[Red Wave (S)]
[When the entire body is not submerged in water, all equipment, artifacts, and skills of grade B or higher cannot be used.]
[Can generate desired types of explosives that can be freely detonated/disarmed within a 200m radius. Regardless of explosive type, the firepower is fixed, and detonation time increases the further from the caster the explosion occurs.]
This is Elvira’s skill.
At first glance, it’s clearly a defense-oriented skill.
In other words, it’s a skill meant to cover the surroundings with obstacles and wait for prey to fall into the trap.
Elvira also initially used the skill in this way.
Naturally, when setting up obstacles, the most important thing is to ensure the opponent cannot avoid them.
Elvira had been pondering this problem for a long time.
They were too easy for opponents to see and avoid.
While eyeless or low-intelligence monsters fell easily to Elvira’s attacks, agile and intelligent monsters had the ability to dodge her mines and escape her encirclement.
It’s because of the unique combat environment of the ‘sea.’ Unlike movement on land, which is limited to jumping and maybe some wire-shooting on buildings, the sea offers countless possibilities for maneuvers.
In underwater combat, one can choose any direction – up, down, left, right, forward, or backward – to find an escape route.
So no matter how powerful Elvira’s firepower might be, it was practically impossible to fully direct that power at a single target.
Torpedoes and guided mines were equally useless. While she could freely detonate and disarm explosives, launching them was a separate issue.
Though combining with other skills made launching possible, it consumed far too much stamina.
Moreover, crucially, the strategy of laying countless mines and waiting for opponents to come didn’t suit Elvira’s personality.
So, after much consideration, Elvira came up with one solution.
‘In the end, all I need is the result of “ramming a huge mine into a monster and detonating it,” right?’
From that audacious shift in thinking, Elvira’s research eventually reached this point.
What’s the best way to make obstacles difficult to avoid?
Make them bigger? Make them appear suddenly? Arrange them densely so the opponent can’t escape?
All good methods, but not the best.
Anyone who has played bullet hell games would easily know the answer.
The surest way to prevent opponents from avoiding obstacles is to make the obstacles move.
And in the most infuriating patterns possible.
Among all the bombs Elvira could create, none could move faster than herself.
Among all the bombs Elvira could create, none could move more precisely than herself.
She decided to become a ‘moving bomb’ herself. And not just any bomb – a super-smart bomb that moves incredibly fast and homes in on enemies.
Elvira possesses no attack skills other than her personal skill.
All her skills are for high-speed movement.
─She really does seem crazy
─Wait, is that even possible???
“You’ll see whether it’s possible or not.”
[Activating skill ‘Advance Payment (S)’. Ignores the penalty of the next A-rank or lower skill used, but applies a 4-hour cooldown to that skill.]
[Activating skill ‘Charge Stance (B)’. Cannot move for 10 seconds. Movement speed greatly increases for 3 minutes.]
[‘Charge Stance’ penalty ignored.]
[Movement speed greatly increased, duration: 3 minutes]
“HYAAAAAAAH!!!!”
Next to Elvira’s body as she charged at terrifying speed, mines of tremendous power were being generated and detonated dozens at a time every second.
Wrapped in explosions and transforming herself into one massive spear, Elvira’s appearance truly resembled her namesake – a red wave.
The explosion was so massive that Yuna’s submarine, far from the scene, nearly got blown away by the aftershock.
Though its owner, Yuna, was too excited by the scene before her to even notice.
“Ah!!! This is insane!! What, what are all these explosions?! Is this even possible underwater?!”
Given Yuna’s personality of being obsessed with firepower and steampunk, her reaction wasn’t unreasonable.
Russell, despite his fierce presence after transforming into a shark, was desperately trying to avoid Elvira’s charging trajectory.
When Russell narrowly dodged the incoming runaway train, Elvira would bend her trajectory in a way that almost defied physics and charge at him again.
Moreover, the explosions weren’t occurring only around Elvira.
“Urgh!!”
BOOOOOM!!!
Behind Russell, who had barely dodged Elvira’s charge, a mine exploded with a tremendous blast.
Elvira had predicted Russell’s evasive path and detonated the mine with precise timing.
─Come on Shark-bro, pull yourself together!
─I don’t think even Shark-bro’s grandfather could help in this situation
─Wait, how does this even end in a draw?
Naturally, Russell’s posture was greatly disrupted, and Elvira didn’t miss this opportunity.
Elvira instantly stopped detonating mines and used the minefield around her as cover to slip into Russell’s blind spot.
Russell hurriedly tried to guard his surroundings, but the golden moment had already passed.
WHOOSH!!
“What…!!”
Elvira suddenly emerged from below, confidently grabbing Russell by the collar.
“Checkmate.”
KABOOOOM!! BANG!! BOOM!!! BANG!!!
With explosions that shook the entire space, Elvira’s maximum firepower was concentrated on Russell.
“Wait a minute!! This is insane!! Stop!! STOP!!!!!!”
Yuna screamed for the fight to stop, almost having a fit as she tried to rush forward.
Her reaction wasn’t particularly strange. All the viewers watching the scene had the same thought.
‘That’s crazy, that’s literally a killing move.’
No matter how you looked at it, it seemed impossible to survive such a devastating explosion.
Well, since they apparently sparred often, it probably wouldn’t be fatal, but it still seemed impossible to avoid serious injury.
However, someone grabbed Yuna’s arm from behind as she tried to rush forward.
“Don’t get too close. You’ll get caught up in it. Besides, they won’t die.”
It was Xiao, maintaining the same expressionless face as before.
Yuna barely managed to calm her wildly beating heart and stared at Xiao with bewildered eyes.
And she could see the expressions of not just Xiao, but all of Oceanos’s members.
Their expressions were completely calm, showing no signs of worry or concern.
“Looks like Elvira messed up her power control this time.”
“Yeah, maybe she got nervous being on camera. The explosions were too weak.”
Parang and Vertea were even having a casual conversation.
As Yuna stared at them with a dumbfounded expression, Xiao made her sit back down in the bone-made chair.
“Just watch for now. The fun part is coming up.”
─Am I the only one who can’t follow this conversation?
─I only understood up to the self-introductions earlier
─This guy’s comprehension is insane;;
Though Yuna and the viewers couldn’t understand what Xiao meant, they held their breath and watched the battle situation since something was apparently about to happen.
The explosions were still continuing. Thousands of mines kept exploding, creating a scene like a massive fireworks display.
“How long has it been?”
At Vertea’s question, Parang looked at the watch attached to his suit.
“28 seconds.”
“Almost time.”
Tick, tick.
The second hand moved twice more, and just as they predicted, something unexpected happened.
“Argh!! This disgusting bastard, seriously!!!”
Elvira shouted as she hastily escaped from the continuing explosions.
The explosions suddenly subsided, and instead, something much larger and different burst forth from the center.
It was a brilliantly shining golden energy wave.
─?????
─No way, shark boss wtf
“Didn’t I tell you? That it would be interesting.”
Finally, the viewers could clearly see what was at the center of this new explosion.
“He’s got a rather unique constitution.”
It was Russell, grinning despite parts of his body being blown apart.
There wasn’t a single uninjured spot on his body. His left arm and both legs had been completely blown off and disappeared somewhere, and his body was covered in massive wounds.
However, he was still smiling leisurely while looking at Elvira.
In contrast, Elvira’s expression was anxious, despite not having a single thread of her clothing disturbed.
“Huff, huff… damn it…”
Elvira panted, exhaling exhausted breaths.
Her stamina had been depleted.
The chat window and Shin Yuna exploded simultaneously.
“What the hell is this!!!!! Ah, ah. I’m sorry. Ahem!”
Shin Yuna, unable to process the situation before her eyes, fired off a heartfelt expletive.
It was a genuine broadcasting accident, but the viewers didn’t mind at all.
They were just as shocked as Shin Yuna.
─What the hell is this
─Open your eyes
─Holy crap lololololol
Russell, regretfully unable to see the chat’s reactions directly, slowly swam with his battered body.
He triumphantly grinned as he grabbed one of the mines that Elvira hadn’t managed to detonate.
Then, chomp!!
He ate it right there.
With each bite of the mine, his body began to regenerate.
His wounds healed, and his limbs grew back.
Finally, after finishing the entire mine, Russell returned to exactly how he looked when the battle began.
Elvira, watching this scene in disbelief, muttered quietly.
“Ah, shit…”
Through the microphone she was wearing, everyone could hear her words.
“I’m screwed.”
Russell began charging toward Elvira at a terrifying speed.
The Novel will be updated first on this website. Come back and continue reading tomorrow, everyone!