EFB Chapter 40 Unexpected Coma
Chapter 40 Unexpected Coma
"Fish-men can breathe in water and also move around on land."
As Yanami spoke, she picked up a pearl and examined it against the glowing crystal in the dome.
"May I have it, Klein?"
"Sure, but are you going to use it as jewelry?"
"I heard that you can eat it if you grind it into powder."
"Is it meant to be used as medicine?"
"Huh? Really? Never mind then."
Yanami put the pearl back with some disappointment, then wiped her hands on Klein's leaf.
Are you really a girl? All you care about is food.
"Have you ever seen a fish-man?"
Yanami shook her head.
"I also read it in a book. The book said that fish-people have a tradition of sacrifice, and I heard that the relationship between fish-people and humans is very bad."
"However, I've only read a little bit about it in the book, so I don't really know what it's actually like."
The underwater passage likely leads to a large cave resembling the Wild Dog Forest, inhabited by fish-men...
Is the Murloc strong?
"Klein... I am not a polymath."
Yanami squinted her eyes and pursed her lips in a slightly helpless manner.
"So, you didn't know?"
"I know a little bit. They are good swimmers and are a rare humanoid species. The book says that most of them are still primitive tribes."
Humanoids... If there are elves in this world, then it's only natural that there would be humanoids as well.
According to Klein's experience, humanoids should be a type that grows slowly, just like humans.
Unlike monsters, which are generally born powerful.
Although Yanami said that fish-people live in shallow water, Klein took her back to the plantation just to be on the safe side.
It seems this safe house isn't entirely safe; if there's any threat underwater, it's like being trapped in a cage.
Klein planned to strengthen the defenses later and get more defensive vines.
Moreover, the underwater passage must connect to another large cave, and since monsters are scarce in Wild Dog Forest, Klein had already wanted to explore other caves.
Coincidentally, exploring the caves connected by the underwater passages can also help eliminate dangers in the safe house.
………………
Glug glug glug...
That was the sound of bubbles churning in the water. Klein stared cautiously at what was in front of him, not daring to make a move.
Why... why did I encounter a crocodile after moving just a little bit? I thought it was a dead tree!
And this isn't the place I wanted to come to at all!
A dozen minutes ago—
Klein parasitized a fish, and after traveling more than a hundred meters against the current in the underwater passage, he encountered three forks in the road: two against the current and one with the current.
The forks in the path that go downstream may lead to unknown destinations, but those that go upstream will certainly lead to the water source.
Okay, let's take the left-hand upstream route first.
Klein had just swum a little forward when suddenly, a large clump of seaweed was swept towards him!
boom!
Klein lost consciousness after being struck on the head by a rock that was wrapped in seaweed.
The little fish Klein got tangled in the seaweed and drifted into another channel with the current.
When Klein awoke, he found himself in a murky body of water.
Huh? Where am I...? Wait, did I just faint?!
Do parasitic animals behave like this?!
No, quickly transfer your soul!
After carefully sensing the surroundings, Klein discovered—
There are no of my offspring around here!
Klein originally planted seedlings as he advanced, creating soul-jumping stations to prevent danger.
But now he has been taken to an unknown location and is completely out of the plantation's communication range.
This is a large, murky body of water. I swam in all directions, but there were no rock walls like underwater passages.
However, the water wasn't deep, and as Klein swam upwards following the light, he accidentally bumped into a crocodile.
This crocodile has blue-gray armored skin and strange columnar structures on its back...
It blinked its eyelids underwater, staring at the bold fish that had suddenly bumped into it, and made an angry snorting sound.
Immediately afterwards, the pillars emitted a glow.
not good!
Klein quickly swam downstream, but a twisted electric net burst out from the crocodile's back and wrapped around him.
A sharp numbness shot through my body—I couldn't move!
It's an electric shock! And what's with the lightning crocodile?!
His body was numb, his internal organs felt like they were burning—Klein had become a stiff, dead fish.
However, before he died completely, Klein's soul was transferred to a seed under the mud.
Fortunately, I had prepared for this... Let's explore slowly using the vines.
Activate skill: Accelerate growth
The seed sprouts, takes root, and begins to slowly move forward in the mud.
Although you can't see anything, you can still feel things by touch.
[Perception] After the skill is upgraded, the mana consumption is very low, and Klein basically keeps this skill active all the time.
Sticky silt, silt, silt... or silt or the soft roots of aquatic plants, ah, I've encountered something hard.
It doesn't feel like stone; it feels more like tree roots, and it's alive.
Klein followed its spiral upwards, traversing about four meters, until he reached the water's surface.
From the water's surface, this is a vast swamp.
The river water was murky, and there were many mangrove-like trees on the surface, one of which was the one that Klein was entwined around.
Various aquatic plants, such as lotus leaves and duckweed, float on the water's surface.
Anyway... let's parasitize one first.
Klein was just about to sprout a seed when he noticed something was wrong with his vines...
My vines are withering?!
The vines that touched the trees turned black and withered, and decay slowly seeped into Klein.
Klein immediately moved back to the bottom of the water and cut the vine that was wrapping around him.
Is this tree highly poisonous?
And since it causes poisoning upon contact, isn't this water... poisonous?
Looking at the other plant parts, they have slowly begun to turn black and wither.
Why would there be such a poisonous plant?! It actually poisons the water!
This is a slow death. Although I can prolong my life by accelerating my growth, I will die once my magic is exhausted!
We must find a way...
Klein began to think rapidly.
I can't be immune to toxins myself, but other creatures can. The lightning crocodile I just saw was clearly a native and wouldn't be harmed by the toxins.
All you need to do is parasitize one of the fish here!
However, the water here is too murky, and there are no fish to be found... But I've got it.
Activate skill: Accelerate growth
Klein made the vines intertwine and grow into a large net, which would immediately wrap around any fish that stumbled in.
After about two hours, Klein resisted the toxin by growing new vines at an accelerated rate, and his magic power had been halved.
However, Klein discovered that the cave's magic regenerated faster than that of the Wild Dog Forest, which is why it had been able to last so long.
After being away for so long, Yanami must be worried...
thump.
The net vibrated; a fish had taken the bait!
Klein quickly manipulated the vines to grab the prey, but ended up binding a large creature instead.
Glug glug glug...
That sound again!
Damn it, it's this guy again!
The lightning crocodile twisted its body wildly, and at the same time—
Sizzle...
Lightning burst forth from his back, but unfortunately, Klein was no longer afraid of electricity, so the electricity just darted around underwater.
It was still using the Death Roll, and the vines were binding it tighter and tighter. Klein had no chance to parasitize it, nor could he break free.
However, the vines were not that sturdy, and they were eventually torn apart by the constant twisting.
Damn beast! My fishing net!
Klein could do nothing as he watched it disappear into the muddy water with its fishing net.
Sigh... It has to grow all over again, but after all this commotion, where will there be any fish left?
Klein planned to recast his net in a different spot, but something sank to the side of his vines.
A fish?!
And it was a twitching fish, not just one, but several!
Could it be... that he was stunned by the electric shock just now?