A Baby Is Born!

"Your swimming radiates pure elegance! Imagine your tail becoming one with the water a little more!"

"R-right!"

It was Nemo, matching her strokes to my clumsy paddling as she coached me along. Nemo had casually suggested we go for a walk, and so we were gliding slowly between the ruins together — though truthfully, my swimming was so pitiful that just keeping Nemo in sight was all I could manage.

Well, if I just waited a little longer—

"Phew… Nemo, you got kicked out too?"

"Yes! I did."

Okay. Good.

I hadn't actually done anything myself, but mentally, it felt like my brain had blue-screened at least a dozen times.

'I've still got a long way to go before I become a true bro….'

Whoosh—

Once again, a blinding white light washed over everything. When I opened my eyes a moment later, the first thing to greet me was a cozy rest room, furnished like a little cottage.

"Oh… so this is the place I saw in the gallery."

A brick fireplace flickered with a soft, wavering glow. A worn but spotless table. And on top of it sat a steaming stew, along with bread that looked freshly baked.

All in all, a pretty homely atmosphere. And conveniently, I happened to be starving.

A tower that even provides meals. Not bad welfare, actually?

Before long, Nemo materialized beside me, wrapped in the same light.

"Nemo, come here and eat some of this with me."

"Yes, my Queen!"

The moment we stepped toward the table, a new notification window popped up before my eyes.

"…Ability name?"

I narrowed my eyes at the ominous premonition. Well, if the rankings wanted me, that had to be a good thing. Maybe I'd just knocked out one of my dreams without even trying.

I'd always wanted to spend some money and become a game ranker someday!

'A newbie-village ranker… ooh.'

Wait, could I actually have a talent for this hunter stuff? Honestly, I barely did anything, but still — Nemo's power is my power, right?

Grrrowl.

…Whatever. Let's just eat!

Nom nom.

At that very moment.

Awakeners Management Bureau Headquarters — Awakener Records Analysis Room.

A suspiciously handsome rookie analyst was hard at work, same as any other day. His job was to review the abilities, traits, and combat records of awakeners as they appeared on his monitor, then compile and classify them.

Still being new, he let even the tiniest record slip past unexamined, and he handled his duties more diligently than anyone — which was already earning him a solid reputation among his colleagues!

"So this awakener has these traits, and—"

Ring.

A notification popped up in the top-left corner of his monitor.

"Huh?"

The rookie froze mid-keystroke and clicked the notification.

"A ranking update at this hour? Well, let's take a look."

He assumed it was the usual — a record refreshed for one of the towers over in Seoul or Daegu. But the moment he checked the region name on the notification—

the rookie's eyes narrowed.

"Tower #41444… J-Jeju Island?"

It didn't take long at all for his pupils to dilate.

…This was not something he could judge on his own.

The rookie sprang from his seat and sprinted down the corridor, headed straight for a senior's office.

BANG—!

"Section Chief! Emergency! This is an emergency!"

The section chief frowned at the rookie who had come kicking the door open without warning.

"Wh-what the— what is it now? Out of nowhere…"

His expression hardened in an instant.

"D-don't tell me you found signs of a tower break?!"

"No, sir! You need to see this right away—!"

With trembling hands, the rookie held out a tablet. The moment the section chief checked the screen—

"…?!"

His eyes went wide as saucers.

"Wh-what the hell is this?"

He practically snatched the tablet out of the rookie's hands and re-checked the record.

"This isn't a data error… is it?"

Then he murmured, as if he couldn't believe the words on the screen.

"The Sunken Tower's first floor… has been cleared?"

"Yes, sir! And the clear time—"

"I-I can read it myself, damn it!"

The section chief swiped down the tablet screen with his finger and shouted.

"One minute forty-one seconds! That's insane — how does that make any sense?!"

"…It doesn't, sir."

The rookie added cautiously.

"It appears this hunter hasn't registered as an awakener yet. So instead of a real name, only the ability name and nationality went up on the board…"

The section chief's gaze dropped to the name on the rankings.

"L-Lord of the Deep Sea?"

Silence hung between the two men for a moment.

An unregistered awakener who had conquered the Sunken Tower in just one minute and forty-one seconds. And on top of that, an ability name of "Lord of the Deep Sea."

From the name alone, an image was already forming in both their heads — a national-power-class hunter, born right there in Jeju, South Korea.

"G-get investigators mobilized, now!"

The section chief shot up from his seat.

"Make contact first! If there are any conditions, report every single one to me!"

He shouted while staring at the words "Lord of the Deep Sea" on the tablet.

"We absolutely cannot let another country take them. Keep them in Korea — whatever it takes!"

"Y-yes, sir! I'll have the investigators shortlisted immediately!"

Hugging the tablet to his chest, the rookie hurried out of the office with an odd expression on his face.

"…Something tells me, if it's this person—"

After I'd finished off the last of the stew—

"Nope!"

I hit the NO button and got out, and only after thirty grueling minutes on foot was I finally able to head home ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠with Nemo.

Thankfully, it was around lunchtime — the hour when most of the neighborhood elders were indoors. Thanks to that, only one grandmother spotted us this time.

"Whew… good work out there, Nemo."

"Rest well, my Queen."

I peeled off my soaked, clinging T-shirt and shorts and tossed them aside. When I hurriedly grabbed some random shirt from the closet, this one, too, turned out to be no-panties territory, with the hem hanging all the way down past my thighs.

Another missing-lower-half dress, huh…. I flung my exhausted body onto the bed.

Technically, I flopped onto my side. *Sigh*….

'This damned tail…. And… I need to order some underwear and a bra online later….'

It felt so empty down there right now, and if a breeze happened to blow up, I was worried I might develop a whole new set of tastes.

Meanwhile, Nemo had neatly folded and set aside her wet, bloodstained… dress. And then, rather than "changing into" her scarlet gown again—

it was more accurate to say the scarlet gown and its ornaments bloomed into existence over her bare body.

After lazing around in bed for a while, I forced myself into the shower. And oddly enough, the fatigue that had been crushing my body vanished like it had never existed.

'…Wait, does this mean I don't need to mainline coffee for gaming anymore?!'

A body that recovers its stamina just from touching water.

Not bad at all, actually?

Ring ring! Pop!

"Nnngh! This is too much…! Who on earth designed this level expecting anyone to clear it?!"

On the sofa, Nemo was still furiously grinding away at Super Plumber. I watched her for a moment, reassured, and opened my inventory.

There it was: Leviathan's Crystal Egg (Alpha Individual) · S.

I carefully took it out.

The egg was about the size of an adult's head. Its surface was a deep, rich blue, densely etched with patterns resembling black scales.

I set the egg on the table for now. Obviously not to make an omelet out of it.

"Item description?"

Peep—

A translucent window floated up into the air.

'And what exactly counts as "appropriate," huh?'

Hmm. Maybe soak it in seawater?

…Surely it doesn't mean I have to actually sit there and brood the egg myself?

I debated for a moment, then pulled out my phone.

Ehehe. Might as well show off and ask around while I'm at it.

Not a ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠single normal answer in the bunch. And judging by the reactions, this egg wasn't exactly a common reward either.

Which meant the only action within my common-sense range was—

Brood it. Eggs are meant to be kept warm and nurtured, after all. Yep.

Still, just in case, I figured I'd ask Nemo too. She might be a little short on common sense, but when it came to the sea, she was pretty capable.

"Nemo! Hey, what about this—"

"J-just one moment, my Queen!!"

Nemo cried out desperately, her eyes glued to the screen.

"It's right there! The final jump…!"

Boing, boing—!

Thwack.

Deee-deee-deee-deee….

The plumber on the screen leapt into the air… and simply dropped.

"Ah…."

'Did I kill him?'

Nemo's hand slowly lowered. Then she hung her head, like someone bearing the weight of a terrible sin.

"I-I'm… s-sorry. I have shown you something shameful…!"

"No, no, it's fine."

I waved my hands awkwardly.

"That happens to everyone when they game."

"What did you need, my Queen?"

"What am I supposed to do with this? Brood it, right?"

Nemo studied the egg I was cradling in both hands, turning it this way and that. Then she beamed and nodded.

"Ah, most likely so. It seems you must keep it at a proper temperature while you brood it."

Nemo's eyes sparkled.

"You intend to hatch it!"

"Yep. It looked nice, so."

"…Hmm."

Nemo made an odd face as she regarded the egg.

"I find it difficult to agree that it 'looks nice'… but if it pleases you, my Queen, I shall gladly follow!"

'Um, excuse me? Even I have trouble accepting Nemo's standards where an S-rank egg is somehow "not nice"…?'

Was it that she was simply too strong for this world? Or was she just missing some common sense?

'…Probably both.'

In any case, if there was one place fit for brooding an egg, it was my bedroom.

Cradling the egg in both arms, I headed for the bedroom, Nemo pattering along behind me. I gently lowered the egg onto the bed, lay down beside it, and rolled onto my side so my tail wouldn't get squished.

Okay. Now to actually brood the thing….

'What position do I brood it in?'

There was definitely a specific pose for this. The way a mother animal curls her body around her young — I was pretty sure I'd seen it on Animal Kingdom once.

I drew the egg in toward my belly, then carefully wrapped both arms around it. Then I pulled my long shark tail forward to cradle the bottom of the egg in a gentle curve.

"…Gah."

The egg slotted snugly between my body and my tail.

'Was this it?'

Nemo, watching from the side, wore a decidedly dangerous expression. Her mouth was slack with delight, like she'd witnessed something unbearably precious, her face one second away from drooling.

"…What's wrong with ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠you?"

"…Ah!"

Nemo snapped back to her senses with a jolt.

"N-nothing! It is only that you are so, so beautiful, and…"

She averted her eyes and fidgeted with her fingers.

"There is an air about you, somewhere beyond all reach — so untouchable, so regal—"

"…."

Her intent was painfully obvious. I sighed and pulled the egg a little tighter against me.

And in that very moment—

Crack.

Crack.

A fissure split across the egg's surface.

"…Huh?"

No way. Wasn't this hatching way too fast?

Frozen in my brooding pose, I watched the cracks spread wider and wider.

Crack-criiick—!

At last, one side of the shell broke apart from within. And what emerged from the gap was—

not that nightmarish tuna spawn I'd battled on the surface.

A tiny body covered in deep blue scales. A head and torso like a lizard's, with soft fins along both sides. Plus short, chubby little limbs.

Unable to hold itself upright yet, the little thing squirmed and wriggled among the broken shell.

"…What."

It was so much smaller than I'd imagined. Far less terrifying. Honestly… kind of adorable.

"Piii-ahh…!"

The moment the baby Leviathan spotted me, it flailed its short little arms as if to say pick me up.

I carefully cleared away the remaining shell so it wouldn't get hurt, then lifted the baby out of the egg. Whereupon the baby seized one of my fingers in both tiny hands.

And with no intention whatsoever of letting go, it squeezed with all its little might.

"Piii-aaahh…."

'In the space of a day I turned into a woman, then a queen, and now I'm a mom too, huh.'

My life is just one dynamite rollercoaster, isn't it….

Peep—!

"Hmm."

A name, huh.

I gazed at the baby Leviathan, still clutching my finger and gumming away at it.

…A name worthy of a grand destiny — one day, this child would grow to wreck and rule the sea dragons themselves. And so—

"Nyongnyong."

"Piii-ahh…?"

That probably meant she liked it… right?

'…Did I put in too little effort there?'

"Oh."

So there was a buff for this too. Come to think of it, if I'd had to raise a Leviathan for ten, twenty years the old-fashioned way, it would've been hopeless. It's not like I was trying to run a long-term parenting simulator.

But then, immediately—

"Baa-ah!"

As if she'd been waiting for exactly this, Nyongnyong thrust her short little arms out with all her might, straight toward my chest.

"…."

In silence, I laid out my options.

Defending my manhood — which may or may not even exist anymore.

VERSUS

Making Nyongnyong insanely strong.

…Which one held more value?

The answer, obviously, was—