A geyser of water shot through the floor to my left, boiling droplets landing on my skin. I jumped away, then felt the ground begin to shake before me. Dodging to the left, I ran towards the monster, as ending it would end whatever this was.

The ground cracked from the pressure with every step I took, and I raised my arm to protect my face from the torrent of water. Then, with a jump, I swung at the creature. It hissed, remaining claws deflecting my strike.

I slid backward with no time to pause, the floor beneath me beginning to rumble ominously. Ducking below the slash of claws aimed at my body, I avoided the remaining tentacles that stabbed at my bent form.

Huffing through my nose, chest heaving, I twisted my torso to evade the tentacles' pointed tips, using the force of both arms to speed my axe to the retreating appendages with [Silent Blade]. Those remaining tentacles practically shattered as I made lethal contact, chunks of flesh hitting the ground.

The creature bellowed at me in anger, sliding away. I followed after it, but suddenly a roar of water barreled toward me from the left. Heart pounding, I pushed my legs to the max, speeding forward, but couldn't completely dodge the geyser.

The massive force slammed into my side, and I went flying, crashing into the wall. I groaned, ribs noticeably broken and head bleeding from where it had collided with the unforgiving stone. I slid to the ground, left arm throbbing—it had been broken or fractured.

Clumsily I stood, trying to calm my spinning head. Roaring water came from below and from behind, muffled through the stone, threatening to finish me off. I flew forward, clutching my side with one hand. Dodging water missiles left and right, my [Enhanced Sense] amplified everything, including the pain.

I kept my axe gripped tight, dodging to avoid the lethal claws that once again swiped for my head. I threw my arms forward, a thudding impact sounding as I hit the main body of the creature with my blade. It hardly made a cut in the creature.

Snapping teeth lunged for my head above me, and I yanked my axe out to thrust it upwards, the top of my weapon sending the head of the creature reeling backward.

I had to move, dodging more water, feeling the force brush past my chest.

[Dexterity +1]

For a moment, I held still, leg muscles bunching as water rushed at two sides of me. Then, with a jump forward, the geysers collided like a waterfall onto a river, and I rolled, running for the retreating creature.

When I was close to it, the water flying through the room wasn't as ferocious, as the danger of hitting the controller was too great. Every sound and tremble of air triggered a reaction from me, and I swung for the beast in every free moment that I had.

It blocked with its remaining claws more often than not, but with only one arm, I left dozens of cuts on its skin when it failed to deflect.

[Perception +1]

I tried to block out the voice of the messages, but hesitated when another followed the one announcing that my Perception was raised to twenty.

[Criteria Met]

[Skill Upgraded] - [Enhanced Sense (2) → (3)]

I let out a groan as my body seemed to implode, every ache and noise stabbing into me like a thousand nails. My body froze, and I curled into myself.

Every droplet of water made its own noise; the formless air had its own touch as it brushed over my skin. I could feel the room—feel every pit formed from the water geysers, every stone emerging from the ground. My feet were connected to the cavern, and so the cavern was my domain.

It seemed like minutes passed as I breathed through the bombarding sensations, but in reality, it had only been a few seconds. My mind spun, calculating a path to the monster, calculating that invisible spot that would be fatal to it if I hit it with my blade.

The sensations had not faded, but there was no time. So I moved.

I ran to the left of the monster, towards a boulder that had not been destroyed by the rushing water. My feet firmly planted on the top, digging into its surface. I exploded upwards, axe trailing behind me.

The monster swung for my body which was stuck in midair, but it missed; my flight was too quick for it. I thanked my past actions of disposing of all the tentacles, which would have been able to catch up to me.

I landed on the creature's arm, wide and huge compared to my body. I kicked off again, axe raised as I went for the most vital spot—the head. Unless the anatomy was different in this creature, and the brain was located somewhere else in its body, it wouldn't survive if I landed my strike.

And I did, axe swinging overhead to bury itself into the monster's brain, sliding even deeper with my momentum. It let out a wail that abruptly cut off, and then it crumbled. Axe stuck in the creature, I fell to the side, rolling as I hit the ground.

Stopping on my back, my body heaved as my lungs tried to keep up with my demand for oxygen. Finally, everything fell silent, water splashing the floor, and only the buzzing of the air molecules was left.

This story has been taken without authorization. Report any sightings.

I let my senses release from their overly focused state, but I knew the world would never be silent again.

Minutes passed as I allowed myself to stay lying on the ground. Eventually, I heaved myself up. Moving to the dead body of the monster, I located my axe, strapping it to my back. I got the feeling I wouldn't need it again anytime soon.

First, I searched over the creature, thinking perhaps the orb was held somewhere on its body. The only thing that action achieved was identifying how massive the monster was compared to me. It only had one head, contrary to what I'd suspected before. If there had been two, the fight wouldn't have been over so quickly, and I breathed a belated sigh of relief.

I located the tunnel I had come from, then limped across the cavern, no longer able to ignore the wound on my ankle. So far, the cave system had demonstrated a linear pattern, so I figured the next tunnel would be on the other side. Avoiding the pits in the once-flat ground, I arrived at the opposite wall and located an out of place wooden door by running my hand across the stone wall.

Turning the knob, I found it unlocked and entered a compressed room. The tiny space made it difficult to breathe compared to the cavern behind me. A small chest was pushed against the back wall, reminiscent of the one in the lighthouse. I opened it and ran my hand over the bottom, finding the small orb.

The weight on my chest released as some part of me had prepared for the outcome of all this being for nothing. It wasn't a fake, I knew. Similar runes ran along its surface, and that pulsing power moved up my arm, somewhat softer and lighter than the other but not lacking compared to the other in any way.

I stood, legs trembling, and made my way back.

Reaching the first room, no monsters or arrows attacking on my way back, I lowered myself to the floor. I would call Matilde, but not until I let myself rest. I had to lay flat on my back to avoid disturbing my broken ribs and arm, but even with the throbbing pain, I immediately passed out.

Waking was disorienting, and I had no idea how long I'd slept. The pains were still there, but my body was no longer exhausted, and my legs no longer shook from the exertion of standing. None of my injuries were critical, and the pain in my head that made thinking difficult had dulled.

I lowered myself into the water, blowing the horn, then lifted myself out to sit on the edge. Matilde didn't take long, and I wondered if she'd stayed close or was just that fast without the extra weight of my body.

"Oh? Have you decided this is much too big of a task for you?" She teased, probably examining the state of my body.

Instead of responding, I pulled the marble out of my pocket and showed it to her. Matilde gasped, and some sense of satisfaction ran through me.

"I can't say I'm not surprised, sailor. How fantastic!"

"I'm not a sailor," I repeated, and she laughed.

"If that wasn't obvious then, it is now." She splashed in the water, and I dropped in to join her. "Let's get you back, as it seems you want that very much." Matilde put the breathing mask back on me, and we were off.

As we sped through the water, I let myself relish in my achievements. Nothing was better than action to improve yourself, it seemed, as I'd grown more in that cave than in a long time. Even if the rushing water was almost like knives to my skin, the level up of [Enhanced Sense] was undoubtedly a significant gain.

My blind world had become just a bit clearer.

We made it back to the beach, and Matilde left without any fanfare. I walked up the hill to the lighthouse, leaving my axe and armor on the first floor. On the second, I placed the second orb in the chest next to the first, and like Gaven had warned, nothing happened. I wasn't disappointed.

Grabbing some makeshift bandages, I tightly wrapped up my torso, as nothing would heal broken ribs except time. Then, pulling on a shirt, I went to find Gaven, as I had no idea how to make a splint for my arm.

He was in the temple again, this time humming a song as he moved through the space. I lifted my good hand in greeting as he moved towards me, footsteps echoing through the hall.

"Back so soon?" Gaven asked.

I shrugged. "Things progressed faster than I expected."

"Then you succeeded?" I nodded my head, and he gave a joyous laugh. "How marvelous for you. It doesn't seem like it was easy, however."

I shook my head. "I wanted to ask if you knew how to make a splint, or cast. I'm not sure how bad my arm is."

Gaven sighed. "I can do much more than that, Cain, which you know." I felt as if the man was shooting me a disapproving glance. Then, without any more words, he rested a hand on my shoulder, and that same feeling of freezing sensation rushed through me.

I could feel my bones moving underneath my muscles, shifting into place, the breaks fusing until they were whole.

[Vitality +1]

Another gain on this day, and I felt utterly refreshed.

"Thank you," I told him.

"An easy fix," he replied, pride in his voice. "And where will your next adventure be?"

I shook my head. "I don't know where to begin looking for the last orb. Matilde will be back for her side of the deal, and that might take me somewhere else, so I'll have to deal with that first."

Gaven made a contemplative noise. "It might be a fruitful adventure for you, then, if Matilde is involved. Nothing is ever not gained from adventure, good or bad."

I shrugged, not able to determine the meaning of his words. I didn't think anything Matilde could ask for would benefit me, so I prepared myself for the worst-case scenario.

Moving away from those thoughts, I hesitated. I didn't know how to really form what I wanted to say to Gaven. "You've done… quite a lot for me. I feel unsettled, giving you nothing in return."

Again, nothing came free in this world.

"Such trivial things I've given you!" Gaven laughed, but I shook my head. Nothing had seemed trivial to me. He quickly sobered. "To you, who has barely explored this world, a little help from my greater expertise is no labor." Still, I stood firm, and he sighed.

"If there is anything I think you can help me with, I will tell you, if that is what you truly want," Gaven said sincerely.

"Yes, it is."

"Then, be off. I think some rest would do you good," he told me. I nodded, then left the temple.

The fresh air and free sky above me were so different from the suffocating cave. I could go any way I wanted, and nothing would hinder my path. I breathed out, thinking of Gaven.

It felt wrong to be so indebted to him. He gave me help so freely, and I had no idea how to accept it. He had brought me to this island, where seemingly no tribulation could exist. I felt… secure in my position, with no one pulling me down for their gain.

What an odd feeling.