Chapter 52: Deep-sea Dungeon Raid Part 2

The creature that revealed itself before me was none other than an armored shark.

Its imposing presence was immense.

True to its name, it had fins as solid as armor, a huge and sharp jaw, and a size that seemed to easily surpass ten meters.

The sight of its dark form like that of a rusted sunken ship with only the fierce glow of its blue eyes shining through, sent shivers down my spine.

But I can't back down here.

Only by taming the armored shark could I hope to survive in the deep-sea dungeon.

After all, the armored shark was a notorious beast that was feared even by the ferocious monsters of the deep-sea.

Some might think this:

Wouldn't having just one deep-sea blue whale make conquering the deep-sea dungeon easy?

The answer is "no".

While the deep-sea blue whale was a useful choice for smashing pirate ships, the story changes in the dungeon.

The creature would simply be too large to pass through the dungeon's entrance.

Even back in the game, the types of beasts that could be summoned in the deep-sea dungeon were significantly limited.

However, the armored shark was a beast commonly encountered within the deep-sea dungeon.

Although we couldn't spend much time together which would make [Beast Transformation] difficult to use, the skills [Beast Summoning] and [Subjugation] would be fully usable.

I held my breath quietly and watched the armored shark.

Its armor was already filled with large scars. This only went to show how many battles it had endured.

The armored shark looked around as if trying to find the source of the fishy smell of blood. Every time that happened, its blue eyes flashed.

Sharks aren't known for their good eyesight.

It was drawn here by the scent of blood, but finding me who was already healed wouldn't be easy.

I hid among the swaying black seaweed that rippled with the waves. Most sea creatures and monsters avoided tangling with these seaweeds, which resembled kelp and could cause poisoning. Luckily, I was wearing the [Benevolent Monster] totem, which made me immune to the poison.

Even though I had been hiding for quite some time, the armored shark was still searching the area. This was to be expected, given its reputation for preferring human flesh to the point that it was known more as a man-eater than a shark.

But I couldn't afford to end up as shark fodder now.

I had to wait for a moment where it would grow careless before using the [Subjugation] skill.

I'll strike when it gives up and turns away.

There was a saying that the only thing that could kill an armored shark was "starvation" since it never rested from hunting even for a day.

So it couldn't roam here indefinitely.

I figured it would move on in search of other prey if I just waited a bit longer.

That was the moment I intended to seize.

Fortunately, the gill pill's effect lasted about a day.

And patience, well, that's something I excel at.

I gripped the seaweed tightly to prevent myself from drifting away.

Just to be safe, I activated [Owl Eyes] to ensure clear vision in the dark depths.

Well then, shall we wait and see?

***

The armored shark proved to be much more persistent than I had anticipated.

I glanced down at the clock-flower I had brought along to keep track of time.

The clock-flower, with its six petals, sheds one petal every four hours. Now, two petals had already fallen. Even accounting for the time spent on various tasks after diving in, I had spent at least five hours just watching the armored shark.

It seems that the armored shark that has caught my eye right now was a very tenacious guy.

Should I find another way?

In the moment I thought about a change in strategy, a dark shadow swiftly passed overhead.

"...!"

It seemed the creature had finally decided to abandon its stubbornness and turn back.

Now was the moment.

"O Lynshaka, goddess of the forest and land, though I stand in the midst of the sea, is not the sea itself but a 'vessel' contained within your realm…"

As I offered up my prayer, I felt as if I heard something giggling in my ear. Like the voice of a fairy.

"Thus, I beseech you, grant me your favor once more…"

Bubbles briefly sparkled before my eyes. Without hesitation, I reached out to use the [Breath of the Forest]. Although I was in the sea, such a minor detail seemed trivial. After all, seaweed that was rooted in the "earth", is still a "plant".

– Whooosh!

– Whoosh! Wooosh!

Fortunately, really fortunately, the black seaweed began to grow and sway at an astonishing rate. Although controlling their direction was challenging due to the waves, it was not impossible. The rapidly expanding cluster of black seaweed took on the form of a giant's hand.

The next step was easier. I attempted to grasp the armored shark with the hand of black seaweed. Or rather, I would have succeeded if not for the current disrupting the seaweed cluster. However, the shark proved quicker than anticipated. It seemed confused but managed to slip through the grasp of the seaweed.

It's alright. Let's try once more.

– Whooosh!

– Whoosh! Wooosh!

Due to the resistance of the waves, the black seaweed hand moved more slowly than I had anticipated. Therefore, it was crucial to anticipate the armored shark's movements and act preemptively. I focused my mind. Well, reading the body language of animals, beasts, or monsters was as natural and effortless to me as a druid as breathing.

Now!

At the moment the armored shark attempted to twist its body, I captured it with the black seaweed growing from the opposite direction. The shark thrashed around, but this was to no avail. While some of the seaweed was cut as the shark intended, the already entangled mass of seaweed firmly held its torso in place.

Got it!

This was as good as having accomplished half the task.

After ensuring that the black seaweed had sufficiently entangled the creature, I fiddled with the thick ring on my index finger.

The ring, with its glistening yellow gem, looked undeniably luxurious at first glance. And naturally so. This ring was a "stun ring" invented for the self-defense of noble ladies. It was like a ring-shaped electric shock device. The gemstone set in its center was not a gem at all but a processed magic stone that was capable of unleashing an electric shock potent enough to stun a person.

Considering that hunting a single armored shark usually required a boat and twenty able-bodied men, it was not an easy opponent.

But this should be enough for me.

Originally, the goal wasn't to kill. After all, a dead creature would only complicate matters for me. Hence, my choice of the "stun ring".

As I gazed at the shark entangled in seaweed, I caressed the ring on my fist. Let's end this with a blow or two.

In an ideal world, taming should involve wholehearted empathy and a gradual build-up of trust with the target. But what if circumstances don't allow for that?

"..."

What is most crucial for subjugation?

Druids might have varied opinions on this—affection, trust, belief, blah blah blah…

But I can assert that there is a far more effective and straightforward method.

Beating them into submission.

With the hope that the armored shark might somewhat comfortably accept its situation, I approached it with a light smile. For some reason, the closer I got, the more frantically it thrashed. There, there, it's all right.

-Even the king of the sea, the shark, has weaknesses.

I couldn't help but feel as if a narration from a documentary I enjoyed was echoing in my ears.

-The gills, eyes, and 'nose' are its weak points.

The armored shark's nose was impressively pointed.

-Notably, a shark's nose is so sensitive that it can detect bioelectric fields, so even a slight electric shock could…

I drew back my fist. I knew that being underwater meant I'd need to exert twice the usual force for the impact to be effective. Alright, let's get ready.

– Boom!!!

– Fizzzzzzzzz!!!!

The electrical magic from the ring surged through the armored shark's nose, briefly illuminating its nostrils.

-…inflict tremendous damage.

As the imaginary narration concluded, the armored shark shivered momentarily. I then placed my hand on the head of the creature who had lost the will to resist and activated the [Subjugation] skill. The result…

-Spark!

It was a success.

A star symbol, which was the mark of [Subjugation], appeared above the shark's head. The symbol created through my magical power didn't vanish but instead started spinning above its head.

At the same time, I felt a connection to the soul of the armored shark. When our mental connection solidified, I could sense a flood of the shark's confused emotions pouring in. I calmed it as best as I could while swiftly collecting the black seaweed. Then, I used the [Nature's Healing] skill to restore the shark's health.

It's okay. I won't harm you.

Even though I had already been snubbed by its cold indifference, my intentions were genuine. I attempted to stroke it reassuringly, but the creature recoiled with a start. Oh well…

At that moment, the armored shark's eyes were brimming with nothing but fear.

Regardless, I went ahead and patted its head.

The sight of its gaping maw filled with layers of sharp teeth was unnerving. However, since the creature had already submitted to me, there was no need for concern.

I waited for a while for the bewildered creature to come to its senses. It needed to be somewhat calm before I could properly use my skills.

There's still plenty of time left for the gill pill's effect so I might as well experiment with a few things before heading back up.

Afterward, I took some time to test the strength of my mental connection with the armored shark and to see how well it would follow my commands. As long as the commands did not involve self-destruction, the armored shark complied with everything I asked for.

This included simple attacks and defenses as well as providing cover and escort.

What I found most impressive was the way the armored shark escorted me. True to its name, the creature used its armor-like skin to effortlessly deflect a variety of attacks. Simple physical attacks were virtually ineffective against it. Unless faced with a powerful magical attack, I would be safe under the protection of the armored shark.

Good. Good job.

After determining how far we could be from each other without breaking our mental connection, the training session concluded. As a reward for the guy, I retrieved the hind leg of a clawed camel that I had already packed from my spatial ring. It was a piece of fresh clawed camel meat that sea creatures wouldn't normally get to taste. Sure enough, the shark quickly snatched up the hind leg.

It may not be your favorite human flesh, but I hope it satisfies you…

Now, shall we head back to land?