What Are You Planning to Do With It?

[We haven't even tried with this team yet, and you're already giving up?]

[Uh, ah, no...]

[Whether it's possible or impossible. If someone's offering to help you achieve what you want, there's no need to start by declaring it impossible without even asking how.]

It was the act of giving up without even thinking of trying.

But Rune understood the environment Amelia had been in.

She must have felt her own powerlessness countless times as the darkness devoured her body.

The first thing she'd learned, in order to accept the reality that she couldn't expel all the darkness and leave freely, was how to 'give up.'

It's impossible to fix her mindset all at once. So I need to remind her of those primal desires she once yearned ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠for.

- I want to wake my parents.

- I want to escape the darkness.

And now, more desires are piling on.

- I don't want to be alone.

- I want to grow my abilities.

- I want to eat delicious food.

- I want to see the world.

Rune smirked, lifting one corner of his mouth as those thoughts surfaced.

Her greed knows no bounds. Perfect.

Unlike her passive, quiet appearance, he could clearly see her swelling wishes multiplying endlessly.

If I can just break that habit of habitual surrender, she might become greedier than even me.

Rune foresaw that Amelia would develop desires surpassing his own.

After their rest, they resumed hunting.

The monster now before them. A massive Leviathan.

It had suddenly attacked from the darkness, swinging a tail as thick as a tree trunk toward them.

Even in the pitch-black deep sea, it exuded an exceptionally dark and ominous aura before bursting forth like a raging lion.

The group all noticed and dodged, and a pillar-thick tail slammed down where they'd stood.

- Boom! Rumble rumble!

A powerful surge of water pressure crashed in the tail's wake, whipping the currents into a frenzy.

The group handled the aftermath without a single one getting swept away, naturally reforming their ranks.

This even drew a bit of admiration from Rune.

Their growth is quick, as expected.

Heungmi, Dullahan, and Amelia were gradually getting used to coordinating with each other.

Now they seamlessly swapped positions without words, their support and attack-rear linkages flawless.

"Amelia-unnie!"

[Y-yeah!]

Heungmi's Allure partially neutralized the foe's madness, and as if on cue, Amelia's purifying light erupted.

- Kiyaaaaah!

However, the Leviathan spewed out the uncleaned madness, its black maw lined with ivory fangs gaping wide to swallow them whole.

A mouth that could chomp a full-sized ship in one bite.

The viciousness seeped from its sleek scales.

True to a monster that preyed on deep-sea beasts, it reveled in slaughter, radiating savage energy.

- Grrr...!

The evil emanating from it reeked, pressing down on the group.

As the bewildered party faced the Leviathan, Rune's calm command echoed.

"Kyuu... woo!"

[No intelligence, but instincts that are ferocious and cunning. Everyone, stay sharp.]

At Rune's telepathy, they all fixed serious eyes on the Leviathan.

The coiled sea slayer, steeped in madness, had evolved into an even more grotesque creature.

Gray eyes just above its lips gleamed with pale light.

Its form alone choked the breath with terror.

Amelia steadied her heart, calmly preparing a stronger Word of Power: Purification.

Stay calm... calm. If I can't get past this guy, I can't save my parents.

Biting her lip hard, Amelia unleashed the purifying light once more.

The Leviathan's body whitened, then its all-white eyes flashed with black pupils.

[I-it... worked...!]

She instinctively felt the purification succeed.

As joyful Amelia lowered her spear and smiled brightly—

Sploooosh!

Cleaving the water, the Leviathan's gaping maw arrived before the mermaid in an instant.

Wha...?

Kwaaang!

The alert Dullahan grabbed the upper jaw with both hands, left foot planted firm, right foot stomping the lower fangs to hold it back.

Screeeeech!

Inertia pushed his body back, but Amelia snapped to her senses and twisted away.

She swiftly aimed her spear-tip and fired a water cannon.

Buuwoom! Boom!

- Kieeeek!

Seizing the opening as the Leviathan's head jerked back, Amelia and Dullahan quickly withdrew.

The beast, having missed its prey right before its eyes, let out a heavy rumble, its hungry gaze flashing.

As they repositioned to keep the foe in sight, Amelia's pupils trembled faintly.

[Th-this... can't be. I-I purified... it...!]

[That's just its true nature. It reverted to normal. More importantly—]

Rune continued as he cast spells on the group.

[Plug your ears tight.]

[...!?]

Rather than minding Amelia's shock, Rune focused elsewhere.

Dullahan... Gonna use that?

Hearing Rune's telepathy, Dullahan immediately stood alone before the Leviathan.

As the others plugged their ears, a mouth formed on Dullahan's black helm-face and gaped wide.

A cry rising from the deep abyss exploded forth.

"Kyaaang!"

[Agh, wh-what...!?]

"Jjaaaak!"

Heungmi, Amelia, and Baekya startled violently, covering their ears with wary eyes.

The cursed soul's roar.

The deep sea churned, lesser monsters leaping wildly.

Rune calmly pressed his front paws to both ears.

Even with magic barriers, it's this intense.

Tsking his tongue, he pulled up Dullahan's info.

Rune eyed the final ▲ Warning: Howl ▲ again.

Good thing I noticed. What if I hadn't caught it in advance?

A Death Knight's howl was the final death sentence upon its target.

The Leviathan gurgled foam, twisting in agony, eyes rolling back as it thrashed.

It looked like desperate resistance against invisible death.

If it gets too loud, other monsters might swarm.

Feeling the need to act, Rune grabbed a sphere of pitch-black darkness and swiftly shoved it down the Leviathan's throat.

The beast resisted swallowing the power of darkness, but it all forced its way ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠in, bloating its belly.

Soon, the swollen body deflated to normal as if nothing happened.

Light faded from its eyes, and the Leviathan went limp, drained of strength.

Dullahan raised both hands to catch the falling massive corpse, while Heungmi guarded ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠Amelia against any threats.

Rune opened a sub-space pouch toward Dullahan.

[What're you waiting for? Get it in there.]

Dullahan silently shoved the Leviathan into the pouch.

[J-just... like that? Shove it... in?]

"Kyuuwoo."

No need to mention its soul got devoured by darkness.

He'd preserved the soul, but it was as good as alive-dead.

Amelia flinched at Rune's nonchalant reply, feeling uneasy.

Ignoring her, Rune stowed his pouch.

[That's enough for today. It'll get intense starting tomorrow, so rest well. Good work, everyone.]

"Hee! Heungmi had fun!"

Heungmi beamed, baring her front teeth, thrilled by the crises they'd overcome.

[G-good... work...]

To Heungmi and Amelia's greetings, Dullahan lightly placed a hand on his chest and bowed.

Field cleanup complete.

Almost no unpurified fields remained nearby.

With the area now pure water domain, prep for tomorrow's decisive battle was nearly done.

Won't have time for small fries against the Blue Dragons. Better clear 'em now.

Growing Amelia while absorbing darkness power, purifying monsters.

Heungmi's Allure ability growth.

Party teamwork training.

Acquired field boss monster 'Leviathan.'

And confirming Dullahan's stats with his own eyes.

Satisfactory. A pretty solid day.

Still, training was just training.

No intent to exhaust them fully as mere warm-up.

Having checked their max potential via mana cooking, all tasks were done.

Just one last thing to confirm.

Rune headed toward the mana-key passage, calling Amelia.

[Amelia. That desire to restore your parents—still unchanged?]

[Why... ask... that...?]

[Like that Leviathan today, I can't guarantee your purified parents will match the image you hope for.]

Shadow fell over Amelia's face.

The girl, who'd vaguely just wanted to free them from the curse, now pondered deeply after seeing various purification results.

But she soon nodded with resolved expression.

[Y-yeah. Still... I'll wake them. Like you said... not even trying... would leave me... with too much... regret. Because... if I can't... I'll really... have... nothing... left.]

Then Heungmi grabbed Amelia's hand, looking up.

"Don't worry. Heungmi will cheer you on together. It'll be fine for sure!"

The words, filled with pure wish and faith, warmed Amelia through, beyond reality.

"Heungmi wants Amelia-unnie to be super duper happy from ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠now on!"

The mermaid girl's eyes widened round, then she smiled softly.

[Th-thanks... I...]

After fumbling her lips several times, she carefully strung words together.

[Like... Heungmi, there are people who want me... to be happy. So, it's okay. I'll... wake my parents.]

Clank!

Dullahan nodded, straightening his torso more rigidly and marching briskly.

"Amelia-unnie, so cool-!"

Heungmi giggled like bells, thumbs-up high.

Blushing Amelia shook her head, murmuring no, but her eyes weren't displeased.

Rune smirked arms-crossed, unbeknownst to them.

This much, I can rest easy.

All preparations complete.

Three days to the final battle.

Rune planned to end it all within.

Back at Christina's Lair, Rune recalled Heungmi's info in his mind.

The Fire Affinity and Allure traits had risen from Beginner to Intermediate.