New Power (3)

Two years ago, I'd started preparing for this. I'd taken on the queen's commission, only pausing midway when my former father-in-law Hireger asked me to meet Vera. With my powers lost, the work had inevitably stalled for those two years, but the preliminary investigation was already complete by then.

Five years prior, the reason the queen's mother had performed that religious ritual in the middle of the ocean was to offer the hundreds of followers on board as sacrifices to an ancient sea god, all so she could become a god herself. She'd deliberately sunk the ship and used countless lives as tribute. But the result was failure. Far from becoming a god, the backlash from the dark sorcery twisted her into a grotesque "undead godmother."

Given her proficiency in dark sorcery in life, even as a monster, her skills wouldn't have rusted. Her transformation likely let her draw even greater power from the darkness, making her stronger. So I approached with caution.

And then, while the Settered party's attention was elsewhere, I slipped behind her and severed her neck.

If we'd clashed head-on, even I would've had a tough time.

High-level magical beasts' mental attacks are hard for me to withstand under normal circumstances. That's why adventures demand companions—to cover each other's weaknesses.

But right now, I was alone. Which was exactly why I could sneak up silently and slay the queen's mother without a sound.

Slash!

One clean stroke beheaded her. Her head tore free with a snap. Not a single drop of blood spilled—undead, after all.

The monster's head gaped wide in disbelief, staring at me as it slowly sank. Against an undead, the hero's sword brimming with holy energy causes their rotten flesh to melt on contact, burning the entire body away.

The queen's mother suffered the same fate. Starting from the severed neck, she began to smolder. Her detached head and body oxidized separately in the water until nothing remained.

All that was left was the necklace... and...

"Oh."

I let out a short exclamation of admiration and snatched the sinking necklace and "that thing" from the water.

This was what the dead queen's mother had left behind: a small, glowing white orb.

It was different from the charm orb the prince had dropped last week. This was an "Isle"—a supernatural power source.

The external power the ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠queen's mother had absorbed in life. ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠Since it wasn't originally hers, it dropped out upon her death.

"To think she had an Isle. Impressive."

I swallowed it in one gulp. Mine now.

Isles are scattered throughout the world, but most hide in treacherous places, making them incredibly hard to find. No one knows how they form—just that they arise naturally. And each one grants entirely different abilities.

I wonder what power this Isle holds...

As the Isle slid down my throat, it burst like fire in my stomach. Then came the strange sensation of its fragments spreading through my body.

And that was it.

"..."

I checked my body in bewilderment. Suddenly, a spell flashed in my mind, imprinting itself firmly into my brain, click by click.

Did I just gain a magic technique?

I cast the spell immediately.

Bang!

Mana rippled out from me in waves, affecting every living thing within a 50-meter radius. Swimming fish froze, trembling in place. A massive ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠pufferfish passing by dropped dead from shock. Even the coral polyps, wriggling like they were dancing, spat out their plankton in terror, filling the area with a hazy cloud of debris.

Incredible.

I marveled as I canceled the spell. The surrounding fish scattered in panic, mouths gaping.

I leaned against the deck railing, staring blankly at the endless sea.

His traces still lingered on the hem of her skirt near her hips, dried into white crusts. Brushing it off turned it to powder that fluttered away.

His cock was bigger than my dead husband's.

Sophia shook her head vigorously. What am I even thinking?

That outsider's cock that had plunged straight into her core. The memory kept resurfacing, making it impossible to focus.

Think about the kids to clear my head. The kids, the kids...

But soon enough, Naru popped back into her mind. Fortunately, it was just an ordinary thought this time. She got lucky.

Naru was a famous hero and a high-earning adventurer. She was thrilled to have secured a steady gig with someone like that. Even better, he had great manners. Talented people always had some rough edges, but spending time with him revealed no real hardships. He paid generously for minimal work, leaving her feeling guilty instead.

Even during sex... she could feel how much he considered her feelings. He never lost control to lust or overstepped—just did what needed doing and wrapped it up, earning high marks.

Is he the type who only lives for work?

She'd heard he'd been divorced... must've left a deep scar. Had the shock turned him into a workaholic? Pity welled up in her for him.

"But why hasn't he come back? Did something happen...?"

Before leaving, I decided to search the sunken wreck. Maybe more gold or jewels had spilled out.

But contrary to expectations, no treasure anywhere. Whether someone had already looted it or not, the ship held only corroded junk. I cleared out the crabs infesting the rooms, stripped away seaweed, even ransacked the queen mother's bedroom—nothing useful.

Did someone really take it all? Maybe sea folk?

"Nothing. Let's head back."

Tsking my tongue, I swam out of her bedroom and down the corridor. Then a shabby nameplate caught my eye on a random door.

James?

James was the queen mother's loyal lover. My investigation two years ago revealed he had insane stamina. Legends said his erect cock measured a whopping 20cm—he'd tie a rope around it and pull a carriage for half a day, or piss hard enough to crack boulders.

A playboy who'd bedded every woman in town, until the queen mother gave ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠him a job and made him her closest aide. Day and night, they were inseparable, letting him strut with authority in the cult.

So this was that guy's room...

Something might be left behind. Lately, I desperately needed anything stamina-related.

I smashed the door open. An old skeleton lay on the bed, limbs splayed wide in a shape, bound by handcuffs and shackles. Signs of struggle to escape.

Is this skeleton James?

The scene told the story. The queen mother must've chained him forcibly and sunk with him. Another sacrifice, probably.

Anything here...?

I rummaged through James's room. Like the others, impact from the sinking had scattered everything. Flipping items made small critters scurry out.

"Huh? This is...?"

Righting a toppled wardrobe revealed a brightly glowing orb. An Isle.

Lucky break.

I snatched it up and glanced at the skeleton on the bed.

"Yours, huh."

Bon appétit.

Gulp.

Best to claim an Isle immediately upon discovery. No Isle harms its owner—pure profit, always.

Ugh...

As it sank into my stomach, that familiar odd sensation swept through me. A new spell flashed in my mind, imprinting click by click.

My eyes widened. An Isle like this existed?

Rare luck indeed. One Isle granting two magic techniques—what a jackpot.

Amazing.

Not just two, but perfectly tailored to my current needs—sex techniques, no less. Maybe because I'd been struggling with sex lately, but I was happier than on my wedding night.

Penis Recovery restores your cock to pristine, unused condition after ejaculation fatigue—once per day. Penis Elasticity Enhancement maxes out erection rigidity...

Too much sex yesterday and today had my balls aching with every move. Time to test.

The moment I cast it, the pain in my balls vanished clean. My cock felt hypersensitive, like a month of nofap.

Oh...

It works. Good, great.

Next one.

Nothing. No growth, no reaction.

Ah... gotta cast it while erect, huh.

Suddenly, my fin-ears twitched involuntarily. Faint ripples and sound waves from above. Listening closely, it was signals from the surface.

Since turning merfolk, I'd gained the ability to detect waves and sounds. Sophia and the crew were definitely up there, splashing the water with poles en masse. Checking if I was dead or alive. If alive, come up quick. Our prearranged signal.

Better head back.

I'd gotten the queen mother's necklace and lucked into two Isles. That was plenty.

I swam out of the wreck, heading for the surface. But behind a coral-covered rock, someone stood.

Looking closer, a beautiful mermaid with red hair, staring right at me.

What the...?

I drifted toward her unthinkingly. She bolted with her fish-like tail, swimming fast.

I could've chased hard and caught her, but I let it go and surfaced instead.