The sixth day of the Monster Tide arrived beneath a blood-red sunrise.
Across the world, billions of survivors were exhausted.
The endless battles.
The constant pressure.
The fear of death.
All of it had worn humanity down.
Yet nobody dared relax.
Only one day remained before the Monster Tide ended.
And according to every previous pattern, the final days were always the most dangerous.
Lin Chen stood quietly on the deck of the Sea Fortress.
The ocean wind brushed against his face.
In front of him, the Core Radar displayed a single target.
The Ancient Abyss Beast.
Ever since the hidden temple appeared on its back, his attention had been completely focused on it.
The Sea God Inheritance.
The second Sea God Fragment.
And perhaps answers regarding the mysterious warnings surrounding the game itself.
All of them seemed connected to that colossal creature.
A Team Chat notification appeared.
[Su Yao] : You're leaving today.
[Lin Chen] : How do you know?
[Su Yao] : Because I would.
[Lin Chen] : That's a surprisingly normal answer.
[Su Yao] : Enjoy it while it lasts.
Lin Chen laughed.
Over time, Su Yao had become much less distant.
Not that she would ever admit it.
[Lin Chen] : Anything new?
Several seconds passed.
[Su Yao] : Yes.
His expression immediately became serious.
[Lin Chen] : What happened?
[Su Yao] : A Mythic Treasure Chest appeared.
Lin Chen's eyes widened.
Mythic.
The highest treasure grade currently known.
Even Diamond Chests were incredibly rare.
A Mythic Chest should be almost impossible.
[Lin Chen] : Location?
[Su Yao] : Unknown.
[Lin Chen] : Helpful.
[Su Yao] : I know.
A moment later another message arrived.
[Su Yao] : But I know one thing.
[Lin Chen] : What?
[Su Yao] : It's connected to the Ancient Abyss Beast.
Lin Chen slowly looked toward the horizon.
Interesting.
Very interesting.
The temple.
The inheritance.
The Mythic Chest.
Everything was gathering around the same location.
That couldn't be coincidence.
...
Several hours later, the Sea Fortress finally reached its destination.
At first, Lin Chen thought he was looking at an island.
Then he remembered the truth.
It wasn't an island.
It was the shell of the Ancient Abyss Beast.
Even after seeing it once before, the sight remained unbelievable.
Mountains rose across its back.
Ancient forests stretched endlessly.
Waterfalls cascaded down its shell.
The creature was so large that it created its own ecosystem.
The Sea Fortress looked microscopic in comparison.
Lin Chen activated Abyss Sight.
Blue energy immediately flooded his vision.
His gaze focused on the center of the creature's shell.
There.
A massive golden light shone like a miniature sun.
The temple.
Without hesitation, Lin Chen moved.
The Sea Fortress approached the creature's shell.
Moments later, he stepped onto the Ancient Abyss Beast itself.
A notification appeared instantly.
Special Region Discovered
Back of the Ancient Abyss Beast
Experience +500
The moment his feet touched the ground, he felt it.
Ancient energy.
Powerful.
Mysterious.
Older than anything he had encountered before.
The entire region seemed alive.
Trees covered the landscape.
Strange creatures wandered through the forests.
Even the air felt different.
For several minutes, Lin Chen simply explored.
Everywhere he looked, rare resources appeared.
Ancient herbs.
Spirit fruits.
High-grade minerals.
This place was a treasure trove.
Yet he ignored most of it.
His goal was the temple.
The golden light continued guiding him forward.
...
Several hours later, the temple finally appeared.
It stood atop the highest mountain on the Ancient Beast's shell.
The structure was enormous.
Ancient pillars reached toward the sky.
Golden runes covered every surface.
Even from a distance, Lin Chen could feel the pressure radiating from it.
The closer he approached, the stronger the feeling became.
Then a notification appeared.
Sea God Temple
Requirements Met
Divine Inheritance Key Detected
The temple gates slowly opened.
A deep rumbling echoed across the mountain.
Lin Chen's heartbeat accelerated.
At last.
The inheritance was finally within reach.
He stepped inside.
The interior was even more impressive.
Ancient statues lined both sides of the hall.
Blue flames burned within giant braziers.
The ceiling disappeared into darkness.
The entire place radiated divine authority.
Then a familiar notification appeared.
Sea God Fragment Detected
Lin Chen immediately moved toward the source.
At the center of the hall stood a crystal pedestal.
Floating above it was a glowing blue fragment.
The second fragment.
Without hesitation, he reached out.
The moment his hand touched it, the fragment merged into his body.
A brilliant light filled the temple.
Sea God Fragment Obtained
Progress: 2/100
A second notification followed.
Strength +20
Constitution +20
Spirit +20
Lin Chen's eyes widened.
Simply obtaining a fragment granted permanent bonuses.
If all one hundred fragments offered similar rewards...
The completed inheritance would be unimaginable.
...
Suddenly, the temple shook.
A powerful pressure filled the hall.
Ancient runes illuminated across the floor.
A voice echoed throughout the chamber.
Inheritance Candidate Detected.
Trial Initiated.
Lin Chen froze.
Trial?
Before he could react, the surroundings changed.
The temple disappeared.
The mountain disappeared.
Everything vanished.
When his vision returned, he found himself standing inside a vast ocean.
No.
Not an ocean.
A memory.
A figure stood before him.
Tall.
Powerful.
Wearing blue armor.
Holding a trident.
The Sea God.
Even though it was only a projection, the pressure was overwhelming.
The figure slowly turned.
Its gaze landed on Lin Chen.
Then it spoke.
The inheritance is not a gift.
It is a responsibility.
The surrounding ocean trembled.
Massive waves rose into the sky.
Ancient sea creatures appeared everywhere.
The vision continued.
Lin Chen witnessed wars.
King-Class Monsters.
Ancient civilizations.
Gods battling each other.
The scale exceeded anything he had imagined.
Finally, the vision ended.
The Sea God looked directly at him.
Grow stronger.
The true trial begins after the Monster Tide.
The projection disappeared.
The world returned.
Lin Chen stood inside the temple once more.
His heartbeat raced.
The amount of information he had just witnessed was enormous.
Gods existed.
Ancient civilizations existed.
And apparently, something important would happen after the Monster Tide.
A Team Chat notification suddenly appeared.
[Su Yao] : You're inside.
Lin Chen blinked.
[Lin Chen] : You really are cheating.
[Su Yao] : Maybe.
[Lin Chen] : The temple contains a trial.
Several seconds passed.
[Su Yao] : I know.
[Lin Chen] : Of course you do.
For the first time, a rare response arrived.
[Su Yao] : Be careful.
[Lin Chen] : Why?
A long pause followed.
Then—
[Su Yao] : Because you're not the only inheritance candidate anymore.
Lin Chen's smile disappeared.
His eyes narrowed.
The mysterious Rank Two survivor.
Other inheritances.
Ancient warnings.
Perhaps he truly wasn't alone.
Perhaps powerful players across the world were beginning to receive opportunities similar to his own.
If that was true...
The competition was about to become much more dangerous.
...
As evening approached, Lin Chen finally exited the temple.
The mountain breeze felt strangely refreshing.
Yet before he could return to the Sea Fortress, Abyss Sight suddenly activated.
His gaze turned toward the far side of the Ancient Beast's shell.
A golden light appeared.
A different golden light.
Brighter.
Stronger.
More intense.
Then a notification appeared.
Mythic Treasure Chest Detected
For several seconds, Lin Chen simply stared.
A Mythic Chest.
The first one.
And it was on the Ancient Abyss Beast.
A slow smile appeared on his face.
The day wasn't over yet.
Not even close.