So this is a warning to all of you that this is an ero chapter; while the MC is by no means the type to deliberately put his tentacles to use in a seedy way... he is getting a bit dim about human mentality and reactions in general due to the expanding memory loss... it is non-consensual but it is also entirely unintentional on the MC's part and from his innocent point of view.

Day 2

Hey, is that the sun again? It sure is hard to sleep-in without eyelids.

I stretch, testing how much I've healed in the night using 'Frost Recuperation'. Hmm. If I had been about 45% when I arrived at this safe haven I affectionately call 'the cage' then I'm now, what, a bit less than 70%?  This is a potent regeneration ability; I'll probably be near top form in another day if I rest well again. My tentacles are almost back, they're only half sized. Same with my left arm. I'm even jetting normally again. It may not be as effective as magic (I assume there is healing magic if ice magic exists) it is nevertheless, well beyond conventional healing methods.  

My rest ability probably requires copious amounts of food as well to replace damaged tissue; so I can't neglect hunting.

Still the reef looks like a good place to start, now it is light out I can see a little further; the nearby reef is small but it seems to merely be the nearest of a string of them. Perhaps fifteen or twenty about the same size in the distance and a few bigger ones as well. Maybe I'm closer to shore.

I don't really have much trouble getting to the reef, catching a few small, tasty crabs and returning home it is rather I have a strange concern as I get back.

I'm not liking the open water between the reef and me: there must be something out there...

Premonition activated~

I knew that one was coming. The question is; what is the threat? Fish? Sharks? Dolphins? I don't see anything out there...

Oh no... oh hell no...

Premonition rank up to Sixth Sense.

A human face appeared glancing into my cage.

Blend activated~

I mask myself with the ice using my skin colour and mould some ice on me to blend against the rocks more inside my home.

Just great, of course people would be curious if they saw ice in apparently tropical waters.

Hmm... she's actually kind of pretty and a little smaller than I expected. Short, curly blonde hair and green eyes. Some kind of cotton or canvas over her chest. Not bad there either, solid b cup at least; quite perky looking in general. Some kind of sari around her hips and no flippers, goggles, oxygen tank or snorkel in sight.

I'm assuming she is around five and a half foot tall so that would make me closer to seven foot? Did I grow this much during the evolution or the night? I was sure the dolphins were normal sized; were they actually larger than I gave them credit for or the sea-horse for that matter... I'm not a giant squid but I'm not actually that far off in size.

This is how large a 'lesser icicle squid' gets? Am I already in an adult form?

No way to tell without the help function.

The girl has however noticed my statuette.

She reaches in through the bars to grab it but finds I grew it from the ground; it is still connected there. She is young too. She has a bag in hand... reef diving for food or salvage? Must be a boat around here. I didn't hear an engine so it isn't a motorboat. I release the statue from the ground with a thought.

Ack... she noticed my eyes. She's panicking and stuck in the bars! Just like a monkey trap, she's only caught because she isn't thinking to let go of the figurine. Dammit.

You might be reading a stolen copy. Visit Royal Road for the authentic version.

I shove the bars free from her with cryokinesis as she starts to let out her breath. The sight of me moving toward her isn't helping much. No, she's struggling to the surface and hurrying. I latch onto her from behind, trying to help her ascend faster to the surface and she literally screams underwater.

She gets weak and struggles feebly as I pull her up. I'm struggling to hold onto her with my weaker legs, so I don't care where I'm holding her when we reach the surface. I hold her head above the surface as she spits out water. Then she screams and squirms but doesn't try to float or swim.

Wait maybe those are words...

Simple Human Language learned~

“Ah! Oneechan! Oneechan help!”

“Mina, where are you?!” A voice called out nearby, hidden by waves.

“Over here, Oneechan the Truya Jaman has got me!”

I see an outrigger canoe being paddled toward us as I hold the girl tightly trying to keep her from drowning... she also seems to be having breathing difficulties. I try to pull her higher up in the water and she whimpers pitifully.

Moderate Human Language learned~

“Let go of my sister, you pervert demon!” A second girl cried, taking a blunt iron knife in hand and diving overboard. Looks a lot like the one I'm holding, only angrier. Twins?

I'm a little annoyed by the insult. It is just rude. Here I am nobly saving the drowning girl and you think I'm doing something perverse?!

I tap her hand with my right arm using a light cold touch and this shocks her enough to drop the knife. I pull her in close and try to push the younger one onto the older one, so that she can take over only she starts screaming and hugging the younger one. Dammit.

“The cold is writhing all over me...!” The older one cried in a choked off way. So that must be it; they can't stand my touch at all. It does seem to be draining their strength...

The younger one just murmurs “Oneechan... Oneechan...” repeatedly while hugging her sister tightly.

I pull harder and drag them both over to the boat. The older one holds onto the side of the boat and the younger clings to her but they seem unable to pull themselves in and away from my helping hold. They just pant roughly from the effort.

Now they're both hyperventilating and crying. I can only barely hold both of them up at once and my grip is not staying steady at all. I must be getting tired; my limbs are shaking violently.

Frustrated and annoyed I heave them both onto the side of the boat and then push them in, ignoring the squeals.

“...I can't get married now...” The older one complained weakly.

“I can't wear white either...” The young one sniffled.

I left them to their ridiculous complaints. What does color choice and marriage have to do with drowning? Was that really what I missed most about being human? That kind of idiocy. They seem to be sleeping now. Was it really so exhausting?

The third girl is smiling though.

Third girl?!

Where did she come from?! The boat and the water had both been empty for over ten minutes now. No human can hold their breath that long. Did she swim here from further away?

The girl looks at me with a clear smile, long black hair all I can see above the water as she clings to the boat. If the twins are pretty, she is beautiful...

“Why thank you very much Mr. Squid. What a nice compliment.” She said with a laugh.

Huh?! Did she just talk to me?!

“Sure did.”

Not only that she's reading my mind!

She laughed again, a clear tinkling laugh.

“Nonsense, Mr. Squid. I just know how to read tentacles...”