Chapter 62
Chapter 62
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Translator: penny
Chapter: 62
Chapter Title: Various Friendships (2)
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Early in the morning, I headed to the sea alone. Lloyd had offered to come along, but I turned him down with the excuse that I was short on gill pills.
I used sardines as bait to lure a nearby white seal, rode it to the dungeon's location, then swallowed a gill pill and dove underwater.
First, I meticulously planted black seaweed around the cave that served as the dungeon entrance—thick enough that no one would even notice the cave's existence under normal circumstances. Once I finished planting, the area around the cave had turned into a forest of black seaweed. With the inherent toxicity of the black seaweed itself, no one would be foolish enough to poke around here.
After passing through the dark cave, the dungeon entrance came into view. I could see remnants of sea goblins loitering nearby. Cloaked in my shadow mantle and suppressing my presence, I slipped inside the dungeon. A chilling silence greeted me.
-Piiik!
I blew a long note on the whistle made from an emperor sea horse's skull, and a clear sound echoed out amid bubbles. Moments later, the red kraken hatchling appeared.
It swam over quickly and charged into my arms like an excited puppy. It had only been a day, but its size was now on par with Isla's. Probably thanks to the [Familiar] effect. Though born unusually small for a mutant, it might grow to an enormous size because of [Familiar]....
I stroked what I assumed was its head, then sliced my palm with a dagger and fed it a measured amount of blood. Its body shifted to an even deeper red—so intense it bordered on blackish.
Since I couldn't stay in Ekaitz's territorial waters forever, I planned to teach it how to hunt and then leave.
Together with it, I headed to where I'd previously spotted sea goblin remnants. Even after my group and I had wiped out a huge number of them, plenty still remained.
Training the young kraken turned out to be easier than expected. Thanks to [Familiar] connecting us, I could clearly convey how to hunt sea goblins. Of course, it wasn't as good as its mother teaching it directly... but I did my best.
-Shwoop!
-Thwack!
-Pfsh!
Six sea goblins fell to the young kraken's tentacles. I watched as it devoured the ones it had hunted. Naturally, I didn't forget to praise it.
"Good job, Ken. From now on, sea goblins will be your staple food."
-Mmyu~!
"Glad it suits your taste. Eat as many sea goblins as you want."
Sea goblins had absurd breeding rates, so their presence around here was actually a good thing. The growing kraken devoured massive amounts of food.
Once Ken—formerly the kraken—had cleaned up the sea goblins, I taught it the 'rules': things it must never do. Like destroying this temple, attacking ships, or killing humans....
-Mmyuu~!
Since Ken already saw me as its parent, it accepted the 'no killing humans' rule without issue. What a relief.
After teaching all the rules, I let Ken hunt sea goblins freely and attended to other business.
What business?
'Obviously, the Origin God quest.'
This dungeon—or more precisely, this 'temple'—held the story of the Origin God. A myth unknown to anyone.
'I might not interpret it correctly, but...'
Even the smallest hint was crucial.
I pulled an old book from my pouch and checked the main quest page.
[Main Quest: Find the Origin God's temple.]
It didn't specify what to find or how.
What kind of unfriendly quest was this?
'But I have to complete this to go back.'
I caressed the page I'd stared at countless times with my palm, then closed the book.
'Could this place be the Origin God's temple?'
I checked the main quest page meticulously again. Nothing had changed. Yeah, no way this was the Origin God's temple.
But there was definitely a hint here.
I slowly surveyed the temple interior. It said to find it, so I'd look. For anything.
The temple interior was adorned everywhere with carvings and decorations depicting unknown myths. Of course, thanks to the kraken and all the chaos, most were damaged, with few intact.
'But the altar where the kraken egg was is fine.'
After circling the entire temple, I returned to the altar. Whether it had gorged on sea goblins or not, Ken was now swimming circles around me.
"Eutcha."
I swept away the clutter strewn across the altar and examined the delicately carved stone tablet. It was in ancient script unreadable to ordinary people, but thanks to my [Interpreter] trait, it wasn't hard to understand.
I traced the old characters one by one with my finger and began reading aloud. Like most myths, it started predictably: In the beginning, there was chaos, and from that chaos, the world and life were born. The gods of Eoen, whom I knew well, appeared right at that time.
'...No mention of the Origin God?'
As the literal origin god, shouldn't it appear from the start?
"Hmm...."
Pushing aside the budding suspicion, I continued reading the stone tablet's myth. Stories of the great twelve gods and horrific demons, a world teeming with life and a hell filled only with suffering.
Nowhere was there any mention of the Origin God.
"No way, really?"
Even reading from start to finish again, nothing about the Origin God. I stared blankly at the stone tablet. Despair and fear washed over me. Was the Origin God quest stuck like this?
There were no named users or攻略 pages here. This quest meant I had to solve it with my own strength alone.
'It'll work out... right?'
Maybe there were other stone tablets? Or perhaps the crows had looted important things when they took over....
"Damn it."
Just when things seemed to be falling into place, it twisted like this.
I bit my lip and glared at the stone tablet. As if glaring would make something pop out....
"Huh?"
Wait. I placed my hand on the stone tablet again.
"...This is a steganography, isn't it?"
That's right.
What I'd thought was just a boring myth droning on actually hid steganography upon closer inspection. One line on the left, one in the center, one on the right.
"Earte's...."
I read slowly from the left.
"fragments...."
As I read aloud, the letters began to glow faintly.
"find...."
Earte.
That seemed to be the Origin God's name.
The words I voiced with my own mouth all emitted brilliant light.
[Find Earte's fragments.]
Light filled my vision, soon coalescing into the familiar 'quest window' with sparkling letters.
'It's finally starting.'
My heart pounded. I reached out a trembling hand toward the quest window.
-Fwaaah!
And just like that, I lost consciousness.
* * *
I opened my eyes in endless darkness.
"...Am I dead?"
Far off, a single tree glowing golden came into view. Drawn to it, I walked toward the tree.
Though just one tree, it felt like an entire forest due to its immense size. Its lush green leaves, the gentle breeze rustling through them, the warm light enveloping my body, the cool currents swirling around the tree....
As I drew closer, I saw a child lying in a cradle-like hollow in the tree's trunk.
'A kid in a place like this?'
Skin so white it was translucent, long silver hair cascading in waves. Even at a glance, the parents must be exceptional. The child looked asleep. No breathing sounds, just a serene expression as if dreaming.
Around the child, tiny flowers and fruits bloomed and withered endlessly.
'Incredible life force....'
I stared at the child in a daze.
-Piyoooo!
Then, a long cry echoed from above. Looking up, a bird perched on a branch soared high. Its rainbow feathers sparkled beautifully in the darkness. The bird circled the tree once before slowly descending to land on my shoulder.
"Envis...?"
In this world, the only bird with rainbow feathers was Envis, guardian of the World Tree. It gazed at me with iridescent eyes holding the colors of the universe, then cried out long again.
For some reason, that cry sounded like a plea for help.
I watched it quietly, then turned back to the tree. The child showed no sign of waking.
"...."
Was it sick?
Or....
I knelt on one knee and placed my hand on the child's forehead.
That instant.
-Fwaaaah!
A powerful life force erupted, wrapping around me. A pure power incomparable to anything. Startled, I tried to pull my hand away, but my body wouldn't move. I could only helplessly accept the force.
The multicolored power didn't just envelop me—it devoured the surrounding darkness. And in the darkness's place....
'What... is that?'
Vast landscapes unfolded. Sand pits in deserts, lava-boiling islands, ant-hill-like underground cities, mazes in dark forests, and darkness, endless darkness.
[Find Earte's fragments.]
The words appeared, shimmering. Only then did I realize these landscapes were places hiding the 'Origin God's fragments.'
"...You want me to find all these?"
As if in response, the landscapes merged back into a single light, forming a square piece of paper that fell into my hand.
"A map?"
That's right.
A weathered map had landed in my hand.
-Piyoooo!
As if its business was done, Envis left my shoulder and soared high. Its tail trailed like a rainbow. While I stared blankly, brilliant light enveloped me again.
"Wait, hold on, just a sec!"
Tell me more before you go! Tell me! Before I could shout, my vision went black again just like when I'd passed out, and all strength drained from my body. Damn it, no. No!
"Kuhak!"
...
When I came to, before my eyes was only the desolate temple and a baby kraken looking at me worriedly.
[Quest: Ekaitz Deep Sea Dungeon Conquest - Great Success!]
[Reward: ??? Map]