The next morning, after breakfast of course, we got to the lakeshore. The lake was already filled with boats of different sizes, everything from small row boats, to small fishing galleys. Some of the boats had even already returned to shore, with broken fishing nets, and snapped fishing poles.
“Alright. Lua, take to the skies. You can either use your Gradius, or I’ll let you borrow a B.E.S. I want you to use their sensors to try and locate whatever it is that is causing this issue. Keep in contact with us, the best you can.
Agunan, Ria. You two head out on Yomi Ship. Use the fishing rod, and the other monsters I gave Ria to hopefully bait that monster into getting close to you.
Alice and I will head into the depths with our Amphibious Bugroth.”
“I’ll take Crystal Core, if that is fine.” Lua requested.
“Sure. Here you go.” I passed her the card.
My plan might not be perfect. Well, let’s be honest, it is mediocre at best. And I’m not even using my resources optimally. If I was, Lua would be coming into the sea with me and Alice would be in the sky. But Alice got the mission, and it is her first, so I want to help her accomplish it, so she should be in the water, right? … wait. This is actually her second, because she had one to help me with 27_001. Well still, she is the one with the mission, so she is coming with me. I wonder if Alice will get a longer term mission, like the three I have, or the one Lua has?
As for our summoned monster lineup, as I already said, I’m sending Lua to the skies with B.E.S. Crystal Core. My space ships do have quite the sensory array, so having one invisible in the sky won’t be a bad thing. And it has to be Lua, because I want to be able to keep in contact with her. I need to develop some magical radio communication next.
Ria and Agunan were heading out on Yomi Ship. It is a small boat from my summoned monster arsenal, and it will likely look like just a slightly strange fishing ship, compared to something like Skull Mariner, which is a pirate ship. They also had a few fishing poles, as well as water monsters like Boneheimer. This was to hopefully bait out whatever attacks fishing lines and nets.
And of course Alice and I were heading into the water with me in the Ground Attacker Bugroth and Alice in the Amphibious Bugroth MK-3. Too bad I don’t have the fusion Bugroth, but maybe I’ll get it eventually.
Spoiler
(I’m ready to go, and so are Ria and Agunan.) We got the message from Lua, who had gotten into Crystal Core. (You two should head into the water.)
(Alright. Alice, let’s launch.)
(Yes.)
The two of us had moved a bit away from the town, getting a lift there from the invisible Crystal Core. Honestly speaking, Crystal Core is even more difficult to spot from the ground than Big Core, just because its structure is so different, and the main reactor is closer to the structure of the ship.
As for the reason I decided to get some distance from the town, well, we were in walking submarine things, so I’m not so sure getting in at the town’s port is the best idea. One person sees us and they’ll think we are the cause for all of the broken fishing nets and missed catches.
With everything ready to go, Alice and I launched our Bugroths into the lake.
(We can’t really see much, can we?)
(Well, the water is quite muddy. But we do have sonar, so we can use that.)
As Alice said, and as I spotted yesterday, the water of this lake was anything but clear. Our vision was ten, maybe fifteen meters at most, but because I wanted to avoid using the flood lights on the Bugroths, so we wouldn’t be spotted, we had to just deal with it. But they did come with sonar, so we were able to navigate with that.
As we approached the area where the fishermen were more focused on, we had to dive deeper into the lake, to avoid their nets. I originally thought this lake wouldn’t be this deep, because I think I’ve heard that deep lakes usually have clearer water than shallow ones, but I might just be wrong. Or maybe it was the reverse. I don’t know.
(Lua, you seeing anything? Any signs from the fishing team?) I asked our air support.
(Nothing. The water is not clear enough where I can see far into it from here. And the sensors only work to the water’s surface.) Lua responded. (I do have eyes on the fishermen, and there does seem to be one disgruntled one rowing to the shore, so that could be it. Mia will send you the location.)
(Thanks. We’ll head that way.)
(There are two other boats close to where he was, so they might be the next targets.) Lua added.
(They just pulled up a broken net. Did you see what did it?) Lua informed us.
(No. We lost it when the adventurers jumped in. But we did learn something good.) I responded to Lua.
This was the third boat we had predicted the monster would hit, and we had gotten some good info. Mainly, its sonar signature is no larger than that of a human, so we aren’t dealing with some huge beast. Or it has some sort of sonar camouflage, which honestly could be the case.
(Alright. It is heading towards the next boat. A small one, with just fishing poles, no nets.) Lua told us. (And I think it might hit Ria and Agunan after that.)
(Brian, do you think it is time to call for backup?) Alice asked.
(Probably. There is a decent chance we will never see this thing without some help, and the fishing rods I gave to Ria and Agunan are special, so that might be our best shot.)
I had thought some amount about how we were going to get this monster, and while I could go complete overkill and drain the entire lake with Daedalus or Neo-Daedalus and then refill it by installing Umi, I’d rather not do that for obvious reasons. I might just turn this lake into a sea. Aka. salt water.
Instead, let’s go with something a bit more local. In preparation for this, I had already swapped my active race from Dragon Hearted to Spiritual Human.
“Summon Water Spirit.” I used my secret weapon. We are searching for something in water, so why not call on a water expert?
A human-sized being made of water appeared outside my Ground Assault Bugroth. It might have been a bit difficult to see, because seeing a being of water in water is not easy. But I’m currently a Spiritual Human, so I can see spirits better, and I can even see some sort of pseudo-spirit things.
…
…
Well, this is awkward. I didn’t think about this part. The spirits can’t actually communicate me through my mind, unless they synchro with me, and I can’t, wait? How are you coming in?
The greater spirit began coming straight through the glass canopy of my Bugroth. It wasn’t quite like it wasn’t there, but more like she was slowly phasing through the glass.
“Hero, did you need my help?” The greater spirit asked, after she had come through the glass.
“... how did you do that?” I asked. “You just went through the glass.”
“Of course I didn’t. I simply made a small amount of water on this side, and then slowly transferred myself to that, while increasing its size so I would fit.” The spirit answered.
“Oh? Yeah. That makes a lot more sense. I need your help. I’m trying to locate some monster that is tearing up fishing nets and fishing lines, but this water is… well, not easy to see in. Could you help?”
“Quite simple. We should synchro for that. It will be the easiest way.”
“Sure. Let’s do that then.” I agreed with the spirit.
Her watery body then formed a layer around me, and I felt the mana of the spirit rushing into me. It felt quite a lot nicer than it did last time, perhaps because of the change in race.
(I’m glad you became spiritual, Hero. It is so rare that you humans evolve that way.) The spirit said in my head.
(... I actually didn’t. I can just change my race whenever I want.) I admitted to the spirit.
(Oh? That is … well, I still like the current you, so please be like this whenever you call me or my children.)
(I’ll try to remember.) I said, before focusing on the task at hand. (Can you make the water clearer for me? Or so that it is easier for me to see?)
(Yes, I’ll help you with that.)
After the spirit said so, the water around me became more clear. Or more like I could see through it easier. It was still quite dirty and I saw all of the impurities, but I could still see further than I could previously.
(That’s it. I think I see it. It is a mermaid.) I said, as I spotted what I think is our target.
(A merfolk, actually.) Laura specified for everyone.
(Really? But there shouldn’t be any living here. I’ve heard they hate the dirty waters of this place.) Lua informed us. (And why would a merfolk be cutting fishing lines?)
(No clue, but we can ask after we catch him.) I told everyone.
I could just see the humanoid being with a fishtail cutting the four fishing lines coming from a boat on the surface. I tried to approach for a better look, but as soon as he heard and/or saw my Bugroth, he ran away into the depths and I lost sight of him.
(Brian, our sonar is losing him!) Alice called. (I’m going after him.)
(Right behind you.) I agreed with Alice, as I set my Bugroth to dive at max speed.
We quickly reached the bottom of the lake, but we didn’t have any sign of the merfolk. We had lost him on sonar as well, so he might be hiding somewhere, where the sonar can’t pick him up.
(Hero, there is a trench that way. You can’t see it, but you can feel more water there.) The spirit helped me in the right direction.
(Here? But I can.. wait? I just went through? … an illusion?) I used the arms of my Bugroth to feel around, until one of them sank through what I thought was the bottom of the lake. I then moved further into the … probably an illusion and went straight through it. (Alice, follow me this way.)
(Yes. Coming.) Alice agreed.
We entered a thin water filled trench, which was just about large enough to fit our Bugroths. After going up about 40 more meters, the trench turned and kept going, before opening up to a cave of some sort. It was also an air pocket, so we could get out of our Bugroths. And at the center of the small cave, I saw a familiar looking pedestal with a small monster core on it.
I was kidding when I said this lake would have a dungeon, alright? It was a joke.
Next to the core pedestal, in the small stream that was running through the room, was the merfolk we had been searching for. On her arm, well at least I think she is a she now that I can better see her, is a dungeon terminal. Either founder’s or a master’s, I don’t know yet. Her clothes, if I could call the rags she was wearing clothes, were just barely covering her chest area. Her hair was medium long and dirty black, likely from swimming in the muddy lake water.
(Brian?) Alice called me. (... what now? Do we just … kill her?)
(Let’s not start with that. Maybe we can reason with her. Spirit, can you freeze the water, so she can’t exit?)
(I shall, but if she knows water magic, she can just undo mine with a spell.) The spirit warned me, as she froze the path from which we arrived.
(Even the dungeon can potentially do that, so it isn’t an issue. As long as it slows her down a bit, if she tries to run.) I responded. It won’t take me long to trap her with something like Spellbinding Circle, but it does take a couple seconds.
I opened the canopy of my Bugroth, and jumped out. As I did, the mermaid, wait it was merfolk, well, she got her guard up, and took an aggressive stance with her shortsword. Yes, she was holding a shortsword, likely the same one she used to cut the fishing lines and nets.
“Wait! I don’t want to fight!” I called the merfolk. There is no way I couldn’t take her on, but I still don’t want to do it.
“Away! Leave!” I heard the merfolk yell back. “Leave! Leave! Leave!”
“I won’t leave yet. I just want to talk.” I answered.
“Brian? Can you actually understand her?” Alice asked. She had also gotten out of her Bugroth.
“Yeah, just fine. Can’t you?”
“No. It sounds … foreign to me. Not like draconic, but still … strange.”
“Oh. I guess I do also have language comprehension (humanoid) so merfolk language might be a part of that. … has she been understanding me?” I wondered, as I looked back at the merfolk, who was still holding her shortsword ready, and ordering us to leave. Or maybe begging. I’m not sure.
(She should have understood you. You always instinctively use your Language Comprehension (humanoid) when talking, so that should translate your speech for her to hear.) Laura told me.
(Oh. Alright.) I do know I consciously choose to use Language Comprehension (draconic), so it is interesting to learn that I basically always use the other one. Would I just speak English if I didn’t? And then no one would understand me?
“Please calm down and talk to me.” I asked the merfolk. She had moved a bit, and was now hiding behind the core pedestal. “I don’t want to hurt you. I just want to know why you are attacking the fishermen?”
“Leave! Trapped as well! Leave!” She just yelled back.
Trapped? What does she mean? Is she trapped in the dungeon? Or the lake? But there were a few rivers running both up and downstream, so she should be able to leave.
“Alice, stay here. I’ll try to approach her. Use this if she tries to run.” I requested as I passed Alice a copy of Spellbinding Circle. I should just let her keep it. I should also give her a copy of Monster Reborn. I gave one to Lua, so why not give one to Alice.
I then undid my synchro with the water spirit, and began approaching the merfolk girl. When she saw the water spirit, her eyes seemed to change a bit, almost like she was seeing something fantastical.
“You. A water spirit? It was … one with you? Are you … blessed by the spirit?” The merfolk questioned me, as I slowly approached her.
So she knows about a spirit’s blessings, huh. Interesting.
“Yes. I have been blessed by a greater water spirit.” I answered the girl. “Would you be willing to talk with me?”
“... do you … understand me?”
“Yes, I do. I have Language Comprehension (humanoid).”
“I … see.”
“Would you be willing to talk with me? I just want to know why you are attacking the fishermen?”
“... I … because… trapped. To leave, I need.. the fish…”
“You are trapped? And you need fish to leave?” I asked her. “How are you even here? I heard from my companion that merfolk don’t live here.”
“I … I … I was … banished …” She just answered.
The next morning, after breakfast of course, we got to the lakeshore. The lake was already filled with boats of different sizes, everything from small row boats, to small fishing galleys. Some of the boats had even already returned to shore, with broken fishing nets, and snapped fishing poles.
“Alright. Lua, take to the skies. You can either use your Gradius, or I’ll let you borrow a B.E.S. I want you to use their sensors to try and locate whatever it is that is causing this issue. Keep in contact with us, the best you can.
Agunan, Ria. You two head out on Yomi Ship. Use the fishing rod, and the other monsters I gave Ria to hopefully bait that monster into getting close to you.
Alice and I will head into the depths with our Amphibious Bugroth.”
“I’ll take Crystal Core, if that is fine.” Lua requested.
“Sure. Here you go.” I passed her the card.
My plan might not be perfect. Well, let’s be honest, it is mediocre at best. And I’m not even using my resources optimally. If I was, Lua would be coming into the sea with me and Alice would be in the sky. But Alice got the mission, and it is her first, so I want to help her accomplish it, so she should be in the water, right? … wait. This is actually her second, because she had one to help me with 27_001. Well still, she is the one with the mission, so she is coming with me. I wonder if Alice will get a longer term mission, like the three I have, or the one Lua has?
As for our summoned monster lineup, as I already said, I’m sending Lua to the skies with B.E.S. Crystal Core. My space ships do have quite the sensory array, so having one invisible in the sky won’t be a bad thing. And it has to be Lua, because I want to be able to keep in contact with her. I need to develop some magical radio communication next.
Ria and Agunan were heading out on Yomi Ship. It is a small boat from my summoned monster arsenal, and it will likely look like just a slightly strange fishing ship, compared to something like Skull Mariner, which is a pirate ship. They also had a few fishing poles, as well as water monsters like Boneheimer. This was to hopefully bait out whatever attacks fishing lines and nets.
And of course Alice and I were heading into the water with me in the Ground Attacker Bugroth and Alice in the Amphibious Bugroth MK-3. Too bad I don’t have the fusion Bugroth, but maybe I’ll get it eventually.
Spoiler
(I’m ready to go, and so are Ria and Agunan.) We got the message from Lua, who had gotten into Crystal Core. (You two should head into the water.)
(Alright. Alice, let’s launch.)
(Yes.)
The two of us had moved a bit away from the town, getting a lift there from the invisible Crystal Core. Honestly speaking, Crystal Core is even more difficult to spot from the ground than Big Core, just because its structure is so different, and the main reactor is closer to the structure of the ship.
As for the reason I decided to get some distance from the town, well, we were in walking submarine things, so I’m not so sure getting in at the town’s port is the best idea. One person sees us and they’ll think we are the cause for all of the broken fishing nets and missed catches.
With everything ready to go, Alice and I launched our Bugroths into the lake.
(We can’t really see much, can we?)
(Well, the water is quite muddy. But we do have sonar, so we can use that.)
As Alice said, and as I spotted yesterday, the water of this lake was anything but clear. Our vision was ten, maybe fifteen meters at most, but because I wanted to avoid using the flood lights on the Bugroths, so we wouldn’t be spotted, we had to just deal with it. But they did come with sonar, so we were able to navigate with that.
As we approached the area where the fishermen were more focused on, we had to dive deeper into the lake, to avoid their nets. I originally thought this lake wouldn’t be this deep, because I think I’ve heard that deep lakes usually have clearer water than shallow ones, but I might just be wrong. Or maybe it was the reverse. I don’t know.
(Lua, you seeing anything? Any signs from the fishing team?) I asked our air support.
(Nothing. The water is not clear enough where I can see far into it from here. And the sensors only work to the water’s surface.) Lua responded. (I do have eyes on the fishermen, and there does seem to be one disgruntled one rowing to the shore, so that could be it. Mia will send you the location.)
(Thanks. We’ll head that way.)
(There are two other boats close to where he was, so they might be the next targets.) Lua added.
(They just pulled up a broken net. Did you see what did it?) Lua informed us.
(No. We lost it when the adventurers jumped in. But we did learn something good.) I responded to Lua.
This was the third boat we had predicted the monster would hit, and we had gotten some good info. Mainly, its sonar signature is no larger than that of a human, so we aren’t dealing with some huge beast. Or it has some sort of sonar camouflage, which honestly could be the case.
(Alright. It is heading towards the next boat. A small one, with just fishing poles, no nets.) Lua told us. (And I think it might hit Ria and Agunan after that.)
(Brian, do you think it is time to call for backup?) Alice asked.
(Probably. There is a decent chance we will never see this thing without some help, and the fishing rods I gave to Ria and Agunan are special, so that might be our best shot.)
I had thought some amount about how we were going to get this monster, and while I could go complete overkill and drain the entire lake with Daedalus or Neo-Daedalus and then refill it by installing Umi, I’d rather not do that for obvious reasons. I might just turn this lake into a sea. Aka. salt water.
Instead, let’s go with something a bit more local. In preparation for this, I had already swapped my active race from Dragon Hearted to Spiritual Human.
“Summon Water Spirit.” I used my secret weapon. We are searching for something in water, so why not call on a water expert?
A human-sized being made of water appeared outside my Ground Assault Bugroth. It might have been a bit difficult to see, because seeing a being of water in water is not easy. But I’m currently a Spiritual Human, so I can see spirits better, and I can even see some sort of pseudo-spirit things.
…
…
Well, this is awkward. I didn’t think about this part. The spirits can’t actually communicate me through my mind, unless they synchro with me, and I can’t, wait? How are you coming in?
The greater spirit began coming straight through the glass canopy of my Bugroth. It wasn’t quite like it wasn’t there, but more like she was slowly phasing through the glass.
“Hero, did you need my help?” The greater spirit asked, after she had come through the glass.
“... how did you do that?” I asked. “You just went through the glass.”
“Of course I didn’t. I simply made a small amount of water on this side, and then slowly transferred myself to that, while increasing its size so I would fit.” The spirit answered.
“Oh? Yeah. That makes a lot more sense. I need your help. I’m trying to locate some monster that is tearing up fishing nets and fishing lines, but this water is… well, not easy to see in. Could you help?”
“Quite simple. We should synchro for that. It will be the easiest way.”
“Sure. Let’s do that then.” I agreed with the spirit.
Her watery body then formed a layer around me, and I felt the mana of the spirit rushing into me. It felt quite a lot nicer than it did last time, perhaps because of the change in race.
(I’m glad you became spiritual, Hero. It is so rare that you humans evolve that way.) The spirit said in my head.
(... I actually didn’t. I can just change my race whenever I want.) I admitted to the spirit.
(Oh? That is … well, I still like the current you, so please be like this whenever you call me or my children.)
(I’ll try to remember.) I said, before focusing on the task at hand. (Can you make the water clearer for me? Or so that it is easier for me to see?)
(Yes, I’ll help you with that.)
After the spirit said so, the water around me became more clear. Or more like I could see through it easier. It was still quite dirty and I saw all of the impurities, but I could still see further than I could previously.
(That’s it. I think I see it. It is a mermaid.) I said, as I spotted what I think is our target.
(A merfolk, actually.) Laura specified for everyone.
(Really? But there shouldn’t be any living here. I’ve heard they hate the dirty waters of this place.) Lua informed us. (And why would a merfolk be cutting fishing lines?)
(No clue, but we can ask after we catch him.) I told everyone.
I could just see the humanoid being with a fishtail cutting the four fishing lines coming from a boat on the surface. I tried to approach for a better look, but as soon as he heard and/or saw my Bugroth, he ran away into the depths and I lost sight of him.
(Brian, our sonar is losing him!) Alice called. (I’m going after him.)
(Right behind you.) I agreed with Alice, as I set my Bugroth to dive at max speed.
We quickly reached the bottom of the lake, but we didn’t have any sign of the merfolk. We had lost him on sonar as well, so he might be hiding somewhere, where the sonar can’t pick him up.
(Hero, there is a trench that way. You can’t see it, but you can feel more water there.) The spirit helped me in the right direction.
(Here? But I can.. wait? I just went through? … an illusion?) I used the arms of my Bugroth to feel around, until one of them sank through what I thought was the bottom of the lake. I then moved further into the … probably an illusion and went straight through it. (Alice, follow me this way.)
(Yes. Coming.) Alice agreed.
We entered a thin water filled trench, which was just about large enough to fit our Bugroths. After going up about 40 more meters, the trench turned and kept going, before opening up to a cave of some sort. It was also an air pocket, so we could get out of our Bugroths. And at the center of the small cave, I saw a familiar looking pedestal with a small monster core on it.
I was kidding when I said this lake would have a dungeon, alright? It was a joke.
Next to the core pedestal, in the small stream that was running through the room, was the merfolk we had been searching for. On her arm, well at least I think she is a she now that I can better see her, is a dungeon terminal. Either founder’s or a master’s, I don’t know yet. Her clothes, if I could call the rags she was wearing clothes, were just barely covering her chest area. Her hair was medium long and dirty black, likely from swimming in the muddy lake water.
(Brian?) Alice called me. (... what now? Do we just … kill her?)
(Let’s not start with that. Maybe we can reason with her. Spirit, can you freeze the water, so she can’t exit?)
(I shall, but if she knows water magic, she can just undo mine with a spell.) The spirit warned me, as she froze the path from which we arrived.
(Even the dungeon can potentially do that, so it isn’t an issue. As long as it slows her down a bit, if she tries to run.) I responded. It won’t take me long to trap her with something like Spellbinding Circle, but it does take a couple seconds.
I opened the canopy of my Bugroth, and jumped out. As I did, the mermaid, wait it was merfolk, well, she got her guard up, and took an aggressive stance with her shortsword. Yes, she was holding a shortsword, likely the same one she used to cut the fishing lines and nets.
“Wait! I don’t want to fight!” I called the merfolk. There is no way I couldn’t take her on, but I still don’t want to do it.
“Away! Leave!” I heard the merfolk yell back. “Leave! Leave! Leave!”
“I won’t leave yet. I just want to talk.” I answered.
“Brian? Can you actually understand her?” Alice asked. She had also gotten out of her Bugroth.
“Yeah, just fine. Can’t you?”
“No. It sounds … foreign to me. Not like draconic, but still … strange.”
“Oh. I guess I do also have language comprehension (humanoid) so merfolk language might be a part of that. … has she been understanding me?” I wondered, as I looked back at the merfolk, who was still holding her shortsword ready, and ordering us to leave. Or maybe begging. I’m not sure.
(She should have understood you. You always instinctively use your Language Comprehension (humanoid) when talking, so that should translate your speech for her to hear.) Laura told me.
(Oh. Alright.) I do know I consciously choose to use Language Comprehension (draconic), so it is interesting to learn that I basically always use the other one. Would I just speak English if I didn’t? And then no one would understand me?
“Please calm down and talk to me.” I asked the merfolk. She had moved a bit, and was now hiding behind the core pedestal. “I don’t want to hurt you. I just want to know why you are attacking the fishermen?”
“Leave! Trapped as well! Leave!” She just yelled back.
Trapped? What does she mean? Is she trapped in the dungeon? Or the lake? But there were a few rivers running both up and downstream, so she should be able to leave.
“Alice, stay here. I’ll try to approach her. Use this if she tries to run.” I requested as I passed Alice a copy of Spellbinding Circle. I should just let her keep it. I should also give her a copy of Monster Reborn. I gave one to Lua, so why not give one to Alice.
I then undid my synchro with the water spirit, and began approaching the merfolk girl. When she saw the water spirit, her eyes seemed to change a bit, almost like she was seeing something fantastical.
“You. A water spirit? It was … one with you? Are you … blessed by the spirit?” The merfolk questioned me, as I slowly approached her.
So she knows about a spirit’s blessings, huh. Interesting.
“Yes. I have been blessed by a greater water spirit.” I answered the girl. “Would you be willing to talk with me?”
“... do you … understand me?”
“Yes, I do. I have Language Comprehension (humanoid).”
“I … see.”
“Would you be willing to talk with me? I just want to know why you are attacking the fishermen?”
“... I … because… trapped. To leave, I need.. the fish…”
“You are trapped? And you need fish to leave?” I asked her. “How are you even here? I heard from my companion that merfolk don’t live here.”
“I … I … I was … banished …” She just answered.
