There is a fable about a boiling frog. It is a story everyone has likely heard at least once, about how if you put a frog in boiling water, it will immediately jump out and escape, but if you put it in cold water and heat it slowly, it will die without thinking to leave.
Of course, a fable is just a fable. A certain scientist, who must have had nothing better to do, tried the experiment under the same conditions, and without exception, the frogs jumped out as soon as they began to feel the heat on their feet. However, the point it was trying to make was clear.
The danger of becoming accustomed to something. Like how dripping water penetrates stone. It seems I had become quite twisted by the falling droplets without even realizing it.
"I hope you like it."
The smiling man slowly walked over. His gait was as if he did not even consider the possibility of being attacked, but in truth, I could not attack him. I was unable to.
"..."
As I raised my hand, I realized just how accustomed I had become to the Deep Sea. I had thought the water pressure was not that strong yet. It was a gross miscalculation; my body felt so light that if I jumped, I felt like I would fly into the sky.
Was that all? Thanks to the reduced number of deep sea fish, the anxiety I felt had vanished completely. I could see clearly ahead, and I felt that this space was quite hot, perhaps because of the burning fire.
Hot, warm… yes, I had forgotten this sensation. Of course, if I put my hand in a fire, it would be hot. But until then, until I committed the crazy act of sticking my hand into the flames, I could not feel the heat.
It was certain. I had become too accustomed to the Deep Sea.
"... Tsk, this is nice."
I have no choice but to admit it. The man saw me and grinned, raising his hand.
"Then, let's start with what that unknown magic is-" "Thank you."
It was something to be thankful for. I did not know what kind of ability it was, but I met the man's gaze directly and conveyed my gratitude. At that, the man's hand froze in mid-air.
The corners of his mouth, which had been stretched nearly to his ears, slowly fell. He seemed a little flustered.
"... What? Wait, you now- you can see me?"
"Yes."
Even if he was an enemy, I was content with him having let me feel, even if just for a moment, a world I might never see again.
"-Burn."
Taking advantage of the man's confusion, I kindled a flame on my open palm. I did not attack. I just quietly watched the flame flicker as it consumed the air.
There was no problem at all. In this world, there was nothing to stop a flame from burning.
However…
"Keuk."
The world submerges. No. The world is as it was. It is just that I have woken up.
The slowly tightening pressure makes my body sluggish. The warmth vanishes in an instant, my vision narrows, and the deep sea fish begin to move as if they had always been there.
Psssh…
The flame died out, leaving a thin pillar of smoke.
"!"
The man's actions were swift. As if a werewolf, he drew out his sharp claws and swung down in an instant to slaughter my head.
"Remove."
"... Ugh, ack?!"
I crushed the man's hand as if to break it. The claws that could cut through flesh like tofu just by touching it stopped after severing a few strands of my hair. I shoved the struggling, flailing man hard once more. -Crash!
The man instantly crashed into the wall, creating a cloud of dust and a hole. As I reactivated the Tide Sense I had let go of, he stood up, scratching his head as if he had taken little damage.
"What is this… what the hell are you? You were clearly devoured."
"I don't know much about your heart-realm. But perhaps it shows the opponent what they desire most."
"Something like that. Ever heard of a daydream? But the fact that you know that… you're a truly crazy bastard."
Spitting out saliva mixed with blood, a sign that he wasn't completely unharmed, he glared at me with an expression as if looking at a madman.
"You achieved your most desired dream and gave it up yourself? Are you in your right mind?"
"I did not wish to give it up either."
I want to live. I really want to live. But at the same time, I know how futile a dream that is.
Even while dreaming my most desired dream, I cannot forget the fact that it is impossible. Such is my fate.
"It's just that it is not something so easily obtained."
"... Ho ho."
We exchanged glances for a moment. The man grinned again and bent his body.
"You son of a bitch, I must have you."
"... Please stop with the creepy talk."
Thwack-!
As the man charged, I struck him with the currents again and again, analyzing him. He is simply strong and fast. But to put it another way, that is all.
Mere physical strength cannot compare to even a part of the Deep Sea. As the man leaped for the fourth time, I slammed him into the wall in mid-air and lowered my posture.
Fwoosh~!
Sharp pieces of metal flew past my head. They were attacks launched while hidden by the dust, but it is impossible to evade my Tide Sense. It seemed he had given up on a frontal assault.
The sound of footsteps on the stairs echoed through the spire, along with the man's voice.
"What in the world is that magic? It doesn't seem like something a brat like you, who's only just suffered the divine fever, can wield." ...
It seems he hasn't noticed that I have already had my Fall into the heart-realm. This was unexpected. I thought he'd find out for sure.
He might already know and is just testing me. Without answering, I climbed the stairs, never losing track of the man.
"An opening-!"
Just then- The man suddenly appeared from within the dust cloud, raising his claws high with a vile smile. Without dodging, I looked straight at him and struck 'behind' me.
"Gack-!"
Rumble…
The man who had been aiming for a surprise attack tumbled down the stairs, and the illusion in the cloud scattered like smoke. This time, he did not escape unscathed. The floor where he fell was littered with shards of glass, and the blood-soaked man stood up, grinding his teeth.
"... What, how did you...."
From the moment the battle began, I had not lost track of the man's position for even a single second. The moment I knew he could manipulate senses, I stopped trying to perceive him with sight or hearing, so such tricks did not work. Of course, I had no obligation to explain that to him.
"I can see everything."
"Tsk, what a bluff."
It was not a bluff, but he could take it however he wanted. However- "I'm getting curious. Show me what you've got."
I narrowed my eyes as I saw the blood on the man, who was stretching his muscles, stop in an instant. As I am now, I cannot render that man incapable of fighting. He is far too durable.
No matter how many times I strike him with the currents or slam him down to the first floor, he is almost completely unharmed.
I do not know what would happen if I crushed him with water pressure, but to apply enough pressure to crush a creature of such durability, I would be crushed first, no matter how much I have Remove and my robe. Crucially, I had no time to waste in a place like this.
I glanced up and attempted to negotiate in a polite voice.
"I believe there is no need for us to fight."
"... What?"
"I understand that you want me. However, there is no need to throw your life away for it, is there."
"My life? Has this kid gone mad? Just because I went easy on you-" "I am Jern Aspandil, the adopted son of Dersia Aspandil."
"..."
The man's eyes widened. I took the opportunity to continue.
"You must have heard of my adoptive mother. No, you must have investigated her. She would be one of the greatest obstacles to the plans you are making."
"Yes, that's right."
"For now, Dersia is acting as if she does not care what Red Lotus does. But if I am harmed or kidnapped, she will no longer stand by and watch."
"Will you kidnap one 10-year-old child who seems talented and create a 9-Star mage who will interfere with your Great System to the very end, or will you let me go and focus on the Great System... I will leave the choice to you."
For something I'd improvised, it was a rather plausible excuse. The man scratched his chin as if in thought.
"Hmm, Dersia's adopted son."
"Do you require proof?"
"Proof? Your magic is clear proof, you bastard. Other than that, there's no way to explain how a 10-year-old brat is playing with me like a toy."
"In that case."
"Right."
The man smiled a smile that was definitely not one of affirmation.
"If I use you, I can draw Dersia to our side as well."
His conclusion was so foolish that my brows furrowed on their own.
"... Is that truly the only thing you can think of? If you had investigated Dersia even a little, would you not know that if I were kidnapped, rather than meekly complying, she is the type to threaten, 'Do as you wish, kill him or not. But if you don't let him go, you will all die without fail'?"
"Ah, right. That might be true. But you made a mistake. You showed me too much."
The man pointed a finger at me and smiled, revealing blood-stained teeth.
"We've only fought for five minutes, but I get it. If I were Dersia, I would never let you go. I couldn't, even in death."
"Any mage in the world would offer ninety percent of their remaining lifespan to obtain you."
"I doubt even my own mother would value me that much."
"Heh, it seems your head just doesn't work in this area. Fine."
The man knelt and took a stance. As if he had been playing around before, his muscles bulged grotesquely.
"Wihwa of the Red Lotus. From now on, I will face you as an enemy, Jern!"
"I refuse. And this is just my personal opinion, but in the future, please come back after you have developed enough intelligence not to respond when an opponent speaks to you on the battlefield."
"?"
Crack- The floor collapsed, and the dumbfounded Wihwa fell straight through. It was because I had been slowly grinding away the floor where Wihwa stood with the currents while we were talking. Of course, it did not end there.
"Hup-" I loaded all sorts of nearby junk onto the currents and shoved it all into the hole Wihwa had fallen into.
Craaash- Ruumble, rumble, CRASH!
"Hoo."
With this, he will not be able to get out right away. As I wiped the sweat from my forehead, I felt a wave of dizziness. ... I used too much of the Deep Sea's power.
My vision turned dark, and the currents felt heavy. I do not think for a moment that this has defeated that man, Wihwa. I have only bought a little time.
And that little bit of time is enough to achieve my goal.
"... Move..."
Dersia's torture in the library was a help. Gritting my teeth, I took a step and quickly climbed the stairs. Even maintaining Tide Sense was a bit of a struggle, so I reduced its range, but it was enough.
I was close. After climbing a few floors, I finally stood before a slightly shattered door. I was about to knock but found it so absurd that I slapped my own cheek once and then opened it.
"Elysia."
I was prepared for any sight that might unfold. I would just comfort her, tell her that everything happening now was just a nightmare, and then strike the back of her neck to knock her out. As long as she is alive, things will work out.
So...
"Ah, Jern!"
So...?
Seeing a vibrant Elysia playing with her feet on the bed, I managed to hide my surprise. Elysia was smiling as brightly as usual, and seeing me, she ran towards me.
"You came too! I was so bored I thought I was going to die!"
I immediately activated Tide Sense and swept the room. But I could not find an assassin threatening her. Elysia's heartbeat was also very stable.
Above all, I could not find a single trace of anxiety on her face. I asked cautiously.
"Why are you here? Where is Aletus?"
"I'm not sure, my dad told me to stay here… but I want to go out! We came all the way to Azelin!"
"…Phew…"
I let out a deep sigh of relief. It seemed Aletus had sensed something was about to happen beforehand and hidden her in the spire. No, this is no time for this.
I met her gaze so she would not take it as a joke and spoke seriously.
"Lady Elysia. Please listen to me carefully. Right now, outside is…"
"Oh, wait! I'm late with the introduction!"
"... Pardon?"
Cutting me off, Elysia trotted over to the side of the bed and looked beside her with a silly grin. It was an expression of anticipation. Of course, there were only two people in this room, Elysia and me. ...
A chilling cold ran down my spine. Could it be.
"Mom, this is Jern! He's the one who helped me while you were away on your trip and I was struggling!"
"..."
Watching Elysia happily conversing with empty air, I silently gritted my teeth.
"Yes, that's right! The one who helped us when we were trapped in the dungeon!"
"When we first met, I was being bullied by the other kids, you know?"
"Ah, it's all fine now! And, it's not your fault, Mom. I should have been more careful-" "... Why are you doing this."
Elysia had already left me behind and fallen into her own world. Naturally, this question was not directed at her. The answer came from the direction of the door.
"No matter how easy it is to make children Fall, mere physical pain doesn't create a high-quality world."
Wihwa, who had come up at some point and was leaning against the doorframe, explained as if it were nothing, brushing wooden splinters from his hair.
"This kind of thing is the best. You raise them to heaven, then drop them."
"That kid's dying father is in the room next door, so a fall from this height should produce something useful, don't you think?"
"How many times has it been?"
"Well, it's not like it's countless… but I don't bother counting. There's no reason to."
Wihwa, blocking the door, cast a satisfied smile at the happily chattering Elysia, then looked at me.
"Don't worry. I can't use this method on you. Instead, I'd like to suggest another way."
I turned my head to look at him. As if he had no qualms about his actions, he extended his left hand.
"You, join the Red Lotus."
"..."
"You know, so I'll be honest. You're going to Fall soon. You know it too, don't you?"
"At your age, to know that a fulfilled dream is a falsehood and to awaken on your own?"
"Do you have any idea how twisted that is? It's soon, I tell you. Even if we don't do anything, it will happen on its own."
"Isn't it too much of a waste to die after Falling with that much talent? But we can save you."
"No… we must save you. With your Master's permission, we will mobilize all the knowledge we have to extend your lifespan."
"Right, you must be curious about what we want from you. But, there's nothing. It's true, even if it's hard to believe."
"Naturally, we won't give you orders, and we have nothing to ask of you. You just have to use us to struggle to live. It's unfair, isn't it? To just die."
Wihwa approached and held out his hand.
"So, how about it?"
"Those are good terms."
I grasped his hand tightly.
"However, I have one more demand to add to those terms."
"Hah, you're not satisfied even with these terms? You audacious little brat. Though, you are worth it."
"It's nothing much. It's something of no value at all. Less than a stone rolling on the ground."
"…Is that so? What is it?"
Crrack~!
I twisted the neck of the bewildered Wihwa with all my might, and looking into his crushing eyes, I whispered quietly.
"Your life."