The Three-Tide Sea was unlike any place Lin Chen had ever seen.
Three massive ocean currents collided continuously.
Gigantic waves rose and fell without warning.
Even the Legendary Sea Fortress shook occasionally.
Standing at the bow of the fortress, Lin Chen stared at the Core Radar.
The enormous life signal remained beneath the ocean.
Waiting.
Watching.
The pressure alone was enough to make ordinary players despair.
A Team Chat notification appeared.
[Su Yao] : Have you arrived?
[Lin Chen] : Yes.
[Su Yao] : Be careful.
[Lin Chen] : You sound worried.
Several seconds passed.
Then her reply arrived.
[Su Yao] : My Talent keeps warning me.
[Su Yao] : Danger.
[Su Yao] : Extreme danger.
Lin Chen smiled slightly.
At this point, danger was expected.
The treasure he sought was a Diamond Chest.
If it were easy to obtain, it wouldn't be valuable.
Suddenly—
BOOOOOOM!!
The ocean exploded.
A massive wave hundreds of meters high surged upward.
The entire fortress shook violently.
Lin Chen's expression changed.
The guardian had finally awakened.
The sea split apart.
Something gigantic emerged from the depths.
First came the head.
Then the neck.
Then an enormous body covered in black scales.
Each scale was the size of a small car.
Two golden eyes stared directly at Lin Chen.
Ancient.
Cold.
Merciless.
A notification appeared.
Black Sea Dragon
Level: 50
Rank: King-Class Monster
Guardian of the Diamond Chest
Lin Chen's pupils contracted.
Level 50.
The strongest creature he had ever encountered.
The pressure alone surpassed every previous monster combined.
The dragon opened its mouth.
ROOOOOOOOOAR!!
The roar shook the sky.
Clouds scattered.
The ocean trembled.
Even the fortress creaked under the force.
Lin Chen gripped the Thunder Spear tightly.
For the first time since entering the game, he felt genuine danger.
Not challenge.
Danger.
Death was possible.
...
The Black Sea Dragon attacked first.
A pillar of water erupted from its mouth.
The attack crossed hundreds of meters instantly.
Boom!
One side of the fortress exploded.
Wood and steel fragments flew everywhere.
Warning notifications appeared continuously.
Fortress Durability Decreased
Fortress Durability Decreased
Lin Chen immediately moved.
Lightning erupted from the Thunder Spear.
Crack!
A bolt struck the dragon's neck.
Unfortunately...
Nothing happened.
The attack barely left a mark.
Lin Chen's expression darkened.
The defense difference was too great.
The dragon wasn't comparable to Elite Monsters.
This was a King-Class creature.
A completely different existence.
The battle intensified.
For the next hour, Lin Chen fought with everything he had.
The Thunder Spear.
The Mythic Armor.
The Core Turrets.
Everything was used.
Yet the dragon remained overwhelmingly powerful.
Its scales blocked most attacks.
Its strength shattered waves.
Its attacks repeatedly damaged the fortress.
Slowly but surely, Lin Chen was being pushed back.
Then something unexpected happened.
The dragon's tail smashed into the fortress.
BOOOOOOM!!
A huge section collapsed.
Among the wreckage, a storage container broke open.
Thousands of Advanced Talent Fruits scattered everywhere.
The dragon froze.
Its golden eyes focused on the fruits.
Lin Chen immediately noticed the reaction.
The creature wanted them.
Without hesitation, he threw several fruits toward the dragon.
The monster swallowed them.
Then another.
And another.
A strange expression appeared in its eyes.
Almost satisfaction.
An idea formed in Lin Chen's mind.
The Advanced Talent Fruits were massively multiplied by the 10,000× System.
Their quality likely exceeded normal versions.
Perhaps...
To the dragon, they were treasures.
Lin Chen quickly threw more.
The dragon consumed them eagerly.
Several minutes later, the atmosphere changed completely.
The hostility faded.
The Black Sea Dragon no longer attacked.
Instead, it floated peacefully beside the fortress.
Lin Chen stared in disbelief.
Then a notification appeared.
King-Class Monster Favorability Increased
Black Sea Dragon recognizes your value
Lin Chen nearly laughed.
After fighting for over an hour, he had solved the problem using fruit.
The dragon slowly moved aside.
The ocean beneath it began glowing.
A massive treasure chest rose from the depths.
Blue crystal.
Silver metal.
Golden runes.
The most beautiful chest Lin Chen had ever seen.
Diamond Treasure Chest
His heartbeat accelerated.
Success.
The guardian had acknowledged him.
The Diamond Chest was finally his.
Without hesitation, Lin Chen opened it.
A brilliant light illuminated the entire sea.
The rewards appeared.
Diamond Treasure Chest Opened
Obtained:
- Divine Crystal ×1,000
- Legendary Skill Book ×1
- Ancient Inheritance Key ×1
- Diamond Equipment Chest ×1
Then—
The familiar golden light appeared.
10,000× System Activated
Everything transformed.
Divine Crystal ×10,000,000
Legendary Skill Book → Mythic Skill Book
Ancient Inheritance Key → Divine Inheritance Key
Diamond Equipment Chest → Divine Equipment Chest
Lin Chen's breathing stopped.
Divine.
Every reward had evolved beyond the Diamond Chest's original limit.
The Divine Inheritance Key immediately caught his attention.
He opened its description.
Divine Inheritance Key
Required to enter the Ancient Sea God's Inheritance.
Lin Chen froze.
Sea God?
An inheritance left behind by a god?
Even he understood how valuable that was.
No wonder Su Yao called the Diamond Chest a key.
The true reward wasn't the chest itself.
It was access to an inheritance.
At that moment, a world announcement appeared.
World Announcement
A player has opened the first Diamond Treasure Chest.
New Feature Unlocked.
Auction House Upgrade
Regional Market Upgrade
World Market Unlocked
The entire human population exploded into discussion.
Regional Chat instantly flooded.
[Player 822] : A Diamond Chest?!
[Player 391] : Someone already found one?
[Player 173] : That's impossible.
[Player 571] : Who opened it?
As always, the announcement revealed no identity.
Only the achievement.
Lin Chen smiled.
The privacy system continued protecting him.
Nobody knew who obtained the Diamond Chest.
Nobody knew what rewards he received.
Nobody knew he now possessed a Divine Inheritance Key.
The Black Sea Dragon slowly lowered its head.
Then another notification appeared.
Black Sea Dragon has become a Neutral Creature
You may visit the Three-Tide Sea safely
Lin Chen laughed.
The most powerful monster he had ever met was now friendly.
That outcome was completely unexpected.
The journey to the Diamond Chest had finally ended.
But a much greater adventure was about to begin.
The Ancient Sea God's Inheritance.
The Divine Inheritance Key.
And the rapidly approaching Monster Tide.
The future looked more dangerous than ever.
Yet Lin Chen couldn't help smiling.
Because danger and opportunity had always gone hand in hand.
And he had just obtained the greatest opportunity since entering the game.