Chapter 152

Words : 1213 Updated : Oct 7th, 2025

Chapter 152: Chapter 152 Clayton, ever alert, dodged the incoming object just as he had before—by surfing the waves of water beneath his feet. The long, heavy object slammed hard into the transparent dome. Boom! The dome trembled violently, but quickly stabilized. Outside, the onlookers recoiled in fear at the sudden appearance of the monstrous creature. Clayton sneered at their reaction. Inwardly, he thought, You really have no idea what true power looks like. He knew he’d only managed to survive this long because of his ability to ride the water waves. Without that, he’d have been dead many times over. "Heh... I’d love to see your faces if you were the ones trapped in here with that bloodthirsty monster," he muttered sarcastically. At first, it was just idle grumbling. But then, his eyes widened. "Wait a second! Why didn’t I think of this earlier?! My goal is to get away from the serpent, right? So why not get it outinstead? Let them deal with it while I escape. That’s killing two birds with one stone!" Realization lit up his face, and without hesitation, Clayton dashed toward the serpent. A cannon of water exploded against the serpent’s head, followed by a barrage of water-based spells from his skeletal minions. Though the attacks were powerful, only a few managed to pierce the beast’s thick scales. Clayton gave a bitter smile. Still, he wasn’t too concerned—he had a better plan. Enraged by the provocation, the serpent roared and lunged at him with terrifying speed. But Clayton only laughed gleefully. "Heh... Come on, you dumb worm! Follow me!" The serpent didn’t understand the insult—but it understood aggression. It gave chase, wild and furious. Clayton sped away from the center of the dome, surfing rapidly across the water. Once he’d gained enough distance, he pulled out a black marble and hurled it toward the edge of the dome. Then he cast a water wave spell, tethering it to the marble to act as a guide. The wave beneath him surged forward, racing straight toward the dome. The serpent followed, still enraged and determined not to lose its prey. At first, there was a good gap between them. But the serpent quickly closed the distance, coming within meters of Clayton—its gaping jaws ready to swallow him whole. In a split second, Clayton launched a water cannon spell at the ground beside him. The resulting explosion knocked him sideways, veering him sharply off course. The serpent, too focused on its target, charged straight ahead—right toward the dome. Grinning, Clayton swiftly chanted the Vibration Harmony Spell, sending ripples through the barrier. A gap opened—just in time. The serpent plunged through it. Clayton was overjoyed. Outside the dome, the spectators screamed in terror. Panic spread like wildfire as they scattered, racing toward the ripple Clayton had made. But before any of them could reach it, Clayton recast the spell, stabilizing the dome’s frequency. Bang! Those trying to enter slammed into the now-solid barrier. Some even burst into tears, as though they’d just seen the gates of hell swing open. Watching from a safe distance, Clayton let out a mocking laugh. "Haha! Didn’t you all beg to get inside? Well, now the dome’s sealed. And guess what? I brought the monster out to play!" Not only had he escaped danger, but he’d completely flipped the situation in his favor. The battle erupted in full force again. Spells and explosions echoed across the area. But this time, Clayton wasn’t concerned. In fact, he was pleased. His plan had worked. He lingered for a moment, watching how the others handled the serpent. But soon, his expression turned flat. The serpent still marked him as its primary target. It wasn’t attacking the others at all. Instead, it kept ramming its head against the dome, trying to find a way back in. That gave the others plenty of openings to attack. Clayton sighed, a bit disappointed—but not surprised. Letting them wear the monster down was fine with him. It would save him strength in the long run. Still, the creature remained dangerous. Whenever it thrashed from pain, it whipped its massive body and tail around, sending several unlucky fighters flying. Clayton grinned as he watched. Once confident the situation was under control, he ordered his skeletal minions to remain on guard, then made his way toward the inner chamber. The skeletons stayed behind, clashing with any stray attackers who might threaten the dome again. He walked until the soothing sound of running water reached his ears. The space was serene—lush, tranquil, and unexpectedly beautiful. It amazed him that such a terrifying monster had made its home here. But he quickly shook the thought aside. His eyes locked onto the glowing lotus in the center of the chamber. That had to be the real prize. He dove eagerly into the water and swam toward it, heart pounding. As he surfaced near the lotus, his breath caught in his throat. It was stunning—so beautiful that, for a moment, he hesitated to even touch it. But then he remembered everything he’d endured to get here, and his hesitation vanished. He approached, inspecting it closely. Even then, a part of him felt reluctant to "damage" something so exquisite—even though leaving empty-handed would be a colossal waste. Then a thought struck him: What if I could take it alive? He immediately remembered a special jar he’d won in a ice gambling. It could place living plants into hibernation without harming their roots. Hope renewed, he rummaged through his storage space. When he finally found the jar, he grinned with satisfaction. Now all that remained was figuring out how to move the lotus. At first, he was optimistic. But the more he tried, the more frustrated he became. The lotus was far more complex than he’d expected—its structure vast, its roots impossibly delicate. He couldn’t figure out where to cut without damaging it. After a long struggle, Clayton sighed and gave up. The roots had overtaken the entire cave, claiming it as their domain. He began to wonder—why had the serpent allowed this lotus to grow undisturbed? Clearly, this flower was incredibly valuable—valuable enough that even the monster had tolerated its presence. That meant it was just as valuable to him. As he looked more closely, he noticed a dozen lotus seeds hanging nearby. He leaned in and plucked one. The moment he touched it, his Observation Entry skill activated. The seed had miraculous properties—it could regenerate both body and soul, much like pine resin. It could even save someone on the brink of death. Clayton’s eyes widened in disbelief. They sparkled with excitement as drool unconsciously dripped from the corner of his mouth. No wonder the serpent let it grow here. Grinning, he carefully stored the seed in a secure pouch and reached for another. But just as his hand neared it—something stopped him. A root extended and wrapped tightly around his wrist, halting him mid-motion. Clayton froze, then yanked his arm back—but the grip was unyielding. Panic surged through him as he pulled harder—only to feel a sharp pain shoot up his arm. Then, as if things weren’t bad enough, a strange suction began pulling at his hand. Clayton’s face turned pale. "Damn it... What the hell is this?!"

Chapter 152

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