Chapter 185: Bringing Riches to the surface

“Men really need sea monsters in their personal oceans. An ocean without its unnamed monsters would be like a completely dreamless sleep.”

John Steinbeck

Accompanied by Arawn, Namir, and Captain Kashif, I embarked on a thrilling treasure-hunting adventure at sea. Our ship sailed across the vast expanse of the Azimuth Ocean, guided by ancient maps and legends that hinted at the location of a long-lost treasure. As the wind filled our sails and the waves crashed against the hull, we eagerly anticipated the excitement ahead.

With my sharp wit and strategic mind, I led the expedition with determination and a thirst for discovery. The experienced and cunning aged assassin Arawn provided valuable knowledge in deciphering hidden clues and navigating treacherous waters. Namir, the skilled beastkin warrior, brought his formidable strength and agility, ready to face any dangers that awaited them. And Captain Kashif, with his extensive knowledge of the seas and fearless spirit, steered the ship with expertise, guiding them closer to their destination.

Days turned into weeks as they ventured deeper into uncharted territories, encountering thrilling encounters with mythical creatures and overcoming treacherous obstacles. Each group member showcased their unique skills and expertise, working together seamlessly. Their perseverance paid off when they finally reached the fabled island, rumoured to house the long-lost treasure. With excitement coursing through our veins, we disembarked onto the unknown shores, stepping foot in a world untouched by time.

Armed with maps, compasses, and our unwavering determination, we embarked on an arduous journey through dense jungles, traversing treacherous cliffs and decoding ancient puzzles left behind by long-forgotten civilisations. As we delved deeper into the island's heart, we encountered traps, riddles, and guardian creatures that tested our mettle. But with our combined skills and unwavering resolve, we overcame each obstacle, inching closer to our ultimate goal.

Finally, after a perilous and exhilarating journey, we stood before the hidden treasure chamber. A moment of awe washed over us as we beheld the glittering riches and artefacts of a bygone era. Our efforts and teamwork brought them to this moment of triumph. We looked down and saw . . .

“See anything yet?” My elaborate exposition shattered as my grandfather interrupted my daydreaming.

“No, not yet,” I answered, exasperated. “I’ll tell you when I do!” I answered for the hundredth time. Grandfather was bored sailing with Captain Kashif. He’d never been a massive fan of sailing. So he sat by me rather than rock the boat. He was watching me while I watched the bottom of the ship. Or at least that was what it looked like to anyone passing by. We stayed inside the cabin where it was not quite as obvious precisely what I was doing, but that meant it was twice as dull for my grandfather. I was using my sensory skills to search the seabed for another wreck. Alas, I had not found another one so far. We got lucky with our last one. However, I was trying not to think about how that ended.

“So . . .” he started again after another couple of minutes waiting, “Fancy catching some fish?”

“Fine,” I replied. I knew he would not stop, and I had just realised I was an idiot. What was the point in gaining a tier 5 skill if I never fully used it? “Just give me a second to set up my skill.” I stepped into my mind fortress, blinking into the command deck where all my skills were set up to monitor the outside world.

“Callen, you’re up,” I said, spinning my skills. Another me popped into existence to man the helm.

“Hmm, Caelus, you’re up too,” I said, bringing up my third personae. There were many skills to look at; hopefully, I wouldn’t miss anything with two sets of eyes looking.

Sense Mana, Echolocation, and Sonar allowed me to see the seafloor. Finally, achieving Sonar over the last year meant the sea floor no longer fell out of sight. Mind sense helped me understand any anomalies in my view, helping me efficiently recognise the creatures as alive and separate from the sea floor. Inspect, Observe, and Analyse combined; let me give them names and levels. At the same time, Danger Sense pinged whenever they were a threat. The system was ubiquitous even in the depths of the Azimuth Ocean. Time sense Sailing and measurement allowed me to judge our speed and map the distances accurately. Draw along with sketching, drafting, and Cartography allowed me to recreate a mental map of the seafloor accurately.

But the skill that was getting the most incredible workout was Treasure Sense. I had gotten good at spotting pearls in the reefs and sea silk. They were both treasures worth collecting while they were concentrated in a reef. However, we were looking for something other than those right now. We were looking for wrecks and a more significant haul.

Happy my inner selves were set up and running, I could devote my time to my father.

“Right, I’m ready.” I sighed to my grandfather as we headed up to the helm.

Captain Kashif welcomed us onto the deck. “My Lord, any luck?” Namir lounged against the railings, looking for any threats I had missed, while Father held the helm. My sensory skills allowed the impossible, but they had far higher attributes for perception, and the curvature of the horizon was the only limit to their sight on the open water other than the weather, or so he told me.

Note to self how far was the horizon? Could I work out how large the world was by working that out? Another puzzle for another day. Or another question to ask Lady Acacia. What was common knowledge in the compass kingdoms was an odd mix of both the medieval and the magical. That continued to trip me up, what was common knowledge and what was not.

“No luck yet,” I answered evasively. We had refused to fill in Captain Kashif precisely how we planned to find sunken wrecks on the sea bed. Our initial success in rediscovering the one we had already seen at least proved to him that this was not a completely pointless venture. Even if it had been entirely terrifying.

. . .

A day earlier.

The Alzena flew across the waves, the wind-filled sails pulling us swiftly towards our goal. We had renamed our slaver’s galley the Libeccian name meaning ‘longing for freedom’. We recognised where it had come from while hopefully giving hope to any future enslaved people it encountered. We did not yet have a fully functional crew of our own, so after borrowing Captain Kashif and half his crew from the Safina, we were shaking down a new Silversea crew formed from some of the formerly enslaved whom we hoped would become, in time, our naval force. We were not yet willing or ready to send them further afield, so they would be circling Wester Ponente, Wester Levante and Little Wester for now. Officially, this was a trial run of that. A prefabricated excuse to delay meeting with the envoys again. But it was also, more importantly, a Treasure hunt. Though the captain was still doubtful, it was possible.

“You expect me to believe you can find a sunken ship you’ve never seen on the open ocean.” Captain Kashif had laughed at my statement once we had finally set sail on what we had described as a tour of our holdings.

“I can, and I have.” I insisted, looking up at the pirate captain.

“It’s true.” My father backed me up. “Already found one.” He said as he set the course for the approximate location.

“You found a sunken ship in the middle of the Azimuth Ocean?” he questioned dubiously.n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om

“Just over halfway to Wester Levante.” Father nodded, trying to get his bearings as accurately as possible and not prove us liars.

“How under the light did you manage that?” he asked, puzzled.

“Loose lips sink ships,” I prattled on. But unwilling to divulge my trade secrets.

“That doesn’t . . . never mind. But, well, lead on.” He gestured at the endless expanse of the sea.

. . .

Father and I had been there before. But I needed to find it again. It was essential if we hoped to prove a method to my madness: treasure hunting on the open ocean. It might have looked like I was scanning the horizon for signs of submerged riches, but I was watching the seafloor, my stats and skills trained on the depths below our hull. It wasn’t long before my keen mental eyes spotted the decaying remains of the shipwreck we had found once before.

“We’re here,” I shouted, grinning and signalling to the disbelieving Captain Kashif that we were finally above the sunken shipwreck.

“You’re sure.” He asked, looking around for anything that might have shown a sunken wreck sitting on the seafloor but finding nothing.

Shrugging, Captain Kashif called out instructions to the crew, and in no time at all, the sails were furled and the anchor cast. Then, it was time to begin the salvage operation.

Excitement coursed through my veins; we had only attempted to salvage the captain’s chest last time. With a whole crew onboard this time, we would try to loot the hold. First, though, we had to deal with the lurking dangers of the deep. But my skills had improved since the last time, and it was no longer only the two of us. We had a full complement for the refitted Alzena, not counting Arawn and Namir. We would not be running this time.

I could still sense the giant cephalopod lurking in the shipwreck's hull, quickly measuring 9 – 10 metres. Not only that, but I could hear its hunger as it waited for morsels tempted to test entering the hull looking for food. It was a colossal squid with a mana core and mind of its own, even if the thinking felt cold and clammy, silent in its thoughts except for an oppressive hunger. It also had a level, and at Level 63, we would be baiting it up to the surface to deal with it rather than attempting to face it in its den!

“The ship is right below us.” I pointed toward the wreck hidden below the water, adding, “But it’s not alone.”

Lurking within the shadows of the sunken shipwreck, it would have been death to any sailors brave enough to tempt the tentacles coiled in anticipation of unsuspecting prey. But I could see it even as it became aware of our alien presence on the water’s surface.

It was time to plan. “There’s a sea monster hiding within,” I explained to Father, Arawn, Namir and Captain Kashif.

“And you expect us to swim down into its open arms?” Captain Kashif sarcastically pointed out the futility of that idea.

“No, it will come to us.” I expanded on my plan. “For one reason or another, I’m tantalisingly tasty to sea creatures of the deeps. We can fish it up to the surface with a line and hook using me as bait.” I continued bravely. I had seen it work too many times to discount the effect, even if I did not truly understand the reasoning why. No one seemed particularly excited about my idea besides the gleeful violent octogenarians, who thought it was ‘only par for the course’ and were looking forward to homemade sushi.

Quietly the crew and I made their preparations.

. . .

Heart pounding, I held onto the line as I was slowly lowered down the ship's side. Boy, I may be, but my Iron Man skill meant I could stay underwater on a single breath for a ridiculously long time now.

With a mix of trepidation and anticipation, I entered the water taking a last breath as my head disappeared into the watery depths; my mind watched with intensity the thoughts of the monster hidden below. Would it wake? Would it follow the bait? How long would I have to wait on tenterhooks?

I sunk lower and lower, the weights pulling me deeper into the depths and closer to the monster. The shadowy ship slowly loomed into sight. Having dropped deep enough to be enticing yet shallow enough to be quickly hauled to the surface, I allowed my mana to leave my body.

The mana core my body had been forced to form when I was bound unconscious in captivity meant that I no longer constantly leaked mana. The vast surplus of mana my trait afforded me was held in my mana core now that it was physical existence rather than a metaphysical one. This would do wonders for my spell casting, but it also meant I was no longer instant shark bait for any sea monster lurking below whenever I dipped a toe in the water.

Now I had a choice. It was time to wake the monster. I released my mana, and the effect was instantaneous. I sensed, silent and stealthy within the hull, its tentacles lined with suction cups unfurling as it felt my arrival in its murky domain. I watched as, with sinister grace, it undulated through the hull, working its way toward me, keen to trap something that smelt so tasty. With a flash of insight into how appetising I was to entice it out of slumber and its den, I realised I needed to do something about compressing or minimising my presence if I ever wanted to swim in the sea again.

Suddenly it shot out from below its lair after the succulent morsel that had dared to flaunt itself above its lair, a sunken ship it had guarded for ages. Its appetite perpetually fulfilled by all the unsuspecting tourists of its home, it was keen to sate it once more. Terrified, I yanked hard on the guide rope, frantically ringing the bell above as I watched my death hurtle its way up towards me. Had this been a bad idea?

As the massive cephalopod emerged from the watery shadows into physical sight, I would have found its body awe-inspiring in its size had I not been frozen in fear that they would be too slow to pull me out of reach of its tentacles that, like serpents hungry for prey thrashed up through the water to reach for me.

But with a jerk that unfroze me, I shot upwards through the water, out of the jaws of death to the life of light above. I had been attached to the rope at my waist and chest; my foot standing in a loop attached to weights had helped me sink straight and pulled me straight up without breaking anything.

And not a moment too soon.

The creature rose out of the depths, chasing me up, even out of the water, as I was hauled to the top yardarm of the Alzena. Refusing to give up its prey, its tentacles writhed after me like the mythical Kraken in a deadly whirlpool of death before reality struck. The ancient guardian of the deep, revealed in all its glory, was caught by gravity. Now out of its element, it descended to land half in and half out of the water draped over the deck before it realised its predicament, so focused had it been on ensnaring my mortal morsel.

As the shock of its sudden appearance and size ended, the crew rallied to battle the sea beast that dared to swallow their lord whole. Its thrashing limbs made the deck into a sudden dance for survival as they unloaded the weapons upon it. Harpoons, spears, and even swords were thrown and struck as it reached for those who had dared disturb its slumber and tease it with a worm on the end of a hook.

Namir and Arawn danced with death. Each took turns lopping another limb off with their weapons as they stepped above and under the failing tentacles that scored the deck with hooks and ripped open flesh whenever it passed by too close. Dodging the deadly blows, they continued striking back with calculated precision as if working calmly in a butcher's shop, not standing on the heaving deck of a ship threatening to capsize under the enormous weight of this giant beast.

The colossal squid’s strength and dexterity were formidable, but it was out of its element, and a hundred cuts it had suffered were draining its vitality as its lifeblood stained the decks blue. I watched, amazed, as the enigmatic creature realised its possible demise and attempted to withdraw its bulk over the ship's side. But found itself stuck fast. Not every spear and harpoon had pierced, but those that had were tied tight to the other side of the ship; they now pulled tight as they prevented the sea monster from retreating into the depths to lick its wounds.

Each slice of metal against flesh was another tick of the clock as its life wound down. The struggle was fierce and intense as it refused to pass silently into the night—a test of wills between the mortals of our newly freed crew and a monster of the deep. The Alzena’s deck became a battleground for freedom and the promised treasure of a future or future of promised treasure.

Captain Kashif could be seen laughing as he hauled a line tight before moving on to the next one and tying it tighter. Arawn was no longer lopping tentacles but intercepting blows that would have rendered flesh from the bone of the still-fighting crew.

“The war is all but won; however, the battle is not yet over. Care to take the killing blow, my lord?” asked Namir after leaping up high to join me on the yardarm overlooking the battle on the blue blood-stained deck below. He stood there with me, pointing out how with every blow still falling, the crew learned the patterns and limitations of their adversary, exploiting its weaknesses. Finally, after a long and gruelling battle, I had only observed from high the giant cephalopod was ready to succumb to a final blow.

“Ready to land the last blow, my Lord?” he asked oddly formally as he handed me a heavy harpoon, over twice my height and weight, while we watched the dying monster from above.

“Yes,” I answered nervously as I took the weapon. Holding the harpoon, pointing straight down, I stepped off the yardarm into the air. Its point below my feet, I aimed at the giant cephalopod's eye. I plummeted through the air, heart pounding, as the wind whipped by me. This was not practice any longer. It was real. I clutched tightly to the pole, grip unyielding as I drove it ever downward faster and faster with my falling weight.

The battle seemed frozen momentarily as the massive cephalopod’s eye fixated on my falling figure. Its iridescent surface shimmered, iris contracting as I fell point first towards it. I was still on target. A malevolent intelligence swirled within it as it watched its prey turn predator, and its demise fall from the sunlit sky toward it. A final tug and flinch were not movement enough to prevent the weapon from burying itself into it. The sharp tip pierced the creature’s mesmerising eye, the weapon’s weight carrying it ever downwards and plunging through into the brain below.

I air-stepped onto its head to avoid following my weapon into the eye as it gave a final thrash of agony. Its remaining tentacles flailed wildly for a second before the body realised my decisive strike was its mortal end, and the creature from the depths finally succumbed to its wounds.

Stunned silence filled the deck as we all witnessed its end.

Then suddenly, recognising reality, the bruised and battered crew cried out as they emerged victorious from the encounter. The once menacing cephalopod’s corpse lay bloodied and broken across the blood-drenched deck. An inarticulate triumphant roar greeted me as the crew celebrated our victory, grateful to be alive after it emerged from the depths chasing me before it merged into something recognisable.

“Silversea!”

“Silversea!”

“Silversea!” the crew chanted.

“Remind me never to go fishing with you again!” Captain Kashif laughed in delight as they looked over the awe-inspiring mountain of monster flesh they had defeated using me as bait.

The adrenaline rush left me. I still stood but felt legless and jittery as it left my system. It had gone as well as it could have, but it had still been incredibly close.

“All right, that’s enough. Time to get to work, you lazy lot. Stop lollygagging! We’ve got a cephalopod to dress and a ship to salvage.” The captain returned to kicking his crew into action.

Namir joined me as I moved away from the giant sea monster. “Check your gains.” He suggested as we stood in the shadow of the poop deck. I giggled before physically stopping myself before it became hysterical at the thought of the deck's name as we moved out of the crew's way. I would have to learn to be more stoic in my victories.

“It’s all right, Kai. We’ve got you.” Arawn said calmly as he touched my shoulder, grounding me into my body. “Take a moment to collect yourself.”

I retreated into the depths of my mind to contemplate my life choices and see what they had gained me.