Wizard: Starting from the Skill Tree-Chapter 511: Lurking Beneath the Sea

Duke, after riding the Storm Dragon Eagle far from that sea region, did not leave; it was still not completely confirmed whether a mother nest existed there.

For now, only traces had been seen, and further investigation was needed.

Once the location of the mother nest is confirmed, Wizard Herbert can be contacted to specifically resolve the mother nest here.

Herbert is currently very busy, traveling all over the continent; a precise confirmation is necessary before calling him over, otherwise, it would merely waste time.

The Storm Dragon Eagle hovered above a cliff several kilometers away from the coastline. Duke lightly leaped off the eagle’s back; the air currents naturally supported him, allowing him to land soundlessly, like a feather, on a giant rock perpetually battered by waves and covered with slippery green moss.

A salty and chilly sea breeze swept over, carrying the unique, soul-penetrating aura of the deep sea.

Below, the dark green seawater surged like a gigantic living creature, as furious waves repeatedly crashed against the rocks, producing a thunderous roar and splattering white foam everywhere.

However, this furious scenario, enough to deter ordinary land creatures, felt peculiarly endearing to Duke.

He slowly closed his eyes, taking a deep breath. The air’s dense moisture, combined with the ocean’s overwhelming power, seemed to resonate with his breaths and heartbeat.

His high-level water element affinity naturally made him love such areas densely filled with water elements; the restless water elements around him became gentle and distinct within his perception, as if they were extensions of his limbs.

Duke glanced back at the Storm Dragon Eagle vigilantly hovering in the sky, directing it to hide and stay on standby by the coast.

It was also responsible for vigilance, conveying any message directly to Duke through the slave mark.

Then, with a nimble step on the rock’s edge, his figure slid silently into the icy seawater like a blurred shadow.

He created hardly any splash, and even the sound of entry was perfectly masked by the roar of the waves.

The seawater engulfed him instantly, the immense pressure and biting cold assaulting him; yet to Duke, these seemed nonexistent.

His skin’s surface seemingly formed a thin, invisible membrane automatically, not only insulating most of the water pressure but also allowing him to meld flawlessly with the surrounding seawater.

This was a trait granted during the wizard apprentice phase, a sea race’s blessing, enabling him to move in water more smoothly and swiftly.

With just a slight movement of his heart thought, the surrounding water currents behaved like the most faithful servants, propelling his body with a speed surpassing any fish and moving toward the depths of the sea like a phantom.

He hadn’t swum in the ocean for a long time, and at this moment, there was a sense of nostalgia and affection.

Now, with all his attributes significantly enhanced, the swimming speed greatly exceeded before, rivaling that of level 1 sea race creatures.

The light above quickly dimmed, and the color of the seawater changed from green to deep blue.

It was silent around him, the only sounds being the faint noise of water flowing past his ears and the low hum of unknown sea demons from deeper waters.

But in this dark domain, fraught with danger to others, Duke felt a sense of control akin to a fish in water.

He concealed all his aura, becoming part of the ocean like a water droplet, quietly advancing towards the area of perceived irregular fluctuations.

Duke, akin to a shadow merging with the deep sea, moved quietly through the dim seawater.

His every move was seamlessly integrated with the water flow due to his high-level water element affinity, making no sound and even minimizing the disturbance of the water.

He seemed to become a part of the ocean; ordinary sea demons swam past him unnoticed.

However, as he approached the area, signs incongruent with this natural tranquility gradually emerged.

Initially, there were tiny organic debris suspended in the water, seeming like debris from some biological activity.

Subsequently, he saw large sea beast carcasses gnawed to just bones, with the tear marks characteristic of the insect race.

The further he advanced, the stronger the strange feeling in the water became; the temperature subtly increased, with an unnatural warmth and a faint, yet undeniable, sweet and fishy scent starting to permeate.

He became more cautious, retracting his aura to the extreme like a seabed rock, slowly descending along the steep edges of an underwater canyon.

Here, light almost entirely vanished, with only faint sources from luminous algae and deep-sea creatures.

However, with spiritual power perception and water element feedback, Duke discerned the scenery ahead.

It was a massive depression on the side of an underwater mountain range, vastly exceeding the level 1 nest he had seen in the inland forest.

At the basin’s center, a colossal, heart-pounding dark purple living tissue rhythmically throbbed.

It resembled more than just the shape of a heart; it was like an irregular twisted pyramid of flesh and shell.

Its surface was covered in thick, bioluminescent armor, large energy conduits coiling like pythons, emanating strong psychic oscillations as they pulsed.

Upon seeing this, Duke realized it was very likely a level 2 nest, capable of incubating level 2 insect races.

He observed for a while, yet saw no trace of level 2 creatures.

Most likely due to insufficient resources, level 2 species had not yet been incubated.

Since the mother nest’s own advancement requires consuming a tremendous amount of resources, and with the ongoing war expenditure, there likely were no surplus resources for incubating level 2 insect races.

While observing from the dark with the Eye of Darkness, he restrained his aura as much as possible for clandestine observation.

He was almost entirely merged with the seawater, unnoticed by the insect races ahead.

He needed to grasp as much information about the level 2 nest as possible, remembering every detail he saw.

The entire level 2 nest, resembling a burgeoning marine military stronghold, efficient, cold, and brimming with aggressiveness.

It no longer merely settled for incubation and defense but exhibited abilities for actively siphoning energy, constructing more complex troop types, and radiating its power far and wide.

He had no intention to linger or explore deeper into the core area; the abyssal-like pressure emanating from the mother nest itself made him acutely aware that getting too close could easily alert it, even with the seawater masking. 𝘧𝓇ℯℯ𝑤ℯ𝘣𝓃ℴ𝓋𝑒𝑙.𝑐𝘰𝑚

This mother nest was, in essence, a highly unique level 2 life form; its naturally emitted aura exerted immense pressure on Duke.

This was a disparity born from the life level, compounded with the void insect race mother nest’s special nature, its exhibited aura far exceeding that of ordinary level 2 life.