After defeating the Rat King, Ethan's status panel updated:
Name: Ethan Cole
Skill: Bajiquan (Hidden Force 72%)
Physique: 4.2
Combat Power: 240
With his physique reaching 4.2, it was equivalent to eight times the strength of an ordinary human.
This kind of growth was not simple addition. It multiplied.
A physique of 2 was twice that of 1.
A physique of 3 was twice that of 2.
Now at 240 combat power, most Tiger-level monsters were no longer a challenge for Ethan.
Next was the water monster.
…
Morning sunlight spilled across Emerald Lake, the breeze rippling its surface into gentle waves.
The Blizzard Group's boat drifted away from the dock, leaving a white trail behind.
The boat was simple but elegant. Beneath a white canopy sat a small table with fruit and drinks.
"So clear!" Lily leaned over the railing, trailing her fingers through the cool water. "You can see so deep!"
Ethan stood on the other side, gazing at the distant lake.
Under the sunlight, the water shimmered like jade. Occasionally, small fish leapt out, sending tiny splashes across the surface.
Fubuki stood at the bow, her long hair swaying gently in the wind.
"The deepest part of Emerald Lake goes over a hundred meters," she explained softly. "There's a legend about a water monster living at the bottom. Recently, there have been several incidents of people being attacked."
"You think it's real?" Eyelash asked.
"What's there to be afraid of!" Bruno laughed, slapping his chest. "It's definitely a monster. This time, none of you step in. Let me test how strong it is!"
Before anyone could respond, he jumped into the lake with a loud splash.
In the water, Bruno moved like a fish, diving and flipping with surprising agility.
"This is amazing!" he shouted. "Come on, get in!"
"You enjoy that," Eyelash said, stepping back to avoid getting splashed. "The water's freezing."
Fubuki smiled. "We'll swim together next time at a proper pool."
Suddenly, Bruno began thrashing in the water.
"Help! Help!"
His voice sounded desperate, his arms flailing wildly.
"Oh no!" Eyelash immediately moved to jump in.
But the next second, Bruno burst out laughing as he surfaced.
"Got you! No way I'd drown!"
He even pulled a face for emphasis.
"Unbelievable…" Ethan shook his head.
Then everything changed.
A dark shadow shot beneath the water. The calm surface suddenly churned violently.
A massive serpent body coiled around Bruno in an instant.
"Hel…"
He barely managed half a word before being dragged underwater.
At first, everyone thought it was another prank.
But seconds passed.
And Bruno did not come back up.
"This is real!"
Ethan dove in without hesitation.
Underwater, he saw it clearly.
A giant serpent had wrapped itself tightly around Bruno.
So this was the water monster.
Ethan kicked off hard, shooting forward like a cannonball.
His fist struck the serpent's vital point with precision, but to his surprise, the attack did not finish it.
The creature writhed violently, its massive tail slamming toward the boat.
Boom!
The boat flipped over instantly, throwing everyone into the water.
Only Fubuki remained suspended in midair, held up by her psychic power. Her long hair floated around her as a faint blue aura radiated from her body.
She extended both hands.
The lake began to churn, forming a powerful vortex.
The giant serpent was lifted by an invisible force, slowly rising out of the water.
Fubuki was far stronger than she appeared.
Even though Ethan had subdued her before, she was actually ranked among the top three in A-Class.
Suspended in the air, the serpent struggled even harder, its jaws wide as it let out a piercing hiss.
Sweat formed on Fubuki's forehead. Holding it in place was no easy task.
Ethan seized the moment.
He leapt upward with everything he had.
This time, he gathered all his strength into a single strike. His fist crashed into the serpent's eye with overwhelming force.
Bang!
The impact echoed across the lake.
The serpent's body convulsed violently, then went limp.
It crashed back into the water, sending up a massive wave before sinking beneath the surface.
[Congratulations. You defeated an evenly matched opponent using ancient martial arts.]
[Reward: Physique +0.2, Bajiquan proficiency +20%]
Bruno, barely saved, climbed onto the overturned boat, gasping for air.
"You… you guys… why didn't you act sooner…"
"That's because you pretended to drown first!" Lily snapped, completely soaked and furious.
Fubuki descended gently, standing on a floating piece of the boat.
"This mission was to investigate the water monster, and you still made jokes like that?"
Bruno lowered his head.
He knew he had almost gotten himself killed.
"I… I just wanted to lighten the mood…"
"Yeah," Eyelash said dryly. "Almost got yourself lightened into monster food."
The lake returned to its calm state, as if nothing had happened.
After reporting the serpent's defeat to the Hero Association, the group headed toward a mountain resort.
This was the rumored location of the Faceless Entity.
As the sun set, the group drove along winding mountain roads toward the resort deep in the forest.
The temperature dropped noticeably as they ascended.
Shadows of trees stretched along the roadside, swaying in the wind. The rustling leaves sounded almost like whispers, as if something unseen was watching them.
"This place feels off," Bruno muttered, his usual carefree attitude gone as he stared at the old building perched on the cliff.
Eyelash flipped through the documents. "According to records, this building was constructed over a hundred years ago. It started as a sanatorium built by foreign missionaries. It changed owners several times before being purchased by the current owner twenty years ago."
When they reached the entrance, a middle-aged man was already waiting.
He leaned on a cane. His right eye was covered with an eyepatch, his right arm hung uselessly, and his right leg showed signs of impairment.
"Welcome, heroes. I am Victor Xu, the owner of this estate."
His voice was hoarse, carrying deep exhaustion.
After a brief introduction, he gestured to the old butler behind him to guide them, then turned and left.
The butler, a man in his sixties, had a stiff, expressionless face.
Once everyone was seated in the reception hall, he began speaking in a flat, emotionless tone.
"These incidents began two years ago. The first victims were a group of college students. Five came to stay. Only four left. The missing girl reappeared at home three days later."
"You saw her?" Lily asked nervously.
"More accurately," the butler said, closing his eyes, "we saw it."
"The girl's body was intact. But her face… it was completely gone. As if something had sliced it clean off. No eyes. No nose. No mouth. Just a blank surface."
Lily froze in fear.
Even Bruno's face turned pale.
"What happened after that?" Fubuki asked, forcing herself to stay calm.
The butler continued.
"At first, we thought it was a serial killer. But there were no signs. No evidence. No traces left behind."