CHAPTER 690: THE HOWLING DEPTHS (I)

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Despite the very disappointing ending, the first day of Cedric accepting duels could still be considered a major success.

He managed to learn a few small tricks from his opponents, and with time, they will eventually grow into something very useful.

And so, just like that, day by day passed with him doing exactly this.

Cedric will accept 10 duel matches every day, and since he was riding the momentum of his recent viral fame, the number of people spectating his matches grew considerably, as didthe number of duel invitations he received.

At this point, his dual schedule could easily take up the rest of the year with plenty left over.

He kept his visibly basic yet very consistent combat style—using only the basics, most of the time, to deal with his enemies. There were only very few people who managed to force out a little more than he wanted to show, but he welcomed the challenge anyway.

Cedric maintained his stellar record. He’s yet to lose a match. By now, everybody who’s following his career in the arena knew that he’s hiding a lot of his power. How much exactly? They don’t know. They could only wait until someone came to force it out of him.

But there’s no doubting it at this point. The name ’Dawnbringer’ has made a lot of noise lately, and more people (good and bad) were starting to pay attention to him.

However, with Cedric’s true identity being protected and a well-kept secret by the Golden Bangle Bank, he’s really not that worried. Those people will never learn of his real name under the protection of the bank, so what’s there for him to worry about?

Time passed just like this, and soon, Cedric received another message from the crew.

Last night, he received a notice from the cruise’s staff that the ship was about to reach its next destination, which is the Howling Depths, and asked him if he’s planning on setting out to see it.

This got his attention because he didn’t check the next destination before. The idea got lost on his mind because it wasn’t really that interesting. So, he checked the list of vistas and saw a brief introduction about their next destination.

The Howling Depths, just like the Profound Heaven Realm, was a mutated realm that has turned into a tourist spot.

It’s a large solar system completely submerged in a raging ocean that never calmed down. The place was riddled with mysteries and myths that many sailors tried to uncover with only a very little learning of the real truth, and those who did kept their mouths shut, so much sothat not even the cruelest of tortures could pry it out from them.

Or so they say...all of this being propaganda to attract more tourists to the place wouldn’t be an exaggeration since it is a tourist spot, after all.

Seeing an entire solar system submerged in an ocean admittedly piqued Cedric’s interest. He tried imagining what it would look like, but he knew that seeing it in person would be much better.

So, he decided to check it out. Of course, he didn’t forget to inform the staff of his decision so that they can prepare to accompany him.

Even though Cedric was confident of exploring the place on his own, he had to consider his status as well. He didn’t want to cause too much misunderstanding between him and the crew, putting them in trouble because of his selfishness, especially when they’ve been nothing but accommodating to him.

And so, after a couple of hours, he was informed that his entourage was ready and was waiting for him at the docks.

His bodyguards handed him over to their care upon getting there, and that’s when Cedric noticed that they had prepared a submarine for him this time.

’Of course, underwater, remember? ’Cedric mused inwardly.

The entourage welcomed him to the submarine and gave him a brief tour. Basically, this was just a much smaller cruise ship that could go underwater. Everything inside was designed to keep him safe, secure, and comfortable while also giving him a great view of the area without risking his life.

Cedric didn’t say anything. He didn’t need to. He just hopped in and went to his seat, waiting for the crew to begin the journey.

He tried scouting the place ahead with his eyes. Unexpectedly, though, his senses encountered a rather firm barrier that made it difficult for him to truly see what’s inside. Though he did see a little bit of what’s on the other side and could already hear the roaring waves from all the way here, he reserved his judgement until they’re actually inside.

Soon, he felt the submarine moving. The ride was smooth and silent; it’s as if it wasn’t moving at all. Every VIP vehicle was designed like this, Cedric noticed.

It took about an hour at this speed before the ship arrived just outside the realm. It paused, and Cedric saw the acting captain of this crew formally signing their entry to the place, making sure to keep a clean and official record of their journey.

After a brief security scan, the ship was allowed entry to the realm.

It passed through a thin but incredibly sturdy barrier that isolated the place inside. And as soon as the ship entered, it immediately shook just a little bit due to the strong current slamming onto it.

"Oh. Oh wow..." Cedric muttered in wonder as he unfolded the full range of his visual field.

Yeah, they weren’t kidding when they said that the entire place was submerged in water. Hell, they even undersold it because the solar system itself was at the core area of this massive ocean.

And yes, the ocean was indeed raging. The outrageously strong currents made Cedric feel like they had entered a large washing machine, weirdly enough.

Fortunately, the ship he’s on was made for this kind of environment. It only shook just a little bit after leaving the safety of the entrance to this realm, but it soon steadied itself.

The acting captain ordered the crew to release some sort of a magnetic field that weakened the influence of the strong currents, allowing the ship to swim smoothly and undisturbed.

In contrast to the ruins and asteroids being swept away by the turbulent depths, this much was obvious.

Cedric immersed himself in the view.

Because despite the chaotic and turbulent environment around him, nobody could deny the beauty that lay in these depths. Even the way how the ruins and asteroids were swept away by the strong currents held some kind of charm in them.

He didn’t need to physically make contact with the water to know that it’s anything but normal. Just by looking at it using his naked eye, that much was obvious. Even more so as he inspected it with his unique eyes.

Something incredible was mixed in the water here that forced it to act this way. And it has piqued his interest enough that it made him want to discover it.

Cedric also discovered that his visual field had been limited within this place. There’s a strange binding force permeating through every single water molecule in here that suppressed his eyes. It was ownerless but a little bit intelligent. It sensed his desire to probe its secrets and acted on its own instincts, thereby suppressing him.

This wasn’t surprising at all. And even though that’s the case, the reaction was nowhere near strong enough to actually trouble him, so Cedric didn’t force his way in.

In his visual field, he did notice a few other ships nearby. Each one was a submarine; some were doing just fine like him, while the majority were struggling to fight the raging currents of the Howling Depths.

Aside from ships, Cedric also saw a few strange creatures swimming about; they’re a few of the locals here, and unlike most, these creatures were certainly not having any difficulties swimming within these turbulent waters.

From the way they swam along the current, swerving just a little towards the right direction to get to where they wanted to be, it’s clear that they’ve grown used to this place being like this.

Most of these creatures had either gills and/or fins to help them move more easily underwater. The way they swam made it look like they were flying instead, with how smooth it was. And unlike the visitors, the turbulent waters weren’t aggressive to them.

It even seemed to cradle them as they swam around, like a parent swaddling their infant.

That slight difference may not be obvious to many, but it couldn’t escape Cedric’s eyes. Which made him even more curious as to why this place ended up like this.

But he didn’t say a word. He didn’t need to. Unless he specifically gave an order to the crew, they will assume that he wanted to go closer to the core and will continue on their way there; that’s why he didn’t need to say anything.

Though, Cedric did know that the submarine will make a stop at some checkpoints because the deeper they go, the more aggressive the currents are, and as strong and sturdy as this is, it needs to make some preparations before continuing to ensure the safety of the client inside.