Chapter 259 - Tungsten's Fate.

Exploring the Sea King Inheritance cautiously due to the numerous dangers that filled everywhere, from the spooky native predators to the ravaging competitors, to the tyrannical Atlantians was extremely stressful.

Though most of the mutated beasts in the inheritance ground were still consumed by their desire to get the riches in here and could not feel the pressure, those intelligent ones who already regained their sanity felt the pressure.

The tests of the Sea King's will were the last straw that broke their wits. 

The pressure was so suffocating to most of these mutated beasts that it felt like they were slowly being squeezed to death by the tentacles of a giant octopus.

Of all these mutated beasts who felt the pressure, a specific group felt it more, it was that group with heavy responsibilities on their shoulders.

That group consisting of powerful predators like Old Mak.

Old Mak was getting closer to his wit's ends, the pressure that was induced in the inheritance ground was already getting to him. He felt like he would snap any second, only his compact and developed willpower kept him in check.

Unlike other predators who willfully entered the inheritance ground for their greed and desire, he was the leader of a huge shark clan and entered with a reason.

The number one reason why he entered this inheritance ground with his clan was the prospects of rapid growth that it proposed, and the second reason was if he didn't participate to gain, he would only suffer when stray bullets flew his way.

Due to how Sebastian explained everything about monster inheritances to the best of his knowledge as taught by Tonado, Old Mak already had a deep understanding before he entered the inheritance ground.

Despite already being mentally prepared, what he saw still affected him a lot in ways that he did not expect.

Like every other powerful predator who entered the inheritance ground, he already killed a lot of competitors and already benefited a lot, but not even for a second did he not worry about his clan members.

He was the strongest shark in his clan. The others were not as freakishly strong as him, the way other predators were currently dying to him, his brothers may be dying the same way to some f*cked predator also.

Just the thought of this left his snout vibrating nervously.

Old Mak was a leader, a powerful leader but he also had emotions, he also could experience fear. At this moment, he feared for his brothers' lives.

After the traumatizing experience that he had with his master and best friend, Nathan, where he left the Megalodon to die, despite it being decades ago, he still suffered from the guilt.

He vowed to take care of every single shark in his clan as a form of redemption for the sin that he committed decades ago against his best friend.

Now that his decision may have put these same sharks in danger of annihilation, he felt guilty though he knew that this decision was for the best.

Old Mak suffered from this feeling of guilt which affected his efficiency for hours before he finally snapped out of it.

In the end, he decided that to really help the sharks, the best thing that he could do now was to do his best, kill competitors, forfeit any side benefit but to aim directly for the ultimate inheritance.

If he got the ultimate inheritance, he was pretty sure that the inheritance process would have ended and his brothers would finally be free.

Filled with hope, he worked towards this as he started bulldozing through every competitor in his way again with lightning and thunder accompanying.

…

Tungsten also felt the pressure induced by the setting in the inheritance ground. His mind was chaotic as he experienced a myriad of emotions.

At this moment, he just finished his 15th consecutive battle where he was unable to get his hands on the sought-after rewards of the halls in the inheritance ground which only left him under more pressure.

He was always so close to getting it, but there was always a stronger and more talented predator who simply takes it from his grasp.

It was like nature itself was playing with him.

This same thing happening 15 times could no longer be associated and blamed on bad luck, Tungsten felt that he was cursed.

He was bleeding all over as his blood dyed the water red. Despite the pain of his injuries, he didn't give attention to them because the pain in his heart was more.

The reason for him feeling the pressure was different from his clan head.

Unlike his clan head, his reason for feeling the suffocating pressure may sound a little immature, but it was because of his inferiority complex.

"Why am I always second?" Tungsten roared in his heart.

"Why am I always so close, but the catch always elopes me?" He vented all his grievances now that all his enemies abandoned him.

"Why is it that despite all the effort that I put in, despite always training overtime, despite always being obedient and listening to the elders and the clan head, why is it that I still never come out first?"

"Why? Why?"

Tungsten already lost it as he broke down in an emotional fit.

His sadness and loneliness at this moment were so strong that he practically started seeing his sad life playing before him like a movie.

Since his days as a young shark, Tungsten was already favored to be among the best predators of his age alongside his childhood best friend, Torpedum.

The both of them did virtually everything together, they were inseparable as kids. Then, they didn't even understand the terms inferior and superior. Then, they treated each other like equals, friends for life.

This did not last though, peacefulness and joy never last. It all ended when they both finally awoke their magic domains.

That day, like usual, they were both ecstatic, extremely optimistic that they were both going to awaken legendary magic domains that were only seen in myth.

In the end, he awoke a rare advanced magic domain while Torpedum awoke a pinnacle advanced magic domain. They were only separated by a small insurmountable rank.

This small rank was what divided this flourishing friendship forever.

Torpedum who was now confirmed to be the real unmatched genius immediately started experiencing that feeling of superiority that neither of them experienced nor knew of before now.

Tungsten became the inferior one, while Torpedum became the superior.

This became prominent in everything that they did after that. In sparring battles, hunting tests, and the even more important adult graduation test, Tungsten always came second while Torpedum came first.

Torpedum now grew so unapproachable that both friends officially became public enemies, archenemies for life!

This was when Tungsten took the challenge and made a vow. 

"Torpedum may be luckier than I am, he may have the advantage in magic domain specialization, but that does not mean he is better than I am. I vow that one day, I will surpass Torpedum before the watchful eyes of all the elders and the clan head".

From that day, he developed a trait that he didn't have before, hard work. From that day, Tungsten became the most hardworking shark in the clan. 

He trained more than others, fought longer than others, endured hits more than others, endured pain more than others, and even started studying more than others which was something every young Great White Shark hated.

This became so much to the extent that he caught the clan head's attention. Then, fate finally seemed to smile on him and he became the clan head's student.

His confidence grew, he became more optimistic that he would one day overtake Torpedum and become the strongest shark of his age.

He held this belief till he grew to his current age, but never, not even once did he ever succeed in besting Torpedum in an official tournament.

This became a thorny ghost that haunted him till now.

Despite this ghost, he never gave up, he continued persevering. Even when Old Mak took another student, making Verni his best student, he never complained, all his focus was on overcoming the ghost that haunted him.

Unfortunately for him, fate was cruel, he never succeeded.

Tungsten thought he had already gotten over his cruel fate but clearly, he was wrong. At this moment when the circumstances in this inheritance ground proved extremely similar to his traumatizing experiences with Torpedum, he lost it.

"Why me?"

"Why always me?"

"Why always me?"

Tungsten wailed in his mind. Though this was not reflected outwardly, anybody who looked at him would know that this enormous Great White Shark was in pain, pain that could not be healed through conventional means.

Tungsten tried to rationalize his circumstances to recover the way he always did with Torpedum but this time, it didn't work.

It was like the world really wanted him to face his inferiority now, it was like the world was laughing at him, it was like nature itself wanted him to feel pain.

The pain in his heart grew so much that he became numb, his brain became numb and all his senses became numb. All that was on his mind was how inferior he was compared to his best friend and enemy, and also to everyone else.

"Why me?"

On saying this again, this was when he noticed the newcomers that entered the hall where his previous battle ended and he was abandoned.

5 menacing Poison Worms made threatening sounds on seeing the injured Great White Shark before they all rapidly slithered towards him with speed.

Tungsten focused on the rapidly advancing Worms. He fell into a daze as he looked at them for a few seconds, then he became enraged.

His inferiority acted up so much that his anger blew towards the skies.

He may be inferior to Torpedum, he may be inferior to other predators, but he was definitely not inferior to a bunch of 5 random Poison Worms. 

If they thought otherwise, he was going to show them what a second-place inferior Great White Shark with the light magic domain could do.

For some reason, his mind settled that killing these 5 Poison Worms would alleviate the pain that was on his heart so without hesitation he erupted.

Tungsten ignored the pain in his body and his heart, he lifted his enormous body as he threw himself at the Poison Worms. He activated all his skills; he went berserk as he attacked ragefully with no plan in mind.

The 5 Poison Worms were not his match.

Though he suffered a lot of injuries, he did not give a damn about this little pain so long as he could inflict even more pain on those that underestimated him.

He beat the Poison Worms so much that the 5 Worms were turned into crushed paste. This was when an even more bleeding Tungsten stopped.

He was now poisoned; the pain was traumatizing and he was slowly dying but he didn't give a damn. At this moment, he was ready to die if that was what it took to prove that he was not always second.

After this victory, unknowing to him, there was a shift in his mind. A strange power was brewing inside him that he was unaware of.

Tungsten suddenly raised his head as his originally lifeless eyes gleamed sharply. "From today, I make a new vow".

"I no longer care about what the world thinks of me".

"I no longer give a damn about fate".

"All I know is that I'm the best, and there's nothing no one can say about it".

"To others, Torpedum has the better magic domain, but I now declare that my magic domain is the best in the world!"

"I'm the best in the world!"

"Deal with it!"

"I'M THE BEST IN THE WORLD!!!"

As Tungsten roared this for the second time, the shift that happened in his mind became more prominent. The power that was brewing inside him suddenly exploded, turning extremely vibrant with energy.

Tungsten opened his eyes with shock. This feeling of energy rush, this feeling of invisibility, this feeling of unlimited potential, he was too familiar with it and would never forget it.

This was exactly how he felt when he broke through from the white tier to the orange tier a few years ago.

Now, he was about to break through again!

Tungsten felt his body turn stiff from the shock and rush of emotions.

Despite everything that he felt now, despite the benefits that were awaiting him if he continued persevering, and even though he may lose out on a lot of things if he started his breakthrough now, Tungsten didn't care.

He had been looking for this opportunity for half his life, there was no way that he would ignore it now that it finally appeared.

Tungsten located a safe hidden place in the hall and placed himself carefully before he officially started his evolution process.

The fate of Tungsten, the Great White Shark seemed to be turning.