“What do you think of Serena Vnaa?” We had made our way out of the cave and were walking along the bottom of the volcano

“I think she’s nice and pretty” In the morning Serena showed us the way to where Miko was being held, we came up with a plan to ambush the overgrown squid and get her back

“That isn’t really an answer”

“I think Miko will like her, she might not like that she’s like Umi though” Like Umi, what does that mean?

“Wh…”

“Just up here Hero Udon” Before I could ask Vnaa what she meant, Serena called out to me. We had made it to the end of the volcano and to another mountain

“Didn't you say we were just going to swim across?” I looked up at the tall mountain, I’m not going to climb another mountain when I can just take the lake route

“I did but, you see” Serena fiddle with her fingers and was bright red, what’s wrong with her?

“Rival Serena doesn’t like the water” Umi said, ah, that makes sense, she is a fire Kitsune anyway.

“That, that is correct” Serena admitted, her cheeks growing brighter red

“Don’t worry Serena, Papa Udon and Umi will keep you safe” Vnaa comforted the embarrassed girl

“I uhh, I don’t know” Serena replied still unsure

“We’re going Serena, up to you if you want to come or not” I wasn’t wasting anymore time, I need to get Miko back

“Huh? But, wait” Serena called out, I made my way into the lake and waved my hand to Vnaa and Umi

“Sir Udon will keep you safe, don’t worry Rival Serena” Umi came over with Vnaa

“Uhh, I-I’m coming” Serena finally said running after the other two girls

“Hey Umi, can’t you transform into a Sea Horse?” Does she grow with her levels?

“I uhh, I lost that ability” …What!

“How! Why!” How do you just lose an ability like that!? Even Vnaa could transform into her Fluffy Caterpillar form

“Lost really isn’t the word, I’m more, well, embarrassed”

“Embarrassed?”

“I’m not big enough to carry all three of us” So she hadn’t lost the ability, she was just to small still

“Don’t worry, we’ll just swim, Vnaa unlock the Water Propulsion and Fish skill, Umi are you big enough to carry Serena on your back in your sea horse form?” I doubt Serena has access to water related skills

“Yep, I should be big enough for that” Umi transformed into her Sea Horse form, she was almost triple the size she was when I first saw her. Majestic was a good way to describe how she looked, majestic and noble…of course I couldn’t tell her that, I’d never hear the end of it

“Sir Udon?” Damn it, I was staring at her to long

“Serena, climb onto Umi’s back, she’ll make sure you don’t get wet” I ordered the still scared Serena

“Done Papa Udon” Vnaa told me tugging on my shirt

“Wait, Vnaa how much SP did that cost?” I hadn’t unlocked fish yet so I didn’t know, did she even have the same SP cost as me?

“Fish costs me 25 and Water Propulsion cost me 7” I think that’s the same as me, huh? I totally forgot, I hadn’t unlocked Water Propulsion myself, hmm, it’ll only cost me 7 SP for the Water Propulsion which will leave me with 59 SP

“Skill unlocked-Water Propulsion (C)”

Water Propulsion: 0/10 Mastery-Level 1 Common Skill, Unlocked: Drastically improves speed while in water.

“Ok Vnaa, you stay close to me, Umi look after Serena” We all headed into the water and started swimming to the other side, it looked to be about 10 kilometres maybe, give or take a kilometre or two.

*Low Cold Resistance Mastery-4/10

*Water Propulsion Master-1/10

We made it to the other side of the lake, there was no sign of Miko or that over grown squid anywhere though.

“My skill Mastery Points went up” Vnaa said cheerfully, her Low Cold Resistance had grown to 4/10, and her Fish was 1/10.

“Mine to” Umi said turning back into her human form, her High Cold Resistance had grown to 4/10, Water Propulsion and her water movement skills suddenly merged into her fish skill making her Fish 5/10. When I asked Vnaa if hers merged she said yes as well, I really don’t understand how any of these skills work.

“Can we not do that ever again please” Serena said falling to her knees on the sand and breathing heavily, it wasn’t that bad was it?

“Serena enough messing around, where are they” I didn’t need another over dramatic comrade

“Right, sorry, it seems they have moved inland a little further, over that way” Serena pointed straight ahead into the desert part of the floor

“Lets get going” I told the rest moving towards the desert

“Our first priority is Miko, I want you three to focus on getting her back”

“What are you going to do then Hero Udon?”

“Me? I’m going to make sure that overgrown squid gets the karma he deserves” I was hell bent on vengeance.

“Sir Udon, don’t you think you should help get Rival Miko back as well” Huh? What was Umi on about now

“It’ll be easier to get Big Sister Miko back with your help Papa Udon” What? What are they talking about?

“I will be helping, I’ll be keeping the overgrown squid busy while you rescue her” Did they not understand the plan? Surly I don’t have to go over it again.

“Hero Udon, we’re close” Serena put her arm out and stopped the rest of us, she looked around trying to find where they were. I couldn’t see anything, just a desert of sand…

“So you’ve finally made it!” That voice! Aquarus! I turned to the right to see the overgrown squid crawl out of the sand with around 12 men and Miko tied up and gagged next to him

“Miko!” I shouted out, she didn’t seem hurt or anything, phew, I didn’t know what I was going to do if she was hurt in anyway.

“I must say, I didn’t expect a low life scum to come and save his comrade, when she got in the way of me capturing you, I tell ya, I was pretty angry, she even said you wouldn’t come and rescue her” She did? Did Miko really not think I’d come and rescue her…Why would she, I’ve been nothing but mean to her. I clenched my fist and bit my tongue, I know I’m a piece of shit, but I can’t let someone get hurt in my place

“Let her go you overgrown squid!” I shouted out, Aquarus didn’t seem to enjoy that nickname very much, he pushed Miko to the side and waved his arm signalling his men to attack

“Kill them” He ordered

“Charge!” The 12 Merfolk charged towards us, did they really just yell out charge

“Hear my words dungeon, I ask to be surrounded, filled and illuminated with the dungeons flowing energy, hear my plea ‘The Power of Fire’ Fire Web”

Serena unleashed one of her Elite level spells, a web of fire spread across the charging Merfolk.

“Arrr!” Half of the Merfolk went to ground and all had serious burns

“Serena you stay at the rear, their weapons are water based” From how Serena acted around the lake, I don’t think she’d enjoy getting hit by Water Tridents

“Serena?” I turned to see her on her knees, that spell must have taken a lot out of her

“Sir Udon!” Umi shouted out the remaining 6 Merfolk had already made their way to Umi and Vnaa

“Serena stay back” She put her thumb at towards me still breathing heavily on her knees.

“Hear my words dungeon, I ask to be surrounded, filled and illuminated with the dungeons flowing energy, hear my plea ‘The Power of the Shadows’ Shadow Imprisonment”

*Shadow Imprisonment Mastery-1/10

I cast my Shadow Imprisonment spell trapping 2 of the Merfolk with in it, time for my special move

“Hear my words dungeon, I ask to be surrounded, filled and illuminated with the dungeons flowing energy, hear my plea ‘The Power of the Shadows’ Shadow Ball”

Just like I did in the little Hobbits shop, I cast my Shadow Ball Spell inside of the Shadow Imprisonment. You could see the Shadow Ball bouncing off the cage and smashing into the Merfolk, in a matter of seconds they were down and unconscious, I don’t think they were dead

“Hiyah!” I turned to see Vnaa stab one of the Merfolk with her claws, he went down clenching at the open wound

“Let Rival Miko go!” I turned around to see Umi stab two of the Merfolk with her sea trident

Umi

*Sea Trident Mastery-1/10

“You weak incompetent fools!” Aquarus shouted out watching his men be defeated one after another

“And you’re the last one” I threw my sword towards the last Merfolk Vnaa was fighting

“Ugh!” The sword pierced his leg and caused him to fall to one knee, giving Vnaa an opening to strike

“Hiyah!” Vnaa didn’t waste the opportunity and gave a hard backhand with her claws across the face of the last Merfolk

“Let Miko go, and fight me like a man!” I walked closer to Aquarus, he had sweat dripping from his forehead and looked frustrated

“Don’t get cocky you puny human, defeating mere peasants like that won’t help you in any way” Aquarus said, he didn’t have a hard time degrading his own men.

“Let her go!” I was getting impatient

“Heh” Aquarus seemed to calm down and gave me a sinister smile

“No!” I shouted out, Aquarus picked up Miko by her hair and drove his Trident into her stomach than threw her towards me

“Rival Miko!”

“Big Sister Miko!” Umi and Vnaa ran towards Miko

“Miko! Miko!” I shouted out grabbing her, damn it! I looked back at Aquarus who was walking backwards with a satisfactory smile

“I’ll kill you!” I let Miko go and started to charge towards him

“Sir Udon! You need to save Miko, forget about him!” Umi shouted out to me

“Ha! What will the low life scum do? Leave his so called precious comrade to die and come after me or, let me go and save his weak comrade” I clenched my fist and bit my lip even tigehter, damn it!

“Papa Udon!” Vnaa called out, I have to save Miko

“Ha! As pathetic as ever, we’ll meet again and trust me, I’ll make sure you pay for that little stunt you pulled with the Ice Chimera” Aquarus mocked me running deeper into the desert

“Miko, try and stay awake” I ran back to her and untied the last of the rope around her

“Y-you” Miko tried to speak

“Don’t speak, you need to save your strength, I’ll save you, I promise”

“You came” I froze for a second, am I that much of a terrible person?

“O-of course I came” I stuttered, I hadn’t stuttered since I came to this world

“We need to get her out of this heat” The sun was bearing down on us, we weren’t that far from a small cave I saw next to the lake

“That cave in the mountain next to the lake, we need to get her there quick!” I shouted out, Umi helped get Miko on my back and made sure she didn’t fall off

“Papa Udon”

“Vnaa, we don’t have time to worry about them” Was she trying to help the Merfolk? She was leaning down on the sand

“Its Serena” Huh? I turned to see Serena had collapsed, damn it! That Elite spell must have used up all her MP

“Vnaa can you carry her?” Vnaa might be small but she was strong

“I’ll try” Vnaa put Serena over her head and started to run

“Great, you take care of Serena, Umi you keep Miko on my back, we’ll run ahead, Vnaa we’ll meet you at the cave!” I shouted out running ahead of Vnaa, she nodded her head and tried her hardest to keep up

“T-thank you Master Udon” Miko mumbled falling unconscious, damn it! Don’t die on me Miko!