Chapter 256
Chapter 256
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Translator: penny
Chapter: 256
Chapter Title: A Hundred Legs, Ten Thousand Poisons (6)
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-Splashhhh!!!
-Grrrrrr....
The fierce waves caused the ship to tilt with an ominous creaking sound. Were we going to capsize just like this? A dizzying premonition flashed through my mind, but...
-Thud!!!
A massive tentacle wrapped around the ship, securing it firmly so it wouldn't be swallowed by the waves.
“Uwaaaaaah!!!”
I heard the captain scream. It was only natural. For an ordinary person facing a Kraken tentacle of this size, all they could do was scream.
“Calm down!”
As the captain began frantically spinning the wheel while screaming, Elle grabbed him and shouted. But the fear-stricken captain wouldn't stop, and in the end...
“I said calm down!!!”
Elle knocked him out with a chop to the back of the neck. The moment he slumped over with a thud, the piercing screams stopped. Whoa, she's ruthless. That girl...
-Grrrrrr....
-Screeech....
In any case, the tentacles had safely wrapped around the ship. The waves were still crashing fiercely, but they were nothing compared to the tentacles' strength, and the ship no longer rocked. With the ship's safety secured, Ken's remaining tentacles didn't hesitate and began massacring the sea goblins.
-Thwack!
-Thump!
-Thwack-thwack!
Countless tentacles shot out sharply, piercing the sea goblins' hearts. Sharper than any spear and faster than any arrow, the tentacles strung up the sea goblins in the blink of an eye and tossed them into the sea. There were no shortage of sea goblins whose bodies burst open as the tentacles pierced through. The sight of their distinctive dark green blood pouring down like rain was... something you wouldn't forget easily.
-Splashhhh....
With the sea goblins that had created the whirlpool all killed by Ken, the rough waves began to subside. As the horde of sea goblins sank beneath the waves, the dark blue sea was briefly dyed dark green. The deck was also splattered with sea goblin blood, but most of it had been washed away by the waves, save for some patches.
I leaped over the tentacles and ran toward the bow. The deck was slippery, and I nearly fell, but my joy overrode any concern. As I reached the bow, the waves below surged greatly, revealing a pair of golden eyes sparkling like glow-in-the-dark stickers.
“Ken!!”
Only a portion of its head with eyes was peeking out, yet it was already larger than the ship we were on. So how massive was the body submerged in the sea? I couldn't even begin to imagine. It must have grown several times larger since the last time we met.
-Ooooooo....
A low rumble like a foghorn spread across the surface. It seemed genuinely happy about our reunion.
-Splash!
One tentacle—relatively small, it seemed—slowly climbed up the side of the ship. It slithered toward me on deck and gently, very cautiously, stroked my head. I hugged the tentacle warmly without hesitation. To someone else, it might just be a horrifying appendage, but to me, it was like a precious child's limb.
“...You've grown so much, Ken.”
-Ooooooo....
“How about your girlfriend?”
-Oooooooo!!
“Oh, really? So you're leaving this place now?”
-Ooooooo....
Well, this sea must be too small for Ken and his mate now. I never thought the time to venture farther out would come so soon. The timing was perfect this time. Once Ken heads to the Abyss, meeting again will be much harder...
“Yeah, you'll do just fine in the Abyss.”
It was bittersweet, but a good parent knows when to let their child go. I gently stroked the tentacle. At least I could feed it well one last time. With the substantial number of sea goblins Ken killed, it wouldn't go hungry until reaching the Abyss. Even now, it was devouring the sunken sea goblins below with its remaining tentacles. That's right, eat up!
“Ken, even if you go to the Abyss, we'll always be connected.”
The tentacle then squeezed me tightly, as if embracing me, before slowly releasing. I let it go without holding on.
“Can I ask one favor before you leave?”
In truth, subjugating the sea goblins was just a side benefit. The real reason I summoned Ken was something else entirely...
-Ooooooo....
“Yeah, thank you.”
To obtain the Kraken's ink.
Kraken ink was extremely special. Not just ordinary ink, it was a pigment that created camouflage, changing color to match the surroundings and even masking scents, making it impossible to detect. It was a highly versatile material. The most famous use was dyeing the curtains of the emperor's carriage... or something like that? It was so rare that it was nearly impossible to obtain at the risk of one's life, so items made with Kraken ink were exceedingly few. Of course, for me, a 'Kraken owner,' it wasn't that difficult.
-Gulp.
I swallowed the pre-made gill pill and dove into the sea.
-Splash!
The seawater was bone-chillingly cold, but that chill felt refreshing instead. As I entered the water, Ken's tentacles circled around me protectively, blocking the currents to prevent me from being swept away. Following their guidance deeper and deeper, I saw magic stones piled up on the seafloor. Faintly glowing dark green, they were from the sea goblins Ken had devoured.
I picked them up and stored them in my subspace ring as I went. Even though Ken hadn't regurgitated all of them, the number was impressive. Excluding the broken or overly small ones, I gathered a substantial amount—enough to generously cover the repair costs for the minor damages from securing the ship with its tentacles.
After recovering the magic stones, I swam following the tentacle's lead. Even in the sea, I couldn't see Ken's full form; it was so enormous it was almost frightening to contemplate. Was it already much larger than the mother I saw in the deep-sea dungeon?
Anyway, the place the tentacle guided me to was the center of its body, where the maw was located. The Kraken's maw instinctively instilled terror in any creature, like a bottomless sinkhole of darkness. The ink sac and ink gland connected to it were right there. I approached carefully and tapped one of Ken's tentacles as a signal that it was good to go.
-Pffft!!!
In an instant, ink gushed out. I'd already prepared space in my subspace ring for it, so I collected the pouring ink directly into the ring. Even one vial of this would make me quite wealthy, and here I was storing a massive amount... Being a Kraken parent has its perks. Thanks to Ken's generosity, I obtained far more ink than I'd expected.
'Thank you, Ken.'
Locking eyes with its gleaming gaze even in the dark depths, I nodded slightly. Then, a tentacle wrapped around me and slowly pulled me upward. Thanks to it, I returned to the deck comfortably.
“Master, here!”
Elle handed me a thick blanket as I was drenched in cold seawater. Wrapped in it, I gazed out at the sea. Ken was looking back at me.
“Thank you so much, Ken.”
-Ooooooo....
“Don't be sad. We'll meet again someday.”
-Oooooooo....
“Stay healthy. Good luck.”
Just in case there were any lingering wounds, I reached out, clasped the tentacle with my hand, and used [Forest's Healing]. As my mana flowed in, the tentacle writhed and stretched repeatedly. It was just a light graze needing a bit of ointment, but it seemed delighted. Was it acting spoiled?
Our meeting was far too brief, our farewell far too short. The tentacle stroked me for a long while before slowly, very slowly, retreating below the ship. Then it headed toward the vast, distant ocean. The Abyss... a place even I didn't know.
A mix of pride and faint sorrow filled a corner of my heart. So this is the feeling. The one in dramas where parents gaze endlessly at their child departing on a train or bus. Knowing it's not forever, yet feeling so reluctant and forlorn to let them go.
I stared at the sea long after Ken vanished, now calm. The sunset was dyeing the path it took in gold.
'...See you next time.'
I whispered words that wouldn't reach it, alone.
* * *
Fortunately, the captain regained consciousness before the sun fully set. The spot where Elle hit him was quite swollen, so I pretended not to know and used [Nature's Healing] on him.
“You must have been attacked by sea goblins.”
“Ah, ugh, the Kraken. The Kra—!”
“It's common to hallucinate after a head injury. You should rest well as soon as we get back.”
“H-Hallucination?!”
“Yes. You must have seen one while we were dealing with the sea goblins.”
I replied nonchalantly and pulled out two gold coins, handing them to the captain.
“Here, use one for treatment costs. The other for ship repairs.”
“Uh, uh.... Th-Thank you.”
“No problem. It's compensation for the risk you took.”
The captain dazedly accepted the gold coins. With such a generous amount, there shouldn't be any further issues. Ken was heading to the Abyss anyway, so no one would witness it... For his own sake, it was best if the captain forgot about the Kraken. Remembering up to the sea goblins would be good for everyone.
“We've wiped out all the sea goblins, so the coral reef area should be safe from now on.”
“Y-You really took care of those sea goblin bastards...”
“Yes. As I mentioned, we've cleared out the sea goblin packs in the Ekaitz sea region before.”
“Heh.... Y-You're truly amazing.”
“It's all thanks to you bravely guiding us here without fear.”
I smiled casually and helped him up.
“Well then, shall we head back now?”