CHAPTER 263: AIMING TO BE A FIVE-STAR MODEL CITIZEN

A blazing flame rose from above the sea surface, as if threatening to ignite the phosphorescent blue waters below.

The flames swayed in the air, like a savage beast seeking its angle of attack.

The surrounding guards stared at the rising flames in shock, their eyes wide open, frozen in place as if completely stupefied.

The badge-wearing officer hurriedly shouted to the guards:

"Are you trying to resist arrest?!"

"Attack! Attack all at once! Arrest him!"

Hearing their officer's command, the guards quickly snapped to attention, gripping their spears tightly.

The spearheads, formed from what appeared to be solidified water, were entwined with two flowing streams that extended along the entire shaft.

Countless cold spears thrust forward, blue water waves continuously rippling from their tips, surging rapidly toward Viktor.

The concentrated waves tore a trench through the sea surface below, water droplets shattering against the membrane-covered buildings like scattered spray.

Some guards drew their bows from afar, launching high-speed water arrows glowing with blue light from above, attempting to completely envelop Viktor in this fierce assault.

Yet faced with thousands of attacks, Viktor remained motionless.

The next second, his coat erupted in flames.

The fire rose up, as if gaining consciousness, whirling up a wave of heat in the air that completely blocked all incoming attacks.

The water elements vaporized instantly upon touching the wall of fire, everything turning to steam.

The flickering flames illuminated everyone's faces with a crimson glow.

They stood dumbfounded, watching all their attacks get nullified by Viktor.

And Viktor hadn't even lifted a hand.

Countless hearts trembled in shock, nearly losing all will to resist.

What... what kind of monster was he?!

At this moment, Viktor raised his head.

His gaze fell on his own health bar.

No damage taken.

To be honest, the Sea People were very effective against players using fire abilities.

Being water-attributed, they naturally reduced fire damage due to elemental countering.

Unfortunately, Viktor was an exception.

The flames he wielded were no ordinary flames.

If Disaster Fire could be easily extinguished by water, then Guledon would truly be a disgrace among the Disasters.

Viktor surveyed the guard squad, and spoke flatly as if reminding them of something:

"It seems you were the ones who attacked first."

Hearing Viktor's words, the guards all blanked for a moment.

Because according to what Viktor said.

It seemed... he wasn't wrong.

Viktor had only been defending preemptively, yet they had already assumed he meant to resist and attacked him.

However, debating who was right or wrong no longer mattered now.

What mattered was...

Viktor raised one hand, and instantly, those towering flames transformed into a massive dragon, expanding frantically in the sky like burning rage incarnate.

A pair of scorching eyes emerged from within the flames, fixed intently upon the group of guards.

As if ready to completely devour them the next second.

Countless guards trembled in fear, while Viktor continued to coldly observe them.

"Now then, it's my turn,"

"For self-defense."

Snap—

A finger snap rang out in the air.

Following Viktor's gesture, the sound fell.

The next instant, the flame dragon let out a roar of fury.

[Fourth-Tier Magic: Dragon's Wrathful Flame]

Crimson, terrifying heat swept across the entire sea surface. The waves kicked up glittering droplets, as if beginning to boil.

The flame dragon's eyes burned with the same scorching heat, releasing unbearable temperatures all around its body, making even the air become extremely hot.

The violent flames seemed ready to completely submerge the sky, the dragon's massive body thrashing wildly, repeatedly colliding across the sea surface.

It descended upon the water, devouring everything around it.

Countless guards were swept into the flame dragon's massive maw, the water flows around their bodies turning to rising steam in the blink of an eye.

Under these terrifying flames, the water flows they had been so proud of were as useless as decorations.

Most of the guards burned to nothing in the flames, quickly losing their lives.

In their final moments before death, an absurd thought rose in their minds.

If water couldn't extinguish these flames,

Then what else could protect them?

The next second, their bodies, within the flames,

Turned to vapor, rising and perishing.

Henie stood to the side, staring blankly at this scene.

Indeed, vapor.

She wasn't surprised that Professor Viktor had killed these people.

Just as the professor said.

He was merely acting in self-defense.

What Henie found more curious was how these Sea People died.

Under the flames' onslaught, they didn't leave ashen corpses.

Like flowing water, they seemed to vaporize in the intense heat.

Then, completely dispersed into the air.

As if they had never existed at all.

At this moment, only the last guard remained, frozen in place, as if he had just witnessed an unprecedented shocking scene.

His body was rigid, only able to stare wide-eyed as his subordinates vanished in the city.

Vanished above this ocean.

Just then, he happened to catch sight of Viktor.

And Viktor seemed to notice him too, slowly walking toward him, step by step.

One step, two steps.

As the third step was about to fall on the water surface.

His body suddenly transformed into a streak of crimson flame.

Like a meteor, it struck right before him.

The flames revealed only Viktor's head, making him appear like a hell messenger bathed in fire.

With overwhelming heat, he coldly stared at the guard.

Then, Viktor extended a 'hand' made of flame, and removed the star-like badge from the guard's chest.

Afterwards, he looked at the trembling guard before him and spoke in an indifferent voice:

"Get lost."

The guard, relieved, collapsed like a deflated balloon, scrambling onto the water-formed vessel.

He immediately activated the vessel and fled.

Viktor took the badge and walked to Henie's side.

Henie blinked, watching as Viktor extended his hand slowly toward her.

"This belongs to you now."

Viktor pinned the badge to Henie's chest.

Henie couldn't quite understand.

But soon after putting on the badge, she sensed something was different.

A lightning-like sensation seemed to transmit into her brain.

In her mind, she felt it.

Parts of the Sea City formed a transparent skeleton in her mind.

That three-dimensional map appeared in her thoughts.

It was like suddenly gaining access to a surveillance system.

As long as Henie wished, she could notice anything happening anywhere in this area.

But beyond this region where Henie was located, everywhere else was shrouded in a gray haze.

Henie couldn't see clearly what lay behind the thick fog.

Still, she felt amazed and couldn't help but ask Viktor:

"The Sea City is divided into countless regions?"

Viktor calmly replied:

"That's right."

How vast was the ocean?

Even just the surface waters exceeded the area of land.

Not to mention the deeper parts below.

And the Sea City's setting was - "vastness."

The interior of the Sea City was divided into countless regions, and players could only unlock a region's map by obtaining the local sheriff's badge.

The Sea City had two parts.

Upper level - corresponding to above sea level, where normal breathing was still possible.

Lower level - corresponding to underwater, where one could only survive in the ocean.

And within such countless regional divisions.

In the world, there existed who knew how many [Sea Cities].

Just its scope alone was enough to make those who wished to explore give up, losing their desire to explore.

And now, Viktor and his group only possessed one regional badge of the Sea City.

Region A-1, this was the jurisdiction of the badge in Viktor's possession.

At this point, the flames dispersed.

Henie also noticed the surroundings nearby.

In this region, those pedestrians from before had seemingly all vanished.

The entire city, except for the building clusters, had not a single person walking about.

Henie couldn't understand.

The city that had been bustling with people coming and going, full of vitality just moments ago.

How had it become like a dead city?

Even if they fled in fear of Viktor, they should have made some sound.

Rather than now...

Like water, silently dispersing, merging into the ocean.

Henie suddenly recalled that those guards 'killed' by Professor Viktor earlier similarly left no corpses.

They had simply evaporated completely.

"Did you notice?"

Viktor bent down, his fingers picking up water droplets from the ground.

These droplets, left behind by some poor soul after death, were carefully crushed between Viktor's fingers.

"The true Sea People have already merged with the ocean."

Viktor stood up and said flatly.

"They are human, yet cannot be called human."

"Because they have already become part of the ocean."

Henie listened somewhat bewildered as Viktor continued explaining.

"The controller of this region just fled, so accordingly, those Sea People have remerged with the sea."

"Now, you are this region's controller, you can summon them back."

Henie started, watching as Viktor pointed at the badge on her chest.

A thin blue magical power released from the badge, scattering into points of starlight, quickly spreading in all directions.

Like a heavy ripple, it swept across the city.

Henie looked around, suddenly feeling surprised.

Those Sea People were slowly emerging from the water surface.

The water flows beneath them continuously gathered, constructing their original bodies.

The transparent water flows violently collided together, exploding like blooming water flowers.

The Sea People, as if reborn, appeared again in this city.

"As long as the ocean doesn't perish, they won't truly die."

"But this isn't necessarily a good thing."

Viktor put his hands in his pockets, watching those numb Sea People.

They seemed completely unaware that they had just merged into the ocean and appeared again.

Even their previous memories seemed to have vanished.

The pedestrians on the street continued going about their business, and the entire city regained its vitality.

But this time, when they saw Henie on the street, they would show respect.

Yet when facing Viktor, they still displayed the same attitude as before.

They still despised Viktor.

Viktor ignored their hostility, not even treating them as humans, and said flatly:

"The Sea People's lives are like puppets on strings, controlled by higher beings."

"If the controller is satisfied, they can survive."

"But if the controller wants them dead."

Viktor's finger once again touched Henie's badge, lightly tapping it.

As if controlled,

The surrounding Sea People burst like water balloons, breaking into pieces of seawater, splashing back into the ocean.

Yet others seemed oblivious to this.

Henie watched the Sea People around her, feeling somewhat strange...

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