C17 One Sided Gamble

Xiao Hao's recovery was swift, thanks to the passive skill of his Immortal Body. His exhaustion stemmed from the relentless use of his abilities, pushing his body to its limits. Once recovered, Xiao Hao could feel an increase in his strength. The Immortal Body was designed to unlock the body's latent potential, and he surmised that by actively tapping into this potential, the skill's effects were amplified.

He had been outside for nearly half an hour. The thought of time caused Xiao Hao's heart to race. He hastily accessed the game panel to upgrade the Shellfish House. When he had left, there were only 35L of mana remaining. After setting the "Endurance" barrier card, he had ventured out to hunt monsters. He checked the barrier card's timer and was relieved to see it hadn't decreased. It would have been a real loss to waste such a powerful, bug-like card.

Xiao Hao was about to check his Spirit Bead count when, to his surprise, one of the eight sea horses perished instantly. Such a swift kill could only mean one thing: a Deep Sea Phantom was near. The sea horses were positioned around him, roughly ten meters away. The abrupt death of one indicated that the phantom was within the same proximity to Xiao Hao!

Without a moment to ponder, Xiao Hao's instincts kicked in, and he executed Shadow Vanishing to flee. The Emerald Armor on his mantis shrimp mount now bore five gashes. The once pristine armor was marred by the stark cracks, from which blood oozed out slowly.

Xiao Hao, shrouded in darkness, immediately recalled all his Guardians and fled desperately. The phantom was too close for him to escape or find a place to hide. Perhaps the noise from his recent monster encounter had drawn the spirit's attention.

The Reaper's Scythe swung menacingly behind him, carving into the earth with gashes that surpassed those made by the mantis shrimp. Xiao Hao's aurora-like shadow moved with cunning agility. Any less, and the entire shadow would have been cleaved by the Sickle Finger. His extreme S-shaped maneuvers kept him on the brink of danger, leaving a trail of deep, violent scratches on the ground he traversed.

Even the toughest earth and stone would be instantly cleaved by the phantom.

Its Sickle Finger was every bit as formidable as a mantis shrimp's scythe.

Xiao Hao knew he couldn't sustain such intense Shadow Vanishing for long.

After an all-out sprint and a sharp turn, he managed to put some distance between himself and the phantom.

But that small gap would close in mere seconds.

Xiao Hao and the sea horse split up, each darting off in different directions. The phantom relentlessly pursued Xiao Hao's true form, completely disregarding the sea horse.

Both were mere shadows, yet why did the wild monster always zero in on him?

Xiao Hao had a hunch about the reason, but he was reluctant to test it.

The answer lay with the Exploring Bubble.

The Exploring Bubble created a roughly two-meter diameter sphere around him, shielding him from the crushing depths and providing oxygen.

However, this same bubble also made him a glaring target for the wild monster.

Even while using Shadow Vanishing, Xiao Hao didn't dare deactivate the Exploring Bubble.

He couldn't be sure it would withstand the deep-sea pressure.

If his body remained frail within the Shadow Vanishing state, the intense pressure could instantly pulverize him into a pulp!

With the Exploring Bubble, there was no way the Deep Sea Phantom would lose track of him.

But without it, the fearsome pressure of the deep could crush him in the blink of an eye.

He was too far from the Shellfish House; Xiao Hao's stamina was at its limit. Even pushing his abilities to the extreme wouldn't get him back.

Xiao Hao was trapped in a dire predicament, facing certain death either way.

Little did anyone know the sheer delight the phantom felt inside.

Though it couldn't capture Xiao Hao just yet, a few minutes of this cat-and-mouse chase allowed it to revel in the thrill of tormenting its prey!

For daring to mock it, it vowed to strip his tendons one by one and flay his skin whole!

He was out of options.

The phantom clung to him, leaving Xiao Hao no chance to flee.

It was time for a desperate gamble!

Perhaps he could turn the tables at death's door!

From within the shadows, Xiao Hao gravely dispelled the Exploring Bubble, and the horrifying pressure of the deep sea instantly engulfed the space around him.

The black shadow adrift in the sea paused, a sense of relief washing over it as it realized it had survived the ordeal.

He was alive!

The crushing depths hadn't claimed him!

Of course, how could the immense pressure of the deep sea affect a mere shadow?

He should've known better!

But he had been reluctant to take the risk.

Now, without the Exploring Bubble, he was curious to see how the Deep Sea Phantom would try to track him down.

As the last bubble vanished before his eyes, the Phantom felt a surge of unease.

Sure enough, the shadow ahead split into eight separate entities, each darting off in a different direction.

The Phantom was left bewildered.

Which one should it pursue?

Biting back its fury, the Phantom made a choice and pursued one of the shadows. To chase meant a chance to find the player's true form; to abstain meant losing even that slim hope.

It chose this particular shadow because it fled towards the Shellfish House.

Regrettably, just as the Phantom was closing in, the shadow it had chosen dissipated into nothingness.

This was the player's doing, recalling the shadow.

It had chosen wrong.

The Phantom roared in frustration, unable to count the number of times it had been outwitted by this player!

The player's rush to hunt monsters had revealed a crucial detail – they didn't possess the Spirit Bead!

The last time the Phantom had retreated, it had played right into the player's hands!

It had helplessly watched the player slip through its grasp once again!

Even a stealth attack hadn't stopped the player from escaping!

The player had slipped right through its fingers!

The Sickle Finger, the Phantom's pride and joy!

In a fit of rage, the Phantom shrieked, unleashing its wrath upon the earth, leaving devastation in its wake as the nearby creatures fled in terror.

Once its fury had subsided, the Phantom's Sickle Finger clenched the empty air, its hollow gaze fixed on the Shellfish House.

It was determined to destroy the player!

It vowed to exact the most brutal revenge, to inflict a torment worse than death!

Seething with rage, the Phantom stormed towards the Shellfish House, only to be met with fury anew upon seeing the renovated structure.

Just as expected!

It fell for the trap!

Staring into the dark, deserted Shellfish House, it was determined to stand its ground here, no matter what.

Outside the floor-to-ceiling window, fresh scratches marred the glass surface. Before they could even fully fuse, several more scratches appeared.

Nearby, in a secluded corner, a bubble expanded like a balloon, growing until it was about two meters in diameter.

The shadow at the heart of the bubble waited for the Exploring Bubble to fully illuminate before it slowly took on a human shape.

A bead of sweat fell from his chin, his arms quivering slightly, his black attire drenched with perspiration. Xiao Hao's heart pounded furiously, as if it were leaping into his throat, threatening to burst out.

Xiao Hao, having narrowly escaped death's clutches, was still reeling from the shock. It took a few minutes of heavy breathing before he regained his composure.

Once his heartbeat steadied, Xiao Hao's rage began to climb.

A Shadow Hippocampus had perished.

He vowed it wouldn't die for nothing!

Xiao Hao made a solemn oath.