This Beast-Tamer is a Little Strange

Thinking again of the numerous creatures above and the fate of that bear, Kain ruled out flying above the water.

If he did so, he'd likely be the target for those flying creatures, as well as whatever was within the water.

Both of them could easily kill him, but at least within the water he'd only have to worry about one.

He recalled how ages ago, he'd obtained a spiritual plant that would allow him to breathe underwater for a period of time when he was spinning the Selective Wheel of Fortune provided by the System that exclusively provided spiritual plants and seeds.

Every week, he'd also make sure to visit the System Shop whenever it refreshed and purchase anything that seemed as though it would be helpful to him in the future.

Although certain useful objects likely slipped through the cracks—like the true compass which always pointed to your destination— that would have come in handy now or in the future, he'd also built up quite a stash of unique objects that may help him now.n/ô/vel/b//in dot c//om

Already deciding to use the Aetheric Breath Orchid which he'd kept in storage this entire time, he looked at what other tools he had at his disposal to swim across the water with his head and all of his limbs intact.

Kain rummaged through his space ring and also asked his lab assistant Vera for a catalogue of all of the objects he'd stored in the lab.

Many of the objects he'd exchanged for from the System had been chosen for their potential usefulness in situations just like this—though even he couldn't have predicted something quite as ridiculous as swimming across a predator-infested moat with an indigo-grade monster lurking beneath the surface.

The Aetheric Breath Orchid was carefully removed first. Its translucent petals glowed faintly in the dark, and its roots still exuded a soft, ethereal mist. Crushing a single petal between his teeth would allow him to breathe underwater for up to an hour. While that didn't guarantee safety, it at least solved one immediate problem.

Setting the orchid aside, Kain turned his attention to other listed objects in the catalogue proved by Vera. The description for a small vial caught his eye:

"Murkveil Oil, capable of temporarily concealing its user's spiritual presence. Most effective for spiritual creatures at and below indigo-grade."

He wasn't sure how effective the oil would be within the water, especially since their may be other spiritual creatures higher than indigo-grade underneath, but anything that reduced the odds of detection was worth trying.

Finally, his attention turned to a set of Aqua-Fin Bands, lightweight metal rings he had exchanged on a whim.

Once activated, they would attach to the wrists and ankles, allowing the user to swim much faster than normal. He hadn't tested them yet, but if they worked as described by the system, they could mean the difference between life and death. Even if something does detect him, if he swims fast enough they wouldn't be able to catch him.

When he almost finished going through everything he owned, one final object he'd exchanged from the System came to mind.

Kain removed a small, glowing white fruit encased in a protective crystal shell.

The Lurefruit emitted an alluring fragrance even through its container. It was said to be irresistible to most spiritual creatures, drawing them in like moths to a flame.

There was always a chance that he'd catch the eye of a spiritual creature beneath the water above indigo-grade. And if he did, then whether it's the oil to conceal his presence, or the bands to increase his speed—they'd all be useless.

Therefore, to increase the safety of his journey, he'd need to make sure that the creatures in the water were distracted by something else.

Without the fruit even being removed from its casing yet, the water before him began to churn violently, the surface breaking as dark shapes swirled beneath, their movements frantic and aggressive.

Moreover, activity erupted in the cloud above, which Kain hadn't expected but welcomed. The metallic feathered birds shrieked, and one dove sharply toward the water as though hunting prey, only to swoop back up and circle the area after a massive fish-like head filled with thousands of needle-like teeth rose to meet it, they were both clearly stimulated by the fruit's presence, trying to locate its exact location.

Kain handed the encased fruit to a Vespid guard who would have to act as the sacrifice. The poor creature buzzed solemnly as though sensing its imminent doom—however, the fearless guards never shied away from death, even when it was certain.

Kain smeared some of the Murkveil Oil on the guard to buy it a few extra seconds, and directed it to fly above the water as far from Kain's location as possible before opening the container and the guard did as Kain directed.

The guard didn't hesitate to follow the command, darting toward the designated area with the encased fruit held firmly between four of its six legs.

It didn't make it far.

Even before the Vespid guard neared the center of the water and opened the container, chaos erupted.

An aquatic monster beneath surged upward, breaking the surface with terrifying speed as it snapped its massive jaws around the fruit and the Vespid in a single bite. Simultaneously, several of the skyborne predators dove toward the water, talons outstretched, shrieking in fury.

What followed was a storm of violence. Spiritual creatures from the water, and sky met, tearing into each other with wild abandon. Blood sprayed in every direction, staining the water crimson as roars, screeches, and splashes filled the air.

Kain watched the carnage for a brief moment, a Thread of Destiny at the corner of his vision emitted a soft glow—not exceptionally bright but a huge improvement over the pitch black it was before.

Realizing this signalled that the time had come to take advantage of the opportunity he'd created, without hesitation, he crushed the Aetheric Breath Orchid petal between his teeth, applied the Murkveil Oil, and activated the Aqua-Fin Bands.

As the creatures tore at each other apart in a berserk frenzy, Kain slipped into the water on the opposite side of the chaos, his form disappearing beneath the surface with barely a ripple.