbelief, but the horrifying force of the bite snapped its spine, and it died.

The assailant atop its back continued to cling feverishly and mechanically to the now-limp body, resuming its frenzied motion. Similar scenes played out among other crocodiles; those who finally broke free from the deathly smog and sought to devour Wang Chen instead found themselves ambushed by their own kind, leaping out of the water. Some, like the previous one, were killed for struggling, while others were luckier, escaping the pile driver and turning to savage their attackers.

Regardless, none could mount an effective assault on Wang Chen—their ranks dissolved into utter chaos.

Watching the pandemonium unfold, Wang Chen shook his head. “I knew it. Stacking three layers of the Hymn directly strips the target of all self-control. The result is always both lurid and brutal.”

Still, for beasts to go so far as to kill their own kind in the throes of that spell—such savagery belonged only to monsters. Animals were ruled by instinct, ill-equipped to resist such magic; humans, in general, would rarely turn on their kin so readily.

Even as he watched the frenzied spectacle, Wang Chen did not forget to seize the opportunity to finish off weakened foes.

From his palm, the sound of surging waves echoed.

“Wave Dragon Strike!”

A sinuous, elongated jet of water shot forth at high speed, whistling through the air like a roaring dragon. Threading through the chaos, the Wave Dragon Strike darted into the open maw of a crocodile still gaping after killing its kin. The piercing jet burrowed into its abdomen, churning its organs into pulp.

The great crocodile convulsed a few times and then collapsed with a crash.

Wang Chen moved on to his next target.

...

“Congratulations! Level up to Lv23. All attributes increased by 230 points.”

The upgrade notification chimed in Wang Chen’s ear—a sound he never muted. It was a pleasant melody, especially after a bout of relentless slaughter that had left him somewhat numb; it served to invigorate him.

The riverbank was now in utter ruin—colorful entrails strewn everywhere, the soil saturated with dark blood. The air reeked with an acrid stench that made Wang Chen’s head throb after prolonged exposure.

Fortunately, the beast that granted him his latest advancement was the last of the giant-toothed crocodiles. At last, he could leave this nauseating place.

He gathered the dropped materials into his storage ring, preparing to continue his journey downstream.

Just then, he noticed flashes of silvery light glimmering along the riverbank.

Focusing his gaze, Wang Chen saw several fish poking their heads above the water, gnawing at the carcasses of the crocodiles. Their scales gleamed with a bright luster, the sparkling reflections dancing over the surface.

A violet gleam flickered in Wang Chen’s eyes as information about the beasts surfaced in his mind.

“Brightscale Pomfret, Lv19.

Skill: Pomfret Surge. The Brightscale Pomfret is a gregarious predator; though no single individual is particularly powerful, their prodigious rate of reproduction enables them to hunt in massive schools. Once their numbers reach a certain threshold, even the mightiest creatures can be stripped to the bone in an instant.”

Drawn by the scent of blood and the feast of corpses, scores of Brightscale Pomfret swarmed the river’s surface, their gleaming bodies dazzling Wang Chen’s eyes.

He suspected this was an evolved predatory tactic—using the reflection of their scales to disorient prey along the bank, causing them to stumble into the river where the school would devour them.

“So I do all the hard work and you lot just waltz in to reap the spoils, is that it?”

Feeling somewhat indignant, Wang Chen decided to linger a while longer, despite the stench.

He raised the Forest Gale staff, mist swirling at its tip.

“Totem of Nature!”

Streams of water gathered at the end of his staff, coalescing into a pillar that roiled with a mighty vortex. Wang Chen guided the pillar into the river, weaving it among the pomfret.

Ensnared by the watery column, the Brightscale Pomfret were shredded to bits by razor-sharp currents, their glittering scales swirling in a cascade of flashing light. From Wang Chen’s vantage on the bank, he could see only bursts of blood blooming wherever the pillar swept past.

Some of the pomfret, enraged by his attack, leapt from the water to assail him directly.

But Wang Chen was well prepared. A wave-like sound issued from his palm, and a Wave Dragon Strike pierced a leaping pomfret, driving it back into the water column—where it too blossomed into a red mist.

Grinning at the angry flashes of the pomfret, Wang Chen chuckled.

“What can I say? If you’d evolved legs or learned restraint, you wouldn’t have walked right into my trap.”

He continued to manipulate the water pillar, reaping lives in a frenzy as his experience soared ever higher.

...

“Congratulations! Level up to Lv25. All attributes increased by 250 points.”

With two more Wave Dragon Strikes, Wang Chen dispatched the last pomfret that had managed to leap onto the bank. At last, he had wiped out the entire school; the river ran red with their blood, carrying the gory water downstream.

Surveying the scene, Wang Chen mused, “I wonder if this blood will attract another swarm of Brightscale Pomfret. If another wave comes, that’ll be easy hunting for me.”

“And even if it doesn’t, it will surely draw other ferocious beasts. Saves me the trouble of hunting them down.”

With that thought, he hastened downstream, following the bloody current, the shroud of smoke encasing him drifting along in his wake.