The water of the Slipstream Sector was a constant, thrumming force, a liquid highway that never slept. Alvian, Valeria, and Seraphina emerged from the deep currents, their forms cutting through the water with the ease of apex predators. The pressure of the deep ocean had faded, replaced by the vibrant, mana-infused waters of the upper city.

Alvian swam at the lead, his expression impassive, though his mind was a whirlwind of calculations. The death of King Ida was a significant milestone, pushing him to Level 53, but it was merely a stepping stone. The [Thundergod Bracers] rested in his inventory, a potent artifact waiting to be integrated into his arsenal. But before he could focus on gear, he had a loose end to tie up.

They approached the central whirlpool where Master Kaelen trained. The Guardian of Speed was exactly where they had left him, a blur of blue motion running against the artificial current. He was moving so fast that he created a cavitation bubble around his body, a pocket of air in the crushing depths.

Alvian didn't knock. He didn't announce his presence. He simply engaged [Void Step].

In the space between one heartbeat and the next, Alvian vanished from the edge of the platform and reappeared directly in the center of Kaelen's path, hovering calmly in the eye of the vortex.

"WOAH!"

Kaelen skidded to a halt, the sudden deceleration sending a shockwave of water crashing against the containment barrier. He stared at Alvian, his gills flaring rapidly.

"You're back?" Kaelen blinked, his eyes darting to Alvian's hands, looking for the trident. "You're alive? It's been... what? Four hours?"

"Three hours and twelve minutes," Alvian corrected, checking his internal clock. "Inefficient travel time due to the currents."

He reached into his inventory and pulled out the [Storm Trident]. The weapon hummed with latent power, the blue gemstones embedded in its haft pulsing in rhythm with the ambient mana of the Slipstream. He tossed it to Kaelen.

Kaelen caught the weapon, his hands trembling slightly. He spun it, feeling the balance, the familiar weight. A grin split his face, revealing rows of sharp, shark-like teeth.

"You actually did it," Kaelen breathed. "You walked into the Storm Reef, faced the King, and took this back. Did you... did you steal it?"

"Ida is dead," Alvian stated flatly.

The grin vanished from Kaelen's face. The Guardian froze. The water around him settled, the roar of the whirlpool fading into a stunned silence.

"Dead?" Kaelen whispered. "Ida? The Lightning King? He's a Level 54 Boss. He has the [God-Lock Array]. He has an army."

"He had an army," Alvian corrected. "Now he has a crater."

Valeria and Seraphina landed on the platform behind Alvian. Valeria looked exhausted but proud, her armor scuffed from the battle with the Naga elite. Seraphina was busy cleaning her daggers, looking bored, though her eyes were sharp, watching the perimeter.

"He's not joking," Valeria said, removing her helmet and shaking out her hair. "Alvian dismantled him. It wasn't a fight. It was an execution."

Kaelen looked at Alvian with new eyes. The dismissive arrogance he had shown earlier was gone, replaced by a profound, wary respect. He gripped his trident tighter.

"You mastered the [Abyssal Flicker]," Kaelen said, his voice low. "I can feel the spatial resonance on you. But learning the skill and understanding the essence are two different things. You have the tool, but do you have the speed?"

Alvian tilted his head. "Is that a challenge?"

"A test," Kaelen corrected. "You did me a service, Godslayer. You returned my honor. But as a Guardian, I cannot let a student leave without ensuring they are worthy of the Art they carry. You killed Ida with power. Can you touch me with speed?"

[System Notification: Hidden Quest Triggered.]

[Quest: The Speedster's Test.]

[Objective: Land a single hit on Master Kaelen within 60 seconds.]

[Reward: [Abyssal Flicker] Mastery Bonus + Hidden Item.]

Alvian's lips curled into a faint smile. A test of speed against the fastest entity in the ocean. It was arrogant. It was foolish.

It was exactly what he wanted.

"You have sixty seconds," Alvian said.

Kaelen laughed, a sharp, barking sound. "Confidence! I like it! Try to keep up, turtle!"

"Start."

Kaelen vanished.

He didn't teleport. He simply moved so fast that the human eye—even Alvian's enhanced perception—could only register a blue streak. He was circling the platform, moving at Mach speeds underwater, creating a vacuum that threatened to pull Alvian off his feet.

Alvian stood perfectly still. He closed his eyes.

He didn't need to see Kaelen. He could feel the displacement. He could feel the mana.

"System. Analyze trajectory."

[Calculating...]

[Target Velocity: Mach 2.4 underwater.]

[Pattern Analysis: Elliptical orbit with random vectors.]

Alvian raised his right hand. He didn't chase. Chasing was inefficient. He predicted.

"Three... two... one."

Alvian activated [Void Step].

He didn't jump to where Kaelen was. He jumped to where Kaelen would be.

He materialized directly in the path of the blue blur. Kaelen, moving faster than sound, saw Alvian appear instantly in front of him. His eyes widened in panic. At this speed, a collision would be catastrophic. He tried to brake, to turn, but his momentum was too great.

Alvian didn't strike. He simply reached out and tapped Kaelen on the forehead with his index finger.

"Boop."

"[Runic Aegis +2]: Kinetic Dampener."

A single rune flared between Alvian's finger and Kaelen's head. The rune absorbed the entire kinetic force of Kaelen's charge, converting the lethal impact into a harmless, albeit forceful, shove.

"BAM!"

Kaelen was sent spinning backward, tumbling through the water until he crashed into the barrier of the whirlpool. He slid down the energy wall, dazed, rubbing his forehead.

The timer read: 4 seconds.

Valeria's jaw dropped. "Did he just... stop the Guardian of Speed with a finger?"

Seraphina chuckled, sheathing her daggers. "Physics, Val. Alvian plays with physics like a cat plays with yarn."

Alvian lowered his hand. The [Void Step] had been instantaneous. No lag. No casting time. The integration with his SSS-Rank talent had perfected the skill beyond even Kaelen's comprehension.

Kaelen shook his head, swimming back to the center of the platform. He looked at Alvian, then at the trident in his hand. He let out a long, incredulous sigh.

"You didn't just learn it," Kaelen admitted, bowing his head slightly. "You evolved it. You don't move through the water. You move through the concept of distance."

[Quest Complete: The Speedster's Test.]

[Reward: [Abyssal Flicker] Mastery Maxed.]

[Item: [Greaves of the Tide-Runner] (Legendary).]

Kaelen reached into his belt and pulled out a pair of leg guards. They were sleek, made of a silvery metal that flowed like water, etched with runes of pure velocity.

"These were mine," Kaelen said, handing them to Alvian. "They let you walk on water. They let you run on air. And they amplify movement speed by 40%. Take them. I can't teach you anything else."

Alvian took the greaves.

[Item: Greaves of the Tide-Runner (Legendary)]

[Attributes: +60 Speed, +30 Agility]

[Effect: [Hydro-Step] - User can treat any liquid surface as solid ground. Passive Speed +40%.]

"Accepted," Alvian said, equipping them instantly. The greaves molded to his shins, feeling weightless. His Speed stat jumped again. He felt light enough to outrun a thought.

"But we aren't done," Alvian said, looking at Kaelen. "Ida is dead, but he wasn't working alone. The trap in the Storm Reef... it was too sophisticated for a Naga. Someone built the pylons for him."

Kaelen frowned. "You think someone helped him?"

"I don't think," Alvian stated. "I know. The pylons used mana-siphoning tech similar to what I saw in the Chaos Zone. The Syndicate is here, in Azureus."

"The Syndicate?" Kaelen spat the name. "Those surface-dwelling parasites? They wouldn't dare."

"They dared to corrupt a Dragon," Alvian said coldly. "Do you think they fear a city of fish?"

He turned to look out at the sprawling underwater metropolis. The lights of Azureus were beautiful, a galaxy of bioluminescence in the dark. But to Alvian, they looked like targets.

"We need to find their footprint," Alvian said. "Ida was a pawn. Who held the leash?"

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