After I dropped off my supplies at the lighthouse, I immediately went to Gaven.

His advice seemed superior to anything I could reason out myself, and I wanted to know if he had ever met Matilde himself. Some part of me warned against trusting him so easily, but he had not yet lied to me once. The man had also healed me, clothed me, given me a temporary home, and had asked for nothing in return.

Gaven was in the temple this time, kneeling at the front. I took a seat in the back row of pews, waiting till he was done. It didn't take long for him to stand, making his way to the back of the temple to sit beside me.

"What brings you here this time, Cain?" he murmured, tone still reverent.

"The sirens came," I replied. "I met one in town."

"Oh? Did you need my help regarding that?"

"The siren was familiar to me. She was the one that… dragged me down, and she recognized me." Gaven hummed. "Matilde also recognized the orb." I pulled it out of my pocket, resting it on my palm.

"Ah, Matilde. An energetic child. That doesn't surprise me." Gaven quieted, waiting for me to go on.

"She says she knows where another is located, and offered to take me there in exchange for something in return," I told him. "I don't know whether… to trust her or not, and whether the second marble is worth it." I closed my hand around the object.

"Quite the dilemma, yes it is. From my experience, sirens are always truthful when sharing such valuable information. And, when it comes to trade, they are bound by the law of the ocean. As children of the Sea God, any matters concerning the sea are paramount," Gaven explained.

"If Matilde knows where the second orb is," he continued, "it is extremely likely it is located underwater. And, you could say, sirens are trustworthy in all things, with the exception of when they lure the seafaring to their deaths," Gaven chuckled.

"Should I agree, then?"

"If this is a matter that is important to you—if you see it as your next purpose in this world, trying would never be the wrong decision."

"What about the lighthouse? Would it be alright if I left for, well, I'm not sure how long?" I asked.

Gaven patted me on the back. "I've looked after that lighthouse for many years; it wouldn't be hard to do it again."

I nodded. "Thank you." I didn't know where Matilde would take me, but with Gaven's words, I felt a bit more confident. With a clear goal in front of me, I felt more stable, I would say. It was an odd feeling, to be comfortable in this world and not simply adrift.

Thinking for a second, I began, "I need an axe, and armor; but I spent the rest of my money on passage." I'd never had much of value even before leaving Rakfall, but my axe had been left behind, and my remaining dagger was lost when I fell into the ocean. "Is there a place in town where I could get weapons? I'm not sure how I could pay for it, though."

"Hmm, come with me," Gaven said, standing. Pocketing the marble, I followed him to the house next to the temple. He walked around it instead of inside, and at the back, he bent, quietly grunting. The creak of a hatch opening sounded out.

I figured it was a cellar of some kind and followed him down stone steps. The room we entered was musty, the dust in the air itching my nose.

"I fought quite a bit when I was young, and just starting out," Gaven told me, voice muted by the room. "I collected many weapons, both from enemies and blacksmiths. Axes are over here—feel free to pick one."

Following his steps, I reached out and brushed the wood of an axe handle. Testing the four available, I found one to my liking. Its weight and balance seemed perfect in my hand, the blade's edges still sharp, despite the assumed years of disuse.

"How much do I owe you?" I asked.

"Oh, nothing, nothing at all. All this gear is just collecting dust, anyways. Come, let's get some armor for you." Gaven picked out what I would take this time, handing me a leather chest piece that I put on to try and attachable pieces that covered my thighs.

Lastly, he handed me some bracers, which had tough leather lining and were covered with metal plating.

"These shouldn't weigh you down too hard in the water. Mobility seems quite important to you," Gaven said.

I nodded, taking it all gratefully. The man bid me good luck, and I headed back to the lighthouse. Inside, I left all the gear on the first floor except for the axe, which I took outside.

Practicing my forms, I got used to the new weapon, swinging my axe as if I were fighting an opponent in the pit back in Rakfall. I could feel the way [Chop] made my swings faster and sharper, and made my grip around the axe much more natural.

I had missed this.

I spent hours out there, relishing in the exhilaration and sweat that ran down my back. Then, only stopping when the pocket watch rang, I went up the stairs to light the fire.

Taking the same position I had the last couple of nights, sitting against the wall, I activated [Spectral Hand]. Focusing, I worked on shaping the hand like before, watching half of the arm materialize in the air.

The swirling mist continued to expand as I poured more mana into the skill, and the familiar robes of the priest began to form. A thin shoulder slowly took shape, before going no further. I'd hit a barrier, but this was more than I'd ever seen.

Letting the skill fizz out to conserve mana, I thought about where Matilde would lead me tomorrow and if attaining the orb would be simple.

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Shaking my head, I pushed away that possibility. Nothing would be that easy, and I wondered if I would have to fight sirens or other odd monsters like the tarhorn in Rakfall. I let potential hazards run through my brain, but with no concrete information, I knew I was the most prepared I could be.

There was still an unpleasant feeling that I was jumping into this far too quickly, too drawn to an object I had no chance to understand. However, I felt I would regret it if I didn’t try. A slight… craving for adventure had begun to fill me. This was something I wanted, not something I was being compelled to do. It felt like greed, but I could not condemn it.

Morning came soon, and I forced myself to sleep before Matilde arrived. Her singing woke me, slightly muted, and in the direction of the sea behind the lighthouse. Quietly I stood, put on my armor downstairs, and strapped the axe to my back.

I grabbed a pack of dried meat and fitted it between my armor and chest. The first marble was left in the box upstairs.

Outside, I splashed my face with the cool water from the well, gripping its stone edge. Then, breathing in, I headed towards the ocean. Passing through the rocky shore, I found Matilde sitting on a stone. She stopped her singing, then laughed.

"You look like you've decided to accept my offer!" she concluded.

I nodded. "Yes, I have."

"Let's leave right away, then. Hold on just one moment." Matilde jumped up, feet kicking through the sand. She splashed in the water for a few seconds, then made her way back to me.

"Here, let me put this on you." She reached towards me, bringing the scent of salt closer. I took a step back.

"What is it?" I asked.

She laughed at me. "Humans can't breathe underwater, silly sailor. Hold still." I relented, and something wet and slick touched my nose.

It moved over my skin, clasping the bottom half of my face before wiggling strands wrapped around the back of my head. I could no longer breathe, the object suffocating me.

Matilde must have seen my panic, my hand reaching up to pull the thing off my face. "Hurry, to the water. This will help you breathe, and form a barrier around your body to protect your armor."

I followed after her as she rushed to the ocean, waves quickly lapping at my thighs. Then, with one last moment of hesitation, I submerged my entire body, leaving the land behind.

It was so strange. I didn't have to breathe in, as constant streams of oxygen flowed into my nose and mouth—only as much as I needed. Going farther in, I began to float as the water level reached high over my head.

There was Matilde's hissing laughter again, accompanied by the bubbling of the water, and she grabbed my hand. "Hold on tight," she playfully warned, pulling my hand to her scale-covered waist. Her tail kicked up currents in the water that swirled around my ankles, and I wondered when and how she had transformed—it didn’t seem like something I would ever understand without seeing it. I gripped her with my other hand, ignoring the thought, and she took off.

The speed was incredible. I could feel the shockwaves through the water from Matilde's powerful tail, and we rushed through the water. I only wished I could see the scenery.

We moved for a long time, twisting through the ocean and heading even deeper. My ears didn't pop at the change in elevation, and I figured it was because of the thing Matilde had put on my face. Despite that, I could feel the pressure of the water encasing my body, weighing down on my bones as she swam further down.

I couldn't say how long it took, but eventually, Matilde slowed down, moving carefully around whatever was blocking her path. Finally, she swam upwards, and suddenly there was air.

Matilde moved forward a bit, then I could hear her pull herself out of the water. I followed, finding a rocky ledge. Standing, I pulled the mask off my face and took my first breath. The air was stale, but I could feel a slight draft—however, it was almost nonexistent.

Only my hair was wet from the trip, and I pushed it out of my face. Matilde stayed sitting, tail swirling the water around. I held out the water mask toward her, and she took it.

"Down this path, you'll find the orb, but this is as far as I go," she said. Suspicion filled me with her words.

"Why can't you continue?"

"This place is under my clan's protection. I got permission to take you this far, but any other results are up to you," she hummed. "I brought you here, and that cost will equal my request for you if you return."

"If?" I scoffed.

"Even I have no idea what safeguards the clan has put up to protect the orb. It's useless to us, but we know others want it badly." Matilde laughed. "Think of it as a trial—whether you're worthy or not to take the orb from this place."

"If I succeed, your clan won't take it back?" I asked.

"Nope. If you get it, it's now rightfully yours, but open to theft from others. That's the unsaid rule of the Trinity." I nodded, and she made a soft noise. "Here, take this."

I held out my hand, and Matilde placed a small horn-shaped object that seemed to be made out of shells in my palm.

"Use this when you're done—make sure it's underwater. It'll call me, and I'll take you back to land." I nodded, putting the small object into my pocket. It seemed sturdy, despite the material, and I hoped nothing would cause it to break. "See you then, sailor." With a bubbling laugh, Matilde was gone.

"Not a sailor," I murmured to the cavern walls.

With an exhale, I grabbed my axe, clenching my hand and letting it hang by my thigh. I focused my senses, allowing my sphere of perception expand to touch the walls.

Everything Matilde had said hinted at a difficult task, and I didn't know what lay ahead. Cautiously, I moved forward, feeling the space grow larger as the walls broadened on either side of me.

I focused even harder, hearing the steady drip of water and a staggering tapping noise that came from the stone walls. As I moved, my nose twitched, smelling something that didn't seem natural.

It was watery but mixed in with a chemical-like scent. The smell was familiar, but also very different. Following my intuition, I let a tiny flame grow in my palm and inhaled hard.

My fire smelled like ash, but with that same chemical smell I attributed to mana. So, snuffing out the flame, I focused on the scent of this place.

There was mana active in here, and it permeated the walls ahead. Moving slowly, I stayed away from the walls, keeping to the middle of the path. As I passed the first trace of mana, a hissing of wind sounded, and a projectile shot toward me.

I quickly ducked, and it flew over my head, ricocheting against the opposite wall before falling to the floor. Another hiss came from the opposite side, and I lifted my axe.

Holding steady, I calculated the level of the projectile and moved my weapon accordingly. The thing bounced off the metal of my axe before falling to the ground next to me. I picked it up, feeling a smooth arrow with a sharp head.

Breathing out, my invisible enemy identified, I stood and moved forward. The rate of arrows immediately increased, and I used my axe as a shield for one side, bending forward and dodging the arrows from the other side.

They were fast, but I moved quicker. With every step, more arrows came at me, the spaced-out hissing sound from the walls telling me of each one's position. A bolt came for my hip at the same time as another aimed at my head, arrows whistling in the front and back of me so I couldn't dodge.

I held my axe up for the arrow aimed at my hip, bending my neck back and tucking my cheek into my shoulder for the other. The metal grazed my face, leaving a burning slice against my cheekbone that began to drip blood.

Still, I pushed forward, feeling relatively confident. I twisted around five arrows, bending my knee as one hit my right bracer and dented the metal. I leaped forward to dodge the last, listening intensely. The smell of mana was absent before me, and the arrow trap quieted. Wiping the blood from my face, I breathed out.

[Dexterity +1]

One obstacle down, and who knows how many more to go.