Supreme Paragon Reborn: Humanity's Rise To Galactic Supremacy-Chapter 340: Little Thalassophobia Never Hurt Anybody

Being stretched thin for time with the quarterfinals set to be held a week from now, Michael didn’t linger, going as far away from the blessed lands as possible.

Several hours later he roughly arrived at the other side of Earth.

Currently Michael soared the sky, riding upon Devil in his sword form, above the vast expanse of the ocean.

’Please, enlighten me. Why in the actual fuck are we in the middle of nowhere?!’ The soul weapon exclaimed.

’When you said that you would cheat and that I am forbidden from speaking about what you are set to do, I expected you to snuggle atop the golden tree and cultivate until you become a Lord or something like that... Not get as far away from civilization as possible!’ Devil remarked.

Michael chuckled.

"You are only half right." 𝙧𝙚𝙚𝔀𝒆𝓫𝓷𝙤𝓿𝒆𝙡.𝒄𝙤𝓶

Before Devil could retort, they both came to a complete stop.

"This should do it..." Michael reasoned.

’Have you gone completely mad?! There’s nothing here! NOTHING!’

Devil’s reaction was reasonable. After all, in every direction there was nothing but water as far as the eye could see.

Even more bizarre, the spiritual energy nearby was unnaturally thin... Almost as if they were in the middle of a cosmos rather than on a planet with gravitational pull, which should have kept the energy at bay.

Completely ignoring the sword’s remarks, Michael spoke.

"Do you have thalassophobia? And before you ask, it’s basically the fear of what might be lurking in the deep water below."

’No...?’ Devil answered, feeling slightly unsure.

Michael laughed.

"Well, you better start now!"

Not bothering to elaborate, Michael used Psychokinesis to tilt the sword downward. His chest expanded to the utmost limit, drawing in as much air as possible before plunging into the water, traveling full speed towards the abysmal darkness.

’Goddammit! My owner is suicidal!’ Devil cursed. ’At least warn me about such things ahead of time!’

Fortunately, the sword proved invaluable. The sharp tip offered little to no resistance to the water, slicing through it effortlessly. Michael lay low on the surface of the blade, increasing aerodynamics and minimizing drag.

In utter silence, the two descended deeper into the water.

At first, the pressure was barely noticeable, but it gradually began to intensify. Once they passed the first kilometer underwater, a darkness that mortals could never pierce embraced them on all sides.

Perfect Senses played a vital role here, allowing Michael to perceive his surroundings, even as it became increasingly difficult.

By the time they passed five kilometers of depth, he felt as though he were being crushed by a hydraulic press, yet he remained unshaken. To make matters worse, the oxygen in his lungs had long run out, forcing him to rely on his reserve of spiritual energy.

Curiously, at the top of the ocean, the lack of spiritual energy was evident, yet the deeper they plunged, the more potent it became.

’How deep are we going to go?’ Devil asked in a rather meek voice. Since Michael was focused on staying conscious, the soul weapon began to feel anxious.

A subtle feeling warned Devil that they were moments away from being ambushed.

His instincts proved well-placed when Michael suddenly increased his output of spiritual energy, accelerating their speed.

’We are being chased.’ Michael calmly transmitted to the sword, keeping his mouth shut.

’Pardon?!’

As if to confirm his words, a heartbeat later a looming creature appeared, trailing behind them, mouth wide open. It was over 20 meters long and weighed around 60 tons.

’What is that?!’ Devil was stunned. ’Is this an alien?!’

’Stop making such a fuss.’ Michael frowned. ’It’s just a megalodon. No big deal.’

It seemed the creature wasn’t as extinct as many believed it to be. As for why it was trailing them in such deep waters, while it was supposed to live in shallower depths... Michael’s best guess was the potent spiritual energy in the surroundings had caused it to migrate.

Escaping by the skin of their teeth, they traveled even deeper, dodging numerous megalodons along the way, until they finally neared the bottom, approximately ten kilometers underwater.

Frankly, Devil was worried. He feared they wouldn’t find anything here, only to be forced to turn back. Yet Michael seemed at the limits of his abilities... Going back wasn’t an option.

’He wouldn’t die here... right?’

Yet before the sword could express his worry, an unexpected sight entered his view. A large crevasse gaping in the ground.

Wordlessly, they entered, following the curvature of the tunnel as it gradually curved upward, leading into an undiscovered underwater cave.

Finally emerging from the water after several torturously long hours, Michael took the most hoarse breath of his existence.

Oxygen had never felt more delicious in his life... two lives even.

Utterly spent, Michael moved over the rocky ground, collapsing on the spot and savoring the moment of relief.

As for Devil, he immediately assumed his full form in case danger appeared. The monstrous being loomed two and a half meters tall as he stared at Michael in utter bewilderment.

Silence stretched for several minutes before Devil had enough.

"How do you even explain this?!" He bellowed.

Michael didn’t even attempt to lift his head. "Explain what?"

"This!" Devil gestured at everything around them, offended that he even had to point it out. "I can understand you being insane. Taking irrational risks and somehow coming out on top due to luck and wit. But this..."

Devil’s singular black pupil narrowed.

"It’s not rational! How do you know that in the middle of the ocean, at its very depths, there’s a crevasse leading to an undiscovered cave? Something so remote and hidden that I’d bet no one has ever found it... Because no one has been crazy enough to search the ocean’s depths!"

With a groan, Michael slowly stood up.

"You want to know why we’ve come here?" He asked, gesturing deeper into the cave.

Following his gaze, Devil noticed roots that he had previously overlooked.

They were the stark opposite of the golden tree’s roots. Rather than glowing, these ones were a mixture of red and black, devouring the light around them. Even more notable, they were buried deep in the ground, and how far they extended was entirely unknown.

On closer examination, it became apparent that they were not part of a tree at all. Completely made of flesh, they pulsed rhythmically, almost like a heartbeat, as if they were alive.

"We have come here to slay a Monarch tier alien... A parasite that has been feeding on Earth and, by extension, on humankind for far too long."

Michael paused briefly.

"Or, in other words, my ticket to achieving enlightenment and ascending to the Lord realm."