Kaian opened his eyes. He felt dizzy and his vision spun. When it stabilized enough to be able to tell his surroundings, he noticed a person. It was the village leader. And there was a lake behind him.

“He woke up and he has to go.“ the man spoke.

A group cheer responded. Kaian’s mind was still groggy from the drug, he didn’t understand what was happening. It wouldn’t stay that way for long.

SPLASH

The ice cold water hit him at once. He immediately woke up completely.

[Water? Did they throw me in?]

A stupid question, of course they did. Kaian turned around on his back so that he wouldn’t breathe in the water. His hands and legs were tied, great. He managed to tilt his head enough to see the villagers, celebrating, laughing.

He gritted his teeth and swore that he would pay them back for this. Not right now, of course, there were more important matters to attend for. Would he drown? Kaian started working on a plan that wouldn’t end with exactly that. Then it hit him, who were they worshiping? It was clear now. Their god was the lake monster, the demon.

And he was in its underwater kingdom right now.

Kaian started panicking before he managed to calm down, not completely, but enough to think. He’d have to get rid of his bindings first.

His only chance was to find some heavy and sharp rock. It would be difficult, this was a lake, not a sea. Sharp rocks would be hard to come by here. Would it even work? He only saw it in movies and they weren’t the best tutorials.

Kaian took a deep breath and dived down, his tied legs moving like some mermaid princess. A blush managed to get on his face despite the situation. His head shook, throwing the random thoughts away. He was glad that he calmed himself quickly, because he didn’t get too far from the lakefront, it wasn’t too deep yet.

A rock appeared in his vision soon, it wasn’t the best, like these medieval village tier ropes. At least he hoped so. Ropes didn’t really change over the ages, only the materials and the automation process. Thankfully, this was a village, how good could the ropes be?

Pretty damn good, it turns out. There was no way they made this themselves, someone had to sell it to them. Fuck.

Kaian recalled that one of the things they bought from the merchant was rope. The intensity of work fatigued Kaian and doing it underwater didn’t help. It took him many loops of sinking, cutting and rising to get rid of his ropes.

But he did it, he persevered! Those idiots would feel his wrath! He touched his pocket and said [Vexi, Fish], transforming into - nothing. Vexastone was missing!

Kaian froze, not just because his cheat went missing. The other reason was a piercing gaze, enhancing the freeze. No! This wouldn’t happen again! He broke from the imaginary shackles and swam to the surface as fast as he could. He knew that the demon was following him.

Water splashed and the surface tension got broken. Kaian rose above, like an angel, or a wet rat. He desperately clawed at earth, wanting to be out as fast as possible.

Fate didn’t grant his wish. A tentacle caught his leg, closing around it, strangling it. Kaian nearly shit his pants, grabbing whatever he could reach. He touched grass, rocks, soil and most importantly, a sharp rock.

“DIE!” Kaian bellowed as he swung the rock at the tentacle, at his leg. The tentacle split into two, a part still holding onto his leg, a part shrinking back. Kaian wanted to celebrate, but he couldn’t. No blood appeared, nor a shriek from the monster. It was strangely calm. Like nothing happened.

Kaian’s blood froze and he ran out as fast as he could, into the forest, into a safe space. He breathed out and looked at the lake for many minutes, scared of the demon.

Nothing happened. Kaian grew calm yet again. He tried to remove the tentacle, nothing worked. It was stuck there. A wry smile appeared on his face and he sighed.

Whatever, now it was time for revenge, not unsucking his leg.

…

When Kaian said “now”, he didn’t mean it. He’d try at night, everyone was outside, working during the day. Suicide. He also had a different problem, hunger. He hadn’t felt it for a long time, it was uncomfortable. There was nothing to eat around him…. Unless…

Kaian looked at the tentacle and his expression changed. He was never that into octopus meat.

He was already half done with eating it when he thought about the possibility of it being poisonous. Eh, he wasn’t dead yet and it was damn good. Worst case, he’d have to risk it all to get to vexastone and heal with it.

Kaian licked his lips and fingers, the tentacle disappeared into his stomach. He even felt stronger after he ate it, like something was coursing through him, making him better. Kaian loved the feeling, it was addicting.

Not enough! Kaian looked at the lake with starved eyes and started running before managing to stop himself with the thoughts of vexastone. He wanted more meat, but he needed vexastone. Kaian regretfully looked again and sat back down, waiting for night to come.

And it came. The moon, which looked eerily similar to Earth’s, floated into the sky. The only noticeable difference was a large pupil-like stain in the middle. It looked like the moon was staring at Kaian, witnessing the sin he was about to commit.

Creak

The door of the village leader opened, and a dark figure illuminated by the moon watching it, stepped inside. The figure closed the door, grabbed a knife, hesitated and put it down. It stood like a statue for a while before grabbing the weapon again.

It also opened a wooden closet and switched its clothes for the villager’s. The moon hesitated after seeing this, continuing the dramatic light after a while of thinking.

The oddly lit person closed up on the sleeping man. The person then punched him in the stomach, put its left hand over his mouth and the right hand, with the knife, on his neck. The man woke up and tried to scream, it was for naught, he got silenced.

The man noticed the figure, it was Kaian. The leader’s eyes widened and Kaian flashed a grim smile.

If you spot this narrative on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation.

“Try to alert others and you’re dead, now, where is my stone?”

Kaian’s hand left the man’s mouth.

“It’s in that chest over there!” the man spit out, frightened. Kaian looked over.

“AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA” the man added, waking the whole village up. Kaian jumped and wanted to stab him, but he couldn't. Instead, he threw a mean punch on the man’s temple, which, enhanced by the tentacle, knocked him out or worse. Kaian ran for the chest, finding vexastone inside, resting.

He also noticed the money he won beside the chest. He grabbed it and managed to say [Vexi, Snail] before the doors burst open. Kaian crawled under the piece of furniture the chest was on, hiding himself. And he waited.

The villagers came and went, unknowing that someone was watching them the whole time. And soon, even dawn came. Leaving one person to take care of the fainted chief. Kaian had a chance to kill them both, but he didn’t, he won’t. Not like this.

What he planned to do was both worse and better. Kaian left the house, taking what he thought would be his last look at the village. The houses were like the first time he saw them, unchanging, wooden. No children were playing outside, being forced to stay inside because of Kaian. The villagers went around, hurried, with purpose.

Kaian sighed. He moved towards the lake, transforming into his fish form upon reaching it. He swam towards the bottom, way down.

He saw the hole to the tomb, filled with water. Kaian wanted to sigh again; he was getting too used to it. Yet, the only things that came out were bubbles. So, he swam further, spotting a cave.

It was the demon’s lair, it had to be. He swam close to it, leering inside. The monster wasn’t anywhere he could see. Kaian’s fins propelled him inside, carefully, slowly. He knew that this was a stupid idea, if the monster came back, he’d be cornered.

If it was inside, he would have a hard time escaping again. His previous attempts and successes were largely due to luck and the fact that the monster didn’t give it its all to pursue him.

However, if it caught him inside its place, it wouldn’t be pleasant. That’s why Kaian swam faster and faster, closing on the end. The cave was dark, letting no sun get inside. He had a hard time telling his location and even bumped into the walls a few times.

Eventually, a soft light appeared in front of him. The light got sharper as he got closer. Kaian swam more, believing this was his destination. And it was.

A plant was spreading the light. It had a gray stem and leaves with a blue-ish flower. It looked like a closed tulip that was hanging down. Kaian wasn’t sure about it being a flower at all, hell, it could’ve been a fruit for all he knew.

It was fascinating - a closer look revealing that the flower was the source of the illumination. Specifically, the grayish blue fire that came from inside the petals. Kaian had no idea how was it burning underwater and he didn’t care.

When he got into the vicinity, he expected the water to be hot, but it wasn't so. In fact, it was colder. Kaian also noticed items next to the flower. Clothes, coins and a bloated body part. He had no visible reaction to it because fishes don’t have a gag reflex. Very different from his mind where he was puking.

Over time he had made a mental image of himself, it made coping with being an animal easier. It wasn’t only beneficial as he’d have to clean up his vomit later, although that’s something for another time and place.

Kaian shook his fish head and decided on his following actions.

[Vexi, human.]

He transformed and held his breath immediately. Good, he had air in his lungs. His hands moved into his pockets, storing the coins he took back in the village. It was a secret feature of vexastone. If he transformed with items in his hands or clothes, they’d still be there after changing back. This was exactly what he planned to abuse.

First, he carefully removed the plant, even taking all its roots by digging under it with his hands. It was easier said than done since the roots were long for some reason. It took him a few changes from fish to human.

He even managed to reduce the plant’s size enough that it cost only one VP to store it. This was a major victory. Though, he could’ve tried to hold it in his hand, ignoring all potential things that could and would go wrong. It wasn't ideal.

Kaian reached for the coins laying around the, now empty, hole and pocketed them, they would come in handy. He thought about taking the clothes, before realizing that they’re pretty much useless. He already had a normal outfit with pockets, what more could he want.

At last, he changed into a fish and quickly swam towards the exit, being as close to the ceiling as he could. It turned out to be useless, however.

The demon spotted Kaian and it didn’t intend on being sloppy this time. It screeched and Kaian ground to a stop. At first he thought it was like the times before, that he’d just break away simply. Oh boy, was he wrong.

Before, the paralysis was due to the sheer fear of seeing a creature much higher on the food chain, this one was real. Kaian felt like there were chains everywhere around his fish body, holding him back, tearing him apart.

[Vexi, snail!]

Kaian changed into a snail, breaking from the confinement. The creature looked confused and changed the stasis to fit his new body. Kaian transformed again, moved forward and got frozen. The cycle continued for a while. Not nearly enough to escape, unfortunately.

The beast had enough and one of its mouths opened, a tentacle- no, a tongue, coming out, piercing water. It was the same that Kaian cut and ate. It didn't look so delicious anymore as it hit Kaian in his snail form, blasting him away to the exit and cracking his shell. This was insane! Everything that he got hit with in his whole life before this combined wouldn’t cause this degree of damage!

He felt shards of his shell hit his body and transformed into a fish to escape the pain. Now was his chance! So he swam like never before, putting his life in it.

Swishhh

Kaian felt the water ripple behind him and changed into a snail to tank the damage, changing back instantaneously, using the window of time before another attack came. Kaian miscalculated. Another attack hit the fish and around 10% of his body straight up got deleted. The monster was smart! It expected Kaian’s action and though it didn’t manage to wind up completely, the attack still ruthlessly connected. Kaian could only dream of what would’ve happened if the attack wasn’t more like a spasm instead of the real deal.

He had no choice but to transform into a snail, the surface was so close. He got hit by another slam and flew off into the distance, infinitely close to his goal. And infinitely close to death. His shell completely shattered at this point. Kaian changed into a human. His last form.

He started off swimming with a breaststroke, changing into freestyle fast. He managed to do it this way, he reached earth! Kaian started running to the forest and he was damn close before a shadow appeared in front of him.

Kaian’s eyes widened and his pupils shrank.

SLAMMM

The wind whistled and a tentacle hit the ground, blasting off soil and Kaian. He got thrown inside the forest, outside the demon's reach. Its body rose above the water and started smoking, lowering itself back underwater to avoid it. It screeched again and went to take its anger out on the villagers who had houses to the lake. It couldn't pursue him anymore!

Kaian laughed. Revenge, at last. He wished it wouldn’t kill anyone and if it did, that the deceased would die thinking they would reach the “god’s” kingdom. The real revenge was the survivors realizing they prayed to a demon the whole time.

His laughter stopped, the soil was kind of wet, annoying. He looked down and spotted a dark red puddle in place of his foot.

“Oh… Vexi, snail.” he muttered instinctively, fainting right away.

…

When he woke up, his other forms were healed. So he transformed into a human and checked the cooldown for the snail.

“47:59:57”

“Fuck…”

This was way more than his highest cooldown by far. What the hell was the shell from? Kaian looked at the village, spotting destroyed houses and people running about.

He winced and looked away, ashamed. “No!” he shouted silently, only for himself to hear. His eyes looked at the village again, burning in the sight.

When he was sure he’d remember the view forever, he turned around. Heading in the forest, heading to the city, heading for a new start, heading towards the future…