A/N


    Sorry for not updating yesterday. Usually, days before Christmas are the busiest. I''m already burn out from all the asions and activities.


    Only one chapter today and we''ll dissolve December Stretched goals since no one is participating in that thing e???


    Instead, we''ll release 5 chapters tomorrow on Christmas Eve while no update on the 25th and January 1st. We''ll rest on those dates.


    MERRY CHRISTMASS everyone!


    ----


    <CONGRATULATIONS on getting the first blood from defeating the WORLD BOSS, the KRAKEN!


    REWARDS:


    a?? 7 000 000 EXP (Sharable)


    a?· 7 000 000 gil (Sharable)


    a?? Crystal Chest x5


    a?1 tinum Chest x10


    a?o Gold Chest x20 >


    <Do you want to announce your achievement to the world?>


    <YES>


    <NO>


    Ren pressed <NO>


    [ CONGRATULATIONS to group **** on getting first blood from defeating the WORLD BOSS, the KRAKEN! ]


    "Well done." Ren rubbed little Pii''s chin, and thetter let out a pleased purr.


    Pii~


    "Whoa! Look at all this loot! Our ATP can shoot to five hundred now with this much EXP! And just look at all this money?!" Leonel was so ecstatic that he couldn''t stand still in one ce.


    Ragnar rolled his eyes. "Why are you so entitled when you didn''t even do anything? Besides, those loots are sharable."


    "What do you mean I didn''t?" Leonel responded. "If it weren''t for me, Jibblinplip would have died before you could even go inside its interior."


    "And in the end, we didn''t acquire its loot." Ragnar wasn''t disappointed, though, and he understood why Ren did it. In fact, he apuded thetter''s decision.


    Ragnar was content with the loot they had now.


    "I wonder what will happen from now," Evie muttered as she watched the devastation left behind by the Bosses.


    Overlooking the ocean from a cliff, Ren and the others had a full view of the fight''s aftermath.


    Arge section of thend had been destroyed, cities were obliterated, and inhabitants and yers alike were devoured. But that kind of thing happened at least once a month in most fantasy settings, and the world always didn''t take long to recover.


    However, there were permanent shifts to the world''s geography -- for one, there was an ooze-shaped crater, and two, an entire ind was sted into islets.


    Of course, a World Boss wouldn''t be called a World Boss if they didn''t bring something new into the world. With therge crater that almost reached the world''s core came a new race and ss.


    "What''s that?" Leonel asked when his [Telescope] caught something moving in therge hole.


    "There''s something going on in the crater," added Ragnar.


    "Are those . . ." Evie squinted her eyes. "Humans?"


    In therge crevice where Jibblinplip was before, there was a group of creatures that resembled humans flying out from the hole.


    Their skin was ck, and their hair and eyes were white. They also had strange tattoo-like markings all over their body that glowed against their dark skin. Dawned in white robes made of the finest silk with intricate golden linings, they looked more ethereal than humans.


    "They''re the first-ever human civilization called [Aetis], which took to the underground when the great decline happened," said Ren. "Looks like they were startled when Jibblinplip reached the ground."


    Leonel frowned, confused. "So you mean to tell me . . . there''s another civilization underneath this soil?"


    "Yes."


    Leonel couldn''t wrap his head around how they managed to survive underground all this time, but he didn''t want the headache that came along with the information, so he only replied.


    "Cool."


    "Another race?" Evie was interested in what they could do. "So what are they?"


    "The only human race that can use [Psychic] powers," answered Ren.


    Leonel''s eyes shone even brighter. "That''s even cooler!"


    "But I assume their ss is only exclusive to their race," Ragnar said.


    "That''s right," Ren confirmed. "Their ss is only avable to the Human Race.


    Leonel''s shoulders slumped. "Bummer."


    "Psychic abilities sounds . . . nice." Evie was really considering changing her race and ss.


    "Don''t even think about it," Ren warned her. "Meriyaah''s will is one of a kind and would surely make your character god-like. Are you really going throw it all away?"


    Evie nodded without hesitation. "If it means that I won''t be singing and dancing, then yes."


    Ren could only shake his head with a helpless smile on his face. He knew that Evie was merely joking. A good sleep would make her rethink her life''s decisions.


    Their conversation halted when the ground beneath their feet shook and rattled with an unknown force.


    "What''s going on?" Leonel stuttered. "Don''t tell me another World Boss ising?"


    "Quite the opposite." Ren pointed at the sea. In about a dozen kilometers or so into the ocean, a shadow of an ind rose from below.


    It looked like a dot from afar, but upon closer inspection, it was like a mini continent. The fascinating thing about the new ind was an ever-perpetual cloud above it that constantly poured rain below.


    A massive rainbow was overhead, adding sparkle to the ind with vibrant colors, while its mountains were made out of corals and colorful stones. Waters constantly flowed from the top of the mountains down to the river, then to thekes, and eventually, into the seas.


    But the most incredible thing about it was the people who lived on the ind. Their skin was covered with colorful scales, some of which were monochromatic. There were fins on their back, elbow, and legs -- some even had duck feet. Their ears were wide and looked like bat wings. They also had long hair, and some of them were braided and decorated with corals, pearls, and precious stones.


    They didn''t have any clothing on, but their scales hid their flesh like a seamless dress. Those who were in the waters had mermaid tails in ce of their legs, but those who were onnd walked with two legs like normal humans.


    One thing that wasmon to every one of this race was their beautiful features, which were enough to lure ignorant fools into the bottomless oceans.


    "W-what are they?" Leonel was all red, and he whipped his head in Ren''s direction. "Let''s go there and meet them."


    ''You already have Isolde,'' Ren wanted to say. "Those are another race called the Merfolks. I guess they emerged after the Kraken was killed."


    Ren then checked his map and pressed the newly emergednd. "The ind itself is called . . . Atnta."


    Ren didn''t know anything about it except the ones he had heard from his past life. It was something about themunities underwater. The only difference now was that yers could visit Atnta without diving into the endless sea in search of it.


    "What do they do?" asked Evie with interest.


    "They''re often swimming. They can breathe underwater, and they also have the power to bend water at their will. They are best with water magic."


    "So all of them are mages?" asked Ragnar.


    "Most," answered Ren. "Those who aren''t usually just have themon ss of Spearman. There''s a special item that let us be merfolk, which would be quite handy to have if we want to explore the sea."


    Moving in waters was ten times more difficult than when onnd, so fighting was also a lot more troublesome. Anything rted to fire also didn''t work down there.


    "Seems like a new world to explore." Leonel rubbed his hands together. "Can''t wait to go there."


    Ren was also excited at the prospect of the unknown. It felt like he was just beginning his journey again.


    "Anyway," chimed Ragnar and pointed at Alice, who was still stuck reattaching her legs together after she identally tripped. "What are we going to do with her?"


    ( . . . continuation on NOTES)