Chapter 2 - Deep Sea Diving

Our journey was truly scenic as we got to experience many things that you can’t inside a stuffy sect or a suffocating cityscape. Like that giant lion that was just sitting in the middle of the road. The corpses surrounding it marked its prey as cultivators. But he was friendly and allowed us to pet him after we gave him a couple qi cores that were collecting dust in our storage rings. Our parents told us of beast tolls, but it was our 1st time seeing the real deal.

It is incredibly ironic that qi beasts have little to no interest in anyone without a core to consume. You can literally walk past them with no harm coming to you as long as you don’t bother them. It even presents a contradicting statement to civilian merchants: have no guards and risk banditry, or have guards and risk qi beasts?

After a bit of walking, we came upon a hill that overlooked a nearby beach. The clear and salty water tingled our noses as we finally found a decent spot to settle. In a way, it was even better than the cramped ponds and swimming pools back at the sect. Sensing a good atmosphere, I promptly pulled out some of my clothing projects to evaluate with my sister.

“What do you think of these?” Levitating around me were several sets of shirts, blouses, skirts, shorts, skorts, and boots that have all been painstakingly crafted from plants of various colors. Designs of animals, fictional fights, and vivid scenery have been etched into them.

“While I certainly want to get out of this plain, dull robe, aren’t some of these a little risque?” She frowns as she looks over the high cut skirts and low cut cleavage.

“A bit of skin never hurt anyone~”

“Yeah, I think I will just take the shorts and that Y-back shirt.”

“Boooring~”

“And what are you going to wear? No wait, let me guess. That skirt with the slit on the side and the shirt without a back?” At her words, I frown for a bit since that WAS 1 of my choices for an outfit, but I decided to 1-up her. Afterall, she clearly avoided mentioning some of the more INTERESTING combinations available.

“Nope! I decided to wear everything~” With a flash of glowing flowers, my body was covered for half a second before revealing myself wearing a new assortment of clothes. A resplendent circlet wrapped around my head, a leotard that hugged my body, boots came up to my knees, arm-sleeves that ended at the elbow, and tiny wings at the back. All a shade of lilac or hot pink to match our hair. I give an enthusiastic twirl to show off my new costume.

“So you are gonna reach the heavens with cosplay cultivation?” Her voice spoken in monotone sends me into a fit of giggles.

“Don’t hate! You know you can’t live without my clothing~” We are both too fashion conscious to ever wear the same thing as literally every single cultivator on the planet. I know it. She knows it. It would have been a miracle that we hadn’t set fire to our wardrobe by now, but we had and got scolded heavily for causing injuries in cultivation because people couldn’t look away from our legs. It wasn’t even hot pants…

“And I guess you want me to make all the jewelry to go with it?” She shakes her head while chuckling.

“It would be much appreciated~” Saying so, I quickly put all of the clothing back into my storage ring and bring out 2 new sets for the day. 1 of which I had already switched into. “But since we are here and all, we might as well take a dip.”

She quickly looks me up and down before speaking. “I half expected you to pull out a mermaid tail and clam shell bikinis. That looks positively, too normal for your tastes.” I simply shrugged my shoulders.

“Lack of material and all that jazz.”

***

A rush of adrenaline surges through our bodies as we dive through the waters. Our gills take a moment to flap as the underused organs get back to working order and bubbles escape our lips. Our skin color obtains a blue-ish tinge as it becomes more easily recognizable as scale patterns.

While our bodies adjusted for underwater traveling, we began our combat preparations. I scanned my outfit to make sure that the 1 year of soul growth I attached to it is still stable. I wasn’t sure about making this outfit a permanent combination, but I can always change it later. So I began forming soul tethers to bind each piece of my outfit to each other and further strengthen the benefits of wearing them.

My sister has pulled out 2 of her new cards and summoned them into the world in the form of 2 mermen. One was male while the other was female, and both were wearing brown cotton cloth to cover their blue-scaled skin. There were no mermaid tails. Just normal legs with some fins. Disappointing really.

“So how are they?” I ask because the mermen seem slightly confused by everything and are constantly looking everywhere. My words cause them to briefly glance at me before looking around again. Sorta like newborn babies that don’t understand what a person is yet.

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“Soul-binding was successful, but it will take a while for them to mentally mature. And how was your end of things?”

“Okay for now, but it will need more work to fix all the issues.” Getting an entire outfit to cultivate is a lot more complex than you think it would be. One piece of clothing keeps trying to be queen, something mutates every now and again, lone wolf syndrome, or a variety of explosions.

After I could feel my sister spiritually prod her mermen, we began to swim deeper. Fluorescent coral thrived the deeper we went. They provided light for the fish for when then sun could no longer reach them.

The deeper we went into the sea, the stronger the aquatic life became. A few giant worms hid under the sand to catch unsuspecting prey. Crabtaurs, half crab and half mermen, who politely greeted us and had a philosophical conversation about the differences between pure mermen and halves. It was pretty interesting, but my sister struggled to feed her mermen enough information at a steady enough pace to provide proper responses.

We parted amicably and agreed to meet up again later with Steve and Trevor. Before they left, we did the customary crab dance where we clap our hands like pincers and beat a rhythm with our feet. Reminds me of spanish dancing.

It was during a particular patch of deep sea filled with crystal coral that our racial instincts screamed at us. Just barely within view were a couple of fast approaching sharks. Our voices subconsciously made a shrill screech full of hostility towards the approaching threat. Gills flapped quickly in aggression and the water surged around us as our emotions hit their peak.

The sharks wasted no time as they too screamed in rage towards us. Under their influence, the currents forcefully brought them closer to us within moments as they began to circle us predatorially. When our eyes would meet it was like a showdown between cats vs dogs. Lions vs hyenas. Students vs summer break homework.

I wasted no time to lunge at 1 of them with a hastily made ice trident in hand as a magical girl wand wouldn’t fit in an underwater battle. The shark’s jaws promptly opened and released a compressed blast of water towards me. I was able to barely dodge it, but the speed of it disrupted the currents and held me still long enough for the shark to approach and headbutt me into ground. With all of the coral waiting to embrace me.

With a pain-filled grunt I get back up in time to sucker punch the thrice-abyssed shark into another patch of coral. Taking stock of my surrounding, I grab a piece of coral sticking out of my side and try to grow it with nature qi. “Ah shit!.” Unfortunately, the clearly not-animal is actually an animal and thus is not considered a weird species of aquatic plant.

My frustrations were quickly put on hold as the shark was charging towards me once more. I waited for it to get close enough before I activated the ability violet dolphins are known for. My freckles glowed intensely in violet light and dazed him. I took the opportunity granted to me and slammed him back down with my foot while I recreated another ice trident in my hand.

The shark violently thrashed to throw me off, but it couldn’t stop me from piercing downwards with my trident. Sadly, its skin was too tough for my trident to pierce. Looking at the fissure line cracks in my trident, I was half tempted to tear the beast’s soul asunder. Instead, I listened to the ever present voice in my head to pummel it sunny-side up. When in Atlantis, do as the Atlanteans would.

A quick glance at my sister showed me that she had everything handled. So I tapped into our soul tether to view the fight from her perspective while leaving a smidgen of mental focus on pummeling jaw face.

Like me, she had also created ice tridents for her mermen to use. Unlike me, she disrupted the shark’s jet stream enough to bring it close enough for her mermen to stab at the underbelly without risk. Currents can’t stop nor could they be altered fast enough to dodge completely. Unfortunately, it barely pierced through the skin and even that much was only because of the velocity that the shark was swimming with.

Warily, the 2nd jaw face circled around looking for an opportunity to strike. She used the gained time to draw 5 cards from her storage ring and plays 2 of them.

[RPG: Poseidon’s Trident]

[RPG: Mother of Pearl]

A standard coral trident replaced the ice trident in the male merman’s hands while a pearl necklace formed around the female’s neck.

Not liking the developments, jaw face aimed to crunch the source but was blocked by a trident empowered with miniature swirling water currents that ended up fracturing 1 of his fangs. It shook its head as it backed away for a moment, only to be caught in a squall. A pearl necklace glowing faintly as it worked its magic upon the world.

Try as it might, jaw face could not escape the relentless attacks caused by the mermen. Puncture wounds lined throughout its body. It’s side fin ripped off due to underwater turbulence. Exhaustion and anemia culminated into a final stand. With a rage induced roar, it rushed towards the trident wielding merman that had inflicted much of his injuries.

The merman valiantly raised its trident and gave one last mighty thrust to end the menace. Jaw face, however, cared not for the potential injury and pushed itself through the trident enough so it can fulfill its namesake by chomping through both of the merman’s arms. Happily, it’s shish kabobed flipped sunny side up and his soul moved on now that it was content with doing at least some damage to such a hateful being. It’s only regret was not getting to actually taste it before it crossed the heavenly jaws.

“You both did well! Take a nice long break.” With a sweet smile, my sister recalled the mermen back into their cards. She then swiftly swam next to me and asked, “Having fun looking?” I snapped out of my trance after realizing she has been waiting on me for a few minutes.

“You could have poked me or something you know.”

“Could a. Should a. Would a. Didn’t feel like it.”

“So mean~”

“And you love me all the more for it!” She says with a satisfied smirk on her face. I would have my revenge for today’s humiliation. Soonish. Can’t have my sister remain on her high horse for too long.

***

Water drips off of our bodies as we walk back onto shore. Our gills flapping happily at the much needed deep sea dive that you just can’t get when landlocked. The blue tint to camouflage our skin dims to our normal light brown complexion.

We were about to get started on settling down when a most frustrating adversary reared its head again. On the sandy beach were a group of villagers being pushed back by a small group of mercenaries. Upon noticing us, one of the villagers spoke out, “Please help us!”

Locking eyes with each other, we could only mentally complain at the situation. The god of Deus ex Machina finally decided to end our peace for he has brought forth the plot. Plot that shouldn’t even be in the area...