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Chapter 192 - Chapter 192: Blowing The Lab Using TNT

Steven said he wanted to have a chat, but he certainly didn't intend to sit here and have a heartfelt discussion about life aspirations with the old man in front of him.

Maybe the Church of the Deep had its reasons. Maybe they genuinely believed they were working toward peace between humans and sea monsters.

But what did that have to do with him?

All Steven cared about was that these idiots had set their sights on someone he cared about—on Irene, the first person he had ever considered a friend.

And they wanted to turn her into one of those hideous, monstrous creatures, all just to extract information about him.

Since these bastards had chosen to go after his friend instead of him straight, he saw no reason to hold back.

Yet, instead of immediately taking action against the old man before him, he let out a sigh, put away his folding chair, and gripped [Yamato] tightly in his hand.

"I swear, you Church of the Deep bastards are really something else—one more cautious than the last. What's with all this clone nonsense? Is it fun for you?"

It wasn't out of some newfound respect for the elderly that Steven held back. No, it was because next to the title "Bishop of the Church of the Deep – Cicero," there was a hidden line of text:

(Seaborn Clone)

In other words, after all this effort in tracking down the Church of the Deep's hideout… all he found was a damn clone.

Classic boss move—staying behind the scenes, never personally stepping onto the front lines.

A bit annoying, sure, but at least it wasn't a complete waste of time.

Clapping the dust off his hands, Steven casually glanced around the highly advanced laboratory.

"You know, this place must've cost a fortune to build, huh? How much money and effort did it take?"

He spoke as if he were just a curious neighbor dropping by for a friendly chat.

The old man named Cicero couldn't help but be wary.

This youth had seen through his clone at a glance, and judging by his demeanor, he had no intention of continuing the conversation.

This was only a sub-base, but due to the nature of the experiments conducted here, its defenses were incredibly tight. Yet, for some reason, Cicero felt a deep sense of unease after hearing Steven's offhanded question.

"Of course, with Iberia's current level of technology, constructing a facility like this is extremely difficult," Cicero replied cautiously. "That's why I advise you, Mr. Steve, to carefully consider the consequences before you act."

"Ugh, that sounds so boring. Always thinking about the consequences—what kind of young person does that? Being young means being reckless, don't you think?"

Without even looking back, Steven tightened his grip on [Yamato]. A wild grin tugged at the corner of his lips.

Then—

With a single flash of his blade, the wall before him split in two.

With a low rumble, it collapsed.

The two sea monsters guarding the entrance had no time to react.

By the time they realized what had happened, their bodies had already been cleaved in half, falling lifelessly alongside the crumbling wall.

"I have the strength to back up my arrogance and recklessness you know?"

Steven turned back with a grin, directing his words at the old man, who looked completely defenseless. 

He didn't even bother glancing at the swarm of bizarre, grotesque sea monsters surging in from the laboratory's entrance.

"So, remind me again—why did you guys come looking for me in the first place? Isn't this just a complete waste of time? If you had something to say, you could've just told me directly. Look, I came up here on my own, wasn't that cooperative enough?"

Letting out a somewhat disappointed sigh, Steven finally shifted his gaze toward the various monstrous creatures that had already reached him.

Fangs gleamed, claws extended, their grotesque forms radiating menace.

But in his eyes?

They were nothing more than WAP and loot drops stacked on top of each other.

"Not that I'm complaining, though."

"Honestly, I love it when you guys throw yourselves at me like this."

His fingers rested lightly on the hilt of [Yamato]. 

Without even properly looking at the creatures, he vanished into a blur of motion—leaving behind only a fleeting afterimage.

In the next moment, he stood behind the horde of monsters, his blade now resting peacefully in its sheath once more.

Steven found himself wondering—maybe he should change up his combat style a bit.

Relying solely on dimension-slashing speed that felt like literal time-stopping... wasn't it kind of unfair to the enemies in this world?

As these idle thoughts crossed his mind, the creatures behind him suddenly twitched—their bodies freezing for a fraction of a second.

Then—

They collapsed.

A sickening symphony of wet, fleshy sounds filled the room as what were once Seaborn Elites turned into piles of disgusting meat chunks.

Not one of them had managed to withstand a single strike.

And just like that—the once-bustling laboratory fell into absolute silence.

Steven turned back lazily, his expression smug and careless. "That's it? This is all the welcoming committee you could put together for me?"

His grin widened as he stared at the now-silent old man.

This whole visit had a purpose.

The Church of the Deep wanted to see how strong he was?

Fine—he'd let them watch.

Then maybe they'd take a moment to reconsider whether making him their enemy was actually a smart decision.

And, of course, racking up some extra WAP on the side never hurts.

That was also why he hadn't immediately wiped out the bishop's clone.

He needed the old man to deliver a message.

Ideally, he'd also serve as a guide and lead him deeper into their operations—but Steven wasn't holding his breath. 

The bishop didn't seem like a clueless, cliché villain. He probably understood exactly why Steven was keeping him alive.

"Underestimating your strength was indeed our mistake," the old man finally spoke, his voice steady yet carrying a hint of resentment. "But do you truly not hesitate? Have you not considered the consequences of your actions?"

The old bishop slowly raised his head, gripping his cane tightly before striking it against the floor.

"Do you really think that the power of the sea is something a mere human can defy?"

Steven blinked, then smirked.

"Let me get this straight—you're basically saying, 'Young people shouldn't be so arrogant,' right?"

He casually dug a finger into his ear, his grin stretching even wider.

Man, this guy was such a stereotypical villain.

Did he not worry about eating his own words later?

"Well, in that case, let me tell you something too—"

"If a young man isn't bold, then what's the point of being young?"

Cracking his fingers, Steven knew full well that these sea monsters were nothing more than appetizers. After all, this was a Church of the Deep stronghold—if this was all they had, it would be pretty disappointing.

And considering this place was a biological research lab, if they didn't have some fresh horrors for him to fight, even he would be a little let down.

Seeing that the old man wasn't reacting, Steven had no interest in waiting around. Casually, he reached into his pocket (Inventory) and began pulling out red-and-white blocks labeled "TNT", placing them all around the lab right in front of the old man's eyes.

Since he was already here, it'd be a crime not to blow the place sky-high, right?

If he didn't leave these Church of the Deep lunatics with a deep, unforgettable lesson, they might start thinking they could keep messing with him.

After stuffing any paper research notes he could find into his pocket (Inventory), Steven leisurely picked up a flint and steel.

"I'm about to blow this place up. Got anything you'd like to say before I do?"

He glanced at the old man, already knowing the answer.

The reason he hadn't spoken yet was obvious—he was using the moss-like Nethersea Brand on the floor to awaken something.

Steven wasn't worried. In fact, he was excited.

If this summoning pulled out a boss, then this trip would be a massive win.

The old man simply gave Steven a long, meaningful stare—then, without hesitation, he melted away, dissolving into a glowing blue substance that seeped into the moss-covered floor.

Steven raised an eyebrow at how decisively the old man vanished, then simply shrugged—and lit the TNT.

Within seconds, the meter-wide TNT blocks expanded rapidly, and then—

BOOM!

A deafening chain reaction erupted, setting off a massive explosion that instantly obliterated the lab.

Even though this underground facility was reinforced with incredibly strong steel, it stood no chance against such overwhelming force.

And that wasn't all.

In real life, structural integrity is a thing.

With the central lab collapsing, the outer cave system followed suit.

The ground beneath Steven gave way—and that's when he finally realized why so many sea monsters were hidden in this place.

Though it was a cave, beneath it lay a massive underground river—one that was clearly connected to the ocean.

But the river wasn't the only thing waiting for him.

A massive swarm of sea creatures came rushing in, moving like a school of fish.

In mere moments, the explosion-created hole was completely filled with grotesque, swarming monsters.

But Steven wasn't interested in them.

No—his attention was focused on something far more intriguing.

A strange, pulsating mass of flesh, wrapped in a faintly glowing layer of Nethersea Brand, sat among the creatures.

From the way it throbbed violently, and the purple Boss HP bar that was slowly materializing above it...

Steven knew.

This trip to the Church of the Deep was absolutely worth it.

Look at all these adorable sea monsters—free WAP, just rushing to greet him!

And that boss?

It was a gift from the heavens, a reward for his "hard work" sneaking into this place.

Steven clasped his hands together, his expression sincere and grateful, as if offering thanks for this hard-earned blessing.

"Well then—"

"Thank you for the meal."

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