Thera 1.08

“[Incandescent Expulsion]!”

Brilliant streaks of sparkling light shot up in the shape of a crown from the base of the sunken ship. It illuminated the dark sea like underwater fireworks. It burned the Colossus Phlegling even in the water. The giant monsters reeled back as a small figure zipped up to it.

After a moment’s struggle, the small figure came out victorious over the creature over ten times her size. Mors, the Luminant Lophis, drew back and cast her gaze over the Dungeon. She saw a colossal wreck— a vast landscape of death and destruction that spread out as far as she could see. One that she was very much acquainted with.

She’d scoured the Dungeon time and time again. For so many years— decades, even— she’d search for the Treasure of Brunnholl’s Fleet. The only cure to her loneliness. Yet, she couldn’t find it. It was far too vast to search thoroughly, and Mors was tired. So, so tired.

It was a graveyard. There were remains of thousands of ships, half-buried in the seabed. Only a single ship remained. And it stood behind her, wedged between two tall spike-like rocks, slowly crumbling, but still surviving.

Closing her eyes, Mors whispered, “Hopefully there won’t be any more of them.”

The corpses of four Colossus Phleglings lay beneath the Luminant Lophis and she returned to the ship. She entered through a gaping hole in the hull and swam up the flooded stairs. It was odd. Mors had lived here in this Dungeon for all her life, yet the Colossus Phleglings rarely ever assailed this ship.

This was their main nest. Where they’d lay most of their young. It made no sense for them to come here and endanger their offspring. If this kept up, the ship itself could potentially collapse, exposing both the Pygmy and Juvenile Phleglings to the dangers from the deep sea that occasionally wandered into the Ruins of Brunnholl’s Fleet.

It would take dozens, if not a hundred, of the Colossus Phleglings to bring down a single Goliath Squid, let alone an Ork Shark. If their nests were exposed to these terrible monsters, the younger and weaker Phleglings would be massacred, and the Phlegling population would very quickly die out.

Perhaps that was for the better— for some wandering calamity to wipe out this Dungeon in its entirety. The Phleglings deserved it. After all, they’d slaughtered her kin, and she was now the last Luminant Lophis left.

But Mors… was no longer alone. Now that Thera was here, that couldn’t happen. Not until they found it. That which would save her. The Treasure of Brunnholl’s Fleet.

Perhaps I’ll have to make some changes to the timetable, the idle thought crossed Mors’ mind as she swam up another flight of stairs. If the Colossus Phleglings continued acting like this, the ship would be destroyed and Thera would have no sanctuary here in the depths of the sea. Furthermore, Mors was growing more weary by the day, Perhaps my time will—

But her mulling was cut off as she came to a halt at the very top of the steps. Mors stared at a pair of figures floating in the murky corridor. A Juvenile Phlegling clung to the ceiling, dead. And next to it was…

“Thera!”

The Luminant Lophis’ lights flickered. She rushed forward for the baby Mystic Turtle. Thera didn’t move, and for a moment, Mors feared the worst. But the light on her antenna brightened as a gentle pulse washed through the water.

“No, I will not allow this,” Mors said. “[Healing Radiance]... come on…”

But even though Thera’s wounds were closing— even though her shell was slowly repairing— for some reason, she wasn’t waking. Mors’ fear devolved into panic as the realization sank in that something else was wrong.

“Why? Why isn’t it working?” She stared at the baby Mystic Turtle, her mind racing. A myriad of possibilities came to mind— that Thera was already dead, or she somehow sustained damage that couldn’t be cured— but only one of them made sense.

And Mors knew what to do.

* * *

A gasping squeak left Thera’s mouth as she jerked up. The Fledgling Testudine scrambled to her feet as her heart hammered in her chest. She looked around— searching for the Juvenile Phlegling. Then she remembered that it was dead. She was victorious.

This information simmered in her head for a moment before she burst out laughing, her body shaking giddily. I won! I’m alive—

And she broke out into a coughing fit, exhaling all the water still in her lungs. It took a while for her to finally relax, and when she did, she realized where she was. She was in a dry hallway with a single metal door with light leaking out at the very end. This was… where she first met Mors.

“Glad to see you’re still alive,” a voice said.

She turned around and faced a Luminant Lophis poking its head out of the water. Mors had a relieved expression on its face. Thera tilted her head.

You… saved me? she asked, but the question wasn’t audible. However, her thoughts were evident enough.

Mors smiled at her. “I found you floating next to a Juvenile Phlegling. The fact that you took it down on your own is quite impressive. In fact, I can see that you’ve refined the mana in your core… to a certain extent.”

Thera nodded eagerly. She waddled up to the bottom of the stairway, right where the water ended. Raising a flipper, she grinned and focused the golden aura to its tip.

“Very impressive,” the fish said approvingly. “It is wonderful that you managed to learn this on your own, yet I still must apologize for imposing this situation upon you. It was not my intention for this to happen.”

It took a moment for Thera to realize what Mors was talking about. When she did, her body sagged. She remembered the confusion— the loneliness— she’d felt at the thought of being abandoned. She lowered her gaze and looked at the Luminant Lophis with only a single question in her head. Why?

“I know, I am sorry.” Mors bowed its head. “I had no choice. It was to protect us.”

The fish spoke in an apologetic tone. Thera herself wanted to be upset over it, but she couldn’t be. She was glad to see Mors again. Relieved that she was not alone.

The Luminant Lophis still tried to reassure her, “But I am back now, and you have grown stronger. Soon, you’ll even reach your first evolution.”

Evolution? The baby Mystic Turtle looked at the fish, confused. However, Mors just continued.

“When that happens, perhaps you’ll even be able to survive an encounter with a Colossus Phlegling. Then we’ll be able to scavenge for the Treasure of Brunnholl’s Fleet together. I won’t have to leave your side, and we won’t have to rely on hiding in this ship for your survival.”

The aura coalescing at Thera’s flippers dissipated. The question about evolution still weighed on her mind, but its implications were clear. This means… I can become stronger? Even better— it meant that she would soon leave this Dungeon.

She could just imagine basking in the sun as she floated half-submerged with the rocky waves so she could still breathe. In fact, she was already much stronger. Thera could feel the effects of one of her new Skills on her body.

[Hardened Shell]. It weighed her body down, just a little bit. But more than that, it made her shell larger. Thicker and also more resilient. If that wasn’t already a vast improvement, Thera got another new Skill too. Although, unlike [Hardened Shell], this Skill wasn’t a permanent change to her body.

It was called [Soul Sense], and judging by its name, Thera was certain it required a little bit of magic from her core to activate. Just like with [Indomitable Soul] and [Manifestation of the Heart].

“For now, let us return to the library,” Mors said, ushering her forward.

The Fledgling Testudine didn’t budge. Instead, she raised a flipper and grinned.

“What are you doing, Thera?”

She didn’t— couldn’t— answer. All she did was draw the mana from her core as she inhaled deeply. Closing her eyes, she felt the magic flow through her and power her new Skill. Then, with a flash, her eyes snapped open.

[Soul Sense].

Thera recoiled as a blinding golden light shone in her eyes. The world itself lost its color, being consumed by an unending darkness. For a moment, she couldn’t see anything, and Mors called out to her in worry.

“Thera? What are you—”

Then the light dimmed. Color restored itself to her surroundings. She blinked a few times as a glow still came from somewhere. Mors’ voice drew her attention, and she looked at the Luminant Lophis with wide eyes.

“What’s wrong, Thera?” the fish asked, shining brightly.

The fact that the Luminant Lophis was shining in itself wasn’t unusual. However, normally, the light came from the bulb hanging off its head. Now, Thera stared in wonder as a golden glow radiated from the fish’s chest, with ten times the intensity of the light on its head.

Mors…? Thera wasn’t sure if this was something the fish was doing. Judging by its reaction, it was not.

The Luminant Lophis gave her a look of concern. “Are you alright?” it said. “You look ill. Perhaps you should rest.”

I— Thera averted her gaze from the light. Then another glow caught her eye. She glanced back towards the metal door at the end of the corridor. The same dim glow from before leaked out of the bottom of the doorway, but there was something else. The walls there glimmered. It wasn’t nearly as intense as what the baby Mystic Turtle saw from the fish, but it was there.

What was this? It wasn’t clear to Thera at first. But now it all clicked into place. She was sensing soul magic.

She cast her gaze between both the room and Mors. Those were the only two sources of soul magic around here, and they exuded a visible aura which Thera could see. For Mors, it was the fish’s core. And for the room, it was the enchantment that protected it.

The walls of the corridor however, even if enchanted, lacked the same light she saw because they weren’t enchanted through soul magic. Down below, though, where the Grand Library of Brunnholl’s Fleet was located, Thera could see a faint light. Even through the floor separating them, she was able to sense the soul magic protecting the few books and artifacts left behind there.

So this is what [Soul Sense] does… Thera herself was quite amazed by it, but it wouldn’t be useful against Phleglings because they didn’t use soul magic. However—

A smile crossed her face as she looked at Mors. The fish, for once, was the one confused. But Thera was happy because she knew now that she could always find Mors whenever they were separated.

“Are you trying out a new Skill of sorts, Thera?” the Luminant Lophis finally asked.

Thera nodded in confirmation. She made a squeaking sound as she pointed between Mors, the enchanted room, and the library. I can see soul magic! she tried to explain.

“Unfortunately, Thera, I am not fluent in interpretative dancing,” Mors chuckled. “But while I know not what Skill this is you’ve gained, I am certain it is a good one.”

Thera groaned, throwing her head back in annoyance that she couldn’t be understood. But she paused. Something caught her eye. A bright light— no, it was a blazing light. One that, for a single instant, made Thera think she was back at the beach and staring straight at the sun.

However, it wasn’t the sun. In fact, it was brighter than the sun. Thera wasn’t sure how she didn’t see it earlier, but it completely dwarfed even Mors’ light in its entirety. It was so overwhelming, Thera felt like she could’ve passed out just from staring into it. She reeled back as Mors blinked.

“Are you alright, Thera? What is it now? the fish asked in a worried voice.

Thera paused. She slowly lowered her head, steeling herself. Something powerful was there. Thera didn’t know what it could be. It made no sense for her to even be able to guess what it was. Yet, paradoxically enough, it was quite obvious what it was that Thera saw. She knew what it was, even if she would never have considered it. Yet, when she thought about it, it all made sense.

It was the reason why Mors couldn’t find it even after searching for so long. Because, up a single floor above where Thera stood on dry land, where Luminant Lophis and Phleglings couldn’t enter, and beyond the collapsed stairwell that barred the turtle’s path was—

The Treasure of Brunnholl’s Fleet.