At the shore of a lake, there was a school of fish. Very odd considering the place.

The fish swam in the air as if they were in the water. Each fish was the size of a sardine, but thousands of them made the school look like a massive living cloud. Although they had the shape of fish, they were not actually animals but water.

In the center of the swarm, stood the Level 4 split soul of Georgi. He extended his palm and the fish simply exploded in a straight line.

“Ugh…!”

The attack was aimed at Paina but she was barely able to defend herself against it by converging the fish from her surroundings. A path was made and Georgi was about to make his move but someone emerged behind the screen of fish to his side. Ciel charged with her enchanted sword and shield. As her enemy was a stronger individual, she proceeded with her guard up, light gathering at the tip of her sword.

Arte - Brilliant Lance.

Georgi leisurely evaded with minimal movement. Ciel expected her strike wouldn't land so she didn't put all her strength into the thrust but chained it into another close-quarter Arte instead.

“Not using your new sword?” Georgi said while dodging all of Ciel’s attacks.

I would if I could, you haughty ass!

Ciel’s condition was very new to her. She felt the sword existed inside her but her attempts to elicit any response from the sword had not borne results.

Farley kept herself hidden, but she let loose water spears from Georgi's blindspots with lethal precision. All of them seemed to burst like bubbles before hitting Georgi. It wasn't useless though, Farley managed to split Gerogi's attention from the other two.

However, even though the three's coordination was very adequate despite being a hastily assembled party, Georgi was proven to be the better fighter. He’d soon found an opening in the fierce melee.

Ciel let out a gasp as the shield on her left hand was late to move for a split second, and a fist reached for her abdomen.

Ten water fish swam their way between the two and selflessly sacrificed themselves. Ciel was uninjured and jumped back. The school of fish immediately dropped like a curtain, hiding her from sight.

“This Arte… Shoaling Protection, you said? Quite a good thing you have. Your own creation?” Georgi turned to Paina who could be seen from the gaps of the water fish.

Paina didn't answer and moved her Arte. Not a moment too soon the fish exploded. Paina didn’t have the luxury of speaking. She was too close to the edge of death.

His invisible attacks are too big of a threat. It seems to be sight based. My Shoaling Protection is the best defense we have against that. I must not fail them!

Farley struck like lightning out of the blue, she had been gathering power to unleash a powerful Arte.

Arte - Shadowless Rush!

The short-haired brunette's spear managed to graze Georgi but neither Farley nor the other two were happy.

“Ugh...“

The price was a deep gash on Farley's shoulder. Since she was a soul being, she wasn't bleeding red blood but white soul essence.

“How futil-“

Georgi was assaulted by a legion of aquatic lifeforms. Sharks, orcas, snakes, moray eels, and all manner of sea monsters native to this world. This was not Paina's doing but Farley's. Her previous Arte was bait. This was the true attack she had been gathering energy for.

“Marine Beastide!“

Paina and Ciel followed suit with their own attacks.

“White Pearls!“

“Shining Eagle!“

A barrage of high-concentration water energy in the shape of beautiful pearls and a great bird of prey made of particles of light pincered Georgi from two different directions. The explosion was satisfying, even bringing a sense of achievement but the three women knew better than to think it would be that easy. They took a distance from the epicenter; Paina's Shoaling Protection was split between the three of them.

“Paina!“

Ciel was the first to notice. A bizarre monster suddenly appeared behind Paina. It vaguely resembled a muscular human however the skin was pale white, armless and hairless, and a mouth with three rings of teeth for a head. Since the shoal was in front of her and the monster appeared from behind, it had already penetrated her defenses.

It's too late to dodge, Paina thought as she faced the terrifying teeth. Ghostform!

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Paina turned incorporeal. As a soul being, this ability had allowed her to phase through many emergency predicaments in the past.

“Aaaaahhh!!”

Paina screamed in pain as the white monster gnawed on her left arm. She reflexively raised her arm to prevent her neck from getting bitten.

Paina’s arm was cut off below the elbow by none other than Farley. While pulling Paina away, she also stabbed the white monster a few times.

But her thrust felt like hitting smoke and the monster was not injured.

“F-Farley…” Paina grimaced with pain.

“That was a wrong move. Our opponent is a soul Pathseeker, same as Viers. Our usual advantages are invalid against him.”

Farley coated her spear with water from the lake and struck again. It was somewhat effective. The monster did not seem disturbed or felt pain but it gave intimidating hisses.

“You two, are you okay?”

Ciel came closer. Farley saw she had cut two other white monsters to pieces before coming to them.

“I’m fine,” Paina used her staff to help herself back onto her feet. Her left hand might be gone but she still had her right. The shoal converged on their position.

“Then keep your guard up, Paina. He’s coming.”

Farley remade her stance while facing Georgi’s clone. The three’s full powered Artes didn't seem to make a dent on his health or poised demeanor.

“He’s not even hurt,” Paina frowned.

The three white monsters were gathering beside him.

“His real body is fighting Clarissa but he still can create a Level 4 proxy and summon additional battle assets… isn't that a bit unfair?” Paina added.

…Isn't Viers kind of similar? Farley had the thought.

“This is a characteristic of soul Pathseekers,” Ciel pointed out. “Even you are fighting with great strength on behalf of Viers.”

“Right. Yeah. Forget me saying anything,” Paina took her words back and sighed. “We know it won't be easy.”

“Consider me surprised,” Georgi said. “The depth of your water Artes is exceptional. Soul gazing?”

“Like we’ll tell you!” Farley struck again and the battle entered a new stage.

Georgi was technically correct. Pathseekers used monster cores to create Artes. Not the only way but it was one way of doing it. This was achieved by getting glimpses of the monster’s experience when it was alive and obtaining inspiration from it.

Viers used monster souls instead of cores to achieve the same effect. The Fables inside his head provided all the inspiration he needed so this method of gaining inspiration was not really crucial to him, but it was not so for Paina and Farley.

After his return from the Book World, there was a time when he was forced to defend a fort from the merfolk. The battle that followed was the best time to gather the souls of those that belonged to the underwater realm such as the Sahagins.

Only, Viers and Arsène didn't dare to gather souls during that time because the search for Tanael was at its peak. He hunted the sea monsters for the two girls at a later date. Two dozens of them.

The monsters might not have the intellect to process the experience, beings of instinct as they were, but the soul remembered.

Paina and Farley made soul trips to under the sea using these soul memories. They experienced what it meant to live in the water, the shifting tides and currents, the horrifying and wonderful sceneries beneath the surface, the battles the monsters fought, what they sensed and felt, their lives and even their deaths. All of these became nourishment for their soul.

However, Viers also had the Grid.

Using the remnants of a System, Viers created a massive sea environment for them to glean even further attainments. He used various movies, games, pictures, and others from his head to deliver them the world under the sea that both girls never dreamt of.

These were invaluable experiences for their growth as water Pathseekers.

Without the two of them knowing, Viers had successfully deepened their Dao of Water using soul journeys and virtual realities.

Paina’s Shoaling Protection Arte and Farley’s Marine Beastide were created because of this. These they created on their own and without Viers’ finger in the brew.

But their knowledge and inspiration would need to be tempered and polished before they could shine. Viers University covered that subject too.

There were many water Pathseekers among the people Viers killed. Not only water Pathseekers but from the plethora of his ever-growing soul data banks. Viers possessed knowledge from far and wide from all walks of life.

Both of them, along with Viers himself, were getting the absolute best from the distilled knowledge about the Path of Water.

Of course, no matter how good the university was, without them putting in the effort it wouldn't matter. Viers didn't disparage their hard work and lessen their achievements. Even though their existence lacked a body, Paina and Farley were without a doubt true Pathseekers.

“Reverse Waterfall! Water Slash!” Paina’s magic bit the enemy.

“Torrent Spear! Falling Rain!” Farley’s spear penetrated the enemy defenses.

They used many great water techniques and displayed great skill in them. Ciel was amazed. Even compared to her water Pathseeker peers in the Silver Legion, these two would not lose to them.

“Hm… Your spear handling has vestiges of the underwater kingdom,” Georgi hummed as he caught Farley’s spear that was about to pierce him between the brows with two fingers. “It seems the benefits you two managed to get from him are not few. Good grief… Whether is it the fire lamia or you two-”

Ciel swung her sword from a low angle.

Arte - Flash Steps! Asterism Glow!

“And then there’s also you. A thorn in my side despite being an outsider.”

Ciel got hit by an invisible attack on her head. She shifted her last step so she only bled from her temple instead of getting her head cracked open. However, her sword managed to reach his body.

Bit by bit, the three were beginning to chip the Level 4 split soul’s HP.

Georgi cast a glance to Viers above, the flying carpet hovering above the lake before Paina’s shoal cut in.

“A shame… All is ultimately inconsequential.”

Georgi’s Victa rose and the terrain transformed as the three were taken into a Domain. A bleak space, the ground littered with bones and ankle-deep blood. Above them, the sky reddish-black and the souls of the tormented roamed aimlessly.

The nervousness inside Paina, Farley, and Ciel could no longer be hidden.

If they were on the border of life and death before, they were now without a doubt a mile inside death’s territory.