Chapter 17: The Ocean of the Storm
Kelvin stood at the very back of the group, far from the noise, just watching. His hood was low, face half-hidden, like he wasn't even part of the team — just some shadow following for fun.
He didn't say a word. He just stood there, arms crossed, eyes moving like a hawk. If someone looked too long, they'd get that weird feeling — the one that says this guy's not normal.
He looked like a man who'd seen too much to care anymore.
From where he stood, he could see George running around like a drill sergeant who thought yelling fixed everything.
George shouted orders at people who clearly didn't know what they were doing.
"Move left! No — not that left, idiot!" George barked, waving his hands around.
Kelvin sighed inside his head. "He's loud, but at least he's trying. I'll give him that."
Next to George was Lee — tall, quiet, and already showing off his glowing wrists. he loved to warm up his lasers like he was at a talent show.
And then there was the little archer girl, small and shaky, hands trembling as she checked her bow and a glowing pendant.
Kelvin looked at the others — random newbies. Some looked tough, most looked like they were here for quick cash or fame.
He could tell who would die first by the way they stood. That one's shaking too much. That one's holding the sword wrong. "Yep, that one's already as good as dead."
He didn't rush to help. He just watched. Like a teacher letting his students fail a few times first.
When the monsters appeared — ugly, slimy things with too many legs — the group panicked, of course.
George shouted again, "Stay together!"
But staying together didn't help when no one knew how to fight properly.
Kelvin didn't jump in front. He let them fight. He wanted to see who would panic and who would stand.
But he didn't just stand there uselessly — every time a monster was about to kill someone, he moved.
Fast. Quiet. Precise.
A claw would swing — he'd grab it, twist it, break it, then disappear again before anyone realized who saved them.
When one of the beasts tried to bite a newbie's neck, Kelvin's foot shot out, snapping the thing's jaw sideways.
Then he just let the newbie finish it off.
Let them do the killing, he thought. If I do everything, they'll learn nothing.
He knew how the System worked — too many people hitting one monster meant everyone got less point and even lesser diamond.
Big groups meant small gains. Small groups or solo runs — that's where the real growth was.
The System's greedy like that. It rewards killers, not teams.
He'd learned long ago to play smart. Fight alone, level fast. Fight with others, waste time.
He noticed some of them glancing at him. They didn't know his name, but they'd heard the stories — about a hooded man who cleared dungeons alone and walked away untouched.
Some said he fought like an agent ghost. Others said he wasn't even human.
They were all half right.
Kelvin wasn't showing off. He just had this quiet kind of strength that made people step back automatically. You didn't need to tell them you were dangerous — they could feel it.
Soon, the fight pushed them toward the boss gate. George was leading, lightning crackling around his fists, yelling like he was the main hero.
Lee blasted away with his lasers, precise and deadly. The archer found his rhythm too — his shots started landing clean.
For a moment, things went smoothly. Kelvin even felt a bit impressed. Not bad. " They might actually survive the warm-up."
Then the ground shook.
The boss crawled out — a giant armored beast with mouths where its joints should be. It moved slow but radiated power, and the air around it felt wrong — like standing near broken speakers.
George's men froze. One screamed when the monster roared, and another's sword fell from his hand with a clatter.
Kelvin's eyes narrowed.
"And here comes the panic. Watching this makes me feel like humanity is fucked."
George tried to keep control. "Don't back down! Hit it! Hit it!"
One recruit screamed as the beast's claw tore into him. Blood sprayed across the sand. Someone yelled towards Kelvin.
"Mr hood! Help—please!"
The sound made Kelvin's jaw tighten. He remembered that tone — desperation.
He'd heard it a thousand times before. People begging for someone to save them.
If I always step in, he thought, they'll never grow. They'll always wait for me. That's not help — that's a leash.
He raised his voice, calm and cold.
"You're not ready for me to carry you. If I do, you'll stay weak. Fight your own fight."
FUCK!!
George swore loudly. Lee's lasers flared again. The others, panicking, started listening.
Kelvin gave a few small hints, quick and sharp.
"When the mouth opens, hit the laser on the sides."
"The second joint — that's where the armor splits."
They followed his voice like it was oxygen.
George changed his lightning — shorter bursts instead of wild waves.
Lee aimed for the weak spots.
An archer girl took a deep breath and let one arrow fly — perfect shot, right into the monster's exposed core.
Kelvin felt a grin twitch under his hood. Finally.
The monster screamed as black slime spilled out.
They kept pressing until the boss fell, shaking the ground.
Everyone cheered. The noise almost made Kelvin's ears hurt.
Then someone noticed a faint light behind the wall — a hidden gate opening up with a soft hum.
A secret dungeon.
The group stared at it, afraid and excited at the same time.
One newbie muttered, "We don't need to touch that thing right?. We already got what we came for."
Kelvin turned slightly. His voice was quiet but sharp.
"I need it."
The tone killed the argument instantly.
He pointed at four people — George, Lee, the archer girl, and one boy who had fought quietly but cleanly.
"You four. With me. You'll train for what's behind that door."
They hesitated, then followed.
The others stayed behind, relieved not to be chosen but at the same time disappointed for not being the chosen one.
[Players have entered dungeon]
[Recommended player:- 30]
[Solo Hero activated]
The new place looked like something out of a nightmare — an endless sea under a thunderstorm.
Lightning danced across the sky. The air stung with salt and electricity.
A small rocky island sat in the middle, barely enough space to stand.
The System window blinked in front of them:
[MISSION: Defeat the Shark Boss.]
George groaned. "You've got to be kidding me."
The archer girl hugged herself. "I can't swim that well…"
Kelvin didn't flinch. If they start whining now, they're already dead.
He spoke plainly.
"If can't overcome your fear of water, consider this your funeral...."
No fancy speech, no sympathy. Just facts.
Then, before anyone could argue, he jumped into the water.
George blinked. "Did he just—?"
"Yup," Lee said flatly. "He jumped."
George sighed. "We're so dead."
But they followed anyway.
Not because they conquered their fears but because the ocean was slowly swallowing the land.
Under the water, everything went quiet and strange; for some reason you can breath and talk I'm it.
The light bent weirdly, colors fading into dark green and blue.
Kelvin swam smoothly, calm as always. He didn't waste a single motion smashing through the shark beast that attacked.
George tried to attack but his lightning sparking all over his arms. The water turned into a disco of electric chaos.
Lee tried using his lasers, but the beams scattered everywhere. "Oh great, now my shots look like fireflies," he muttered.
Kelvin rolled his eyes underwater.
"You people really didn't think this through, did you?"
Then he saw it — the shark.
Huge. Silent. Its skin glowed faintly like storm clouds, and its teeth looked like they could cut through steel.
George panicked first. He fired a lightning bolt — it fizzled uselessly.
Lee cursed and fired again — his lasers went everywhere except the target.
Kelvin swam to the quiet boy. The one who'd followed without bragging.
He put a hand on the boy's shoulder and leaned close.
"You're the link. Channel George's lightning through you. Lee should aim behind the gills. Trust the timing."
The boy nodded, calm and focused.
George blinked. "Wait, we're doing what now?"
"Just do it," Lee snapped. "For once, listen."
George charged his lightning. The boy caught it, his whole body glowing as he redirected the energy.
Kelvin could feel the water heat up around them.
Lee aimed.
The shark opened its mouth wide.
The combined attack struck — lightning and laser fused into a single burning spear that tore through the water and hit the monster right in its weak spot.
The sea exploded with steam and blood.
Everyone was thrown back by the blast.
When the water calmed, the shark was still twitching — wounded but not dead.
George growled. "Oh come on! Why can't anything just die the first time?"
Kelvin swam past him. Stop talking and finish it.
George blasted the shark's flank again, Lee burned through its eyes, and the archer girl shot straight into the damaged spot.
The boy held them together absorbing all the elements and keeping the current steady like he'd been born for it.
Finally, the shark stopped moving. The water went still.
They floated up, gasping, exhausted but alive— bubbles flowed from every pant.
George started laughing, coughing up bubbles in the water. "We actually did it! We killed a shark underwater in a thunderstorm!"
Lee smirked. "Wooohw I feel like a god" "I feel..... Unstoppable!"
The archer girl cried quietly, more from relief than sadness.
The boy just floated there, breathing hard, eyes shining like he finally understood what strength really was.
Kelvin swam back onto the small rock island and looked at them.
"With this. They will definitely be able to break through."
The System flashed rewards in front of them — points, artifacts, diamonds and titles.
Kelvin scanned the numbers. Not as much as solo work… but they learned something today. Worth it.
He didn't say anything fancy. He just nodded once.
"This was your wake up call" he said quietly. "You passed this time but it still won't be easy."
The storm around them started to fade, lightning slowing to soft flashes.
They looked at him like he was some kind of god, but Kelvin just turned away.
Inside, he was already thinking ahead.
They're not disciples. They're tools. Useful ones. I'll make them better — so I won't have to carry everyone forever.
He went through the portal while they joined.
And for the first time in a long while, Kelvin allowed himself a small, tired smile.