Pioneer of the Abyss - Book 2 - Chapter 54 (Patreon)

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------Don't mind this. It's so that free readers can't see half the chapter when the chapter eventually becomes patron only.

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For those of you who are reading this on a website that is not Patreon, please stop. You're reading a pirated version. Instead, if you would be so kind, please click on the table of contents link below and go to my Patreon instead. Or even read it off of Royal Road, which is free.

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Table of Contents

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Click the following link for the 1408 word chapter 54:

https://docs.google.com/document/d/1fTt7i8rEvnhv45qH3y0uO9qFvZqHckeC3-4lf2_vXNQ/edit?usp=sharing

Or you can read the unformatted version below:

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Monster Research LabMoments ago

“After Oceana opens up, make sure to purchase that humanoid monster’s corpse for research!” Aulta exclaims over the phone while looking down at her notes. “We need humanoid aquatic monsters for study, and this is the first time we’ve encountered one, much less one this powerful! I don’t care how expensive it is! Just make the offer!”

Aulta grits her teeth as she continues writing down her notes so quickly her writing is barely legible.

Everything they can learn from the humanoid aquatic monster is necessary for their research to be completed. Because they’ve never seen anything like it before.

And to top that off, this is a humanoid aquatic monster that uses dark magic and seems to be able to parasitize other creatures of its kind.

Not only is it a humanoid monster, which is rare in and of itself to find new ones, It’s a completely unique species never seen before on any other planet. And one living underwater in a habitat without light.

“Understood,” the official on the other end of the call responds before Aulta hangs up the call and continues writing notes.

“What?!”

“Did that… huh?!”

“So that wasn’t its true form?!”

“Or is the creature capable of swapping forms?”

Aulta blinks at the words she hears the other researchers’ words before raising her head to look at the screen again. At which point she sees the boss monster having turned into a large seal-whale-shark thing.

She stares blankly at the not-so-humanoid monster for several seconds.

Is this its true form, or is that humanoid form its true form…?

Seconds pass in silence before she eventually decides to convince herself that the humanoid form was its true form. For now.

Then she just starts to write notes, adding details of this new form to her already detailed notes.

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Aqua

Despite not being humanoid anymore, the monster doesn’t seem to have any trouble using those darkness tentacles in this form. Considering the large tentacles of darkness shooting out of its body to fly straight at me.

Tentacles that I counter with physical tentacles of my own that I summon through Abyssal Kraken’s Embrace.

Except that now that its in its fish beast form – which is what I’ll call this form – its tentacles seem to be weaker for some reason. Giving my tentacles the edge in the fight.

But when I rush forwards in the middle of the tentacles to stab the creature with my weapon in trident form, I find that its body is a lot tougher than before. Despite the seal part of it not even having scales or armor like its previous form.

So tough that I can’t even leave a scratch on its hide.

And when the thing moves, it moves a lot faster than its size should be able to. With it slamming its tail into me faster than I can dodge.

Sending me flying in the process like a torpedo slamming into the ground.

I cough out a mouthful of blood after crashing into the ground before gritting my teeth and quickly getting back up. Swimming away and just barely avoiding the monster’s attack as it slams its tail into the ground where I was just at.

Damnit, this thing is a lot stronger than it was in that humanoid form…

I continue swimming around the creature while avoiding the darkness tentacles or just fighting back against them with my own summoned tentacles.

My eyes narrow a little as I swim.

Okay, so this form is weaker in magic but stronger in body? Is that what I’m getting here?

Wait, if it’s weaker in magic…

I glance at the other dark marauders, only to find them looking a lot weaker than they were before. And on top of that, the ones further away from us seem to have regained some control over themselves as they leave the area entirely.

Huh. Guess this really is its physical combat form while the other form was its magic combat form.

As if confirming that, the monster suddenly moves several times faster than before in an instant. Seemingly using some sort of burst power.

And in this burst, it slams its tail into me, sending me flying out of the Dark Ocean. Soaring past the cities and other monsters to eventually slam into a city further away as I cough out more blood. With numerous bones all over my body breaking in the process.

I grit my teeth from the pain, only to push past it and get up off the rubble.

That hurt…

I glance at the livestream chat.

[oh, wow… this is the most I’ve ever seen her struggle]

[That attack just launched her across an entire ocean…]

[holy shit…]

[THIS BATTLE IS WORTHY OF BEING A FINAL BOSS BATTLLLLLEEEE!!!!]

[YOU CAN DO IT AQUA!!!]

I turn back to the direction of the Dark Ocean. But before I can begin heading back there, my eyes widen in surprise at the sight of the dark lord rushing across the ocean I’m in towards me.

That thing’s fast too… beyond just that burst skill from before…

I don’t think I’ve ever seen anything that large being that fast before.

The dark lord rushes through the water at me and the city behind me. But fortunately for me, the city itself was already evacuated. So I don’t have to worry about anyone in it getting hurt.

I rush through the water while also using the abyssal kraken tentacles to send me flying out of the way of its attack. Leading the boss to slam into the city itself along with its barrier.

It cracks the barrier with ease, but it also ends up being shocked by the barrier in the process.

I feel pain from the broken bones while rushing through the water towards the boss even as said bones mend at a gradual but visible pace. With me reaching the boss the moment the barrier shatters and it continues on to slam into the city.

To my surprise though, I see a large wound on its chest when it rotates mid-slam in an attempt to stop itself. A wound matching the wound I gave the monster’s humanoid form. Meaning its wounds transfer between forms.

And since I can’t pierce its hide in this form, I directly targets the wound. Using one skill after another as I head into it during its attempt to stop itself from slamming into the city.

First, I swim straight to the wound while stabbing it with my weapon in its harpoon form again. Extending the wound after finding that its insides are far easier to damage than its hide.

Then I activate both ink and plague, filling the monster’s wound with as much poison and plague as I can to infect the creature. And when I dig deep enough into the creature’s body that there’s enough space, I begin summoning abyssal servants inside of its body as well. Letting them dig along with me.

Meanwhile the massive dark lord lets out loud squeals mixed with roars of pain.

Despite the pain I feel from my broken bones, I continue digging through the dark lord’s body. Deeply wishing that I had those dark marauders here to devour for healing.

But it’s fine. Because at this rate, the monster will die before-

My thoughts are interrupted when the dark lord’s body suddenly begins to shrink again. All the way until I find myself and my abyssal servants falling out of its shrunken body as it returns to its humanoid form.

I blink in surprise before focusing on the dark lord’s humanoid form again. Where I find it with a massive hole in its torso.

It’s missing most of its chest and almost all of its stomach. With its armor showing cracks all over the place.

Not to mention signs of plague and my ink poisoning.

So just a few hits from my abyssal servants makes the monster’s armor completely shatter. Fully revealing its real form underneath.

I blink when I see it, only to tilt my head slightly in confusion at the sight of the monster looking just like a regular dark marauder. Albeit with some sort of crown on its head.

Huh.

That’s unexpected.

What’s also unexpected is when the dark lord lets out a loud screeching roar before sending a powerful burst of darkness all around it. Swallowing everything in sight.