We agreed to set sail, so you'd become the ruler of the deep sea?

Chapter 145 Hidden Class – [Storm Raider!]

boom! ! !
As the jet-black lightning bolt struck, the entire storm, and even this [Secret Sea], seemed to tremble before its terrifying power.

The captains who were close to the epicenter of the lightning strike did not hesitate at all and quickly steered their ships away into the distance.

Those on the edge of the storm could only stare blankly at this awe-inspiring, terrifying offensive, which seemed like divine punishment.

However, the giant in the sea, Shain, did not retreat an inch.

He was empowered by the dual power of the ship's spirit.

It merged with the surging power of the giants.

Furthermore, a faint, semi-transparent layer of blood-red armor began to appear on the surface of his massive body.

Faintly, the roar of an ancient dragon filled with resentment and anger could be heard, even momentarily drowning out the howling storm.

At this moment, this majestic giant seemed to be challenging the storm and the sky with his own strength!
In an instant.

A thick bolt of lightning struck Shane's back.

The jet-black arcs of electricity flickered and spread, destroying the projected body and the armor formed by the [Secret of Dragon Blood].

[Ship Soul Power - 20!]

[Ship Soul Power - 2!]

[Ship Soul Power - 3!]

【…】

The power of the ship's spirit suddenly dropped a bit, and was rapidly diminished by the continuous damage from the lightning.

In fact, if it weren't for the Black Swan's sturdiness, which was greatly improved after the hull was reinforced, this single lightning strike would have been enough to take away half of the projected body's life.

However, at the same time, Xia En also physically sensed it—

Although the specific manifestation of black lightning is thunder, in essence, it is still a unique secret power!

This secret power was unlike any other secret power that Shane had ever encountered; it possessed terrifying destructive and corrosive properties.

It gave him the feeling that it was assimilating and devouring everything else it came into contact with, dyeing them all that deep, mottled black.

As for lightning and fire, those are merely its outward appearances.

Even the sea anemone that was the source of the storm was not actually the true master of this secret power.

Therefore, the only way is to summon the thunder from the clouds.

Realizing this, a bold idea arose in Xia En's mind.

Amidst the roaming black lightning bolts, the torrential rain, and the surging waves, he slowly straightened his back.

The raging lightning relentlessly unleashed its power, yet it could neither pierce the blood-red armor nor crush the giant's body.

Just the next moment.

Shaun raised his enormous right hand amidst the thunder.

A solid and powerful force of blood energy spread out and continued to press towards the center as he clenched his right hand.

And their target was none other than the pitch-black lightning falling from the clouds!

"Wait... could it be that he's planning to!?"

Upon seeing this, Loren's eyes widened, and a guess came to mind.

Lan, aboard the Heron, was equally shaken, muttering in disbelief, "No matter what, that kind of thing is too outrageous, isn't it?"

But soon, the scene they had envisioned appeared before their eyes.

Under immense pressure, a pitch-black weapon, resembling both a greatsword and a spear, gradually formed in the giant's palm.

In the midst of the storm, the giant grasped lightning in one hand!

A profound sense of astonishment and shock enveloped everyone present, even causing them to momentarily forget to utter a sound.

Anyone who witnesses this scene would probably feel something similar.

Of course, this spear of hidden lightning wasn't so obedient.

The rampaging lightning arcs continued to fight against the pressure of the blood energy, wrapping around Xia En's arms and destroying his body.

[Ship Soul Power - 4!]

[Ship Soul Power - 5!]

【…】

The increased speed at which the ship's soul power was falling from the panel was enough to illustrate the danger of this action.

But at least for this moment, Shane briefly gained control of the Dark Thunder Spear.

So he raised the spear, gathered all his strength, and thrust it heavily into the body of the giant sea anemone, letting out a deafening roar.

The power of the [Sword of Judgment] was attached to the spear, causing its speed to surge again, plunging into the seawater like lightning.

A loud bang echoed through the air, and howling winds and lightning roared outwards from the spear in all directions.

The surrounding waves dissipated under this impact, creating a vacuum zone.

boom! ! !
The moment the spear pierced the body of the black sea anemone.

A pure black flame suddenly ignited, distorting the air.

A surge of intense heat rose up, as if even the ocean was about to ignite.

This indiscriminate force brutally ravaged the sea anemone's body, causing its soft tentacles to crumble and its deepest core to shatter.

No matter how much it struggled and writhed, it was all in vain.

As he watched the monster rapidly lose its life force, an indescribable realization dawned on Xia En.

"Is this the true essence of the [Judgment]?"

The most important aspect of a "judgment" is not to crush the enemy with one's own strength, but to "leverage the momentum".

What can be borrowed is the "momentum" of the sea or the storm, or the "momentum" of the entire world.

In other words, one should view one's environment as a giant "judgment arena," and oneself as the supreme judge of this place, about to pronounce judgment on the crimes of the enemy!

This is the real reason why the Sword of Judgment might be able to reach the realm of "domain"!

Just as Shane came to understand this.

[Skill: Sword of Judgment (Beginner) → (Master)!]

[Description: Through several practical applications, you have progressed further on the path of judgment.]

Shaen's gaze swept across the panel before looking at his hands.

The consequences of previously wielding the Dark Lightning Spear are now beginning to show.

The fine black arcs of lightning had already destroyed the armor formed by the blood energy and began to erode the body inside.

Black flames gradually spread from his hands to his entire body. These flames, formed by a secret power, could not be extinguished by ordinary seawater or wind and rain.

[Ship Soul Power: 12/100]

It is estimated that the power of the ship's soul will be completely exhausted in just over ten seconds.

But before his projected form dissipates, Shane has one last thing to do.

He dived into the water below and touched the sinking anemone carcass.

[Slay the Black Anemone!]

[“Filthy crystals” detected inside the corpse. Should it be stored?]

Xia En replied decisively, "Yes!"

[Filth Crystal +358!]

Feeling the filthy crystals constantly flowing in, Xia En couldn't help but reveal a smile like an old farmer enjoying a bountiful harvest.

His projected body gradually disintegrated and dissolved under the dark, mysterious power...

……

……

Above the Secret Sea.

Before I knew it, the heavy rain had stopped.

The wind and waves gradually subsided, the dark clouds slowly dispersed, and pale golden sunlight pierced through the clouds, scattering across the sea.

Warm and bright.

Seeing this scene, the few remaining captains on the [Secret Sea] couldn't help but feel a sense of relief at surviving a disaster.

However, the experience during this promotion ceremony, especially the image of the giant wielding a thunderous spear, has been deeply imprinted in their minds and will probably remain unforgettable for decades.

Meanwhile, on the deck of the Thunder, Loren stared at the spot where the giant and the sea anemone had sunk into the secret sea, unable to recover for a long time.

The arrogance he had shown moments before was now completely gone from his face.

To be honest, although Loren had already witnessed the power of the Faceless Shadow in the Blood Moon Realm.

At that time, he still believed that the [Shadow of No Form] had relied on a special forbidden artifact and the power of the [Platinum Knight] to leave behind such a record.

Loren even once believed that the Faceless Shadow was some kind of inhuman monster.

This kind of mentality is actually perfectly normal.

When people see a high wall that they cannot overcome, they are prone to either deifying or demonizing it.

But the fact that they're all entering the promotion ceremony together right now is enough to illustrate—

The true form of [Shadow Without a Face] is actually a second-tier Mystic, just like him!
Such a huge gap inevitably caused Loren, who was always proud and arrogant, to feel a strong sense of frustration.

But having weathered many storms, he quickly took a deep breath, suppressed his frustration, and muttered to himself as if setting a new goal.

"A faceless shadow, is that it?"

"You are indeed strong, but one day I will catch up with you!"

Not far away, Lan, aboard the Heron, glanced at Loren strangely, somewhat puzzled as to where his confidence came from.

More than the issue of strength, Lan was concerned about the purpose and identity of the [Shadow Without a Face].

"Did the [Shadow Without a Face] actively hunt sea beasts in the storm to help other Secret Path seekers pass the trial?"

Lan shook her head, quickly rejecting the conjecture.

She didn't believe any secret guide would be so selfless.

"Could it be... that his trial mission is to eliminate that sea anemone?"

Thinking of this, Lan couldn't help but show a look of surprise.

As a captain of a Federation official ship, Lan has a better understanding of the promotion rituals than the average secret path seeker, so she knows that there are hidden professions in some secret paths.

To acquire these hidden professions, the trials offered by the Secret Sea are even more rigorous and extremely difficult.

Of course, the rewards and gifts received will also be exceptionally generous.

Lan sighed inwardly, "It seems that another third-tier expert will be famous in the Seven Seas."

"Lord Karlless said that the [Shadowless] is not that person's true form, but since he appeared in the ascension ritual..."

"So, the true form of the [Shadowless] is among these captains?"

Lan's gaze swept across the surrounding sea, preparing to memorize the characteristics of these ships.

She wasn't really searching for the true identity of the "Shadow Without a Face," but simply to satisfy her curiosity.

Before long, Lan's gaze fell on a ship with a black hull and silver patterns, and she was greatly surprised.

"This is... the Black Swan?"

"How did it get like this?"

Lan is on good terms with Carlles and also has a good relationship with the demi-human Duran.

Therefore, she had always paid attention to the Black Swan and had naturally seen a portrait of the ship.

However, the Black Swan before us has changed considerably in both size and presence.

Even just the projection brought a certain sense of oppression to Lan.

"Oh right, I remember there was a rumor that..."

"It had a skirmish with the Blood Duke at sea some time ago, but managed to escape into the misty sea, and its fate remains unknown."

"Could it be that it encountered some extraordinary event in the Misty Sea?"

At that moment, Loren also noticed the black swan sculpture on the bow of the ship and suddenly recognized it.

"It turns out to be him!"

"I need to ask how Mr. Phia is doing now..."

In the Blood Moon Secret Realm, Faia provided a lot of help to the Thunder Pirate Crew, and Loren has always kept this kindness in his heart.

However, before Loren and Lan could even get close in their boat...

A unique, mysterious power surged forth from nowhere.

This is the sign that the trial is over and we are about to leave the Secret Sea.

……

……

at the same time.

Several lines of text also appeared before Xia En's eyes.

[Trial mission complete!]

[Promotion ceremony complete!]

[Hidden Path Job: Storm Raider (Tier 3)!]

"So it's another hidden class after all?"

"But... Stormraider?"

Having learned from her previous experience, Shane was no longer as surprised.

But he was still somewhat surprised by the name "Storm Raider".

Captains at sea are usually plagued by storms and try to avoid them. So what does the suffix "plunderer" mean?
Before Xia En could even think about it, a surge of secret power, stronger than ever before, began to flow into his body.

The soul and body are washed together, and gradually become stronger and more solid.

You have received a gift from the "Secret Sea"!

Your personal attributes have been increased!

[Overall Qualifications: 0.57 → 0.9!]

Unlock the exclusive talent for "Storm Raider": Plunder the Storm!

[Quality: Rare]

[Description: You can plunder the power of the storm!]

[Whenever you encounter a naturally formed storm, you can draw upon its basic attributes and special status effects.]

When you "plunder" a storm containing special secret power, you can unlock corresponding storm powers based on different secret powers, increasing your class synergy.

After completing four special "plunder" missions, you can attempt a rank advancement!

Current compatibility: 0/100

……

Unlock the exclusive skill for "Storm Raider": Storm Power!

[Quality: Rare]

[Description: You can store the power of a storm within your body and unleash it when necessary.]

[Perhaps some strange change will occur if four different storm powers are used simultaneously?]

[Current "Storm Power": No attribute (0), Dark Lightning (1)!]

Feel the power of the storm!

……

in reality.

Xia En opened his eyes and exhaled a long breath.

An unprecedentedly powerful secret force surged within his body, and the terrifying power within his flesh gave him the illusion that he could crush the ground with the slightest effort.

A smile involuntarily crept onto Xia En's lips.

"Is this what it feels like to be a third-tier Mystic?"

"It's so addictive..."

The increase in strength brought about by this promotion is considerable, even exceeding the sum of the previous two promotions.

This is also evident from the fact that the overall quality jumped from 0.57 to 0.9.

The hidden class, [Storm Raider], also surprised him quite a bit.

(End of this chapter)