Re-Awakening: I Ascend with a Legendary class

Chapter 652: Arriving At The Ancient Ruins, Tactical Understanding

Maya moved first.

There was no hesitation in her movement. The moment her decision was made, her figure slipped forward, slicing through the ocean with a precision that made the surrounding currents recoil from her path. The pressure at that depth was immense, but it did not seem to touch her. It parted instead, as if unwilling to obstruct her advance.

Marcus followed a heartbeat later. His approach was the opposite. Where Maya was precise and controlled, Marcus was direct and overwhelming. His aura expanded outward like a blazing force, displacing water in turbulent ripples as he accelerated forward.

Ahead of them, the Tier-80 creature revealed itself completely.

It was not merely large. It was colossal.

Its body stretched across the depths like a moving fortress, layered in jagged obsidian plates that overlapped like armor forged from the core of a dead world. Between those plates, veins of molten crimson light pulsed rhythmically, as though something alive and furious burned beneath the surface. Its presence warped the surrounding water. Even the faint ambient light from above seemed to dim around it, swallowed by its oppressive existence.

A low, rumbling growl escaped it, and the ocean answered.

Currents twisted violently. Pressure surged outward in waves that could crush lesser beings instantly.

Maya did not slow.

She slipped through the incoming force, her body tilting just slightly as she redirected her movement. In the next instant, she was already within striking range. Her blade flashed.

A thin, precise arc of power carved through the water and struck the creature’s head.

The impact rang out like metal striking an unyielding fortress.

The creature barely reacted.

"Durable," Maya said, her voice calm despite the scale of what stood before her.

Marcus arrived the next moment.

He did not test. He did not probe.

He struck.

His fist descended with overwhelming force, compressing the water around it into a dense wave that detonated upon impact. The blow landed against the creature’s armored surface with a thunderous crack. One of the obsidian plates fractured, spiderweb lines spreading outward from the point of impact.

The creature shifted this time.

Not much.

But enough.

Marcus grinned. "Good."

The retaliation came instantly.

The creature’s tail moved with terrifying speed, cutting through the water like a blade of its own. The sheer force behind it tore a trench through the surrounding currents.

Maya vanished from her position.

Marcus remained.

He raised his arms and braced.

The impact struck him head-on.

The force drove him backward, the water behind him exploding outward as he was pushed through it. But even as he slid back, his expression did not change. His grin only deepened.

He stopped himself, anchoring his position mid-water.

"That’s better."

Behind them, the rest of the Regalons observed without intervening.

Rudra’s gaze remained steady. "Let them handle it."

The battle shifted.

Maya adapted first.

Her movements became sharper, more refined. She no longer aimed for direct damage. Instead, she targeted the fractures Marcus created, each strike landing with exact timing and placement. Her blade slipped into weaknesses and widened them with surgical precision.

Marcus continued as before, but now his strikes followed her rhythm. Each blow expanded the damage, each impact turning cracks into ruptures.

The synergy formed seamlessly.

The creature’s movements slowed.

Its armor began to fail.

The crimson veins beneath its surface flickered violently, its internal energy destabilizing under the coordinated assault.

Then Maya moved in for the final strike.

She appeared directly above the largest fracture. Her blade pierced downward, slipping through the broken armor and into the creature’s core.

At the same moment, Marcus drove his fist into the same point.

The combined force shattered the creature from within.

Its massive form trembled before breaking apart, dissolving into fragments of energy that scattered into the depths like dying embers.

Silence returned, but only for a moment.

The group resumed their descent.

The deeper they went, the heavier the ocean became.

The pressure intensified.

The light faded.

And the monsters grew stronger.

Tier-60 creatures began appearing in coordinated groups, their movements more organized, their attacks more refined. Soon after, Tier-70 entities followed, each carrying distinct traits and abilities that forced the team to adapt.

This time, everyone participated.

Silvester and Hiroshi moved through the battlefield like phantoms. Their strikes were clean and absolute. Enemies did not fall in prolonged battles. They simply ceased to exist the moment those two passed through them.

Natalia and Kayla worked in perfect coordination. Fields of control formed around groups of monsters, locking them in place, disrupting their movements, and exposing them to precise eliminations.

The Spirit Lords advanced like ancient forces of nature. Each of their attacks carried immense weight, crushing enemies with overwhelming authority.

The Dreadling Monarchs followed closely, tearing through anything that survived the initial onslaught.

The Asura Executives supported from all angles, their strength evident in every exchange as they dismantled threats that would have overwhelmed ordinary forces.

Even the generals of Suryax held their ground.

They were weaker in raw power, but they were experienced. They adapted quickly, learning from the Regalons’ methods and applying those lessons in real time.

The descent continued.

And then the ocean changed.

The chaotic, monster-filled depths gave way to something else.

Structure.

The first sign was a shadow.

A massive silhouette stretched across the seabed, far larger than anything they had encountered so far. As they approached, the shape became clearer.

Pillars.

Enormous pillars rose from the ocean floor, each one carved from a material that seemed untouched by time. Their surfaces were etched with intricate patterns that glowed faintly, casting a soft, ancient light across the surroundings.

Then more structures appeared.

Broken domes.

Collapsed archways.

Vast staircases that led nowhere.

An entire city lay beneath them.

It was not a ruin in the simple sense.

It was a remnant of something grand.

The scale alone was staggering. Buildings rose hundreds of meters high, even in their broken state. Pathways stretched endlessly, intersecting with each other in complex patterns.

Everything carried a sense of age.

Not decay.

Age.

As if this place had not been destroyed by time, but simply abandoned by it.

A faint energy permeated the ruins.

It was not aggressive.

It was not passive either.

It was watching.

"We’re here," Lily said quietly.

The group slowed as they entered the outer boundary of the ruins.

The water here felt different.

Heavier.

Denser.

Alive in a way that made even the Regalons slightly more alert.

Almond’s gaze swept across the structures.

The medallion in his possession remained silent, but he could feel something faint, something subtle, reacting to the presence of this place.

Then the realization came.

They were not alone.

Figures stood in the distance.

Not one group.

Four.

Each positioned at different edges of the ruins.

Each radiating power that matched their own.

The other kingdoms had arrived.

For a brief moment, the ocean felt still.

No one moved.

No one attacked.

But the tension was unmistakable.

This was not a battlefield yet.

But it could become one in an instant.

Rudra observed them carefully.

"They understand," he said.

Almond nodded slightly.

"Resources here are limited."

A silent agreement began to form.

It did not need words.

It did not need a formal declaration.

Every leader present understood the situation.

If they fought now, they would weaken themselves.

If they weakened themselves, another group would take advantage, or if all fought each other, none would gain anything.

So instead, they chose restraint.

One of the distant leaders raised a hand slowly. Not in challenge. In acknowledgment.

Rudra responded with a slight nod.

The message was clear.

Divide.

Explore.

Do not interfere.

For now.

Lily’s gaze shifted as she assessed the layout of the ruins.

"That side," she said, pointing toward a region where the structures descended deeper into the seabed, forming a layered network of pathways and enclosed chambers.

It was more dangerous.

But it was also more promising.

Almond agreed immediately. "We take it."

No one argued.

The Regalons began moving toward their chosen territory.

Behind them, the other kingdoms did the same, each claiming a section of the vast, ancient city.

As they advanced deeper into their area, the true scale of the ruins became even more apparent.

Some pathways led into massive underground halls, their ceilings supported by pillars so large they resembled mountains.

Others opened into wide plazas filled with broken constructs that seemed to have once served a purpose long forgotten.

Strange inscriptions covered nearly every surface.

Some glowed faintly.

Others remained dormant.

A few pulsed with energy when approached, reacting to the presence of the explorers.

The air, or what passed for it in the depths, felt charged.

Like a system waiting to be activated.

Or awakened.

Rudra slowed slightly as he took in the surroundings.

"This place was not just a city," he said.

Almond’s eyes narrowed.

"No," he replied. "It was something more."

The deeper they went, the more it became clear.

This was not merely a ruin.

It was a domain of power.

A repository of something vast and significant.

And now, five kingdoms had entered it at the same time.

The balance would not last forever.

But for now, there was only one priority.

Explore.

Claim.

Grow stronger.

The race had begun.