Banished from the herd, I was actually a member of a very rare species. ~With the unique skills that only I can use, I can grow and evolve quickly. I will become an unrivaled monster~ - Episode 126: The Underground Lake

Episode 126: The Underground Lake

(Note: Special for this chapter the MC’s dialogue is written in ‘…..’)

The Kingdom of Isa—a place more like a town than a country—is located in a vast cavern where the concentration of |Mana| varies by location. The area near the hill where the town sits has the thinnest |Mana|, but it grows denser as you move toward the forest, reaching its peak at the underground lake beyond the forest.

“There aren’t any large beasts nearby.”

“Got it.”

We were floating above this very underground lake. Riding a metal boat about the size of a fishing vessel, we ventured through the lake, home to dangerous beasts. You might wonder if a heavyweight like me might sink this boat. But there’s no need to worry. I’ve created a downgraded version of the crimson wings of the Mecha God, officially named “Burning Wing” by the scholars. By constantly operating it at low power, I can reduce my weight.

“Alright, let’s move a little further in,” 

Tanasis, the helmsman, said as he pulled the lever, and the boat slowly began to move. This boat, officially called the “Type-9 Magic Stone Ship for Lake and Marsh Research”, is a genuine artifact. Operating it requires specialized knowledge and skills, but Tanasis handles it with ease. Scholars in this kingdom are expected to have all sorts of knowledge, including the ability to pilot such a vessel.

“Hey, look over there! A fish jumped!”

“Where? Oh wow, it really did!”

“How did you even spot that from so far away? Your eyesight is way too good!”

Fisu, Paula, and Krissa were all watching the lake together. Fisu, in particular, was fascinated, as she’d never seen a fish before. She was intently staring at the water’s surface, excited every time she spotted one.

‘(There are usually beasts here too… but even with the dense |Mana|, it’s still on the same level as a Greater Beast Region. Should be fine.)’

In this massive cavern, the most powerful monsters are Grand Beasts. They’re said to appear on land only once every ten years or so, and they mostly reside deep within the underground lake. Of course, even on the water, we can’t let our guard down… but with this group, we’ve got plenty of backup, so no worries.

‘Hey, can I ask you something?’

“Hm? What is it, Katsu?” 

‘How about we try some fishing?’

I suggested this while pulling a rod out of my spatial expansion bag. Ever since we decided to come to the lake, I’d been thinking about fishing again. Thanks to Paula’s upgrades to the spatial expansion enchantment, I had plenty of room in my pouch. So I brought a fishing rod along.

“Fishing, huh? The river was too far from home, so I’ve never tried it.”

“Did you make that, Katsu?”

‘Yeah, just used a [Skill] to whip it up real quick.’

It’s a rod I crafted, complete with a reel using artifacts. I consulted with Xanthos for the fishing line yesterday. As for the hook, I crafted it myself since it technically counts as a weapon.

‘—Well, that’s how you use it. Want to give it a shot?’

“Sounds fun!”

“I want to try too!”

“I’ll pass. I’ve got guard duty,” 

Krissa said. She always stayed ready with her weapon. Fishing, which would occupy both hands, was out of the question for her.

“You don’t need to worry about guarding,” 

Xanthos chimed in. 

“Paula’s detection [Skills] are superb. And although it’s not perfect, we’re also running |Mana| radar for surveillance. I can handle any emergency myself. You joining them for some fun won’t be an issue.”

“I- I see… alright, I’ll give it a try.”

‘Great! Let’s fish to our heart’s content!’

And so, my first fishing experience in another world began. We used pieces of Greater Beast meat as bait. And thanks to Paula finding a school of small fish, we were in an ideal fishing spot. At one point, a Greater Beast tried to attack us, but I repelled it with my [Unique Skill]. In fact, that was part of the reason we came to the lake—to test out the capabilities of [Thunderstorm Rich Harvest – Minori no Jingi].

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Unique Skill Details

[Thunderstorm Rich Harvest – Minori no Jingi] 

• • • • • • • •  Maximizes harvest yield.

• • • • • • • •  Allows manipulation of thunder to enhance the earth or harvest life. 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

The second part of the [Skill], “harvesting life with lightning,” is essentially an instant death attack. I had already tested it on land, and it worked flawlessly against anything below Grand Beast level. However, the first part mentions “enhancing the earth.” While it seems unlikely, if “earth” somehow applied to “life,” it might not work on aquatic beasts. So, just to be sure, I tested it here… and as expected, my worries were unfounded. The Greater Beasts approaching the boat were struck down instantly.

With that, we returned to the harbor and brought our haul of fish ashore. We caught so much that we enlisted the help of the local fishermen to sell some of it, with the rest going to our meals.

The port, bustling more than usual in anticipation of the Earth God Festival, was full of people hurrying about. At that moment, a young child, likely playing some game of tag, ran while looking elsewhere and collided with a fisherman carrying a wooden crate. There was no time to intervene.

“Whoa!”

“Huh? … Oh, sorry about that.”

The burly fisherman turned around and spotted the child, who had fallen to the ground. Seeing the scraped knees of the child, the fisherman looked sheepish. Just then, Krissa appeared.

“Let me take a look. [Wounds Erase].”

She raised her hand and activated a spell, causing the child’s injuries to disappear in an instant. This was the power of her Wound Attribute. It seems to be a unique Attribute that allows her to heal or attack in unconventional ways.

“Thanks, nee-chan!”

“You’re welcome. But hey, you need to watch where you’re running, okay?”

“Ugh…”

“And you too, if you’re going to play, go do it at the park.”

“We’re sorry…”  

Both children apologized before running off. After scolding them briefly, Krissa returned to where I was standing, looking relaxed and used to such interactions.

‘You’re kind, aren’t you?’

“You think so? Any healer would’ve done the same, right?”

‘No, no, being able to step in quickly to help someone in need when there’s a crowd is admirable. And scolding the kids properly, too.’

I’m not great at firmly telling people off myself, so I should really learn from her attitude.

“Yeah… Helping people in need is the right and honorable thing to do. I’m sure my old man would say the same…”

“Hey, Katsu! Krissa! The trade’s all done!”  

‘Well, we should get going.’

I headed over to Paula with Krissa, who was about to open her mouth. But I didn’t notice the brief expression of anguish that flashed across Krissa’s face.