The body of the orc sloshed on top of the waves like a piece of driftwood. At a glance, it was hard to tell the extent of the injuries on the orc. Scars covered his body from top to bottom, while dried blood coated his arms.

Nathan turned his head away from the orc and faced back toward the Cursed Desert Tilapia.

He hadn’t been expecting something so… massive. He’d been expecting a tiny little animal, just like the Spring Carp. Instead, this thing was a monstrosity that dwarfed him completely.

He scanned the monster, and a window popped up.

Cursed Desert Tilapia - Lv. 47

The prey has become the predator. Your dinner wants to make you into its dinner.

Born as an ordinary Tilapia, this Tilapia has undergone extensive changes due to a lifetime spent in a cursed lake. Turns out that drinking mystery water has a bit of a funny side effect on the drinker. Crazy!

Now, having spent its life fearing the day it would end up on a dinner plate, this Tilapia is out to get revenge on all who would do it harm. Prepare for the end!

The fish roared, and the ground trembled. Nathan reached into his inventory and pulled out his harpoon.

“I suppose that I’m basically going whale hunting, aren’t I?”

The fish dived out of the water, massive anglerfish jaws aimed straight for Nathan’s chest.

A flicker of fear ran down Nathan’s spine, and without his desire, his plant arm expanded out. Vines burst forth and assembled themselves into a rough shield. A moment later, Nathan felt the jaws of the Tilapia crunch into and against the wood shield—but failed to pierce. Nathan took a step back. A moment later, the shield crunched, and Nathan saw the jaws of the Tilapia shut completely.

Nathan felt a shiver go down his spine—again. He frowned. He’d been in worse fights. Why was he freaked out? And had his arm acted of its own accord again?

He shook his head. There were more important things to worry about. He glanced over at his harpoon.

The Tilapia roared, and water swirled underneath it from the air. It lunched forward as if by magic.

He threw his harpoon forward.

It smashed into the head of the Tilapia, carving a deep dent into the hard scales of the Tilapia. Nathan jumped forward and reared his plant arm back. A split second later, he swung the arm forward, and vines like spears exploded forward and smashed into the dent already created by his harpoon.

The effect was exactly as dramatic as Nathan had been hoping. The scales cracked and shattered to pieces. Nathan drew his arm back, and black blood spewed from the wound. The Tilapia screamed at the top of its lungs. Nathan grinned darkly.

He immediately frowned when he realized what expression he was making.

I thought I got past that particular issue.

The feelings—they felt foreign. And they all seemed to be coming from and related to a specific part of his body. Nathan was beginning to feel that something was terribly wrong—and he knew exactly what was causing the issue.

Before he could think on this any further, the Tilapia smashed its tail fin against the ground and somehow propelled itself back into the water with a loud splash. To the side, the Orc bobbed up and down.

Nathan’s eyes widened. He’d forgotten all about the Orc. Bjorn would be piissed if he found out a member of his squad was dead because of Nathan’s negligence. Nathan dived forward and rushed for the body—

Only for jaws to snap up in front of him, blocking his path to the Orc.

Nathan growled and reared back his leg.

“You’re in my way!” he shouted.

His leg snapped out into a kick. The wind around his leg whistled, and for a second, Nathan felt warmth from the friction of moving his body so quickly.

In a single split second, 132 points of strength slammed into the Tilapia, and it flew through the air like a ragdoll.

[You have leveled up!]

[Spring Carp] - COMPLETE

[Cursed Desert Tilapia] - COMPLETE

[Spirit Fish] - X

[Bass of Many Fins] - X

Nathan watched the fish fly before it crashed into the ground with a loud bang. Nathan himself fell and crashed into the cursed water.

He spat out some of the water. It tasted and smelled distinctly like feces. His eyes wandered over to the corpse of the fish.

Huh. Was I always this strong?

He looked down at his hands as he treaded water.

Is this the kind of strength that Vee was talking about? When my rank-up has completed, I’ll be able to do that all the time?

The sight of the orc broke him out of his thoughts. He quickly grabbed the back of the orc’s armor and swam to shore, then lifted the orc’s body onto the sand.

“Hey, you alive?” Nathan reached out and snapped his fingers over the orc’s head. “Hello? Dude?”

No response.

Nathan frowned and reached out. He slapped the orc’s face—softly, just enough to make sure he felt it.

Nothing.

He reached out and grabbed the orc’s wrist, feeling for a pulse. To his surprise, despite the differences in biology between the two races, it seemed both operated off blood… which he should know, considering that he’d drank orc blood.

Stolen novel; please report.

The pulse was weak, borderline nonexistent. Nathan took his other hand and held them over the orc’s chest.

Ocean’s Embrace.

Water appeared from the air and wrapped around the orc’s body. Weakness ran down Nathan’s spine and he resisted the urge to fall to the ground. His own pulse weakened and he felt the blood drain from his face and hands.

Why does this ability suck so much?

Finally, the ability seemed to work and the orc let out a loud cough. Nathan dropped the ability and fell back with a sigh.

The orc’s eyes flickered open.

“Hey,” Nathan said. “What’s up?”

----------------------------------------

The orc stared at him, unblinking for several seconds.

“My name’s Nathan,” Nathan said. “What’s yours?”

The orc didn’t respond.

…okay, I guess he’s the quiet type.

“I noticed your sash, there. Are you a member of Bjorn’s squad?”

The orc’s eyes snapped toward Nathan with a startling level of intensity. “You know Bjorn?”

“Yeah, we’re actually kind of friends,” Nathan said.

“Do you know where he is?”

“No, unfortunately. I have one of his friends, though. You want to meet him?”

The orc’s eyes widened. “Who?”

“Give me a sec.”

Nathan emerged from the portal with Kason in tow. Kason took one look at the orc and froze.

“Loknar,” Kason said. “I didn’t think I’d see you again.”

The orc’s tense shoulders relaxed slightly, though his piercing gaze remained fixed on Kason. “Kason,” he said. “Where is Bjorn?”

Kason sighed. “Missing. We were separated. Nathan’s been helping me look for everyone. What happened to you?”

Loknar’s lips thinned, and his hands balled into fists. “Four of our squad—Karla, Torv, Hesk, and myself—found each other. They’ve been badly injured. Some kind of magical storm hit us. I was scavenging for supplies when I ran into that cursed beast you just killed.”

Magical storm? The Dustend…

Nathan held up a hand. “Glad we crossed paths when we did. You said Karla, Torv, and Hesk are injured? I can heal them.”

Loknar’s eyes narrowed. “You?”

“Not just any human,” Kason said. “Nathan’s our new chief. Sworn loyalty, blood oath, the whole deal.”

Loknar blinked. “A chief?”

Nathan scratched the back of his neck, suppressing a grimace. “It’s a long story. Let’s focus on the injured. How far are they?”

Loknar hesitated.

“Half a day’s march east.” Loknar said. “They’re hiding in a hollow under a pile of stone. We camouflaged the entrance to avoid detection, but… they’re not going to last much longer without help.”

Nathan closed his eyes. He opened them with a determined look. “We’ll get there in less than half a day if we book it. Loknar, can you lead the way?”

Loknar studied Nathan for a moment, then gave a grunt of approval. “If you can do what you say, you might just be worthy of the title ‘chief.’ But if this is a trick…”

“It’s not. Let’s save your squad.”

----------------------------------------

They arrived at the hollow just as the sun dipped below the horizon, casting the desert in shades of twilight. Loknar knelt near a pile of sandstone and swept them aside, revealing a narrow entrance.

“They’re inside,” he said.

Nathan and Kason ducked into the cave, the air within damp and heavy. Three figures lay motionless on makeshift bedding. Karla’s leg was wrapped in bloodied cloth, her face pale. Torv’s chest rose and fell shallowly, a deep gash across his torso poorly bandaged. Hesk’s arm was twisted at an unnatural angle, his breathing labored.

“They’re in bad shape,” Kason said.

Nathan stepped forward, his jaw tightening. “Let me handle this.” He knelt between the injured, extending his hands. Closing his eyes, he called upon his ability—Ocean’s Embrace.

The air around them grew cooler, the sound of rushing waves filling the hollow. A glowing sphere of water formed above Nathan’s palms, its surface shimmering with an otherworldly light. It expanded, tendrils of liquid reaching out to envelop Karla, Torv, and Hesk. The water cradled them, lifting them slightly off the ground.

Loknar’s breath caught as the wounds on Karla’s leg began to close, the torn flesh knitting itself together. Torv’s gash sealed with a faint glow, his breathing becoming steadier. Hesk’s arm straightened, the bones aligning with a faint crackle as the water worked its magic.

Nathan gritted his teeth, sweat beading on his forehead. The water pulsed with energy, cleansing the wounds and mending broken tissue. After what felt like an eternity, the glowing water receded, leaving the three orcs visibly healed.

Nathan slumped forward, catching himself with one hand. Kason rushed to his side, steadying him. “Nathan! You okay?”

Nathan gave a nod, his voice hoarse. “They’re going to be fine now. Just… give me a minute.”

Loknar stared at Nathan.

“You saved them,” he said.

Nathan managed a tired smile. “Told you. Now let’s get out of here and find somewhere more comfortable.”

----------------------------------------

The communal fire pit crackled on the outskirts of town, its flames pushing back against the evening darkness. They’d chosen this spot deliberately, away from the bustle of the town center where the election preparations were in full swing. The werewolves’ distant howls carried on the wind.

Nathan sat cross-legged by the fire, trying not to fidget too much as he looked between the three orcs.

He cleared his throat. “So, uh, you all served with Kason, right?”

Kason nodded, his body untensing as he stared at his comrades. “Special operations unit. Though Karla here always did show me up in stealth drills.”

“Only because you trip over your own feet,” Karla’s eyes flickered to Nathan. “Still can’t believe you actually fixed this.”

“Oh, um, yeah.” Nathan rubbed the back of his neck. “Ocean’s Embrace is pretty useful for that kind of thing. Though honestly, I’m still figuring out how it all works.”

“Nonsense, my lord,” Kason said. He turned toward his comrades. “Did you know that he had the choice of killing an enemy and saving me, and he chose me? A total stranger.”

Torv leaned forward, his recently healed chest showing no signs of its previous wound. “He sounds like an interesting guy.”

“I—“ Nathan started, then stopped. “Anyone would have done the same. I just happened to be there.”

Hesk snorted. “Not anyone. Most people would’ve run away from a demon fish.” He flexed his mended arm. “And anyway, you didn’t have to help us after that Dustend hit, but you did.”

“Speaking of operations,” Kason looked at Nathan. “You should see what these three can do. Best infiltration team in the Empire.”

Nathan perked up. ”Really? What kind of missions did you…” He caught himself. “Sorry, is that okay to ask about? I don’t really know how it all works with your people.”

“Reconnaissance mainly,” Karla said. “Information gathering. Eliminating threats before they become problems. Skills we’d be willing to put to use for you, if you need them.”

“Oh!” Nathan blinked. “I mean, that’d be really helpful actually. Especially with Bjorn still out there somewhere. When that portal opened to the Second Circle, everything just happened so fast…”

“We understand about the portals,” Torv said. “One minute we’re running drills, next thing we know, we’re in the zeroth circle fighting for our lives. Took everything we had just to make it to the First.”

“That’s terrible,” Nathan said.

“Been trying to find other survivors ever since. Until the Dustend caught us off guard.”

An awkward silence fell, broken only by the crackling of the fire. Nathan picked up a stick, poked at the flames, then set it down again. “You don’t have to decide anything right now. About staying, I mean. Or about helping. I know this is all probably really weird, with the werewolves and the mushroom people.”

“Weird is putting it mildly,” Torv said. “But Kason seems to think you’re worth following. And after today…” He glanced at his healed companions. “Well, let’s just say we’re interested in sticking around. See how this chief thing of yours works out.”

Kason shifted uncomfortably at this. “About that…” He looked at Nathan, his expression pained. “Chief, I need to apologize. When I swore fealty, I… I promised the whole squad would follow. I shouldn’t have spoken for everyone.”

Nathan’s eyes widened. “Oh! No, no, that’s not—I mean, you don’t need to apologize for that. Really.” He picked up another stick, if only to have something to do with his hands. “I never expected anyone to follow me just because someone else said they should. I was surprised Bjorn went along with you, frankly.”

Karla watched this exchange with interest, her gaze moving between Kason and Nathan. “You really did find something different here, didn’t you, Kason?”

“I did,” Kason said. “Even if I was too quick to assume you all would see it the same way.”

Nathan shrugged. “Hey, everything worked out, right? I mean, we found them, they’re safe, and whatever happens next is up to them.”

“So,” Hesk broke the slightly tense silence, “Kason tells us your mushroom people are having some kind of election?”

“Oh gods,” Nathan groaned, but he was smiling slightly. “Don’t even get me started on that—“

Before Nathan could speak about the new elections, he felt something tug at his soul. A skill activated without his permission, and a glowing watery portal appeared.

A split second later, Finny flew right out. A wave of water carried him through the air right in front of Nathan’s face.

“Hey!” he said. “We need to talk. Are you ready to carry out that little favor I needed you to do?”

The four orcs stared at Finny.

He turned and waved a fin in the air. “Hey, fellas!”

Nathan sighed.

Excellent timing, Finny, buddy.