Rabbit

Meanwhile…

Daita swam alongside Jirco to the island where she last saw Lorca. To her surprise she saw many humans still alive when Lorca should have mutilated all of them by now.

"Weird, Lorca wouldn't let a single human on that island alive. Something's wrong. Jirco, stay here, I'll check out the island."

Jirco did a military salute and sank lower to the ocean where he could see the pretty fishes.

Daita couldn't help but squint her eyes at him. Jirco was indeed slow, stupid all his life but he was also very talkative trying to learn new things. But after the fishmen were massacred he was mentally scarred for life. Ever since that day Jirco hadn't said a word.

Although Daita still did not like Jirco that much, she felt bad that he wasn't the same.

Daita swam towards the island and using the momentum she leapt towards the island and landed on the deck of a boat. All the men there gasped upon seeing her appear on their boat.

"I'm looking for my boyfriend, have any of you seen him? He's a fishman like me." Daita asked.

Of course none of them answered her. Instead a few of them jumped off the boat, while the rest quickly ran to gather their weapons to kill her.

"KILL HER!"

Daita sighed. "Guess we're doing this." 

As the men charged at her Daita swung her harpoon using it like a bat and shattered the skulls and brains of everyone on board. She could very well stab them with ease, but using her weapon as a blunt object was more painful.

"ANOTHER FISHMAN IS HERE! SAVE YOURSELVES!" 

The few who abandoned the ship quickly informed everyone on the island of the powerful fishman.

Very quickly the people ran to their boats, some hid inside their homes, others bravely or foolishly ran towards the fishman to kill it. Not even a day had gone by since the last fishman attacked the island and murdered dozens of people, many on the island were still on guard.

The Carribean men also charged towards the fishman despite knowing how outmatched they were.

Daita was faster than Lorca, no one on the island could touch her. 

In a few hours the island was desolate, it was in a worse state than before. Almost no one was spared, not even children.

Out of the 900+ people who were living on the island there were only a few remaining on the island. Only 60 people manage to escape from the island to safety.

Daita grabbed hold of a survivor by the shirt and lifted him up. Daita was completely covered in blood, guts, dirt, but had no wounds on her.

"Tell me before I jam my harpoon down your throat where did the fishman from yesterday go?" Daita said menacingly.

"Over… there. Under the basement." The Carribean men pointed to a building.

Daita looked at the man confused. Did they perhaps manage to somehow bound Lorca? 

"That idiot must've let his guard down." Daita scoffed as she let go of the Caribbean man, not before jamming her harpoon on his thigh.

"AAAAAAAAAHAAAAAAAAAHAAAAAAAAHHHHHH." The man screamed from the pain.

The few survivors could only look in horror.

"Shut up!" Daita proceeded to knock him out by kicking him in the face, knocking out a few of his teeth as well.

Daita went to the building, down the basement expecting to see Lorca sad and chained up.

"Seriously? How in the world did a bunch of weak humans manage to beat…" 

To her horror she saw Lorca dead, motionless, on the ground in a pool of his blood. His mouth was slightly open but his teeth and tongue were cut out. The light from his eyes was nowhere to be seen. The area around his stomach was cut open as people were trying to cut out his organs.

There were also many tools around him that were used on his body to sell it for research purposes. Many schools want to use body parts of fishmen to show young students the anatomy of fishmen

"Lorca?" Daita couldn't process what she was seeing. She just saw him yesterday, alive, with a thirst for blood to avenge his daughter. 

After his daughter's death he wasn't the same which she couldn't blame him for. 

"Lorca? Lorca! Lorca!" She ran up to his body thinking he would wake up, but he didn't.

"NO! NOO! NOOO! NOOO!!!" Daita began to cry hysterically, tears and snot ran down her face like an endless river. 

After a while the sadness in her was replaced with anger. She didn't feel this angry when she saw her people die or when she was Lorca's dead daughter, she never had any strong connection to anyone besides Lorca.

She is the type to never express her love for others, but she really did love Lorca.

Daita carried his body outside the building and set him in front of the remaining humans.

"WHO DID THIS?! WHO KILLED HIM?!" Daita said, calmly.

There were only six people remaining including the unconscious Carribean men. No one answered her as they were too afraid.

She pulled the harpoon out of the man's thigh and jammed it straight in his heart killing him.

"WHO DID THIS!?" She pointed her harpoon at a woman. 

"He… he knows." A young man raised his hand shaking uncontrollably.

"WHO?!" Daita pointed her harpoon at him. 

"Glenn."

The young man pointed to a Caribbean man beside him. Glenn was on death's door bleeding out from his missing leg. His face was almost white, unresponsive, weak.

No one else but a few Carribean men saw Sky kill Lorca because everyone else was trying to survive. The few others who did see Sky were long dead.

Daita grabbed Glenn's head and said, "REJUVENATION!" 

A yellow aura wrapped around Glenn's body, his leg was still missing but it had been healed so he wouldn't bleed to death anymore.

Glenn's skin color was slowly going back to normal.

Next he felt someone grab his arm and a searing pain was coursing through his arm.

"AAAAAAAAH! STOP! IT BURNS!" 

Daita had the same skill as Lorca that can shoot out burning steam from her hands. Right now she was burning Glenn's hand causing him great pain.

Daita grabbed hold of Glenn's face to shut him up.

"Shut up! Tell me who killed him or I will keep burning you, then healing you, again, and again, and again until you confess." 

Meanwhile…

Sky exited the dungeon along with Jericho. 

Ever since the system told him someone was watching him he began feeling uneasy. The only area this anomaly couldn't see Sky was while he was inside a dungeon.

{Curse of the sloth: lvl 1}

Sky was grinding that skill but it was difficult to level up an evolved skill.

While on the ship Sky was looking at his map looking for more green+ dungeons.

"I need to find stronger monsters to sacrifice to complete my quest, and such monsters can only be found inside green+ dungeons. Wait…" Sky noticed the island he went to yesterday changed colors.

Islands typically showed their colors according to how strong it was using the same color level used for dungeons, green meaning weak, green+ meaning average, red meaning powerful, red+ meaning more difficult. The only time he has seen a red+ island is the Warlord's island.

The island used to be green even when it was being attacked by that powerful fishman, now it's red+.

"System, why is the island red+ all of a sudden?" 

{It means something has happened to the island that made it change to red+}

"Okay, I understand that but WHAT exactly happened?"

{Figure it out}

Sky wanted to go. But the red+ difficulty made him hesitate. Not long ago they cleared a red dungeon, barely making it out alive.

"No, I'm still not strong enough." Sky knew there had to be good rewards from clearing a red+ island, at least he thinks so. But being greedy isn't any good.

"What was that, Sky?" Jericho asked.

"Nothing." Sky picked a dungeon far away and sailed to it.

'Hopefully by next week I will grow strong enough to kill the Warlord.' Sky thought.

Unknown to Sky there was an old man watching him from above the clouds, it was none other than G. the player system itself.

G. was looking at another being far away on the other side of the world who was closely observing Sky. G. was surprised to see a being powerful enough to sense Sky because he evolved a skill, very rarely had he seen such individuals in other worlds. The being might be amazing, but even it couldn't sense or see the system even if G. were to stand right in front of it.

"This world is much better than I thought." with a smile G. disappeared in a flash.

The being in question was shrouded in a dark aura that looked like black smoke that was sentient. It covered the entire area around it making it difficult to see its true form.

The aura around it would make anyone sick just by seeing it.

"Interesting…" The figure stared at Sky.

Sometime later two fishmen would arrive on an island. Both of them had a dreadful expression.

"Daita, glad to see you two back." Dei and some of his friends walked over to greet them. "Where's Lorca?" 

Jirco looked away from Daita and began sweating a bit. 

"He's… dead." Daita said.

"Wait, what?" Dei and the rest thought they misheard her.

"Lorca is dead! It was the same damn human who killed everyone."

There was an eerie silence. 

Dei tightened his fist to the point where his fingers stabbed his own palm and started bleeding from his hand.

"First our friends, our home, our new home, our families, now Lorca. What does he have against us specifically?" One of Dei's friends, Roja, said in a spiteful tone.

"Daita, did you find traces of this human?" Dei asked. He was very angry and wanted to quickly find this human, but he wanted to be calm and rational before making hasty decisions that might lead them to nowhere.

"No, I searched other islands, most of them were deserted, I destroyed a few more human settlements but didn't find anything about him. All I know is that he is still with that little human girl, and wanted to know about the Warlord."

Everyone gasped upon hearing that word come out of her mouth.

"I thought it was the same Warlord as well, but it's not him. It's another human who proclaims himself as a Warlord of the Land of the Free. And our little serial killer wanted to know more about this fake Warlord, as for the reason I don't know."

Dei and his friends breathed a sigh of relief.

"Hmm… do you know anything else?" 

"Nothing else. I tortured the human to the point where I broke him and I am pretty sure he didn't hold back any information."

"Still, we can use this information. Everyone except Jirco, go and find more information about this 'fake Warlord' because there is a chance if we find the Warlord we'll find our killer. And also, do not underestimate him, we thought he was weak but if he's able to kill Lorca he's a bigger threat than we thought. Go in groups of two or three at all times. And let the others know. Daita, take me to where you last saw Lorca."

With the new information handed to them the fishmen continued to search for Sky, their thirst for revenge remained the same.

Jirco was left on the island along with five more fishmen who were left to guard the island and protect the children.

Dei and Daita swam close to each other underwater. Dei looked over to Daita and couldn't help but ask, "Daita, where did you leave his body?" 

"I buried him."

"I see."

Fishmen have an entirely different meaning for 'burying' their loved ones. Instead of burying them underground, they usually place them underwater to let their bodies float in the ocean, that way their spirits could be one with the ocean.

It's a tradition that has been passed down by generations of fishmen since the beginning.

Later…

{Quest time remaining: 4 days}

Sky was inside a green+ dungeon. The dungeon was another wet-cave type of dungeon. Behind him was a trail of blood and a trail of sea terror bodies lying dead on the ground.

The sight of sea monsters would always remind him of the time he killed the exterminator crew and killed the secret boss.

He was holding onto the weakened sea terror with his right hand. On his other hand he was holding onto the pendant.

Once the pendant touched the sea terror's head, the sea terror's eyes glowed red. Then a red pentagram shined brightly underneath the sea terror's feet and sucked him into another dimension.

{Quest: ritual sacrifice}

{Sacrifice 94/100 monsters}

Most sea terrors were weak and their stats collectively were less than 100, but every now and then he would find some sea terrors who are stronger than the rest. 

What was weird for Sky is that the quest read {sacrifice 'monsters'} specifically, one would think humans wouldn't count, but they surprisingly do, which is why Sky's progress is so high.

If he hadn't found out about that then the number of progress in his quest would have been less than 20 by now. That was because most humans, specifically exterminators and the Warlord's men have barely over 100 collective stat points.

In a way the quest refers to human beings as 'monsters' in the same category as non-humans.

"Shame that those I sacrifice don't give me experience or money, but it'll be worth it if I complete the quest." Sky gripped tightly onto the pendant before placing it back safely inside his inventory.

{Level: 111}

{Stat points: 40}

{Shells: 3.4m}

Sky was lucky that Jericho found more chests with money in them. Sadly he only found bronze chests which gave him crappy items, but 100,000 shells in each chest.

And right after killing the sea terrors he leveled up, which worried him.

Lately the experience required for leveling up was getting too much, so much that he was barely leveling up twice a day.

Raising his stat points naturally or by using sea scrolls was now faster than leveling up.

{Str: 73 → 75 + 20}

{Dex: 103 → 110 + 15}

{Spd: 116 → 121}

{Int: 161 → 165}

{Mana: 2,260 → 2,280}

{Mind: 113 → 114}

{Vig: 130 → 141}

{HP: 5,350 → 5,460}

Vigor was the only skill he cannot raise naturally, but was able to raise it because he found a green scroll that gave him 11 vigor.

"Sky, don't you ever get tired of killing others like that?" Jericho asked. 

"No, not really." 

'I guess it's time I should invest my stat points into intelligence. Please let me get another skill.' 

{Stat points: 40 → 5}

{Int: 165 → 200}

{Mana: 2,280 → 2,455}

{Intelligence has reached 200}

{Mana has increased by 500}

{Mana: 2,455 → 2,955}

{New skill unlocked: Pyrokinesis: Control and create fire with the mind}

{Pyrokinesis: lvl 1: Can barely create and control fire}

{Mana cost: Depends}

"Woah." 

Sky extended his right hand. From the tip of his finger he produced a little red flame. He could feel the warmth from the flame but it didn't burn him.

Perhaps it was because the flame was small that it didn't hurt him, after all Sky wasn't flame resistant.

{Mana cost: 0.8(1)}

He could see how the tiny flame was costing him 0.8 mana per second. But with his high mind stat and his two passive abilities that grants him 100% (200% if standing still) he can maintain the small flame 24/7 without his mana reaching zero.

"Woah, Sky!" Jericho gasped to see Sky being able to produce fire. "You never told me you can make fire!" 

"I couldn't until now." Sky said, his eyes never leaving the fire.

He was manipulating the fire trying to move it from one hand to the other, but it was very difficult to control it, it was akin to sprinting while holding an egg with a spoon and hoping it wouldn't fall and break.

What Sky knows is that practice makes perfect. If he can practice control over his fire it'll gradually grow bigger and stronger.

'System, the rate of mana consumption… what does it mean by 'depends'?"

There wasn't a response from the system. Sometimes it answers back, sometimes it doesn't. It meant he had to figure it out by himself.

Along the way Sky continued controlling the small flame in his palms while keeping his guard up.

"Sky, seriously, how?" Jericho was amazed to see Sky being able to create fire. 

She has heard how people could control the elements by finding red or purple scrolls that contain such abilities, but she hasn't seen Sky consume a red scroll.

Only two elemental abilities can be rarely found in red scrolls, air and fire.

In fact, her magnetism ability was also considered an element, it was the second rarest elemental ability one could find in a purple scroll.

"I don't know how to explain- stop. Ice trident!" Sky made the flame disappear and in his hands two ice tridents appeared.

{You have maxed out a skill}

{Ice trident: lvl: MAX: Damage: 2000(1000) 50% chance to freeze enemy}

"Get behind me. I sense a presence, and it doesn't feel like another sea terror." Sky was so weary of this presence that he didn't care if he maxed out another skill.

Jericho nodded and hid behind him while holding both knives in hand.

Sky got closer to the presence, only to see nothing at all in the wet cave. The presence he could feel was behind a wall.

Sky was left perplexed, if there was a presence behind a wall was it perhaps due to the system's influence? Just like how they occasionally find a chest, or the merchant.

The first time he found something behind a wall it was a secret boss.

"I sense something behind this wall. You should stay far back just in case." 

"Are you sure you want to fight it?"

"I dunno. But whatever it is, it's very tiny. Now go." 

Jericho ran far back where Sky knew she would be safe. Sky threw the ice trident at the wall which crumbled before him.

{Secret room found}

{You have found the precious rabbit}

Sky saw a small room that did not fit with the dungeon's overall theme. The room was made out of grass, and in the center was a grown bunny. 

The bunny was not a normal bunny. It had eyes made of precious black gems. It had a diamond for a nose. Its body was glowing a bright, white color that had sparkles that fell like beautiful lights.

The rabbit's entire body jolted when it heard the wall crumble. And in no time the rabbit ran away, leaving Sky dumbfounded.

'Identify.' 

{Precious rabbit}

{HP: 110}

{Mana: 5}

{A very rare species of rabbit that has been hunted down for ages due to its precious body. Can be sold at a high price to merchants}

{Stats: Str: 1: Dex: 1: Spd: 5: Int: 1: Mind: 1: Vig: 1}

Sky caught the rabbit in no time, with the rabbit struggling to get out of his grasp.

"Huh, you don't look like it but you're very heavy, I think it's because your entire body is made out of gems or something. Either way, you're mine now." 

Sky tried placing the rabbit inside his inventory, but it doesn't let "living beings" inside.

"System, it says I can sell it at a high price, does it matter if I sell it dead or alive?" Sky asked. He had his hand on the rabbit's neck ready for confirmation.

The rabbit could feel Sky's hand tightening around his neck and there was a tiny tear rolling down his cheek, as if it knew what was about to happen.

{A living precious rabbit is obviously more valuable than a dead one, that is if you are willing to risk losing it if you carry it with you. On the small chance you do decide to kill it, make sure not to damage it too much otherwise the price will go down}

Sky thought it made sense. But carrying a rabbit on his ship seemed too risky. If he were to keep it alive there's a good chance it'll escape, after all Sky can't afford to bring a rabbit everywhere with him because it'll be too much of an inconvenience.

But if he killed it, and stored it inside his inventory, he'll lose some unknown amount of money but is guaranteed to sell it if he finds the merchant again.

"Oh, right, I have this." 

{Card sealing transformation: level 1: can turn 100m objects into cards. Can seal beings weaker than the player if their HP is 2% or lower}

The rest of the description reads it can automatically seal beings if their collective stats are 10 or lower without needing to lower its HP first.

Sky never practiced this ability of his because he never saw a need to.

"Card sealing transformation!"

The rabbit disappeared and in its place a card appeared. The card had the picture of the rabbit, just like all cards do when the card technique is used on an object.

Sky wondered if the rabbit was still moving inside the card but he couldn't see it, or if it couldn't move at all and was trapped in a prison where he couldn't do anything.

"I never thought of it but this ability is… amazing. I gotta test it out on some people to see what they experience inside." 

Sky was now able to place the rabbit inside his inventory while it was still alive.

"Sky, is everything alright?" Jericho ran up to Sky after seeing nothing had happened.

Sky looked at her, and pondered on a question: "should I use the card sealing ability on her?" 

Sky stared at her for a while, and Jericho couldn't help but take a step back from the chill running down her spine.

'Nah, I'll test it out on someone else.' Sky turned around to continue with the dungeon. On the way he was still practicing his pyrokinesis.

"Wait for me."