About an hour had passed and Shin lay exhausted, finally making it all the way upstream. His limbs worn out and aching as he lay on his back gasping for air, how he had managed to swim for so long amazed him and while panting he smiled inwardly before sitting up. The gem still clutched firmly in his hand, he lightens the area. 

As a large frown forms on his face, he walks up to the familiar pond, the color now a murky red color. The smell was horrid and the water now thick as the water he found Sen's body in. The waterfall still continued to fall into the growing cesspool. With a deep sigh, Shin places the gem in the sewage, and as the pool brightened to the crystal blue the room began to glow. Tired and hungry he drinks from the now purified water, which to his surprise had a fishy taste to it.

What started as small sips turned to mouthfuls as he swallowed the water, fully satisfied the familiar ring resounds in his head.

"Ding!"

[Skill - Purify II enhanced to Purify III]

Skill: Purify III Mastery: 0% Description: The ability to purge all impurities from non-living and living beings Speed: Fast Consumption Rate: 25 SE/ per use

[Congatulations! Spirit Energy has increased by 10!]

After scanning through the messages Shin pondered trying out the skill, his SE now sitting at 84 he didn't see the harm in it. His lack of skill was starting to weigh on his mind from his last visit with Sen, and listening to her gripe about his pathetic stats wasn't something he looked forward to hearing. Extending his hand forward full of confidence and determination he shouts the words

"Purify." 

Waiting and nothing happening, he shouts the word again "Purify!" shaking his arm back and forth in frustration. At first, it was due to the lack of SE but now he had no clue, dropping his head in a pained expression he slouches down to the ground. Sighing his stomach starts to grumble, when was the last time he had a meal? He thought to himself, clutching his stomach. 

Laying on the ground the fatigue came like a wave over his body, and soon his mind started to drift. His eyes began to flicker slowly closing until he could hear the sound.

"Splosh, splosh, splosh."

Like footsteps the sound drew near, darting upward looking for the source he could see red letters illuminating like candles throughout the area. He already knew what they were and, cursed himself for not realizing it sooner. The mutated fish, this time the numbers seemed to have grown and they continued to pour out of the tunnels like a flood, until soon there was nowhere for him to turn.

Looking at the grotesque creatures Shin's eyes widened at the letters that floated above each of their heads.  

[Stenchling - Maturity 72]

The name suited the morphed creatures as the smell of rotten fish dominated the room, the most intimidating feature being the jagged teeth that protruded in every direction. A feral like hunger could be seen in their eyes as one began to approach him, fear slowly began to overtake Shin's body as he slowly edged towards the water. The gem still laying in the water, he stares at the creature, before the path gets cut off by a 2 legged stenchling the muscles in its legs bulged as if beckoning him to try.

The Alpha Stenchling jumps towards him face first, jaws wide open, it's speed as it shot through the air was a blur. The unexpected attack sent Shin into a cold sweat as he tilts to the side. One of the crooked teeth skidding across his chest as if it were made of paper, falling to the ground he scrambles to his feet only to be rammed in the stomach, the crackling of ribs echoes throughout the room.

Hurling over in pain Shin clutches his stomach before falling to his knees, the Stenchling all cheering beckoning their leader to finish me off.

"Get up and fight Shin, I can't fight your battles for you anymore!" The familiar voice shouts in anger. "Or was your vow to me really that shallow?"

Startled he flinches, which cause the stenchlings to loudly snicker to themselves as the Alpha pumps up the crowd, as his jagged mouth widens he flies towards Shin, his eyes filled with hunger.

"How am I supposed to beat an army of monsters, my skills won't work and I lost the gem." he mutters, still clutching his now numbing chest as the blood began to trickle down his arm before dropping to the ground.

"Skills just don't work Shin!" the voice screams in panic. " Saying or thinking of it won't make it happen. You have to feel it, like when you had to bury my body, it has to come from the heart, the spirit."

It flashes through his mind like lightning, the gem, and the warmth and security it resonated. The way it fits perfectly in his hand like it was part of his body. It was his symbol of hope, the light in the darkness that had carried him this far and with that his arms shot forward, his arms being shredded by the stenchlings teeth as it draws in on its final approach.        

"PURIFY!"

It started small, the heat that burned from his palm, then the glow appeared the stenchling being engulfed by a white light from within, it was a warm glow which reminded him of the gem. The surrounding stenchling froze as they watched their leader being swallowed by the warm light, a few of them even began to tremble attempting to cover their eye's. The light slowly dimming the size of the alpha fish significantly decreases before the light completely faded.

Laying in front of him the fish flopped up and down, all the stenchling circling the area watched as their helpless leader struggled to survive on land, before taking his final flop and dying. The area grew quiet, as the remaining Stenchling army stared at their former leader before turning to Shin. His eye's determined and unafraid after witnessing the strength of his ability, the appearance of a desperate yet unyielding man stared back at them, raising both hands at them. 

They cracked under the pressure, with a stupefied look all the stenchling began shouting one thing.

"Gobble!"

Shin stared with a dumbfound look as all the Stenchling gobbled like turkeys while running as far away from him as possible, some even jumped in the water causing them to revert back to normal fish anyway. After about 30 seconds the room was cleared out, and Shin sat in a daze. Picking up the dead fish, while clutching his chest he slowly started to smirk, it was his first victory against the prison he was in. 

Stumbling towards the pond he falls down into the water, he could feel the warmth of the gem flowing through the purified liquid. Grabbing the gem he rests in the water against the wall, examining the fish that was once ready to eat him. 

"I wonder if this is edible," he says, as his stomach growls.