Selvaria snaked beneath the strong storm waves, large tailfin propelling her at a steady pace while using her webbed hands and legs to steer. She was free in the water, unrestrained by the heavy pull of gravity in her human form that weighed her dense frame to the earth.

Through the electrical currents around her, she sensed the non-threatening sea life, aquamarine eyes identifying threats within sight. Her hearing was attuned to the distant sounds of creatures surrounding them.

Behind her were the remains of the several dozen jackal-like eels with antlers, turning to treasure. They weren’t that large compared to herself and had no way of penetrating her thick plated scales, but their poisonous coat did leave a rather unpleasant lingering taste in her mouth that was similar to jalapeños. She hated hot things.

Her protected gills pumped water through the small plate gaps that opened to release the oxygen drained liquid, allowing her to stay underwater for an indefinite period of time, even without motion, and for the first time, the reception ability of her red glowing horns running down her spine feedback shocking amounts of data.

The fish and animals on earth didn’t release the kind of energy that permeated this ocean. There were tiny things in the water, similar to plankton, radiating a weak radioactive signature that was deadly to humans in large amounts. Many of the fish that ate the creatures carried a dangerous degree of radioactive material.

Defense was her primary function, and her resistances were vastly superior to her two Legendkin friends. That being said, her capabilities on land were significantly diminished; the great bulwark the Leviathan Race gave her was swiftly depreciated without a source to refill her Water Pool.

She still hadn’t decided if becoming a cute teenage girl when low on water was a bad thing compared to the beautiful and curved womanly figure she gained when filled. Selvaria enjoyed dressing up in fun outfits, and there were a lot of awesome designs she liked on her smaller frame.

The issue of feeling vulnerable when her pool had declined was also a problem; she couldn’t help but be more reserved and shy when not experiencing the bastion of fortification she was when at her peak underwater.

She also lost control over her plate production when low on water, meaning her smaller frame was doomed to a set draconic appeal, which wasn’t exactly all that terrible of a state to work with. Although it came with the issue of people gawking and with her diminished self-esteem from being vulnerable, the combination added up to a nasty combo. People seeing her as beautiful, not that bad, a dangerous monster, embarrassing when not feeling that way.

Selvaria released a low groan, snapping her jaws while sliding her tongue around her teeth to try and rid herself of the burning sensation in her mouth, frightening the sea creatures nearby.

Diving down further, she studied the vast greenish-blue saltwater; the floor was invisible to her, but none of the treasure that the eels turned into sank to its dark depths.

Through the sounds returned from the bottom, she knew it was at least three miles at their current location. She hadn’t tried to go that deep yet back on earth, sticking to the California shelf.

Her attention moved to the large fish swimming around the area; they were all strange to her, following the strong storm current that pushed the plankton past her in their large groups.

The warm surface water was mixed with sharp streams of cool undercurrents, and the hard rainfall was diluting the salt near the upper layer, which caused the marine life to seek shelter further below to be damaged by the frigid temperatures.

Above her was the medium-sized boat, Cahira shooting some kind of net into the water to pick up the treasure, but many were slipping away with the tides. With nothing better to do, she helped gather what she could, bringing them closer to the vessel to be picked up. The sailship moved at a decent speed with the strong winds, forcing her to work a little to keep in range while making broad sweeps to gather the cargo.

Several floating bags and chests escaped her, lost at sea, and once everything was on board, she darted up, transforming while flying out of the water. She couldn’t get too high with her weight, latching onto the edge to pull herself up.

The storm was still raging, heavy winds, pelting rain, and lightning striking across the heavens, but it really didn’t bother her; in fact, she enjoyed this type of weather. Although, the rocking boat she could have done without.

Cahira, Rachel, Maria, and Scarlet were at the bow, the Pirate Queen looking at a map and compass in both hands with a slight frown. The Unicorn was at the helm, a bright smile on her rain-slick face as she tried keeping the ship steady, having the time of her life.

Rachel leaned back to grin at her, keeping herself anchored on the thick railing with shocking dexterity that Selvaria severely lacked, her long ears held high while listening to the storm. “How’s it below?”

Confidence returned with the strength burning in her breast; Selvaria giggled. “Calm. My mouth burns a little from those eels, though,” she complained. “Blegh … it’s taking a bit to fade.”

“Spicy?” Scarlet asked, joining them.

“Mhm! I’m not a fan.”

Glancing past the women, Selvaria gave the Pirate a toothy grin, voice turning sweet. “Cahira, that was a lot of treasure! Do we get any?”

She gave her a forced smile. “Mmh … ‘fraid not, Love. It’s stored in mi ship fer the Pirate’s Cove. I need to gather it to purchase mi supplies, men, and upgrades. I be reachin’ my ship’s storin’ limit, ‘dough, which is much appreciated, girl!”

“Aww … wait,” her focus moved to a small Harpy creature leering at her a few feet to her left. “Uh…”

“It’s called a Sky Reaver!” Scarlet explained, scooting over to scratch the back of its neck; it released a few unusual chirps at the action. “He’s Cahira’s pet reward from the boss that Rachel killed.”

“Mine?” Cahira snickered, giving them a sly smirk. “When did I say it be mine?”

Rachel’s eyebrows rose. “You can’t mean…”

“Aye, Gisele be listed as a part’o the loot reward to yeh!”

“... You’re joking?”

The Harpy gave a soft squawk, presenting Rachel with a scowl Sevlaria was sure actually translated as a smile.

“Congratulations.”

“Uh … does it need food?” Rachel mumbled, clearly not overjoyed at the news.

“Obviously,” Cahira chuckled. “It’ll grow, too.”

“How fast?” Scarlet asked with interest. “Oh, and what about me? I killed a bunch!”

“Aye, I don’t distribute the loot!” Cahira returned with a sheepish smile. “Perhaps it’s because it was the boss. If you kill the next, then ya might get somethin’.”

“Dibs!” Scarlet shouted, raising a hand in the air with a bright grin.

Rachel was still staring at the bird with a soft frown. “... I’d rather have a cool weapon.”

“Hey, don’t say that!” Selvaria huffed, scooting over to pet the bird. “You’ll hurt her feelings … she’s a girl, right?”

“Yo, Cahira,” Maria turned with a furrowed brow, “just keep the same direction, right?”

“Ya won the coin toss,” Cahira winked, vision returning to the water repellent map and compass. “Hmm … little ta the right … little more … there, keep that course, mi shiny helmsman!”

Rachel scratched the back of her head, fingers sliding through her thrown back locks with a low groan. “I’m not really the pet type … you want to take her, Selvaria?”

“Sure!”

“Won’t be that easy, Loves,” Cahira mumbled, studying some of the areas that had become filled in with their passing.

“Why not?” Selvaria asked, cheeks bunching to the side while moving to tickle Gisele’s belly.

“... ‘Cause it’s imprinted on the bunny lass.”

“Hare lass!” Scarlet corrected with a wink at Rachel.

“There’s no way to undo that?” Rachel asked, scratching her left arm with a grimace.

“Aye … perhaps when she’s older. Can’t really say, but it’ll listen to ye … to a point. Not like ya can tell ‘er to see the big beastie as her master, but she’ll follow simple commands.”

“... Perfect.”

“I’d love her,” Scarlet mumbled, caressing her tiny bumpy back where spikes would likely grow out from. “It’ll turn into a Storm Sky Reaver, right?”

“Whi-duno,” Cahira replied. “It’s listed as a baby Sky Reaver … aye, pretty boys … aye, yeah, there’s more gunk on the right side of mi ship!”

“Aye, aye, Captain,” the two bare-chested men sighed, moving with a surprisingly chipper teenage Beastkin girl that seemed to be connected to Maria somehow. She’d forgotten her name. The energy things Rachel’s brother summoned had vanished.

Selvaria crawled over the side, hearing her seal crying downstairs while Rachel’s family tried to comfort her. “I’m going to go pet Galatea and tell her it’ll be okay.”

“Nothin’ dangerous below?” Cahira asked.

“Not right now,” she returned, wobbling on the rocking ship and requiring the guard to keep stable. “There’s something big far out, but we won’t get there for a while.”

She paused, turning back while remembering what she wanted to say, “Umm … there’s a lot of radioactive plankton in the water. I don’t think it’s a good idea to eat anything … well, unless you have good resistances.”

With that, she went below, hearing Rachel sigh at the news, talking to Scarlet about her father not going to be happy.

Going below deck, she secured the door the wind was waging war against, added a pleasant smile to not frighten anyone while combing out her now dry hair after the liquid absorbed into her body. “Hello!”

The left side of the lower deck was open to allow mingling, which was where everyone sat. They were divided into their little groups, but most of them gave her forced smiles.

Rachel’s family waved, but Clay was the first to speak, sitting beside Mr. Reed, appearing to just wake up. “How’d the battle go?”

Selvaria shrugged, still finding it difficult to walk on the ship without holding onto the wall for support, praying for assistance as her tail weaved in the hope to keep her balance. “Umm … it went fine. Rachel killed the boss, and the others took care of the other stuff … well, mostly Scarlet, I think. I ate the eels in the water.”

The blonde-haired girl moaned. “Harpies? I wanna see!”

“O-Oh, is, umm … that all?” The cat-girl asked with obvious agitation. “And you should get your wish, Alexa … it sounds like Rachel got a pet Harpy … uh, Sky Reaver, I mean.”

“Yeah, that’s what it was called,” Selvaria mumbled, concentrating on her footing while stumbling toward Alexa, holding her seal. “I just came down to tell Galatea I’m still here.”

“Is it safe to return to the deck?” Rachel’s father asked.

Sitting beside Alexa with a relieved sigh, glad she didn’t tumble across the floor and smash right through the boards into the ocean. “Umm … no. There might be more fighting in a bit. There’s a really huge creature miles ahead of us … I don’t think the quest thought we could kill everything so quick.”

“This is insane,” the man mumbled, glancing over at an expensive fishing rod case with disappointment.

“Give it a bit of time,” Rachel’s mom comforted.

Felix cleared his throat, drawing her attention while petting Galatea. “Ahem … what about my sister?”

“She’s steering … I don’t think she’s as good as Cahira.”

“... It has been … rougher,” Reed mumbled, holding his stomach with unease.

“How soon until the storm passes?” Clay asked.

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She shrugged, bringing her cute little baby seal up with a fond expression. “Okay, mummy’s goin’ back out to patrol. You be good, okai?” She squealed, rubbing their noses together, and Galatea gave her an adoring lick to let her know she was doing well.

Handing her back to Alexa, Selvaria unsteadily rose to her feet with a wave that rocked them to the left, making everyone wince as their seatbelts kept them fastened to their seats. “... Cahira says we’re goin’ to an island. It should get better in a bit!”

Clay rolled his shoulders, releasing a soft yawn. “Thanks … for the update, Selvaria.”

“No problem!” She eyed him questioningly as he settled in to sleep again.

Can he really sleep in all of this? I guess he is military.

Water and wind exploded against her with the chilling gale, but she smoothly shut the door; the hardest part of her entire experience on the ship was the swaying itself, and sure enough, the moment she took one step away from a railing, she was sent tumbling to the edge and fell into the ocean with a light scream.

Her squeal swiftly became a sigh, dully watching the swirling dark clouds while plummeting over the edge. The waves swallowed her, and with one beat of her tail, she darted away from the vessel, darkness surrounding her with the transformation.

The strength that welled up within her breast brought a smile to her mouth, powerful limbs pushing her to the left as her senses expanded. The plankton schools had moved on with many of the fish that followed it.

Selvaria was alone, but the frequencies traveling through the sea quickly drew her notice; the massive monster looming ahead of them had hidden creatures close by, using its bulk to mask their presence. The smooth water gushing past her sent an omen through her frame; this underwater denizen was different from the others she’d eaten.

What if all the other monsters were running away from these things?

Her eyes lifted as she recognized land in the distance, behind the wall of enemies ahead. A shiver ran through Selvaria’s bones as she saw the school of vicious-looking fish surrounding a dark mass more than six times her size.

These schools were nothing like the larger prey she’d dispatched before; these were Great Hammerhead shark sized piranha with powerful jaws, sword-like fins, and small plated scales.

Their bodies were sleeker with bony spines that could cut anything that it rammed, using its hardened head, and there were thousands of them, spreading out like an armada and obscuring the creature behind the school.

I can’t handle all of that and protect them; I won’t even be able to see once they surround me!

There were likely creatures above the water, too, which meant she wouldn’t have much help, and didn’t know how any of them could aid in a high-speed underwater battle.

Taking in a deep mouthful of water, she activated her skill Pressure Stream I, sending a jet of compressed water at the throng in an underwater roar, aimed at the thing behind the school. When they scattered around her attack, it revealed a monster that made Selvaria feel small.

A nasty, ancient-looking crustacean with dense bone plates, hundreds of three-meter claws, and metallic eyes along its back weaved into sight, opening its mouth that was at least twice as large as her own to emit a pulse wave of air that nullified her jet.

She couldn’t let the creature wrap around her; it might be powerful enough to penetrate her scales, and five smaller jellyfish-like squids with the same red eyes mixed with three yellow pupils could be seen on their gelatinous bodies. They released streams of water behind them, expanding and contracting every few seconds, possibly the crustacean’s offspring.

How the otherworldly jellyfish evolved into the bony crustacean was beyond her, but the real question was why the parana didn’t attack them.

The answer came as one of the fish brushed by a jellyfish, causing the parana to stiffen before being pulled in by larger tentacles. She witnessed it get absorbed within seconds, digested in potent acid. The fish weren’t attacking them; they were fleeing the massive threats.

Feeling a bit more confident since she didn’t have to deal with the fleet of parana, Selvaria darted forward. The creatures didn’t even give her a second look, racing by, and she attempted a frontal assault, spinning to cleave the smaller jellyfish in half.

The crustacean moved with shocking speed, coming between her and its baby. Her fin struck the bony armor, sliding to the side and sending a jarring sensation through her lower half; a quick jab by three of its hundreds of large claws pummeled her below. Luckily her plates took the impact, but she could feel it in her side.

The jellyfish changed course, sharp jets of pressurized air pushing them toward her.

Spinning around, Selvaria tried to cut another, and just as she neared, it inverted, throwing its tentacles around her tail. She cut more than half of them off, but the moment it touched the side of her tail, a pulsing pain shot along its lower length. Arms propelling her away with disbelief, she beat her stinging tail to send it spinning off. Her tail was going numb as the other four closed in.

Now on the defensive, she shot more pressurized jets of water, but the jellyfish were shockingly agile and could detect the attacks. Furthermore, the crustacean kept trying to circle her, and worse, the parana had ceased their retreat, watching to see who would win the contest.

A few of the deadly fish eyed the ship above as dozens of flying bat-like monsters fell out of the sky, releasing short bursts of blood that interested the fish before transforming into treasure bags.

Selvaria never faced something she couldn’t just overpower; it was impossible to hit them with her water or get near to chop them in half. If she tried to swallow them, they could invert their bodies to inject poison directly into her mouth.

I need an AoE attack … Sea Dragon Pulse I.

Using the attack, the crustacean simply bodied the waves of energy while continuing to chase her through the ocean, and she was falling behind because of her injured tail.

That’s not working!

Her velocity increased with the points she sank into mobility, desperately trying to escape the net they were creating. She dumped her remaining Attribute Points into speed, but it wasn’t enough to avoid the creatures. They wouldn't let her refocus and were somehow communicating, methodically directing their combined actions.

She rocketed across the ocean, diving deeper and swimming further away from the ship while looking for a way to attack. Pressure Stream I (Level 4), Sea Dragon Pulse I (Level 3), and her extremely high defenses were failing her, but the Lesser Poison Purification I (Level 5) Skill she’d gained and dumped Skill Points into was slowly mitigating the stress her tail was feeling.

The babies created a net around her, closing off her escape from their mother, and Selvaria put points into Minor Fear Resistance I (Level 3) to calm her panicking mind. She was supposed to be a Leviathan, unmatched in the water, invincible, but she was losing in her element.

How many points do I have left? I need something that will actually help me! Give me something to kill them … anything … am I out? I don’t want them to hurt me! Give me something to stop them from … Chaos State I … Chaos Scales I.

Her mind vacated as she activated the State, losing control; various shades of violet, cobalt, rose, and black energy coated her plates, creating a Chaos Elemental Shell that would rip apart whatever touched her. Bubbles exploded around her as hydrogen and oxygen were separated, the Chaos State breaking down the elements surrounding her.

Selvaria’s attributes were enhanced by 15% as the Chaos State drained the gathered chaos energy she’d passively gained over the past week. Pressure exploded inside her silent mind; she could barely understand what was happening.

Sea Dragon Pulse was upgraded to Chaos Pulse; it took time for her newly developed skill to parse the elements around her, but with every Roar of Chaos, she sent the jellyfish retreating, and the crustacean could no longer catch her.

An unbridled flood of aggressive emotion blocked out all thought, and she lost all restraint. Overwriting shadowy echoes was all she felt around her, order to be disrupted. She rammed the nearest foe, chaos infused hands ripping it apart as its millions of stingers were disintegrated in the destructive surge released by her scales, no longer reacting to pain or hesitating.

A flood of chaos waves released from her mouth, vaporizing what remained of the tattered creature, and with a sharp beat of her fin, she was in motion again, chasing the next opponent.

Her maw opened wide, swallowing the jellyfish whole, energies erupting in her jaws, ripping the creature apart before it even entered her throat. Two Chaos Pulse waves sent the crustacean retreating, trying to stop her rampage, but she was on the small jellyfish that were trying to converge on her from opposite sides without care.

Shoving the water out of her way, she dove at the creatures, cutting one in half with her ax-like fin while charging Chaos Stream I, destroying the remaining two in one beam of concentrated chaos force.

Anarchy filled her mind, and with the crustacean out of sight, she writhed in the water, releasing waves of destructive energy. Without warning, the disorder afflicting her mind faded with the force, her Chaos Pool depleted.

Her muscles loosened, strength failing her as fatigue swept through her frame, and from the electric waves surrounding her, she felt the crustacean closing in from far off, where it had retreated. Her muscles were limp, paralyzed, the light fading in her eyes.

The crustacean’s thick bony plates were spreading out, revealing a web of tentacle-like probes with a bright light emitting from its ends.

Aww … this sucks…

Selvaria’s thoughts roused a bit as a blinding crimson light exploded from her right, and a spear surrounded by flaring light smashed into the crustacean’s back, sending blue blood and fragments of meter-thick bone spraying in all directions. The creature released a scream that hurt her ears, weapon lodged in its back while emitting red pulses.

Scarlet appeared from shadows in front of her. The girl’s black hair fanned out; a shield of crystalized blood cut the rapid water currents to keep her in place, and she didn’t seem bothered by the below-freezing temperature, water pressure, or lack of oxygen as she gave her a toothy smile and V-sign.

Realizing they’d come to help, Selvaria allowed her mind to fade into oblivion.

Selvaria released a low moan, mind surfacing from the darkness it drifted into; opening her eyes, she swiftly closed them as a spur striking her side.

“... then the … oh, she’s waking up!” Scarlet’s enthusiastic voice cheered.

“Ye gave me a fright, Love!” Cahira’s lush tone followed, and she felt something softly slapping her cheeks. “Ye good, mi girl?”

“Hey, don’t do that!” Scarlet huffed.

Her body hurt all over, and her tail was on fire, worse than her mouth. “Blegh … what’d I eat,” she groaned, leaning to the side to cough.

Working around her neck, she opened her eyes; once the blur cleared, she saw the whole gang, excluding Maria, surrounding her, including all the normal humans that were below. The storm had passed, and the large pink and orange moons were hovering above them. “W-What happened?”

Rachel bent down, and Selvaria was a little shocked as the Lunar Hare picked her up without trouble, helping her lean against the ship’s mast. “You passed out after going wild,” she laughed, brushing back her white hair, radiating a blush glow. “What were those crazy beams of energy you were throwing out?”

“Yeah!” Scarlet followed. “They were really pretty.”

“Did … we win?” She asked, realizing her hair had returned to its blue coral hues, but her Water Pool was full, represented by her curved form. Her plates were covering most of her body, spikes extending to their full length. Repressing the defenses, Selvaria listened to everyone explain.

“Did ya have doubts?” Cahira snickered. “The bats weren’t all that … just a billion o’the things.”

“Mhm, mhm!” Scarlet jumped in, pointing at different people. “Way easier than the Sky Reavers. Elena and even our Rachel’s little pet Sky Reaver got a finishing blow on some that fell to the deck!”

“They scream so loud…” Elena grumbled, massaging her left ear while wearing a thrilled smile.

Scarlet nodded. “Yeah, and once we got you back here, Maria purified the rest of the poison in your system and some of your wounds, but the double moons aren’t kind to her energy,” she chuckled. “She’s below deck right now.”

Scanning her unmarked skin, Selvaria’s brow furrowed. “... I was … hurt?”

“A few light gashes and a bunch of poison,” Rachel replied, sitting across from her as the ship sailed across the smooth waters. “You don’t remember?”

“No … my mind just kind of went blank with all the noise, and … it was like a storm was inside me.”

“It’s a State, isn’t it!” Scarlet asked with a curious smile.

“Umm … yeah, but … how did you kill that thing … it was so big, and…”

“Oh, yeah,” Scarlet motioned to Anthony, spear held across his bare shoulders. “We got there just in time.”

The hot night wind that followed the storm ruffled his flaming hair; his torn jeans, ripped muscles, and half-smile on his strong chin held her gaze. A lump dropped down her throat, remembering the spear that broke the bony monster’s back, and the moment she caught those shimmering emerald eyes, for the first time in a long while, she blushed, realizing he’d saved her life.

A deep chuckle shook Anthony’s chest. “Well, you got me there. I was a bit shocked that my strongest attack only broke its shell and paralyzed it.”

“Gave me time to check Selv and join ya,” Scarlet replied. “By the way, super, super gross … those … I don’t even want to say the name,” she shuddered. “Yeah, I wasn’t even gonna attempt to sink my fangs in that thing! So, I activated Cloak of the Reaper and stole all of its Life Force … not that much, sadly.”

“You … what … stole its…”

Rachel waved her hand. “Don’t think too hard on it; Scarlet’s just overpowered.”

“Hehe!” Scarlet grinned, giving her a V-sign. “We win! Although … I think my clothes are absolutely ruined…” She sighed, staring down at her damaged PJs. “Just because it can’t hurt me doesn’t mean it can’t hurt my clothes…”

“Uh-huh…” Selvaria mumbled, feeling a bit depressed she couldn’t handle everything in the water herself.

“Aye, don’t be like that, mi lil’ lass,” Cahira snickered. “Ya did a bang-up job, and … we’re comin’ up on da shore!”

“Hmm?”

Everyone shifted positions to look at the island they were coming up on; it looked like a tropical paradise with white beaches and massive tropical trees with exotic fruit.

Cahira leaned down to give her a wink with everyone distracted. “By the way, the bloodsucker got the reward, but … she can’t use it.”

“What is it?” Selvaria asked, struggling to her feet.

“An expensive meal.”

“... You’re joking…”

“Nope! The Vamp can’t have normal food, and Anthony declined the reward, leavin’ ya the spoils!”

“... Okay … I guess I’m kind of hungry,” she mumbled, still feeling weak.

“Oh, and did I mention … it grants a minor permanent increase to Toughness and Venom Resistance?”

“For real?”

“Mhm!”

A smile lit Selvaria’s lips. “I guess that’s not bad.”

Selvaria stumbled down below deck, where the group had set up a table for her with a plate of what she could only describe as seafood. Galatea was staring up at the food with sharp eyes, possibly trying to think of a way to nab it for herself.

“No can do, girl! This was a gift for me,” Selvaria chuckled, heart burning as she saw another plate on the bench with a fish on it. Checking the radiation level with a light taste, she determined it was safe for Galatea.

Sitting down beside her pet, she presented the food to her with a bright smile. “They’re so nice!”

Once Galatea started eating her strange, otherworldly fish, Selvaria took her first bite, tears coming to her eyes; it was spicy. Refusing to let a meal go to waste, it was kind of a motto of her’s; she forced it down and felt her defense rise by a surprising degree for it being labeled as a minor boost.