Ice Age Apocalypse: I Hoard Billions of Supplies

The battle between sea monsters made Zhang Yi's heart race with terror.

Sharks desperately tore at the sea serpent's body. The serpent's elongated form was already riddled with bite marks, exposing skeletal structures beneath. Yet it remained equally terrifying—after killing one shark with a laser beam from its head, the massive creature arched backward before viciously stabbing another shark's spine.

Like a knife slicing through pork, a "thud!" erupted as if unleashing a waterfall of blood. Shark blood gushed violently into the air.

Zhang Yi couldn't help but swallow hard. Regaining his composure, he immediately returned to the deck.

"Full speed ahead! Get us out of this area!" he ordered Old Tian.

This sea monster was far more horrifying than any mutated whale Zhang Yi had encountered before. Just those four sharks alone—their size and destructive power were spine-chilling, likely surpassing even Kanute, captain of the Tianlong Pirate Crew he'd faced previously. If these creatures noticed their ship and attacked, it would spell serious trouble.

Old Tian recognized the danger and bellowed at the crew to push the engines to maximum capacity, steering away from the sea monsters.

The Golden Edge distanced itself from the chaotic waters, but roars still echoed intermittently. At one point, Zhang Yi looked back to see lightning strikes bombarding the area they'd just fled.

"Such a heart-stopping battle," he mused on deck. "The ocean's depths hold far greater dangers than land ever could."

"Something's wrong, Captain. Very wrong!" Old Tian suddenly called out.

Zhang Yi frowned. "What do you mean?"

Old Tian pointed at the crimson-stained waters. "Marine life is hyper-sensitive to blood. With this much in the water, fish should be swarming here. So why isn't there a single one around?"

A realization struck Zhang Yi—just as his passive ability [Echo of Time] activated.

Echo of Time—one of Zhang Yi's awakened abilities after absorbing Phoenixin Ren, Takeuchi Mayumi, and Kanute. A time-based passive skill that warned him of impending attacks.

Below!

His gaze snapped downward, specifically beneath the ship's hull. The primal sensation of being hunted by a predator crawled up his spine. Without hesitation, he applied his Skywalk ability to the entire vessel while opening a dimensional gate beneath them.

BOOM!

Seconds later, the surrounding waters erupted into a violent whirlpool. From above, one could see a massive vortex forming—nearly a kilometer in radius—with the Golden Edge at its center. Within the churning depths, enormous black dorsal fins breached the surface intermittently.

"It's that sea serpent!" Zhang Yi recognized it immediately—the same colossal creature that had battled the mutated sharks earlier. Somehow, it had detected their presence and pursued them.

Or perhaps... it had sensed Zhang Yi's unique energy signature.

Lifting the Golden Edge with Skywalk, Zhang Yi gripped the railing while peering into the abyss. The serpent's blood-red eyes—each twice his size—locked onto him with unmistakable bloodlust.

Though uncertain if it understood human speech, Zhang Yi amplified his voice through the ship's PA system: "We're not your enemies. Just passing through."

The sea monster ignored him. Emerging partially from the water, it aimed its horn at Zhang Yi and fired a violet laser beam!

Zhang Yi's pupils contracted as he summoned a second dimensional gate to intercept the attack. The relentless beam poured into the portal for thirty relentless seconds before ceasing.

The energy intensity was staggering—comparable to an elite superhuman commander's full-power assault. In its aquatic domain, this creature could annihilate an entire expedition team. Had someone like Deng Shentong or Bian Junwu been here instead of him, they'd have been doomed—the monster needed only sink their vessel to claim easy prey.

"So this is why Zhu Zheng insisted I handle this mission," Zhang Yi inhaled sharply. "They didn't call me [Absolute Defense] for nothing!"

When its attack proved ineffective, the sea serpent grew cautious but continued circling menacingly. Its writhing, gargantuan form radiated overwhelming pressure.

Zhang Yi's anger flared. "I wasn't even bothering you, and you pull this shit?"

[Full Counter]!

The absorbed laser reversed trajectory, returning at full power. Seeing its own attack rebounded, the creature's eyes flashed with confusion—then agony as the beam struck its already battered torso.

An earth-shaking roar erupted as scales and flesh exploded outward, revealing charred bones beneath. Meanwhile, Zhang Yi's right hand coalesced void energy into a lethal strike.

Realizing this human could indeed kill it, the monster gave one final enraged bellow before plunging into the depths.

"Void Spear."

Unstable dark matter condensed into a two-meter lance.

"Precision Shooting!"

Multiple afterimages flickered across Zhang Yi's vision before merging into one. This ability—his original temporal power and precursor to Echo of Time—allowed him to predict enemy movements. Once locked by Echo of Time, escape became impossible.

The Void Spear launched seaward. The ocean itself seemed to recoil, millions of tons of water parting in a perfect cylindrical tunnel as the projectile pursued its target.

KABOOM!

The tunnel collapsed instantly as water rushed back in. Soon after, thick, dark crimson blood bubbled up from the depths.

Zhang Yi frowned. Since his power upgrade, Void Spear's lethality had increased dramatically—now capable of pinpoint annihilation rather than area bombardment. Still, whether it could kill such a massive sea monster in one hit remained uncertain, especially in its aquatic domain where pursuit was impossible.

"Stay the hell away!" he shouted into the abyss. "Next time, I'll finish you for good!"

Author's Note