Ultimate Level 1

Chapter 263: Lessons From Tom

The waves became larger as they got closer to the first island that had been about three miles away along a winding sand bar.

Some places along the path had become only a few feet wide before water was licking against the sand. Most often those were the perfect places those fish attacked again and again.

Fifty points of dexterity gained before they stopped giving any… this is what I have been missing!

Max almost shuddered from the pleasure that came from those gains. After so long without a single stat from the tower, it was like a flood inside his body. Only once did the memory of what it had felt like when gaining skills from those elves bubble up, but he immediately stamped it down.

Trees with coconuts and other fruit Tanila pointed out were harvested, stored for later enjoyment she promised and a quarter mile wide island was little more than a small resting area before the next decision before them.

“Right or left… which path?”

Max hoped someone else would have an opinion as each led in a different direction and the tiny dot of what had to be an island was way off in the middle of both.

“Joys of being the leader,” Fowl teased. “You get to pick.”

Grumbling, he fetched a gold coin and flipped in the air.

As Max snatched it from the air, the decision was already known, his mind being able to detect the side that would be up.

“Seems we’re going left.”

***

This sand bar sank and rose, sometimes as wide as ten feet and other times knee deep.

A little over a third of a mile in, as they trudged through the water at their knees, Max called out the incoming attack.

This time it wasn’t fish, but instead from under the sand giant crabs began to appear. Each one was about eight feet wide and their claws were almost three feet long. Five white shell crabs rushed at them from all sides, water like jets streaming from their mouths in an apparent attempt to blind or disorient them.

A spray of water was sent upward as Max ran through the water so fast he surprised the crab on his left.

[ Power Strike ]

The hammer came down, pulverizing the space between the eyes, cutting off the spout of water it had been sending, while punching through the hard shell.

Dashing back toward the one on the other side, Max had reached it, sending a wall of water over his own party and creating waves.

Tanila ignored the water attack from both the crabs and Max, aiming the ice spear she had started casting the moment he called out the attack.

She sent it directly into the mouth where the water came from. Immediately, the spout was gone, and the crab appeared to be dancing as its claws clicked and clacked upon the spear that was lodged inside its body.

Cordellia unleashed an empowered shot that mimicked Tanila’s spell placement. One moment a stream was coming at her, the next, the crab’s two plates imploded, a spray of flesh expelled from where the liquid had been exiting.

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Max’s next attack struck where the claw connected to the shell, cutting through the joint, disarming it and repeating the attack as his weapon moved so quickly none could have kept up with it.

Before the wall of seawater was down and the waves had hit his party, three more strikes struck the crab, ending its life and sending a cold wave once more.

[ 8 Constitution Consumed ]

[ 8 Constitution Consumed ]

Turning, Max watched as the last crab that had been coming for Fowl stopped its charge, skittering back into the darkness of the water and vanishing below.

“Slow down!” Tanila belted out, her hair and robes drenched as she spewed saltwater from her mouth. “You’re almost more dangerous than those crabs were.”

The others called out their agreement of her assessment, and Max watched as the waves he created collided with the ones coming from the sea.

“Sorry, I didn’t realize that would happen.”

A few chuckles came finally as Max and Fowl moved to collect some parts from their latest opponents.

“How fast are you?” Tanila whispered as she waded to where he was at.

“I hit the first milestone in Dexterity. Twenty percent increase to movement speed.”

Coughing again, Tanila shook her head and grunted.

“When you manage that for the last two stats, you realize I’m going to hate you for a little bit.”

Grinning, he nodded and winked, over exaggerating slow movement as he went to the first crab he had struck down.

***

Three islands later, they camped for the night, having cut down some trees and built a small barrier.

Max found himself once again capped at two hundred and ninety-five in his Constitution, the same number as his Dexterity.

Glancing at the notebook as he sat by the fire, letting the others sleep, his face wore a frown.

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These stats are way higher than I expected. Without those first six levels to go off of, I’m not certain what the max number is, but it has jumped at least twenty or so points above what I thought.

Putting his list away, Max gazed up at the massive moon that was hidden by clouds, listening to the sound of the waves that sounded so peaceful as they crashed against the island.

It was almost enough to lull one into a sense of safety as he sat there, letting his sonar run free as he dozed.

***

“Keep moving!”

The group followed Fowl as the water rose, now up to the dwarf’s chest.

Around them tentacles had risen from the deep water near them. Only three hundred yards away was an island, offering some sanctuary from the newest attacker.

Every time the fifteen foot tentacles rose up, they would slam down at them, sending powerful waves of water even when they missed, causing the footing for each member to slip.

“I’m trying, but I can’t swim!” Fowl shouted as he let Tanila push him from behind.

Cursing, Max saw the trio of new glowing tentacles start to rise. They were a weird blue color, glowing when out of the water but completely hidden inside of it.

Only his sonar allowed him to sense them coming through the water, and Max had stopped counting at the number he had sheared off as they came from all angles.

“Wall boost me now!”

Max nodded and summoned an earth wall before Fowl, angled so they easily climbed it while casting his air one right on the edge of it.

All five of them scrambled upward as Tanila unleashed the lightning storm, bolts crashing down upon the would-be attackers from under the water.

For fifteen seconds, over thirty lightning bolts struck the surface of the ocean near them and anything that appeared.

Smoking flesh rose from where it had struck the ones preparing to attack.

“We got ten seconds!”

Max stored his weapon and grabbed Cordellia, tossing her over his shoulder and ignoring her surprised yelp.

“I’m carrying you!” he shouted as he grabbed Batrire, flinging her on the other and then tossing Tanila upward.

“Close your mouth!” Max shouted as he grabbed Fowl under his arms and raced off the wall of air, hitting the water, legs moving.

Water sprayed as he ran, and as he slowly began to sink, a vast wall of water rushed over them and around them.

“Angle your shield!” Max yelled as he held Fowl higher.

Soon the large shield was vertical, angled forward at the top and they cut through the water like a boat.

Fifty yards from land the water was down to their waist and as a pair of tentacles came up from the water behind him, Max was already gone, sending up a cloud of sand as he sprinted onto the island and weaved around its outside as he slowed.

Sputtering and coughing came from his group as he set them down, everyone once again drenched from the initial wave that had washed over them.

“What were those?” Batrire asked as she regained her breath. “I didn’t see any other beast underneath the water.”

“I couldn’t sense it either. Whatever was down there had to be more than one based on the number of tentacles we faced. Surely if it was a single one, then it would have given up, knowing it was losing limbs and not having any success.”

Wringing out his beard, Fowl cursed, holding a finger over one nostril and blowing out a stream of snot and water.

“I’ve never been more waterlogged in my life.”

Cordellia was turning, and Max saw where she was pointing.

“The portal!”

Everyone snapped in the direction of her finger and started jogging toward it, ready to be done with the tower floor.

***

“You each will need to keep these until at least the boss,” Tom said as he gave the five of them a ring that felt slippery as they held it. “Don’t wear them until you need them as they only have three days' worth of breathing when under water before they run out.”

“Like, what happens then?” Fowl asked, wincing for the answer he knew was coming.

“You drown.”

Gulping, the dwarf nodded and stored the ring as everyone else had.

“Water tower floors can be so different,” their trainer continued. “Each floor has the ability to be a combination of above water or under it. Some have vast cave systems underneath. Only a few are completely underwater, and those are typically very difficult because of how water slows down most people.”

“Is there any way to not suffer that slowdown?”

Looking like he had sucked on a lemon, Tom slowly shook his head side to side.

“There are, but not that most people will have it. Some might have an ability, but again they are so rare I can only think of one person I’ve ever known with one. Even magic that allows that is hard to find. Just getting rings of underwater breathing costs a sizeable chunk of money. Those rings will slowly regain their ability over time but it's an hour exposed to air for an hour under water. Which means you can’t store it in your dimensional space.”

Tom dropped a bag that appeared in his hand and gave it to Max.

Opening it revealed some web-like feet items.

“Those are called fins. They will take some getting used to but you’ll be able to fit them over boots, shoes and even bare feet. The magic in them will expand or shrink to the size they need to be. It will help you swim with armor and cut down on some of the weight and resistance of your body, but practice with them for a bit.”

He demonstrated swinging his arm at normal speed and then repeated the process at about half speed.

“You will find your attacks don’t hit as hard. Piercing weapons often do more as you thrust them. Hammers usually are even worse.”

Fowl groaned again at that news.

“Tanila, you are going to have to figure out how to cast spells, taking into account that ice and stone will probably only work and that lightning isn’t a good choice. Cordellia, your arrows will still work, not as well, again slowed by the water. Placement will mean everything.”

Setting his gaze upon Batrire, Tom smiled softly.

“You are going to have to pay attention to where everyone is and possibly work at maneuvering around more. Monsters have a way of locking in on a healer and with your party not able to respond as quickly, you need to learn how to move in the water. Do you understand?”

She nodded, tugging on her beard absently as she felt the danger behind his words.

“All I can say is to be smart. I have no doubt you five can handle whatever the tower throws at you.”

Max knew whatever came next, this series of tower floors were going to be a whole new test for them.

Smiling, he ignored the raised eyebrow Tom gave him.

Ever since the colosseum and that sensation of growth, Max had struggled with the lack of gains lately. The thirty-sixth dungeon floor awoke the sleeping giant of how great the skill increases were.

Those tentacles put me at a three hundred and one strength… god I missed that sensation.

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