Above The Sky
Chapter 185 - 185 174 Ironclad Shark!

185: Chapter 174: Ironclad Shark!

(3/3) 185: Chapter 174: Ironclad Shark!

(3/3) Generally speaking, even for a giant clam like the Giant Clam, the size of a pumpkin is already quite large, and any larger would require a special filter-feeding environment and demon-beast transformation, or a long accumulation of time.

This Giant Clam, measuring over one meter in length, was indeed a Magical Beast, and its strength was at least stronger than that of the previous electric Magical Fish.

Although it might be counterintuitive, in actuality, clam Magical Beasts were not weak at all.

According to the old sailors of the fleet, they once saw on the shelf of the Distant Sea Island a giant clam Magical Beast as tall as a building; it opened its shell in the shallow sea, releasing a mist that enveloped an entire island, causing the fish in the coastal waters and the deer on the island to walk into its ‘mouth’ on their own.

This was a behemoth that could be called a ‘Mirage Beast,’ its tentacles could even overturn fishing boats, and when it opened and closed its shell, it could stir the tides.

Some clams even possessed some characteristics of draconic Magical Beasts and were commonly seen as auxiliary materials in some high-level water-related inheritances.

“Not a bad haul.”

Ian could see that this Giant Clam had an Origin Quality content of over one hundred and fifty, stepping into the realm of deep blue mist, and its tentacles were also a fully formed Sublimation Organ.

Although its effects were not yet clear, it was certainly valuable.

The teenager did not approach carelessly.

The ability of the Southern Sea clam Magical Beasts to control water flows and create illusions was quite good; his own True Form of the Wave Singer contained the ‘Luminous Clam’s Condensed Pearl,’ which was a predatory ambush creature that emitted light from its body to lure prey and then controlled high-pressure water currents to pierce its prey.

As expected, the moment Ian stopped in place, appearing to be a perfect ‘target,’ the Giant Clam, which had been motionless like a reef, suddenly opened up, with a pale blue light overflowing.

Simultaneously, the tentacles inside retracted and spun as if a cannon was charging up.

With a loud thud and in the faint light, a pale blue water stream, like a released arrow, burst forth, accompanied by a force strong enough to break through solid stone, and surged toward the boy’s body.

And Ian raised his right hand.

A faint light of pale gold shone on his right hand, facing the pale blue water stream.

For a moment, all one could hear were a series of continuous, muffled sounds.

Bang bang bang bang—in a noise reminiscent of rain hitting leaves, the water streams from the Giant Clam turned out to be far more than ordinary high-pressure water streams on the surface.

Essentially, they were a series of high-pressure water bullets, whose penetrating strength and force were entirely different.

If one tried to block them with an ordinary shield, the result was inevitably being pierced through by the distinct water bullets.

But the high foundational strength of the Unyielding Fortress’s lineage excelled at thwarting such flashy tricks.

The dense and muffled sounds of impacts rose sharply, but they could not break through the skin of Ian’s palm, let alone penetrate the layer of pale golden Origin Quality shining there, which only rippled slightly.

Instead, the water bullets shattered on impact with Ian, turning into scattered faint blue glowing specks like stars at the bottom of the sea.

Unbroken defense.

Completely unbroken.

“Origin Quality, the externally worn Sand Armor, Pure Rock Body delivered by Crystal Bone…

and finally, my body’s flesh and blood composing the real Sand Armor.

My four layers of defense make it rare for ordinary Magical Beasts at the high mid-level of the First Energy Level to even break through the first layer of Origin Quality.”

After feeling out the strength of the Giant Clam’s water bullets, Ian had also obtained a practical understanding of his current defensive capabilities.

As the strongest Guardian’s True Form, normal Magical Beasts would find it difficult to break his defense without a trump card, let alone cause him to bleed—his skin, flesh, and bone were even harder than his Origin Quality and Sand Armor combined.

“In a certain sense, the Slope Sword Deity.”

Thinking thus, Ian nodded slightly.

He continued to walk forward, approaching the Giant Clam, which was still charging up and preparing to continue its attack.

Hum!

This time, the Giant Clam, measuring more than a meter, must have exerted all its strength.

The water stream shot out from its specialized tentacles, narrowing from the size of a fist to the thickness of a finger.

The pale blue halo also solidified slightly, containing tiny particles difficult for the naked eye to detect.

Fine sand mixed with the high-pressure water jet, this was enough to cut through steel—the water blade.

But Ian, who had already anticipated this, simply shifted slightly to the side, and the seemingly unstoppable water stream brushed past him.

The blasting stream struck a nearby stone tree, and the exterior solid shell quietly crumbled and dissolved, while the steel inside appeared to melt and break off.

The stone tree tilted and fell, stirring up a layer of sediment at the calm seabed.

“I see…

Ordinary Iron Armor is just like paper.

And indeed, with my current strength, I could smash an Iron Armor wall to pieces just with a punch,” Ian murmured thoughtfully, nodding his head as he reached out his hand as if he were a child curiously trying to intercept the water stream, blocking the unspent force of the Giant Clam’s water blade.

And the water stream broke off at his touch.

The Origin Quality on the boy’s body shattered amidst violent ripples as the water stream hit the palm for the first time—but the water blade, which could shatter rock and bend steel, felt to Ian just about as strong as the household faucet from his past life.

“Still too inefficient…

The structure of the water blade can be referenced, but the control over power is lacking in lower Magical Beasts’ instincts,” Ian continued walking forward, bracing against the stream, and inserting his hand into the shell of the Giant Clam.

In just an instant, the clam, still attempting to strike back with its tentacles, completely went limp, losing the strength to resist: “I’ll take it back for research material.

It can also enhance the offensive capabilities of my True Form of the Wave Singer.”

Raising his hand, Ian forcefully plucked the enormous Giant Clam from the sea floor, some pale blue blood oozing from its shell.

Carrying his prey with ease, he started to float upwards.

However, in the midst of ascending, Ian suddenly turned his head, looking towards the direction leading to the distant sea.

Watery halos flickered in his eyes as he gazed at a bright spot in the distance.

“What’s that thing, so fast, smelling blood?”

The silver chip displayed data indicating five hundred and fifty meters below the sea surface, still deep-sea territory.

If this were Earth, not many creatures would survive here, but if it were Terra…

theoretically not either.

Yet in these waters, countless creatures could move freely, probably any fish could ignore something like water pressure and temporarily seek refuge here.

Soon, Ian, who had simply stopped in place to wait, saw an enormous creature almost flying towards him at great speed.

Its metallic skin, the huge mouth full of sharp teeth, eyes sparkling like gems, and the strong and vigorous gray and white body that kept swinging…

“Ironclad Shark?”

Widening his eyes, Ian was not so much surprised—if it was a shark, rushing over upon detecting blood was like basic operation.

They were professionals in their field.

But the problem was…

he didn’t detect any ‘hostility’ from this Ironclad Shark.

The over four-meter-long enormous shark, swaying its massive body, charged towards Ian from the distant sea with a rapid pace.

Its body was dotted with silver spots, giving a strong metallic impression, while its mouth full of sharp teeth seemed capable of slicing through even the water currents.

Such a ferocious and frightening image should have instilled fear in anyone; the huge predator’s mere presence was the overlord of the Southern Sea food chain—being at the First Energy Level, almost no creature could withstand the Ironclad Shark’s hunt.

Yet from the eyes of such a top predator of the seas, which were like sapphires locking onto Ian, there shone a strange, decidedly non-hostile glitter.

“Doesn’t seem like an attack.”

Ian transferred the Giant Clam he was holding in his right hand to his left, and the Fairy Wings on his back activated once again.

Facing the Ironclad Shark charging directly at him, the young man chose neither to confront it head-on nor to dodge it.

He shifted position instead.

The Ironclad Shark’s massive body was now close at hand, the surging currents causing ripples in the deep sea.

At the top of the huge shark, where the silver metal was most densely packed, one could even vaguely see a pale-white wave of energy.

Iron Charge—the Siege Crossbow’s rapid speed combined with an unstoppable horn were enough for a single strike to pierce through a large ship.

Yet Ian’s right hand pressed against the side of the shark’s metallic snout and then he pushed hard.

Faintly visible were sequences of Origin Quality halos lighting up on the boy’s back, arm, elbow, and wrist in that order.

Fairy Wings and the Sand Armor Apprentice simultaneously unleashed their power, instantly twisting the Ironclad Shark’s charging angle.

Boom!

The behemoth was struck by a tremendous force and immediately veered off to the side, while Ian remained in place, just curiously turning his head to look in the direction where the massive shark had dived back into the depths.

“This…” he pondered, “was it trying to greet me, but couldn’t slow down in time?”

There was no hostility, no hunger from the other; instead, there was an inexplicable closeness.

Although he couldn’t figure out why the halos on the shark seemed faintly tinged with green?

Friendly unit?

Sure enough, before long, the Ironclad Shark came back, and this time its speed was much more normal.

“~”

The huge shark swam around Ian, even forming a whirlpool, causing the young man to involuntarily touch his chin, “Although I’m not sure if you understand what I’m saying—but Big Shark, it’s hard for me to comprehend what you want to do if you don’t stop moving.”

Upon hearing these words, the Ironclad Shark moving around promptly stopped its motions, sinking towards the ocean floor like a rock.

“Hey, what a stone-headed…

you better keep moving,” Ian remarked to himself with a chuckle.

Since he knew that the other could somewhat understand him, he signaled for it to continue, “Really now, why are you so friendly towards me?”

After hearing the young man’s words, the Ironclad Shark began to swim again, but this time it slowed down significantly.

It might have been Spirit Energy, or perhaps the silver chip, but Ian started to vaguely understand the reason for the Ironclad Shark’s closeness.

“I see…”

The young man nodded slightly, showing an expression of realization: “Is it because of the Sand Armor Apprentice?”