Chapter 207: Destroy The Cursed (24)

Chapter 207

Meanwhile, far away over the great ocean...

Han was locked in a brutal duel with the Batscale swarm—beasts equally lethal in the air and even more so beneath the waves. Their leathery wings slashed like blades, their serrated jaws snapping for his limbs, and every time he brought one down, another took its place.

In the rolling chaos, one latched onto him, dragging him toward the churning depths. Han roared, forcing his power outward in a violent pulse that tore his attacker apart. He broke free, vaulting backward across the water’s surface, landing just meters away from the frothing edge. He did not intend to be dragged under again.

Standing atop the water, his boots hissing with mana, Han’s chest rose and fell in controlled breaths. He scanned the endless swarm and felt a chill—there was no sign of their numbers waning. If anything, the horde looked endless.

A sharp ping sounded in his vision, followed by a translucent blue overlay.

– 20 HP

[200 / 500 HP Remaining]

Before he could dismiss it, a voice spoke directly into his mind—familiar, mechanical, and annoyingly smug.

"Hero, you seem to be getting thrashed quite a lot these past few days," Navi said. It was attempting concern, but Han could hear the mockery dripping from its tone.

He grimaced. The insane AI hadn’t spoken up out of kindness; it was goading him.

"Don’t tell me, hero—have you grown weaker? If so, the allied forces following you are surely doomed."

The words struck deeper than they should have, souring his expression.

"You damn lunatic," Han snapped aloud. "I just killed over a thousand enemies barely an hour ago—why didn’t you have anything to say then?"

Navi didn’t miss a beat.

"I’m just kidding. Truth be told, your power makes you a menace. And with your kind heart and sharp mind... you might just be the best definition of what a hero should strive to be."

Han blinked—half surprised, half suspicious. Praise from Navi was rarer than a peaceful battlefield.

Han was... stunned.

Navi — the same insufferable, sharp-tongued AI that spent most of its existence finding new ways to irritate him — had just given him a genuine compliment.

For a fleeting moment, something warm swelled in his chest. He couldn’t help it; a small, proud smile crept onto his lips. But that fragile moment of ego didn’t last long.

Because Navi spoke again.

"But tell me," the AI’s voice took on an infuriatingly innocent tone, "with all that power you have... why are you struggling against a swarm of mere C-rank beasts? Isn’t that... disappointing? For what a ’great hero’ should be?"

Han’s smile froze. Then his face twitched.

The bastard.

One moment, it praised him. The next, it slid a knife straight between his ribs — verbally, of course. And the worst part was, it wasn’t even an outright insult. It was just a question. A pointed, mercilessly accurate one that painted him as incompetent without saying the word outright.

Han’s jaw tightened. The crazy AI was practically telling him that maybe he wasn’t smart enough to wield the power he had.

Fine. Two could play this game.

"Alright, Navi," Han said, voice laced with challenge as he batted aside a diving Batscale and vaulted backward across the water’s surface, "since you clearly think you’re smarter than me... why don’t you tell me the best way to wipe out this entire swarm in the shortest time possible?"

The question hung in the air. Han expected Navi to reply instantly — with that smug, know-it-all confidence.

Instead... silence.

Han frowned, cutting through a cluster of snapping maws before glancing upward, scanning the empty air.

"Navi? ...Hey, Navi, you there?"

Nothing.

His irritation flared. "Damn you! You act all high and mighty, but you don’t even know the answer, do you?"

For some reason, that seemed to sting. The AI’s voice returned, clipped but steady.

"...The question you’ve asked is a simple one. The answer lies... below."

And then, silence again.

Han’s brows knit together. Below? What was that supposed to mean?

He didn’t have time to dwell on it — the swarm pressed in again, forcing him to hack and weave through snapping jaws and slicing wings. One clipped his shoulder, another nearly dragged him under. He retaliated, surging upward with a burst of force, but the next thing he knew, he was plunging into the ocean again.

Breaking the surface with a spray of seawater, Han floated for a heartbeat, panting, his mind turning over Navi’s cryptic words.

Below...

His gaze shifted from the open sky above him to the dark waters below his feet. And then, slowly... the pieces slid into place.

The answer had been right there from the beginning.

Below them — endless water. Above them — the sky.

Where lightning is born.

One of the deadliest natural combinations in existence... and the beasts were standing right in the middle of it.

A slow, dangerous smile curved Han’s lips. "Why the hell didn’t I think of this sooner?"

Navi was going to love reminding him about it later, but for now, he didn’t care. His frustration would be vented in the most spectacular way possible — right onto the swarm itself.

Han rose off the water’s surface, energy flaring under his boots as arcs of silver lightning began to coil around his body. His voice was calm, almost conversational, but it carried across the waves like a death sentence.

"You really picked the wrong place to fight me... and the worst opponent you could possibly face."

Sparks snapped across his arms as the charge built, the water beneath his feet trembling under the sheer force he was gathering. Lightning raged around him like an angry storm, his eyes now glowing with crackling silver light.

He extended his hands outward, palms open, as a massive sphere of roaring energy formed between them. The ocean groaned under the pressure of it.

The beasts seemed to realize too late what was coming. They surged toward him in desperation — but Han’s grin only widened.

"It’s over," he murmured. "Lightning Force: THUNDERCLAP."

TO BE CONTINUED....

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