Chapter 41: Survive, even if you accept [Honkai]

[Well, since it helped you again and was still friendly, you decided to accept it, though you kept your distance. You responded a bit by controlling the seawater to gently touch it, showing some goodwill.]

['Is this enough?' You think so and start to leave.]

[It just rarely stirs up some waves to block your way, almost like it doesn't want you to leave.]

[Looking back, you see it manipulating the seawater to bring back the remains of the jellyfish Honkai beast, then pushing them in front of you.]

[You're not sure what it means…]

["Hmm——" Noticing you hadn't moved for a while, it called out anxiously twice, swimming around you. Then, it bit off a large piece of wreckage and fired a water bomb at the sea surface, causing a splash.]

[You probably get the message now.]

[It must have sensed you're weak and wants you to eat the remains to recover… So, is this stuff is actually a food?]

[And can you really recover by eating this? After all, you're human and it's an Honkai beast. Shouldn't you have different diets?]

["Hmm——" Seeing you still not moving, and looking a bit conflicted, it chirped softly and then dived into the water with the remains it had bitten off, swimming away quickly.]

[You're puzzled but don't care too much. You pick up the remains floating in front of you and examine them closely.]

[The nearly transparent jellyfish Honkai beast feels like gel—bouncy and soft. With a little force, you can crush it into pieces. It's a bit like pudding… Hiss, isn't it weird to describe it as food? Can this thing really be eaten?]

[After all, the remains of these Honkai beasts are basically Honkai energy. If you replenish Honkai energy, maybe it'll activate the "Gabriel" gene in your body and restore you?]

[…Forget it. This might backfire.]

[You push aside the unreliable idea.]

[At that moment, the killer whale Honkai beast returns, holding a fish-shaped Honkai beast wreckage in its mouth, and pushes it in front of you. It chirps twice eagerly, seeming hopeful.]

[You stare at the fish-shaped wreckage, silent… It must have thought you didn't like "jellyfish," so it got you a "fish."]

[You reject it and scold it for the wreckage.]

[For some reason, it looks a bit aggrieved and eats all the remains pitifully, occasionally barking while eating, and its mood seems to drop.]

[It feels a bit silly and dazed… but then again, it's an Honkai beast, so it's surprising it has any intelligence at all. Its vivid emotions remind you of the original "Gabriel."]

[Also… it eats a lot.]

[It quickly devours a bunch of jellyfish and the "fish" remains, as if its appetite is never-ending.]

[You can't help but think it's cute like this… Damn, why do you feel that way?]

[You shake your head, wondering if your perception has changed.]

[During this time, you get a general understanding of the "ocean" situation… The Honkai beasts here seem to continue the original "ocean" ecosystem, with every creature now an Honkai beast. Their diet has expanded to include other Honkai beasts in the "ocean."]

[You've seen "shrimp eating sharks, crabs eating shrimp, and killer whales eating crabs" (demonstrated by the killer whale Honkai beast itself). When it eats other Honkai beasts, its aura strengthens slightly, giving the impression of "growing up a bit."]

[This process is immediate—strengthening with each bite, without any "nutrient absorption" process. It feels like a smaller body of water merging into a larger one, becoming part of it.]

[It's like the entire "ocean" is in a "battle royale" atmosphere, where Honkai creatures hunt each other. The weak get eaten and the strong get stronger. There's no chance to become weaker—just get eaten.]

[Thus, creatures often have special abilities, like the transparent jellyfish you encountered earlier.]

[As for water control, almost every "ocean" Honkai beast has it. The amount controlled depends on the beast's strength, and the "characteristics" given to the water also vary.]

[So, it seems you're indeed a "companion" to the "ocean" Honkai beast, given your similar abilities… And you have Gabriel's genes.]

[You start to consider whether to join this "ecosystem." From what you see, eating Honkai beasts might actually help you recover…]

[Faced with the remains of the Honkai beast it handed to you again, you hesitate.]

[Maintaining the "river" for days has depleted your strength, and you're really hungry now. Even a fusion warrior needs to eat.]

[You glance at the killer whale Honkai beast. It's still swimming slowly around you, looking hopeful.]

[From your observations, it doesn't have any special abilities—no thick shell or heavy claws like a "crab," nor the stealth of a transparent jellyfish. It just seems strong, with a robust body and powerful water control… That's about it.]

[But if you think about it, a strong water control ability is enough to dominate in the "ocean." After all, this is the "ocean."]

[It's surprising that such a being is so friendly to you.]

[Maybe you should respond to its kindness.]

[You focus on the remains of the Honkai Beast in front of you.]

[And you need "nutrients" to recover.]

[You have to survive… Yes, you will survive and get back to them alive.]

[Even if Gabriel's genes activate again and you eat the remains of the Honkai Beast, so what?]

[You will survive.]

[You open your mouth and take a bite.]

[It might be your imagination, but the surrounding seawater seems to rejoice, like a mother seeing her child finally eat after a hunger strike.]

['…Damn it, why I'm thinking like this?']

[As you chew on the remains, you're puzzled by these sudden thoughts.]

[But to be honest, Honkai Beast is actually... not that bad to eat. At least the first bite doesn't have the bloody smell of raw meat; it has a soft texture like fish meat, with the skin being a little hard at best.]

[You keep feeling like something's off with your cognition, but it doesn't have much impact since you can really feel your body recovering. After getting the "nutrients," you feel much better.]

[And you won't feel full after eating an Honkai beast... It's like you didn't really "eat" it but just absorbed it as energy.]

["yiiiing——" Seeing that you finally started to "eat," it chirped cheerfully, clearly happy.]

[It leads you to hunt other Honkai beasts, giving you most of the remains during the hunt while eating just a small part itself.]

[It seems to really like you. This feeling is inexplicable and makes you feel puzzled.]

[But now, you've warmed up to it a bit.]

[At night, it takes you back to the deep sea, moving forward in the dark using its sense of water, continuing to guide you in hunting "prey" in the deep sea. It then takes a short rest near dawn and swims back to the surface when the sun shines on the sea.]

[At this point, it becomes quiet, almost as if it has fallen asleep, and you also begin to rest after observing it for a while.]

[Honestly, the pitch-black environment of the deep sea always brings up some bad memories, but after a few times, you get a bit used to it... The deep sea isn't like the house at the start. The ocean is vast enough that you don't feel trapped. The perception of water can replace vision, allowing you to sense the surroundings more clearly.]

[Of course, more importantly... there's no harm here.]

[Although the Honkai beasts in the deep sea are much stronger than those in the shallow ocean, they are few in number, making it almost impossible to encounter them. Therefore, it's unexpectedly a safe place to take a short rest.]

[Under its guidance, you gradually become familiar with life in the "ocean," even falling asleep while soaking in the seawater... Of course, you still keep your sense of the water around you to avoid any accidents.]

[For the next few days, it has been taking you "hunting," and your condition has improved quickly. Even though you can't build a "river" directly in the air due to the seawater, you can now "hunt" most Honkai beasts by yourself without its help.]

[Wanting to give back, you give it most of the remains of the Honkai beasts you've "hunted." More importantly, you feel that your condition has almost fully recovered, and it's time to head back.]

[You decide to go back tomorrow and try to return to the land—you think as you dive into the deep sea in the evening.]

[As always, you search for rare and powerful "prey" in the dark deep sea. Unfortunately, you didn't find any today. Looks like there's no midnight snack.]

[But you don't mind too much; there are really few "prey" in the deep sea, so you decide to rest well tonight.]

[Perhaps because it's not its usual rest time, it happily swims around you. Though it doesn't actually touch you, it still emits very happy emotions and keeps chirping.]

[The continuous calls gradually become rhythmic, like a unique tune belonging to it... It sounds like it's singing and is obviously in a really good mood.]

[Of course, this is also a kind of "trap." If an Honkai beast in the deep sea is attracted by its "singing," you might end up with an extra meal.]

[As for whether you can defeat the attacking Honkai beasts... So far, you haven't encountered one you couldn't defeat.]

["Hmm—" It's almost time for its usual rest. It chirps briskly and shows you its snow-white belly. You understand and control the seawater to touch it slightly, which makes it exude a happy mood.]

[Then, it gradually becomes quiet, as if it has fallen asleep. You wait a while as usual and begin to take a light nap.]

[But tonight... it didn't get a good rest.]

[After you fell asleep, it quietly woke up, gently wiggling its tail fin to avoid waking you and trying to control the water flow around it to keep you from noticing.]

[...However, it seemed to have forgotten its huge size. No matter how careful it was, you still caught its movements. After spending some time with it, you've become very familiar with its movements.]

[Considering its previous kindness, you didn't wake up immediately but waited quietly, preparing for some "not so good" endings.]

[It approaches you, cautiously crossing the distance it usually maintains when with you.]

[Then, it opened its huge mouth, stuck out its tongue, and gently touched you.]

[...?]