The only player in the Marvel universe.

Chapter 401 You Are the Challenger

This scene of mother and son reuniting lasted for five minutes.

Arthur poured out his longing to Atlanna, and Atlanna listened quietly, offering comfort from time to time, making Arthur feel the long-lost maternal love.

After a while, Arthur finally calmed down, wiped his face haphazardly with his sleeve, and scratched his head sheepishly: "Sorry, Mom, I was so engrossed in talking on and on that I forgot about you. Is there anything you want to tell me?"

Atlana's expression stiffened slightly: "Child, I'm already very satisfied just listening to you speak. We can talk about the rest later."

.

He had kept the words he wanted to say to his son for over twenty years, and just now he said them all to Du Mu in one breath.

Asking her to repeat it again now just feels awkward.

Fortunately, Arthur was always oblivious and didn't notice anything amiss. He simply attributed it to the greatness of maternal love and was moved once again.

He couldn't help but exclaim, "I never imagined that even though I've changed so much, you could still recognize me. Indeed, no mother would mistake her own child."

Atlana: "

""

Du Mu watched with amusement.

He wasn't surprised at all that Arthur's biological mother had been resurrected.

After all, Arthur's assessment clearly stated that both parents were alive, so Atlanna would not actually be successfully sacrificed.

If you put him in the Seven, Arthur would definitely be the winner in life. Just one sentence from him, "My parents are calling me home for dinner," is enough to make most of the other members break down.

"This is not the place to talk. Come with me."

Atlana waved and turned to lead the three of them deeper into the island.

The group walked through a dense primeval forest, with the tree canopy overhead blocking out the sun, allowing only a few sparse patches of sunlight to fall through.

The local residents here are not very friendly. Along the way, they encountered several waves of dinosaur attacks, and even ran into the most popular dinosaur in the world, a huge Tyrannosaurus Rex.

However, none of the people present were ordinary.

To these apex predators at the top of the food chain, they were at most just large wildcats; the Tyrannosaurus Rex's roar was no different from Hakimi's breath.

It turns out that when you're weak, even your anger seems adorable.

With one punch from Du Mu, the top influencer instantly turned into food, which was then chopped up with Bear Grylls' knife and put into the game's inventory.

The group continued on their way and eventually arrived at a hidden cave.

As you enter the cave, your view opens up dramatically, revealing the ruins of ancient buildings everywhere, with some carvings still faintly discernible on the walls.

Judging from the remaining architectural features, this should be the ruins of the ancient city of Atlantis, which has been silent for who knows how many years.

Arthur looked around, his gaze lingering on the broken stone pillars and wall carvings, then turned to Atlana: "Speaking of which, Mother, what are you doing here?"

Atlana sighed and explained, "King Ovax sacrificed me to the Trench, but when I thought of you and your father, I was unwilling to die like that. So I fought back desperately, fought my way out of the encirclement, and came here through that portal just like you. I've been here for more than 20 years."

It must be admitted that Atlanna truly deserves to be called the Queen of Atlantis.

Without Du Mu's intervention, it would have been extremely difficult for Arthur and Mera to reach this place safely, with only a slim chance of survival.

Putting everything else aside, the tens of thousands of trench creatures on the seabed alone are enough to deter most people.

But Atlana fought her way out of the Trench tribe's encirclement all by herself, she was practically a war goddess.

Arthur's physique was far superior to that of the average Atlantean, inheriting at least some of Atlanna's genes.

Arthur asked, puzzled, "If that's the case, why don't you go home?"

Atlana shook her head, a bitter look on her face: "It's not that I don't want to go back, but that I can't. That portal is one-way; you can only go in, not out. The only way to leave here is to obtain the sacred trident sealed in this water."

Upon hearing this, Mera immediately pressed, "Is the legendary sacred trident really here?"

Atlana nodded, her expression serious: "That's right, the Holy Trident is real, guarded by the legendary behemoth Karathen. You can see it by crossing that waterfall and jumping into the water below."

She raised her hand and pointed to the waterfall cascading down deep inside the cave.

Du Mu felt that the scene looked strangely familiar and complained, "This place can't be called Water Curtain Cave, can it?"

As long as you cross the waterfall, you can become the king and go into the sea to get your own divine weapon. Isn't this just like Sun Wukong's script?

Following this logic, wouldn't Arthur be a water monkey?

Atlana continued, "Unfortunately, I have tried countless times over the years, and each time it has ended in failure. Karasun only allows true monarchs to pass through, and anyone who does not meet the requirements to set foot in that area will be attacked by it."

Du Mu became interested: "What is Karasen?"

Mera took over and explained, "That is an ancient guardian of Atlantis. Like the sacred trident, it has only existed in legends. It is said to be as huge as a mountain, with a hard shell and covered with octopus-like tentacles."

Du Mu licked his lips, his eyes lighting up: "It sounds delicious."

Everyone:

""

Arthur said firmly, "No matter what, I must obtain the Holy Trident. Orm is already uniting with other underwater nations, preparing to launch a full-scale war against the land. I must stop him; it concerns the survival of Atlantis."

Mera was puzzled: "Arthur, you've got it backwards, haven't you? How did Orm's attack on the land become the life or death of Atlantis?"

'

Arthur said helplessly, "You don't understand. None of the friends I made on land are easy to mess with."

He went to great lengths to prevent the Seven from destroying Atlantis.

"Since the item is down here, let's get going."

2

Du Mu couldn't wait to see that Karasun.

The ancient guardians of Atlantis have lived for at least several thousand years. If they were grilled, the results would surely be better than that thousand-year-old salted fish, right?

Without waiting for Arthur, Du Mu leaped straight into the waterfall.

Atlanna was shocked and said to Arthur, "Quickly call your friend back! Karazhan does not allow any race other than Atlanteans to set foot in that area. If your friend barges in like this, Karazhan will definitely kill him."

Arthur remained calm and waved his hand, saying, "Don't worry, my friend is very strong."

He knew Du Mu quite well; even legendary figures like Gabriel and the Son of Satan were no match for him, and among the entire Seven, only Clark could put up a fight against him.

Seeing Arthur's state, Atlana couldn't help but ask, "How strong is he?"

Arthur thought for a moment and gave a very practical answer: "Karassen will be on his menu if he wants to."

"???"

Behind the waterfall lies the entrance to an underground cave.

Du Mu plunged in, and as usual, the surrounding seawater receded from him, automatically making way for a dry space.

He spread his single wing and soared into the air, flying deeper into the distance along the golden guiding line.

They hadn't flown far when a dilapidated ancient ruin appeared deep in the sea.

A massive stone throne stands directly in front of the ruins, its surface covered with the marks of time.

A skeleton sat on the throne, clad in gold and green armor, wearing a golden crown, and gripping a golden trident tightly in both hands.

The skeleton's head was bowed, its long hair and remaining cloak undulating gently with the water, as if it were lost in thought with its eyes closed.

Although he had been dead for many years, one could still feel the aura of a king emanating from his skeleton, displaying the demeanor of an emperor.

It's no surprise that this must be the first king of Atlantis.

The golden trident in his hand was continuously emitting ripples, as if it were waiting for someone's summons.

Du Mu's gaze fell on the golden trident, and relevant information automatically appeared before his eyes.

The Sacred Trident

[Description: Forged from Poseidon Steel, it is indestructible and possesses the ability to unleash energy shocks, command marine life, and control water currents. It can only be used by those of Atlantis royal blood.]

Good stuff, but unfortunately there are usage restrictions.

After all, the first king of Atlantis wasn't a fool. How could he let the divine artifact he had painstakingly forged fall into the hands of outsiders?

Rumble!

A deafening roar suddenly erupted, causing the entire underwater ruins to tremble violently.

All around, broken stone pillars and walls were constantly dropping rubble, which crashed into the mud and sand, stirring up clouds of murky dust that churned in the water.

The tremors showed no sign of stopping; instead, they grew increasingly intense, as if some long-dormant behemoth was awakening.

From the depths of darkness, several enormous tentacles emerged.

The tentacles were at least several meters in diameter, thicker than a subway car, covered with a layer of hard, grayish-black carapace, with sharp barbs along the edges, and covered with huge suckers underneath.

With each wriggling movement of the tentacles, the surrounding water was stirred up, creating gusts of dark current.

Its tentacles alone are so enormous; it's unimaginable how big its main body must be.

This is Karasen, the ancient guardian of Atlantis.

"roar!"

A deep roar came from the depths of the sea, shaking the water.

However, when the roar reached Du Mu's ears, his built-in translation function automatically converted it into a familiar Chinese voiceover.

"I have guarded this place for thousands of years and have seen many challengers, but this is the first time I have seen a human set foot here."

It's important to know that the game's translation function translates not only human languages, but also the languages ​​of aliens and all intelligent beings.

As long as the other party possesses a certain level of intelligence and clear logic, and is able to communicate normally, the translation function can translate the other party's meaning into something that Du Mu can understand.

Of course, if a creature doesn't have a well-developed language logic like an animal, then the translation function won't be triggered, and it will be no different from ordinary vocalizations.

Karasen paused, his tone suddenly turning cold: "However, you are not an Atlantean, you don't even have the qualifications to challenge, yet you dare to trespass into this place, coveting Atlantis's most precious treasure, you're simply courting death!"

Like the mythical beasts guarding treasures in novels, Karasen's duty here is to select those with the qualities of a monarch for the first king and hand over the sacred trident to them.

As for those who fail in the challenge, they will be silenced to prevent the secret of the sacred trident from being revealed.

Over the years, only Atlanna, the challenger, has survived.

Firstly, she was powerful enough to escape if she couldn't win. Secondly, she possessed pure Atlantean royal blood, and Karasen wouldn't kill her out of respect for her status as a descendant of the first king.

Of course, part of the reason was that Karasen was just too bored, and keeping Atlanna around could give him some fun.

Du Mu smiled slightly: "Don't misunderstand, I have no interest in the Holy Trident."

"Can you understand me?"

Karassen was somewhat surprised by Du Mu's words.

Du Mu nodded: "Of course."

"Interesting, a human can actually understand what I'm saying."

Karasen's voice carried a hint of regret: "It's a pity. Even if you can understand me, you are ultimately not an Atlantean and do not deserve to possess the Holy Trident."

Over the years, apart from the first king of Atlantis, no one has ever been able to truly communicate with it.

According to the established rules, as long as you can communicate with it, it is equivalent to proving that the other party has the potential to become the king of Atlantis. It can then let you pass directly and allow you to try to lift the sacred trident.

The problem is that it can sense that the Du Mu in front of it is a human, not an Atlantean, and doesn't even qualify to participate, let alone lift the sacred trident.

Du Mu chuckled and said, "It's alright. I told you I didn't come for the Holy Trident; I came for you."

Karasen: "?"

It has guarded this place for thousands of years, during which many intruders have come here, all for the sacred trident.

But this was the first time it had ever heard of someone coming specifically for it, and it was completely taken aback.

Karasen couldn't help but ask, "What do you want from me?"

Du Mu chuckled, licking his lips. "I think you look quite delicious. May I have a taste?"

Karasen paused for a moment, then said coldly, "Are you provoking me, human challenger!"

You said something wrong.

Du Mu flew high into the sky, his eyes filled with disdain: "Kalashen, you are the challenger."

"court death!"

Karasen let out a furious roar.

The slight goodwill that Du Mu had felt because he could understand it vanished in an instant.

A tentacle, imbued with terrifying force, slammed down on Du Mu's head, tearing a white trail through the water with a speed far beyond what one would expect from a creature of this size.

Du Mu flapped his single wing and dodged to the side.

At the same time, two golden bolts of lightning suddenly shot out from his eyes, cleaving through the seawater and striking the surface of the tentacles, instantly blasting open a charred mark on the shells on the tentacles.

However, this damage was nothing to Karassen.

That charred patch on its tentacle was at most equivalent to a human leg hair being burned by a cigarette butt.