As the serpent continued playing around, Jake took the chance to create a massive iceberg for him to rest on.

After many days of being unable to use energy, Jake had opted to learn more about his element.

That was why he currently displayed more of its power.

Jake had already begun his path of elemental mastery. This path was something that every warrior and cultivator had to embark on. It was necessary for them as it would enable them to see the world far more clearer.

Elementary mastery involved three main factors, which were in no way superior to one another.

The first factor was creating from nothing, to be more exact, it was materializing using one's [Elemental energy], also called the [Nihilo]. The actualization of an elemental force using one's energy.

This might sound difficult, but it was the most common among all other factors. One's natural elements would be easy to use, and no knowledge, except for the technique, was required.

For instance, the guards shot out flames from their bodies. This was done using the first factor. Although common, it was usually weaker than the other factors.

The second one was the exact opposite. It involving actualizing the elemental force using an available material or resource. Jake had showcased this particular ability a lot of times. It was termed [Rai].

Jake's freezing of the seawater, or creating an iceberg was a display of the ability. It was hard to perform as it required intense control, but as long as one understood how to control it, they would find it more easier and destructive than the first factor.

The third main factor was one's affinity. This, especially, was innate and could not be changed....well, there were exceptions. The factor covered over one's natural gift with their element.

Using an analogy, Nico's affinity with the [Fire Element] was too unbelievable that he was able to manifest a variant [Fire Element]. Jaya's affinity with [Fire] and [Water] made her able to fluidly wield both elements, elements that were opposite in nature.

Lastly, the Aztec royal family's dominance over [Wind Element] did not need much explanation.

Jake understood perfectly well the implication of affinities. The only reason he had not checked his affinity was that affinities were part of the abolished talent system.

Now, only the sects possessed sufficient devices to check one's affinities, but Jake didn't need that.

He had achieved the hidden stage of [Realm-1], which in turn, made him catch a glimpse of his affinities. However, he couldn't accurately grade them.

However, he was not distraught. If he was right, then his [Purple Whirlpool] increased his talents, along with his elemental affinities, as they were just a more specialized part of his talents.

There were also other factors involved in elemental mastery; control, knowledge, energy level, elemental atavism

Jake just started his joining, so, he had a lot of catching up to do. Especially now that he had already achieved the [Sword Synchronization State] and also fully mastered his technique.

.......

As he laid on his iceberg, Jake found himself waiting for the ship to blow.

He never cared for the people on the ship and was quite sure a little percent of them might survive. The blast would be unpredictable…..unpredictable enough to not blow up random regions.

Using the map ingrained in his memory, Jake positioned himself in a perfect direction. He had made sure he would be blasted to the nearest land.

While bidding his time, he looked at the white serpent which kept dancing around him. Due to its presence, other sea demonic beasts ignored him and went on.

However, as Jake was looking at the stars, he felt a wave descend on him.

It separated him from the iceberg but Jake got back to it.

He then checked to understand the reason for the wave....

"What?" exclaimed Jake.

He suddenly started to feel tense as he stared at a large bump on the sea rushing in his direction.

Jake was not a fool. He could tell that if the bump was moving, it was a living being....and judging by the size of the bump, a beast!

The creature was even able to generate waves despite not being close to him!

He didn't need anymore to tell him it was far stronger than him.

Suddenly, the bump disappeared from his view.

Gulping, Jake's senses warned him of danger but he was too late.

He could feel the disturbance in the water below him, and this made him gulp.

He entered into a passive silence where he was treasuring every amount of seconds he had to live.

*Screech*

Before he knew it, a squishy object wrapped around his legs and dragged him to the bottom of the sea.

Of course, Jake had tried to resist but no matter what technique he threw at the squishy appendage, nothing worked.

It wasn't even harmed at all by his jabs.

Knowing it was futile, Jake tried to get a good look of the beast.

"F*ckery!" Jake cursed.

It was a [Kraveld], with four tentacles and a big face. An octopus-like creature that also lived in the Serpent Sea, the rival of the serpent overlords!

Most importantly, it was a known Spirit Sea.

Jake didn't need his knowledge to tell him that. Despite looking like a normal demonic beast, his senses told him that was not the case.

The only difference between demonic beasts and spirit beasts was their evolutionary path. While the Demonic Beasts had to evolve on their own, discovering new evolutionary paths to take, Spirit Beasts already had their path mapped for them.

It was hereditary, and only Spirit Beats could progress further as evolution was far easier to them than their counterparts.

If Jake remembered well, the main difference between both was that one had far more potential and could reach a higher evolution stage, while the other had to search for a viable path itself.

Now, Jake was in the presence of such a prestigious beast!

Jake was sure that it was the famous last spirit beast of the southern continent.

A long time ago, the sea serpents and Kravelds had competed for territory. This battle led to only one of the Kraveld, a baby Kraveld, surviving.

Without further ado, Jake was nearing the mouth of the vengeful beast.

*Screech!*

Luckily, he was saved by the white serpent which blasted apart the tentacles holding Jake.

When Jake got free, he swam to the water surface to catch his breath and watched the fight that ensued between the two fated enemies.

Despite him hoping for the white serpent to win, Jake knew that there was no way for the it to win.

He estimated the serpent to be way younger than the Kraveld. In the world of beasts, age was all that matters.

*Boom!* *Boom!*

The two beasts engaged in a destructive water brawl, with the white serpent looking like a pup in front of a lion.

When they dragged the battle to the water surface, multiple lashes were already on the serpent's scales.

Some of its scales were missing. Seeing this, Jake was distraught as his life now depended on the serpent.

*Screech!*

Roars of dominance were uttered by both parties but after the last brawl, the kraveld caught the serpent with its tentacles.

It ruthlessly stretched apart its tentacles, slowly tearing the serpent in front of Jake.

Jake, himself, had no time to deal with his emotion!

After the kraveld was done killing the white serpent, it latched its tentacles on the human he had spotted a while ago.

Tightening its tentacle, Jake could feel his bones break under the pressure.

He was brought by the tentacle to the head of the beast.

Face to face, the two watched each other. However, the kraveld opened its mouth, attempting to eat Jake.

Jake, while in despair, seemed to be suffocating, not by the tentacles, but by something else.

He could himself losing breath. There was something in his lungs….something that he had long wanted to scream out.

He had thought it was going to be a cowardly scream, but every time he tucked it down, the scream burnt his throat.

Now, that he was going to die, Jake had no reason to keep the scream in him.

Liberating himself, Jake let the scream out, along with his emotions, "Ahhhhhhhhhhhh!"

His screams traveled wide, spamming across all the ships. Everyone could hear it and they stopped in their track to try to understand the origin of the scream.

Meanwhile, the mouth of the spirit beast opened for Jake to enter as it planned.

*Screech!*

Out of nowhere, multiple sea serpents dived at the kraveld.

The kraveld itself was very old, hence its massive size. However, when it found itself surrounded by dens of serpents, it freed Jake and concentrated on the fight.

It had been hiding for a long time, slowly gaining strength, but now that it had revealed itself, it would take back the territory.

As Jake floated on the sea, he watched the kraveld battle the serpents, thinking, 'Did I do that?'

His mind was slowly becoming dreary, especially when sp[lashed with remains of the beasts' attacked.

That alone was able to break his bone.

Jake's eyes slipped for a second, but a serpent came to his side and nudged him with its tail.

It didn't try to devour Jake, which made Jake understand what was happening.

Slowly finding his balance on the sea, Jake found the sea serpents to be on the losing side, despite heavily damaging the kraveld.

He knew this could not go on. So, he, for once, did what his instincts told him.

Opening his mouth, he screamed again, "Ahhhhh!!!!"

His low pitch voice went high to the point where his voice went mum.

However, he had achieved his goal as other dens of sea serpents joined the battle and tipped it in their favor.

Jake lost track of time, closing his eyes.

When he opened his eye, it was all over. They were all dead!

The last of the sea serpents had sacrificed their lives to kill the spirit beast.

Swimming to the battleground, Jake summoned his [Purple Whirlpool] and absorbed all of their [Source Essence].

He was slowly losing consciousness, but he fought against it.

Looking at the dead sea serpents, Jake sighed, 'Let me do an act of kindness.'

Not understanding what he was doing. He was not even sure he wasn't dreaming, but Jake still moved.

He followed his instinct to the corpse of the white serpent and slammed his chest with his broken fist.

'What am I doing?' Jake thought.

Nonetheless, not long after, Jake spat out a drop of silver-blue blood. The blood drifted to the body of the white serpent and made it disappear.

Seeing this Jake could not help but laugh internally, tears falling down his face, 'Haha, I'm not even in control. So, I was in my illusion, thinking I had gained back control of my body, thinking I get to decide who I am. I'm not even....human, heh!'

His eyes slipped again and when he woke up, he knew some time had passed.

Wiping his tears, Jake went back to where his iceberg was. Creating another one, he laid on it like it was his life.

*Boom*

He was just in time as the explosion he had planned before occurred.

It instantly boiled the water surrounding it, while blasting waves of water that slammed Jake's head on the iceberg….and he blacked out!