Chương 34: 33. Into the Depths

The lights vanished, plunging me into darkness. Immediately, I healed my leg as much as possible, then looked up in an attempt to spot the ship. So far, I had been in underwater challenges only once, but all the lessons gained there were still implanted in my brain. The main one was that even with all the strength in the world, one only had a limited window of opportunity for escaping the water. Drawing on every ounce of energy left, I swam up. For a while, it worked.

I could see the bottom of the ship steadily grow, yet the more I approached, the more I was aware that I couldn't maintain this for long enough. All the strength I could get, and it's still not enough, I thought. With no apparent options, I started singing the support hymn as I had seen others do in my previous run. In normal circumstances, that would create an illusion in the listener's mind, making them stronger than they thought they were.

Everyone knew it was a trick, but if there was a way to trick one's body for just a bit longer, they were willing to go along with it. Without warning, a harpoon flew past me, missing me by a foot. I looked down again. The depths of the sea were completely black, as if I were staring into an abyss. And yet, within the blackness, I spotted a single speck of light. As I watched, the speck moved. What are you? I wondered.

Adding monsters to the sea was just something Harlequin would do to prevent me from completing the trial. This was brazen even for him. I would have called it open interference. Was it, though? For all his faults, the rule-master wasn't stupid. Going against a deity, even if protected by some obscure rule, was playing with fate. If there was one thing that the deities hated more than disrespectful and disappointing humans, and each other, it was rule-masters that didn't know their place. Suddenly, it hit me.

The second card was never on the ship. Grand Arcana monsters were highly territorial; placing two of them in the same place could only end in one of two ways: subservience or mutual annihilation. I did not know the Blade Serpent to be subservient to anyone, so it made sense that the second monster was in the sea itself.

"Fucking hell!" I shouted, ending my song. Surely, he couldn't have put a kraken? The sirens, the mother-of-pearl chest, even the ring of breathing made perfect sense now. They weren't intended for use on the ship, but rather as the means to explore the part of the trial that remained hidden. I focused my attention on the speck of light again. It was visibly getting larger. Separate parts of it were distinguishable, making it clear that it was swimming up to get me.

By the speed, I could be certain that it wasn't a skeleton or undead. More likely it had to be a siren, triton, or some other underwater entity.

"Aren't you the lucky one?" I asked, hoping that the vibrations of my words would be picked up. Part of me wanted to try out the new card I had obtained, though I was unsure how much of an advantage it would provide me now. A single unawakened weapon, be it indestructible, was no match for by dark silver blades. On the other hand, there was no harm in taking a look. Serpent's Blade, I thought. The weapon appeared in my hand.

It was a saber of sorts, slightly curved, made entirely f a silvery metal I didn't recognize. The weight could be felt even underwater. I swung the blade about, slashing and thrusting through the water. The resistance was minor, though not zero. Compared to the pre-awakened state of my other blades, this was the clear winner. Not anymore, though. It wasn't obvious what abilities the piece of metal had, and right now I wasn't willing to experiment.

"Later," I muttered and thought the weapon away. Its place was quickly taken by my usual pair. With the enemy still near, I activated all the support cards. Green flames surrounded the weapons. It seemed they were just as efficient underwater as they were above. Still, I chose not to risk with acid or paralysis. There always was a chance that the substances could dilute in the water and affect me as well. Choosing not to use my bard skills for the moment, I swam down to meet my opponent.

Triton Guard Level: 4 Cards: Six of Chains, Four of Swords Special: Shatter Shout, Underwater Breathing, Swimming Weapon: Noble Harpoon (x2) So, it really was a triton. I didn't know much about the creatures, except that they were huge, fast, and always male. Some said that they were the male version of the sirens, but I wasn't entirely convinced. I had seen a siren prince join the fight once, even if from a distance.

The entity had been a lot stronger than most of the monsters I had faced, even if it didn't seem like a Grand Arcana holder. Then again, I didn't have Harlequin's Sight at the time, so there was no telling for certain. I was in the process of systematizing a plan when something made me look over my shoulder. It was a good thing that I did, for the spear that had attempted to hit me not too long ago was now returning with a vengeance. Twisting to the side, I met the blade with a double arc slash.

The weapons clashed against one another, pushing me back. Not good! I thought. My Boots of Swiftness were completely useless. In the sea, I had no means to maintain my position, and any block or parry lacked serious strength. A good swimmer would be able to compensate, though not someone like me. Just because I knew the basics of swimming didn't mean I was any good in underwater combat. If anything, my existing preconceptions only made things more difficult. What did his cards do?

Other than the houses, I didn't remember anything about their function. That usually meant that the cards had been so crap in my previous run that I hadn't even bothered to remember them. The tale has been taken without authorization; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident. Gripping both swords, I let myself slowly sink, granting my enemy the first move. I had only one chance at this, and my hope was that I hadn't put it to waste. The triton seemed convinced of my weakness, for he wasn't slowing down.

Three times larger, he probably thought he'd have an easy time taking me out in a single strike. Adding to that, the special nature of his harpoons, the odds seemed definitely in his favor. I raised my blades, going into a purely defensive stance. All I needed was for him to get just a bit closer. The creature had more scales and fishlike features than the sirens. Other than sharing a basic humanoid form, one could clearly call it a sea creature. The eyes were always the most disturbing aspect.

Glowing in a fluorescent yellow, they were split into four, lacking a distinct iris. Large teeth became visible as the monster grinned. Was he aiming to take a bite out of me? I could only wish that to be the case. Upon closing the distance to twenty feet, the triton pointed both harpoons at me. The weapons looked like oversized spears, adjusted to be efficient in water. With one of those, he could have easily sunk the entire ship. The fact that he hadn't suggested that Harlequin hadn't allowed it.

"Come closer!" I waved my swords, provoking him. My efforts must have seemed laughable, for the creature openly laughed. Halving the distance between us, it outright dared me to perform the first attack. After all, by all accounts, he had a massive advantage over me. My reach was shorter, my swimming skills questionable, even my reaction speed had a lot to be desired. However, he was still forgetting one thing.

"Circles of confusion," I sang. In general, water disrupted aether strands, causing them to dissolve into nothing. Yet, the distance between us proved enough for them to make contact. The triton froze. The cloud of confusion had warmed his mind. It was only going to last a few seconds at most, but that was all I needed. Power thrust, paralysis! I instantly followed up with an attack. The blades pierced his thick scales, sinking into his stomach.

There probably wasn't even a need for the paralysis boost, but experience had taught me it was always better to be safe than sorry.

"Nice knowing you," I said, now that there was no need to continue with my song. Several more strikes followed, each hitting its mark. A second later, the triton imploded out of existence. Watching creatures release rewards underwater was a completely new experience. Similar to the Blade Serpent, they didn't release smoke but created a lot of nothing. One couldn't call it air, for it didn't float up like normal bubbles did; just a pocket of nothing to be filled up.

Three rewards awaited me: two cards and a blue sphere. Without hesitation, I returned my weapons to the inventory and reached for the sphere. Blue meant reflexes, which was something I could use right now. It was a shame wasting the boost, but on the grand scale of things every little bit helped. I want that! a voice said in my head. Instinctively, I twisted around, expecting an attack or hidden enemy. There was nothing there. My magic sight didn't detect any creatures, hidden or visible. You're so stupid!

The voice laughed. It was a boy's voice. If I had to give it an age, it was no older than my sister and had just as much attitude.

"Dream pup?" I asked. As if! Do I sound like a dream creature? Cold chills went down my spine even in the water. If it wasn't an enemy or the dream pup, there were only two options left.

"Serpent blade," I said, summoning the weapon. Took you long enough! The voice protested. I had heard rumors that some participants held conversations with their weapons, though never to such a degree. Divine weapons, although somewhat sentient, were no different from plants or, at most, pet animals. Largely, they led a parasitic existence, acting on instinct. In many ways, having one was like making a divine pact.

The weapon granted its owner strength during the trial, yet claimed the person's abilities after death, thus growing stronger. At no point did they talk. The serpent blade not only was capable of holding a conversation, but had a clear personality. So, will you give it to me or what? The blade urged, like a child nagging for chocolate in a candy store.

"Why should I?" I asked. It's not like it'll do you any good. I mean, you're so weak! That was a point on which both of us agreed. It was thanks to the Triton's overconfidence that I had won the fight.

"That's why I need it more than you," I changed my approach. If the sword behaved as a child, maybe it was best I treated him as one.

"What do I get if I give it to you?" I'll grow a lot faster! the sword insisted. Give it to me and you'll see! In the past run, I wouldn't have even considered the possibility. Booster spheres were always useful and exceedingly rare. After my second year, they were more valuable than cards. The standard exchange was five minor arcana cards for a sphere. Of course, by then most experienced players had gained a small stack of cards along with the knowledge of which were useful and which weren't.

"Alright." I decided to take the chance.

"Just one thing," I used the Two of Chains to tighten my grip to the point that I felt the sword squirm in my hand.

"You better not disappoint me." Sheesh, old man! the sword protested. Don't go crazy just because you caught me.

"What was that?" I tightened my grip further. Nothing… the sword replied.

"Good." I loosened my grip, then pressed the booster sphere into the blade. Blue light covered the saber. SERPENT BLADE (Grand Arcana) New skill acquired: QUICK STRIKE: strike attacks performed with the SERPENT BLADE and triple in speed A new skill? That was unexpected. I was under the impression that the blade would become longer, sharper, or gain a serrated edge.

"This isn't an awakening," I noted. Duh! Who said that it was? The blade outright mocked me. How did a kid like you manage to get me?

"Look who's talking." It was annoying how I spontaneously turned from being an old man to a kid. Technically, he wasn't wrong. This was supposed to be my third trial. At the same time, I had spent ten years in the Grand Arcana and had never before come across anything like this.

"Booster spheres grant you skills?" Why do you think they're called booster spheres? The blade sighed. They boost. It's in the name! There was a logic to it. Up until now, I had assumed that only participants could consume them. I'm not even sure who first came up with the concept, but it had become the established practice. With them being such a rare commodity, the first thing someone did upon obtaining a sphere was to consume it on the spot.

"Do they work on the Minor Arcana as well?" I was still coming to grips with the concept. You're a Minor Arcana and they seem to work on you. The blade laughed. Yeah, they work on all the cards.

"Divine weapons, too?" Nah, those are different. They just eat metal. I no longer knew what to say. A week ago, I thought I knew everything there was to the Grand Arcana. After spending so long surviving and assisting various deities, I was supposed to have learned all the secrets there were. If a goddess were to be believed, I had been a few trials away from freedom. A ten-second conversation with a saber had shattered all of those illusions.

All of a sudden, I felt as if I had gone down a completely different branch of the run, one I never knew existed.