“Is that it!?” I yelled as Baston reeled in whatever creature was caught in his fishing rod that was made only from materials that were level 40 or above. The hook was large and strange, able to somehow latch onto prey as if alive through some mechanisms, and it was supremely sticky, even producing its own disgusting slime!

I looked at the surface of the lake in anticipation, for we were at the heart of The Endless Dive, in search of a specific monster that would be very good for my eyes.

Very good indeed.

The fish broke the surface of the water, and I threw a harpoon with such strength that my arm nearly broke in the process. I did it again and then grabbed hold of the attached chain from one of them. Moonwash had the other one, and together we yanked the clam-headed fish towards shore. I charged toward the treeline myself, while dragging the chain with me, in order to impart more force!

The elephant-sized fish dropped to the ground, now taken from its home. The monster opened its mouth and began blowing bubbles that nearly looked like pearls. The things exploded with concussive force, but my friends scattered just in time to avoid it.

Level 20. My level sense told me. It was no threat, especially in a vastly disadvantageous environment such as this.

I charged forward and brandished my sword, finishing the mana weave around it with frightening speed. The monster flopped around on the ground and blew more bubbles at me, but I managed to veer leftwards and dodge most of them. A few exploded a little too close and knocked me off balance, maybe even causing some damage, but nothing that slowed me down too much. I reached the creature’s side and began cutting. I turned the living thing into a sushi as its head veered around to strike me with the bubbles, but I just ran away to its other side in that case.

The monster did flop around, and I was hit by those movements a couple of times, but it did little lasting harm. I just kept on coming and coming, pouring my menace mana into my attacks, set only to do as much damage, until eventually the monster succumbed.

“Is this it? Have we caught it!?” I ask excitedly, jumping around.

“Of course not,” Baston shook his head. “Were you not listening? It looks like a very big slug with particularly large eyes. Does this look at all like that to you?”

“Ehehe. I was kidding.”

By big, he meant as large as a rhinoceros, unlike this clam-fish I just killed which was only as large as a bear.

The creature was pulled farther away from the lake, to not attract the attention of monsters we couldn’t afford to call upon. Moonwash hurriedly flipped through a book, claiming how this one had never been encountered before, while Elfrafim was already preparing the ritual for identification. Moonwash joined her a beat later.

“Identify!”

They shouted in unison, and a small tempest picked up around them. Wind was actually one of the least intrusive elements to use for an identification ritual.

“Clamella!” Elfrafim exclaimed, and Moonwash narrated the rest. From its Mutation and their associated levels, the highest being a level 27 bubblomb gland.

That gland was apparently connected to a bubble element fount, something I’d never heard of because the existing elements were as varied as the stars in the sky. It was another way to utilize magic, to have it connected to some sort of gland or other Mutation, instead of a repository. It was basically having a focus and a repository all in one Mutation, and without the need for the focus to be exposed. The downside was the lack of flexibility, as they couldn’t really cast with it, only do a limited set of predetermined functions.

Moonwash and Elfrafim harvested the creature afterwards, as I unfolded the tables and napkins for lunch. Luine was the only one missing out on our super fun idyllic life because I sent her on errands on my behalf.

It was for a good cause, to bring me closer to another evolution, but I still felt bad.

I resolved to reserve for her many choice slices of the clamella’s meat! Sushi or bust!

I had no idea what that meant.

~~~

A week had passed, and we had been here for quite a while. A single party of adventurers did come by, but they never went back. A gigantic worm surfaced, and while my group had run away long before it was an issue, they didn’t listen to our warnings fast enough and were instead eaten alive.

It was nice of them though, to leave their supplies for us afterwards, and Moonwash pored over the staves and weapons and books that they left behind. Only the strongest of adventurers came this far, meaning that their valuables were very valuable.

That at least made it worth me having to hide and pretend to just be a heavily armored human while they were here. Elfrafim didn’t bother, but she was over level 80. Even in the empire, people knew enough to just leave the elves well enough alone. Most of the time, anyway. But the adventurers definitely weren’t strong enough to try anything, nor were they so stupid as to pick a fight.

Too bad they still died.

“Hey,” I called to Baston, just taking in the peaceful scenery. Monsters sometimes came by to have a drink at the lake, but few ever sought a confrontation with us.

“What’s up, Haell?” He asked, hands on a fishing rod. Most of his catches were around level 10, so we were just piling up our bounty peacefully nearby. We might have to go back to our base at some point, just to deposit our catch.

“Nothing much.” I gazed upon the canvas of white and blue upon the sky. “I was just wondering. Why are you here?”

He snorted. “Sick of my presence, are you?”

“What? No, no. Not at all!” I protested, aware of his joking smirk. “It’s just… I don’t know. Why help me out, and for this long?”

He shrugged. “I have nothing better to do.”

“Ehh. That’s not a reason.”

“But it is. You of all people live that reason.”

“I’d say my thinking is a little more… positive. ‘I want to.’ That’s what my reasons sound like.”

Enjoying this book? Seek out the original to ensure the author gets credit.

“True, true. But what I mean is that it’s equally as… unplanned and not thought out.”

“Are you doubting my master plan to rule the world?”

He howled out an echoing laugh. “What’s fucked up is that I could see it working. Miss ‘Get strong. Get stronger. Kill them all.’ You of all people can pull it off, and that’s terrifying.”

I made an exaggerated bow. “Thank you, thank you.”

Baston continued after a while of silence, speaking of his own motivations for coming here and helping me. “You were right. ‘I wanted to.’ That’s exactly my reason. I was itching to get back out there, and this was just a great excuse, it gave me an excellent opportunity. Seeing you and Moonwash grow has been a more adventurous exploration than a dive toward any location. You’re an inspiration.”

“Oho? Can you say that last part again? I didn’t quite hear it clearly enough…”

“Fuck off.” He laughed.

I smirked.

“Didn’t you once tell me that… err… something something about how you’ve achieved the best you can? I thought you intended to just retire or something.”

Baston chuckled. “Yeah. Maybe I still will. But it’s like… It's the dream, right? What I had was the highest point I could reasonably climb at, socially, and it was… nice. It’s nice. I was grateful. I could see my life just passing by like that. I don’t have it in me to do more.”

He paused, and turned his gaze toward the skies. “But I do love the adventure. I love the fights and I love the exploration. Maybe not quite as much as people as insane you–”

“Hey!”

“–and maybe that meant that I can happily retire after all. But I just wasn’t sure. The itch was still there. Maybe small enough that I could ignore it, but should I? Why shouldn’t I just keep adventuring? Why not? Why do I have to care about the highest dream an ishkawtan can aim for? How does it matter that so many would kill to be in my position? What is keeping me there?”

Silence reigned for a few seconds.

“Did you find it, then? What you were looking for?” My eyes never left the clear waters as I asked the question.

“Yes. No. Maybe.” He took a deep breath. “The air is fresh, the world is vast. It cares not if I stay in my own peaceful corner of it, or if I explore its secrets. I think whatever whim strikes my fancy when I get back will be enough.”

“I think so too.” I smiled. “I like it. Freedom.”

I tossed a pebble into the water, and of course that was the moment a level 40 tuna with way too many horns broke the surface of the lake and jumped up into the air. I was forced to back away by sheer instinct, and I even tripped over myself.

I swear its face looked smug.

~~~

“Have we found it yet?” I asked, weeks later, having gone on one trip back to our base and then back here at The Endless Dive.

“No, Haell. For the millionth time…” Baston began his millionth retort when he suddenly paused. I tried to ask him what was happening, but he shushed me, peering into the waters. “W…We found it!”

“Yus! Catch it!”

“Okay!” Baston wound up and tossed the reel into the water. It sank down into the depths and reached the slug that was our target. I couldn’t see what was happening from that deep underneath, but Baston soon pulled the reel back, clarifying that the wolf meat we were using as bait was certainly not working. So we tried other things, all manner of meat to bait this monster into a trap but nothing worked. And then Astan decided to impale a fruit on the hook.

I looked at Baston, and we both collectively shrugged, willing to give anything a try. If we couldn’t find a solution soon, then the yet unnamed animal might decide to run off.

The fruit was effective, there was a strong tug on the reel. Baston wasted no time pulling our catch up, and I peered excitedly at the waters in anticipation of our prey.

I felt a presence. I could not see quite so deep into the waters, but I perceived two eyes nearly the size of my head staring right at me. It was the gaze of a stronger predator, a being superior to me in every way. I had no chance, I should just run, my legs shook from the sheer pressure of it all.

And then the feeling passed. My brain was fortified against such sensations, and I additionally focused on the horrid screams of my menace mana to drown out the effects.

The creature rose further up, pulled along by the fishing rod. I took out my sword in anticipation, already threading my menace magic through the weapon. Soon enough, I could see my prey as it stared back at me. A slug the size of a rhino, with two pulsing eyes atop its head.

Those disgusting orbs tilted to focus on me, and I came to know just how my enemies felt in my presence.

It was pathetic that they could not resist.

The slug broke the surface of the water, and wind-enchanted harpoons were thrown by the rest of our group. All but one were repelled by the disgusting coating of slime the monster sported, but that one harpoon tossed by Elfrafim sank deep.

She pulled, and additionally used her magic, summoning a mighty tempest to force the slug all the way to shore.

The creature landed with a nauseating squelch, and I was left alone to fight it as per my request. My menace mana only grew in force when I noticed my Moonwash being carried away, having clearly suffered from the creature’s gaze.

Fuck. You.

My aura exploded out, and my demonic eyes challenged the creature’s own. It paused for a moment, and that was enough for me to reach its side and slash. The slug growled at the lack of damage, revealing a wide mouth with blender-like teeth, but I was too far for it to reach. The monster jumped and wiggled with surprising speed, and its weight caused tremors at every turn… but it was still jumping and wiggling. Not agile enough to catch me, even with the qualitative difference in levels. This was a monster whose offense was built solely around its gaze.

I scoffed at the short-sightedness of the build as I ran around its body while taking care not to be caught by its clumsy movements. I tried slashing every which way, but the slime proved a pervasive defense with little to no gaps. It was resilient to fire, and even my menace magic was caught by it, eventually sloughing off. It was at least good at what it did, despite the obvious gaps in its strategy.

I decided to focus on one single spot, ravaging it and doggedly giving chase as the creature continued to thrash. My strikes eventually broke through the slime, and I reached the flesh underneath. It was tough like leather, but nothing compared to others of even the same level. My blade dug into it, and the creature shrieked as its clear blood dribbled out. It tried to strike at me with its tail, but the wind up was obvious and I jumped away. I kept up the damage in that single area as if riding a raging bull, taking chunks out of its tail. I remembered the withering effect my menace magic could have, especially prevalent in my blood, and I thought to give it a try. I chewed on my tongue and collected the liquid in my mouth, before eventually lifting off my helm briefly and spitting right at the monster’s left side.

The blood activated as if a miniature ritual, and the slime sloughed off, thinned and dried. A grin split my face at the sight, and I immediately turned my focus on the wide swathe of flesh now rendered defenseless. My greatsword reaped a cruel harvest, spilling more of its clear and semi-translucent blood. The slug continued to thrash, but my menace magic was taking its toll, weakening it from the inside. I didn’t bother with the confusion or the intimidation this time, for the monster could already hardly evade my strikes.

The slug proved very resilient in the end, able to move even with large chunks of its body carved out, and much of the lifeblood within stripped away. But it still ultimately fell, for it could not last forever under my onslaught, as even its prized slime dried out.

The fangs that I took care to never get close to gnashed against each other at the defeat, and the monster’s monstrous eyestalks swiveled around to face me. A sharp pounding headache assaulted my brain, and a strong feeling of gnawing fear ate away at my ego, but I courageously endured the creature’s final death throes, letting my own pool of resentment subsume its own.

It was not I who fell today.

The deep exhaustion finally overwhelmed the unnamed slug, and its eyestalks drooped down to the ground, leaving me with my prize.