We left the Elves the day after the party. Wendy and El had a long tearful goodbye. Wendy was reluctant to part again so soon. I understood, but I also felt like inviting her to come along would be a bad idea.

I asked El if she wanted to stay but she firmly refused. ‘The world tree will always be here.' El said with a smirk. Wendy nodded at the phrase. El's father as well as Kapi gave us a bag of items and sent us on our way.

For the past two days, we have just been playing with all the random stuff they gave us. It feels like Christmas, everyone has something interesting. Mirna is experimenting with spices, Triff is building a new magic tool with specialty magic core, Rou is target shooting in the hold, and Aqua is teasing me with leaves.

Even the Birds are decorated in shining metal armor. How in the hell did the elves have time for that? Or rather, did they really make those? They seem extremely intricate. It almost looks like dwarf work.

"You guys just wanna laze around again today?" I ask the group from slumped on a couch.

"Yeah!"

"Well aren't we in a rush? What else could we do?"

"I don't know. Are we in such a hurry? From the sound of the elves stories, it's only a few days out."

"I agree. This isn't by any means accurate." Rou takes a sheet of paper out and sets it beside her map next to the west coast where the elven forest sat. "It seems like it's about here."

She draws a squiggly line indicating a deep cover where nations capital sat.

I glance at a few of the islands on the map. "So we would be around here then? We just saw this little funky looking island."

"Yeah, we will reach the edge of my map soon. I'd guess we are halfway there."

"And today is?"

"The 2nd."

"Oh, we are gravy!"

"I agree, we have plenty of time. So who wants to explore a trench?"

"You mean?" Rou points to a deep grove drawn into the map.

"Yeah, why not? As long as we keep it safe and avoid anything dangerous like the turtle thingy we should be fine."

"And we have Aquaro..."

"No, we can't rely on her always. We need to learn to handle problems like that ourselves. She nearly lost the reef coming to save us. It's a small loss really but I could tell it upset her."

The crew nod gravely. This was a subject none of us like to talk about. The events at point port were hard for everyone to swallow. It was the first time they truly saw how much damage demon power can do.

"So let's go diving!"

"""Yeah!!""" The group cheer in unison.

Rou grabs a grey stone tablet from the table and slides her finger across it. The ship tilts momentarily as our course is adjusted.

I'll never get used to this. Have we surpassed my world? The ship is completely autonomous at this point basically, we give the beast core a general direction and it avoids obstacles on the way.

It has no eyes so Triff theorizes it can detect land and dangers based on mana.

Just what exactly had the Elves upgrades created?

Is my ship self-aware?

How exactly does one conduct a Turing test?

No, forget Excalibur, Ye beat me in chess, twice. I can't keep ignoring that, right?

Eh, sure I can. Watch me.

"Aren't you scared though captain?"

"Oh? Of?"

"The cursed line."

"Cursed line?" Is that this places version of the Bermuda triangle?

"Every ship that goes through the line sinks. Or so they say."

"Interesting. Seems even more like our type of thing. I can't wait to get the..."

"""Wahhh…""" The standing crew shout as the ship suddenly drops propulsion and sinks back into the waves.

Admittedly it is a strange feeling, but I've mostly gotten used to it at this point.

"So we have already arrived?" I ask towards Rou who checks on the stone tablet. A few etched signals glow on the board. She presses one before turning to me.

"Mhm, It seems the ship set itself to 150% output. Our magic reserves are low but no problems they will recover over time. But I really worry about the personality it's developing."

"Shh, it'll hear you."

~ ~

"I bet she's nice," Mirna says twirling with a scale chip bracelet at her wrist. A plume of dust obscures her momentarily before she appears again behind me with mock malicious intent. I block a dozen rapid kidney stabs before tossing her into the air (Water). "Mah no fun."

Stolen from Royal Road, this story should be reported if encountered on Amazon.

"You were close that time. Maybe next time."

I say that, but honestly, she is training me more than anything at this point, I always have my guard up around her. The wonders of demon magic I suppose. I boost people around me who in turn teach me high-level skills.

Maybe I should get some shooting lessons from Rou and El. They are the self-proclaimed ‘Power Rangers'.

"So what are we going to do down here Master?" Alice asks glancing around at the strange grey fish who swam by in large groups.

"I don't know exactly? What are we doing? I thought you said this place was cool?"

"Its right up there captain, I thought it best to park the boat outside the edge of the line."

"I see. So where is this li..." I begin to ask taking a step through the cloudy water but I immediately feel something off. Nothing is under my foot, Aqua and Rou who stood on either side of me grip my sleeve pulling me back to the ledge.

"Careful Captain. It's dark but pay attention."

I brush myself off and glance down at what I almost just did.

Infront of me is endless nothing, even with demon enhanced sight I cant see a thing in the deep blackness.

The cloud of dust that had once obscured my foot slowly floated downwards with nothing restricting it. It disappeared after a few hundred feet once our light no longer hit it.

Just how far down is it?

I wouldn't have died per say but it wouldn't have been a fun fall.

Well, maybe kinda fun.

"So how exactly do we..."

"What? You want to go down there?" Rou asks arching her eyebrows. "Is that such a good idea?"

"Eh? Why not?"

"Yeah! Let's do it! We can jump like Captain!"

"No, no that'd be dangerous! Maybe we set up ropes?"

"We can't enter the trench! Do we even know if the tools work that deep?! This is far too dangerous."

"Eh, quit being a wuss. Let's go!"

The bickering started quickly. Do none of them notice? I won't point it out, I'm curious.

The two creatures finally entering into my sight appear human-like but they slide through the water effortlessly.

More Abyssals?

I don't think so.

"Hey hey, they are human! Let's do it, come on, come on!"

"Eh how? Are you sure? How can you tell from this far?"

"Smell, I can tell at least one is a male too!"

"Only one? It's a large group. That's statistically unlikely."

You don't have to tell me. Or rather, you don't have to whisper about me from so far away.

"Come on let's do it. We can take turns!"

"Fine, I won't deny this is a great chance."

"Yay!"

"But hold on, it won't work if they are already on the bottom of the sea. Dead humans won't work you know."

"They aren't dead! I can smell aliveness."

"I see."

"Come on let's go say hi." The closer of the two says smirking and gaining a boost of speed. "I get first dibs."

"Hi!" I reply with a hearty wave.

The two, shocked by the fact I could hear them veer into each other before plowing into the ground in a jumbled mess of hand and fins.

Mermaids huh?

I don't have time for this shit.

"Hey, human. Have babies with us! Hurry, hurry. And then fall to your inevitable death."

"Excuse me?"

"Uw… Well? Did you mishear? We will copulate until you drown."

"Well, what if I can't drown."

"Yo..." The mermaid turns to the other.

"See this is why we can't just rush in. Humans are strange sometimes."

"This is not at all how the stories go! Just how much did Mom lie about!?"

"Aww calm down Tup, It's not all failed yet, he hasn't said he won't. The fear of death doesn't always have to be the technique. Perhaps we could appeal to him in other ways."

"You are right! We haven't failed yet! I will trust in the other things mother taught me!" The mermaid again turns to me. She locks her arms together squeezing her shell covered breasts together. "How about it? Have babies with us? Help us save the mermaid race!"

What? No way.

Please stop getting me in trouble.