Vincent was pulled down, trying to free himself from the grip of this freedom, but its hold around his foot was very strong. He began to feel that he was losing himself, opened his eyes, and looked around. The lake was very deep and wide; he couldn't see its depth. He looked down and saw the mermaid holding his feet and swimming him downwards.

‘ you Crazy whore.’

Vincent said to himself, before he ran out of breath. His awareness began to spin until he lost consciousness.

...

*Point!Point!*

Vincent felt something cold drop on his face, he opened his eyes and was greeted by a dark ceiling that seemed to be filled with water.

‘Where am I?’

He sat where he had been lying and looked around. At first glance, one could say it was a cave, but Vincent was able to see a small pool, as if it were a sea with no bottom. When he stared into the depths of the pool, he could see nothing but darkness.

"So, you finally woke up."

Vincent heard a sound behind him and jumped in fright. He looked back, and his eyes widened; there was something resembling a throne, but it was made of bones! The bones were scattered around the place and gathered in the center, forming something resembling a throne. At the top of the throne, Vincent saw the mermaid that had pulled him down.

‘t seems this is her den or something like that. Wait, are you going to eat me!’

"Calm down, I won't eat you; you wouldn't taste good anyway."

The woman said, and you could hear the mockery in her voice.

Vincent's tension eased, but he was still worried about the reason he was brought here. If you don't want anything from him, why is he here now, polishing the floor?

"So what do you want, why did you bring me here?"

Vincent said calmly, to the point that the mermaid showed some signs of surprise. She stared at him for a while before speaking.

"You are very calm for a human who has not yet formed his spiritual palace."

His eyes widened in surprise.

"Wait, how did you know?!"

"It's not as if things are difficult; all I have to do is direct my spiritual intuition towards you to know that. I can see the weakness in your bones and muscles, and similarly, your skin and blood are stronger than average, which indicates that you have successfully strengthened them."

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Vincent stood frozen in his place without saying anything.

‘This cursed mermaid, how did she know all that, and what is this spiritual intuition, does it relate to the spiritual palace?’

"Who are you calling a cursed one? And also, no, it has nothing to do with the spiritual palace, because they have the same word 'spiritual' in the same name."

"How can you read my mind !"

He didn't know why he hadn't asked such a question, and also, fortunately for him, she didn't care about what he said about her.

"Well, that because of my type, but that's a long story and not important for you to know."

"Well then, why did you pull me here?"

The mermaid looked at him for a moment; there was a strange expression on her face before she stood up from the grand throne and descended directly in front of him. From up close, Vincent was able to see that she was much more beautiful, and of course, she was taller than him.

"Well, the reason is simple, but I think you want to know how to get out of here, right?"

I asked the mermaid, but I knew the answer without Vincent even saying it.

"Yes."

"Okay.The only way out of here is that small pond behind you. It is essentially a secret passage at the bottom of the lake, and I believe you couldn't stay awake when you reached the middle of the lake, so it's difficult for you to get out now. Of course, I will let you go after I get what I want."

The mermaid said in a casual manner.

‘Of course, she wants something from me.’

The mermaid smiled a little at what Vincent was thinking.

"Also, the only way to get out is to strengthen the other members; in this way, they won't be significantly affected by the water pressure."

Vincent was deep in thought after hearing her response. If the only way out is to strengthen the other parts, then he needs to strengthen his bones and muscles, and this may take some time. If he maintains his pace of development, he will finish this in a few days, and then he will be able to get out of here.

"Oh, I didn’t know her name yet."

"You can call me Loria or mermaid , it doesn't really matter."

Vincent almost forgot that she could read his thoughts, which made him a little uncomfortable, and he tried as much as he could not to think anything in his head.

"Alright, you can strengthen the rest of your parts here, just don't make any loud noises."

After saying that, Loria turned to walk away.

"You didn't tell me why you pulled me here."

Loria stopped in her tracks, and after a little while, she spoke.

"Alright...I want something important to me. And I believe you can help me with that."

She said that, and there was a slight tremor in her voice. And then I went deep into the cave.

Vincent paused for a moment before sitting cross-legged and closing his eyes. He didn't dwell on it much, as there was something more important to focus on. For example, he wasn't comfortable with a monster nearby, even if it was a woman. From the memories of the body owner, Vincent was able to learn that monsters are a common occurrence in this world. They can come in various sizes and shapes, and they are divided into many internal races. Of course, they all fall under the term "monsters," but they have numerous races that distinguish them from one another.

Also, the easiest way for monsters to evolve was by absorbing mana, just like humans. However, there is an easier method than meditation for absorbing mana, which is feeding on beings that have this mana in their bodies. Of course, a living creature with at least two of the four limbs has more mana than a wild animal or a strong monster with just one limb.

...

Among the giant trees and the magical plants of various colors. An elderly man walked by, wearing a tattered gray cloak, with long white hair that reached his neck and a short white beard. He had his hands behind his back while a slight smile was on his face.

He walked a little before reaching a slope, looked down, and saw the almost rocky square. Some large stones on the ground were half-broken.

"Hmm...Where is this boy?"

Randolph thought to himself before looking at the cave in the middle of the opposite slope. His eyes darkened as he pondered something. He descended from the slope and entered the dark cave, walking a little before he saw a massive figure on the ground; it was the huge bear is sprawled across the ground, and dried blood can be seen on the earth, with a large opening in the middle of its forehead. Randolph was slightly shaken by the scene.

‘Did the boy done this?’

Randolph thought before continuing on his way until he exited the cave, and he saw trees lining both sides of the path and a large lake that seemed to stretch endlessly before him. He stopped at the end of the road and looked at the lake.

‘Mmm... What is this?’

Randolph looked and saw a silver object shining in the sun; he picked it up and examined it closely.

‘This is!...’

Randolph's eye shifted slightly, as if he had seen something from the past. After a little while, he looked towards the lake, and at that moment, his left eye changed and became golden in color, emitting a faint golden light.

"Ha ha ha ha ha!"

Randolph laughed so loudly that the water in front of him rippled.

"Why were you anxious in the first place? He is persistent, and it's hard to eliminate his kind in the end."

After saying that, he raised the sword and threw it forcefully towards the bottom of the lake; the water seemed as if it were a wall being shattered by a massive beast, with no resistance at all.

"I think this will help you in the near future, little one."

After saying that, Randolph put his hands behind his back and turned back with a smile on his face.