Grand Ancestral Bloodlines

Ryu's head snapped in a particular direction, and he shot toward it without hesitation. He was, in one part, relieved that Selheira had made it to the third layer. This meant that she wasn't completely helpless, and she had managed to figure out what was happening as well. Though, she had a bit of an advantage because it was easy for this world to mistake her as a Demon.

But he was worried. Not only did this layer have even more danger, but if Ryu was correct, it probably had the current largest concentration of other participants.

The odds that she would run into a hostile party were too high. The concentration of enemies in the third layer was far too high.

This was also a good thing, though. If he had broken through this barrier and still couldn't sense her clearly, it would mean that his chances of doing so at all in this world would plummet to zero.

BANG! BANG! BANG! BANG! BANG!

Ryu kicked at the water again and again, surging forward with his greatest speed. From time to time, he would tweak his form as though he were back in that vast room of white once again. He was trying to attune himself to the best movement patterns for this world.

He truly had no experience fighting in the water. It differed completely from doing so in the air and required just as much adjustment as battling and flying at once.

In this place, it wasn't just an environment, but the water itself could become a weapon.

'Dammit,' Ryu cursed.

He had alerted an enemy. Soon, yet another tentacle was sweeping toward him.

'Hm?'

Ryu frowned. There was something off about this.

'Demon.'

He came to a sudden and forceful stop, a shockwave of water booming out in all directions. A vacuum formed in an instant, one the tentacle was rapidly repelled from.

Ryu didn't even look in its direction as he turned back around, thrusting out a fist.

It had all been nothing more than a distraction. The tentacle was so long that his senses couldn't grasp its full length, but that didn't stop his other senses from picking up that there was no body attached to the end of it.

Someone had thrown it at him to distract from the fact they were creeping up behind him.

'They're taking advantage of the lack of visibility,' Ryu calmly noted.

His senses locked onto the enemy, and his eyes lit up with a murderous intent.

BANG!

Ryu took a heavy step backward as the water crashed down around them, but the enormous fist before him, one that practically dwarfed his body, was unmoved.

Fractures accumulated along Ryu's forearm, but he shook it off, a single drop of Embryonic Qi healing it instantaneously.

'Hm? Even Embryonic Qi is weaker here? Just what the hell is this place?'

Although he had healed up, Ryu realized it was slow, almost as though it had lost its edge. Luckily, the wound was minor or else it might have taken even more time.

The opponent standing across from Ryu, obscured by the black waters, was the very same Fire Giant branch descendant that had stepped out to defend Wunikai.

He was on Ryu's kill list.

This time, Ryu didn't hesitate. The Fire Giant was about to say some savage words to get over his embarrassment of not being able to kill Ryu in a single blow, but he didn't expect that Ryu would suddenly attack without a word.

The giant was enormous, with skin of black steel and menacing horns that curled from his forehead. He was the stuff of nightmares, the sort of Demon parents would tell their children about.

But to Ryu, he was an ant.

Ryu's indifference toward his threat immediately enraged the giant, and he punched out again, this time even fiercer.

"You will respect the Blacksteel Giant Race!" He roared.

Ryu didn't say a word, sidestepping his attack and punching out at his cheek.

The sound of clanging metal echoed. The giant shrugged off the blow, opening its mouth and roaring at Ryu.

Unfortunately for it, Ryu had already vanished, leaving nothing but a booming echo of water behind.

BANG!

Ryu's fist slammed into the giant's back, the same echo of metal resounding.

The giant was getting annoyed. He was very used to fighting those of a smaller stature than himself, and Ryu wouldn't be able to do this normally if it was flat ground.

But he had yet to fully adapt to battle in these thick, heavy waters, while Ryu seemed to have done so with great ease.

That filled him with a hint of fear. How was that even possible?

The truth was that the giant hadn't known that it was Ryu at first. He just sensed someone ahead. He had an advantage compared to everyone else because the surface area of his body was so much larger, so he could sense more fluctuations in the water at a given time. So he had sensed Ryu before the latter sensed him and before he knew who Ryu was.

If he had known it was Ryu, he wouldn't have used a sneak attack at all. But now he was wondering if he should have used an even more sinister method.

Ryu's attacks couldn't even penetrate its tough skin, but as time went on, the giant sensed something frightening.

Every time Ryu attacked him, the next reverberating echo through its body seemed heavier and heavier.

At some point, even the waters resonated with that very same particular frequency and suddenly...

The giant coughed up a mouthful of blood.

BANG! BANG! BANG!

Ryu unleashed a fury of three fists in quick succession, his expression the picture of absolute indifference.

BOOM!

The giant froze as Ryu's last fist descended. In that moment, its inner organs were completely crushed, its tough skin having become the impetus for its death.

"Weak." Ryu said coolly before turning and continuing on his way.