MTLNOVEL Chapter 72: Bubbling Water
The sharp crack of an explosion split the stagnant air, followed by the heavy, dull thud of something massive hitting the ground.
Dust rolled outward in thick waves, swallowing the battlefield in a choking haze. The lifeless terrain—splintered tree trunks, shattered branches, and soil pitted with craters—vanished beneath the gray curtain.
For a moment, there was silence.
Then, with a low, concussive boom, another blast erupted from within the haze. The pressure wave punched outward, scattering the dust and peeling it away like a tattered veil. The battlefield reemerged—a place so ravaged it felt out of place for a dungeon of this supposed rank. Deep scars marred the earth. Pools of black ichor steamed where they'd splashed, hissing on contact with the ground.
River landed lightly on one knee, the impact sending a tremor through the cracked soil. His breath came hard but steady, each inhale controlled despite the burning in his lungs. Around him, translucent bubbles shimmered into existence, drifting lazily for a heartbeat before circling his position like silent sentinels.
He straightened, lifting his D+ Grade Steel Dagger into guard position. The blade's edge caught the dim dungeon light, glinting faintly. He didn't rush forward. Instead, he stood still, his gaze locked on the monstrosity before him.
The Zombie Swamp Eater was a grotesque sight—a warped fusion of rotting muscle and swamp-born parasite. Now, after their prolonged clash, it was a shadow of its initial horror. One arm hung in tatters, its other limb gone entirely. Half its face had been sheared away, revealing an exposed skull slick with foul moisture. Its torso was riddled with clean, circular holes—marks left by River's earlier strikes. Black, tar-like fluid oozed from each wound, dripping in thick globs that sizzled angrily as they hit the ground.
It tried to roar, but the sound that escaped was little more than a wet, rasping hiss.
River's lips curved upward in amusement. "What's wrong? Lost your voice?"
They had been locked in combat for several minutes now, but River had rarely been on the defensive. From the start, he'd chosen to hold back—not out of arrogance, but to sharpen his close-quarters combat skills. In truth, his usual fighting style relied heavily on precise Mana Control and ranged manipulation. Physical combat had never been his specialty. But against this slow-healing abomination? It was the perfect training dummy.
As he fought, his mind called upon memories of the Last Hunters—the very same people he had taught to master their Mana Control. He had studied their movements, their timing, their ability to blend raw power with efficient technique. Now, mid-battle, he was borrowing pieces of their styles, stitching them together into something uniquely his own.
And it worked.
His eyes flicked over the Dungeon Boss's body, tracing the pattern of shallow slashes and deep gouges carved into its flesh. Every single one came from his dagger—each mark a testament to the growing sharpness of his technique.
Then he noticed something.
Thin, worm-like tendrils beneath the zombie's skin began writhing, knitting torn muscle and flesh together. The stumps of severed tissue twitched as the creature's regenerative abilities kicked in, undoing minutes of careful damage.
River's smirk widened. "Seems like it's time to end this."
He extended a hand, mana gathering in his palm in a tight, controlled swirl. A bubble swelled into existence—larger than his body, its surface reflecting the dim dungeon light in oil-slick hues. Moisture condensed on its smooth surface, droplets rolling down its curve before vanishing into the mana-rich film.
The moment it reached full size, River shifted his stance, coiling his legs. Then, with a burst of movement, he launched himself forward—using the bubble not as a weapon, but as a springboard. The bubble burst the instant his body left it, releasing a small shockwave that propelled him forward like a slingshot.
The air between him and the Dungeon Boss compressed under the speed of his approach. His grip tightened on the dagger, mana subtly reinforcing the blade's structure. The zombie's one good arm twitched, sluggishly attempting to intercept him, but it was far too slow.
River's eyes narrowed at the monster's core, every muscle primed for the killing strike.
Time seemed to stretch and slow. The ragged howls of the Zombie Swamp Eater warped into a distant echo, the dripping of black tar liquid from the wound into the marsh below falling in slow motion. River's breathing steadied, his focus narrowing to a pinpoint.
He raised his free hand toward the core.
A sudden drain on his reserves sent a familiar tug through his body—his Mana Points plummeted from 90/150 to just above 20 in a heartbeat.
In front of his palm, something small began to form. A bubble no bigger than a child's fist shimmered into existence, faintly glowing from within.
It was deceptively fragile-looking, a sphere of translucent membrane so thin that the swirling shapes inside seemed to blur against the background. But the surface was perfectly smooth, every contour sculpted by River's absolute control.
Moisture Gathering activated without hesitation. Tiny beads of water condensed from the damp air, clinging to the bubble's surface like dewdrops on a spider's web. Each droplet seeped into the membrane, reinforcing it, calming the violent compression of mana and air thrashing inside.
But River wasn't finished. More moisture began to gather—thicker now, coalescing inside the bubble itself. Droplets formed midair, as if reality had been bent to obey his will, drifting inward until they collided and merged into a single orb of water suspended at the sphere's heart.
The mana and compressed air continued to churn around it like a miniature storm, each swirl sharpening, becoming more precise.
River's lips curved into a faint, dangerous smile.
This was one of his creations—an ability born from sleepless nights, relentless failures, and years of honing his mana control until even the most absurd concepts could take shape.
"Bubbling Water."
The words left his mouth like an invocation.
The bubble shot forward, a silent dart of death, slipping between fragments of decayed bone and shredded muscle until it sank deep into the exposed core.
And then it grew.
It didn't burst with the deafening shockwave of a conventional explosion. Instead, it expanded in eerie silence, the membrane stretching outward in a perfect sphere. From its center, a mist began to seep—not white steam, but a chaotic haze tinged with faint hues of blue and green.
This was no ordinary vapor. Each droplet of mist was infused with condensed mana and razor-edged air currents so fine they were invisible to the naked eye. They didn't tear—they shredded, slicing through flesh and bone at a molecular level.
The Zombie Swamp Eater convulsed violently, its screams warping into wet, gurgling roars. The mist spread faster than it could react, saturating every hollow in its body, weaving through tendons and marrow. Limbs jerked at impossible angles as the mist devoured from the inside out, reducing once-living tissue into a slurry that sizzled and hissed upon contact with the open air.
From the outside, the effect was horrifyingly clean. There was no outward blast—just a swelling of its massive, rotting frame, followed by an unnatural stillness. And then…
Rip.
The creature's torso split like overripe fruit. Segments of blackened flesh and chunks of decaying muscle rained downward. The air was heavy with the metallic tang of corrupted mana and the nauseating stink of rotted meat.
River dropped back to the ground, already summoning a Bubble Barrier around himself. The translucent dome shimmered into place just as the first pieces of the Dungeon Boss's remains splattered against it.
Wet, glistening lumps of flesh hissed upon impact, sliding down the barrier's curved surface, leaving behind streaks of black ichor that bubbled and popped. The barrier pulsed faintly with each hit, holding firm.
River exhaled, lowering his arm as the storm of gore finally thinned.
Only then did he allow himself to smile fully.
He looked up into the fading mist, now little more than harmless vapor drifting toward the sky. The once fearsome Zombie Swamp Eater was nothing more than scattered remains, its core shattered to dust within the mist's wrath.
A soft chime drew his attention to the side.
[You Leveled Up!]
[You Leveled Up!]
[You Leveled Up!]
Three glowing notifications floated in his vision, the pale blue text reflecting off the inner curve of his barrier.
River's grin widened, the corner of his mouth twitching with satisfaction.
Everything happened in a blur.
One moment, the Dungeon Boss still writhed in desperation; the next, River had decided to end it—no more stalling, no more testing limits. Just pure, decisive execution. In only a few heartbeats, the Zombie Swamp Eater lay in shredded pieces, its core obliterated beyond recognition.
"Bubbling Water really is a good finishing move," River muttered, a faint smirk tugging at the corner of his lips. The technique was his own creation, the product of countless hours of experimentation and refinement. He hadn't used it even once since returning to the past.
Back then, when his maximum MP was capped at a mere 100, it was an impractical weapon. Casting it even once would have drained him completely, leaving him vulnerable before the fight had even truly begun. Without Moisture Gathering to stabilize the volatile mana, the move was nothing more than a dangerous gamble—one he couldn't afford to take.
Now, however… things were different.
He exhaled, letting the tension seep out of his shoulders, and with a thought, the shimmering Bubble Barrier dissolved into the damp, mist-laden air. Droplets clung to his robes and hair, carrying the faint acrid scent of the Zombie Swamp Eater's corrupted flesh.
"This fight against the Dungeon Boss…" he murmured, scanning the battlefield where the mist still hung like a ghost. "I learned a lot." His eyes lingered on the torn earth, the broken trees, the craters where their clash had reshaped the terrain.
A slow grin formed as he turned toward the portal that had just appeared. "Definitely worth it… fighting it alone."
With three more Status Points, River couldn't wait to use it but before that, he had to leave this dungeon first. The battle just now definitely attracted the attention of the other Hunters.