Sightseeing Tour (2)
Our bodies floated freely through the air for a moment. Then, pulled by gravity, we began plummeting downward. The rush of the fall made my heart pound and my stomach flip with electric thrill.
“Wowaaa!”
[Euyaaa!]
The water surface rushed up toward us. The undines playing in the lake lifted their heads to stare.
Splash-!
The cool lake enveloped us. We sank deep beneath the surface, yielding to the water's embrace.
[Ahahaha!]
[Heeheehee!]
Laughter from the undines rang in my ears. Inside the oxygen bubble Aqua had created, I opened my eyes to an astonishing sight.
Beneath the sunlight filtering softly through the rippling waves, undines frolicked with the water itself—not just splashing around, but playing with it like a living companion.
'Water infused with spirit power?'
Part of the lake's water pulsed with spirit energy, moving on its own. Just as air and wind flowed separately in the atmosphere, the lake water and the spirit-infused water streamed apart. It toyed with the undines as if it had a will of its own.
I watched the water playfully chasing the undines, then asked, “Aqua. What's that?”
Aqua instantly knew what I meant.
[It's water on the verge of becoming an undine! We call it living water!]
“You mean that water turns into baby undines?”
[Exactly!]
I stared in wonder at the living water. It was amorphous liquid, closer to ordinary water than an undine, but it clearly moved with intent.
“Do all spirits come into being like that?”
[Didn't you see the colorful winds when you looked down from the waterfall?]
I had. Between the trees, yellow and pink breezes had swirled.
“No way……”
[Those winds become sylphs!]
“I thought they were pollen.”
It was an incredible discovery. I'd known spirits were born from the Spirit Realm's nature. Spirit studies taught that the realm's energies coalesced into spirits. But I'd never imagined a pre-spirit form like baby spirits.
'Now that I think about it, it makes perfect sense.'
Fruits and flowers didn't bloom in an instant. Anything born of nature would have such a process.
The undines sensed Aqua's spirit power and called out to us.
[It's Lady Aqua!]
[Lady Akuuuua!]
The undines, swimming gracefully like mermaids, waved happily at the sight of her.
[Heeheehee!]
Aqua beamed and swam over. I didn't miss how the living water absorbed the spirit power leaking from her as she approached.
'Unlike the human world, the Spirit Realm overflows with spirit power, so spirits have no need to dematerialize. That excess power gets soaked up by the living water.'
It was a truly mystical ecosystem.
[It's been so long!]
[We missed you!]
[Me too!]
The undines welcomed back their long-lost Aqua. She was clearly savoring her homecoming.
Moss-covered rocks dotted the area. Undines and living water danced around them. A massive turtle with water-snake tails instead of a proper one lumbered by, as if proclaiming this was the heart of the Spirit Realm. I felt like I could watch this mystical, beautiful scene forever.
Back on shore, I gently petted each baby spirit that clung to me.
[Heeheehee!]
[Hehehe!]
Their joy at my touch warmed my chest.
Near the Great King Waterfall, dozens of undines—from babies to advanced ones—frolicked here.
'Spirits' sizes vary with their spirit power.'
Our human classifications like low, mid, high-grade were just conveniences. Spirits grew larger with age and power, like us.
'Regular spirits can't reach Spirit King size, though.'
A bit away, Aqua was surrounded by undines, her head barely visible.
'Less big-sis spirit, more celebrity spirit.'
All spirits adored Aqua—though they loved each other, she was especially popular.
[What else? Tell us more!]
[I wanna visit the human world too!]
The undines had been grilling her about the human world. Aqua, hugging three tightly, pursed her lips.
[Hmm…… Hmm……! Oh, do you know what ice is?]
[Ice?]
[Adult?]
[No, ice. Ice!]
[What's that?]
[Ice is frozen water!]
[Water freezes?]
[What's freezing?]
The Spirit Realm was eternally spring. The concept of “cold” didn't exist.
[It gets cold and hard!]
[Hard? Water? How can water get hard?]
[Oh, you mean gems?]
Aqua shook her head vigorously.
[Not that!]
Pondering how to explain, she suddenly jumped up and toddled over to me.
[You there! Bring it out!]
“That?”
[There's ice in the Spirit Shop, right?]
“Oh, right.”
I remembered too. I opened the Spirit Shop and quickly searched for the item.
It was one of the new items added after beating Niagara and expanding the shop. Something I'd never used since ice was easy to get in the human world.
[Yes, that's it!]
Aqua's eyes sparkled with excitement at showing the undines.
The undines watched us curiously.
“Alright. Purchasing!”
I bought the Spirit Realm Eternal Snow.
Thud!
A massive pillar erupted from the ground with a boom.
An ice pillar.
'……It really was a pillar?'
The description mentioned an ice pillar, but I hadn't expected a literal one. Nearly four meters tall and as thick as a tree trunk, it loomed, exhaling white frost.
[Owaaa……]
The undines gaped at it.
[Hey! It's real water!]
[I feel water energy!]
[But it's not moving! Is the water dead?]
[Is this ice?]
They toddled over in awe, touching it.
[Eek!]
[It stuck!]
[My hand won't come off!]
And stuck fast.
“Ah.”
Wet hands stick to ice. I hadn't warned them.
[Oops!]
Aqua winced too—she'd forgotten her lips sticking to ice cream at the resort.
[Grab my hand!]
[You're here to help!]
[Waaah! Me too!]
One by one, screaming undines stuck to the pillar. Trying to pry off one hand stuck another. Soon, they plastered its surface.
'Shooting star ice cream?'
Blue undines on white ice looked like popping candy.
[……Kekekeke!]
[This is fun!]
The initial panic turned to delight.
[It's cool!]
[So cold!]
[Whoa! My body's freezing too!]
[Ack?! Don't freeze!]
Aqua bolted up at “freezing.”
[We must save the undines!]
Nearby spirits' eyes lit up—fun game time.
[Everyone, come! We have to throw this pillar into the lake!]
[Save the undines!]
[Combine our strength!]
[Ooooh……!]
[Shaaaa!]
Sylphs, salamanders, and gnomes swarmed over.
[First, tip it! Sylphs, shake the top to topple it—gently, so the undines don't hurt! Catch them carefully too!]
[Help!]
[My body's freezing!]
[Kekekeke!]
Helpers and helpees laughed in unison. I pulled out my phone and filmed eagerly.
The sylphs eased the pillar down. Aqua and the spirits hoisted it toward the lake.
[Ooh?]
[Shaa?]
More spirits stuck en route—natural beings can't be moisture-free.
[Sssit!]
Mandu dangled upside down too.
The procession finally reached the shore after mishaps.
[Now, on three, we throw!]
The spirits readied.
[One, two, three!]
The pillar flew into the lake—
[……Hm?]
—with Aqua's hand still stuck.
[Eugyaaa!]
Aqua tumbled in after it.
Splash!
“Kukukuku……!”
I stifled laughter, steadying the camera.
“Ahahaha!”
Our friends' roaring laughter echoed across the lake.
We decided to camp overnight by the lake below the Great King Waterfall. It was late, but food was easy to procure here.
I twisted tree bark into netting, strung it between two thick branches, and made a fishing net. I dunked the fine net into the lake.
“Now!”
Aqua and the undines splashed wildly opposite me.
[Waaah!]
[Splash harder!]
[Water fight!]
[Run, fishies!]
Baby spirits from our yacht mingled in.
[Shwooo-!]
[Ooo……!]
Through the clear water, fish fled toward me in droves. I waited, then yanked the net up.
“Got 'em!”
Over ten fish flopped atop it, healthy ones gleaming in the sun.
I hauled ashore, borrowed spirit strength to dump them into the wooden tank Mandu had made. Temporary basin for sharing with gnomes and salamanders—we'd need another catch.
“Guys, one more time!”
[Of course!]
[Fish hunt!]
[Waaah!]
The spirits thrilled just at joining us.
“Thanks! That's plenty!”
[Let's ride the ice boat!]
[Yay!]
[Our turn!]
The eternal snow pillar still bobbed in the lake. Spirits loved playing king-of-the-hill on it, shoving each other off.
I carried the fish tank back to camp. Uluru had built a massive single room at my request for spirit-sized sleeping.
'Room for everyone.'
No door or windows—just open square walls. Better that way.
Rustle, rustle.
Niagara sat by the entrance, weaving leaves with water veins—for roof and blankets.
Nearby undines crowded him eagerly.
[But if Lady Aqua's the Spirit King now, what are you, Lord Niagara?]
[Unemployed?]
[……]
[Former Spirit King?]
[Just a strong spirit?]
[……]
Niagara wove mechanically, face enlightened amid their innocent barrage.
[……Hm?]
He spotted me late, scanned around like seeking someone, then nodded.
[Perfect timing.]
He told the undines, [Give us a moment alone?]
[Got it!]
[Come play after, Lord Niagara!]
Hand-in-hand, they headed to the lake. Niagara set down the leaves and faced me gravely.
[I have something to discuss.]
His expression was deadly serious.