After switching jobs to Navelette, the school beauty turns out to be Funina!

"I suggest you choose the hard difficulty," the old mage kindly advised.

"Nightmare difficulty is for teams, and even a full level 40 squad has a survival rate of less than 10%. That Kraken is the overlord of the sea; it's invincible in the water."

"A sea monster?"

Jiang Chen's eyes lit up as he looked at the mission description.

The overlord of the sea?

Invincible in the water?

Is there any creature in this world that understands water better than Gu Long?

This isn't a mission, it's clearly a pet delivered right to my door...?

"I'll choose this one." Jiang Chen pointed to Nightmare difficulty without hesitation.

"Are you crazy?!" The old monk's eyes widened.

"That's a level 50 lord! And in the deep sea! There's water pressure thousands of meters deep there; an ordinary person would be turned into mincemeat the moment they went down! You're just a mage..."

"It's okay, I can handle pressure." Jiang Chen smiled.

"Besides, I'm a bit rebellious; the more difficult something is, the more excited I get."

"Confirm acceptance?" The old mage looked at him as if he were a dead man.

"Sure."

[Ding! Nightmare-level second job advancement quest accepted: The Call of the Deep Sea!]

[Task time limit: three days.]

[Failure Penalty: Level drop of 5, all attributes reduced by 10%.]

After accepting the mission, Jiang Chen walked out of the temple and ran into Xia Qingyu, who was rushing over.

"Jiang Chen! What mission did you take on? Is it difficult?" Xia Qingyu asked anxiously.

"It's not difficult. It's just going to the beach for a vacation and catching a fish while we're at it," Jiang Chen said casually.

"Catching fish?" Xia Qingyu was taken aback.

"What kind of fish would go to the deep-sea rift to catch? That's a restricted area!"

"A rather large squid." Jiang Chen rubbed her head.

"Don't worry, I'll be back in three days. I'll treat you to grilled squid then; it's definitely better than braised pork."

"You..." Xia Qingyu's eyes reddened.

"You're always like this! You always shoulder all the danger yourself! Can't you take me with you? I can heal you!"

"Not this time." Jiang Chen's smile faded, and he became serious.

"The water pressure in the Great Rift Valley is too great; your body can't withstand it. And..."

He leaned close to Xia Qingyu's ear and whispered...

"That place is my home turf. Bringing you along will distract me. You stay home and wait for me, and clean the villa thoroughly, especially my bed; make sure it's made extra soft."

"Get lost!" Xia Qingyu burst into laughter through her tears and shoved him hard.

"Who wants to make your bed! If you dare come back missing an arm or a leg, I'll... I'll remarry Zhao Wuji!"

"Then I reckon Zhao Wuji wouldn't dare marry him." Jiang Chen laughed heartily.

"After all, his legs go weak when he sees me."

……

After saying goodbye to Xia Qingyu, Jiang Chen boarded the airship bound for the East China Sea alone.

The Great Rift Valley is located deep in the East China Sea and is one of the most dangerous sea areas known to humankind.

The area is ravaged by storms year-round, teeming with sea monsters, and because it is close to abyssal fissures, unknown and terrifying creatures frequently appear.

On the airship, Jiang Chen looked out at the increasingly deep sea, and the "Source Water Blood" in his body began to boil violently.

It felt like coming home.

"finally……"

Jiang Chen reached out and pressed his hand to his chest.

"This body has always been bound by the laws of the land. Although it can use some minor skills, it is ultimately not in its complete form."

"Only in the deep sea, in that place where there are no people and no rules, can I truly unleash... the form of Gu Long."

"The Kraken?"

Jiang Chen's lips curled into a fanatical smile.

"I hope you find it enjoyable to play. After all, this is my first time... fully awakened."

......

Cape Storm, on the coast of the East China Sea.

This is the only way to the deep-sea rift valley, where fierce winds howl and towering waves crash year-round.

Ordinary ships dare not approach; only specially reinforced military vessels or magic ships of top professionals can barely pass.

At this moment, a small speedboat bearing the flag of the Imperial Capital University was struggling to navigate through the wind and waves.

The boat was operated by an uncle from the military stationed nearby, named Lao Zhang.

He was a seasoned sailor with twenty years of experience, and the skin on his face was rough like tree bark from the sea breeze.

"Young man, are you sure you don't need me to help you in a little?" Old Zhang shouted, gripping the steering wheel tightly, trying to drown out the sound of the wind and waves outside.

"We're still fifty nautical miles from the core of the Great Rift Valley! And right ahead is the 'Death Corridor,' where the underwater currents can tear even steel apart!"

Jiang Chen, sitting in the back seat, closed his eyes, savoring the rich, intoxicating scent of water in the sea breeze.

"No need, Uncle Zhang." Jiang Chen opened his eyes, his originally dark pupils now faintly gleaming with a deep blue light.

"Let's stop here. The road ahead is impassable for boats, but I can get through."

Old Zhang paused for a moment, then stopped the boat.

"Do you...do you have diving equipment? I didn't see you bring an oxygen tank."

Jiang Chen stood up and straightened his collar—he was dressed very simply today, in a white shirt, black trousers, and even a pair of expensive-looking leather shoes.

This outfit doesn't look like it's for a sea adventure; it looks more like it's for a beach party.

"Oxygen tanks? Those things are too heavy, they'll affect my performance." Jiang Chen smiled and walked to the ship's side.

"Uncle Zhang, drive slowly on the way back, the waves are quite big."

After saying that, under Old Zhang's horrified gaze, Jiang Chen leaped into the air.

Pfft!

There was no fancy entry into the water, and no protective shield. He simply jumped into the dark, cold, and bottomless sea, just like someone contemplating suicide.

"Holy crap! This young man! Is he out of his mind?!" Old Zhang was so scared that he quickly leaned over the gunwale to look down.

However, the next second, he witnessed a scene that he would never forget.

After entering the water, Jiang Chen did not struggle or sink like an ordinary person.

On the contrary, the surrounding seawater seemed to have a spirit, automatically parting around him to form a transparent bubble.

No, those aren't bubbles, they're the sea cheering and embracing their king!

Jiang Chen opened his eyes underwater and took a deep breath.

Yes, he took a deep breath in the water.

There was no feeling of suffocation; on the contrary, it was a feeling even smoother than breathing on land. The icy seawater rushed into his lungs, instantly transforming into the purest oxygen and energy.

"Comfortable……"

Jiang Chen stretched and let out a satisfied sigh. The sound traveled through the water, and was even clearer than in the air.

[Host detected entering deep-sea environment...]

[Gu Long's Power - Deep Sea Overlord has been activated.]

[All attributes increased by 500%! Skill cooldown reduced by 80%! Perception range expanded to 100 kilometers!]

Looking at the series of soaring data on the system panel, Jiang Chen's lips curled up slightly.

If he's A-rank on land, then here he's Super SSS-rank.

"Let's go see what this so-called 'forbidden zone' actually looks like."