Awakening: I Ascend As A Legendary Ranked Necromancer-Chapter 35: Dark sea and tea

I glared at Thayer Argent. The man was sitting calmly on a nearby platform, doing something utterly ridiculous.

And he was drinking tea. A fucking tea!

He had brought out a teapot and cup, casually pouring himself a serving as if we were at a picnic instead of a slaughter ground.

"I didn’t think I’d meet you here," he said lightly and smiled in satisfaction as if he was listening to a joke that only him could hear.

"Is that so?" I replied flatly. "I didn’t see you when I arrived."

There were very few Awakeners nearby which was exactly why I had chosen this place.

"I must have been underwater then. See?"

I glanced back and narrowed my eyes.

Thayer held his Grimoire in his left hand. His right arm was covered in dark water. With a small gesture, the liquid spun upward, lifting into the air and wrapping around him like a living thing.

"I bought this today," he said casually. "A mix of water-based aspects and fire. Strange combination."

"How much did you spend?" I asked in curiosity, while keeping my surroundings in my alertness.

I still couldn’t believe there was a Grimoire that allowed someone to spend real-world money to buy abilities. Isn’t that just a cheat for a rich person like him?

"The water control cost three hundred thousand gold coins," he replied, taking a sip. "For two hours, I’ll have Iron-rank water control ability. What do you think?"

My head spun, three hundred thousand coins. Three hundred thousand dollars in real life. To burn that much money for something that lasted only two hours, how rich was this man?

"Can you buy Silver-rank skills?" I asked,

But before he could answer, the monsters arrived.

Their roars tore through the air as they descended like strange rains, slamming onto platforms with deafening crunches and massive splashes. But not all of them landed cleanly.

Some crashed into the sea, freezing the water beneath them to form jagged ice platforms that they used to stand on. Others smashed into stone bridges and burst apart. But most fell straight onto others Awakeners, killing them instantly.

One orc dropped toward Thayer like a falling arrow.

But dark water surged upward like monstrous tentacles, slapping the creature away midair.

"Oh dear," Thayer said, smirking.

I watched him casually fend off an orc, and even from a distance, it was impressive. Another orc landed directly in front of me, shattering part of the ladder and sending the platform shaking.

I nearly lost my footing, the monster roared and brought its stone axe down. I transformed my hand, and our weapons collided. I poured all my strength into the strike, targeting the orc’s grip.

The axe shattered in one blow, the force shockwave hurled the orc backward and It stared at me in shock.

I smiled. "I’m Iron rank. Hermit is Iron rank. If I hit you with the full strength of an Iron-rank body... how do you think that’ll feel?"

My hand transformed again, stretching, thickening, tentacles coiling into massive fists. This was something I’d realized during the three days of nonstop grinding.

If Hermit is Iron rank, and I focus all that power into a single attribute of strength, like I’m doing now, what happens?

The orc bellowed, its arm warping with ice as it lunged.

I punched, I used all of Hermit’s strength and Its head burst like an egg, ribs collapsed inward and shattered completely.

Thayer whistled and clapped. "One hit killed an Iron-rank B. As expected of you, Mr. Torvan. See? This is why I want you to join you."

I ignored him as I stored the monster in my ring.

A thought surfaced within my mind. If I hunt orcs here and take them back... could I sell them at the Tower? That shouldn’t be against the rules.

Right?

"Are you staying here?" I asked. Not that I actually care but I want to know what he would do so he won’t be in my way.

Thayer looked as relaxed as someone enjoying a picnic, water tentacles lazily coiling around his limbs.

"Of course."

"Good for you."

I darted forward, leaping across platforms as chaos exploded everywhere. Awakeners fought orcs while keeping wary eyes on one another.

I stopped short.

Ahead of me stood an orc twice the size of a grown man. It swung its axe downward, cleaving an elf in half. Hot gore spilled into the water below. The orc grunted in satisfaction, then turned its dark eyes on me. It bellowed, bloodlust burning. Ice formed around its hand, shaping into a spear that glinted in the sun.

Cold washed over me.

I raised my transformed hand and smiled. "Let’s get on with it."

The orc hurled the spear and charged immediately after it.

I slapped the spear aside, and gasped.

Frost crept across my hand where it had struck. "Just how strong is that magic?"

Hermit warned me just as the orc chopped down again. I spun, my sword flashing, and struck the monster directly in the face. Half its head split apart.

I grinned. "Using Hermit’s full power in my hand is a blast."

The downside was clear, no fast healing, no enhanced speed or hearing while everything was focused into strength.

Still.....

"That’s something I can get behind. I’ll kill as much as I can... then I’ll kill more."

And so I began.

I threw myself at every orc I saw. My bone-shaking punches alone were enough to drop them. My hand shifted constantly between sword and fist. Soon, my monstrous arm was slick with blood, and so was I.

I plunged into clusters of orcs slaughtering Awakeners, spinning as my sword unfolded like a fan, the fangs inside tearing through flesh like a saw.

Green fire burned in my eyes as I infused my blade with Unholy magic, sending blazing, ripping, slashes that carved deep gashes into the monsters. 𝐟𝗿𝐞𝚎𝚠𝐞𝚋𝕟𝐨𝚟𝐞𝕝.𝕔𝕠𝚖

Awakeners watched me and most turned away in fear. But some didn’t.