Chapter 245: A Fisherman’s Rescue
The ship rocked violently amidst the raging waves, the anguished cries of fishermen overlapping in a cacophony of fear. As Rest leaped into the sea, he caught sight of a massive shadow gliding gracefully beneath several fishing boats. It was at least twenty meters long—comparable in size to a whale, though its true form remained obscured. It appeared to be long and serpentine in shape.
“This must be a Sea Monster…!”
“Uwaaaaaaaah!?”
A part of the creature emerged from the depths, a white-scaled tail adorned with teal fins crashing against the surface of the water, creating towering waves. The fishermen’s boats were tossed violently from side to side by the tumultuous waters.
“Ah…!”
“Hyahhhhhhhhhh!?”
“Help meeeeeeeeeee!”
Unable to withstand the waves any longer, one of the fishing boats capsized, sending the fishermen plummeting into the sea. While the monster did not attack the fishermen directly, its massive shadow circled around them beneath the surface, stirring up a whirlpool. Those caught in the vortex were sucked under, desperately clawing their way back to the surface only to be pulled down again.
“This creature… could it be playing with them…?”
Rest grimaced at the sight from above. The monster’s movements did not resemble that of a predator hunting for fish; rather, it seemed to be toying with the fishermen, drowning them for amusement. It was as if a child were crushing ants underfoot, a display of innocent malice.
“Wind Manipulation!“
First and foremost, he needed to rescue the drowning fishermen. Rest summoned the wind to lift those struggling against the waves and carried them to the shore. If only he could lift the entire boat, but this spell lacked the power for such a feat.
“I’ll be taking you lot too!”
“Whoa!?”
He scooped up the fishermen clinging to the boat and brought them to safety. With that, all the fishermen had been rescued.
“GYAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!”
Suddenly, the Sea Monster surfaced, revealing part of its face covered in the same white scales as its tail, its bulging eyes fixated on the abandoned fishing boats.
“GYAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!”
The creature let out a furious roar. Then, as if to vent its frustration, it sank its teeth into one of the floating boats, crunching it with a resounding crack. Its long tail lashed against the water’s surface, sending waves that threatened to capsize other vessels.
“Enough already… You’re getting too carried away!”
Rest unleashed a spell. Thunder Bolt—a bolt of lightning struck the Sea Monster with precision.
“GYAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!?”
The monster let out a cry of agony, ceasing its destruction and retreating back into the depths of the ocean.
“Ah…!”
The shadow vanished from sight. Using Life Search, Rest probed the waters, sensing the creature diving deeper and deeper. Eventually, the presence of the monster faded away, seemingly having fled.
“Did I let it escape…?”
It appeared to have been intimidated by the Thunder Bolt, but it didn’t seem to have sustained significant damage. This creature was remarkably resilient. Its size was considerable—likely over twenty meters long.
“It was long and serpentine, more akin to a snake than a whale… And with scales like that, it must belong to the fish family, not a mammal…?”
He glared at the spot where the monster had disappeared, but there was no longer any trace of it. That creature had been toying with the fishermen, tormenting them in a way that made Rest uneasy. Fortunately, there had been no casualties from this attack, but given the circumstances, it was only a matter of time before someone could have been killed. Even without that, the destruction of their boats posed a dire threat to the livelihoods of the villagers.
“I hope it decides to move on to another area… If not, we may have to hunt it down.”
Rest murmured to himself as he gazed out over the sea.