Kill one monster, stack one poison, and I alone will poison my way across the world!

Hearing footsteps, the little sparrow suddenly raised its head.

Upon seeing that it was Su Chen, she quickly closed the leather notebook, stuffed it into the inner pocket of her leather armor, patted her chest, and stood up.

"Boss! You're finally back!"

The little sparrow looked Su Chen up and down a few times.

Seeing that Su Chen was empty-handed and without anyone following him, she blinked curiously and asked, "How's it going, boss? Did you find any suitable teammates after taking a look around the team-up lobby?"

In her view, although Su Chen was wealthy and his strength was unfathomable, he had only brought a ship and a ragtag team of logistics personnel with him.

If Su Chen were to go to a place like the Sunken City alone, he would definitely be spending a lot of money to hire a powerful expeditionary force or find a few high-level support classes who understand underwater mechanics to lead the way.

"I'm not looking anymore."

Su Chen casually pulled over an empty wooden chair and sat down. "I'm going to go by myself."

"Oh, I'm not looking anymore... wait!"

The little sparrow had just casually replied when it suddenly froze, almost biting its own tongue.

Her eyes widened in surprise: "Alone?!"

"Boss... are you crazy?!"

The little sparrow rushed to Su Chen in three strides, its face filled with shock:

"That's a sunken city! A forbidden zone in the high seas! Even the biggest guilds need to gather five extremely powerful experts before they dare to venture into this deep-sea secret realm!"

"Leaving aside how disgusting those thousands upon thousands of mirage monsters in the secret realm are, do you know how dangerous the journey from the sheltered fjord to the entrance of that abyssal vortex is?!"

The little sparrow pointed to the dark sea area outside the fjord, which was being disturbed by the large formation:

"Although you destroyed one of the Korean Pegasus Guild's fleets, their main fleet is still intact! The Japanese Mitsubishi Group and the Western Holy Crusaders have deployed numerous assassins and reconnaissance units underwater!"

"Those ruthless, red-named pirates and professional ambush teams specifically target and kill lone individuals!"

"Swim across alone? You wouldn't even touch the edge of the portal; you'd be riddled with holes by hundreds or thousands of Shadow Bolts and ambush backstabs halfway there!"

"..."

On the high seas, being alone often means death.

Especially when facing foreign assassin groups that make a living by robbing, going into the water alone without a well-organized squad to clear the way is like stuffing meat into the mouths of piranhas.

Faced with the little sparrow's intense reaction, Su Chen calmly straightened his cuffs. "I've made up my mind. I'll go alone."

Team up?

What a joke.

If he actually brought people with him, he would have to worry about the distribution of the spoils, which would only make things difficult for himself.

Solo play is the most comfortable and efficient way.

Seeing Su Chen's resolute attitude, Little Sparrow took a deep breath, scratched her short hair, and slumped her shoulders as if deflated.

She knew the young boss's temperament; he seemed easygoing, but once he made up his mind, no one could dissuade him.

Moreover, recalling the five dark gold battleships that instantly melted into the sea a few days ago, the absurd fear in her heart was slightly suppressed.

Indeed... this man cannot be judged by common sense.

The five main battleships were wiped out in an instant. If any unsuspecting assassin were to sneak up on them, who knows who would be the one to send whom to their death.

The little sparrow sighed:

"Fine, boss, you're powerful, so you're right."

She paused for a moment, her expression becoming very serious:

"But I have to say this upfront, this is a rule we agreed upon when we signed the employment agreement in Wangming City."

"The Ghost Shark can only stay in Stormfjord for a maximum of four and a half days. After deducting the magic crystal reserves needed for the return journey and the emergency redundancy to deal with the storm, once the time is up, you must return to the ship on time, regardless of whether you have conquered the Sunken City or not."

"If you haven't come out by the deadline... for the safety of everyone on board, Captain Raymond has the authority to order us to anchor and return to port. Otherwise, the fresh water and supplies on board will not be enough to keep us alive and sail back to Dahua's territorial waters."

"understood."

Su Chen nodded in understanding: "It won't take that long."

It's just running a dungeon; if you're really efficient, you'll see the results in a few hours.

"That's good... As long as you know what I mean."

The little sparrow muttered something.

After giving his instructions, Su Chen stood up and turned to walk towards the ship's side.

By this time, night had completely enveloped the entire sea area.

The earthen-yellow defensive array surrounding the fjord glowed with a faint yellow light, while layers of jet-black waves surged on the sea surface.

In the giant vortex of the distant sunken city, purplish-black mirage light shot into the sky, making the gloomy night sky appear exceptionally eerie.

Su Chen casually swallowed a water-repelling pearl, pushed off with his feet, and transformed into a light afterimage, leaping into the icy, bone-chilling depths of the open sea.

Splash!

The water didn't even make a splash half a meter high before being completely swallowed by the surging waves.

Beneath the mainmast, the little sparrow clung to the ship's side with both hands, biting its lip hard.

"What a complete madman..."

"...Please don't die in there."

……

The seawater was over our heads.

The water-repellent bead dissolved in my throat, and a very thin film of air quickly spread out against my skin, keeping the icy seawater out.

The feeling of gravity changed dramatically the moment I fell into the water.

There was no solid soil beneath their feet, and all around them was water that they could freely use for leverage.

This feeling is similar to having a vertical Z-axis forcibly added to a familiar two-dimensional map.

Front, back, left, right, plus rising and diving.

For professionals with poor balance, just adapting to this three-dimensional coordinate system would take at least half an hour.

Su Chen hovered underwater for five seconds.

He gently swung his legs, his body twirling gracefully in the water.

Having already experienced the wonderful uses of the water-repelling beads, Su Chen adapted to them almost instantly.

While he was busy running dungeons, Su Chen didn't intend to charge headlong into things.

The Sunken City, a notorious secret realm on the high seas, has its outer waters thoroughly explored by various guilds and foreign forces.

The gun is easy to hide, and the dark arrow is hard to prevent.

He casually raised his fingertips, channeling the magical power within his body.

[Hidden Light]!

hum.

A soft, faint light appeared underwater, then disappeared completely.

Su Chen's entire figure, along with the magical energy fluctuations he emitted, was completely hidden in the deep black seawater.

A hidden icon has quietly appeared in the status bar on the panel.

The duration is indefinite.

Taking cover, Su Chen slid down the sloping ridge of the seabed.

The further down you go, the dimmer the light becomes.

All around are underwater trenches torn apart by geological movements, with large amounts of strange seaweed that glow with an eerie green light growing on both sides.

The water flowed through the crevices of the rocks, emitting a low, mournful whistle.

After walking less than 300 meters, Su Chen stopped behind a protruding basalt rock.

Above the trench ahead, several mangled human remains floated.

The remaining equipment had long since lost its luster, its internal organs had been torn clean, and several strange black fish with bone spurs were circling around the skeleton.

Deep within the shadows of those massive coral reefs lurks several enormous underwater predators.

【Abyssal Giant Crocodile (Elite Monster)】

[Level: 52]

【Strength: 4850】

[Agility: 3200]

[Stamina: 4600]

【Spirit: 3600】

[Skills: Lurking Bite, Undercurrent, Frenzied Tear]

……

Its rough, gray-black scales blended almost seamlessly with the surrounding rocks.

Their limbs were pressed tightly against the seabed, their eyelids rolled back, and their cold, vertical pupils were fixed on the only passage leading to the entrance to the secret realm above.

Once there is any movement of water above, these elite monsters lurking in the shadows will suddenly appear from their blind spots, instantly blocking their prey's escape route.

Su Chen pressed himself against the rock wall, his eyelids twitching slightly.

These sea monsters are quite intelligent; they've learned to lie in wait here, waiting for someone to come and deliver them to them.

Just then, a rapid rushing sound of water cutting through the air came from the sea above my head.

Glug glug!

The bubbles left several distinct white streaks in the dark water.

A five-person team is rapidly swimming down from above.

Su Chen remained hidden in the shadows, his gaze sweeping over the attire of the five people.

All of them wore close-fitting, jet-black ninja diving leather armor, with long, narrow samurai swords hanging at their waists, and their arm guards and knee pads were engraved with highly recognizable cherry blossom family crests.

Leading the group was an assassin wielding dual katanas, flanked by two mages, a heavily armored berserker, and a water-based support wielding a short staff.

The magical aura emanating from the group was undiminished. They were carrying expensive alchemical water lungs in their mouths, moving at an extremely fast pace, their expressions revealing an undisguised urgency.

"Hurry! The supplies from the Pegasus Guild were lost up ahead!"

"Young Master Oshima of the Mitsubishi Group said there's a reward of five million gold coins for whoever finds that storage ring!"

The lead assassin from the Sakura Kingdom shouted in a low voice using short-range underwater communication runes, his katana cautiously parting the seaweed in front of him.

"Captain, the water flow ahead is strange!"

The assassin in charge of reconnaissance had only uttered half a sentence.

In the shadows of the trench below, a sudden change occurs!

boom!

The calm seawater suddenly surged and churned violently as if boiling!

The three giant sea crocodiles, which had been lying like lifeless objects in the rock crevices, suddenly sprang up!

The enormous body, over ten meters long, unleashed an unimaginable speed. With a powerful flick of its massive tail fin, it created two raging underwater whirlpools that instantly tore apart the team's formation!

"Enemy attack!!"

The berserker wielding the shield roared and gripped the giant shield tightly with both hands, attempting to press down.

Click!

A giant crocodile suddenly leaped out from the blind spot beneath his feet, its gaping maw snapping shut!

A piercing sound of metal twisting and shattering exploded!

That sturdy silver-grade heavy shield was as fragile as a biscuit that had been snapped in two when faced with a biting force of over 1,800 points!

The berserker's entire right arm was torn off at the root!

Bright red blood exploded in the seawater like a thick fog.

-38500!

The berserker's health bar instantly evaporated by more than half!

"Baka! It's an elite monster, level 40 or higher! Damn it, how can there be so many of them?!"

The assassin captain's expression changed drastically. His twin blades flashed in the water, striking the giant crocodile's eyelids with a fierce slash.

Clang! Clang!

The spark flickered eerily underwater, leaving only two faint white marks on the hard bone plate.

-420!

-380!

The defense is completely impenetrable!

The level advantage combined with the difference in equipment quality made the high-attack, low-quality assassin's damage output feel like scratching a thorn.

The other two mages hurriedly raised their staffs, attempting to chant spells.

However, in an underwater environment, the effects of fire spells are weakened by several times. The two weak ice spear spells were easily dispersed by the shockwave of the undercurrent stirred up by another giant crocodile!

Immediately afterwards, a massive black shadow swept in.

The Megalodon's thick, massive tail swept across.

The heavy blunt force impact crushed the two fragile mages, causing their sternums to cave in, and they coughed up blood and foam. They were sent flying backward and crashed into the basalt, dying instantly.

[Takeru Satoh has been killed in action]

[Kazuo Kobayashi has been killed in action]

The assassin captain stared wide-eyed at his back row, now completely wiped out, and let out a terrified wail:

"Retreat! Upstream! Quickly send a distress signal to the conglomerate!!"

Unfortunately, it was too late.

The smell of blood completely ignited the ferocity of these deep-sea predators.

Deep in the trench, two more enormous shadows emerged, completely blocking the path to surfacing.

In just thirty seconds.

The screams were mercilessly swallowed by the icy seawater.

This expedition team from the land of cherry blossoms was completely wiped out in the blink of an eye.

Several megalodon were tearing at fresh flesh and blood, swallowing it greedily, and even colliding with each other underwater in a fight over a leg.

In the distance, Su Chen, hidden in the shadows of the reef, calmly watched the entire one-sided massacre unfold with his arms crossed.

He didn't even bother to lift a finger.

save people?

What a joke.

First of all, we're not related, and he's not some saint.

Secondly, this is a small team from Japan. They are the ones who are most enthusiastic about robbing Chinese civilians of resources on the high seas and borders.

Watching them get torn to pieces by the monsters, I even felt a little tempted to open a can of iced cola.

Su Chen felt no psychological burden whatsoever.

It's already a sign of professional ethics that he didn't finish the job with a fatal blow.

After eating and drinking their fill, the megalodon swished their tails and slowly slithered back into the crevices of the rocks deep in the trench, continuing their feigned death state.

The originally turbulent water flow gradually calmed down.

Only faint traces of blood remained in the seawater, along with a few broken skeletons slowly sinking to the seabed.

Around the corpse, several pieces of equipment slowly rose and fell.

Su Chen was preparing to bypass this area and continue forward.

Suddenly, a very faint tremor of magical power came from the ocean current.

That was the soft sound of the stealth skill being dispelled.

Behind a large reef not far from the seabed, three figures draped in gray cloaks swam out furtively.

They were three assassins, wearing lightweight leather armor suitable for underwater movement, and their movements were exceptionally skilled.

They ignored the mangled corpses and charged straight at the scattered halos of light.

"Hurry, hurry! Be quick!"

A weasel-faced assassin reached out and retrieved a fallen silver-grade katana, his face beaming with elation.

"I told you we should have stayed here! These little dwarfs from Japan are really asking for trouble, they don't even know what the underwater monsters are like, yet they dare to barge in!"

"I'm rich! This katana is worth at least 80,000 gold coins on the black market!"

Another person pulled a leather pouch from the berserker's remains and chuckled.

"And magic crystals! Damn, these little devils are carrying a lot of good stuff!"

"Alright, enough talk. If the crocodiles come out again after smelling the scent, the three of us will be done for! Grab the stuff and get out of here!"

The three worked together seamlessly.

In less than ten seconds, the debris on the deck was completely cleared away, and even the gems on the berserker's arm guards were neatly pried off.

Then, the three activated their camouflage cloaks again and silently retreated towards the flank of the fjord, their movements incredibly practiced.

Throughout the entire ordeal, they were completely unaware that a highly poisonous mage was hovering in complete concealment on the rock face less than twenty meters above their heads.

Su Chen shook his head and smiled silently.

What a classic case of the mantis stalking the cicada, unaware of the oriole behind, while the hunter is still fishing in the tree.

Elite monsters are responsible for physical exorcism, while others are responsible for seamless looting; the division of labor is clear, and the industry chain is complete.

The outskirts of this sunken city are truly a breeding ground for talented people.

He didn't bother to steal the few worthless pieces of silver equipment, and he was even less inclined to lay a hand on the corpse looters.

Time is precious.

Taking advantage of the megalodon group's low activity period after finishing feeding, Su Chen subtly moved, silently sidling up the edge of the trench.

He avoided all sensory tentacles and sped toward the giant deep-sea vortex ahead, which was emitting a strong mirage-like light.